The young man lifted his chin, his phoenix eyes slightly raised, appearing both arrogant and mocking. Yet, his brows were unconsciously furrowed, softening the disdain.
Chu Zhao rested her chin on her hand and observed him. He seemed unchanged from their encounter on the road earlier, but upon closer inspection, there was a difference—perhaps it was the aura of authority brought by the uniform of an imperial guard officer, making him appear even more formidable.
"A Jiu, you're amazing," she said with a laugh. "Even though I've become the Empress, you still managed to see through me."
Seeing her playful and cheeky expression, Xie Yanlai chuckled. "So you thought that becoming the Empress would make you all-powerful and fearless?"
Chu Zhao smiled. "I was fearless even before I became the Empress."
That was true enough. Xie Yanlai sneered, his phoenix eyes darkening slightly. "It's one thing for you to provoke me, but now you're provoking him and Deng Yi as well. Do you think those two are easy to deal with?"
Chu Zhao straightened her posture. "When did I provoke you? Do I even need to provoke the relationship between you and the Xie family?"
Xie Yanlai was momentarily left speechless.
"When I treat you well, you suspect I have ulterior motives. Would you be happier if I followed the Xie family, like that so-called Seventh Master, and joined them in whipping and bullying you?" Chu Zhao retorted indignantly.
What nonsense. Xie Yanlai slammed the table. "Enough of this pointless talk. What are you trying to achieve by telling them you don't trust each other?"
Chu Zhao replied, "To allow myself to attend court and participate in governance."
Xie Yanlai said, "Then why not just say it directly? Tell Xie Yanfang you don't trust Deng Yi and ask for his help. Tell Deng Yi you don't trust Xie Yanfang and ask for his assistance. Do you think they’d actually believe you? They’re not three-year-old children."
Chu Zhao said, "I don’t expect them to believe me. I know they don’t."
Xie Yanlai looked at her and drawled, "Ah, how foolish of this humble subject. The Empress is wise and has everything under control."
Chu Zhao laughed. "Stop being sarcastic."
Before Xie Yanlai could say more, she continued calmly.
"It’s simple, just as I said earlier. Your strained relationship with the Xie family isn’t something I provoked. Similarly, Grand Tutor Deng and Young Master Xie the Third already distrust each other."
"And what I’m doing isn’t to make them believe I trust one of them."
Xie Yanlai had already understood. He let out a self-mocking laugh. He’d long known this girl was bold.
"So, Your Highness wants them to distrust you," he said.
Chu Zhao didn’t mind his shifting forms of address and nodded.
"Yes, I want them to know that I don’t trust them either. That way—" she said with a smile, "they’ll want to earn my trust."
Xie Yanlai was momentarily taken aback, watching the girl’s smiling face, yet her eyes were filled with stillness.
She had once given her trust so easily, devoting her entire being to that person, only to find that her trust and her very self were deemed worthless.
"A Jiu, I am now the Empress. I saved the Emperor’s life. I am the person the Emperor trusts most, and I hold military power."
She looked at Xie Yanlai.
"Why should I trust them? Shouldn’t it be them who strive to earn and gain my trust?"
……
……
Xie Yanlai gazed at the girl sitting upright before him. Her eyes were clear and bright, her makeup and attire simple, lacking in imposing grandeur or opulence, yet—
Even back at the post station, when she was in a desperate plight seeking help as A Fu, a glimmer had flashed in her eyes—a light of unwillingness to be subordinate, a spark that could not be underestimated, one that made others tense and wary.Then, she rose to fame in the capital.
Now, she is the Empress.
He actually still had the audacity to think he could advise her, to teach her how to do things.
With just a flick of her finger now, she could strip him of his humanity.
Xie Yanlai smiled faintly, stood up, and bowed to Chu Zhao. "Your servant—"
But just then, footsteps sounded outside the door, along with the eunuchs' soft calls of "Your Majesty—"
Xie Yanlai stopped speaking and turned to look, seeing Xiao Yu standing outside the door, peeking in slightly but not stepping inside.
"Ah Yu," Chu Zhao said with a laugh, beckoning him.
Only then did Xiao Yu step inside, quickly moving to Chu Zhao's side. He then looked at Xie Yanlai and called out, "Uncle."
Xie Yanlai bowed to him. "Greetings, Your Majesty."
Xiao Yu nodded. "Uncle, there's no need for formalities. Please, take a seat."
Xie Yanlai replied, "Thank you, Your Majesty."
But he did not sit down.
Chu Zhao took Xiao Yu's hand and asked, "Finished with your lessons?"
Qi Gonggong followed them in and said with a smile, "We've just finished one session. The tutor will be here shortly to teach His Majesty calligraphy."
Xiao Yu raised a hand. "I'll write five more pages later, and that will be enough."
Chu Zhao laughed. "Then I'll write five pages too, and we'll let the tutor see who writes better. How about that?"
Xiao Yu nodded. "Okay."
Qi Gonggong chimed in playfully, "This old servant has seen the Chu Garden Collection. Your Majesty, perhaps you shouldn't compete with His Majesty."
Chu Zhao laughed heartily and looked at Qi Gonggong. "Qi Gonggong, have you seen me lose so many times that you're afraid I can't beat Ah Yu?"
As she spoke, she pretended to roll up her sleeves.
"After the literary gathering, I've improved a lot. I'm not afraid of losing to Ah Yu."
Xiao Yu smiled, clenching his small fist. "I'm not afraid of losing to Sister either."
He then turned to look at Xie Yanlai.
"Uncle, why don't you compete with Ah Yu too?"
Xie Yanlai said bluntly, "I don't know how to write."
A look of surprise crossed Xiao Yu's young face. In his understanding, there was no one in the world who didn't know how to write—especially someone from the Xie family, his uncle—
His other uncle, the one his mother often spoke of, the young master of the Xie family, was renowned throughout the land, erudite and talented, capable of anything.
"He can't compete with us," Chu Zhao said with a laugh, patting Xiao Yu's arm. "When Ah Yu learns horseback riding and archery, we'll compete with your uncle then."
She raised an eyebrow and glanced at Xie Yanlai.
Let's see what he says now. Would he claim he doesn't know horseback riding or archery?
Xiao Yu could also tell that Chu Zhao was teasing his uncle.
In truth, the uncle his mother often spoke of was also exceptionally skilled in horseback riding and archery. His mother said he was even better than his father.
But so what?
The child laughed along with Chu Zhao.
Xie Yanlai watched as the two, one big and one small, laughed at him. He rolled his eyes inwardly and raised a hand. "Your Majesty, I must attend to my duties now."
Without waiting for Xiao Yu or Chu Zhao to respond, he turned and walked out.
Low laughter followed him from behind. How tedious! He sneered inwardly and glanced back. Inside the hall, the two, one big and one small, were already huddled together, laughing over something they'd said.
This girl—so naive yet so worldly, so heartless yet so sentimental.
Whatever she was like, it had nothing to do with him. Xie Yanlai withdrew his gaze and strode away. But before he had gone far, he stopped, as if weighing something, hesitating, and stood motionless.
The imperial guards around him paid no attention, allowing him to stand there like a wooden post.
...
...
Chu Zhao spent a while chatting and laughing with Xiao Yu until Qi Gonggong came to summon him for his lesson. Chu Zhao indeed went along and wrote five pages of characters, which Tutor Qi then evaluated.She did not deliberately lose to Xiao Yu; instead, she gave her all and earned the teacher's praise.
As the next lesson began, Chu Zhao left Xiao Yu's study and had just stepped out when she spotted Xie Yanlai.
Chu Zhao froze for a moment before hurriedly approaching him. "You didn't leave? Have you been waiting here for me all this time? Is something the matter?" She then glanced at the eunuchs nearby and asked, "Why didn't anyone inform me?"
The eunuchs bowed their heads, about to plead guilty, but Xie Yanlai impatiently cut them off.
"Naturally, I forbade them," he said. "It's nothing important."
If it was nothing important, then what was this all about? Chu Zhao looked at him and murmured, "Oh," then waved a hand at the eunuchs. They immediately retreated like receding water, leaving only the two of them outside the hall.
Chu Zhao said softly, "Go on."
Why send everyone away, as if he had something shameful to say? Xie Yanlai frowned.
He took a step forward. "Chu Zhao, you should go and see your father."
Chu Zhao was slightly taken aback, her gaze fixed on the young man.
Besides her, there was still someone who remembered her father.
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