On the day the Emperor returned to the capital in triumph, the spring rain had been drizzling for days, yet it could not dampen the people's enthusiasm.
Three days in advance, the roads were already crowded with citizens. The court had to deploy troops to clear the way; otherwise, officials would have had no place to stand.
Along the main street in the capital where the Emperor would pass, seats in teahouses and restaurants were priceless and hard to come by.
Qi Leyun, without spending a single coin, sat in the best spot. She didn't have to wake early or travel far to stand in the open fields. Leaning against the window with a cup of tea in hand, she could not only see the street below but also gaze into the distance toward the city gate. The moment the Emperor's procession entered the city, she would spot it immediately.
This prime location had been reserved by a young lady surnamed Ning.
The Ning family was not among the most prominent aristocratic clans in the capital, and their members held only modest official positions. However, they were immensely wealthy as merchants.
Yet, no matter how rich the family was, it was rare to hear of young ladies splurging extravagantly.
"A-Zhi, you're usually so quiet, but it turns out you're quite the big spender," Qi Leyun remarked. "Rumors say that even a newborn in the Ning family is immediately allotted a shop, earning a fortune while still nursing in the cradle. It seems it's true."
She glanced back into the room, which was filled with chattering, laughing girls.
"But there are just too many people!" Qi Leyun complained, tapping the windowsill irritably. "Why did you all have to come here? Couldn't you each have booked your own room?"
A girl shelling pine nuts glared at Qi Leyun. "You're talking big. We all have to contribute for this place. A-Zhi persuaded her family to arrange it, but we can't let A-Zhi pay for it all herself."
No matter how wealthy this young lady was, without the approval of her elders, she couldn't possibly spend so much just for a spectacle.
It wasn't just for fun or sightseeing that required the elders' consent. Sitting among the girls, the Ning young lady thought to herself: As the legitimate daughter of the Ning family, she had money—her dowry, meant to enhance her marriage prospects and secure a union with a family of higher status than the Nings. This money was nominally hers, but while at home, her father controlled it, and after marriage, her husband would—
This was the first time she had made a decision entirely on her own.
She didn't know why, but that day, when she heard the courier shouting in the streets about the Empress's great victory, she was stirred with excitement. Upon learning that the Emperor was returning to the capital and everyone was going to welcome him, she suddenly felt the urge to splurge.
"The Empress has won a great victory, the Crown Prince of Zhongshan has confessed his crimes, and His Majesty is returning to the capital. I want to witness it with my own eyes and celebrate for Her Majesty the Empress," she had told her father. "I want to reserve the highest and largest room."
Her kind mother was shocked, thinking she had lost her mind, but her usually ill-tempered father simply smiled.
"To celebrate for Her Majesty the Empress, you may spend your money as you wish," he said with a wave of his hand. "Go ahead."
Now, sitting in the reserved room, while the other girls were excited, she herself was equally thrilled.
However, she maintained her composure. The Ning young lady smiled faintly and thanked her friends for their thoughtful words.
"Don't mention it," she said. "It is my wish, as well as my father's and our Ning family's, to celebrate His Majesty and Her Majesty for quelling the rebellion and bringing peace to the nation."
The girls praised the Ning young lady one after another. Qi Leyun shrugged among them. "Well, I have neither money nor influence. I can't offer any celebration for her."
"But our Miss Qi attended the Empress's Chu Garden Literary Gathering and even stayed at Chu Garden," another girl teased, linking arms with Qi Leyun playfully."Exactly, how many people can live in Chu Garden?" Qi Leyun straightened her back proudly. "And that's not all—I've even quarreled and fought with the Empress."
The room erupted in louder laughter, mingled with the girls' voices—"What are you so proud of? Who here hasn't had disagreements with the Empress?"
True enough. In the beginning, everyone had treated Chu Zhao as a source of amusement, never imagining things would come to this.
That fierce girl who scolded and hit people had always been fierce—competing with scholars, protecting the Little Highness through chaotic battles, and now leading troops against Western Liang and fighting Prince Zhongshan—
Though she was still their peer, that girl had step by step become someone they looked up to, someone who stirred their hearts and minds—
"His Majesty has entered the city!" a girl by the window called out.
The seated girls in the room immediately rose and surged toward the window, with Qi Leyun leaning halfway out.
The entire capital was in an uproar—or rather, the excitement had spread from outside the city walls to within. The Emperor's carriage, the welcoming officials, and the escorting troops were like an endless, colorful cloud, surging with the kowtows of the common people like waves on the sea.
However, the Emperor was not on horseback but seated inside the carriage, his face veiled by thin gauze curtains, revealing only the silhouette of a child.
This disappointed the onlookers, but those who had seen the Emperor leave the capital last time were even more excited—they had been fortunate enough to witness the true dragon's countenance, a story worth telling for a lifetime.
Besides the Emperor not riding a horse, Young Master Xie the Third was also absent from the procession.
The red-robed official in the Emperor's carriage was Grand Tutor Deng Yi.
The common people rarely saw Grand Tutor Deng Yi, for as a regent and high-ranking minister, he almost lived within the Imperial Palace. On the rare occasions he ventured out, the streets were cleared by soldiers.
This Grand Tutor came from humble origins and, by some twist of fate, had been elevated by the late Emperor, rising to the pinnacle of power in one step.
Because of his lowly background, the common folk could uncover no stories of his past—he remained mysterious and elusive.
Now, in the sunlight, the Grand Tutor appeared to be around thirty years old. Though not as elegant as the noble young masters, he had refined features, yet his thin lips were slightly downturned, giving him an ill-tempered look—and indeed, the Grand Tutor was known for his poor temper. Since taking office, the prisons had been filled with convicted officials.
The common people glanced at him a few times but dared not look too long, preferring instead to talk about Young Master Xie the Third.
"Why isn't Young Master Xie the Third here?"
"His Majesty cannot stay outside for long, so the Third Young Master remained behind to handle matters."
"What a pity—you didn't see the Third Young Master's grace that night."
"I saw him—dressed in plain clothes, holding a long blade, like the Erlang True Lord descending to earth."
Though the Emperor was barely visible, the Grand Tutor was intimidating to look at, and the Third Young Master was nowhere to be seen, the common people still had other spectacles to enjoy.
The Crown Prince of Zhongshan's carriage followed behind the Emperor's, surrounded by imperial guards, its curtains drawn low.
"I heard the Crown Prince of Zhongshan appeared shirtless on the battlefield, carrying thorns to plead for forgiveness!"
"Who would have thought the Crown Prince would do such a thing!"
"Ugh! A beast in human skin, all show and no substance—how many people has he killed?"
"Look at all the refugees flooding into the capital recently—it's all his fault."
"I heard the common people threw stones at him on the battlefield!"
"Why is he allowed to ride in a carriage? Make him get down so we can throw things at him too!"
"Get down!"
"Xiao Xun, get down!"
But no matter how loud the uproar, the heavy curtains remained unmoving. When someone tried to throw something, the surrounding guards drew their blades—likely to avoid accidentally harming the Emperor.
After all, the Emperor's dragon carriage was right in front.
Everyone abandoned thoughts of throwing things and instead raised their voices even higher, cursing Xiao Xun.Even from the best vantage point of the high balcony, one couldn't see Xiao Xun inside the carriage.
A girl remarked, "I remember the first time I saw the Crown Prince of Zhongshan was at Chu Garden. He came to watch Chu Zhao's literary gathering and even saved a maid."
This comment stirred the girls' memories. Whether it was the Crown Prince emerging from the water or the Crown Prince in changed clothes, he was an elegant young gentleman, whose appearance and demeanor were no less impressive than Young Master Xie the Third—
"I never would have thought he was such a person," one girl said indignantly.
Another girl added, "I always felt he was two-faced. Have you forgotten? He was hanging around with the Third Prince back then, and who knows what his real intentions were when he came to the Chu Garden Literary Gathering."
Qi Leyun clapped her hands. "No matter what his intentions were, he can't cause any trouble under the Empress's watch." She leaned out to look. "Has the Empress arrived?"
Unlike the excited crowds waiting for the Emperor, these girls were waiting for Chu Zhao. Qi Leyun had even speculated that Chu Zhao would appear on horseback, brandishing a sword, but her guess proved wrong. Then they thought she might be seated with the Emperor, but the Emperor's carriage held only one figure—
Was she escorting Xiao Xun's carriage from behind?
From their elevated position, they had a clear view. Behind Xiao Xun's carriage, there were indeed people on horseback, mingling among the soldiers. At first glance, they were inconspicuous, but upon closer look, they stood out from the soldiers—these were ordinary people, unarmored and unarmed, and among them was a woman—
The woman wore an apricot-colored dress, standing out like a spring blossom on a branch amidst the dark, heavily armored guards.
"It's—" Qi Leyun widened her eyes. "Chu Tang!"
...
...
"Chu Tang!"
Amid the clamor, countless sharp female voices erupted overhead, startling the crowds on the street, who looked up.
Chu Tang also looked up, seeing a group of girls blooming like flowers at the windows of the buildings along the street. She could clearly see the shock on their faces.
Chu Tang pursed her lips into a smile and raised her hand to wave at the girls—
"Chu Tang!" Qi Leyun already shouted loudly. "Have you been captured and escorted back?"
What nonsense! Chu Tang's raised hand froze mid-air.
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