Ashes to Crown

Chapter 133: Chapter 89: Gathering

The walls of Wangchun Garden were high, but they couldn’t entirely muffle the clamor from the outside world.

In the darkness of night, only scattered lights flickered. Occasionally, palace maids and eunuchs would hurry past, quickening their steps as they heard the faint sounds of crying from beyond the walls.

The Third Prince’s chambers were dimly lit. Though called a bedchamber, it more closely resembled a library. Towering bookshelves cast a web of dense shadows that consumed the hall.

The Third Prince sat on the central divan, surrounded by scattered scrolls. His already pale face looked even more ghastly under the dim light.

”Have the people outside dispersed yet?” he asked.

The attending eunuch, trembling, answered, ”Everyone... they are all begging for Your Highness’s mercy.”

The Third Prince spat. ”What mercy? They want me to go make trouble with the Crown Prince. Why don’t they go themselves? Why are so many of them crying outside my door?”

”They’re not stupid,” a thin voice said. ”The Crown Prince is so ruthless—he dares to beat people, dares to kill people. If they were to surround the Crown Prince’s palace gates, wouldn’t that be a death wish?”

As the voice spoke, a tall, slender man emerged from behind a bookshelf. He was a middle-aged man in his forties, his complexion ashen like the Third Prince’s.

He held a scroll in his hand, as if he had just been selecting one.

”They know you won’t beat them, so they come here to cause a scene.”

The attending eunuch bowed. ”Lord Zhao.”

This was Lord Zhao, the Third Prince’s maternal uncle and brother of Consort Zhao. He was known as the New Imperial Uncle.

The Third Prince stepped on a book beneath the divan as he stood up. ”With this little courage, how can I expect them to clamor for a new Crown Prince in the future?”

Lord Zhao sat down on the floor. ”You can’t blame them for being scared. The Crown Prince acted too suddenly and too ruthlessly. Even I was taken by surprise.”

He then looked at the Third Prince.

”Did you go see His Majesty? What did His Majesty say? Is he really not going to do anything?”

The Third Prince’s expression darkened. ”Father Emperor said the Crown Prince had ample evidence for the arrests. Then he told me that scholars are a mixed bag, and if they weren’t, how could they not even measure up to a young girl?”

Lord Zhao smiled. ”The Crown Prince seized his chance this time. He’s cornered His Majesty so that he can’t protect you.”

The Third Prince said coldly, ”Father Emperor never intended to protect me. He usually just humors my mother and me. But when it’s a critical moment, only the Crown Prince is his good son.”

Lord Zhao kept smiling. ”Don’t worry about that. Whether it’s real or just humoring, what does it matter? In any case, you’re still his son.”

”Uncle.” The Third Prince turned, his eyes filled with violent rage. ”This matter cannot just end like this.”

”Of course not,” Lord Zhao said. ”We’ve suffered such a huge loss. We have to vent our anger somehow. For example, that little girl—”

The Third Prince sneered. ”That little girl, Chu Zhao, is in league with the Crown Prince, and she’s tangled up with the Xie family.”

Lord Zhao laughed. ”Aren’t those just rumors? They angered the Xie family so much that they turned Liang Siqing into a prisoner.”

”What’s wrong with rumors?” the Third Prince said with a sinister smile. ”Truth can be turned into rumor, and rumor can be turned into truth.”

”At this Wangchun Garden literary gathering, we’ll let the Xie family and that little girl share the spotlight.”

”As for Chu Ling, that dying cicada, I’ll let him sing his heart out before he goes.”

He ranted furiously, imagining a thousand and one ways to frame the little girl and plant evidence against the Xie family, especially that Third Young Master Xie—

Behind him, there was only silence. No agreement from his uncle, no detailed scheming.

’Could it be that Uncle was also scared off by the Crown Prince’s ruthlessness?’

The Third Prince whipped his head around and saw Lord Zhao, still sitting on the floor, propping his chin on his hand, lost in thought.

”Uncle!” the Third Prince shouted.

Lord Zhao looked up and replied with a grin, ”I’m thinking, I’m thinking. But, Ah Zhong, why don’t we think a bit further ahead—”

’Think further ahead?’ The Third Prince was confused.

Lord Zhao beckoned. The Third Prince walked over and sat on the floor with his uncle, listening as he whispered in his ear. The shadows cast by the surrounding bookshelves enveloped them, dancing with the flickering candlelight.

....

....

In the end, the Third Prince did not speak up for the arrested scholars. It was as if nothing had happened. Wangchun Garden remained as it was before.

After being flogged and paraded through the streets, this group of scholars was quickly sent off to do hard labor.

Just outside the Capital City, they were put to work hauling stone to repair roads. The crack of whips fell like rain, and people constantly collapsed. In less than ten days, not only had the roadwork not progressed any faster, but the path was now blocked by the sheer number of dead and injured.

The official in charge of road construction was so furious that he ran over to curse out the overseers.

”These men are all new, and they’re scholars! When have they ever suffered such hardship?”

”I know that once they become laborers, they have to endure it even if they can’t. But you need to take it slow!”

”Or go easier on them! Don’t let them die or get injured on the road. Let them die or get injured somewhere else!”

Listening to the official’s tirade, the previously fierce and menacing overseers now offered obsequious, apologetic smiles.

”My lord,” they chorused in agreement. ”We understand.”

The official was still fuming. The overseers quickly held up an umbrella, fanned him, and invited him to rest by the roadside.

”My lord, perhaps you shouldn’t send this kind of labor anymore,” one overseer said. ”They’re just causing more trouble. Our construction schedule is going to be delayed.”

The official sounded rather helpless. ”It’s not up to us. Things are going to get even messier. They’ll definitely send even more—”

As he was speaking, he suddenly spotted a troop of soldiers and horses stopped not far down the road. They were covered in dust, clearly having traveled a great distance.

”Who are you?” the official demanded.

”We’re from Yunzhong County,” the lead soldier replied.

....

...

Zhong Changrong hadn’t even had a chance to announce his identity when the official enthusiastically asked, ”From Yunzhong County? Are you with General Wei Chu Ling?”

Ever since they had gotten close to the Capital City, he had grown numb to hearing the General’s name, but Zhong Changrong was still shocked this time.

When Yunzhong County was mentioned, no one asked about anything else; they went straight to asking about General Wei Chu Ling, as if there were no other generals in Yunzhong County.

Zhong Changrong looked at the faint outline of the city ahead, feeling somewhat at a loss. He didn’t know what kind of scene would await him once he entered the Capital City.

He recalled the year the General sent eight victory reports and escorted the Crown Prince of Western Liang to the capital for an audience. The whole city had turned out to see Chu—

”Yes, we are General Chu’s men. We’ve come to the Capital City to see—” Zhong Changrong said, pulling himself back from his thoughts.

The official cut in again. ”To see Miss Chu’s competition, right? It’s about to start. You’ve arrived just in time.”

Zhong Changrong put away his reverie. ’Yes,’ he thought, ’it’s different from before. Now, the whole city is talking about the Chu Girl.’

He gave a slight smile. ”Yes, we are here on the General’s behalf to watch the young miss’s competition.”

The official laughed heartily. ”Of course, of course! My own daughter was fortunate enough to win three matches in a row at Chu Garden, HAHA! My father was overjoyed, insisting he finally has a worthy successor. My three brothers and I have been pushed a step back.”

Because his daughter and the Chu family’s daughter got along well, he acted as if he and General Chu were already old friends.

Zhong Changrong looked at this official, who was acting as warmly as a friend of ten years—and yet, the man hadn’t even introduced himself.

Zhong Changrong said, ”These are our—”

He was about to take out their travel permits and credentials—

The official didn’t even glance at them. ”Go on, go on! Hurry and see Miss Chu.”

Zhong Changrong had expected to face difficulties along the way, especially as they neared the Capital City. He never imagined that the closer they got, the smoother their journey would become—not because of General Chu, but because of Miss Chu.

Zhong Changrong felt both wistful and happy. ’The General will be so, so happy when he finds out.’

”Let’s go!” he shouted. ”We’re going to support our young miss!”

The soldiers roared in unison and galloped away under the official’s smiling gaze.