Ashes to Crown

Chapter 60: Chapter 24: Gatecrashing

Giving gifts. It was no wonder Chu Zhao was surprised to hear such words from Deng Yi. The man she knew was the Grand Tutor, wielding immense power—and who would later even dare to slap the Emperor.

’Who could possibly make Deng Yi give them a gift?’

’Although this wasn’t the Deng Yi of the future, his rise to power wasn’t far off. She had assumed he already held a high-ranking, imposing position.’

”Lord Deng, why do you need to give gifts?” Chu Zhao asked, both curious and cautious. ”You’re so formidable—”

Coming from anyone else, those words would have sounded like sarcasm. After all, what was so formidable about a man who had to resort to currying favor? Especially by orchestrating a ”chance encounter” just to pay someone’s bill from a different table.

But this girl genuinely believed he was formidable.

There was no deceit in her eyes.

Coincidentally, he also considered himself quite formidable.

Deng Yi smiled. ”I was demoted for offending someone,” he said. ”So now I must curry favor to secure my future.”

’Offended someone, huh? That poor soul. In a year—no, not even a year, by this winter—Deng Yi will be a major figure. That person accepted a free meal from him today; I wonder if they’ll even be alive to repay the favor later.’ Chu Zhao raised an eyebrow, then nodded. ”I’m sure you’ll be able to secure your future.”

At this, she grinned and added,

”In that case, let me treat you to this meal.”

Deng Yi glanced at her and said frankly, ”Very well. I truly don’t have any spare money. I was prepared to endure the staff’s dirty looks while ordering a single dish of beans and a pot of tea.”

Chu Zhao said happily, ”That’s wonderful.”

’If Deng Yi accepts this meal from me, he’ll have to repay me somehow in the future.’

Having no money for a meal should have been embarrassing, but the girl’s reaction was as if she’d stumbled upon a great bargain. Deng Yi found it somewhat amusing.

Chu Zhao had already called a waiter over. She first asked Deng Yi what he liked to eat. When Deng Yi replied that he would eat anything so long as it filled his stomach, she dropped all pretense of politeness. Huddling with Ah Le, she began picking and choosing dishes, clearly intent on having a proper meal.

Deng Yi ignored the two girls’ chattering, sipping his tea as he gazed in a certain direction. Once Chu Zhao finished ordering the food, he stood up.

He said, ”I’m going to go say hello to someone.”

Chu Zhao nodded. ”Please, go ahead, Lord Deng.” She pointed to their table. ”Come back and eat when you’re finished.”

Deng Yi smiled, got up, and left.

Ah Le, who had been staring across the room, also stood. ”I’m going to see what Young Master Ao Ke is talking about. His crowd is getting bigger.”

Chu Zhao nodded, adding a warning, ”And see if any of Xiao Xun’s men are around him.”

’My lady is so wary of Xiao Xun,’ Ah Le thought. ’We’re not on the road anymore, but she’s still this guarded.’ With a quick ”Yes,” she left.

Chu Zhao sat alone, sipping her tea as she glanced down at the floor below. In the main hall, the staff were still blocking the entrance, struggling with several people trying to push their way in. From her high vantage point, she could see they were young men, noting only the tops of their dark heads and their fine brocade robes—

Another burst of noise came from the third floor.

”It’s a painting!”

”A painting by Mr. Xie!”

Chu Zhao withdrew her gaze and looked up at the third floor.

’What on earth is going on up there? The third floor is the most expensive; it’s supposed to be the most refined. Why is it as rowdy as the main hall today?’

The young men standing on the first floor also looked up.

One of them, a young man with sharp, phoenix-like eyes, sneered, his thin lips curling. ”I don’t see what’s so great about such a noisy place.”

If Chu Zhao had still been looking down at that moment, she might have recognized him as the posthouse soldier, Ah Jiu.

But this Ah Jiu was no longer the posthouse soldier in a dusty gray robe, his face and head concealed by a scarf and hat. Now, he wore a brocade robe with a jade-inlaid belt cinching his slender waist, a gold-threaded jade ring hanging from it. He stood tall and straight, his face as radiant as a morning star.

A young man beside him patted him on the shoulder. ”Yanlai, stop being so picky. If you keep this up, where else can we go? Do you want to treat us or not?”

A manager ran over at this moment, beaming. ”Young Master Yanlai, we have a table reserved for you. Please, come in.”

As he spoke, he glanced at the phoenix-eyed youth, his smile growing even more deferential.

”The Third Prince is here as well.”

Hearing this, the other young men looked pleasantly surprised, while Ah Jiu alone immediately spun around to leave—

Fortunately, the others acted fast, grabbing and holding him back.

”You can’t leave.”

”How can you leave now!”

”With him here, how could you possibly leave?”

They forcibly dragged Ah Jiu inside. The clamor of their group faded, only to be replaced by a new wave of noise at the entrance.

The noise on the third floor ebbed and flowed before quickly settling down. Besides more people milling about, there was nothing unusual to see, so Chu Zhao looked away.

”My Lady,” Ah Le came stomping back, her expression furious. ”Young Master Ao Ke is bad-mouthing the General again.”

Chu Zhao frowned and looked across the room. She saw Chu Ke looking agitated, his expression one of tragic indignation—

She was all too familiar with that posture; her uncle’s family always played the victim.

”What’s more,” Ah Le whispered, pointing. ”I just heard Young Master Ao Ke address another young man as Mr. Liang. I think he’s that Miss Liang’s brother. They were talking arm-in-arm, bad-mouthing you and the General together.”

’He can’t even tell friend from foe.’ Chu Zhao slammed her chopsticks on the table and rose, striding in that direction. Ah Le scrambled to follow, making sure to grab her basket.

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Chu Ke looked at the invitation in his hand. The card wasn’t elaborate, but the Third Prince’s seal on it was the most precious mark of all.

”I never thought I would one day catch the Third Prince’s eye,” he said, his voice choked with emotion.

A young man leaning against the railing, seemingly drunk, raised his hand and declared, ”Young Master Ao Ke, you’re being too modest! Your talent is extraordinary. I, Liang Qiang, admire you more than anyone!”

Chu Ke nodded and smiled at him, then let out a long sigh. ”I may have some small talent, but it’s not just me—my father is also a talented man. And what came of it? Misfortune befell our family, leaving us too ashamed to face the world. We can only live in seclusion.”

As he spoke, his expression turned to anger.

”I have talent and ambition, but I can’t put them to use because my Second Uncle is holding me back!”

The surrounding young men had clearly heard this speech many times. Some snickered, some nodded, and one chimed in, ”Isn’t that the truth? That Second Uncle of yours really did a number on your family. If not for him, Ao Ke, you’d have been famous and successful long ago.”

Chu Ke sneered. ”I originally planned to redeem my family’s name through military service, to trade my scholar’s brush for a sword. But I never imagined he would actually send me back—”

He wasn’t finished speaking when a cold laugh cut him off.

”What utter nonsense!”

Along with the voice came a sharp WHOOSH as a wine jug flew through the air.

Taken completely by surprise, Chu Ke was struck in the head. He cried out and stumbled backward.

The surrounding young men were stunned. Only then did they notice a girl standing nearby. Though her clothes were plain, her features and her aura were striking. Behind her were a maidservant carrying a basket and a restaurant waiter.

The waiter stood frozen, holding up an empty tray where the wine jug had just been.

’Who is she?’

’Did Chu Ke get himself into trouble with a woman before he even made a name for himself?’

As these thoughts flashed through their minds, before anyone could ask a question, the girl rushed forward. In a few quick strides, she reached the table, grabbed a stack of painting and calligraphy scrolls, and began beating the fallen Chu Ke over the head with them.

”That’ll teach you to spout nonsense!”

”Say one more bad thing about my father, I dare you!”

”I’m going to break your legs right now!”

Chu Ke shrieked in pain. The surrounding young men burst into chaos and moved to pull the girl away, but the basket-carrying maidservant proved to be just as fierce. She whipped a laundry baton out of her basket and began swinging it wildly at them.

They were all scholars, and drunk at that. Caught off guard, they couldn’t dodge in time and were sent stumbling and crying out from the blows.

The scene was like a stone dropped into a calm lake, with ripples of commotion spreading in every direction.

Innumerable eyes turned toward the commotion.

”A fight’s broken out! A fight!”