Ashes to Crown

Chapter 117: Chapter 75: Aftermath

Zhang Gu’s gaze remained fixed on the Xie family’s gate. He watched the carriage enter, then saw the young woman emerge and leave.

The entrance to the Xie residence fell silent, and no one else came out.

Zhang Gu finally let out a breath. ”So he wasn’t turned over to the authorities.”

His tone was one of surprise, yet also relief.

The new recruit found it funny. ”How could they possibly hand him over to the authorities?”

’He’s from the Imperial Uncle’s family!’

Still, it wasn’t like he was disappointed or indignant about it.

It was already a rare sight to see a man from the Imperial Uncle’s house get beaten so badly.

He had seen his fill of the excitement.

”Boss, let’s go,” the new recruit urged. Seeing Zhang Gu still staring at the gate of the Xie residence, he finally found it odd. ”Boss, do you know this family?”

Zhang Gu snapped back to his senses and pulled his gaze away. ”How would I know the Imperial Uncle’s family?” He gave the new recruit a light kick. ”What are you dawdling for? Let’s go.”

The new recruit leaped up. ’It was clearly the boss who didn’t want to leave. Adults are all like this, never admitting they love a good spectacle. Time to go, time to go.’

The new recruit couldn’t wait to get back to the barracks and brag to his comrades about the spectacle he’d witnessed today. From now on, he’d be considered a worldly city slicker.

As soon as they got back to the barracks, four or five posthouse soldiers swarmed them, looking anxious. ”You’re back.” ”You’re finally back.”

’Wow, such a warm welcome.’ The new recruit was flattered. Usually, these old-timers were a slick bunch who didn’t even show much respect for Mr. Zhang.

”Brothers, today I—” the new recruit began happily, eager to share the latest news, but the group pushed him aside.

”Boss, some people came asking about Ah Jiu.”

”Those people are from the Xie family.”

”Their questions were sharp. We... we didn’t dare hide anything.”

”We also told them about Ah Fu and Miss Chu.”

The men spoke over each other in hushed, anxious tones as they looked at Zhang Gu. ”Boss, did something happen to Ah Jiu? Are we going to cause trouble for Miss Chu?”

Zhang Gu looked at them, a gratified expression on his face. ”Don’t worry. Something did happen to Ah Jiu, but Miss Chu is protecting him. They went to see his family together. And his family was very pleased with Miss Chu—they saw her off personally.”

The posthouse soldiers were overjoyed. ”That’s wonderful!”

Squatting off to the side, the new recruit looked utterly bewildered. He stared at Zhang Gu in shock. ’I really am just a country bumpkin. We were together the whole time and saw the exact same thing, but I don’t understand a single word the boss is saying.’

....

.....

A sharp pain roused Xie Yanlai from his deep slumber. His vision was filled with a dim, yellow light.

”How long was I asleep?”

He had fainted the moment the handmaids had helped support him.

Now awake, he paused for a moment, then immediately tried to get up.

But the searing pain in his back made him grit his teeth and gasp, and he collapsed back onto the bed.

”Young Master!” ”Don’t move!”

The handmaids rushed to his side to soothe him.

One handmaid said through tears, ”Young Master, you’re too gravely injured. The family physician came to clean your wounds just now, and you didn’t even stir.”

”We nearly fainted just watching. Even the physician thought for a moment that you hadn’t made it. He even checked your pulse.”

”We were so worried you wouldn’t wake up. The physician said if you didn’t wake up today, you wouldn’t make it.”

”Thank the heavens and all the gods that you’ve woken up now.”

”Young Master, you must rest and recover well,” said a slightly older handmaid, her eyes filled with worry. ”The physician is a relative of mine. He quietly told me that the last two lashes were extremely heavy. It’s very likely your internal organs were injured.”

The handmaids around him began to weep.

’Even though they already knew no one here treated Xie Yanlai as family, they should at least treat him like a human being.’

’This was a beating meant to kill.’

”What’s all this crying about?” Xie Yanlai said with a laugh, lying prone on the bed. ”Stop crying. It just means I have to be careful and focus on getting better.”

The handmaids cried with a mixture of joy and sorrow. Their young master never made things difficult for them.

”Young Master,” one handmaid sighed, ”if you were even half as compliant with them, you wouldn’t...”

”Them,” of course, referred to the other young masters and lords of the family, and even the head steward.

In front of such people, the young master’s temper and attitude were abysmal, making him thoroughly unlikable.

If he could just be a bit more pleasant, he wouldn’t be punished so often.

As their eyes swept over the injuries on his body, the handmaids began to weep silently again.

Xie Yanlai rested his head on his arms and sneered. ”Being compliant is useless with them. You all just focus on being good handmaids. Don’t overthink or meddle in other matters.”

The handmaids murmured their assent.

Xie Yanlai tried to get up again. ”That Miss Chu—”

’So he’s worried about Miss Chu.’ The handmaids exchanged a look.

”Young Master, Miss Chu has already left,” they said quickly.

’She’s gone.’ Xie Yanlai still insisted on getting up. ”I’m going to see Xie San—”

’He probably doesn’t want to see the Third Master; he wants to ask about Miss Chu.’ The handmaids held Xie Yanlai down and said softly, ”Young Master, when the Third Master says he isn’t seeing visitors, no one can see him.”