A clear, hearty laugh once again echoed from the hall.
Immediately after, the military officers and scholars emerged and hurried away, still not sparing a single glance at the noble families standing in the courtyard.
But the noble families felt even more at ease. The Heir Apparent’s joy meant the imperial court would not be pleased.
It seemed Prince Zhongshan was truly the unstoppable tide.
The noble families steadied themselves and continued to wait. They waited until the sun was high in the sky before finally seeing the officers and scholars return. They could wait no longer and stepped forward to inquire, only to notice a group of over a dozen people following the officers.
Men and women, young and old, they looked disheveled and travel-worn, covered in dust, carrying large and small bundles. A man who appeared to be the head of the household was supported by his wife and daughter, his face deathly pale, stumbling as he walked.
They looked like refugees—or perhaps fugitives who had been captured?
"Your Excellency," the noble families stepped forward to intercept the officer, "may we request an audience with the Heir Apparent?"
The officer glanced at them as if just remembering their presence. "Wait a little longer," he said. "The Heir Apparent has guests." He then added meaningfully, "Guests from the capital."
Guests? The noble families were taken aback. From the capital? Had noble families from the capital come to seek refuge? Looking at the group again, they indeed appeared to have traveled in great haste—
The group was noisy, with men, women, and children all trying to follow inside, but the officer stopped them. "Only the Chu family may enter. Servants must wait outside."
"Our master is injured!" a young servant boy cried out.
An elderly servant, even older than Chu Lan, clung to him. "Our master cannot manage without attendants!"
"Madam, can you still hold on?" an old maidservant wept as she supported Jiang Shi. "Rest assured, this old servant will not leave your side, even in death."
"Young lady, young lady, I will never leave you!" a maid cried, practically glued to the young girl.
The courtyard descended into chaos and clamor.
The noble families standing in the courtyard were stunned. The servants of these capital nobles were utterly disgraceful—
The officer shouted to restore order.
"Only a few attendants may follow. Do you not realize the times we are in? Do you still think you are living in luxury at home?" he said scornfully. "If you keep making noise, I will have you all driven away."
This threat silenced the servants. They watched as the few who had managed to support the master, madam, and young lady followed them inside, but the rest refused to disperse, crowding at the foot of the steps and deliberately moving closer to the guards—
"Standing near you makes us feel much safer," one old servant even smiled obsequiously at a guard.
Unbearable to watch—the noble families in the courtyard were dumbfounded. Even their lowest-ranking servants had never behaved so shamefully.
Had the capital nobles fallen to such a state? It seemed their circumstances were truly dire, further proof that Prince Zhongshan was unstoppable.
Watching the family take their place before the hall entrance, the noble families felt even more determined to wait.
The sooner they pledged allegiance, the sooner they would find safety.
……
……
Xiao Xun looked at the Chu Lan family standing outside the hall entrance, a faint, mocking smile playing on his lips.
"It has been over half a year since we last met, yet you have grown so haggard, Master Chu?" he called out clearly from within. "It seems the Empress has not been taking good care of you."
Chu Lan stared at Xiao Xun. The official hall was vast, and the young prince sat deep inside, so far away that his face was almost indistinguishable. All that could be seen were his brocade robes, smooth and elegant as jade—yet this jade seemed steeped in blood, exuding a chilling aura.He could hardly remember the Heir Apparent's appearance, having only met him briefly once or twice. The last encounter had been so terrifying that he had desperately tried to forget what happened just to survive.
Now, seeing him again and hearing his voice, the nightmares of that night resurfaced.
"Your Highness," Chu Lan wept, "I truly have nowhere left to turn."
...
...
With a loud crash, the officer who had earlier demonstrated the tea was poison-free—showing Empress Chu's petty suspicion—smashed his cup on the ground.
"How dare you harm our Prince's Heir!"
He drew his long blade and charged straight at Chu Zhao, who sat calmly in his chair.
Chu Zhao held his leather flask, unmoving.
With a clang, Ding Dachui drew his sword and blocked the officer's strike. Twisting his waist and stepping forward, he raised his blade to counterattack.
The officer staggered backward repeatedly.
The hall echoed with the harsh clashing of weapons.
Other officers standing nearby drew their swords and closed in. While one guard could block a single attack, facing seven or eight assaults simultaneously was impossible even for someone with three heads and six arms.
A Le drew his blade and stood before Chu Zhao, showing no fear despite facing seven or eight tall, armed officers.
Chu Zhao remained composed, even taking another sip of water.
"Cease!" Prince Zhongshan commanded.
At his word, the advancing officers halted immediately. The one engaged with Ding Dachui also stepped back and stopped.
Prince Zhongshan glanced at Ding Dachui. "A fine warrior, skilled indeed."
It seemed he had refrained from intervening earlier merely to observe Ding Dachui's capabilities.
Ding Dachui maintained his calm expression, sheathing his sword and returning to stand by Chu Zhao's side.
"Miss Chu," Prince Zhongshan turned to Chu Zhao, "are you certain this will succeed?"
Chu Zhao nodded with a faint smile. "Xiao Xun is both arrogant and insecure. Having been defeated by me repeatedly, he won't let this opportunity slip through his fingers when it's handed to him."
Arrogant yet insecure? Prince Zhongshan studied the young woman curiously. "You understand A Xun quite well." He chuckled. "It seems Miss Chu isn't as heartless as A Xun claimed. You care enough about my son to have discerned his true nature."
"Of course I care—I don't want to die by the Heir Apparent's hand," Chu Zhao replied, brushing past the topic. "His temperament isn't what matters anyway. What's important is that my people are reliable."
Prince Zhongshan laughed heartily. "Miss Chu, did I hear correctly? Reliable? If I'm not mistaken, these 'reliable' people you refer to are your uncle's family, aren't they?"
The moment Chu Zhao mentioned Xiao Xun, Prince Zhongshan had deduced her plan.
No wonder the girl had refused to drink his water earlier, fearing poison—she herself employed such underhanded methods.
But methods were irrelevant; the people implementing them were crucial.
"You know full well what your uncle's family is like," he said, shaking his head with a trace of pity.
"I believe you're taking a desperate gamble, Miss Chu."
"You understand my son, yet not completely. You've always kept him at a distance. If you gave him a chance, you'd discover how candid and generous he truly is."
"No one could dislike him."
Hearing this, Chu Zhao fell silent, offering no rebuttal. Until the moment she was poisoned and nearing death, she had still cared for Xiao Xun.
...
...
Chu Lan stood sobbing at the hall entrance, covering his face.
"I pretended madness and feigned ignorance to survive, but now the court won't allow me to live," he said. "This world is vast, yet there's no place left for Chu Lan to call home."Xiao Xun looked at him and smiled. "Mr. Chu means all this is my fault? So you've come seeking revenge?"
Though reduced to a wretched existence, Chu Lan, as a scholar, still couldn't bring himself to say certain things. Fortunately, Jiang Shi knew the inside story. As an inner-household woman, she could do anything and say anything when life and death were at stake.
"Heir Apparent—" Jiang Shi wept, kneeling down. "If it weren't for you back then, we wouldn't have fallen to this state. But we've never resented you, let alone come for revenge. My husband only blames himself for being incompetent and botching things. Today we truly have no way to survive. Under heaven, only you can offer us a path to live."
Chu Tang knelt down to support her mother, sobbing along. Chu Lan stood covering his face, while the servants around them began wailing, their cries creating chaos in the hall.
Xiao Xun pressed his fingers to his forehead. "Alright, alright, I understand. Stop crying."
Tie Ying coldly shouted, "Quiet, all of you!"
The chaos ceased instantly.
"Don't worry. I, Xiao Xun, have never been an ungrateful person. Since Mr. Chu is willing to come, I'll naturally take you in." Xiao Xun said, smiling at Chu Lan. "Mr. Chu can rest assured staying here with me. When I enter the Imperial City and welcome my father as emperor, you'll have even better days and prospects ahead."
Xiao Xun had once spoken of ascending the heavenly steps together, but now—Chu Lan covered his face with a long sigh. "For Chu Lan to still be alive is already fortunate. How dare I hope for good days and prospects?"
"That incident back then was also because you weren't prepared." Xiao Xun said. "It's not entirely your fault. Had you known you'd end up so miserable today, you probably wouldn't have needed my persuasion back then—you'd have directly—"
He made a chopping motion with his hand.
If he had known then what he knew now, Chu Lan thought, the first thing he would have done was lock Chu Zhao away—she had seized the opportunity to leap onto the Empress's throne, trampling their family into the mud.
"How I regret the past." Chu Lan sighed deeply.
Indeed, if he had known then what he knew now, he wouldn't have wasted words with Chu Lan either, but would have directly dealt with that girl. Enough—no use dwelling on the past. Xiao Xun said, "But it's not too late now—Miss A-Tang, would you be willing to fulfill your father's regrets and lend me a hand?"
Chu Lan, who had been covering his face, startled and lowered his sleeve. Chu Tang, who had been sitting on the ground wiping tears, also looked up.
Hadn't he been speaking with Chu Lan all along? Why suddenly turn to her?
"Miss A-Tang, it was you who persuaded your father to come here, wasn't it?" Xiao Xun said with a slight smile. "You move among the noble families of the capital, observing words and demeanor, keenly noticing when the situation turned unfavorable, and decisively fled the capital.""
Chu Tang said timidly, "I did hear more news while moving about outside, but whether to leave or not still had to be decided by my parents."
Xiao Xun said with a smile, "But hasn't your family's decisions always been your decisions?"
Chu Tang nodded obediently. "Yes, my parents care for me very much."
With one sentence, she transformed manipulating her parents into parental affection, making it seem unrelated to her.
This girl was completely different from Chu Zhao—like a fish. But fish were simple; they'd bite with the right bait. If Chu Zhao could hook her, so could he.
Xiao Xun didn't argue the point further with her. "Old Master Zhou was willing to hide you and send you out—that was also Miss A-Tang's doing, wasn't it?"
Old Master Zhou wouldn't give Chu Lan a second glance.Chu Tang lowered her head and said, "Actually, it was Old Master Zhou protecting his granddaughter. I pleaded with Miss A Jiang, who righteously hid our family in secret. To avoid bringing disaster upon the Zhou family, Old Master Zhou sent us away."
Xiao Xun said, "Miss A Tang is being modest."
Jiang Shi and Chu Lan now roughly understood—Xiao Xun believed their daughter was exceptionally capable and even intended to assign her tasks—
Their daughter was indeed outstanding, even more so than that Chu Zhao. Chu Zhao merely had the advantage of her father's military forces. If Chu Lan had held power like Chu Ling, Chu Tang could have become Empress!
"Heir Apparent, A Tang is very obedient and has rarely given us any trouble. Please feel free to assign her any task," Jiang Shi said. "Our family would go through fire and water without hesitation."
Chu Tang nodded in agreement but remained silent.
Xiao Xun looked at her and suddenly declared, "My father is the Emperor, I am the Crown Prince, and Miss A Tang shall be the Crown Princess."
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