Ashes to Crown

Chapter 80: Chapter 42: Others

To be precise, he was the one who had instigated this matter, but Xie Yanfang didn’t think much of it.

It was merely a casual attempt to embarrass the Third Prince.

As for Miss Chu—

’Everyone has to face hardships in life. It’s not a bad thing for a young girl to learn a few lessons.’

”She is conceding,” the old servant said, ”but only after competing first.”

The old servant called for Du Qi, who entered carrying a large box. The old servant stepped forward, opened it, and pointed to the pamphlets packed inside.

”These are records from Miss Chu’s competitions—her calligraphy, the debate topics, and the logs of her Go games.”

At first, no one took it seriously. Occasionally, an idle bystander might jot down the details of Chu Zhao’s competitions to make their retelling more vivid and animated.

But it wasn’t long before bookshops started selling pamphlets, compiled and released once every three days.

”I’ve looked through them,” the old servant said. ”Miss Chu’s calligraphy is clearly well-practiced and of a high standard. She has also been a diligent reader. Her tutors must be exceptional.”

’This girl was no dunce, as the rumors claimed.’

Xie Yanfang said, ”She was never a dunce. Otherwise, how would she have dared to challenge her brother’s talents in a restaurant, in front of everyone?”

He knew what had happened that day but hadn’t spared it a single glance. To him, such a commotion wasn’t worth his attention.

However, he had seen the girl as he was leaving.

Although he had never seen Miss Chu before, the moment that girl approached, he knew it was her.

”I’ve never met Chu Ling, but I imagine this is what he must be like,” he said. ”Unremarkable at first glance, but cloaked in a kind of lone courage.”

The old servant watched him, waiting for him to say something more—to ask to see the pamphlets, perhaps, or to comment further on that Miss Chu. But Xie Yanfang merely averted his gaze and returned to the letters on his desk.

”Wei Shan is truly interesting,” he said. ”He’s asking me for ten mu of land at the foot of Magpie Mountain.”

Wei Shan was the Eldest Young Master Wei of the prestigious Wei Family from Han County. Xie Yanfang, being an acquaintance, had asked what he wanted for his birthday, and the Eldest Young Master Wei, not standing on ceremony, had actually made a request.

The old servant thought for a moment. ”I know about this matter. The Wei family has privatized Magpie Mountain to build a Hunting Ground and forbids anyone from approaching. However, mountain folk have lived at the foot of the mountain since ancient times, and that farmland belongs to them. But since they’ve already seized the mountain, what’s so difficult about seizing the farmland?”

”Reputation,” Xie Yanfang said. ”The mountain is government property, so seizing it is one thing. The farmland, however, belongs to the commoners. Forcibly taking it would look very bad.”

The old servant muttered in resignation, ”Why should they even care? What’s one more louse on the Wei Family’s magnificent robes?”

Xie Yanfang put the letter down. ”Let Yanlai go,” he said.

”The reason?” the old servant asked.

Sending a young man of the family away without a good reason would likely arouse suspicion.

Xie Yanfang smiled. ”Tell the Liang Family that the reason for rejecting the marriage proposal is that Yanlai finds Miss Liang unattractive.”

The old servant chuckled. ”Well, that is the truth.” He then sighed in resignation. ”The Liang Family has many sons. How can they stand by and watch their sister be humiliated? After such behavior, Young Master Yanlai should indeed lie low for a while. It just means that you, Third Young Master, will have to spend more time placating the Liang Family.”

Xie Yanfang said, ”As his elder brother, it is my duty. And I’m not sending him away for his leisure. Coincidentally, a shipment of goods needs to pass through Han County. He will be in charge of escorting it. We’ll consider it a punishment, allowing him to atone for his actions.”

The old servant agreed. ”The weather is dry and everything is flammable. I will instruct Young Master Yanlai not to get carried away with reckless fun, lest he start a fire and burn everything down. Losing the goods would be bad enough, but if he were to injure people or destroy a village, that would be a sin upon the Xie family.”

Xie Yanfang grunted in acknowledgment and tossed Wei Shan’s letter into the nearby incense burner, reducing it to ash.

”Young Master, you should get some rest,” the old servant said with concern.

Xie Yanfang nodded. ”I’ll rest after one more letter. Uncle Cai, you go and rest. Du Qi can handle things like serving tea. He’s still young, he can handle staying up late.”

The old servant feigned a complaint. ”Is it because you think I’m old and useless, Young Master?”

Du Qi stepped forward and started pulling him toward the door. ”Oh, stop being so smug, Uncle Cai. The Young Master is just fond of you. He wants you to live to be a hundred so you can always be by his side.”

The old servant, Uncle Cai, laughed heartily. Of course, he knew the Third Young Master’s words came from a place of compassion and care. The Third Young Master was a very gentle person, merciful toward those close to him.

As for everyone else... well, the Young Master was no Daluo Immortal. He had no obligation to be compassionate to all of humanity.

Uncle Cai and Du Qi left, leaving Xie Yanfang alone in the room. Bathed in the bright glow of the lamp on his desk, he looked as if he were sitting alone in the Moon Palace. He remained focused on his work, never once glancing at the box in the corner of the room—

’That girl had indeed surprised him, but that was all. She was still unworthy of Mr. Xie’s attention.’

...

...

The moon was high and the night was deep, but Xiao Xun was not yet asleep. He had been feeling drowsy, but a few words from the scholar had chased all sleep away.

”You want me to go to the Chu Garden?” he asked.

The scholar stroked his beard. ”Princely Heir, that place is now being called the Little Wangchun Garden Literary Meeting.”

Xiao Xun was somewhat surprised. ”I can’t believe this has blown up to such a degree.”

Although, to be precise, he was the one who had instigated it.

’If he hadn’t deliberately maneuvered things in front of the Third Prince, the prince would never have even noticed Chu Ke.’

His original intention had been to step in and protect Chu Ke when he was being tormented at the Wangchun Garden Literary Meeting, and thereby smoothly befriend him.

But after Chu Zhao caused that scene in the restaurant, Xiao Xun knew Chu Ke wouldn’t be attending the Wangchun Garden Literary Meeting, so he had simply dropped the matter.

’He hadn’t expected it to blow up like this.’

Of course, he knew the girl had publicly confronted Chu Ke in the restaurant, and he knew the Third Prince’s ire would be stoked. The Third Prince was a man who would seek revenge for the slightest offense.

But he hadn’t paid the matter any more attention. What did that girl’s humiliation have to do with him?

’In his view, it was only a matter of time before she was humiliated anyway.’

’Considering her attitude toward him, it was clear that not everyone in the world was as good-tempered as he was.’

”What is the meaning of this?” Xiao Xun asked the scholar. ”You want me to go and help that girl?”

Before the scholar could reply, he laughed.

”Helping this girl is not the same as helping Chu Ke.”

Chu Zhao was now actively loathed by the Third Prince. If Chu Ke had been harassed by the prince at Wangchun Garden, it would have merely been considered hazing.

Helping someone being hazed by the Third Prince and helping someone loathed by him were two completely different matters.

”To befriend Chu Ling, is Father really willing to risk offending the Third Prince?”

Xiao Xun sighed softly and gazed out the door into the deep darkness of the night.

”Although there is a Crown Prince now, ’Crown Prince’ is just a title. Today it rests on the Second Prince; tomorrow, it could fall upon the Third Prince.”

After listening to him, the scholar nodded. ”Everything Your Highness has said is correct. However, your going to the Chu Garden does not mean you have to offend one side. It is possible for this to end happily for everyone. You can both befriend Chu Ling and please the Third Prince.”

Xiao Xun was puzzled. He thought for a moment, then smiled. ’He was clearly intelligent and obedient, yet Father still loved to issue his commands through others.’

’The scholar’s sudden proposal tonight must have come directly from an order by his father.’

He asked the scholar, ”What brilliant idea has my father devised this time? To think he wouldn’t tell me first.”

The scholar did not answer, instead continuing, ”The Third Prince’s original intention was to humiliate Miss Chu, but now this nickname, the ’Little Wangchun Garden Literary Meeting,’ has appeared. The Third Prince is in an untenable position and is furious. Therefore, if you stop Miss Chu, you would actually be helping him. The Third Prince would have no reason to be angry with you, Princely Heir.”

That girl’s refusal to concede, her posture of meeting every challenge head-on, had indeed earned her the Third Prince’s intense hatred. The Third Prince had studied the classics of gentlemen since childhood, but he didn’t possess a shred of a gentleman’s character.

Xiao Xun glanced to the side, where the large box brought by the scholar sat. It was filled with the compiled pamphlets from the Chu Garden competitions. Being both cheap and novel, they were currently in high demand.

’To think the pamphlets themselves have become so sought-after.’

’That girl is going to continue until the day the Third Prince’s own literary meeting begins. By then, the talk of the Capital City won’t be about the prince’s Wangchun Garden Literary Meeting anymore, but about the Chu Garden Literary Meeting hosted by the Chu Family’s Daughter.’

’The Third Prince has probably smashed up an entire room by now.’

”It’s not surprising that Miss Chu is young and stubborn. She was raised single-handedly by General Chu, and in the Border County, she could do more or less as she pleased. She is new to the Capital City and ignorant of how the world works. With Chu Ling backing her, she even dared to stand before Liang Siqing’s home and shout curses. This young woman’s audacity is at its peak; she pays no mind even to the Third Prince. However, the rest of the Chu Family must be at their wits’ end right now.”

Xiao Xun nodded, his thoughts turning to Chu Lan. Though he had only seen the man once at the city gate, he had seen right through him: timid, cowardly, and obsessed with saving face.

”The Chu Family must now be desperate for someone to rescue them from their dire straits,” the scholar continued. ”Therefore, Princely Heir—”

Xiao Xun interrupted him with a smile. ”Uncle Kun, I’m not a child anymore. Just tell me directly. What does Father want me to do?”

The scholar’s name was Ning Kun. He was one of the tutors the King of Zhongshan had found for the Princely Heir, who always addressed him respectfully as ”Uncle.”

’Although the Princely Heir was of the noblest birth, he was a gentle person who treated those close to him with sincerity. As for everyone else... well, the Princely Heir was not the Emperor. He couldn’t be expected to be compassionate to all of humanity.’

Ning Kun said, ”Propose marriage to the Chu Family’s Daughter.”