Ashes to Crown

Chapter 53: Chapter 17: A Small Matter

As the early morning sun bathed the small courtyard, Chu Zhao and Ah Le returned from the garden, bows and arrows in hand, their faces glistening with sweat.

The servants and maids standing in the courtyard hurriedly bowed and greeted them: ”Miss Ah Zhao is back.” ”The hot water is ready.” ”When will Miss Ah Zhao be dining?” All traces of their former disdain and indifference were gone.

’Servants had to be perceptive. This Chu Zhao from the countryside had beaten Miss Liang with no repercussions. She had stolen money from the family on a whim, and again, no repercussions. Now she’d taken vegetables as she pleased and even dared to ruin them by dumping salt in them—’

’If she could put salt in the vegetables today, who knew if she wouldn’t put a rat in your bed tomorrow!’

’She had the status of a young lady but none of the restraint. A person like that was someone you absolutely couldn’t afford to cross.’

Chu Zhao paid no mind to their sudden change from arrogance to deference. She gave her orders, and the servants and maids bustled about, attending to her.

”This garden is really not suited for riding and archery,” Ah Le remarked, shaking her head as she too was being attended to. ”It should be torn down.”

The corner of the maid’s mouth twitched as she undid Ah Le’s hair, but she didn’t dare voice her ridicule.

’What could she do? This country maid, who ate bath beans like they were snacks, was under Miss Ah Zhao’s protection. It didn’t matter what foolish things she said.’

Chu Zhao, however, had no intention of indulging her maid and tearing down the garden. She laughed. ”This garden wasn’t made for riding and archery, so tearing it down would be pointless. We’re just practicing to make sure our skills don’t get rusty. Once we go back—”

Her voice trailed off.

Ah Le saw the look on her face and clenched her fists. ”Miss, we’ll definitely be able to go back.”

Chu Zhao nodded. ”Yes, we will go back.”

Although she had been intercepted and forced to return, she had never given up on the idea of going back to the Border County.

’Her father had sent her back to the Capital City so she could live a peaceful, stable life. But the Capital City was actually the most unstable place of all. A great turmoil was coming, and it would last for a very long time.’

’I still have to write to Father. I have to keep writing. The biggest problem, however, is that the letters might not even get through.’

’My uncle certainly won’t send them for me; he’d probably even intercept and hide them on purpose.’

’How can I send them? Should I find Deng Yi? Or... a posthouse soldier?’

As Chu Zhao was lost in thought, Ah Le, who had just left, ran back in, fuming. ”The master just sent someone to say you’re forbidden from going out again.”

’What I said yesterday must have angered my uncle.’

’He’s grown more shameless over the years, truly believing he was dragged down by my father, when he was just a coward and an incompetent fool.’

’Even if my words couldn’t make my uncle see reason, at least he’d know not to play the victim in front of me anymore. My father owes him nothing!’

’I, on the other hand, was the one who owed my father. In my past life, not only did I fail to cherish him, but I even joined others in blaming and criticizing him.’

’Thankfully, this time I can make up for it.’

Chu Zhao waved her hand dismissively. ”I wasn’t planning on going out anyway. Ignore it.”

’When I truly want to leave, how could the doors of this house possibly hold me?’

...

...

Chu Zhao had no desire to go out, but visitors came calling.

A group of smiling girls walked in, and only then did Chu Tang, who had been reading by the window, set down her book and rise to greet them.

”Ah Tang, we haven’t seen you for a few days and you’ve already lost your manners,” Qi Leyun said, pointing at her. ”You didn’t even come out to greet us.”

Chu Tang smiled. ”Because I figured you weren’t here for me anyway.”

The girls all laughed. They rather liked Chu Tang’s frankness; it made it easier to say anything.

”How is Ah Zhao?” ”What really happened that day?” ”Why haven’t you been out lately?” They all crowded around Chu Tang, chattering at once.

Chu Tang gestured for them to sit. ”I know what you all want to know. Don’t be anxious. Let’s sit, have some tea and snacks, and I’ll tell you everything.”

The girls laughed again. Chu Tang’s background, looks, and family were all rather average. However, she was well-read and proficient in all the scholarly arts. She could hold a conversation with anyone and had a witty way with words.

They all sat down as they usually did. Maids brought out tea and snacks before withdrawing, leaving the girls to chat and laugh amongst themselves.

”My sister Ah Zhao is doing fine. She just can’t come see everyone. My father has confined her to her quarters.”

”The incident with Miss Liang is settled. The heads of both families have agreed not to bring it up again. But I’m still too embarrassed to go out, so I’m laying low at home for a few days.”

”As for what really happened, I’m not entirely sure myself. Ah Zhao insists that Qin humiliated her and that she was just teaching her a lesson.”

This matched what everyone had been guessing.

Qi Leyun asked urgently, ”Then is she going to teach us a lesson, too? We’ve all done the same things Qin did.”

One of the girls coughed lightly. ”Qi Leyun, what do you mean ’we’? Don’t lump all of us in with you. Can’t friends share a little joke now and then?”

”Exactly,” another girl said with displeasure, looking at Chu Tang. ”For instance, I often say that I’m ’gracing Ah Tang with my presence’ when we hang out, and Ah Tang has never hit me for it, has she?”

Chu Tang laughed and reached out to pinch the girl’s soft cheek. ”That’s because I grace you with my presence by inviting you to play with me, too.”

The girl giggled. Exactly. If you’re going to play, you have to be a good sport about it.

Qi Leyun pursed her lips. ”That’s because Ah Tang wouldn’t dare hit you.”

The moment the words were out, Chu Tang’s smile stiffened. ’Why does that sound so strange?’

After speaking, Qi Leyun looked Chu Tang up and down.

Chu Tang grew annoyed at being scrutinized and was about to say something, but Qi Leyun’s eyes darted away to look at the others.

”Why don’t we go see Chu Zhao?” she proposed. ”Let’s see if she’ll try to hit and curse us, too.”

Should they? ’What if she really does attack us?’ The thought flashed through the girls’ minds.

”What are you afraid of!” Qi Leyun said, annoyed by their reactions. ”Even if she starts fighting and cursing, there are so many of us. You think we can’t handle her?”

’The incident with Miss Liang was a fluke. This time, we’ll be prepared. We won’t end up in such a pathetic state as Liang Qin!’

”This is a matter of our honor!” Qi Leyun grew more agitated as she spoke. ”These past few days, everyone outside has been laughing at Qin, but we’ve all lost face because of it! To think that a noble lady of the Capital City could be beaten and cursed by some girl from the countryside over a few jokes.”

The other girls looked at her, hesitant yet thoughtful.

”We can’t let her get away with breaking the rules and developing this habit of lashing out at the slightest disagreement,” Qi Leyun said, clenching her fists. ”Otherwise, we’ll all be disgraced.”

From the look of her, she was itching to rush over and fight Chu Zhao right then and there.

Chu Tang snorted with laughter.

”Don’t you laugh,” Qi Leyun said with a huff. ”Having a sister like that, you’re the one who should be most ashamed.”

’Chu Tang was never bothered by such words. She was more than happy to have a shameful sister. A person could only bring shame upon themselves, and that, in turn, only made others shine brighter by comparison.’

”How about this,” she said with a smile. ”Don’t go charging over there so aggressively. With so many of you, it’ll just look like you’re bullying her. Then she’ll have even more justification for attacking you.”

That was true. Qi Leyun’s momentum faltered.

”Why don’t we do this instead,” Chu Tang said leisurely. ”We’ll go to the garden to play music and paint, just like we always do. I’ll send someone to inform Ah Zhao.”

Qi Leyun looked at her. ”And what if she doesn’t come?”

’Didn’t she just say Ah Zhao was confined?’

”If she doesn’t come, it means she has a guilty conscience and knows she’s in the wrong,” Chu Tang said with a dismissive wave and a smile. ”In that case, Miss Qi, you’ll have won without a fight.”

The girls all laughed. Qi Leyun scoffed. ”And what if she does come?”

”If she comes, you can all reason with her. If she starts making a scene then—” Chu Tang’s smile widened. ”Then she’ll be the one picking a fight, and no one can blame you for what happens next.”