“Give up hope!”

Ning Kun, who was lying on the ground, somehow struggled and spat out the rag stuffing his mouth. Watching Chu Tang hand the note and Xiao Xun’s seal to Little Rabbit, he let out a cold laugh.

“You may have taken the heir hostage, but you have no escape—you won’t even make it out of this room—”

Before he could finish speaking, Little Rabbit had already run to an old woman’s side. This old woman was one of those who had helped subdue Tie Ying earlier.

“Rat Granny,” Little Rabbit said. “Send it out.”

The old woman cheerfully acknowledged and took out a mouse from her clothing. She wrapped the note and seal in cloth and tied them to the mouse’s body, then tossed it on the ground: “Good grandson, off you go.”

The mouse scurried away and disappeared into the hall, running along the wall to who knows where.

Ning Kun’s voice abruptly stopped. This was a group of petty thieves and rogues who had strange methods of transmitting messages.

“But!” he shouted sternly again. “What you’re doing is completely futile. Even if you send the message out, you can’t get out, and no one outside can fight their way in. If you stop now—”

Before he could finish, Chu Tang walked over, bent down, and slapped him across the face.

Before Ning Kun could recover, he received two more slaps in succession.

“Now I’ve offended the people close to the heir as well,” Chu Tang said, shaking her hand and frowning. “The path is completely blocked.”

With that, she flicked her hand dismissively.

“Little Rabbit, gag him properly.”

Little Rabbit bounced over, lifted her foot and pressed it against Ning Kun’s neck. Ning Kun’s eyes rolled back and he fainted.

“Now he can’t talk,” Little Rabbit said with a grin.

Chu Tang let out a long sigh and looked around. More than ten people surrounded the hall, encircling them, but this provided no sense of security at all.

Just as Ning Kun had said, they had no escape. They had kidnapped the heir, but did they really dare kill him?

If they didn’t kill the heir, they would be killed.

If they killed the heir, they would also be killed.

No matter how you looked at it, this was a dead end.

Chu Zhao had told her to stop Xiao Xun and then wait. In her panic and confusion, she had forgotten to ask—wait until when? One day, two days, three days? Or one year, two years?

Chu Tang raised her hand and tapped herself on the head: “Chu Zhao, oh Chu Zhao, why did I lose my mind and listen to you?”

……

……

Chu Zhao was also waiting, watching the sun rise and set, the light and shadows shifting in the prince’s hall.

A’Le sat in a chair and nodded off, then suddenly woke up. Before her eyes were fully open, she quickly stood up and assumed a protective stance.

“A’Le, go back to sleep for a while,” Chu Zhao said with a laugh.

A’Le rubbed her eyes: “I won’t sleep anymore. We’ll be eating soon.” She sat up straight and looked outside. The doors and windows were all open, and she could see bright daylight outside, but she could also see soldiers standing like a forest.

That day, Chu Zhao had told Prince Zhongshan to think carefully. Prince Zhongshan had glanced at Chu Zhao, said nothing more, and left.

They were confined here.

They would be eating breakfast soon, A’Le thought. This was the fourth breakfast—this time Chu Zhao had proactively requested tea and three meals a day, and the people of Prince Zhongshan’s manor had no intention of starving them, delivering everything on time as requested.

“I wonder if things are going smoothly over there or not,” A’Le couldn’t help muttering. After speaking, she quickly looked at Chu Zhao. “Miss, I’m not afraid. Even if Miss A’Tang fails, I’m not afraid.”

Chu Zhao laughed heartily: “Yes, if we fail, we’ll all die together. There’s nothing to fear.”

When she had just been reborn and awakened, she had been a little afraid of death. But now, having made up for all her regrets, she had no attachments or worries.

A’Le nodded: “If I die together with Miss, I have nothing to fear.”

After speaking, she glanced at Ding Dachui.

Ding Dachui was stunned. Him too? Well, without the Empress, he had wasted all this time, and he’d have to go back to being a bandit—but no, if something happened to the Empress, the chief would definitely not let him off. He was dead either way.

“Me too,” he said, copying A’Le’s words. “If I die together with Miss, I have nothing to fear.”

Chu Zhao laughed heartily.

Footsteps came from outside, but this time it wasn’t breakfast being delivered. Instead, Prince Zhongshan entered leaning on his cane, which struck the ground with a thud.

The laughter in the hall also stopped.

Prince Zhongshan looked at Chu Zhao: “Miss Chu seems very happy.”

Chu Zhao looked at Prince Zhongshan’s gloomy face and smiled: “It seems the Prince is not very happy.”

Prince Zhongshan looked at this girl, who sat calmly in her chair with an expression between a smile and something else—

The first time they met, although Chu Zhao’s gaze had been unfriendly and her words abrupt, she had at least appeared to be a proper young lady from a respectable family.

And now? No matter how you looked at her, she had a certain… bandit air?

Prince Zhongshan sat down: “Miss Chu, you’ve already been the Empress, so why do you have the manner of a rogue now? You’re nothing like your father.”

Did she resemble her mother then? Chu Zhao was momentarily distracted. Mu Mianhong didn’t look like a rogue at all—she collected herself and pushed away that name.

“Then the Prince doesn’t understand that people can know someone’s face but not their heart. If my father weren’t a rogue, he wouldn’t have reached his current position either,” Chu Zhao said with a smile. “The same goes for me.”

Prince Zhongshan nodded: “You’re right. All worldly wealth and status belong to rogues.” He placed a note and a seal on the table. “Miss Chu, my son’s luck was not good this time.”

Chu Zhao’s smile grew even brighter. She reached out to pick up the note and carefully examined the writing and seal on it.

A’Le was already happily clapping her hands: “Miss A’Tang is amazing—she actually captured the heir!”

“People don’t know how capable they are until they’re pushed to the limit,” Chu Zhao sighed.

In that other life, Chu Tang had even dared to kill.

She had killed her.

Prince Zhongshan watched the master and servant’s reactions and cleared his throat lightly: “Miss Chu, although my son’s luck was poor, that doesn’t mean you’ve won.”

A’Le glared: “Your son has been captured, his life and death are in our hands—how is that not winning?”

Prince Zhongshan looked at this maidservant and smiled: “Little girl, you may not know how many sons this Prince has.”

How many sons? A’Le was taken aback.

“This Prince has one wife and thirty concubines who have borne seven children,” Prince Zhongshan said, looking at Chu Zhao. “A’Xun is the heir officially appointed by the court, but he is not this Prince’s only son.”

Chu Zhao made a sound of acknowledgment and looked at him: “So the Prince means that whether this son lives or dies doesn’t matter?”

Prince Zhongshan didn’t answer, gently stroking his cane: “A’Xun is my eldest son. Back then, I still felt like a child myself, and suddenly having a child felt very strange. I watched him open his eyes, from a swaddled infant to taking his first toddling steps. Looking at this child who resembled me in every way, yet he was a new life. Everyone says children should be grateful to their parents for giving them life and raising them, but actually, it was A’Xun who saved me. His arrival suddenly changed my bitter and dull life, invigorating my spirit and making me laugh with joy.”

He looked at Chu Zhao.

“Miss Chu, to your father, you must surely be the same.”

Chu Zhao thought about it. When her father was besieging bandits and suddenly saw a child held up, told it was his child, how did he feel?

Probably startled, right? Chu Zhao couldn’t help but laugh. Her father’s life had also changed from that moment.

Prince Zhongshan watched the girl laugh brilliantly and said: “The bond between parent and child is a rare blessing in life. However, life inevitably has its misfortunes—meetings and partings, unions and separations.”

“Speak plainly,” A’Le shouted angrily. “Are you saying you don’t care whether your son lives or dies?”

Prince Zhongshan said: “I said earlier that A’Xun was raised by me from childhood. He is like another me that I carved out. His will is the same as mine. If he knew that he would obstruct our great enterprise, he would certainly sacrifice his life.”

A’Le said: “After all that talk, you’re just saying you don’t care about this son anymore.”

Prince Zhongshan ignored her and looked at Chu Zhao: “Miss Chu, when this Prince ascends to the imperial throne, I will posthumously confer the title of Crown Prince on A’Xun. At that time, this Prince will name you Crown Princess, so you can accompany and rely on each other with A’Xun in the netherworld.”

“You!” A’Le roared angrily.

Ding Dachui drew his weapon.

The guards who had followed Prince Zhongshan in also raised their swords and crossbows with a clatter, and a cold killing intent filled the hall.

Chu Zhao sat calmly and smiled: “Indeed, in the imperial family, there is no true bond between father and son.”