Ashes to Crown

Chapter 74: Chapter 37: Arriving at the Door

Chu Lan was baffled.

He was lounging in his study and reading, as usual. With no official post, no power, and no prospects, what else was there for him to do?

His wife from the Jiang Family refused to join him at the academy, despising it as a remote backwater. It wasn’t as if he didn’t despise it himself, but he had no choice.

’But soon, that will change. Death is the great equalizer. In death, one earns the Emperor’s consideration of old ties, and he might grant the Chu Family a proper position. Once a man is dead, all is forgiven. Even the great crime of offending and defying the Emperor would be swept under the rug—’

Chu Lan took a sip of tea and let out a long, frustrated sigh.

A servant came to report, ”Master, there are a lot of people outside.”

Chu Lan froze. ’Even though I have no position, I’m still a learned and talented man, not some complete unknown. I have many friends and acquaintances. Have some of them, new and old, come to drink and chat with me?’

The servant had thought so at first, too, but—

”I don’t recognize any of them. And, they said—” the servant said, glancing timidly at Chu Lan, ”they’re looking for a Chu Family’s Daughter.”

Chu Lan was baffled. He knew his daughter, Ah Tang, was intelligent, well-read, and talented, and had made a bit of a name for herself in the Capital City, but her fame was confined to circles of other ladies.

The woman of the Jiang Family, who had heard the commotion and come over, was also confused. She had assumed they were Chu Lan’s guests and had come to berate him for inviting people over without telling her first. She hadn’t expected them to be looking for a ”Chu Family’s Daughter” instead of Chu Lan.

A group of people had never shown up at their door looking for a daughter of the house—unless it was for a marriage proposal, of course.

But even for a proposal, a whole group of men wouldn’t show up together.

”It’s not a marriage proposal.” Another servant ran in, his expression far more panicked than the first. ”Master, Madam, they say they want to have a competition with the Chu Family’s Daughter!”

The woman of the Jiang Family was even more baffled. What did he mean, a competition?

But in that instant, something clicked for Chu Lan. He’d had a feeling something was wrong, that some trouble was brewing. ’So that’s what it was!’

The book in his hand fell to the floor with a THUD.

”One problem is barely gone and another arrives!” he shouted. ”What a cursed fate!”

...

...

”We’re here, we’re here,” Qi Leyun said, lifting the carriage curtain to look outside. ”Wangchun Garden is so crowded right now.”

She glanced back at Chu Tang, who was shrinking into the corner of the carriage and had raised a fan to hide her face.

”It’s not that serious, is it?” Qi Leyun said, amused. ”It’s not like you can’t be seen in public.”

As she said this, she made to get out of the carriage, but Chu Tang grabbed her.

”There are too many people,” Chu Tang said. ”Don’t go out there.”

Wangchun Garden was originally a royal palace, off-limits to commoners. But the literary gathering had drawn countless scholars, and now, everywhere except the main gate guarded by the Imperial Guard was packed with people. There were even small-time vendors. With people everywhere, it was a chaotic scene. If the two of them got out of the carriage, they would surely be noticed.

Chu Tang told her maidservant to get out of the carriage instead.

Qi Leyun asked Chu Tang, ”Are you overthinking this? What could have possibly happened?”

After the interruption at the restaurant earlier, Chu Tang had claimed it was a case of mistaken identity, and the other girls hadn’t thought much of it. They were beautiful and high-born; plenty of men used all sorts of excuses to try and get close to them. But with their high family status and large retinues of maids and servants, they never had to worry about anyone having ill intentions.

But Chu Tang had been absent-minded the whole time. After the gathering broke up and the other girls left, she pulled Qi Leyun aside.

”Something might have happened to my family,” she said in a low voice. ”Can you do me a favor?”

Qi Leyun didn’t like Chu Tang. After all, Chu Tang always acted as if she looked down on her.

But seeing Chu Tang clutching her sleeve, looking so anxious, she couldn’t help but feel a flicker of smug satisfaction. ’So, she looks down on me, but still has to ask for my help in the end.’ She agreed at once.

She had assumed Chu Tang was just scared by the man who had suddenly appeared at the restaurant. Although Chu Tang socialized with them, her family’s status wasn’t on their level, and she didn’t have a luxurious carriage or servants for protection.

But instead of going home, Chu Tang had asked to be taken to Wangchun Garden. During the ride, Chu Tang said nothing, her expression grim. She kept sighing, looking as if the sky were about to fall, which in turn made Qi Leyun nervous.

”What enemy did you make?” Qi Leyun asked again.

Chu Tang looked at her. ”Me? I provoked fate, and fate gave me a cousin.”

’What kind of nonsense is that?’ Qi Leyun stared, about to ask more, but the maidservant came rushing back, her voice trembling. ”Miss, Miss, it’s terrible—”

Chu Tang barked at the maid to get inside. The curtains and window shades were pulled shut, plunging the carriage into dimness. The maid’s face was pale.

”Miss Ah Zhao’s name is at the entrance of Wangchun Garden,” the maidservant said with a trembling voice. ”It says that to enter Wangchun Garden, you must defeat the Chu Family’s Daughter, Chu Zhao.”

Qi Leyun turned her head in shock, asking Chu Tang, ”Chu Zhao is actually that talented? Even the Third Prince knows about her?”

”Talented? What talent?” Chu Tang covered her face with her fan. ”This is revenge.”

’I knew it.’

”The Third Prince found out about Chu Zhao competing with my brother at the restaurant. She took my brother’s invitation, but that invitation was a gift from the Third Prince to my brother. By calling my brother an unworthy hack, she was basically calling the Third Prince a poor judge of character.”

”The Third Prince got angry and wants to retaliate against her. She beat my brother in a competition, so the Third Prince is making everyone compete against her!”

”Chu Zhao could beat my brother, but can she beat everyone?”

Qi Leyun, recovering from her initial shock, was left even more dumbfounded after hearing the explanation. This was truly—

Chu Tang grabbed her hand. ”Ah Yun, I can’t go home for now. Let me stay at your place.”

After all, her surname was Chu, too.

’A fire at the city gate brings disaster to the fish in the moat!’

...

...

”Chu Family’s Daughter, come out!”

”Chu Family’s Daughter, come out!”

”Chu Family, how rude!”

The people gathered in front of the Chu Mansion had started shouting. They had already announced their names and stated their purpose, but the Chu Family was being incredibly rude. Not only did they not open the door, they had even locked it from the inside.

”You questioned the Third Prince’s ability to select talent and boasted of your own intellect. Now the Prince has granted your wish, so why are you too afraid to come out?” a few of the scholars shouted angrily.

Then came more questions from the crowd. ”What’s going on?” ”Who is this Chu Family’s Daughter?” ”I’ve never heard of anyone like that. Why is the Third Prince holding her in such high regard?”

The incident at the restaurant between Chu Zhao and Chu Ke had been a minor affair, no different from the countless fights and squabbles that happened in the Capital City every day. Furthermore, Third Young Master Xie had been there that day. The quarrel between the two cousins was simply laughed off and forgotten by those present.

But now, outside the gate of Wangchun Garden, in addition to the original three trials, a new challenge was suddenly posted. It stated that one had to compete with a Chu Family’s Daughter named Chu Zhao, and only by defeating her could one pass. Most people didn’t know what had happened.

So, the few who knew what happened began to tell the story, adding their own embellishments. The narrative was no longer about Chu Zhao arguing with her cousin because her father had been insulted. Instead, it became a story of her, jealous that her cousin had received the invitation, resentful that the Third Prince was so blind. She had publicly defeated her cousin, snatched the invitation, and declared that she was the only one truly qualified to attend the Prince’s literary gathering.

How audacious!

Listening to the escalating clamor outside, the woman of the Jiang Family turned pale, while Chu Lan was both furious and despondent.

”Look what you’ve done,” he said, staring at Chu Zhao, who had been summoned. For a moment, it was as if he were seeing his second brother. ”You... you and your father, you are truly the bane of this Chu Family!”

Chu Zhao’s expression was calm, although the turn of events had also taken her by surprise.

’The Third Prince actually took notice of such a trivial matter? Who told him? Who goaded him into a rage?’

However, it wasn’t entirely surprising. The incident with Chu Ke at Yaqug Pavilion could easily be embellished and twisted into an act of disrespect toward the Third Prince.

’And I was being disrespectful to the Third Prince!’

’That brute killed so many people in the Capital City and threw the entire Great Xia into chaos. And he still has the gall to call himself a scholar and preen about his noble bloodline. He’s nothing but a shameless degenerate!’

’That degenerate won’t meet a good end.’

’But that’s in the future. For now, I’ve offended this degenerate, and he can make sure *I* don’t meet a good end.’

Chu Zhao clenched her fists in front of her.

”I’ll go beat them away!” Ah Le shouted.

’The master is useless, just letting those people be so disrespectful outside. There are enough servants in this house to go out and drive them away.’

’It’s fine. Even if it’s just me, I can take them.’

”Silence, you wretched girl!” Chu Lan snapped. ”Those are all scholars of our Great Xia.”

He looked at Chu Zhao again.

”You, go apologize to them, give them that invitation, and put an end to this.”

Chu Zhao said, ”Fine.” Then, she turned and walked out.

The rest of Chu Lan’s words caught in his throat, nearly choking him. Watching the girl’s retreating back, he slammed his hand on the table in frustration. ”You’ve thrown away all the Chu Family’s honor!”

’What a disgrace. How will I ever show my face in public again!’