Ashes to Crown

Chapter 45: Chapter 9: Brothers

When Ah Jiu entered Captain Zhu’s quarters, he saw the man standing at the door to greet him.

”Yanlai—Young Master,” he said. He seemed torn between offering a respectful welcome and asserting his official authority, twisting his expression into a grimace.

A military strategy book flew from behind and smacked Captain Zhu squarely on the back of the head.

”Why are you being so polite to him!” a voice cursed from behind. ”I told you, don’t treat him like a person.”

Captain Zhu’s face flushed red. He was mortified and furious, yet dared not show his anger. ’Easy for you to say,’ he thought. ’If I’m not supposed to treat Ah Jiu like a person, why do you hit and curse me so freely in front of him? *I’m* the one who isn’t treated like a person in his presence!’

He looked at Ah Jiu, who was still standing at the door, hoping the boy would act decent and pretend he hadn’t seen a thing.

But unfortunately, Ah Jiu was clearly not a decent person either. He stood right there at the door, watched the humiliating scene, and burst out laughing.

Utterly humiliated, Captain Zhu didn’t dare to speak and had no idea what to do. The voice from behind cursed again. ”Get lost. Come back in after I’m done talking.”

Captain Zhu scurried out at once, considerately pulling the door shut behind him. He never wanted to see those two from the Xie family again.

With the comical Captain Zhu gone, Ah Jiu saw a fat man sitting behind a wide desk. He had his legs propped up on the table, but his stout body and short legs made the posture look ridiculous.

Ah Jiu laughed again. ”My dear nephew, you must be exhausting yourself sitting like that.”

Xie Xiao couldn’t stand being called that by Ah Jiu. He shot up like a rubber ball. ”You little bastard, what did you call me?!”

But in the next instant, a gust of wind seemed to rush past, and a large hand slammed the ”rubber ball” back down into the chair.

Ah Jiu swung a long leg up, planting his foot on the desk. He draped an arm over Xie Xiao’s shoulder, his almond-shaped eyes narrowing as he leaned in. A smirk played on his lips. ”Why don’t you go tell Xie San what *you* call me? Little bastard? We have the same father. Who are you calling a bastard?”

’You little bastard,’ Xie Xiao screamed internally, but he didn’t say it out loud again. He wasn’t particularly afraid, though. ”What do you want?”

Ah Jiu reached out and caressed his face. The scar on his palm scraped like a coarse rope across Xie Xiao’s soft, plump cheek, leaving a red mark.

”Whatever you want, I’ll do,” he said, that same smirk on his face.

Xie Xiao knew what he meant. When they were children, he had led his servants in bullying the boy, striking him with a whip. But the boy had actually snatched the whip and tried to lash him back. Thankfully, Uncle San arrived just in time and had Du Qi take the whip away. The boy had refused to let go and Du Qi had ended up lashing his palm open—

Afterward, Uncle San had given Xie Yanlai a dozen more lashes on his back as punishment.

Even so, remembering the boy’s ferocious, crazed look back then still made Xie Xiao’s heart pound. ’This lowborn cur is a mad dog.’

’But no matter how mad, he’s still just one of the Xie family’s dogs.’

”Uncle San has come to the capital,” Xie Xiao said, sitting up straight and gritting his teeth. ”He has questions for you.”

Ah Jiu just said, ”Oh,” and turned to leave.

”You little brat,” Xie Xiao yelped, jumping to his feet. ”You dare to ignore even Uncle San’s summons?”

Ah Jiu looked back. ”Since *your* Uncle San has questions for me, why are you still here wasting *my* time—your Uncle Jiu? As a nephew, can you bear the responsibility for delaying your elder’s business?”

Xie Xiao’s plump face twisted in fury again. Ah Jiu hooked the corner of his mouth into a smile and swaggered out.

...

...

When Ah Jiu arrived, Xie Yanfang was sitting by a stream, fishing.

The stream meandered between pavilions and terraces. A few small fish swam merrily in the water, completely uninterested in Xie Yanfang’s bait.

Xie Yanfang didn’t seem to mind.

Outside the pavilion stood a number of young men. They didn’t dare approach, afraid of disturbing Xie Yanfang’s fishing. When they saw Ah Jiu walk over, their expressions varied—some were disdainful, some sneered, some were envious, and others were simply indifferent.

Ah Jiu ignored them and walked straight toward Xie Yanfang.

”Un—” Xie Xiao shoved Ah Jiu aside and rushed forward, but he quickly stopped and lowered his voice, afraid of scaring away a fish that was about to bite. ”—cle.”

Ah Jiu shoved him aside, stood by the stream, and announced loudly, ”I’m back.”

The little fish that had been testing the bait immediately darted away.

Xie Yanfang looked up at him. ”Is the matter taken care of?”

Ah Jiu nodded. ”It’s done.”

Xie Yanfang asked casually, ”Did everything go smoothly? Nothing else happened?”

’Nothing else happened—’ Ah Jiu said, ”The letter was delivered without a hitch. Nothing happened. The other party didn’t ask any questions.”

Chu Ling indeed hadn’t asked about anything. He had just said a few things, and they had nothing to do with the letter.

Xie Xiao, standing to the side, was confused. ’What matter? Didn’t this kid Ah Jiu anger Uncle San and get sent off to be a common soldier as punishment?’

He still remembered that argument. Du Qi had thrown Ah Jiu out with a single kick.

’It was so satisfying to watch.’

’How did that turn into running an errand for him?’

Xie Xiao shot Ah Jiu a venomous glare. ’Uncle San is actually still using this detestable little bastard.’

Ah Jiu’s almond-shaped eyes flickered toward Xie Xiao, his gaze equally unfriendly.

”Yanlai,” Xie Yanfang said with a sigh of resignation. ”Quarrel if you must, but do not fight amongst yourselves. I know they bully you, and you’re resentful. But you should also understand that they are resentful of you, too. After all, by rights, you shouldn’t be on equal footing with them—in fact, you’re a generation above them.”

Ah Jiu’s expression was indifferent. ”It’s not like I asked to be on equal footing with them.”

Xie Yanfang looked at him and said with a smile, ”You’re not wrong. You are innocent in all this. It was my father who first had a brief affair with your mother, which led to your birth. Later, it was your mother who took her own life to ensure you would have a family to rely on. From start to finish, you have been innocent. You did not ask to be born, nor did you ask to become Young Master Jiu of the Xie family.”

His voice was calm and gentle, his eyes clear, tinged with a hint of pity.

”I understand your resentment and sense of injustice, which is why I allow you to be disrespectful to the family. However.”

With that single word, his voice and eyes turned cold.

”Since you have already entered the Xie family’s gates, you bear the Xie family’s brand. Everything you do is tied to the Xie family. You can let your mother down, cast aside this status to vent your anger, but I cannot let down my father, or the ancestors of the Xie family, by ignoring you and failing to discipline you.”

Ah Jiu’s hand, hanging by his side, clenched into a fist, then relaxed. ”I understand,” he said.

Xie Xiao and the other young men around them all showed triumphant expressions.

Xie Yanfang then looked at them. ”And you as well. It’s been long enough; you should be used to it by now. If this continues, I will no longer be so lenient with you.”

Xie Xiao and the others hurried to profess their compliance. ”Don’t worry, Third Brother.” ”You’re right, Uncle San.” ”We’ll listen to you.”

Xie Yanfang ignored them and turned back to Ah Jiu with a faint smile. ”How have your thoughts been these past few days? Are you willing to marry Miss Liang?”

Ah Jiu looked up. ”I am not.”

Xie Xiao and the others were about to cause a ruckus again, but Du Qi, who was standing outside the pavilion, barked, ”Shut up. Do not disturb the young masters while they’re speaking.”

The area outside the pavilion fell silent at once.

Xie Yanfang kept his eyes on Ah Jiu. ”Yanlai, you should trust me. The Liang Family’s standing and Miss Liang’s beauty... you will not be getting a raw deal.”

Ah Jiu gave a small laugh. ”I know. It’s a matter of the Xie family’s prestige, after all. Anything you choose is bound to be of the highest quality.”

Xie Yanfang’s gaze was clear. He didn’t question him, but asked with curiosity, ”Then why are you unwilling?” He sized him up and added with a chuckle, ”Could it be that you’ve already pledged your undying love to someone?”

Xie Yanfang meant it as a joke, but the indifferent smile on Ah Jiu’s face vanished, replaced by a flash of anger in his eyes.

”No!” he said coldly.

’Xie Yanfang is just like that girl from the Chu Family. The moment they think of matters between men and women, they spout such nonsense.’

”I would die for you willingly. Even in death, I would still be yours.” Chu Zhao’s voice seemed to echo in his ears, and for a moment, he could almost see the girl’s fake tears and dramatics.

’These liars,’ he thought. ’They never care if other people live or die, yet they’re always prattling on about life and death.’

Xie Yanfang studied Ah Jiu for a moment.

”No? Don’t tell me you don’t plan on ever getting married. That won’t do,” he said with a light sigh. ”In our Xie family, none of you can do as you please. None, except for me.”