Ashes to Crown

Chapter 107: Chapter 66: The Invitation

The visitor to Chu Garden was Xiao Xun.

This time, he wasn’t sneaking around. He arrived openly and honorably.

Everyone grew tense when they saw him arrive and heard him announce that the Chu Garden Literary Meeting could now end.

’Is he here to punish Chu Zhao?’

The girls instinctively gathered around Chu Zhao, trying to push her behind them—

”Qi Leyun,” Chu Zhao said helplessly, ”you’re stepping on my foot.”

Qi Leyun glared at her huffily. ”Can’t you move? Must you just stand there and let me step on you?”

The men didn’t gloat as they might have on other days. Instead, they frowned with a hint of worry, quietly chiding, ”Everyone, be quiet.”

’These girls, don’t they see what’s happening? They’re so troublesome.’

Several men stepped forward and bowed to Xiao Xun. ”Princely Heir,” one asked, ”this literary meeting began as a competition. The event itself may end, but the spirit of competition must not. The Way cannot be understood without discussion, nor can reason be clarified without debate. This kind of inquiry is essential to scholarship.”

They were defending Chu Zhao, reframing her actions as a scholarly debate—minimizing a major issue, and even trying to spin it into something positive.

Everyone had already forgotten their initial outrage upon hearing about the matter. They no longer felt this arrogant girl deserved punishment.

’This girl earned this with every punch and kick,’ Xiao Xun thought as he looked at Chu Zhao. ’Surrendering and begging for mercy would never have won the sympathy of these scholars. Only by unyieldingly defeating her opponents, by forcing them to see her as a rival, could she be treated as an equal and earn their support.’

’Wasn’t I the same way?’

Now, he too was willing to look this girl in the eye, no longer treating her with casual disregard.

”There is no need for concern,” he said with a slight smile. ”The Chu Garden Literary Meeting is ending, but that doesn’t mean the literary competition is over. It is merely changing venues. The Third Prince’s Wangchun Garden Literary Meeting invites Miss Chu to participate. You will all still be able to compare your scholarly talents.”

The maidservant standing beside him—that very same Chu Family maid, Linglong, who had fallen into the water and been rescued—held an invitation and walked slowly to Chu Zhao.

”Miss Chu, your invitation,” she said with a beaming smile.

Ah Le pouted from the side. ’That wretched girl. She’s only been gone a few days, and already she’s calling her ’Miss Chu’.’

The maid beside Chu Tang was even angrier.

”Sister Linglong,” Ding Dong said, ”we’re still packing your things. There’s so much, we’re not done yet. Since you’re here today, would you like to take some of it with you?”

Linglong glanced at her, a faint, mocking smile on her face. ”No need. The Young Master has provided me with everything. As for my old things, you can leave them for my sisters as mementos. Just divide them amongst yourselves.”

Ding Dong gnashed her teeth in anger. ’This ungrateful creature, casting off her former masters like a worn-out shoe.’

The young ladies paid no mind to the undercurrents between the maids. They were all gathered around, looking at the invitation in Chu Zhao’s hand. It was, without a doubt, an invitation to the Third Prince’s Wangchun Garden Literary Meeting.

Chu Zhao was no stranger to it; she already had one.

”Miss Chu,” Xiao Xun asked, ”are you willing to come?”

He asked if she was *willing*, not if she *dared*. To dare was to go forth with lonely courage, a hero even in defeat. To be willing implied mutual consent; if she lost, she couldn’t blame the other party.

Chu Zhao smiled. ’Whether I dare or I’m willing, it all means I’m going. As long as I go, that’s all that matters. What do I have to be afraid of?’

”Chu Zhao is willing to try.”

Qi Leyun couldn’t help but ask Xiao Xun, ”What about us? Don’t we get invitations?”

All the girls looked at Xiao Xun. They were no longer afraid this was a disaster. Just now, those men had said it themselves: a literary meeting was a competition of skill. There were wins and losses; it was all part of scholarship.

Xiao Xun smiled. ”The other young ladies may accompany Miss Chu with her invitation.”

The girls were immediately even more delighted, all telling Chu Zhao to bring them along.

”Of course, everyone will go,” Chu Zhao said. She smiled at Qi Leyun. ”Qi Leyun, you’d better study hard these next few days. Don’t lose and embarrass us all.”

Qi Leyun scoffed. ”You should worry about yourself first.”

The girls all laughed.

A man nearby called out in a drawn-out voice, ”Wangchun Garden is much larger than Chu Garden. If you lose there, the whole world will know.”

The girls weren’t intimidated. One smilingly reminded the gentleman, ”Perhaps you should secure your own invitation to the Wangchun Garden Literary Meeting first, sir. Otherwise, whether you win or lose, the world will never know.”

The man froze. He really didn’t have one. His face flushed red, and he stormed off with a flick of his sleeve.

This time, none of the other men spoke up for him. They just sneered. ’Where did he come from, trying to act like some arrogant scholar?’

’Even arrogance requires real ability.’

Laughter filled the Chu Garden. Chu Lan and Madam Chu, having observed for a long time, finally came out to greet them.

”Princely Heir, please, come inside to talk,” they said, bowing.

Xiao Xun glanced at Chu Zhao.

Chu Zhao’s expression was placid.

”Thank you,” Xiao Xun said with a smile, his dimples deepening. ”I only came to deliver the invitation on behalf of the Third Prince. I must return to give my report now.”

Chu Lan and Madam Chu wanted to explain and beg for Xiao Xun’s forgiveness, but he refused them. This made them even more anxious. Not daring to insist, they could only watch as Xiao Xun left.

”Linglong, Linglong,” Madam Chu said, grabbing Linglong’s arm and whispering, ”Remember to put in a good word for the family in front of the Princely Heir.”

’Whose family?’ Linglong thought with an inward smile. ’This isn’t my family. Their good or bad fortune has nothing to do with me.’ Outwardly, she smiled sweetly. ”Madam Chu, I am but a maid. How would I dare speak so freely before the Princely Heir?”

With that, she pushed Madam Chu’s hand away and hurried after Xiao Xun.

Madam Chu fumed. ’That little wench! But for her to dare treat me like this... could it be that the Princely Heir’s attitude toward us is unfavorable?’

Meanwhile, Chu Lan was surrounded by other people.

”Mr. Chu, congratulations, congratulations!” ”Miss Chu has surpassed her master!” ”Mr. Chu, it feels like it’s been a long time. We’ve missed you.”

People he knew and people he didn’t were all talking to Chu Lan. He forced a smile and made pleasantries. At any other time, he would have been delighted by such praise and flattery. But now, especially since the praise was because of Chu Zhao, he felt no joy at all. ’Years ago, I received no shortage of adulation because of Chu Ling,’ he thought. ’And what was the result? The praise was fleeting, but the disasters that followed were endless.’

.....

.....

Xiao Xun entered Wangchun Garden and went to where the Third Prince was. He saw the Third Prince sitting alone in the main hall, tossing an arrow into a decorative pot as part of a game.

His expression was cold and gloomy, his face wooden. He held a handful of arrows, and with a flick of his wrist, he tossed one. With a DING, the long-eared pot cracked on impact.

A eunuch immediately rushed forward, set a new pot in place, and then scurried away. If he had been a step slower, he would have lost his life.

The eunuchs and Palace Maids in the corridor all had their heads bowed, not daring to make the slightest sound.

Not far away, the corpses of two eunuchs lay on the ground, feathered arrows protruding from their bodies.

Bloodstains from where the bodies had been dragged marred the steps.

Xiao Xun still remembered how the Third Prince had loved to throw things at people when they were children.

Back then, he was young and weak, so when things hit you, it only hurt a little. It was seen as childish mischief, and people who saw it would just laugh.

But now, he had reached the point where he could injure people at will. This, however, was something not easily witnessed by others. And those who did see it would certainly not be laughing.

Xiao Xun paid the corpses no mind, stepping over the blood on the steps as he entered.

”Third Brother,” he said. ”It is done.”