Qiao Chu

"Give up now!"

Ning Kun, who was lying on the ground, had somehow managed to spit out the rag stuffed in his mouth. Watching Chu Tang hand the note and Xiao Xun's seal to Xiao Tu, he let out a cold laugh.

"You've taken the Heir Apparent hostage, but you can't escape. You won't even make it out of this room—"

Before he could finish, Xiao Tu had already run to an old woman—one of those who had earlier subdued Tie Ying.

"Mouse Granny," Xiao Tu said, "send this out."

The old woman chuckled in acknowledgment, pulling a rat from her bosom. She wrapped the note and seal around the rat with a cloth and tossed it to the ground. "Go on, my dear grandson."

The rat scurried away and vanished from the hall, disappearing along the wall.

Ning Kun's voice cut off abruptly. These were a bunch of petty thieves and scoundrels, yet they had strange methods for delivering messages.

"But!" he shouted sharply again, "This is utterly futile! Even if you manage to send a message out, you can't escape, and no one outside can fight their way in. If you stop now, there's still—"

Before he could finish, Chu Tang strode over, bent down, and slapped him.

Before Ning Kun could recover, she slapped him twice more.

"Now I've offended the Heir Apparent's men too," Chu Tang said, shaking her hand and frowning. "We've blocked our own path."

With that, she flicked her wrist.

"Xiao Tu, gag him tightly."

Xiao Tu hopped over, stepped on Ning Kun's neck, and pressed down. Ning Kun's eyes rolled back, and he passed out.

"That should keep him quiet," Xiao Tu said with a giggle.

Chu Tang let out a long sigh and looked around. A dozen or so people surrounded the hall, guarding them, but it offered no sense of security.

Just as Ning Kun had said, they were trapped. They had kidnapped the Heir Apparent, but did they truly dare to kill him?

If they didn't kill the Heir Apparent, they would be killed.

If they killed the Heir Apparent, they would still be killed.

No matter how you looked at it, this was a dead end.

Chu Zhao had told her to restrain Xiao Xun and wait. In her panic, she had forgotten to ask: wait until when? A day or two? Three days? Or a year or two?

Chu Tang raised her hand and thumped her own head. "Chu Zhao, oh Chu Zhao, why was I so foolish to listen to you?"

...

...

Chu Zhao was also waiting, watching the sun rise and set, the light in the prince's mansion hall shifting with the passing hours.

A Le, dozing in a chair, suddenly woke up. Before her eyes were fully open, she hurriedly stood up, assuming a defensive posture.

"A Le, sleep a little longer," Chu Zhao said with a laugh.

A Le rubbed her eyes. "No, it's almost time to eat." She sat up straight and looked outside. The doors and windows were open, revealing the bright daylight outside, but also the soldiers standing guard like a forest.

That day, Chu Zhao had told Prince Zhongshan to think carefully. The prince had glanced at her, said nothing more, and left.

They had been confined here ever since.

Breakfast would be served soon, A Le thought. This would be the fourth breakfast—this time, Chu Zhao had proactively requested tea and three meals a day. The people of Zhongshan Prince's Mansion showed no intention of starving them and delivered the meals on time as requested.

"I wonder if things are going smoothly over there," A Le couldn't help muttering. Then she quickly looked at Chu Zhao. "Miss, I'm not afraid. Even if Miss A-Tang fails, I'm not scared."

Chu Zhao laughed heartily. "Right. If we fail, we'll die together. There's nothing to fear."

When she first woke up after her rebirth, she had been a little afraid of death. But now, with her regrets resolved, she had nothing left to tie her down.

A Le nodded. "If I die with you, Miss, I won't be afraid of anything."After speaking, she glanced at Ding Dachui.

Ding Dachui was momentarily stunned—was he included too? Well, without the Empress, all his efforts had been in vain. He’d have to return to being a bandit—but no, that wouldn’t work either. If something happened to the Empress, the boss would surely come after him, and he’d be doomed.

"Me too," he said, mimicking A Le’s words. "If I die with the young lady, I won’t be afraid of anything."

Chu Zhao laughed heartily.

Footsteps echoed from outside, but this time, it wasn’t breakfast being delivered. Instead, Prince Zhongshan entered, leaning on his cane, which thudded heavily against the floor.

The laughter in the hall ceased.

Prince Zhongshan looked at Chu Zhao. "Miss Chu seems quite cheerful."

Chu Zhao, observing his gloomy expression, smiled. "It seems Your Highness is not as happy."

The prince studied the girl seated calmly in her chair, her expression half-smiling, half-mocking.

When he first met her, Chu Zhao, despite her sharp gaze and blunt words, still carried herself like a proper young lady from a respectable family.

But now? She seemed to exude a certain... bandit-like aura?

Prince Zhongshan sat down. "Miss Chu, now that you’ve become the Empress, why do you carry yourself like a ruffian? This demeanor hardly resembles your father’s."

Did it resemble her mother’s? Chu Zhao’s thoughts drifted momentarily—Mu Mianhong certainly hadn’t seemed like a ruffian. She shook off the thought and suppressed the name.

"Your Highness, appearances can be deceiving," Chu Zhao replied with a laugh. "If my father hadn’t been a bit of a scoundrel, he wouldn’t have reached the position he holds today. The same goes for me."

Prince Zhongshan nodded. "You’re right. All great fortunes in this world belong to the audacious." He placed a slip of paper and a seal on the table. "Miss Chu, it seems my son has had a stroke of bad luck this time."

Chu Zhao’s smile widened as she reached for the paper, examining the writing and the seal.

A Le clapped her hands joyfully. "Miss A-Tang is amazing! She really captured the Heir Apparent!"

"People never know how capable they are until they’re pushed to the brink," Chu Zhao remarked thoughtfully.

In that other lifetime, Chu Tang had even dared to kill.

And the one she killed was her.

Prince Zhongshan watched the master and servant’s reactions and cleared his throat lightly. "Miss Chu, although my son has had bad luck, that doesn’t mean you’ve won."

A Le glared. "Your son is captured, his life is in our hands—how is that not winning?"

The prince smiled at the maid. "Young lady, you may not know how many sons I have."

How many sons? A Le was taken aback.

"I have one wife, thirty concubines, and seven children," Prince Zhongshan said, his eyes fixed on Chu Zhao. "A Xun is the officially recognized Heir Apparent, but he is not my only son."

Chu Zhao let out a soft "oh" and looked at him. "So, Your Highness means this son’s life or death is of no consequence to you?"

Instead of answering, the prince gently stroked his cane. "A Xun is my eldest son. Back then, I still felt like a child myself. Suddenly having a child felt... peculiar. I watched him open his eyes, grow from a swaddled infant to a toddler taking his first steps. Looking at him, I saw myself in every way, yet he was a new life. People always say children should be grateful for their parents’ care, but in truth, it was A Xun who saved me. His arrival transformed my dull, troubled life. He lifted my spirits and brought me joy."

He turned his gaze to Chu Zhao.

"Miss Chu, you must have been the same for your father."

Chu Zhao pondered this. How had her father felt when the bandits he was besieging suddenly held up a child and claimed it was his?Startled, weren't you? Chu Zhao couldn't help but laugh. Her father's life had also changed from that moment on.

Prince Zhongshan watched the girl's radiant smile and said, "The bond between parent and child is a rare blessing in life, but life inevitably brings misfortune—gatherings and separations, unions and partings."

"Speak plainly!" A Le shouted angrily. "Are you going to abandon your son to his fate?"

Prince Zhongshan replied, "As I said earlier, I raised A Xun from childhood. He is like another version of me that I carved with my own hands. His will is the same as mine. If he knew he would become an obstacle to our great cause, he would willingly sacrifice his life."

"All that talk just means you're abandoning your son," A Le retorted.

Ignoring her, Prince Zhongshan looked at Chu Zhao. "Miss Chu, when I ascend the throne, I will posthumously enshrine A Xun as Crown Prince. At that time, I will appoint you as Crown Princess, so you may accompany A Xun in the afterlife."

"You!" A Le roared in fury.

Ding Dachui drew his weapon.

The guards who had entered with Prince Zhongshan simultaneously raised their blades, bows, and crossbows, filling the hall with a chilling aura.

Chu Zhao remained seated calmly and smiled. "Indeed, royal families know no father-son bonds."