Ashes to Crown

Chapter 40: Chapter 4: Retort

Chu Zhao had never set foot in the Liang Mansion.

In the past, the young ladies of the Liang Family had disdained to invite her. Not long after that, Liang Siqing ran into trouble, was dismissed from his post, and left the Capital City in disgrace. Later, when she became the Empress, she had even less reason to visit the Liang Mansion.

It was the members of the Liang Family who came to the palace to pay their respects to her, and even then, there was no guarantee she would grant them an audience.

Madam Liang had asked Chu Zhao’s aunt to arrange an introduction just to see her in the palace. She cried and pleaded, claiming they had been framed by the Xie family back then. She insisted they now wanted nothing more than to serve the court, and even offered a great deal of money—

Of course, she hadn’t accepted the money. Having heard from Uncle Zhong that military provisions were short, she had the Liang Family send the funds to him instead.

That was how Liang Siqing’s brothers and nephews got the opportunity to enter the military and be employed by Xiao Xun. Third Master Liang even became a Great General, and Liang Siqing’s youngest daughter entered the palace as a princess consort.

In the end, she replaced her.

Standing outside the Liang Mansion, Chu Zhao gazed at the two haughty servant women. She recalled how Madam Liang had knelt and wept before her, and how after being appointed to his post, Third Master Liang had made a special trip to the palace to see her. He had been so respectful and sincere, addressing her as a peer and, despite his age, referring to her father as an elder.

’All that groveling, and for such a grand scheme.’

She never wanted to see the Liang Family’s true colors again.

Of course, that didn’t mean she would recklessly vent the hatred from her past life. After all, the events of that life had not yet happened in this one.

”Where is your young miss?” Chu Zhao asked. ”I’m here to see her.”

The two servant women snapped back to their senses, their surprise shifting back to arrogance. ”So you finally decided to show your face. You nearly killed our young miss! Even coming here to beg for forgiveness on your knees wouldn’t be enough to make up for it.”

Chu Zhao let out a laugh. ”Beg for forgiveness? What crime have I committed?”

”You injured our young miss,” the two servant women said with a frown. ”Stop playing dumb. If you did nothing wrong, why did you run away? Why have your uncle and aunt been coming to our mansion every day to apologize?”

”I don’t know why my uncle and aunt are visiting your mansion,” Chu Zhao said coolly. ”I left the Capital City to see my father and report your young miss for what she did.”

The two servant women stared, wide-eyed.

”Ah Zhao!” a soft voice called out as a girl ran out from inside. ”What are you doing?”

She walked up and grabbed Chu Zhao’s hand, her face full of reproach.

Chu Zhao looked at Chu Tang, barely recognizing her for a moment. The Chu Tang before her was still a young girl, delicate and bright. Although her expression showed disapproval, it wasn’t filled with the same hatred as the last time Chu Zhao had seen her in that other life.

”Elder Sister, you were there that day. You saw it too. She was the one who pushed me off the rockery,” Chu Zhao said.

Chu Tang froze.

She recalled the incident. Chu Zhao had fallen from the rockery, but thankfully, it wasn’t very high. Everyone had roared with laughter. Then they saw Chu Zhao scramble to her feet and kick Liang Qin into the water—

”You’re lying!” Liang Qin’s maidservant, who had followed them out, shouted. ”Our young miss didn’t push you.”

Chu Tang sounded a little helpless. ”Ah Zhao, Qin never even went up on the rockery. She was sitting down below.”

’Not only is this cousin of mine stupid, but now she dares to lie?’

’And what a foolish lie it is.’

’Did she not?’ Chu Zhao actually had no idea. How could she possibly remember what happened when she was thirteen? She had even forgotten Miss Liang’s name.

She had just said it on the spur of the moment. If that wasn’t what happened, so be it.

”She didn’t push me, but she did curse at me,” Chu Zhao said without the slightest hesitation. ”She cursed my father, cursed my mother, and mocked me. I lost my footing and fell because I was angry. I was bullied and given a huge fright, so of course I was going to teach her a lesson.”

She looked at Chu Tang, then at the maidservant.

”Do you dare say she didn’t do that, either?”

Chu Tang faltered slightly, and the maidservant was at a loss for words.

After all, hadn’t everyone always mocked Chu Zhao? It had become a habit. Of course, Liang Qin was no different.

”You—” the maidservant began to speak.

More servant women emerged from the mansion, surrounding a matron. It was none other than Madam Yan, the wife of Liang Siqing. Her plump, round face held a hint of displeasure. ”What is going on? Miss Ah Zhao is here. Why haven’t you invited her in? What are you all doing talking at the gate?”

Chu Zhao looked at her. She couldn’t clearly recall Madam Yan’s appearance, but she could still see traces of Princess Consort Liang’s expression and features on the woman’s face.

”There’s no need. My father is a disgraced official, and I have no mother. Someone like me wouldn’t dare set foot in your Liang Mansion,” Chu Zhao said coldly. ”What if I overhear something unpleasant again, end up hitting someone, and cause more trouble?”

Madam Yan, of course, knew of this Chu Zhao. Her daughter had told her how the country girl tried to imitate them, how she spoke with an accent yet insisted on posturing like a young lady of the Capital City. She had found it all rather amusing.

”That child’s background is poor,” she had even instructed her daughter. ”Don’t play with her. It’s beneath your status.”

’But now it seems this country girl doesn’t just have a poor background, she has a violent temper, too! What is this nonsense she’s spouting?!’

”You... you are truly... audacious,” Madam Yan snapped.

The servant women grew angry as well. ”How audacious!”

”Chu Zhao,” Chu Tang said, growing anxious. ”Have you gone mad? Apologize to Madam Liang at once.”

’Apologize to Madam Liang?’

It was already the height of benevolence that she hadn’t marched up there and started a brawl with her.

The events of her past life hadn’t happened yet, so she couldn’t take her revenge. But there was no need to save face anymore.

She would have no dealings with the Liang Family in this life.

”Your daughter is the audacious one,” she said coldly. ”My father is the court’s General Wei. While his rank might not compare to Lord Liang Siqing’s, he is not a disgraced official. Your daughter repeatedly claims my father is guilty, as if she is making a verdict on behalf of His Majesty. This time, I only taught her a lesson in the name of filial piety. If she does it again, I will accuse her of high treason.”

With that, she shook off Chu Tang’s hand, turned, and mounted her horse.

Madam Yan was stunned. She watched the girl on horseback, who now looked down at her. The girl’s dress was simple, with no accessories. Her small face was still green with a touch of childishness, yet her expression was haughty and her aura imposing. When their eyes met, Madam Yan found herself involuntarily lowering her gaze to avoid it.

Chu Zhao withdrew her gaze, swept a glance over the main gate of the Liang Mansion, then whipped her horse, galloping away with her maidservant, Ah Le.

Chu Tang stood there, at a complete loss. She knew there was no way she could enter the Liang Mansion now. With a stomp of her foot, she yelled, ”Chu Zhao, just wait until I tell my father! See how he’ll teach you a lesson!” then chased after her.

In the blink of an eye, both young ladies of the Chu Family were gone. Madam Yan let out a breath, her face turning pale with rage.

”Fine,” she seethed. ”Fine! What a ’Miss Chu’ indeed!”

”Madam, Madam,” the servant women said, rushing to support her. ”Please, don’t be angry.”

Madam Yan shook off the servant women. ”She’s going to accuse me of high treason? Go and call the master back home at once!”

...

...

Not far from the Liang Mansion’s gate, at a street corner, a group of young girls watched this scene with astonished expressions.

When they arrived, Chu Zhao hadn’t gone inside, which made it awkward for them to approach. After all, if they had gone to the door, they could have simply said they were visiting Liang Qin. But with Chu Zhao blocking the entrance, they were unsure whether to go in or not. Besides, Chu Zhao was arguing with Liang Qin’s maidservant. Getting entangled with her would be so embarrassing.

Then Madam Liang came out, making it even more impossible for them to go forward.

Now the spectacle was over, and it was completely different from what they had imagined. There was no scene of Chu Zhao admitting her guilt, kowtowing, and weeping her eyes out.

’Has Chu Zhao gone mad?’ That was the thought on everyone’s mind.

Qi Leyun, who was standing at the very front, thought of something else.

”Chu Zhao said she hit Qin because she mocked her father,” she said, turning to the others. ”We’ve all mocked her before. She’s not going to come after us too, is she?”