Qiao Chu

No matter how the court officials clamored, opposed, or questioned, none could stop Xie Yanfang.

When Xie Yanfang decided to do something, who could possibly stand in his way?

Xie Yanfang mounted his horse with Xiao Yu in his arms.

Since the Crown Prince's death and the new Emperor's ascension, Xie Yanfang remained in the world's eyes an elegant nobleman—the Emperor's only relative, his most trusted maternal uncle, holding high office with no one to rival him.

But for him, he remained trapped in that night.

He still wore the inner garments he had thrown on when startled from sleep, still gripped the long blade, his body still stained with blood.

He had watched helplessly as the Crown Prince died, as the Crown Princess died, as the Little Highness was rescued by others, as an unknown nobody suddenly rose above him.

Young Master Xie the Third had never been so humiliated in his entire life.

How could he accept this!

Finally, with the lure of external threats, Prince Zhongshan delivered himself to their doorstep. In this battle, Young Master Xie the Third would wash away his shame, demonstrate his might, secure his reputation, and reclaim the child's heart.

Xie Yanfang looked down at the child seated before him.

Xiao Yu, wrapped in a cloak, had a jade-like face that gleamed under the torchlight.

The thunder of hooves surrounded them as the imperial guards shouted "His Majesty leads the expedition!" through the capital's streets. Those hiding in their homes heard the cries and, peering through cracks in doors and windows, saw the child. Though many had never seen the Little Emperor before, who else could sit before Xie Yanfang but him? They surged out instantly, the crowd growing until the entire capital erupted in fervor.

"I go personally to question Prince Zhongshan," Xiao Yu shouted to the masses lining the streets. "He claims to protect Great Xia, yet he harms our people. If he shows no remorse, I will execute him myself."

The child's voice was tender, his words somewhat naive, but they only fueled the crowd's excitement.

"Have no fear, my people," Xiao Yu continued. "My personal expedition does not mean we are in dire straits. If the Empress can lead troops to the Border Commandery to face the King of Xiliang, then I certainly cannot remain idle in the Imperial City."

The child shook off his cloak and raised a sword nearly as tall as himself.

"Those who invade Great Xia—kill!"

"Those who harm our people—kill!"

Though his voice was childish, it rang clear and fervent. No one saw him as just a child anymore—this was the Emperor, the Son of Heaven, their sovereign. The people on the streets wept with emotion, shouting hoarsely, "Kill—!"

The capital's gates, sealed for many days, swung open. Countless citizens followed the Emperor's troops, eager to join His Majesty at the front lines.

Bright torches set the entire capital ablaze with passion.

Xiao Yu looked up at Xie Yanfang, his eyes sparkling, cheeks flushed. "Did I say it right?"

Xie Yanfang nodded. "You spoke very well. Even without my guidance, Miss Chu has taught you. You are far better than I expected."

Sister Chu, of course, was wonderful. Xiao Yu's face broke into a smile.

"Now that Sister Chu is not here, I will teach you," Xie Yanfang added, swinging his long blade. "This time, I will teach you how to kill the enemy, A Yu. This time, I want you to kill with your own hands."

He looked down at Xiao Yu.

"A Yu, do you dare?"

Xiao Yu's ears flushed red with excitement as he nodded vigorously. "Uncle, I dare." He raised his sword just as Xie Yanfang had raised his blade.

The sincere uncle had finally arrived. From now on, he would make the title "uncle" even more heartfelt and irreplaceable.Xie Yanfang let out a hearty laugh, raised his blade, spurred his horse forward, and the steed neighed as it charged ahead.

"This won’t do." "How can this be?" "Grand Tutor—"

Amid the clamor, officials’ voices rose in a chaotic chorus.

Deng Yi stood at the palace gate, watching them depart. From the moment Xie Yanfang finished speaking and the Little Emperor cried out, "Uncle, I’m willing," he had remained silent and made no move to stop them. Now, as the officials surged to follow Xie Yanfang’s party, only a handful remained by his side.

Deng Yi silenced the commotion and smiled faintly.

"Originally, I was somewhat worried. Prince Zhongshan has been building up his strength for so long that victory in this battle wouldn’t come easily. But now that Xie Yanfang has stepped forward, my concerns are gone." He gazed at the capital, roaring like a blazing fire. "Prince Zhongshan has always believed this moment was his opportunity, but in truth, he is merely Xie Yanfang’s opportunity."

…

…

As dawn’s light once again spread across the land, the heads of local aristocratic families waiting outside the government office stirred from their stiffened postures. Their sons and nephews, following closely, carefully massaged their elders’ shoulders.

"Father, can you still hold on?" they whispered, their expressions filled with worry.

The elders, all in their sixties or seventies, had not endured such hardship for many years.

"Hardship?" one clan head murmured softly. "Compared to those families who lost their heads and now lie quietly on the ground, I suppose this is a bit harder."

The joke fell flat, and the younger generation forced bitter smiles, unable to hide the fear in their eyes.

Who would have thought that the Heir Apparent, with his refined manners and deep dimples when he smiled, would order executions so decisively?

"Why be surprised?" another elder said calmly. "With a powerful army at his command, his talk of seeking our judgment was merely politeness."

As they conversed in hushed tones, an officer emerged from the government office. Seeing them, he appeared somewhat astonished. "You haven’t returned yet?"

One of the clan heads hurried forward and bowed. "We are eager to see the Heir Apparent."

The officer nodded. "The Heir Apparent has just awakened. Follow me inside."

Relieved that they were finally being received, the group bowed again and prepared to enter. But after only a few steps, a soldier rushed up from behind.

"Sir," the soldier said, holding a letter. He leaned in and whispered a few words to the officer.

The officer’s expression shifted to surprise. He glanced at the letter, hesitated for a moment, then told the soldier, "I’ll report this to the Heir Apparent. Keep a close watch on those people."

The soldier acknowledged the order and left.

As the officer turned to go, he noticed the aristocratic families still trailing behind him.

"Please wait a moment," he said. "There’s an urgent matter I must report to the Heir Apparent."

The families naturally had no objections. Having waited all night, a little longer meant nothing. They hurriedly assured him, "Please go ahead, sir," and apologized again for disturbing the Heir Apparent during such busy times—

The officer didn’t wait for them to finish their courtesies before striding into the main hall.

Xiao Xun sat at his desk, listening to Tieying’s report while occasionally glancing at the map.

"Heir Apparent," the officer called out as he entered. "A letter has arrived from the capital."

Letters from the capital typically contained updates on the court’s latest maneuvers—likely troop deployments. By this point, unless they were summoning celestial armies, nothing would make a difference. Their momentum was unstoppable, and Xiao Xun paid it little mind. "Let Advisor Ning review it."

But instead of leaving, the officer stepped closer. "It’s a personal letter from Old Master Zhou of the Zhou family in the capital."

The Zhou family.

A renowned and influential clan.

Xiao Xun looked up. "I didn’t expect the Zhou family to be the first to act. Truly, they live up to their reputation as masters of strategy, understanding the principles of advance and retreat, victory and defeat better than anyone."Earlier, letters were sent to the prominent noble families in the capital. While appeasement was one aspect, the true intention was persuasion and enticement—to urge them not to meddle, to keep silent, and to lure them into siding with Prince Zhongshan.

Based on recent reports, the noble families had indeed remained quiet, refraining from denouncing Prince Zhongshan.

As the execution of the imperial envoy and the steady advance toward the capital unfolded, some families finally began to show goodwill proactively.

Although the Zhou family did not appear to hold high positions at court, they had built an extensive network of disciples through their mastery of chess. They were the first to come forward. Xiao Xun was pleasantly surprised and took the letter to read, but as he scanned its contents, his brow furrowed.

"What did the old man from the Zhou family say?" Tie Ying asked urgently. It was never the young who were unruly, but these stubborn old-timers. Arrogance among noble families was nothing new. In a previous dynasty, an emperor’s marriage proposal had been rejected by one such family, who even privately remarked, "Noble families are as enduring as iron, while emperors flow like water."

Seeing Tie Ying’s expression, which suggested he was ready to behead Old Master Zhou on the spot, Xiao Xun quickly reassured him, "His words were very polite, quite unlike his aggressive chess style. However, this letter was written on behalf of someone else."

Someone else? Tie Ying was puzzled.

Xiao Xun smiled. "An old friend we haven’t seen in a long time."

……

……

The heads of the noble families standing in the government office were once again forgotten.

They watched as the officer hurried in and out, soon returning with a scholar—never once bothering to glance their way again.

Was the Crown Prince of Zhongshan truly busy, or was he deliberately snubbing them?

But now, finding themselves under someone else’s roof, they dared not ask. They could only continue waiting.

From within, they heard the clear, bright laughter of a young man—at least the heir apparent was in good spirits. Perhaps it would be easier to speak with him when they finally met.

……

……

After listening to Ning Kun recount the recent events in the capital, Xiao Xun laughed heartily, then shook his head. "Chu Lan is truly pitiable."

Ning Kun said, "Even after Miss Chu became empress, she did not treat him well. He has been confined all along, and the couple has never been seen in public—it’s no different from being imprisoned."

"She was protecting them," Xiao Xun remarked with a smile. "But now that she’s gone, there’s nothing to be done."

He sighed softly.

"Deng Yi and Xie Yanfang are heartless and cold-blooded, showing no regard for Miss Chu’s reputation."

Although the court had specifically stated that Chu Lan’s affairs had nothing to do with Chu Zhao, it was useless. Empress Chu would carry the stain of her family’s disgrace for the rest of her life—making it all the easier to depose her in the future.

"Deng Yi and Xie Yanfang received no favors from the Chu family. Why should they care about the Chu family’s reputation?" Ning Kun said disdainfully.

Tie Ying also sneered. "If Chu Zhao had remained with her family back then, not only would she still be empress, but the heir apparent would also owe her family a debt of gratitude. He would surely repay that kindness and protect the Chu family’s reputation at every turn."

Xiao Xun said, "Miss Chu was wise and courageous. She did not care about such things."

Nor did she care about him.

"It’s too late for regrets now," Tie Ying said. "Her father, whom she could rely on, is dead, and her uncle’s family has been convicted by the court. Let’s see what she can do now."

Ning Kun interrupted Tie Ying, "Let’s not dwell on the past. Your Highness, Chu Lan and his family have fled in panic and seek refuge with us. Should we take them in? Chu Lan is of no use. Accepting him would play right into Deng Yi and Xie Yanfang’s hands, confirming their accusation that you are colluding with the Chu family in rebellion. I believe we should execute him before our ranks, making it clear to the world that this is nothing but a smear campaign by the court."Xiao Xun smiled: "Chu Lan's family is useless, but they were sent here by Old Master Zhou."

He waved the letter in his hand.

"The fact that Old Master Zhou wrote this letter and sent them here shows his submission to us. If we kill Chu Lan now, not only the Zhou family, but other noble families in the capital will inevitably become wary of us, and might even immediately rise up to assist the imperial court."

Ning Kun nodded thoughtfully - this was indeed a problem.

"Let Chu Lan's family in," Xiao Xun said, then smiled again. "Would you consider my taking in Chu Lan's family as an act of saving a beauty in distress?"

Tie Ying replied: "No, because Chu Lan is too ugly."