When dusk fell, the sounds of hunting at the hunting grounds quieted.

Lamps were lit in the camp. The imperial chefs’ knives and cleavers flew as they cut and hacked the quarry, frying, roasting, and grilling it into delicacies.

Only two people enjoyed the delicacies, but they were no longer the Empress and Emperor—instead, it was Xie Yanfang and the Emperor.

Xie Yanfang used his knife to cut open a piece of roast meat and placed it on Xiao Yu’s plate. “Your Majesty, try the game I hunted.”

Xiao Yu’s expression was somewhat wooden. Looking at the roast meat before him, he said, “Do you want Sister to die?”

Xie Yanfang replied, “If I wanted her to die, she wouldn’t be sitting here today.” He looked at Xiao Yu. “After she saved you, she actually could have died. Whether she lives or dies has nothing to do with whether you live or die.”

Xiao Yu could understand what these words meant.

He had survived, ascended to the throne. Around him were soldiers, officials, courtiers, and his maternal grandfather’s Xie clan. No matter how the court disputed, no matter how Da Xia was disturbed, he as Emperor actually wouldn’t be affected.

He was himself, yet not himself. He was the lives and fortunes of many people, so many people wanted to kill him, and many people wanted to protect him. Empress Chu Zhao was one of them.

Whether she was there or not, whether she did many things or not—if she weren’t there, others would immediately fill her position and do the same things.

Others. Xiao Yu gripped his knife. This thought flashed through his mind, making his spirit confused. He couldn’t imagine who these others were, nor did he want to think about it.

It wasn’t the same.

No one could be like Sister Chu.

Even if others could do what Sister Chu did, they wouldn’t treat him the way Sister Chu did.

He was especially afraid of losing Sister Chu, but now, in the blink of an eye, he had lost her.

He didn’t even know what had happened…

He had only wanted Xie Yanfang to persuade her, or even, at the very least, forcibly keep Sister with him. But he hadn’t wanted troops to turn against Sister!

How could those people and horses turn their swords, bows, and crossbows against Sister!

“Doing this won’t persuade her,” he murmured. “Sister Chu has never been afraid of threats.”

Xie Yanfang said, “I know.”

He wasn’t threatening her. He was just keeping her here.

“Persuasion, A’Yu, remember this—first, the other person must be able to persuade themselves in their heart. Otherwise, no matter how much you say, it’s useless.”

“So at this time, all you need to do is keep her here. That’s enough.”

Having said this, he picked up the plate before him and stood.

“Now, Your Majesty, just quietly wait for this matter to pass. Don’t think too much about anything else—thinking about it is useless anyway.”

He glanced at the young boy sitting rigidly and smiled slightly.

“Eat more. Don’t try to threaten me by not eating. Of course, eating more won’t win my favor either.”

With that, he turned and left.

Xie Yanfang had always positioned himself as a subject before him—respectful and affable. But at this moment, he was lofty and aloof, his attitude distant.

Xiao Yu watched Xie Yanfang’s retreating figure without any sense of unfamiliarity—or rather, he felt familiarity.

This was the Third Uncle he had been familiar with as a child—the one who only lived in Mother’s words, clever and capable, omnipotent, who also doted on him very much.

But in reality, this uncle had never come to see him and had no interest in seeing him.

In this uncle’s eyes, there was no Xiao Yu, only an Imperial Grand Prince.

Xiao Yu lowered his head and slowly cut the meat. Tears dripped onto it, then he mixed them together and put it in his mouth, chewing in large bites.

No one was like Sister Chu. Only Sister Chu treated him as Xiao Yu.

—

Outside the tent, layers of visible and hidden guards encircled it, just as before—only the person being confined had changed.

Xie Yanfang passed through the guards, lifted the curtain, and entered the tent.

Chu Zhao sat at the desk, holding a brush in one hand and a document in the other, frowning in thought. Hearing someone enter, she paid no attention.

“Your Highness, eat something,” Xie Yanfang said, walking over and setting down the plate.

Only then did Chu Zhao glance over, but the brush in her hand didn’t lower.

“It’s not poisoned,” Xie Yanfang said.

Chu Zhao smiled slightly. “Third Young Master jests. Although they say fathers and sons, husbands and wives must all be on guard, that’s in evenly matched circumstances. Right now, I’m not worried about you poisoning me.”

She waved the document in her hand.

“I’ll eat after I finish reviewing this.”

Xie Yanfang sat down and casually picked up a document from the desk, looking at the written decision on it. “Miss Zhao can still fulfill her duties conscientiously at this time and place.”

Chu Zhao lowered her head to write, saying flatly, “Although I benefited from Third Young Master’s support in securing my position as Empress, the fact that Da Xia’s court has reached where it is today is also the result of my, Chu Zhao’s, painstaking efforts. No matter how much I hate Third Young Master, I have no reason to waste my own hard work.”

Xie Yanfang smiled slightly. “That’s exactly why Miss Zhao should be Empress.”

Chu Zhao paid no attention.

Regarding her silence, Xie Yanfang said nothing more, withdrawing his gaze and lowering his eyes to read the memorial.

They sat quietly facing each other like this. Inside the tent, there was only the occasional soft popping sound of lamp wicks. At some point—probably when a memorial was finished—Xie Yanfang sensed the girl’s gaze fixed on him.

Looking and looking.

Xie Yanfang raised his head, meeting her gaze, and asked, “What is Miss Zhao looking at?” He reached up to touch his face. “I was hunting today and got blood splattered on me, but I washed it clean.”

The girl’s gaze was very strange, and what she said was also strange.

She said, “I’ve long admired your great name. Today I finally get to see you.”

Xie Yanfang smiled slightly and said, “So the current me is very unfamiliar to you, as if meeting for the first time.” At this point he sighed softly. “Between people, inevitably there are times when we become like strangers. At such times, feeling unfamiliar is normal. But don’t worry—all roads under heaven lead to the same destination. You and I will become familiar again.”

Chu Zhao laughed and nodded. Yes, exactly. This was exactly what that Xie Yanfang would say.

What Xie Yanfang said wasn’t wrong either. She did regard him as a stranger, but no matter how clever he was, he couldn’t guess that her lament was for the Xie Yanfang of another life.

Yan Wolf.

In that life, Yan Wolf of the Xie clan appeared in her ears almost daily, but unfortunately, until her death, she had never seen him.

In this life, she had met Xie Yanfang early on. Together they had protected Xiao Yu and crushed Xiao Xun’s imperial fate.

The Third Young Master Xie she knew in this life was refined and affable, proud and witty. Of course, he was clever—very clever—and formidable—very formidable. But these were formidable qualities and cleverness seen from the same camp.

This kind of formidable quality and cleverness held no threat; on the contrary, it was pleasing.

Until this very moment, she saw Xie Yanfang standing on the opposing side.

His expression remained gentle, his demeanor still refined, but whether his gaze or his words—all were like cold jade, indifferent and frigid.

He sat before you smiling, yet was lofty and aloof, gazing down indifferently.

The Xie Yanfang of that life must have been like this. In this life, she had finally seen him in person.

Chu Zhao felt somewhat melancholy again. In this life, she had protected Xiao Yu, kept Deng Yi, and changed the fate of Xiao Xun becoming Emperor and triggering the Xie clan’s rebellion.

Deng Yi remained Grand Tutor. The Xie clan no longer needed to rebel and had glory and honor.

But she also knew that starting out together didn’t mean they wouldn’t turn against each other. She and Deng Yi had become estranged because of power and influence. With Xie Yanfang, conflict was inevitable. But she hadn’t expected that Xie Yanfang’s break with her wouldn’t be because she wanted to be Empress, wanted to monopolize power, wanted to suppress powerful ministers and imperial relatives, wanted to act willfully—but because she hadn’t done these things—

Chu Zhao tilted her head back and sighed deeply.

Even immortals couldn’t have predicted this.

No matter how you thought about it, it was incomprehensible.

Chu Zhao had wanted to ask him whether it was because she had hidden her mother, hidden private troops, that he didn’t believe she truly would relinquish the Empress position.

But looking at Xie Yanfang’s gaze, these words couldn’t leave her mouth. She could see that this wasn’t Xie Yanfang’s reason.

He was simply angry because she wouldn’t be Empress.

“Third Young Master,” Chu Zhao looked at him. “What benefit is there to you in having an Empress who hates you sitting in court? You can’t believe that time will smooth over everything, can you? Or do you have enough ability to make me a puppet? But I must tell you, unless I die, even if you turn me into a human swine, I’ll still ram my jar into you.”

As she spoke, Xie Yanfang listened attentively. When she finished, he smiled slightly.

“As a subject and imperial relative, I never intended to coexist peacefully with the Empress at court.”

“When the ruler is strong, the subject is weak. When the subject is strong, the ruler is weak. Between ruler and subject, stalemate is inevitable.”

“So please don’t worry, Your Majesty the Empress. Do as you please as Empress. This subject will protect himself.”

The lamps throughout the room flickered. The smile on Xie Yanfang’s face was as pale as moonlight. Chu Zhao opened her mouth wanting to say something, but had nothing to say.

“Third Young Master seems fearless and unafraid, and also appears magnanimous,” she said, laughing mockingly. “But actually, this is just your punishment and revenge against me.”

The slight smile remained at the corner of Xie Yanfang’s mouth. He said nothing.

“A chess piece that defies your will, refuses to fall into your chessboard—imprisoned and bound, full of resentment—is nothing more than a trapped beast struggling.”

“Is there anything more delightful than watching a trapped beast struggle?”

Xie Yanfang seemed to think about it, then said, “Most of the time, that’s indeed the case. But—” He reached up to press his chest and shook his head. “Toward Miss Zhao, I’m not like that. I truly feel regret.”

Regret? Regret for what? Chu Zhao wanted to laugh, was about to say something, when footsteps sounded outside the tent and someone called out, “Young Master.”

Xie Yanfang turned his head slightly and made a sound of acknowledgment.

Only then did the person outside dare to continue speaking. “There’s a matter outside.”

What matter?

Xie Yanfang glanced at Chu Zhao, stood, and walked out. As the curtain lifted, Chu Zhao heard commotion coming from a distance—it seemed many people were making noise.

“The court officials are clamoring to see the Empress—”

At this moment, Xie Yanfang walked out. The curtain fell, blocking his figure and also cutting off the voices.

Court officials? Chu Zhao gripped the brush in her hand tightly. Ink dripped from the brush tip, faintly glinting with cold light.