Ashes to Crown

Chapter 113: Chapter 71: The Debate

A buzz of discussion arose from the street.

”That seems to make sense, but something also feels off.”

”Yeah, if they’re really going to punish him, they should turn him over to the government and have him beheaded.”

”No, you can’t say this Mr. Xie deserves to die. It sounds like the fire was an accident.”

”Right, I think that’s what they said just now.”

”That’s not right either. So what if it was an accident? A lot of people died in that accident. Did they die for nothing?”

’So this girl is here to demand justice for the dead villagers?’ The new recruit listened to the chaotic mess of conversations and thought he roughly understood.

”Chief,” he said admiringly. ”The people from the Capital City are really something else.”

If it were country folk like them, they would just watch the spectacle. Who would jump out to fight for justice?

Zhang Gu just watched the young man and woman in the center of the crowd, shaking his head with a sigh. ”What do you know?”

’Right, I don’t know anything, I’m just inexperienced. If I watch more things like this, I’ll eventually understand.’ The new recruit also quickly fixed his gaze on the young man and woman in the center.

On the third floor, the girls by the window looked at each other. ’So, Chu Zhao is here demanding justice for the dead villagers?’

”She’s just too—” Qi Leyun frowned, but she couldn’t bring herself to say the word ’nosy’. With dozens of lives lost, she couldn’t call it a trivial matter. She only muttered, ”She’s really gotten addicted to picking fights. This has nothing to do with her father, right? Why is she running over there to cause a scene? And why bring up Third Young Master Xie?”

’What does this have to do with Third Young Master Xie!’

At the window of another tavern, Liang Qiang opened his eyes. His anger had subsided somewhat, but his brow was tightly furrowed. ’Even if she isn’t doing this for that Xie Family’s son, her actions are truly improper.’

”She’s far too combative,” he said.

The young man beside him laughed. ”She’s always been combative. You shouldn’t be realizing this only now. She beat up your sister and cursed your uncle and aunt—”

Liang Qiang shook his head. The Liang Family, fine. The Third Prince, that was somewhat understandable. But the Xie family... this was a bit baffling. There was no grievance, no enmity, no reason for it.

His Liang Family, on the other hand, did have a feud with the Xie family.

’Could this girl be doing this for me?’ The thought flashed through Liang Qiang’s mind, and his gaze fixed intently on the scene.

As the surrounding discussion grew, the middle-aged man and his group became slightly agitated.

”Miss Chu,” the middle-aged man snapped. ”You’re just making trouble.”

”How am I making trouble?” Chu Zhao raised an eyebrow. ”Am I wrong? He’s guilty, so turn him over to the government. What, is the Xie family afraid to involve the government?”

Anger flashed in the middle-aged man’s eyes.

”Are you insane?” Xie Yanlai cursed from behind him. ”What fucking business is it of yours?”

He turned and glared fiercely at the girl.

”You’re so desperate to send me to jail—what are you trying to do? It’s not like I burned *you* to death!”

’How arrogant!’ The buzz from the crowd grew louder. ’So, the kid’s this cocky because he knows the Xie family won’t really send him to jail, right?’

A public beating was just for show, and then the matter would be over.

The way the crowd looked at the middle-aged man and his group was no longer the same.

The middle-aged man noticed this too. Just as he was about to speak, an old servant with a kind and gentle face stepped forward from behind.

”Miss Chu, you’ve misunderstood,” he said. ”This public parade isn’t for the world to see. It’s for the children of our own family.”

’The children of their family?’ Chu Zhao was taken aback.

The old servant turned and pointed behind him. ”All our family members in the Capital City are following behind. The Third Young Master Xie said to have everyone watch, to see the consequences of a Mr. Xie who dares to act recklessly.”

The crowd quickly looked behind them as well. Following the old servant’s gesture, people emerged in twos and threes from the packed crowd. They were of various ages—some older, some still young and green. All were dressed in fine brocade, their expressions a mixture of shock, gravity, and shame. Their faces were pale, clearly having received a significant fright.

”We shall be cautious and abide by the rites, and never do anything that is cruel or unjust,” one of them said. His gaze fell on the wounds on Xie Yanlai’s back, and he quickly looked away in fear before bowing to the surrounding crowd. ”We ask our elders and neighbors to bear witness.”

So that’s how it was. The crowd erupted in noise again, but this time it was with relief and admiration.

”The Xie family’s method of teaching their children is incredible!”

”So this is the Dongyang Xie Family. No wonder they are so widely praised.”

”Now this is the mark of a truly great Aristocratic Family.”

The girls by the window all breathed a sigh of relief. Qi Leyun was so happy she slapped the railing. ”See? I told you! Third Young Master Xie is just that amazing!”

She turned and glared at Chu Tang.

”Chu Zhao has such a petty mind!”

Chu Tang said, ”What does this have to do with me? It’s not like she listens to me.”

Qi Leyun slapped the railing again. ”I’m going to go drag her back before she further embarrasses herself.”

With that, she ran downstairs. The other girls looked at each other, and a few followed her.

Liang Qiang watched the members of the Xie family step out onto the street, nodded, and let out a soft sigh. ”Though the sons of the Xie family may be detestable, I truly admire Third Young Master Xie.”

’It’s a shame we couldn’t form a marriage alliance with such a person.’

His gaze fell upon the girl. ’A moment... hmm, or maybe later. This isn’t a suitable time to talk to her.’

’I’ll find a chance later to tell her that Third Young Master Xie is someone worth befriending. She shouldn’t be making a scene so recklessly.’

.....

.....

The crowd’s mood had risen and fallen several times, but Chu Zhao’s expression remained calm.

”That still doesn’t mean you shouldn’t turn him over to the government,” she said. ”This street doesn’t belong to the Xie family, for you to occupy it just to teach your own children a lesson.”

’Now she’s really just being a shrew.’

The middle-aged man looked at her, not bothering to hide the malice in his eyes. He was certain now: this girl was deliberately targeting the Xie family.

’Chu Ling? What is Chu Ling’s intention with this move?’

’Whose side is Chu Ling on?’

’The Zhao Family? The Third Prince?’

The old servant’s expression was very calm. He said with a smile, ”Of course we will turn him over to the government.” He turned and gave an order. ”Where is the carriage?”

A servant answered in the affirmative. The crowd parted again, and a horse-drawn carriage slowly approached.

”We weren’t going to parade him through the entire city,” the old servant continued. ”Third Young Master Xie instructed that after ten lashes of admonishment, he is to be put on the carriage and sent to the government office.”

After speaking, he looked at the middle-aged man. ”Ten lashes should be the full count, yes?”

The middle-aged man raised his whip and said coldly, ”There’s still one lash to go.”

Without giving anyone a chance to react, he cracked the whip viciously toward Xie Yanlai.

Xie Yanlai, too, seemed not to see the whip coming, standing his ground without moving.

A dull THWACK sounded.

The whip sent a spray of blood arcing through the sunlight.

Chu Zhao watched as a savage look flashed across the young man’s face before her. His thin lips were pressed tightly together; he hadn’t made a single sound.

”Alright,” the old servant said, his expression a mix of pity and resignation. ”Young Master Yanlai, please get in the carriage.”

Xie Yanlai turned wordlessly and walked to the carriage. He needed no help, hoisting himself up with one arm. The forceful movement caused his wounds to gush, spilling a pool of blood.

The middle-aged man flicked the whip in his hand sharply. ”Go.”

But Chu Zhao was a step faster. ”I’m going too.” As she spoke, she had already run to the front of the carriage, pushing herself up with both hands to sit on it.

”You!” The middle-aged man pointed at her, his eyes wide.

”I want to see if you’re really turning him over to the government,” Chu Zhao said nonchalantly, sitting on the carriage. ”I’ll be watching you.”

Qi Leyun and the other girls ran over just in time to see this. They were both angry and exasperated. Qi Leyun stomped her foot. ”Chu Zhao, come back here!”

”I have to keep an eye on them for the villagers who died,” Chu Zhao said. With that, she lifted the carriage curtain and went inside.

Qi Leyun and the others couldn’t exactly go and drag her out, so they could only watch helplessly.

Veins bulged on the back of the middle-aged man’s hand. He looked ready to drag her out, but the old servant shook his head.

”Very well,” he said with a smile. ”We thank Miss Chu for her supervision. Then let us go together.”

The words had barely faded when another girl rushed out of the crowd and, with lightning speed, also boarded the carriage.

’What is this now!’ The middle-aged man’s eyes nearly bulged out of his head.

”Miss, I’m going too!”

Fortunately, the girl shouted.

’It’s her maid. Like master, like servant.’ The middle-aged man gritted his teeth, cracked the whip, and shouted, ”Move!”

...

...

The carriage isolated them from the outside world. Before Chu Zhao was only the young man’s vicious glare.

”Are you sick in the head?” he said coldly. ”What good does it do you to get me sent to the government?”

Chu Zhao took something from Ah Le’s hand, drawing out her words. ”Ooooh. So your family really had no intention of turning you over to the government.”

Xie Yanlai sneered and lunged closer. ”Our family’s business is none of your—”

Before he could finish, he saw the girl’s hand fly up and cover his mouth.

His voice was muffled, and a pill was stuffed inside.

Caught completely off guard, Xie Yanlai inhaled and swallowed the pill. He let out a choked cough, nearly dying from asphyxiation—

”This pill can stop bleeding, strengthen tendons, and restore qi,” the girl’s voice said by his ear. ”On the battlefield, it can save a soldier pierced by a spear, leaving them clinging to a breath of life.”

’What the hell? She’s insane! It’s not like I’ve been pierced through!’

Xie Yanlai felt like he was about to choke out tears.

’Who asked for your help!’