Clear laughter resounded from the hall once more.

Immediately after, the military official and the scholar walked out and hurried away, still not sparing a glance for the noble families standing in the courtyard.

But the noble families felt more at ease. The Young Master was happy, which meant the court would not be happy.

It seemed the Zhongshan Prince truly had the momentum of the times.

The noble families steadied themselves and continued waiting. They waited until the sun rose high, finally seeing the military official and scholar return. They could wait no longer and stepped forward to inquire, but saw a group of more than ten people entering behind the official.

Men and women, old and young, in a disheveled state, faces covered with dirt, carrying bundles large and small. Among them, a man who appeared to be the head of the family was supported by his wife and daughter, his face pale as he stumbled along.

They looked like refugees, or perhaps fugitives who had been captured?

“Sir,” the noble families stepped forward to stop the official, “might the Young Master be able to see us?”

The official looked at them, as if just remembering: “Wait a little longer. The Young Master’s guests have arrived.” As he said this, the official added meaningfully, “Guests from the capital.”

Guests? The noble families were taken aback. And from the capital? Had noble families from the capital come to seek refuge? Looking at this group, they indeed appeared to have traveled desperately—

The group was very noisy. Men and women, old and young, all wanted to enter, but were stopped by the official: “Only Master Chu’s family may enter. The servants should wait outside.”

“Our master is injured,” a young servant boy shouted.

An elderly servant even older than Chu Lan grabbed him: “Our master cannot do without someone to attend him.”

“Madam, can you still endure?” an old woman tearfully supported Madam Jiang. “Rest assured, this old servant will never leave your side, even in death.”

“Young Miss, Young Miss, I will never leave you even if I die,” a maidservant cried, almost clinging to the girl.

The courtyard was filled with noise and confusion.

The noble families standing in the courtyard were stunned—the servants of this capital noble family were far too unseemly—

The official silenced the clamor with a series of rebukes.

“A few attendants are enough. Don’t you realize what time it is? You still think you’re living in luxury at home,” he said with disdain. “Make any more noise, and I’ll drive you all away.”

This threat frightened everyone. The servants fell silent, watching as those who had already stepped forward to support the master, madam, and young miss followed them in. But the rest refused to disperse, crowding at the bottom of the steps, deliberately staying close to the guards—

“Standing near you makes us feel safer,” one elderly servant smiled ingratiatingly at a guard.

Unbearable to watch—the noble families in the courtyard were dumbfounded. Even the lowest servants in their households would not embarrass them so.

Had the capital’s noble families become so undignified? Their circumstances must be truly miserable, which further proved the Zhongshan Prince’s irresistible force.

They watched as the family stood at the entrance to the hall, and felt more strength to continue waiting.

The sooner they submitted, the sooner they would find peace.

……

……

Xiao Xun looked at Chu Lan’s family standing at the hall entrance with an ambiguous smile.

“After more than half a year apart, how has Master Chu become so haggard?” he said loudly from inside. “It seems the Empress has not taken good care of you.”

Chu Lan looked at Xiao Xun. The official hall was very large, with the young gentleman sitting at the far end, so distant that his features were barely visible. One could only see his brocade robes, as gentle as jade, but this jade was also tinged with blood, exuding a cold aura.

He could barely remember what the Young Master looked like, having only met him briefly once or twice. The last time had been so frightening that he had desperately tried to forget what happened to survive.

Now, seeing him again and hearing his voice, the nightmare of that night resurfaced.

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

……

……

With a crash, the official who had earlier tested the tea to show it wasn’t poisoned, demonstrating Empress Chu’s suspicious nature, smashed his teacup on the ground.

“You dare harm our Prince’s heir!”

He drew his long sword and slashed directly at Chu Zhao, who sat in the chair.

Chu Zhao, holding her water flask, remained motionless.

With a clang, Ding Dachui drew his sword to block the official’s strike, then twisted his waist, stepped forward, and counterattacked.

The official retreated repeatedly.

The sound of clashing weapons in the hall was piercing.

The other officials standing nearby also drew their swords and surrounded them. A single guard could block one attack, but against seven or eight attackers, even with three heads and six arms, he couldn’t withstand them all.

A-Le drew her sword and stood in front of Chu Zhao, facing the seven or eight tall male officials without a trace of fear.

Chu Zhao’s expression remained calm as she took another drink of water.

“Stop,” said the Zhongshan Prince.

At his command, the attacking officials all halted. The official fighting with Ding Dachui also stepped back and stopped.

The Zhongshan Prince glanced at Ding Dachui: “A good warrior with fine skills.”

It seemed he hadn’t intervened earlier just to observe Ding Dachui’s martial prowess.

Ding Dachui’s expression remained calm as he sheathed his sword and returned to stand beside Chu Zhao.

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

Chu Zhao nodded and smiled: “Xiao Xun is proud yet insecure. He has suffered consecutive defeats at my hands. When he sees an opportunity delivered to his doorstep, he certainly won’t let it pass.”

Proud yet insecure? The Zhongshan Prince looked at this girl with curiosity: “You understand A-Xun quite well.” He smiled again. “It seems Miss Chu is not as indifferent as my son described. You care quite a bit about my son, even understanding his nature.”

“Of course I care. I don’t want to die at the Young Master’s hands,” said Chu Zhao, not dwelling on the topic. “The Young Master’s temperament isn’t really important. What’s important is that my people are reliable.”

The Zhongshan Prince laughed heartily: “Miss Chu, did I hear correctly? Reliable? If I’m not mistaken, these supposedly reliable people are your uncle’s family, correct?”

When Chu Zhao mentioned Xiao Xun, the Zhongshan Prince had already guessed her strategy.

No wonder this girl had refused his water when she entered, fearing poison. It was because she employed such underhanded methods.

But the method didn’t matter; the people were crucial.

“You know very well what kind of people your uncle’s family are,” he said.

He shook his head with some sympathy.

“I think, Miss Chu, you’re desperate and taking a risk.”

“You understand my son, but you also don’t understand him. You’ve never allowed him to get close. If you had given him a chance, you would know what an honest and generous person my son is.”

“There’s no one who doesn’t like him.”

Hearing these words, Chu Zhao remained silent without objection. She had liked Xiao Xun until the moment she was poisoned and dying.

……

……

Chu Lan stood at the hall entrance, covering his face as he sobbed.

“I feigned madness to survive, but now the court will not let me live,” he said. “In this vast world, there is no place for me, Chu Lan.”

Xiao Xun looked at him and smiled: “Is Master Chu suggesting that I am the cause of your misfortune? Have you come to seek revenge?”

Though miserable and barely surviving, there were some things that Chu Lan, as a scholar, could not bring himself to say. Fortunately, Madam Jiang knew the situation and, as a woman of the inner chambers, could do or say anything when faced with life and death.

“Young Master—” Madam Jiang cried, kneeling. “If it hadn’t been for the Young Master back then, we wouldn’t have fallen to such a state. But we have never resented the Young Master, nor have we come to seek revenge. My husband only blames himself for being incompetent. Today, we truly cannot survive anymore. Under heaven, only at the Young Master’s side can we find a way to live.”

Chu Tang knelt to support her mother, joining her in soft weeping. Chu Lan stood, covering his face. The servants around them also began to wail, their voices creating a chaotic din that filled the hall.

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

Tie Ying shouted coldly: “Silence, all of you!”

The chaotic noise stopped instantly.

“Don’t worry. I, Xiao Xun, have never been heartless or disloyal. Since Master Chu has come, I will naturally shelter you,” Xiao Xun said, looking at Chu Lan with a smile. “Master Chu can stay here with peace of mind. When I enter the Imperial City and welcome my father as Emperor, Master Chu will have better days and prospects.”

Xiao Xun had once said they would climb the ladder to heaven together, but now, Chu Lan covered his face and sighed deeply: “For Chu Lan to be alive is already fortunate. How dare I ask for good days or prospects?”

“The mishap back then was because Master Chu wasn’t prepared,” said Xiao Xun. “We can’t blame you. If you had known how miserable things would be today, perhaps back then you wouldn’t have needed my persuasion and would have directly—”

He made a chopping motion with his hand.

If he had known about today, Chu Lan thought, the first thing he would have done that day would be to lock up Chu Zhao—she had seized the opportunity to leap to the position of Empress, trampling their family in the mud.

“I regret what I didn’t do,” Chu Lan sighed deeply.

Yes, if he had known about today, he wouldn’t have wasted words with Chu Lan back then and would have dealt with that girl directly. But enough about the past. Xiao Xun said: “It’s not too late now—Miss Chu Tang, are you willing to fulfill your father’s unfinished business and assist me?”

Chu Lan, who had been covering his face, lowered his sleeve in surprise. Chu Tang, who had been sitting on the ground wiping tears, also raised her head.

Hadn’t he been talking to Chu Lan all along? Why the sudden shift to her?

“Miss Chu Tang, your father’s arrival here was your persuasion, wasn’t it?” Xiao Xun said with a slight smile. “You move among the noble and powerful families in the capital, observing words and expressions, keenly detecting that something was wrong, and you decisively fled the capital.”

Chu Tang timidly said, “I do walk outside and hear some news, but whether to leave or not was still my parents’ decision.”

Xiao Xun smiled and said: “The decisions in your family have always been your decisions, haven’t they?”

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

With one statement, she transformed manipulating her parents into parental love, absolving herself of responsibility.

This girl was completely different from Chu Zhao, like a fish. But fish are simple; they can be hooked with bait. If Chu Zhao could hook her, so could he.

Xiao Xun did not argue this point further and said: “Old Master Zhou’s willingness to hide you and then send you out was also due to Miss Chu Tang’s efforts, wasn’t it?”

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

Chu Tang lowered her head: “Actually, it was because Old Master Zhou cherishes his granddaughter. I begged Miss A-Jiang, and Miss A-Jiang righteously hid our family. To avoid bringing disaster to the Zhou family, Old Master Zhou sent us away.”

Xiao Xun said: “Miss Chu Tang is being modest.”

By now, Madam Jiang and Chu Lan probably understood that Xiao Xun thought their daughter was exceptionally capable and wanted her to do something—

Their daughter was indeed excellent, even more impressive than Chu Zhao. Chu Zhao had only gained an advantage because her father had troops at his disposal. If Chu Lan had power like Chu Yi, Chu Tang could also become Empress!

“Young Master, A-Tang is very obedient and rarely causes us worry. Whatever you need, please feel free to command,” said Madam Jiang. “Our family will go through fire and water without hesitation.”

Chu Tang nodded in agreement but didn’t speak.

Xiao Xun looked at her and suddenly said: “With my father as Emperor and me as Crown Prince, Miss Chu Tang could be the Crown Princess.”