Xiao Xun gazed toward the city gate not far away. The gate of Yunzhong Commandery’s city was even more chaotic than before, with countless people outside trying to squeeze their way in.
There were more troops stationed there, and many unfamiliar-faced officers had appeared, scrutinizing every passerby with intense vigilance. Every passing carriage seemed on the verge of being dismantled for inspection.
"Remain calm!" a few officials shouted loudly. "The Western Liang forces have not advanced here. Our Zhongshan Commandery is safe."
But these words did little to reassure the people.
"Those Xiliang soldiers have already appeared outside Yunzhong Commandery!"
"Many villages and towns have been burned, looted, and their people slaughtered!"
"The Border Commandery has already fallen!"
"Stop guarding this place—go reinforce the Border Commandery instead!"
"Let us in—"
The clamor grew louder than ever, and the soldiers were on the verge of drawing their weapons to arrest people.
Xiao Xun turned away and headed back to the Zhongshan Prince’s Mansion.
The atmosphere inside the mansion seemed different as well. The Prince of Zhongshan sat in the Taoist temple, his expression somber, one hand gently stroking his injured leg—a habitual gesture when he was deep in thought.
"Father, these Western Liang people are truly despicable," Xiao Xun remarked.
The Prince of Zhongshan replied, "They are barbarians. It’s no surprise they would act this way."
Xiao Xun frowned. "They clearly hold us in contempt and care nothing for the trouble they might cause us."
The sudden appearance of Western Liang troops outside Yunzhong Commandery would inevitably provoke inquiries. How had these soldiers bypassed the defensive lines and infiltrated the interior?
Though he trusted his father’s meticulous planning, any action left traces—especially when unreliable Western Liang forces were involved. Moreover, there were two troublesome figures in the imperial court—
If any issues were uncovered, their plans would be thrown into disarray.
The Prince of Zhongshan chuckled. "Do not worry. This will not affect us. Someone else will bear the brunt of the trouble. We simply need to fan the flames and direct all the blame toward him."
…
…
Although the authorities had not officially announced that areas outside Yunzhong Commandery had been attacked by Western Liang, the news could not be suppressed. Through private letters from noble families and urgent messages from merchants, it reached the capital in just three or four days.
The sudden appearance of Western Liang forces in Shang Commandery shattered the people’s trust in Chu Ling, replacing it with shock and fear.
In an instant, no one spoke of how there was nothing to fear as long as Chu Ling was guarding the frontier. Instead, questions arose: Why, after more than a decade, was Chu Ling still stationed at Yunzhong Commandery?
When someone asked who Chu Ling was, they were told he was a disgraced official, punished by the late emperor and stationed at the Border Commandery for over a decade—still only a Garrison General after all these years.
"Why is a disgraced Garrison General leading the defense against the Army of Western Liang?"
"Because his daughter is the Empress!"
Discussions grew increasingly frequent in the capital’s taverns, teahouses, and streets, while whispers echoed in the inner courtyards of noble families.
Amid the wartime crisis and national peril, recreational activities like garden parties had been canceled. Yet, the noble families interacted more frequently than ever—partly to exchange information during tense times, and partly to forge new alliances during the transition between the old and new courts.
The winter chill was biting, and even cloaks could not ward off the cold. A group of young women, chatting and laughing, hurried from the garden into the warm hall.
Inside, four or five girls were already gathered around the stove, their expressions filled with anger, disdain, and contempt. As the newcomers entered, the conversation abruptly ceased.
The atmosphere grew slightly tense.
Chu Tang paused in her steps.
One girl stood up, smiling as she bowed. "Miss Chu."
But two other girls remained seated, turning their heads away as if unwilling to acknowledge the newcomers.This situation was quite rare. Even back when Chu Tang was merely a daughter of the Chu family—without the current advantage of having an empress as a cousin—everyone had always treated her kindly. After all, she held no power or influence, so there was no point in making an enemy of her.
But now that Chu Tang had suddenly gained status and authority, how could anyone dare to treat her poorly?
Qi Leyun couldn’t understand what these girls were thinking. “What do you mean by this?” she demanded.
The two girls weren’t even afraid of Chu Tang, let alone Qi Leyun. One of them smiled mockingly and said, “What have we done? Why are you so angry? Is it because we didn’t bow to Miss Chu Tang?”
Before Qi Leyun could respond, the other girl turned her head, her expression sharp. “Why should we bow to Miss Chu Tang? In terms of age, we are peers. In terms of family background, we come from official families—Miss Chu Tang’s family holds no official rank.” She glanced at Chu Tang. “The Chu family has an empress, but Miss Chu Tang herself holds no Imperial Decree of Honor.”
“We pay our respects to the Empress with full ceremony, but if we don’t bow to Miss Chu Tang, does that make us guilty?”
Among girls who spent time together, bickering and harsh words were common, but never before had anyone spoken of guilt so explicitly. Qi Leyun was taken aback. How had the conversation turned to accusations?
She grew even angrier. “Is that what I meant? I’m talking about your attitude—you know exactly what I’m referring to.”
The two girls replied, “We don’t understand.” With that, they stood up. “We’ll take our leave now.”
True to their word, they left. The lively warmth of the pavilion instantly faded into silence. Although Chu Tang still had seven or eight companions with her, an inexplicable chill settled over the gathering.
Qi Leyun fumed, “This is infuriating! If they have something to say, they should say it outright. Whispering behind someone’s back—what kind of behavior is that?”
Throughout the exchange, Chu Tang had remained silent. She hadn’t lost her temper, but neither did she wear the pitiful, uneasy expression that had once stirred compassion in others.
She smiled lightly and said, “It’s actually better this way. Whispering behind my back is a sign of respect. If they had spoken openly, wouldn’t that have embarrassed me?”
“Something feels off,” one of the girls remarked. “Their attitude changed so strangely.”
Chu Tang replied, “It’s because they believe my uncle is guilty.”
“How can they blame your uncle for that?” Qi Leyun exclaimed. “Besides, are they foolish? Even if your uncle were guilty, what is there to fear? Chu Zhao is the Empress.”
Guilty or not—what did it matter?
Were these people out of their minds?
“They’re not out of their minds,” a voice came from behind the pavilion. Zhou Jiang stepped out from the rear.
Qi Leyun and the others were startled. “What are you doing here?”
Zhou Jiang waved a hand dismissively. “I was quietly studying a chess manual, but that’s not important.” She entered the pavilion and sat opposite Chu Tang, her expression serious. “It’s precisely because Chu Zhao is the Empress that your uncle is now in serious trouble.”
How could being the Empress lead to trouble? The position of Empress was one of the highest honors.
The girls didn’t understand and pressed Zhou Jiang for an explanation. “What do you mean?”
Zhou Jiang explained, “For many people, especially those in power at court, having an Empress with a tarnished reputation is a good thing. It means they can control her.”
Chu Tang sighed softly, recalling what Chu Zhao had said to her earlier in the palace.
Chu Zhao had told her, “For the court, the turmoil has passed. But for our family, the turmoil has only just begun.”
Indeed, even before her uncle had met his end, the turmoil had already begun."So it's targeting Chu Zhao?" Qi Leyun slapped the table. "Chu Tang, quickly go to the Imperial Palace and tell Chu Zhao to give these people a good scolding, let's see if they still dare to scheme."
Chu Tang picked up the pastry that had been shaken off the table and said, "What would that look like? Bullying others with power? Everyone is waiting for her to do exactly that."
She lowered her gaze while pretending to blow dust off the pastry.
Besides, Chu Zhao couldn't do that anyway—she wasn't even in the Imperial Palace, something nobody in the world knew.
If people found out, wouldn't that give them even more grounds to accuse her?
Zhou Jiang nodded: "Of course we can't do that. The Empress certainly can display her authority, but she must never use it to protect herself and her family. Moreover, General Chu is indeed at fault this time—the Xiliang soldiers broke through the defense line, and as the commanding officer, he bears undeniable responsibility."
Qi Leyun looked somewhat deflated: "Then there's nothing to be done this time. We'll just have to let things take their course."
Zhou Jiang added: "But there's no need to worry. Those people only want to confirm General Chu's mistakes and diminish his power and reputation to suppress the Empress. As for actual punishment, that won't happen, and it certainly won't harm your family."
Chu Tang nodded and thanked Zhou Jiang: "A Jiang, you're so clever and kind-hearted."
Zhou Jiang responded casually: "Oh, not really. I just find analyzing these things as interesting as playing chess. Besides, I don't need to be afraid—if anything happens to your family, it has nothing to do with me anyway."
Qi Leyun glared at her, and the girls couldn't help but laugh, breaking the previously tense atmosphere.
"You're just a chess maniac," Qi Leyun waved her hand dismissively. Then, looking at Chu Tang, she thought for a moment and said, "How about you lay low at home for a while? Out of sight, out of mind—it'll save trouble too."
Chu Tang nodded: "I understand." She smiled slightly. "Maybe many people are waiting to provoke me and make me embarrass myself or make mistakes."
The girls nodded repeatedly.
"Let's go quickly," Qi Leyun said, standing up and pulling Chu Tang. "Let's leave right now."
Chu Tang left the garden and came to the front hall. From a distance, she could see the hall was bustling. Besides the various ladies, the girls who had avoided her in the garden were all there too. They were gathered together playing some game, occasionally bursting into laughter, with the surname Chu mixed in their conversations.
Though she couldn't hear clearly whether they were talking about Chu Tang, Chu Zhao, or Chu Ling, it was all about their Chu family anyway.
Not just the young girls, but the married women were also whispering among themselves, their expressions ranging from grave to contemptuous—
Seeing this, Qi Leyun held Chu Tang back: "Don't go in. You're the Empress's sister—you can come without invitation and leave without farewell."
After all, whether she was polite or impolite didn't depend on her actions. Chu Tang hummed in agreement and turned away. One step, two steps, three steps—though she was clearly walking away and getting farther, instead of the front hall's chatter growing softer, the voices in her ears became increasingly distinct.
Chu Ling.
Chu Zhao.
The Chu family.
She stopped in her tracks.
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