Qiao Chu

"A righteous army?" Zhong Changrong was still somewhat confused. "What does that mean?"

"Uncle Zhong," Chu Zhao explained to him, "Back then, I saved Xiao Yu because Xiao Xun persuaded my uncle to kill him. Now, Prince Zhongshan and his son are using the pretext of protecting the capital to threaten the court, and the common people are being deceived. If the court wants to expose Prince Zhongshan and his son's wolfish ambitions to the world, who do you think would be the most suitable and advantageous witness?"

Zhong Changrong's face instantly turned pale.

"Who knows about this?" he asked.

Chu Zhao said, "I've mentioned it to Young Master Xie the Third."

Xie Yanlai snorted derisively beside them.

Chu Zhao ignored him and continued to Zhong Changrong, "Although I haven't told Deng Yi about it, Minister Deng should be able to guess."

Zhong Changrong murmured, "Then it's over. Those two are not easy to deal with—they'll definitely make this matter public."

"If they do so, I can understand," Chu Zhao said. "Because in the current situation, that's the wisest choice. Moreover, it's the truth, so we can't blame others."

Zhong Changrong let out a long sigh. "This matter has nothing to do with you, Miss General."

He really should have sent Chu Lan's family to the Border Commandery, where he could personally keep an eye on them, ensuring they would never contact outsiders again and remain isolated from the world.

Chu Zhao shook her head. "My uncle and we are family. Even if we separate ourselves, the world won't see us as separate."

"Don't worry," Zhong Changrong said again, pacing around the sand table. Damn it, he could deploy troops and kill enemies, but he didn't know how to handle these matters. "The elder master could claim he was coerced by Xiao Xun, that he cleverly stalled for time and then had you rescue Little Highness."

Wouldn't that work? It could prove Xiao Xun's plot against the Emperor while still portraying the Chu family as heroes who saved the Emperor.

"Others won't believe it," Chu Zhao said. "Even if they believe it now, they'll turn it into all sorts of rumors later."

Gossip is fearsome, and human hearts are terrifying. Especially since Miss is the Empress, and the General is no longer here—who knows how many people are waiting to bully her? Zhong Changrong stared at the sand table, his expression both angry and helpless.

Why is Miss so unlucky?

"I'm returning to the capital," Chu Zhao said.

Zhong Changrong was startled, then overjoyed. "Yes, that's right! I've been foolish. Miss, you must return immediately, take troops with you, resolve the capital's crisis, and execute Prince Zhongshan and his son."

Such a great achievement would be enough to offset all the gossip.

Since the decision was made to leave, there was no time to waste.

Zhong Changrong immediately went to arrange for troops.

"Don't bring too many. Besides Lao Bai and Ding Dachui, supplement with a hundred men—that's enough," Chu Zhao said. "The Capital Garrison and the commandery troops are sufficient. My return isn't to reinforce the troops but to boost morale by my presence."

Zhong Changrong understood, feeling both worried and reluctant. "A Zhao will have to rely on herself from now on."

Chu Zhao smiled. "Uncle Zhong will also have to rely on himself from now on. But my father's coffin is here—if you lose a battle, you can go cry secretly at his tomb."

Zhong Changrong was amused by her words.

Chu Zhao then pulled him aside and whispered, "This time, Xie Yanlai will also stay here—"

Zhong Changrong raised an eyebrow. "I don't need him—"

"Uncle Zhong, mentor him, train him, make him stronger," Chu Zhao interrupted him, speaking earnestly. "He's young and lacks combat experience. If you can teach him well, I'll feel more at ease using him in the future."

She let out a soft sigh.

"I don't have many people I can use."Zhong Changrong swallowed his objections. Yes, he couldn’t act impulsively. The General was gone, and the young lady was now the Empress. Without the backing of a powerful family, she had to make use of every available person.

“Rest assured, young lady,” he said solemnly, clenching his fists tightly as he glanced at Xie Yanlai, who stood nearby idly toying with the sand table. “Even if he’s a piece of scrap iron, I’ll forge him into a treasured blade.”

Chu Zhao laughed again. “He’s still young, Uncle Zhong. Don’t bully him too much. He’s had a hard life since childhood—”

Before he’d even started training him, Zhong Changrong felt a pang of discomfort and didn’t want to continue this topic with the young lady. “I’ll go prepare the troops,” he said and walked out.

Only Chu Zhao and Xie Yanlai remained in the room.

Chu Zhao turned with a smile and called out, “Commandant Xie.”

Xie Yanlai rose lazily from the sand table. “What orders does the Empress have? This subject will certainly not comply.”

Chu Zhao laughed heartily, walked up to him, and bowed solemnly. “Thank you for bringing me to see my father. I have no regrets in this life. Now, I ask you to stay in the Border Commandery, fight against Western Liang, protect the stability of Great Xia, and safeguard my father’s legacy.”

Xie Yanlai raised an eyebrow. “Didn’t you say you have no regrets in this life? Why plan for what comes next?”

Chu Zhao laughed again, mimicking his raised eyebrow. “To have no regrets in the next life.”

Indeed, since her rebirth, her greatest wish had been to see her father and ensure he passed away in peace. In this life, she had not only seen her father but also become the Empress, reunited with her mother, and led troops into battle. Her wishes had been greatly fulfilled.

But Xiao Xun’s arrogance remained unchecked, and the court was still unstable. Everything she had gained could be lost at any moment. To avoid regrets in the next life, she still had much to do.

“A Jiu, my father is gone. For now, things are stable, but the Border Army’s personnel will inevitably face turmoil,” Chu Zhao continued. “Uncle Zhong alone cannot suppress it, and I have no one else to entrust. I can only rely on you—”

As she spoke, she bowed solemnly once more.

Xie Yanlai understood her meaning. The power of the Border Army was highly coveted, and countless people had fought over it before, especially in recent years as the Third Prince and the Crown Prince vied for influence. The Zhao and Yang families were greedy for power. Aside from Chu Ling, who guarded Luocheng like an iron fortress, impervious to interference, the other five Great Generals had their own allegiances, and the army was a mix of good and bad.

Not to mention the Zhao and Yang families—even the Xie family must have made arrangements. He didn’t know the details, but he himself, for example, had been placed among the couriers, sent personally to the Border Commandery to deliver a letter to Chu Ling.

Just after Chu Zhao became Empress and the Emperor expressed his intention to entrust the orphan to her care, Xiliang soldiers infiltrated Shang Commandery and caused trouble. The court sought to hold Chu Ling accountable and proposed appointing a new commander.

However, because Chu Zhao personally came to lead the troops and, with the authority of the Empress, temporarily succeeded Chu Ling, no one could replace her.

But Chu Zhao was the Empress. She couldn’t remain stationed with the army forever.

Just as in the Imperial City earlier, when Zhong Changrong left, she handed the Dragon Guard Army over to him.

Back then, no matter how numerous the Dragon Guard Army in the Imperial City was, it only numbered in the hundreds.

Now, the Border Army had a full hundred thousand—

Xie Yanlai looked at the girl before him and said, “Chu Zhao, actually, I am also one of those ‘others.’”

Chu Zhao looked at him and smiled. “This ‘other’ might be better than the other ‘others.’”

The Liang father and son had already begun accumulating military merits, Prince Zhongshan had raised his troops, Deng Yi sat firmly as Grand Tutor, and Xie Yanfang supported the young Emperor. She had witnessed the actions and conduct of these “others.” Only this Xie Yanlai remained an unknown to her."Didn't you say it yourself?" Chu Zhao raised an eyebrow. "I, Chu Zhao, won't always have bad luck."

Xie Yanlai gave an indifferent "oh" and said, "But I, Xie Yanlai, have always been plagued by misfortune." With that, he flung his sleeve and left.

Though his words were unpleasant, he had still agreed. Chu Zhao smiled and called after him, "That's alright. Even if you've always had bad luck, you've still managed to keep going, haven't you?"

The door curtain fell, separating inside from outside, and only Xie Yanlai's sound of spitting in disgust could be heard from beyond.

Chu Zhao chuckled to herself for a while before turning her attention back to the sand table. Previously, only the Border Commandery had been densely arranged with troops, but now forces were gathering near the capital as well, standing out starkly among the densely packed cities.

Heavy footsteps sounded as someone lifted the thick curtain and entered. Seeing Chu Zhao lost in thought before the sand table, she coughed heavily.

Only then did Chu Zhao look up and ask, "Xiao Man, what is it?"

Xiao Man turned her head away. "Are you returning to the capital? Are you going to fight Prince Zhongshan's troops? We'll go with you." She then snorted and added, "Not that your soldiers seem particularly useful anyway."

That last comment was probably her own addition. Chu Zhao smiled and shook her head. "No need. You don't have to come with me."

Perhaps not expecting to be refused, Xiao Man turned to look at her. "Hey, if you regret it later, even if Ding Dachui blows his whistle until it breaks, no one will come to help you."

Chu Zhao laughed. "Really, it's unnecessary. This time, I don't need you to follow me into battle because there are enough troops there. However, what I do need your help with is relaying messages, and—"

She walked over and whispered to Xiao Man.

"My success or failure in this endeavor hinges entirely on all of you."

On them? Relaying messages? Xiao Man frowned. Since when could anyone win a war just by passing messages? Even bandits knew that holding a mountain stronghold required real blades and guns, built on piles of flesh and blood.

Chu Zhao had already leaned close to her ear and whispered instructions. After finishing, she patted Xiao Man's arm. "Go and tell her."

Xiao Man dodged her hand, snorted, turned around, and strode away.

After stomping off for a distance, Xiao Man suddenly realized—what did she mean by "go and tell her"?

"Xiao Man." A voice called from ahead.

Xiao Man looked up and saw Mu Mianhong waving from behind a tent not far away. She hurried over.

"What did she say?" Mu Mianhong asked.

Hearing this, Xiao Man felt both annoyed and amused. Chu Zhao had said to go tell her, and now her aunt was asking what she had said. Though both were in the army, neither would see the other, and Chu Zhao was well aware who was behind the words spoken—

"Would it kill her to talk to you directly?" Xiao Man couldn't help complaining.

Mu Mianhong patted her arm and smiled. "It's not convenient. At a time like this, we shouldn't add to her worries."

Xiao Man sighed, unable to bear the hopeful look in Mu Mianhong's eyes.

"She said we don't need to go," she said.

The light in Mu Mianhong's eyes instantly dimmed.

Xiao Man quickly added, "But, Auntie, she said her success or failure depends entirely on us."

The light in Mu Mianhong's eyes brightened again. Taking Xiao Man's hand, she said, "Is that so? Tell me what arrangements she has made."

Xiao Man snorted but obediently let Mu Mianhong lead her into the tent.

...

...

The departure was swift. Having decided to leave during the day, by the time dusk fell, Chu Zhao was already riding out of the central army camp. Ahead were troops led by Lao Bai, behind was Ding Dachui, and on either side were A Le and Xiao Man.Although she did not allow Mu Mianhong's troops to follow, Xiao Man insisted on accompanying them, and Chu Zhao did not refuse again.

The soldiers along the road saluted her one after another, showing no surprise. Empress Chu often acted this way—she could lead patrols as well as charge into battle.

The news of Prince Zhongshan besieging the capital had not been announced.

Chu Zhao looked back and could see Uncle Zhong's figure. To avoid arousing suspicion, he had not been able to escort her beyond the camp.

As for Xie Yanlai, no one knew where he had gone.

Chu Zhao withdrew her gaze, whipped her horse to quicken its pace, unaware that on the high hill to the left of the camp, a young general stood alone, watching intently.