Ashes to Crown

Chapter 69: Chapter 32: Caring

When Chu Zhao arrived home, Chu Ke was already there. Seeing her son in such a state, Madam Jiang was horrified. At first, Chu Ke didn’t want to say what happened, but the more he was questioned, the more wronged he felt, and he tearfully recounted the entire story.

He had been beaten by Chu Zhao in front of everyone, and his invitation to the Third Prince’s literary gathering had been stolen. Madam Jiang nearly fainted from rage, Chu Tang was stunned, and Chu Lan flew into a fury.

”Wasn’t Chu Zhao confined to her quarters? When did she leave?”

One of Chu Zhao’s maids answered, aggrieved and helpless, ”Miss Ah Zhao shut her door and wouldn’t let us in. We didn’t dare to force our way in, so we had no idea she wasn’t home.”

Madam Jiang was incandescent with rage. ”Whose house is this?! You listen to *her*? What’s this nonsense about ’not daring’? Do you have any respect for me at all?”

The maids and servants immediately began pleading for forgiveness.

Chu Tang slipped away and waited by the wall near Chu Zhao’s small courtyard. As expected, it wasn’t long before she saw Chu Zhao and Ah Le vault over the wall.

”You’re back,” Chu Tang said in greeting.

Ah Le was somewhat wary, but Chu Zhao just gave a calm ”Mhm” in response.

”Older Brother is back, and Father and Mother are furious,” Chu Tang said.

’Is she here to inform on us, or to warn us?’ Ah Le looked at Chu Tang in surprise. Chu Zhao, however, was unfazed. She just nodded. ”I’m not surprised.”

Chu Tang asked curiously, ”Did you really hit Older Brother?”

”I did. He insulted my father in public, so of course I had to teach him a lesson,” Chu Zhao said, looking at Chu Tang. ”I’ve said it before: if anyone dares to humiliate my father in front of me, I won’t let them get away with it.”

Chu Tang smiled. ”You don’t have to look at me like that. I remember what you said.” Then she asked, ”And you stole Older Brother’s invitation?”

Chu Zhao took out the invitation and waved it. ”He’s not even as skilled as you or me, yet the Third Prince gave the invitation to him. Don’t you think there’s something strange about that?”

’Those words made Chu Tang happy, but she felt she shouldn’t be. Of course Chu Ke was no match for her, but was Chu Zhao putting herself on the same level?’

’She also thought it was strange that her brother received the invitation.’

”You mean it’s because of our uncle,” she said.

’Uncle is that influential? How come no one ever mentioned it before? Whenever he was brought up, it was always with disdain. Chu Zhao runs off on one trip and comes back, and suddenly Uncle is a hot commodity?’

’Even the Third Prince is trying to win his favor?’

Chu Tang smirked.

Chu Zhao could see what Chu Tang was thinking but had no intention of explaining. She wasn’t trying to show off. In fact, her father being favored by the Third Prince was not a good thing at all.

’That’s why she had to stop Chu Ke from attending the gathering.’

’Who knew what kind of trap was waiting for Chu Ke at the event? Framing Chu Ke was the same as framing the Chu Family, and the ultimate target had to be her father.’

As she was thinking, she heard the sound of hurried footsteps, followed by Chu Lan’s shout. ”Chu Zhao! How dare you!”

Chu Tang shot Chu Zhao a sympathetic glance before turning to the source of the noise. ”Father!” she called out. ”She’s back! I was just on my way to tell you.”

...

...

’In the past, she had been terrified of being scolded by her uncle and aunt. The slightest hint of displeasure on their faces would make her anxious.’

’But now, she realized their angry scolding was nothing to be afraid of.’

The lecture went on for half the day. Chu Zhao sat inside, washed her hands, drank some tea, and even found time to nibble on some pastries.

No matter what her uncle and aunt said, she only had two things to say in response.

”Chu Ke insulted my father first. If he dares to insult my father, I dare to beat him. Even if my own father were here, he would agree that beating him was perfectly justified.”

”As for the invitation, he lost it to me in a bet. A bet is a bet, and a gentleman’s word is his bond.”

Her uncle and aunt had plenty to say, repeating themselves endlessly with a mix of angry rebukes and tearful pleas. Beyond that, they couldn’t very well hit her—not that she would stand there and meekly take a beating.

Whenever Chu Lan raised his voice or took a more menacing tone, Chu Zhao would grow wary, and Ah Le would glare at him like a tiger stalking its prey. The two of them practically radiated a clear message: ’If you dare to strike, we will strike back.’

Chu Lan was a refined man; he simply couldn’t bring himself to get into a physical brawl with his own niece.

Ordering the servants to tie her up seemed like a bad idea, too. That maid of hers was clutching a wooden club, looking ready to start swinging. There was no telling how big of a scene that would cause.

”Lock the gate!” Chu Lan finally commanded. ”She is not to take a single step out of this courtyard again.”

With a CLANG, several locks were fastened onto the courtyard gate. He then ordered the maids and servants to stand guard day and night.

”If you fail to keep her contained again, you can stop eating our family’s food. I’ll have you all sold off.”

Still, he couldn’t get the invitation to the Wangchun Garden literary gathering back.

”My cousin can’t even best me, so what right does he have to attend the Third Prince’s literary gathering?” Chu Zhao said coldly from behind the locked door, slapping the invitation down on a table. ”If he really wants it back, he can come and challenge me again. If he wins, I’ll gladly return it. Uncle, you’ve raised him and educated him, fulfilling your duty as a father and a teacher. Are you going to pursue his scholarship for him as well?”

”What nonsense!” Chu Lan flicked his sleeves in frustration and stalked away.

The small courtyard fell silent again. Ah Le rattled the gate, hearing the CLANK of the locks and the trembling voices of the servants outside. ”Miss Ah Zhao, please don’t make things difficult for us.”

Ah Le didn’t try to break down the gate or scale the wall to trouble the servants. She simply asked, ”You’re still going to bring us our meals, right?”

The servants breathed a collective sigh of relief and hurriedly said, ”Of course, of course.” They then asked solicitously, ”What would Miss Ah Zhao like to eat?” They even asked Ah Le, ”And what would you like to eat, miss?”

Ah Le trotted back inside happily. She found Chu Zhao resting in a rocking chair, having already removed her hairpins and let her hair down. Whenever her expression was neutral, devoid of either joy or anger, a trace of sorrow always seemed to linger on her face.

’She must be sad because she was scolded,’ Ah Le thought. ’The master and madam are just too harsh with her.’

’If the General knew they treated her like this, he never would have sent her back.’

”Miss, don’t be sad,” she comforted softly.

Chu Zhao opened her eyes and smiled. ”I’m not sad.” She reached out and gently stroked Ah Le’s cheek. ”I was just thinking that some things are only a problem if you let them be. If you don’t care about them, they’re nothing at all.”

’What things?’ Ah Le blinked, confused, but she didn’t ask. Instead, she just nodded vigorously. ”That’s right!”

’Yes, that’s right. In this life, she would never again let herself be shackled by the greed, anger, and resentment of others.’

’Some people have to die once to break free of their shackles. Others are born without any shackles at all.’

「Xie Yanfang slowly walked into the Eastern Palace.」

This was his second time in the Eastern Palace. The first had been for the Crown Princess Consort’s wedding, when he had escorted his older sister as part of her bridal procession.

But he had been shyer than the bride herself, hiding behind the others for the entire event and speaking to no one.

Nevertheless, his fleeting appearance had been so striking that many who saw him found him unforgettable.

As he made his way through, the residents of the Eastern Palace—be they officials, Palace Maids, or eunuchs—all paused. Some greeted him warmly, while others simply watched in silence. Xie Yanfang, for his part, walked past them all with unruffled composure.

The Crown Princess Consort was dressed in a simple, well-worn palace gown. She sat on a brocade couch in a waterside pavilion in the Eastern Palace gardens, carefully laying out half-bloomed spring flowers that the Palace Maids had picked to dry.

”Are you making flower paste, Sister?” Xie Yanfang asked, reaching out to help arrange the blossoms. ”Now that you’re no longer at home, I can’t get any of your delicious flower cakes anymore.”

The Crown Princess Consort looked up. Her features were similar to Xie Yanfang’s, though not quite as striking.

She gave a gentle smile. ”That’s just you being a picky eater. All of our sisters at home know how to make them.”

”You are one of a kind, Sister,” Xie Yanfang said. ”Each sister’s flower paste tastes different.”

The Crown Princess Consort sighed softly. ”All of us sisters will marry and leave someday.” She looked up at him again, a wry smile on her face. ”If you want flower paste that will always taste the same, you should get married and have your wife learn how to make it.”

Xie Yanfang smiled, picking up a flower petal and popping it into his mouth. ”Why go through all that trouble? I’ll just learn how to make it myself from you, Sister.”

The Crown Princess Consort scoffed, letting the topic drop.

”Our uncle can’t control you, and neither can I. I know you have a mind of your own,” she said, motioning for the Palace Maids to take the drying racks away. ”But this appointment from the Crown Prince... are you truly determined to refuse it?”

Xie Yanfang nodded. ”I came in person to show my sincerity.”

The Crown Princess Consort frowned. ”I specifically chose this appointment for you. It won’t interfere with the Yang Family’s interests; in fact, it could even help them. Is that still not acceptable?”

Xie Yanfang shook his head. ”No. Anyone else in the world can help the Yang Family, but we cannot.” He looked at the Crown Princess Consort and said softly, ”The Yang Family are the Crown Prince’s kin, not ours.”

’The Crown Princess Consort understood. They could not afford to offend the Yang Family, but they could not grow close to them either. Either path would displease the Crown Prince.’

She clasped her hands and murmured, ”Because I became the Crown Princess Consort, does this mean the Xie family will never have a chance to rise?”

Xie Yanfang smiled. ”Sister, why would the Xie family ever need official posts or noble titles to get ahead?”