Ashes to Crown

Chapter 198: Chapter 28: Dare You?

From the moment of her rebirth, Chu Zhao’s sole focus had been on returning to the Border County to see her father. Avoiding Xiao Xun and the turmoil in the Capital City was one reason, but more importantly, she wanted to see her father one last time before he passed away and be by his side.

She never expected that in this life, despite not being trapped by Xiao Xun, she would still become the Empress and still enter the Imperial City.

Once you entered the Imperial City, it was difficult to come and go as you pleased.

”Did my father say anything?” Chu Zhao asked softly. ”What did Brother Zhang say?”

Xie Yanlai frowned. ”Does that even need to be said? Don’t you already know? You’ve gone through all this trouble, and now you’re pestering me to deliver letters—isn’t it all for your father?”

Chu Zhao fell silent.

”Don’t you want to see your father?” Xie Yanlai said. ”Why did you become the Empress?”

’Why did I become the Empress?’ Chu Zhao looked up at Xie Yanlai and couldn’t help but smile, then she pursed her lips.

”I did it for... my father,” she murmured.

’To stay alive, to prevent the tragedy of my past life from happening again, to keep my father from being used as a pawn, and to let him pass away peacefully and with dignity in this life—’

Xie Yanlai averted his gaze. ”Then go.”

With that, he turned and walked away.

Chu Zhao stood where she was, watching him take one step, two, three... before he spun around and came back.

”You don’t trust anyone, sowing discord left and right,” he said irritably. ”And as a result, now you’re too scared to leave yourself, aren’t you?”

Chu Zhao let out a laugh. After a moment’s thought, she said seriously, ”It’s not that I’m scared. It’s just that, right now—”

”Now isn’t the right time? The country is unstable?” Xie Yanlai scoffed. ”If Grand Tutor Deng and Third Young Master Xie lost their power, they’d have nothing left. So they will definitely protect their power, and by extension, the stability of the country.”

Chu Zhao looked at him and hummed in agreement.

”As for that little brat,” Xie Yanlai continued, ”he *is* power. Even if Third Young Master Xie and the Lord Grand Tutor wish each other dead, they will both protect him.”

Chu Zhao nodded again.

”So what are you still worried about?” Xie Yanlai asked.

Chu Zhao looked at him and said frankly, ”The throne of the Empress.”

Hearing this, Xie Yanlai let out a mocking smile. ’That’s right, the throne of the Empress. All that talk about the country being unstable was just a cover. She’s afraid her own throne is unstable. Whether it’s Deng Yi or Xie Yanfang, they’ve been scheming for years. It’s perfectly logical and no surprise that they hold power in the court. But this Chu Zhao, just a little girl, appeared out of the chaos and seized the opportunity to claim the empress’s throne for herself—’

’With her father on his deathbed, even with the Dragon Power Army in hand, it won’t be so easy to secure her throne.’

’How could she possibly bear to leave?’

Xie Yanlai performed a quick salute. ”This subject has been presumptuous.”

With that, he turned and strode away.

Chu Zhao stood where she was, watching him go, and let out a soft sigh.

’She didn’t trust Deng Yi or Xie Yanfang. In her past life, both men had been formidable. Compared to them, she had only managed to get a head start this time. Otherwise, she wouldn’t even be in a position to talk about trusting them or not.’

’The country was unstable, and Yu was still so young. She worried that if she left, she would never be able to return.’

’Everything she had just gained would vanish like smoke, just like a dream.’

’She was already involved. If she lost everything now, neither she nor her father, nor the people her father left behind, nor even the people her mother left behind, would meet a good end.’

She felt a wave of melancholy. Turning, she walked slowly back to her study. Before she could even sit down, she heard heavy footsteps as someone walked in.

Chu Zhao turned her head and saw Xie Yanlai, who had returned once more.

Ah Le, who had been waved aside, did not follow him in, pouting as she stood outside.

Chu Zhao looked at him, blinked, and asked, ”Beloved Minister, what other counsel do you have to offer?”

...

....

Xie Yanlai was both annoyed and amused. He had just stormed off, only to return and have the girl throw those words back at him. It was like a needle piercing his tough exterior.

Forget it.

The country was unstable, and everyone was on edge. She and her father were in such a predicament—what was the point of him arguing with her?

”You don’t have to worry,” he said. ”Since you entrusted the Dragon Power Army to me, I’ll help you guard this throne. Go back and see your father.”

Chu Zhao stared at him, stunned for a moment. ”Ah Jiu, why are you being so good to me?”

’What nonsense! How is this being good to her?!’ Xie Yanlai sneered, ”There’s no one else here. You don’t have to be like this.”

Chu Zhao let out another laugh. ”That’s exactly why it’s your true feelings—because there’s no one else here.”

’This was getting even more ridiculous!’

Xie Yanlai said coldly, ”If you keep this up, I’m backing out.”

Chu Zhao hurriedly smiled and nodded. ”Alright, alright, I’ll stop.” Then she raised an eyebrow, grinned, and pressed a hand to her heart. ”I’ll just keep it in here.”

Xie Yanlai gave her a cold look.

Chu Zhao straightened her expression. ”I know you’re doing this for yourself.”

’That’s more like it.’ Xie Yanlai hmphed and turned to leave.

Chu Zhao watched him without a word, a smile reappearing on her lips.

Xie Yanlai took two steps, then spun around again.

The smile on Chu Zhao’s lips vanished instantly, and she looked at him seriously.

”Of course, compared to Xie San and Deng Yi, I’m not exactly trustworthy either. And I can’t guarantee I can hold the fort. But,” Xie Yanlai said calmly, looking at the girl, ”Miss Ah Fu was able to deceive so many people just to return to the Border County. Miss Chu was able to beat her own brother over an invitation to the Wangchun Garden Literary Meeting, then host her own Chu Garden Literary Meeting. And on the night of the upheaval, you took the young highness and overcame every obstacle to put him on the emperor’s throne and yourself on the empress’s—”

Chu Zhao looked at him. ’Now that he put it that way, since her rebirth, he really was the person she had known the longest.’

Xie Yanlai looked at the girl.

”So, Miss Chu, you’re a formidable person. Even if I fail to protect your throne, you can take it back yourself.”

Chu Zhao looked at him and nodded slowly.

Xie Yanlai said no more and turned to leave.

Chu Zhao didn’t speak, watching as he took one step, two, three, until he reached the doorway. One foot crossed the threshold, but the other one stopped.

”I—” Xie Yanlai didn’t turn around, his voice coming out muffled. ”I’ve always regretted not running back to see my mother immediately.”

He had been so small back then, standing in the grand residence of the Xie family, scared and nervous. Everything he saw, from the people to the objects, was so magnificent. Everyone told him he would live a good life from then on.

He couldn’t bear to leave his mother, but he thought that if he stayed, maybe she could join him and live this good life too. So he remained. One day, two days, three days passed—

When he finally couldn’t take it anymore and ran out of the Xie family residence to find her, all he found was his mother’s body.

’If he hadn’t hesitated, if he had gone back to find her immediately, could he have stopped her from taking her own life?’

’Even if he couldn’t have stopped it, at least he could have seen her one last time to tell her how much he didn’t want to leave her.’

”There are some people and things in this world that, once lost, are gone forever. No matter how much you gain in the future, it can never make up for them.”

After saying this, the young man stepped over the threshold and strode away.

Chu Zhao stood inside the hall, watching him go as a tear slipped from the corner of her eye.

Of course, she knew the deep regret of losing people and making mistakes.

Fortunately, the heavens had taken pity on her and given her a chance to start over. She truly could not let this opportunity pass her by again.