Ashes to Crown

Chapter 171: Chapter 4: Meeting

The girl spoke eloquently before the Emperor.

”Your Majesty, it’s an excellent idea.” Her eyes shone as she took a step forward. ”Think about it. If I become the Empress, my father becomes the royal father-in-law. He would be more than just a subject; he would be family to the young prince. Your Majesty, if you trust my father to protect my life and the young prince’s, then why not trust him to secure the young prince’s position on the throne?”

At the time, the Emperor seemed to want to say something, but the girl didn’t give him the chance, taking another step forward.

”Your Majesty, even if you don’t believe it, the world will.”

The girl’s eyes blazed with a light that seemed born of both excitement and indignant grief.

”Once I am Empress, my father will pour his heart and soul into securing my position, stopping at nothing.”

”No matter what he does, even if it’s evil, it won’t seem strange in the eyes of the world.”

”Your Majesty, don’t you want to see just how far my father will go for me and the young prince?”

Hearing this, the Emperor, who had been listless on his dragon bed, suddenly burst out laughing.

”I do.” He clapped his hands, smiling. ”I truly am curious to see how General Chu performs as the royal father-in-law.”

And so the Emperor, driven to madness by the ruin of both his Princes, was enticed by Chu Zhao’s own wild proposal and agreed.

Deng Yi pulled himself from his recollection and looked at the girl standing before him now.

”Miss Chu, have you ever considered this?” he said. ”After His Majesty dies, the ensuing flood will be no concern of his. But you? That flood will come crashing down on you.”

After he spoke, he saw the girl give a small smile.

”I was already hit by the flood when I had done nothing at all,” she muttered.

’What does she mean by that?’ Just as Deng Yi was about to say more, a guard came to announce that Xie Yanfang had arrived.

Deng Yi smiled as well.

”Crown Princess Consort,” he said, ”the young prince’s safety isn’t really my burden to bear. After all, if the young prince is gone, I can still be the Grand Tutor. But if the young prince is gone, Third Young Master Xie can no longer be the Imperial Uncle. You should save your sweet talk for him.”

Chu Zhao nodded, then shook her head.

”The Grand Tutor serves the prince out of public duty,” she said in a low voice. ”Third Young Master Xie does so out of private affection for his family. I would rather save my sweet talk for the Grand Tutor.”

She smiled again at this.

”The Grand Tutor is a man of his word. He said he owed me a meal, and he repaid me with a favor.”

Deng Yi chuckled. ”Miss Chu, if you made Third Young Master Xie owe you a meal, he would repay you with even more favors.”

Chu Zhao nodded. ”Third Young Master Xie would indeed repay a favor, but I’m afraid he would never give me the chance to have him owe me for a meal.”

Deng Yi said, ”Oh? Is it because I’m poor, and Third Young Master Xie isn’t short on money?”

”Lord Deng,” Chu Zhao called out, half-annoyed and half-amused.

’He has to know what I mean. I was complimenting him. Or rather, even if we were talking about rich and poor, I was saying that he and I are the same—both poor, both trapped by our circumstances. That’s why we could form a bond over a single meal, and why a debt for a single meal must be repaid.’

Deng Yi raised a hand to stop her, ending their verbal spar. He said to the guard, ”Please show the Third Young Master in.”

The guard assented but didn’t turn to leave. He asked, ”Xie Yanlai is with him. Should I ask him to come in as well, or should he wait outside?”

Deng Yi glanced at Chu Zhao.

Chu Zhao paid his glance no mind and said directly, ”Let him come in and listen.” Then she muttered, ”Though he might not want to.”

The guard turned and left, and silence returned to the hall.

Deng Yi watched the girl, who had stopped her pacing and was now peering outside.

”Also,” he said, ”thank you for looking after my mother.”

Chu Zhao looked at him and smiled. ”Has Lord Deng been in contact with your family?”

’When I decided to come to the Imperial City, I didn’t know Deng Yi was here. But thinking that he was, after all, fated to become the Grand Tutor, I asked a Dragon Power Army scout if they knew of Deng Yi’s family. The scout actually knew of him, so I sent a few men over there to make sure no harm came to him.’

’When I ran into Deng Yi in the palace later, I didn’t mention it.’

’Even though Deng Yi was in the palace, the Dragon Power Army went ahead and looked after his family anyway.’

Deng Yi nodded. ”My father and older brother died long ago, leaving only my blind old mother. I thought I would be unable to care for her, which was a great regret.” He glanced at Chu Zhao. ”Miss Chu, this is worth much, much more than one meal.”

’That’s great!’ Chu Zhao laughed heartily. ”Lord Grand Tutor, you’re too kind. It was nothing, I didn’t really help with much. Lord Deng, you are a man of extraordinary destiny and profound fortune.”

But she didn’t look like it was nothing. Deng Yi found her beaming expression amusing. He shook his head without saying more, just as footsteps sounded outside the door.

”Xie Yanfang, paying my respects to the Lord Grand Tutor.”

....

.....

When he heard that Deng Yi would see them, even though the guard had said Xie Yanlai could also enter, Xie Yanlai chose not to.

”Tell her the young prince is looking for her,” he told the guard.

It sounded like a rather random message, but the guard nodded and said, ”Very well.”

Xie Yanlai bowed to Xie Yanfang. ”I’m going on duty.” He turned and left.

”Yanlai,” Xie Yanfang called out.

Xie Yanlai stopped and looked back at him.

”If you need anything, just ask,” Xie Yanfang said.

Xie Yanlai smiled. ”Alright, I will.” With that, he strode away.

Du Qi commented, ”He never used to be this obedient.”

Xie Yanfang glanced at him. ”You never used to have so much to say about him, either. Are you concerned, or are you afraid?”

Du Qi’s face stiffened, and he lowered his head. ”This subordinate was wrong.”

Xie Yanfang said no more. He nodded to the guard and walked toward the main hall. When he reached the entrance, he did not enter directly but requested permission again.

Footsteps came from within the hall first, accompanied by a clear, crisp female voice.

”Third Young Master Xie.”

Xie Yanfang looked up and saw the girl rushing toward him.

’It isn’t a huge surprise,’ he thought. ’In fact, a lot of things make sense now.’

’Since the young prince has returned to the palace, it means he was safe with the Chu Family. It’s only natural that Miss Chu, the one who could guarantee his safety, would come to the palace with him.’

’Those unfamiliar troops.’

’Xie Yanlai being able to defend the city and becoming their de facto leader.’

’The young prince’s closeness to Xie Yanlai.’

’The ”big sister” the young prince was looking for.’

Xie Yanfang stepped over the threshold. ”Miss Ah Zhao.”

Chu Zhao stopped in front of him. ”You’re here! That’s wonderful. Are you alright?” She looked Xie Yanfang up and down.

Hearing her words, Xie Yanfang’s expression grew complicated.

”I was useless. I failed you despite your repeated warnings,” he said, looking at Chu Zhao. ”Thankfully, you were here, so the young prince was kept safe.”

Chu Zhao also felt a surge of complex emotions. ’I can’t believe that even after I warned Third Young Master Xie, I still couldn’t prevent this from happening.’

”It’s not your fault,” she said. ”It must be fate.”

She nodded as she spoke.

”At least the young prince is safe.”

Xie Yanfang sighed softly and looked further inside. Chu Zhao quickly led the way. ”Third Young Master Xie, come quickly. Grand Tutor Deng is waiting for you too. We’ve been inside the city, so we don’t know what’s happened outside.”

Xie Yanfang followed her a few steps inside and saw the man sitting behind a large desk.

He was in his early thirties, with refined features, long eyebrows, and thin lips. His expression betrayed no emotion, and the court dress he wore lent him an air of authority beyond his years.

’So this is Deng Yi.’

Xie Yanfang bowed low. ”Greetings, Grand Tutor Deng.”

Deng Yi put down his documents and stood up. ”Mr. Xie, there’s no need for such formalities. What happened with the Crown Prince? How did the Third Prince assassinate him?”

Xie Yanfang straightened up. ”To be precise, the Crown Prince’s death came first. The Third Prince’s attack came after.”

What?

’The Crown Prince wasn’t killed by the Third Prince?’

Xie Yanfang said, ”The Crown Prince... died from lifting a ceremonial ding.”

Deng Yi and Chu Zhao exchanged a look. ’This—’

”But I’ve asked around. The Crown Prince had practiced lifting the ding many times before; there shouldn’t have been an accident. He must have been set up,” Xie Yanfang said. ”By the time I arrived, the scene had already been tampered with. I couldn’t find anything.”

So he had no proof.

”Even so, the Third Prince did intend to assassinate the Crown Prince. And when he heard the news of the Crown Prince’s death, he didn’t stop. He intended to slaughter everyone,” Xie Yanfang continued, looking at Deng Yi. ”Therefore, I ask the Grand Tutor to announce to the world that the Crown Prince died in an assassination by the Third Prince.”

He bowed once more after speaking.

”Please, Grand Tutor, preserve the Crown Prince’s reputation and the young prince’s dignity.”

A Crown Prince who died while lifting a ceremonial ding would indeed be a disgrace. It would become a joke in the history books and would also lessen the Third Prince’s guilt. Xie Yanfang could not give the Third Prince any chance to make a comeback.

This was for the Crown Prince, but more importantly, it was for the young prince.

Deng Yi glanced at Chu Zhao.

’See that? Now that is someone who is truly devoted to the young prince’s safety and honor.’

Chu Zhao pursed her lips. ’The Grand Tutor is trying to teach me how to get things done and how to judge people.’ She laughed silently to herself. ’He doesn’t need to teach me. Of course I know.’