Apart from the initial confusion upon waking that led to her hitting the wrong person, and then encountering Xiao Xun, Chu Zhao already knew she would meet many people who would become familiar in the future but were still strangers now.
Although she was emotionally agitated upon seeing Xiao Xun, she remained outwardly composed.
But when she saw Deng Yi, she lost her composure.
In her previous life, she hadn’t seen Deng Yi often, but two encounters left a deep impression.
The first was shortly after her marriage to Xiao Xun. At that time, the turmoil among the princes in the capital had just ended, and the political situation was unstable. Deng Yi, having distinguished himself by defending the palace, was a favorite of the Emperor and the most trusted confidant of the ailing ruler. In his thirties, he held command over the entire Capital Garrison and was enfeoffed as Grand Tutor.
Deng Yi had arrived unexpectedly on a winter night, clad in a dark fur coat trimmed with gold, accompanied by attendants in iron armor and golden swords, their presence overwhelming. She was terrified, thinking Xiao Xun was about to be arrested.
Ignoring Xiao Xun’s attempts to reassure her, she stubbornly clung to his arm, standing by his side.
Deng Yi didn’t even glance at her. His eyes, dark and menacing, swept upward to fix on Xiao Xun, sending a chill down her spine.
He said, "Congratulations, Your Highness. His Majesty has named you Crown Prince."
The second time was after Xiao Xun had become Emperor. Bored in the rear palace, she went to the front hall to find him, hiding behind a curtain to surprise him.
But Xiao Xun did not return alone. Deng Yi entered with him, dressed in official robes, his expression grim. As Xiao Xun walked in, he was saying something, but before he could finish, Deng Yi raised his hand and slapped him across the face.
She nearly cried out, clamping a hand tightly over her mouth.
Despite such insubordination, Xiao Xun did not call the guards to seize Deng Yi. Instead, his face flushed with anger, he slowly lowered his head.
Deng Yi turned and left. Xiao Xun stood in silence for a moment before following him out.
She didn’t know how much time passed before she fled, her limbs weak and drenched in cold sweat.
She dared not ask Xiao Xun why Deng Yi showed such contempt for the sovereign or why Xiao Xun did not punish him, fearing it would only humiliate him further.
She could only pretend not to know, burying the incident deep in her heart.
It seemed to her then that Xiao Xun, as Emperor, was not truly supreme. Grand Tutor Deng stood behind him, pulling the strings and holding the reins of power.
Shocked, frightened, and at a loss, she avoided Deng Yi whenever possible from then on.
She never expected to encounter him again so soon after her rebirth!
She stared at the man before her. His appearance hadn’t changed much. He wore a fur coat and stood at the doorway, a group of guards behind him.
Though the fur coat he wore now was old and shabby, and the guards less imposing and intimidating, Chu Zhao still felt as if she were back in that winter night, her body and mind tense.
An eerie thought even crossed her mind: Could this Deng Yi have come from her past life to capture her?
Deng Yi had been standing there for a while, observing this Miss Chu. She was quite beautiful, but that was all. He withdrew his gaze, thinking of other matters, until the siblings’ argument grew louder and turned physical, prompting him to intervene.
But he hadn’t expected Miss Chu to call out his name. That in itself wasn’t strange—perhaps the Crown Prince of Zhongshan had told her, or perhaps someone from General Chu’s household had. What was odd was that Miss Chu had said "also."
The word "also" implied something more.
Moreover, judging by Miss Chu’s expression, she not only knew him but knew him well.
"Miss Chu," he said, "I am here on behalf of the Court of Judicial Review."Chu Ke interjected from the side, "Did you hear that? The Commandant of Justice's office—Chu Zhao, if you keep making trouble, who can protect you?"
Chu Zhao pressed a hand to her chest, calming her emotions, and lowered her gaze as she continued along the same line: "Yes, are you here to arrest me? I know about the Commandant of Justice's office and you, sir. They say you're very formidable."
Had someone been using him to frighten children? Deng Yi said, "I'm not from the Commandant of Justice's office. I was entrusted by them, so this isn't an arrest."
Chu Ke didn't want to stay there a moment longer and urged, "Enough, don't bother with her. Let's hurry to see the prince. It's terribly impolite."
Deng Yi nodded to Chu Zhao and turned to leave.
"I'm coming too," Chu Zhao called out.
Chu Ke sneered, "Didn't you say you weren't going?"
Chu Zhao walked over, head bowed, and said softly, "I was worried earlier that the two of us going might offend the prince or inconvenience him. But with Lord Deng here, it's fine if we follow along."
Her words were gentle and carried a hint of timidity, with none of the previous ferocity.
Deng Yi smiled faintly. Had this girl been deceiving people like this all along the way?
…
…
While the Chu siblings were arguing at the courier station, Xiao Xun had already returned home.
After bathing and changing clothes with the help of his maids, he went to see Prince Zhongshan.
Prince Zhongshan was usually in the Penglai Pavilion. True to its name, the garden was exquisite, with murmuring springs and an ethereal aura even in winter—Prince Zhongshan pursued the Dao and burned incense.
Seeing Xiao Xun covering his nose as he entered, Prince Zhongshan, kneeling on a cushion, tossed the whisk in his hand toward him: "Is it really that unbearable? These are all premium fragrances."
Xiao Xun caught the whisk, stepped forward, and bowed: "Father, the matter is settled."
Prince Zhongshan asked eagerly, "What about the young lady of the Chu family?"
"She said she's avoiding impropriety and won't come to our home," Xiao Xun replied.
Prince Zhongshan looked at his son's handsome face, somewhat surprised: "She wasn't captivated by my son's looks? Could it be that Miss Chu is also devoted to the Dao?"
Xiao Xun chuckled; his father always enjoyed teasing him, and he was used to it: "Miss Chu isn't devoted to the Dao—she already has someone in her heart."
Though he had only seen her twice—once by the water and once at the courier station—the emotions between Miss Chu and the courier were unmistakably intense.
He wondered if they had long been mutually enamored, if feelings had developed during the journey, or if Miss Chu was merely feigning affection for her own ends—was it too malicious to speculate about a young lady like this?
Lost in thought, he heard Prince Zhongshan ask: "What kind of young man is he? Where is he from? How old is he? Whose family is he from?"
Xiao Xun snapped back to attention and laughed, "Father, you weren't this detailed when our sisters were being matched."
Prince Zhongshan smiled: "People are like that—curious about others' affairs." He beckoned.
Xiao Xun hurried over, stooping to let Prince Zhongshan rest a hand on his shoulder, then helped him stand up.
Prince Zhongshan had a lame leg.
"A Xun," he chuckled softly, "you don't know—back in the day, Chu Ling wasn't just famous for his affairs with the Emperor. His romantic affairs were equally sensational. In his youth, his future was bright, and many sought to arrange marriages for him, but he refused them all. Then, without a word, he had an illicit affair with a village woman and even had a child with her. The woman died in childbirth, and Chu Ling never married or took a wife again. I've always been curious—what kind of peerless beauty was she, to captivate Chu Ling so? I can't see that woman anymore, but her daughter must have inherited her mother's looks. That's why I wanted to see her.""I see," Xiao Xun pondered. The girl looked quite beautiful after dressing up, but even in her disheveled state by the river before grooming, he still found her rather appealing.
"What a pity though," he said with a laugh. "General Chu is avoiding association with us. Miss Chu said her father instructed her not to visit our residence."
Prince Zhongshan made a thoughtful sound, stroking his plump cheek with a faint smile. "General Chu must think highly of this crippled prince indeed, to believe I'm still worth avoiding."
Xiao Xun looked at his father's lame leg. While it was said the prince had broken it falling from a rockery in the Imperial Palace gardens during childhood mischief, the truth was someone had orchestrated the accident to deliberately cripple his father.
A prince with a lame leg, no matter how intelligent or how favored his mother might be, could never inherit the throne.
A flicker of pity and resentment passed through his eyes as he said softly, "Father, don't trouble yourself with such petty people. It's Chu Ling who should be the one others avoid."
Prince Zhongshan smiled and was about to respond when a eunuch urgently announced from outside the door, "Your Highness, Miss Chu, her brother, and Deng Yi, the Deputy Director of the Ministry of the Guards, request an audience."
Xiao Xun raised an eyebrow. Hadn't that Miss Chu said she wouldn't come to their residence?
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