Ashes to Crown

Chapter 182: Chapter 13: Arrangements

Night fell, draping the Imperial City in a blanket of white, as if covered in snow.

Eunuch Qi entered and draped a thin blanket over Xiao Yu, who had fallen asleep leaning against her.

”Go on, Your Highness,” Eunuch Qi said in a low voice. ”I’ll watch over him.”

Chu Zhao didn’t refuse. She gently stroked Xiao Yu’s head and settled him into Eunuch Qi’s arms before getting up and leaving.

Outside, many officials and ladies-in-waiting were kneeling in vigil. They didn’t have to wail ritually after nightfall, but keeping watch like this was exhausting, both physically and emotionally.

Hearing footsteps, the officials and ladies-in-waiting all looked up and saw the girl emerge.

Over the past few days, they had become familiar with this girl. Although she had not been officially invested with a title, the Chu Family’s Daughter appeared wherever the Imperial Grandson was.

She was very busy, too.

Deng Yi met with her, Eunuch Qi met with her, Xie Yanfang met with her—

’In contrast, the Imperial Grandson just knelt before the Emperor’s coffin with nothing to do. A six-year-old child can’t be expected to do anything anyway. So an Empress like her must act on the Imperial Grandson’s behalf. And in the future—’

The girl surely felt the stares from all around, but she kept her eyes fixed forward and walked out at a steady pace. Following behind her was another girl, dressed as a Palace Maid, but whose bearing and expression were nothing of the sort.

She was about the same age as Chu Zhao. But while Chu Zhao kept her gaze forward, this girl would glare back at anyone who looked their way, her almond-shaped eyes flashing with a fierce light.

While other Palace Maids kept their heads bowed and hands down, she held her chin high, her hands resting on her waist as if she were ready to draw a blade at any moment.

They didn’t believe the girl would actually dare to cause a scene, but it was better to be safe than sorry. The officials and ladies-in-waiting quickly averted their eyes.

Chu Zhao stepped outside the grand hall. The summer night wind wasn’t particularly refreshing, but it was enough to let her release a heavy breath.

”Where’s Uncle Zhong?” Chu Zhao asked Xiao Man in a low voice.

Xiao Man tilted her chin up at the sky. ”How would I know? I’ve been with you this whole time.”

That night, once they had the Dragon Power Army, Uncle Zhong had assigned other tasks to Xiao Man’s group, ordering them to remain at Chu Garden. But Xiao Man had refused to stay behind herself.

”The General,” the girl had bit out, ”ordered me to watch her.”

Uncle Zhong had glared at her, but he must have felt that the General’s orders could not be defied, because he eventually agreed.

So Xiao Man had stayed with her, never leaving her side day or night. Her attitude wasn’t great, however, and she rarely spoke.

But having witnessed the girl’s skill—and since it was fair to say she was the one who had saved both them and Xiao Yu—neither Chu Zhao nor Ah Le found her behavior odd. Nor would they ever dream of ordering her around like a common guard.

Ah Le tried everything he could think of to get on her good side and make her happy.

And though Xiao Man seemed difficult to please, she was actually easy enough to be around. She didn’t say much, but she would occasionally stare at Chu Zhao, sizing her up, a pensive look on her face.

Chu Zhao smiled at Xiao Man’s reply and didn’t press her. Instead, she summoned an Imperial Guard and gave him a few instructions. The guard hurried away. When Chu Zhao turned back, she caught Xiao Man studying her again. Their eyes met, and Xiao Man quickly turned her head to stare at the sky.

”Xiao Man, you don’t like my father, do you?” Chu Zhao asked with a smile.

The question was direct. Xiao Man turned her head to look at Chu Zhao. ”That’s right.”

Chu Zhao didn’t get angry. Her gaze only softened as she asked, ”Are your parents still alive?”

Xiao Man’s expression turned fierce. She forced three words through her teeth: ”They passed away.”

’Just as I thought,’ Chu Zhao murmured. ”So all of you are the families of fallen soldiers, aren’t you?”

’If that’s the case, then it’s understandable why they dislike Father, and why their attitude toward Uncle Zhong is so poor.’

”After all, in a way, my father is the reason you lost your family.”

A general has to order his soldiers into battle, and in battle, people always die. Those soldiers are people, too, with families of their own.

Chu Zhao knew there was a place in Luocheng where the families of fallen soldiers gathered—elderly parents and young children. Her father had allocated military funds specifically to care for them and help them find ways to make a living.

’But no amount of care can change the fact that they lost their loved ones. The children, especially, must harbor some resentment.’

Hearing Chu Zhao’s words, Xiao Man gave her a strange look. She suddenly smirked, but her expression quickly returned to its usual gloom.

”That’s right,” she said. ”It was your father who made us lose our families.”

Just as Chu Zhao was about to reply, Zhong Changrong strode over. The moment he saw the two of them talking, he shot a wary look at Xiao Man.

”Don’t you go saying things you shouldn’t,” he warned immediately.

Xiao Man just huffed and turned her head to look at the sky again.

Chu Zhao quickly reassured Zhong Changrong. ”It was nothing. Miss Xiao Man isn’t very talkative. I was just asking if she’s gotten used to palace life.”

Zhong Changrong shot Xiao Man a skeptical glare. ”What’s there to get used to? If she could handle a military barracks, she can certainly handle the court.”

’That was an odd thing to say,’ Chu Zhao thought. ’It seems that back in the Border County, Xiao Man and the others never hid their displeasure with Father. Of course, displeasure is one thing, but they still carry out their duties with clean efficiency and reliability. Otherwise, Uncle Zhong would never have allowed Xiao Man to stay by my side.’

Chu Zhao tugged on Zhong Changrong’s arm, deciding not to dwell on the topic.

”Uncle Zhong, have you sent word to Father?” she asked.

Ever since that night, everyone had been swamped. Deng Yi and Xie Yanfang were busy purging the court, while Uncle Zhong was responsible for the security of the entire Capital City.

With Xie Yanfang back and the city gates reopened, he also had to investigate and reorganize the Capital Camp. Even with the Dragon Power Army, Zhong Changrong was stretched to his limit. It was a good thing Xie Yanlai was guarding the Imperial City, or he’d truly be overwhelmed. ’But then again, why should I be thankful for Xie Yanlai?’

’That brat isn’t reliable either!’

Zhong Changrong shook off his wandering thoughts and took a deep breath. Of course, no matter how busy he was, he had sent word to the General about this momentous news at the first possible opportunity.

”I told the General that his resignation is definitely off the table now,” he said in a low voice.

’For the young miss’s sake, the General can’t resign his post.’

’He didn’t understand the intricacies of the court, but he knew that even for common folk, a bride’s maternal family was her most important backing. With the Emperor and the Crown Prince both dead, there was only this six-year-old child left. If the young miss married into the palace now, she would be completely isolated and without support—’

Wait.

The young miss... was marrying a six-year-old child.

Zhong Changrong froze again, his mind going blank. He’d only been thinking about her becoming the Empress, focusing on the title itself. He seemed to have forgotten that to be an Empress, one had to marry an Emperor. And this Emperor... was only six years old.

This... this... this—

’Is this a good thing or a bad thing?’

’What will the General think? He must be terribly worried. Will he refuse to allow it?’

’An imperial edict can’t be defied, but it’s not as if the General has never defied one before—’

”Uncle Zhong?” Chu Zhao called out a few times.

Zhong Changrong snapped out of it, his expression anxious. ”I—I’ll send another message to the General.” He turned to leave as he spoke.

Chu Zhao quickly stopped him. ”Uncle Zhong, don’t write another letter. You should go back and see Father in person.”

Zhong Changrong froze. Go back?

”My lady,” he said urgently, glancing around. The depths of the Imperial Palace Hall were dark, but he could feel many pairs of eyes watching them from within.

Zhong Changrong couldn’t help but pull Chu Zhao aside, into a shadow where the lamplight couldn’t reach.

He lowered his voice. ”How can I possibly leave you here in the Capital City all by yourself?”

Chu Zhao looked at Zhong Changrong. In the flickering shadows, the scars on his face looked even more fearsome, but beneath that intimidating exterior, she could see his face was etched with deep concern.

”Uncle Zhong, as long as I have Father and all of you, I’m never alone, no matter where I am,” she said. ”Your presence is what gives me security here in the Capital City. But Father...”

’Father’s health is failing. He doesn’t have much time left.’

”Uncle Zhong, we can’t leave Father all alone in the Border County.”

”He needs you more than I do.”

Zhong Changrong knew the General’s condition better than anyone. His body was indeed completely spent. On top of that, with this sudden turn of events, there was no telling if the shock of the news would cause the General’s illness to worsen—

’Right now, the Dragon Power Army is the young miss’s only guarantee. And while the General is surrounded by reliable men, the situation at court is just too volatile.’

”Besides,” she continued, ”the King of Zhongshan is our greatest threat. Zhongshan County lies between the Border County and the Capital City. If he makes a move and stirs up trouble in the Border County, the Capital City will be in danger as well.”

’That’s right. The King of Zhongshan is ambitious. After scheming in the Capital City for so many years, he could surely do the same in the Border County. Is the Border County already in turmoil?’ At that thought, Zhong Changrong wished he could sprout wings and fly back there immediately—

But then he looked at the girl before him, who seemed even more small and fragile wrapped in her mourning clothes.

”My lady, if you’re alone—”

Chu Zhao smiled and shook her head. ”I’m not alone. I have Xiao Man.” She pointed to the side.

When they had stepped aside to talk, Xiao Man hadn’t followed, remaining where she was with her head turned. But she must have sensed Chu Zhao was talking about her, because she twisted her head even further away—

Zhong Changrong’s expression was complicated. ”She—she’s just a girl.”

But he didn’t say Xiao Man was unreliable.

”And,” Chu Zhao added, her eyes sparkling as she looked past Zhong Changrong with a smile, ”I have Ah Jiu.”

Ah Jiu?

Zhong Changrong turned. In the distance, a young commander was approaching from a palace gate at a steady, unhurried pace. Lamplight spilled over him, making his iron armor gleam.

’It’s that brat again!’