In the sixth month of the first year of Jianning, Chu Zhao was hunting and escaping the summer heat outside the capital. The mountain nights were cooler than those in the imperial city, but Chu Zhao still couldn’t manage a good dream.

She hadn’t slept all night.

Not dreaming was better—sometimes dreams made it hard for her to distinguish reality from dreamscape.

The life she had lived before didn’t have the era name Jianning.

In this life’s fresh start, using her advantageous position as Empress, the era names she chose were all different from that previous life.

They were already different.

Chu Zhao reached up to pinch the bridge of her nose. Xiao Man extinguished the lamps—the sky was already growing light. In the blue-gray dawn, the candle flames were dim and indistinct, no longer useful.

“Do you want to rest a while?” she asked. “Or eat first?” At this point, she added a few more words: “Throughout the night, everything in the capital has been secured. Nothing major happened.”

Messages had flowed constantly all night, but they were all good news.

Official soldiers had surrounded the Xie residence and Liang residence. Though the Xie and Liang families had spoken disrespectfully and cried and made noise, there had been no major disturbances.

Among the aristocratic families and officials in the city, some had come out to gather information, but seeing it was the Capital Camp troops acting on the Empress’s orders, everyone had retreated.

The Surveillance Bureau had detected some private questioning about whether the Empress was being greedy, but most people said to wait and observe, to await the Empress’s explanation.

From this, it was clear the Empress’s prestige had grown even stronger.

The troops outside the capital were also stable, with no unusual movements in the surrounding areas.

The heart that had been suspended all night could relax a little—time to rest a bit, perhaps.

Chu Zhao shook her head. “I won’t rest. A’Yu will be coming to eat soon.”

Speaking of Xiao Yu, Xiao Man said, “He secretly ran to see Xie Yanfang last night. I wonder if his mind will be disturbed—whether he’ll still have the energy to hunt today.”

Chu Zhao had known about this at the time and hadn’t stopped Xiao Yu. She wasn’t surprised. Even if Xiao Yu didn’t have deep familial feelings for Xie Yanfang, he was certainly curious about this matter and would want to see Xie Yanfang no matter what.

“He won’t be affected,” Chu Zhao said with a smile. “He might even be more energetic today.”

Even if he hadn’t slept all night, Xiao Yu would display a spirited appearance for her to see.

This child was clever to excess.

Chu Zhao withdrew her hand from her forehead and picked up her teacup. “Go tell Ding Dachui that today he should send the several masters of the Xie family in the capital along with Liang Qiang to prison. The Emperor, Xie Yanfang, and I are all at the hunting grounds, so they won’t act rashly—they’ll wait for us to return. While we have this time, interrogate them through the night and finalize the charges tomorrow to proclaim to all under heaven.”

Xiao Man acknowledged with a “yes” and said, “Ding Dachui should be arriving soon—”

Before she finished speaking, footsteps sounded outside the tent, and someone lifted the curtain and walked in.

“Ding Dachui, why are you so late—” Xiao Man said with furrowed brows, but before finishing, her form suddenly changed. Her waist twisted as she blocked Chu Zhao, and simultaneously cold light flashed—a pair of short blades hidden in her sleeves appeared horizontally before her.

Chu Zhao stood behind Xiao Man. Over these two years, both she and Xiao Man had grown taller, but Xiao Man had grown even taller than her.

Standing behind Xiao Man, she was completely blocked. She held her teacup and tilted her head slightly to look.

The morning mountain wind stirred, lifting robes, and the incoming light poured across Xie Yanfang’s face.

—

Ding Dachui stood among the mountain forests looking back, feeling as if he heard rustling sounds in his ears.

“Commander Ding.”

A voice came from ahead.

Ding Dachui turned his head to see Xiao Yu standing before him, holding a bow and arrows, morning light dancing through the forest and falling on his face.

“Have you found anything?” Xiao Yu asked.

Before dawn today, the Emperor had summoned Ding Dachui. This was actually quite rare. Although the Surveillance Bureau was nominally directly under the Son of Heaven, in reality they were all under the Empress’s control, and the young Emperor never inquired about their affairs.

However, when His Majesty summoned, no one could refuse to listen, especially at this time—last night the young Emperor had even gone to see Xie Yanfang.

Ding Dachui came with various thoughts in mind, but the young Emperor only asked him to go hunting.

“I spotted a wild boar yesterday,” he said. “While it’s still dark, help me take it down to surprise Sister.”

For the former Ding Dachui, the Emperor had been quite awe-inspiring—a lofty, immortal-like figure. But now, he could see the Emperor almost daily, and though he still respected the Emperor, he felt somewhat less fearful.

Hearing this, Ding Dachui not only didn’t bow in obedience but flatly refused: “Your Majesty has guards responsible for hunting by your side. Just let them go.”

Xiao Yu didn’t get angry at being refused, his expression somewhat sheepish. “I know Lord Ding is very busy. I heard from the guards that Lord Ding once captured a wild boar single-handedly, which is why I wanted to ask your help.”

Ding Dachui felt somewhat embarrassed hearing this. He had indeed told people that—in daily life, one inevitably joked with the guards.

“Because of this unexpected incident, Sister is worried about me,” Xiao Yu said softly. “I don’t want to worry her. If I take down a wild boar, Sister will surely be surprised and see that I haven’t been affected.”

The young boy was animated and spirited, raising his arm.

“Then Sister won’t worry about me.”

Ding Dachui hesitated.

“Lord Ding doesn’t need to personally shoot the wild boar,” Xiao Yu quickly added. “Just come up the mountain and give us some guidance on how to surround and capture it. We’ll do the stalking ourselves, and Lord Ding can go about his business.”

That was acceptable—just going to look would take only a moment. Since the Emperor had said this much, he as a subject couldn’t be too difficult. Ding Dachui acknowledged with a “yes.”

But now—

He hadn’t found traces of the wild boar yet, and he kept feeling something was wrong.

He had surveyed almost every part of the hunting grounds and mountain forests beforehand, but now walking through the mountain forests, everything felt somewhat strange.

Yet when he checked the hidden sentries and open posts, all the signals matched correctly.

“Lord Ding,” Xiao Yu asked again.

Ding Dachui shook his head. “Nothing found.”

Xiao Yu then said, “Then let’s keep searching.” He was about to step forward when he saw Ding Dachui standing motionless. “Lord Ding?”

The rustling sound in Ding Dachui’s ears grew increasingly dense, as if countless snakes and insects were crawling across the ground, or as if countless people were quietly rushing about.

A hunter’s instinct made his hair stand on end. If he felt something was wrong, then something was definitely wrong—

“Your Majesty,” he called out. “This subject takes his leave.”

Throwing out these words, he turned and ran swiftly, simultaneously drawing his sword from his waist, cold light flashing through the forest.

Xiao Yu watched his retreating figure in silent silence.

“Your Majesty,” a nearby guard said softly, “no need to worry. There’s been enough time.”

Xiao Yu said, “Third Uncle will persuade Sister Chu, right?”

The guard replied, “Of course, Your Majesty, rest assured.”

Perhaps he should have persuaded Sister himself, shouldn’t have left Sister alone with Xie Yanfang. Xiao Yu watched Ding Dachui running away in the distance and couldn’t help lifting his foot.

But if she knew it was he who obstructed her, Sister would definitely be angry and wouldn’t like him anymore.

Xiao Yu lowered his gaze and set his foot down.

—

Seeing Xie Yanfang, Chu Zhao was both surprised and unsurprised.

Perhaps this was what was normal.

“I indeed couldn’t keep Lord Xie confined,” she said with a slight smile.

“The Empress need not feel ashamed,” Xie Yanfang said. “You’ve only been Empress for a few years—naturally you can’t compare to my decade and more of planning.”

Chu Zhao said, “Let this maid of mine leave.”

“What nonsense are you speaking?” Xiao Man shouted.

Xie Yanfang said, “Miss Zhao, these words will hurt this young lady’s heart. How could she abandon you and leave?” His gaze fell on Xiao Man, examining her carefully for the first time. “So she’s one of your mother’s people. I always thought she was your father’s.”

A trace of surprise flashed through Chu Zhao’s eyes, then disappeared.

“A’Yu told you?” she said, a self-mocking smile appearing at the corner of her mouth. “I still haven’t learned my lesson. Third Young Master, you were right—in such circumstances, even fathers and sons, husbands and wives must be on guard.”

Xiao Yu was someone she had saved, but this child she had saved was also the Emperor.

“He’s a child. Don’t demand too much of him, and don’t blame him,” Xie Yanfang said. “No child’s secret can be hidden from adults.”

At this point, his eyes showed some melancholy, then clarity.

“Many things seemed somewhat wrong before, but could be explained. Now I completely understand.”

“For instance, why Xiao Xun could be captured by Chu Lan’s family.”

“For instance, when Shipo City fell and the Prince of Xi Liang was captured, why Zhong Changrong could still attack the Xi Liang royal court.”

“For instance, why the one hundred thousand troops captured by Prince Zhongshan suffered such high losses in the border commanderies—nothing like what Prince Zhongshan would have carefully trained.”

“For instance, why you had to imprison me.”

Hearing this, Chu Zhao couldn’t help but say, “My imprisoning you has nothing to do with this matter, does it?”

Xie Yanfang looked at her. “It’s related. If your mother weren’t still alive, it wouldn’t be Miss Zhao imprisoning me.”

What? Chu Zhao frowned. “If not me, then who?”

“The Empress,” Xie Yanfang said. “The Empress can imprison me. The Empress can do whatever she wants. But Chu Zhao cannot!”

He stepped forward, looking at Chu Zhao, shaking his head.

“Chu Zhao doesn’t want to be Empress. That won’t do.”

At this point, the slight smile at the corner of his mouth became frozen like midwinter ice.

“So I’ve conveyed a new order on behalf of His Majesty.”

“Bandit suppression.”