Ashes to Crown

Chapter 189: Chapter 19: As a Father

The rain drummed against the carriage, a noisy downpour that seemed to shut out the rest of the world.

Xiao Xun reached under himself and pulled out a piece of paper. It was a government notice bearing the latest news.

The Emperor had passed away. A new emperor had ascended the throne. An Empress had been proclaimed.

That girl had become the Empress.

It wasn’t really surprising that she’d become the Empress. If he had been the one to enter the palace, she would have been the Empress then, too.

Xiao Xun crumpled the notice in his hand. He had thought she would only fight back, not that she would seize power for herself.

She had snatched this opportunity right out of his hands.

”I still underestimated her,” he said.

In the dim lamplight, a smile played on the young man’s face, his faint dimples making for a pleasant sight. But the old woman looked frightened. She whispered, ”Your Highness, we were planning to change our official identities at the post station. What do we do now?”

Xiao Xun had left the Capital City quickly enough, but his pursuers were faster.

Although there was no official order, government soldiers were hunting him under the guise of pursuing remnants of the Zhao Family. They were investigating his whereabouts in secret. Worse, unofficial pursuers were popping up from all directions, making his journey exceedingly difficult. He was forced to take detours and winding paths, delaying his return to Zhongshan County.

Yet Xiao Xun wasn’t angry or worried. He was still smiling as he said, ”As long as they haven’t caught me, and as long as they don’t dare to openly condemn my father and me, there’s nothing they can do to us.”

The carriage curtain was lifted. Tie Ying, wrapped in an oilskin and wearing a conical bamboo hat, spoke. ”Ning Kun says we should switch to the waterways.”

Xiao Xun asked, ”What does my father say?”

Tie Ying’s voice held a note of resignation. ”The Prince says... you’re to figure out how to get back on your own. He said he wants to see if you, the Princely Heir, have learned anything on this trip.”

He finished speaking and, without waiting for Xiao Xun to reply, voiced his own discontent.

”What a time for the Prince to be making jokes like this.”

Xiao Xun sat up. ”If my father can still joke with me, it means Zhongshan County is safe.”

’The new emperor has already ascended the throne. There’s no proof that I persuaded Chu Lan to kill the Imperial Grandson, and this Empress Chu certainly won’t announce it to the world. But the new Grand Tutor and the Xie family definitely know. While they’re hunting me down, they’re bound to make a move on Zhongshan County as well—’

Xiao Xun smiled. ’Make a move? It’s not that easy. A Grand Tutor who was nothing but a clerk that came out of nowhere, a dying general from the Border County, and a maternal relative who bided his time only to be thrust unexpectedly before the world... do they really think they’re omnipotent?’

’They couldn’t kill my father when he was young, and they haven’t managed to kill him after all these years. It’ll be even harder for them to kill him now.’

”Let’s go,” Xiao Xun said. ”Tie Ying, we can’t let my father laugh at us.”

The old woman handed a raincoat to Xiao Xun. He threw it on and strode out of the carriage. The old woman followed, draping an oilskin over herself and the young child before they vanished into the rainy night. Only a single carriage remained, traveling alone through the mountains. Not long after, it plunged over a cliff and disappeared.

...

...

The night rain didn’t stop everyone. Some were fleeing, some were pursuing, and some were galloping with official documents strapped to their backs.

Through sunrises and sunsets, through clear skies and rain, news of the Dynasty’s upheaval spread to every corner of the Great Xia.

The Border County was no exception.

In fact, they had learned of it even earlier. The Border County had also been thrown into turmoil. The situation had been extremely perilous; if Chu Ling hadn’t suddenly appeared with his troops, there’s no telling what would have become of Yunzhong County.

Chu Ling was still stationed in Yunzhong County, keeping watch.

While some might have been displeased before, there were certainly none now.

Forget Yunzhong County—no one would have objected if he’d gone to keep order in the Capital City itself.

The man’s daughter was now the Empress, and Chu Ling was the royal father-in-law.

It was incredible. Forget the Capital City; even in Yunzhong County, Chu Ling was rarely mentioned. Who would have thought that overnight, everyone would be talking about Chu Ling and his daughter?

”That Miss Chu... I have a vague impression of her. She was always coming into the County to have fun. Other than being pretty, I didn’t notice anything special about her.”

”I could tell she didn’t have a very good temper. She was quite spoiled, got into arguments with several other young ladies, and even claimed she was one of the Capital City people, looking down on them.”

”And to think she’d become the Empress.”

”They say she saved the Imperial Grandson.”

”Well, that’s possible. After all, she is Chu Ling’s daughter. General Chu was very heroic. His Majesty placed great trust in him and heaped rewards upon him—a long, long time ago.”

Vice General Zhong galloped his horse through the noisy main street. Ever since he had drawn near Yunzhong County, he could think of nothing else but Chu Ling, especially after hearing that Yunzhong County had also been in turmoil—

Vice General Zhong burst into the room.

”General!” he yelled, his eyes darting about. Whether from nervousness or the unfamiliar surroundings, he couldn’t spot Chu Ling at first.

’The General... can he no longer stand?’

”Changrong.”

A gentle male voice came from the side.

Vice General Zhong quickly looked over and finally saw Chu Ling standing by a wall with several other generals, studying a campaign map hanging there.

Everyone seemed to have been startled by Vice General Zhong’s sudden entrance.

”Old Zhong, what are you doing back?” someone asked urgently. ”How can the Miss be left alone in the Capital City?”

These were all Chu Ling’s most trusted men. Seeing them all here, Zhong Changrong felt half his worries melt away.

”The Miss sent me back,” he said, taking a step forward and staring intently at Chu Ling, his voice choked with emotion. ”The Miss is worried about you, General.”

The General before him was still tall and his features were still gentle, but his complexion was no longer the healthy, ruddy color it had been when Vice General Zhong left. Instead, it was tinged with a frosty pallor.

Hearing this, the men around him all looked crestfallen.

Chu Ling smiled and gestured to the others. ”You’re all dismissed to your duties. We cannot be complacent at a time like this, especially with Western Liang. You must keep a close watch. Later, I’ll have Changrong tell you all about what happened in the Capital City.”

The men chorused their assent, saluted, and departed. As they passed Zhong Changrong, each of them patted his shoulder.

Everyone left, and the door was closed, leaving only the two of them in the room.

”Big Brother,” Zhong Changrong said, taking a step forward. ”Are you all right?”

Chu Ling smiled. ”I’m all right. Not dead yet.”

To Zhong Changrong, that meant things were not all right at all. Tears nearly spilled from his eyes.

”How is Ah Zhao?” Chu Ling asked.

Zhong Changrong was just about to speak.

But Chu Ling asked again, ”Was she injured?”

Zhong Changrong swallowed the words he had been about to say. He shook his head, then nodded. ”No. Just a few superficial wounds.”

Chu Ling pressed, ”Where was she hurt?”

Zhong Changrong quickly pushed aside all the exciting stories he wanted to tell—how the Miss had rescued the young Imperial Grandson, how she had cleverly ordered them to fight their way into the Imperial City, how she had persuaded the guards at two different palace gates to let them pass, how she had met His Majesty, and then how she had convinced the Emperor to bestow the marriage. For this father, who only cared whether his daughter was hurt and where, he began to recount the details earnestly—

He raised his hand and pointed to places on his own body.

”There’s a cut on her arm where a blade grazed her. Ah Zhao wasn’t wearing armor.”

”She has a graze on her shoulder from an arrow.”

”Her foot is also a little injured. Ah Zhao twisted it while running when she wasn’t paying attention.”

”Big Brother, Ah Zhao is incredible. She didn’t cry at all. But she’s still afraid of pain. When the Imperial Physician was bandaging her wounds, she held onto Ah Le’s hand and didn’t dare to look.”

Chu Ling listened intently, carefully watching every spot Zhong Changrong indicated on his own body, as if his daughter were right there before his eyes.

Zhong Changrong recounted everything that had happened in the Capital City in great detail. By the time he finished his long story, twilight had enveloped the room.

Chu Ling sat at the desk and reached out to pour some tea.

Zhong Changrong hurried to pour it for him instead. The kettle on the table was only half-full, and the liquid he poured into the cup gave off a strong medicinal smell.

’Is he drinking medicine like it’s water?’

A bitter feeling stung Zhong Changrong’s nose, and he had to steady himself against the table.

”That was the situation,” he said, clenching his jaw. ”It all happened so suddenly, but Ah Zhao handled it well. Ah Zhao said it was the best possible outcome. She was worried you’d be anxious and couldn’t trust anyone else, so she urged me to return.”

Chu Ling lifted the cup and took a slow sip. The medicine smelled nauseating, and one could only imagine how difficult it was to swallow. It would have been one thing to gulp it down, but Chu Ling drank it as leisurely as if he were savoring fine tea.

”Ah Zhao... what kind of suffering has she endured,” he said, ”to make her think that this was the ’best possible outcome’?”