Ning Kun’s carriage drove out of the small alley onto the main street.

Today, there were few vehicles and pedestrians on the street, so the coachman increased his speed. However, when passing through an intersection, a child about ten years old suddenly ran out.

The coachman pulled on the reins unexpectedly, but the child had already rolled under the carriage.

“What happened?!” Ning Kun jumped directly out of the carriage, immediately scanning the surroundings.

If the Crown Prince’s people had caused trouble here, it probably wouldn’t end well!

Was someone deliberately trying to frame them?

Who was making a move? The Crown Prince? The Third Prince? Or the Emperor?

Countless thoughts flashed through Ning Kun’s mind in an instant. The guards hidden in front and around them also converged towards this direction, but at the same time, the child under the carriage darted out swiftly, rushing towards the opposite side—

As agile as a rabbit.

Visibly completely unharmed.

Ning Kun stood frozen in place, but the coachman had already regained his composure.

“Whose child is this?!” he shouted, raising his whip. “How can you run about recklessly in the street?!”

No one answered him. The child even turned back to make a face at him before disappearing into an alley.

Ning Kun looked around. The guards who had gathered shook their heads at him, indicating there was nothing unusual in the vicinity.

It was just an accident.

Everything happened very quickly. The bystanders didn’t see much, and those who had noticed were startled by the child who ran away. Now they joined the coachman in complaining.

“Whose child is that?!” “How inappropriate!” “Don’t the parents supervise at all?!”

Ning Kun sighed in relief and shook his head. “It’s good no one was hurt.”

After speaking, he got back into the carriage and signaled the coachman to continue. However, he couldn’t help but glance again at the alley.

How could that child move so nimbly?

He had indeed felt the carriage hit something with a thud, but the child was completely unharmed.

As the carriage creaked away, the child peeked out from the alley and stuck his tongue out at them. “You’re lucky, or else young master would have—”

Before he could finish, someone behind him grabbed his ear. “Xiao Tu, why are you running around wildly?”

The boy, Xiao Tu, turned his head and smiled ingratiatingly. “Sister Xiao Man, I wasn’t running around wildly. I was helping everyone scout the terrain and get familiar with the environment.”

The girl behind him was dressed in beautiful clothes adorned with jewelry, just like the daughters of wealthy families in the capital. However, when she spoke, she was fierce: “There are soldiers everywhere. If you sneak around causing trouble for everyone, I won’t let you off.”

Xiao Tu seemed unconvinced. “I’m very skilled. Even that carriage couldn’t hit me.”

That made it worse. Xiao Man raised her hand and flicked his forehead again. “How could a normal child not get hit?!”

“Really?” Xiao Tu blinked. “Even A-Bao in our family who just learned to walk wouldn’t get hit, right?”

Xiao Man didn’t bother arguing with him and dragged him back into the alley. “No need to scout. We just need to watch one person. The house has already been rented, right across from the Chu residence. We don’t need to go anywhere else.”

Xiao Tu became excited again. “Sister Xiao Man, has Chu Zhao already gone to that garden place to fight? Can we go watch?”

Xiao Man rolled her eyes. “No, there are even more soldiers there, surrounding it tightly. Don’t go causing trouble.”

Xiao Tu was very disappointed. “I wonder when we’ll get to see Chu Zhao fight.”

……

……

Ning Kun dismissed the minor street incident and returned to the post station to meet Xiao Xun.

Xiao Xun was reviewing various documents from the Wangchun Garden literary gathering that Tie Ying had brought, focusing only on those related to Chu Zhao.

Unfortunately, there wasn’t much about the girl, almost nothing.

“The Young Master should have gone to see in person,” said Tie Ying, then sneering coldly, “To see how Miss Chu is completely different at Wangchun Garden, as docile and obedient as a little lamb. Young Master, you wouldn’t recognize her.”

Xiao Xun smiled. “I would. She immediately becomes fierce when she sees me. I didn’t go in person specifically to avoid conflict with her, not because I fear her, but to prevent others from exploiting the situation.”

Like the Third Prince, like Xie Yanfang.

Especially Xie Yanfang, who had deliberately gone to Chu Garden and was waiting for him.

Ning Kun entered and heard this, nodding in agreement. “The Young Master is right. If Xie Yanfang were to clash with Your Highness, it would confirm that Your Highness is allied with the Third Prince.”

He then frowned.

“I wonder if Xie Yanfang told the Crown Prince that you were the source of that rumor about the Xie family?”

“He won’t,” said Xiao Xun. “He knows that even if he tells the Crown Prince, I have an explanation ready.”

He smiled slightly.

“I’ll just say that when I rescued her from drowning, I fell in love with Miss Chu at first sight, couldn’t forget her after seeing her again, and grew resentful out of jealousy—”

“What? Only their Xie family can care for that girl? Can’t I have human emotions too?”

Affairs of the heart with their tangled relationships wouldn’t reflect well if made public, and matters between men and women spread extremely easily. The Xie family, intent on growing stronger while hiding behind the illustrious Yang family, would certainly not want public attention.

Ning Kun praised him: “The Young Master’s actions are reassuring.”

Xiao Xun glanced at him. “If I’m so reassuring, why does my father still need to go bribe people?”

Ning Kun laughed heartily. “That’s called support. The Prince considers all aspects, thus not wasting the Young Master’s intelligence, preventing his tragedy from repeating.”

Despite the Prince’s intelligence back then, those around him didn’t pay enough attention, resulting in the Empress Dowager easily harming him.

Xiao Xun remained silent for a moment. When he was a child in the capital, his father had been scheming exhaustively for him in Zhongshan County, ensuring he had protection around him—

During those years, all the money from the Zhongshan Prince’s estate was spent on him. Only after he finally returned home did he discover his brothers and sisters lived like commoners—

“Is this Deng Yi worth spending so much on?” he asked.

Ning Kun replied: “We can’t approach the powerful figures, and they wouldn’t care about our money anyway. Only such minor figures both love money and can be useful at critical moments. As the saying goes, ‘A thousand-mile dike can be breached by an ant hole.’ So yes, it’s worth it.”

Xiao Xun didn’t pursue the matter further. “Then let my father continue spending money, while I leisurely remain at the post station.”

Ning Kun nodded, his expression solemn, and said in a low voice: “There’s indeed something unusual about the Capital Garrison.”

Xiao Xun spoke with a hint of anticipation: “I wonder what kind of show will unfold.”

……

……

The first day of the Wangchun Garden literary gathering passed both lively and peacefully.

It was lively because many people attended, and peaceful because the scene wasn’t as full of intense conflicts as the beginning of the Chu Garden gathering.

Chu Zhao also didn’t become the target of everyone as some had guessed, nor did she fight back against others’ contempt. She smiled all day, smiling at everyone she met, smiling so much that people turned and walked away when they saw her—

“So happy because Third Young Master Xie is here,” Qi Leyun said with a pout, then turned her eyes curiously and leaned in to ask quietly, “We’re good sisters, tell me, do you really like Third Young Master Xie, or is it Xie Yanlai?”

Chu Zhao laughed, pushing the little girl’s head away. “Qi Leyun, since when are we good sisters?”

Then she walked away laughing loudly.

Qi Leyun stomped her foot in anger.

……

……

People, carriages, and horses filed out of Wangchun Garden.

But many also stayed behind. Today’s outstanding participants were invited by the Third Prince to stay overnight at Wangchun Garden for the evening banquet.

Of course, the ladies were still not among them.

But the ladies didn’t mind anymore.

Chu Zhao and Chu Tang walked out with the other girls.

“Sister,” said Chu Zhao, “you should ride in Qi Leyun’s carriage back home.”

Before Chu Tang could speak, Qi Leyun snorted: “I’m not your good sister, why should I do as you say?”

Chu Tang smiled and linked arms with her. “Then please pity me for being abandoned by my good sister and take me back.” She pulled her away without giving Chu Zhao a chance to explain what she was going to do.

Chu Zhao wasn’t worried that Chu Tang would be thrown out of Qi Leyun’s carriage. She went to her carriage with A-Le and instructed the coachman: “Go to the Capital Garrison.”

The coachman didn’t dare question and drove toward the Capital Garrison as told.

“Miss, was it Uncle Zhong who came?” A-Le asked excitedly again from her seat in the carriage.

“Yes,” Chu Zhao smiled. “Unbelievable, isn’t it?”

A-Le cupped her face and squeezed hard, grimacing: “Unbelievable—”

The carriage moved quickly, the curtains fluttering. A-Le suddenly caught sight of a figure from the corner of her eye and quickly leaned out the window to call, “A-Jiu!”

A-Jiu?

Chu Zhao hurriedly looked out and indeed saw a squad of Imperial Guards passing on the main road, with a young man among them looking straight ahead.

The other guards all looked over when they heard the call, curiously examining the two girls in the carriage.

“It’s Chu Zhao,” someone whispered.

Some of them had been to Chu Garden to see the excitement and recognized the girl.

After calling out Chu Zhao’s name, everyone’s gaze immediately turned toward Xie Yanlai, their expressions meaningful—

The young man wearing the dark Imperial Guard uniform with a cinnabar red waistband and a long saber continued looking straight ahead.

“A-Jiu,” Chu Zhao smiled from the window. “Your injury hasn’t healed yet. Why are you running around?”

Xie Yanlai didn’t even glance at her, instead looking up at the sky: “Some people are truly arrogant. After quarreling with others all day, instead of going home, they’re still out causing trouble everywhere?”

A-Le snorted: “A-Jiu, mind your attitude. In the future, we won’t bring you medicine anymore.”

Xie Yanlai laughed aloud and finally looked over: “That would be wonderful. My injury would heal faster.”

With that, he spurred his horse and galloped ahead, leaving behind his Imperial Guard companions and Chu Zhao’s carriage.

Chu Zhao didn’t mind and withdrew her gaze, nodding and smiling at the other Imperial Guards.

The Imperial Guards smiled and nodded back without saying much, and the horses and carriages proceeded in different directions.

The Imperial Guards caught up with the young man and became noisy. “Yanlai, this is Miss Chu.” “Miss Chu still brings you medicine?” “Of course, Miss Chu even scolded the Third Young Master for Yanlai in the street.”

No matter what they said jokingly, Xie Yanlai ignored them all, looking straight ahead and turning a deaf ear, until someone said, “Yanlai, you and Miss Chu have a good relationship.”

Xie Yanlai quickly turned to that person: “Are you blind? Where do you see that I have a good relationship with her?”

The person stuttered: “Well, well, it seems good, you were talking and laughing—”

“I talk and laugh with everyone!” Xie Yanlai raised an eyebrow. “I joke even more with Captain Qi. Do I have a good relationship with him?”

The Imperial Guard was left speechless. It was true—Xie Yanlai was not very likable and didn’t have a good relationship with anyone. Unfortunately, his family background was significant; his brother, Third Young Master Xie, had a great reputation, and Xie Yanlai himself was extremely shrewd and slippery. Although people hated him, they couldn’t pin anything on him, and even the officials above them could only tolerate him.

This Imperial Guard was momentarily stunned, but the others were still clear-headed and laughed: “How can men and women be the same? Yanlai, you treat Miss Liang and Miss Chu differently.”

Xie Yanlai snorted: “How are they different? She’s also not as good-looking as I am.”

The Imperial Guards roared with laughter.

Xie Yanlai galloped forward amid the laughter, thinking there was indeed something even more different. If that girl heard him say she wasn’t as good-looking as him, what would she do?

She wouldn’t cry or hide away in shame. She would just run over with a smile and say, “So what? You still fell for my trick, didn’t you?”

Xie Yanlai couldn’t help looking back. The girl’s carriage had become a small dot on the main road, with the glow of the setting sun in the distance.

So late, and still running around outside the city?

Didn’t she know how annoying she was?

……

……

“This A-Jiu is annoying!”

A-Le snorted, then shook her head proudly.

“In the future, we won’t need him anymore. We won’t have to please him.”

Chu Zhao smiled: “What are you talking about? Even when we needed him, we never tried to please him.”

“But Miss still protected him from being beaten and made medicine for him,” A-Le raised an eyebrow.

“That was encouragement,” Chu Zhao said.

A-Le burst into laughter.

Just as the last rays of the setting sun disappeared, they arrived at the Capital Garrison. Perhaps because of Third Young Master Xie, after giving her name, the normally inaccessible Capital Garrison quickly made arrangements, allowing her to see her father’s men.

Unfortunately, she didn’t see Uncle Zhong.

The four soldiers weren’t strangers; both Chu Zhao and A-Le could call them by name.

“Vice Commander Zhong took some men into the city to the Ministry of War,” they explained. “He’s also meeting some old acquaintances and will stay in the capital tonight, which is convenient for seeing you tomorrow, Miss.”

So that was it. Vice Commander Zhong wanted to see her quickly, and she wanted to see Uncle Zhong too, but they had missed each other.

“Good, I’ll wait for him at home,” Chu Zhao said, then gestured to A-Le. “Quickly bring out the things for the uncles.”

A-Le hurriedly brought bundles from the carriage: “We were in such a hurry when we heard the news, there was no time to choose carefully. These were just bought hastily by the roadside.”

The soldiers accepted with a smile, thanking the young lady for her thoughtfulness: “We don’t lack anything. In the Capital Garrison, no, even throughout this journey, thanks to you, Miss, we haven’t suffered any hardship.”

What? Chu Zhao laughed heartily: “Uncles are too kind with your words.”

“It’s not that we’re being kind with words, but that Miss A-Zhao is truly impressive,” the soldiers smiled, their expressions both admiring and proud. “Miss A-Zhao is truly worthy of being the General’s daughter. Coming to the capital alone, you’ve still managed to carve out your place.”

Chu Zhao smiled, then almost cried. What was so impressive about her? She had lost a life, lost everyone’s lives, only to gain today—

“Uncles,” she smiled through tears, “I will become even more impressive.”

A-Le nodded along: “In the future, following Miss, we’ll all eat well, drink well, and not be bullied.”

The soldiers all smiled and said in unison: “Thank you, Miss.”

Since Vice Commander Zhong wasn’t there and it was getting late, to avoid delays in entering the city and being locked outside, the soldiers urged Chu Zhao to return quickly.

“Tomorrow, Uncle Zhong still has important matters to discuss with you, Miss,” they said with a smile.

Chu Zhao didn’t linger any longer and said: “Uncles should also come to my home. I’ll entertain everyone at Chu Garden.”

The soldiers once again responded in unison, watching as Chu Zhao and A-Le boarded the carriage, then seeing the girls’ carriage depart.

Chu Zhao lifted the curtain to look back at the figures standing in the distance, seeing them off until they disappeared into the night. She then turned her gaze forward without any sadness, only anticipation.

Tomorrow, she would see Uncle Zhong.

The day after, she could return home with Uncle Zhong.

And the day after that, she would see her father.

Hope and anticipation were truly delightful. She raised her hand and shouted into the night.

A-Le laughed heartily and followed with two howls of her own.

The clear laughter of the girls rang out on the road under the dim night sky.

……

……

The hunting ground covered by the night was even more lively than during the day.

Xiao Yu, holding a bamboo tube, was kept at the periphery of the most boisterous area.

Inside, burly and robust strongmen were wrestling. The Crown Prince sat among them, cheering along with everyone else. Beside them were countless singing and dancing courtesans.

Such a setting was not suitable for children to approach.

“How much longer until Father finishes the feast?” he could only ask expectantly.

Eunuch Zhu respectfully said: “Soon, soon.”