Clear laughter came from the hall once again.

Immediately after, the general and the scholar both walked out from within, hurrying away, still not sparing a glance at the clan families standing in the courtyard.

But the clan families felt more relaxed. The Crown Prince was happy, which proved the court wouldn’t be happy.

It seemed Prince Zhongshan truly had the momentum of destiny.

The clan families steadied their minds and continued waiting. They waited until the sun rose high, and finally saw the general and scholar return. They couldn’t wait any longer. They moved forward to inquire, but saw behind the general another group of a dozen or so people entering.

Men, women, old and young, looking disheveled and dust-covered, carrying large and small bundles. Among them, a man who appeared to be the family head was being supported by his wife and daughter, his face deathly pale, stumbling.

They looked like refugees, or perhaps fugitives who’d been caught?

“Sir.” The clan families stepped forward to intercept the general. “Can the Crown Prince see us?”

The general looked at them, as if just remembering: “Wait a bit longer. The Crown Prince has guests.” Saying this, the general added meaningfully, “Guests from the capital.”

Guests? The clan families were startled. From the capital too? Had a clan from the capital come seeking refuge? Looking at this group again, they indeed looked like they’d been desperately traveling—

This group was very noisy. Men, women, old and young all wanted to enter, but were stopped by the general: “Just Master Chu’s family will go in. All servants wait outside.”

“Our master is injured.” A young servant shouted.

An old servant even older than Chu Lan grabbed onto Chu Lan: “Our master can’t be without someone to serve him.”

“Madam, can you still hold on?” An old woman tearfully supported Jiang Shi. “Rest assured, this old slave will stay by your side even unto death.”

“Miss, miss, I won’t leave you even if I die.” A maid cried out, practically clinging to the girl.

The courtyard was chaotic and confused.

The clan families standing in the courtyard were all dumbfounded. These servants from the capital clan were far too unseemly—

The general’s scolding stopped the chaos.

“Just a few attendants to serve is enough. Don’t you see what time this is? Still thinking you’re living in comfort at home.” He said disdainfully. “Make more noise and I’ll chase you all away.”

This threat frightened everyone. The servants stopped talking, watching the servants who’d managed to support the master, madam, and miss follow them in. But they still refused to disperse, all crowding at the bottom of the steps, deliberately staying close to the guards—

“Standing beside you, we’ll be much safer.” One old servant even smiled ingratiatingly at the guards.

Unbearable to watch—the clan families in the courtyard were dumbstruck. Even the lowest laborers in their households weren’t this shameful.

Had the capital clans become so disgraceful? Their circumstances must be dire indeed. This further proved Prince Zhongshan was unstoppable.

They watched that family stand at the hall entrance, and felt more energy to continue waiting.

Pledge allegiance early, find peace early.

……

……

Xiao Xun looked at the Chu Lan family standing outside the hall entrance, his expression somewhere between a smile and not.

“After over half a year apart, how has Master Chu become so haggard?” he called out from within. “It seems the Empress hasn’t been taking good care of you.”

Chu Lan looked at Xiao Xun. This official hall was very large. The young gentleman sat at the very back, so distant his features were almost indiscernible—only his brocade robes could be seen, gentle as jade, yet that jade was also stained with blood, revealing a cold intent.

He could barely remember what this crown prince looked like. After all, they’d only met briefly once or twice. The last time had been so frightening that he’d desperately forgotten what happened, just to survive.

Now seeing him and hearing his voice, that night’s nightmare surfaced again.

“Your Highness.” Chu Lan wept. “I truly have nowhere else to turn.”

……

……

With a bang, the general who’d earlier drunk tea to prove it wasn’t poisoned—calling Empress Chu petty-minded—threw his teacup to the ground.

“You dare harm our Prince’s Crown Prince!”

He drew his long blade and slashed directly toward Chu Zhao seated in the chair.

Chu Zhao held her leather pouch, not moving an inch.

With a clang, Ding Dachui drew his blade and clashed with the general’s sword, blocking the strike. Twisting his waist and stepping forward, he raised his blade to counterattack.

The general retreated repeatedly.

Within the hall, the sound of clashing weapons was piercingly harsh.

The other generals standing to the side also drew their blades and surrounded them. One guard could block one attack, but against seven or eight attacks, even with three heads and six arms he couldn’t block them all.

A’Le drew her blade and stood before Chu Zhao, facing seven or eight tall, imposing men without the slightest fear.

Chu Zhao’s expression was also calm, and she even took another sip of water.

“Stop.” Prince Zhongshan said.

At his word, the generals about to attack all stopped. The general fighting Ding Dachui also stepped back and stopped.

Prince Zhongshan glanced at Ding Dachui: “Good warrior, excellent skills.”

It seemed he’d only refrained from stopping them earlier to observe Ding Dachui’s abilities.

Ding Dachui’s expression was calm. He sheathed his long blade and returned to stand beside Chu Zhao.

“Miss Chu.” Prince Zhongshan looked at Chu Zhao again. “Are you certain you can succeed?”

Chu Zhao nodded, smiling: “Xiao Xun is both arrogant and insecure. He’s been defeated by me repeatedly. Seeing an opportunity delivered to his door, he definitely won’t let it pass.”

Arrogant and insecure? Prince Zhongshan looked at this girl, curiously asking: “You understand A’Xun very well.” He smiled again. “It seems Miss Chu isn’t as heartless as A’Xun claims. You quite care about my son—you even understand his true nature.”

“Of course I care—I don’t want to die at the Crown Prince’s hands.” Chu Zhao said, not dwelling on this. “What kind of person the Crown Prince is actually isn’t important. What’s important is that my people are very reliable.”

Prince Zhongshan laughed heartily: “Miss Chu, did I hear correctly? Reliable? If I’m not mistaken, these so-called reliable people are your uncle’s family, aren’t they?”

When Chu Zhao mentioned Xiao Xun, Prince Zhongshan had guessed what method she intended to use.

No wonder this girl said upon entering she wouldn’t drink his water, worried about being poisoned—because she herself was someone who used such underhanded methods.

But the method didn’t matter—the people were what mattered.

“What kind of people your uncle’s family are, you yourself are very clear.”

He shook his head with some sympathy.

“I think, Miss Chu, you have nowhere else to turn and are taking a desperate risk.”

“You understand my son, but actually don’t understand him at all. You’ve never been willing to let him get close. If you gave him a chance, you’d know what an honest and generous person my son is.”

“No one dislikes him.”

Hearing this, Chu Zhao fell silent, not objecting. Until she was poisoned and dying, she had still loved Xiao Xun.

……

……

Chu Lan stood at the hall entrance, covering his face and sobbing.

“I feigned madness and played the fool to survive, but now the court won’t tolerate my living.” He said. “In this vast world, there’s no place for me, Chu Lan.”

Xiao Xun looked at him and smiled: “Does Master Chu mean this is all my fault? So you’ve come seeking revenge?”

Though utterly wretched and barely surviving, there were some words this scholar Chu Lan still couldn’t say. Fortunately, Jiang Shi knew the situation. She was an inner quarters woman—at a moment of life and death, she could do anything, say anything.

“Crown Prince—” Jiang Shi cried out, kneeling down. “If it weren’t for the Crown Prince back then, we wouldn’t have fallen to such a state, but we’ve never resented the Crown Prince, much less come seeking revenge. My husband only hates that he accomplished nothing and made things worse. Today, we truly can’t survive any longer. Under heaven, only the Crown Prince can give us a way to live.”

Chu Tang knelt down to support her mother, joining in the pitiful weeping. Chu Lan stood covering his face, and the servants around them all began wailing as well. The sounds rushed into the hall in chaotic confusion.

Xiao Xun pressed his hand to his forehead: “Alright, alright, I understand. Stop crying.”

Tie Ying called out coldly: “Everyone be quiet!”

The chaotic confusion instantly stopped.

“Don’t worry. I, Xiao Xun, have never been a heartless, unrighteous person. Since Master Chu is willing to come, naturally I’ll take you in.” Xiao Xun said, looking at Chu Lan with a smile. “Master Chu, stay here with me at ease. When I enter the imperial palace and welcome my father as emperor, Master Chu will have even better days and prospects ahead.”

Xiao Xun had indeed once spoken of climbing the ladder to heaven together with him, but now—Chu Lan covered his face and sighed deeply: “That Chu Lan can remain alive is already fortunate. How dare I seek any good days or prospects?”

“The accident back then was because Master Chu, you weren’t prepared.” Xiao Xun said. “I can’t blame you. If you’d known you’d be so miserable today, back then you probably wouldn’t have needed my persuasion and would have directly—”

He made a chopping gesture with his hand.

If he’d known about today, Chu Lan thought, the first thing he would have done that day was lock Chu Zhao up—she’d seized the opportunity to leap to the position of empress, trampling their family into the mud.

“I deeply regret the past.” Chu Lan sighed deeply.

Yes, if he’d known about today, back then he wouldn’t have wasted words with Chu Lan either—he would have directly moved against that girl. Forget it, don’t mention the past. Xiao Xun said: “However, it’s not too late now—Miss A’Tang, are you willing to fulfill your father’s regret and lend me your assistance?”

Chu Lan, who’d been covering his face, froze and lowered his sleeve. Chu Tang, who’d been sitting on the ground wiping tears, also raised her head.

Hadn’t he been talking to Chu Lan all along? Why did he suddenly turn to her?

“Miss A’Tang, it was you who persuaded your father to come here, wasn’t it?” Xiao Xun said with a slight smile. “You moved among the powerful families of the capital, observing expressions and reading situations. You keenly discovered something was wrong and decisively fled the capital.”

Chu Tang said timidly: “I do travel outside and hear more news, but whether to leave or not still required my parents’ decision.”

Xiao Xun said with a smile: “Your family’s decisions have always been your decisions.”

Chu Tang nodded obediently: “Yes, my parents care for me greatly.”

With one sentence, she transformed controlling her parents into being loved by them, making it unrelated to her.

This girl was completely different from Chu Zhao, like a fish. But fish were simple—with bait, they’d take the hook. Chu Zhao could hook her, and so could he.

Xiao Xun didn’t debate this issue further with her. “That Old Master Zhou was willing to hide you and then send you out—that was also Miss A’Tang’s achievement, wasn’t it?”

Old Master Zhou wouldn’t spare Chu Lan a second glance.

Chu Tang lowered her head: “Actually, it’s because Old Master Zhou cares for his granddaughter. I begged Miss A’Jiang, and Miss A’Jiang righteously hid our family in secret. To avoid bringing disaster to the Zhou family, Old Master Zhou sent us out.”

Xiao Xun said: “Miss A’Tang is too modest.”

Jiang Shi and Chu Lan now roughly understood—Xiao Xun thought their daughter was extremely capable and wanted her to do something—

Their daughter was indeed very capable, even more formidable than that Chu Zhao. Chu Zhao had merely seized the advantage of having a father with troops to command. If Chu Lan were like Chu Ling with such power and authority, Chu Tang could be empress too!

“Crown Prince, A’Tang is very well-behaved and rarely gives us couple any worry. Whatever you need, just command her.” Jiang Shi said. “Our family will brave fire and water without hesitation.”

Chu Tang also nodded, but didn’t speak.

Xiao Xun looked at her and suddenly said: “My father will be emperor, I will be crown prince. Miss A’Tang can be the crown prince’s consort.”