Ashes to Crown

Chapter 190: Chapter 20: Entrustment

Suffering?

Zhong Changrong paused for a moment. He thought about it, then nodded. Yes, the young miss had indeed suffered in the Capital City.

Her dispute with Miss Liang must have been retaliation for being bullied.

She had insisted on returning to the Border County, which showed just how miserable her life in the Capital City was.

And after he arrived in the Capital City, he heard that she had become famous. But he had also found out that this fame was earned by fighting back against humiliation.

”The Third Prince bullied her,” Zhong Changrong said, counting on his fingers. ”Those scholars bullied her. Even the master’s own family bullied her.”

He slammed his fist on the table.

’The young miss has truly suffered so much.’

”I shouldn’t have stopped her last time. I should have brought her back, then she wouldn’t have had to endure so much.”

After saying this, Zhong Changrong looked at Chu Ling nervously. It had been the General’s order not to let her return last time, so he wasn’t trying to blame the General—of course, he knew the General had no other choice.

’General, please don’t blame yourself.’

Chu Ling didn’t look regretful. Instead, he seemed lost in thought. He shook his head. ”For Ah Zhao, this kind of suffering isn’t true suffering.”

Then he nodded and looked at Zhong Changrong.

”I understand now. This is why she was so insistent on coming back last time.”

’What? What does he mean?’ Zhong Changrong was confused. ’Does the General understand or not?’

”What else did she say?” Chu Ling asked, looking up.

Zhong Changrong tried hard to recall, but he shook his head. Time had been tight, and his only thought was to return as quickly as possible and then bring men back to protect her. The young miss hadn’t said much more to him.

”Is this matter bad for her?” he asked. ”Is... is Your Majesty trying to harm her and you?”

Chu Ling gazed into the distance. ”A life like that can’t be considered a good life. As for His Majesty...” He pulled his gaze back to Zhong Changrong. ”His Majesty...”

Zhong Changrong quickly interjected, ”His Majesty must have still been thinking of you, General.” At this, he took a step back and knelt on one knee. ”Before His Majesty passed, he wished to see the Flame Order fireworks. This subordinate lit two of them, disobeying military orders. I ask the General for punishment.”

Chu Ling’s expression was complex, his gaze distant. He chuckled. ”If I punish you now, when I see His Majesty in the future, he’ll surely be waiting to punish me. I’m not falling for that trap.”

The words were amusing yet inexplicably sad. Zhong Changrong looked up and grinned. ”Yes, His Majesty said that if you punished me, he would punish you later.”

Chu Ling gestured with his hand. ”Get up. The Flame Order belonged to His Majesty in the first place. He could decide how it was used.”

Zhong Changrong rose and said in a low voice, ”His Majesty... he was rather pitiful—”

”Pitiful? He wasn’t pitiful at all,” Chu Ling said flatly. ”The state of things today is the result of his indulgence. He thought himself pitiful because he never knew the suffering of the common people, never knew what true misery is. If we’re talking about who’s pitiful, it’s everyone else. Everyone is pitiful, and Ah Zhao is the most pitiful of all.”

His hand clenched into a fist, and the medicine in his teacup sloshed.

He had only ever wanted his Ah Zhao to avoid the troubles of the world and live a peaceful life. He never expected her to be dragged into such a quagmire, an abyss.

”Changrong, perhaps I was truly wrong. I shouldn’t have let her return to the Capital City.”

Zhong Changrong was at a loss, unsure how to comfort him. He could only say, ”Ah Zhao was worried you would think this way, which is why she sent me back in such a hurry. She didn’t trust anyone else; she insisted I come back to see you.”

Chu Ling looked up at him. ”She is in the Capital City by herself, and at a time like this, with wolves circling, she’s all alone—”

As he said this, he saw Zhong Changrong’s expression suddenly turn awkward.

”She’s not exactly alone,” Zhong Changrong said. ”Um, there are also... her people.”

Chu Ling looked at him, seemingly not understanding.

”Mu Mianhong,” Zhong Changrong said, lowering his head as if he didn’t dare look at Chu Ling’s face.

Silence filled the room.

When Chu Ling didn’t speak, Zhong Changrong felt he had to. He said in a low voice, ”She said she was worried and had a few people follow her to the Capital City. But, we have them to thank this time. Outside the Chu Family residence, the King of Zhongshan set an ambush. Ah Zhao escaped with the Imperial Grandson, and it was her people who killed the enemies and protected them. Otherwise, I would have arrived too late.”

Chu Ling set down his teacup. ”You came back to give me a message. You must have to give her one as well, right?”

Zhong Changrong hung his head even lower. For a big, rough-and-tumble man, his voice was uncharacteristically hesitant. ”There aren’t many people left in the Capital City. No matter what, her people will definitely do their best to protect Ah Zhao. I... I told them to stay in the Capital City, and I would... pass on a message for them—”

Chu Ling grunted in acknowledgment. ”Go, then.”

Huh? Zhong Changrong looked up, a little incredulous.

Chu Ling’s expression was calm, but his eyes held a trace of icy coldness.

”Go and tell her that even though Ah Zhao doesn’t have a mother, Ah Zhao knows she is the child her mother gave her life for. She still has the love of her parents, and she is a happy child.”

”Since she has the heart to protect Ah Zhao, then she should remember what can and cannot be said.”

”If she harms my Ah Zhao in the slightest, I, Chu Ling, will ensure not a single blade of grass is left standing in Qingmu Village before I die.”

Zhong Changrong responded solemnly, ”General, rest assured. I will go myself!”

Chu Ling grunted, unwilling to discuss it further.

Zhong Changrong knew better than to say more. He switched the topic to Ah Zhao to cheer the General up. ”Big Brother, can your body still hold on? Ah Zhao is so worried about you. She desperately wants to come back and see you.”

Hearing his daughter’s name, the coldness in Chu Ling’s eyes dissipated, and a smile touched his lips. ”Go back as soon as you can and tell her I will be waiting for her to come see me.”

Zhong Changrong happily agreed. Whether it was true or not, as long as the General had this resolve, he could hold on a while longer.

”Big Brother, get some rest. I’ll go tell the others about what’s happening in the Capital City,” he said.

Chu Ling nodded. He didn’t force himself to stay up. Just as Zhong Changrong was about to help him, a voice announced from outside the door.

”General, a dispatch from the Capital City has arrived.”

Dispatches from the Capital City must have been frequent lately. However, even though Chu Ling was overseeing Yunzhong County, not every report needed to be brought before him. Zhong Changrong frowned. ”Just send it to the officials in charge.”

The person outside acknowledged the order but didn’t leave. ”The one who delivered the dispatch says he wants to see the General.”

Zhong Changrong grew even more irritated. ”See the General? Does just anyone get to see the General?”

Again, the person outside acknowledged the order but still didn’t leave. Instead, there was a cough. ”The visitor says he is an old acquaintance of yours, Vice General Zhong—”

’Hey, that sounds familiar,’ Zhong Changrong thought, pausing for a second.

Chu Ling chuckled. ”Then let’s see him.”

”I’ll go see him,” Zhong Changrong said, annoyed. ”I wasn’t in the Capital City for long, I don’t know how so many people who ’know’ me have suddenly popped up. They pestered me the whole way here, and now another one shows up!”

He strode over angrily and pulled open the door, immediately seeing a person standing at the bottom of the steps.

It was a posthouse soldier who looked very nervous. He jumped in fright at the sound of the door and looked up.

Zhong Changrong froze for a moment. He seemed to have seen this person before, yet he couldn’t quite place him. However, a posthouse soldier... the uniform gave him a bad feeling.

”Who are you?” he asked.

”Vice General Zhong, I’m—” Zhang Gu said happily, taking a step forward. He was about to say his name, but then figured no one would recognize it, so he changed his words. ”Ah Jiu sent me.”

’Ah Jiu! I knew it was him again!’

The scar on Zhong Changrong’s face twitched. ”You... what is he up to now? Why can’t he just do his job and guard the Capital City? What does he want?”

’This Vice General is even fiercer than before,’ Zhang Gu thought, startled. He had done exactly as Ah Jiu instructed—mention Ah Jiu’s name directly and ask for Vice General Zhong. But it seemed the relationship between Ah Jiu and this Vice General hadn’t just failed to improve, it had gotten worse—

Just as he was about to explain, a voice came from inside the room.

”Ah Jiu?” The man’s voice was rich and mellow, and seemed to hold a hint of a smile. ”Come in, quickly.”