Ashes to Crown

Chapter 142: Chapter 96: Without Worry

The Imperial Guards caught up to Xie Yanlai, and a clamor immediately arose. ”Yanlai, so that was Miss Chu.” ”Miss Chu even brought you medicine?” ”Of course! Miss Chu chewed out Third Young Master Xie on the street for his sake.”

No matter what they laughed and joked about, Xie Yanlai paid them no mind, his eyes fixed forward, ignoring them completely until someone said, ”Yanlai, you and Miss Chu seem to be on really good terms.”

Xie Yanlai’s head snapped toward the speaker. ”Are you blind? What makes you think we’re on good terms?”

The man stammered, ”I mean... it seemed great. You were talking and laughing—”

”I talk and laugh with everyone!” Xie Yanlai shot back, raising an eyebrow. ”I joke around with Capital Commandant Qi even more. Are we on great terms?”

The Imperial Guard muttered an ”oh.” He had a point. Xie Yanlai was a disagreeable sort who didn’t get along well with anyone. But his family background was immense, and his older brother, Third Young Master Xie, was widely renowned. Moreover, Xie Yanlai himself was exceptionally sharp and slippery. People might hate him, but they could never get ahold of any leverage against him, so his superiors had no choice but to tolerate him.

The guard was momentarily dumbfounded, but the others were still sharp. One of them laughed. ”How can you compare a man to a woman? Yanlai, you don’t treat Miss Liang and Miss Chu the same way.”

Xie Yanlai scoffed. ”How is it any different? She’s also not as good-looking as I am.”

The Imperial Guards erupted into laughter.

Xie Yanlai spurred his horse on amid the raucous laughter. ’There’s another, bigger difference, though. If that girl heard him say she wasn’t as pretty as him, what would she do?’

’She wouldn’t cry or hide away in shame. She’d just run over with a grin and say, ”So what? I still managed to fool you, didn’t I?”’

Xie Yanlai couldn’t resist glancing back. The girl’s carriage had already shrunk to a black dot on the road, and the last rays of the setting sun glowed in the distance.

’What is she doing, running around outside the Capital City this late?’

’Doesn’t she know how much people can’t stand her?’

...

...

”That Ah Jiu is so insufferable!”

Ah Le said with a huff, then shook her head smugly.

”From now on, we won’t need him. We don’t have to suck up to him anymore.”

Chu Zhao laughed. ”What are you talking about? It’s not like we were sucking up to him even when we did need his help.”

”Then why did you protect him from getting beaten and even make medicine for him?” Ah Le asked, raising an eyebrow.

”That was motivation,” Chu Zhao said.

Ah Le burst out laughing.

Just as the last of the sunset’s afterglow faded, they arrived at the Capital Camp. Once they announced her name, someone at the normally inaccessible camp quickly made arrangements for her to meet her father’s men—likely due to the influence of Third Young Master Xie.

Unfortunately, Uncle Zhong wasn’t there.

The four soldiers were familiar faces; both Chu Zhao and Ah Le knew them by name.

”Vice General Zhong took some men into the city to go to the Ministry of War,” they explained. ”He’s also meeting some old acquaintances, so he’ll be staying overnight in the Capital City. That will make it easier for him to see you tomorrow, Miss.”

’So that’s what happened. Vice General Zhong was eager to see her, and she was just as eager to see Uncle Zhong. They had ironically missed each other.’

”Alright, I’ll wait for him at home,” Chu Zhao said, then motioned to Ah Le. ”Quick, bring the things for our uncles.”

Ah Le bustled to get the packages from the carriage. ”We heard the news on such short notice, so we didn’t have time to choose anything special. We just bought these from the side of the road.”

The soldiers accepted the gifts with smiles, thanking her for the kind thought. ”We’re not lacking for anything, Miss. Here in the Capital Camp... no, in fact, thanks to you, we haven’t suffered the slightest bit of mistreatment this entire journey.”

Chu Zhao laughed. ”What are you talking about? Uncles, you’re all such flatterers.”

”It’s not flattery, it’s the truth. You really are incredible, Miss Ah Zhao,” the soldiers said with smiles, their expressions a mix of admiration and pride. ”You’re truly the General’s daughter. To come to the Capital City alone and still carve out a place for yourself is amazing.”

Chu Zhao smiled, though tears nearly welled in her eyes. ’How could she be called amazing? She had lost a life—lost *everyone’s* lives—all in exchange for the chance she had today...’

”Uncles,” she said, smiling through her tears, ”I will become even stronger.”

Ah Le nodded along. ”From now on, if you stick with our Miss, you’ll all eat and drink well, and no one will bully you!”

The soldiers all laughed and replied in unison, ”Thank you, Miss!”

Since Vice General Zhong wasn’t present and it was growing late, the soldiers urged Chu Zhao to hurry back. They didn’t want her to be delayed and find the city gates locked for the night.

”Besides, Mr. Zhong has important matters to discuss with you tomorrow, Miss,” they added with a smile.

Chu Zhao didn’t linger any longer. ”Uncles, you all should come to my home too. I’ll host you at Chu Garden.”

The soldiers again agreed in unison. They watched as Chu Zhao and Ah Le boarded the carriage and saw the young woman’s vehicle off into the distance.

Chu Zhao held the curtain aside, watching the figures who stood seeing her off until they disappeared into the night. She finally turned her gaze forward again, feeling not a trace of sadness, only anticipation.

’Tomorrow, I’ll get to see Uncle Zhong.’

’The day after that, I can go home with him.’

’And soon after that, I’ll get to see Father.’

’Expectation, hope... they truly make a person happy.’ She threw up her hands and let out a joyful cry into the night.

Ah Le laughed heartily and let out a couple of whoops in response.

The girls’ crisp laughter echoed down the dusky road.

...

...

Shrouded in night, the Hunting Ground was even livelier than it had been during the day.

Xiao Yu, clutching a bamboo tube, was stopped at the edge of the most boisterous part of the grounds.

Inside, powerfully built strongmen were wrestling. The Crown Prince sat in their midst, cheering along with everyone else. Beside them sat countless singing and dancing girls, keeping them company.

It was no place for a child to be.

”How much longer will Father be done with his revelry?” he could only ask plaintively.

Eunuch Zhu said respectfully, ”Soon, soon.”