Whether it was the meaning conveyed by Chu Tang capturing him or the message delivered by the officers and soldiers of Prince Zhongshan, the prince had been forced to halt his military campaign because Xiao Xun had been captured.
Xiao Xun had consistently said the same thing before, even blaming himself for his carelessness that caused his father's efforts to fall short at the last moment.
So why was he suddenly asking such a question now?
Ning Kun couldn't help but lower his gaze and sigh softly: "The heir apparent's safety is the greatest threat to His Highness."
Xiao Xun remained silent.
The stillness in the room became suffocating.
Suddenly, Xiao Xun laughed: "I shouldn't have asked you. You were captured with me and brought together to the capital. You know nothing about my father's situation either, and you can't return there." He stood up, walked to Ning Kun's side, and gently patted his arm. "Uncle Kun, you've been dragged into this because of me too. From now on, trapped here in the capital, your vast learning will remain buried in darkness."
Ning Kun hurriedly responded: "Heir Apparent, you mustn't say such things—"
Xiao Xun interrupted him with a nod: "Enough said. Regardless, I'll write to my father to have you recalled. Keeping just me imprisoned in the capital is enough—Uncle Kun, I'm going to help Tie Ying boil water." He smiled again. "Actually, I'm quite capable of taking care of myself."
With these words, the young man strode out.
Ning Kun stood in the hall, his expression shifting complexly as he lowered his gaze and sighed softly.
......
......
The night was deep, but the Emperor's bedchamber was brightly lit. The eunuchs and palace maids moving about walked with light steps, smiles on their faces.
The Emperor had returned. Though he was just a child, everyone felt reassured.
"His Majesty achieved a great victory—by rights there should be a celebration banquet."
"But the Border Commandery is still at war."
"Moreover, the court officials don't seem pleased."
It appeared to be because of Prince Zhongshan's confession and subsequent rewards. When escorting His Majesty into the inner palace, several officials had nearly come to blows—fortunately, the profound depths of the Imperial City kept this from public view.
The common people only saw that the war had stopped and felt at ease, but in truth, matters were far from resolved.
And—
"His Majesty has returned, but the Empress hasn't come back yet."
Originally, no one had particularly strong feelings about the Empress, as she had been in the palace for only a short time before leaving the Imperial City. Yet after her departure, they found themselves growing increasingly familiar with her, missing her, and longing for her return.
"That's right, when will the Empress return? She probably needs to handle matters with Prince Zhongshan."
"Perhaps the Empress will go to the Border Commandery—she might not return until Western Liang is pacified."
"How long would that take? One year? Two years?"
As the palace maids whispered these speculations, the sound of a teacup shattering came from the chamber. The bedchamber fell silent for a moment before maids and eunuchs rushed inside.
"Your Majesty—"
Xiao Yu stood before the desk in his bedchamber, dressed in inner garments with his hair loose after washing, a shattered teacup on the floor.
"Your Majesty." Qi Gonggong was the first to arrive, having been organizing the Emperor's clothing in the inner room.
Xiao Yu looked at the water stain on his sleeve: "I wanted to drink water but didn't hold the cup properly."
The eunuchs and palace maids immediately knelt in unison, accepting blame.
"It's not your fault," Xiao Yu said. "I was resting and didn't want anyone nearby."
Qi Gonggong waved everyone away, and the eunuchs and maids withdrew. He then poured fresh tea for Xiao Yu and presented it to him.
Xiao Yu took a slow sip.
"Your Majesty, you've endured days of travel fatigue. You should rest early," Qi Gonggong gently advised.
Xiao Yu nodded but remained standing.
"Your Majesty—" Qi Gonggong began again.
"I know!" Xiao Yu raised his voice, cutting him off.Qi Gonggong was taken aback—this was the first time Xiao Yu had shown impatience toward him. He quickly bowed his head and knelt. "This humble servant deserves punishment."
The hall fell silent for a moment.
It felt like a long time had passed, yet also like the blink of an eye.
"Qi Gonggong, please rise," a child's voice said, while a hand reached out to grasp Qi Gonggong's sleeve. "I know I should rest, and I am indeed very tired. But I miss Sister Chu dearly and just wanted to write her a letter."
Qi Gonggong looked up at Xiao Yu and said softly, "Sister Chu will return soon, Your Majesty. Please set your mind at ease."
Xiao Yu nodded at him. "So I won’t write the letter. I’ll go to sleep now."
"If Your Majesty rests well and builds up your energy, when the Empress returns and sees how much taller you’ve grown, she’ll surely be astonished." Qi Gonggong gestured with his hands.
Children do grow quickly, and Xiao Yu, now a year older, had indeed grown a bit taller.
A smile appeared on Xiao Yu’s face.
Qi Gonggong took his hand and stood up, leading him inside. "Your Majesty, the Empress has not yet returned, and Minister Xie is still handling the aftermath and hasn’t come back either. Shall this old servant light all the lamps to accompany Your Majesty to sleep?"
Xiao Yu shook his head. "I’ve been to the battlefield now. I’m not afraid of anything anymore. Put out the lights."
Qi Gonggong acknowledged the order and accompanied Xiao Yu into the bedchamber. After some hesitation, he placed a bamboo tube beside Xiao Yu before drawing the curtains.
"Your Majesty, this old servant is truly extinguishing the lamps now," he asked once more.
The child inside gave a soft "Mm."
"Your Majesty," Qi Gonggong added, "this old servant will be right here with you. If anything happens, just call for me."
The child inside gave another "Mm" and even chuckled. "Qi Gonggong, don’t worry. I’ll be fine."
Qi Gonggong smiled. "This old servant is being overly cautious." With that, he bowed and withdrew.
The lamps in the hall were extinguished one by one.
Standing outside the palace, Qi Gonggong let out a soft sigh into the deep night.
"His Majesty’s courage has truly grown after leading the campaign in person," a young eunuch beside him said cheerfully.
Qi Gonggong paid him no mind, his gaze fixed on the palace shrouded in darkness.
Was this newfound courage a good thing or not?
…
…
The excitement of the Emperor’s triumphant return to the court and the disputes over Prince Zhongshan in the imperial court had already been settled as far as Chu Zhao in Zhongshan Commandery was concerned.
Prince Zhongshan picked up a royal seal from the desk and examined it.
Chu Zhao, meanwhile, held half of a command token—the symbol of the 100,000 troops Prince Zhongshan had surrendered. These were the 100,000 troops he had publicly displayed. As for the remaining 100,000, the court would simply pretend not to see them.
"However, the Grand Tutor believes that Your Highness will surely know when to advance and when to retreat," the court official who had come to deliver the imperial decree said coldly.
Prince Zhongshan looked at him and smiled. "Official Huang, did you make arrangements for your family before coming here?"
This was a reference to the three decree-bearing officials previously beheaded by the Crown Prince of Zhongshan.
A threat?
Official Huang’s face darkened. "Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. This official has indeed made arrangements."
Prince Zhongshan laughed heartily. "Don’t be nervous. This prince won’t have your head chopped off." He then turned his smiling gaze to Chu Zhao, who was seated nearby. "After all, the Empress is here."
Chu Zhao smiled faintly and tucked away the command token.
"Indeed," she said. "Before Official Huang departs, I will remain in the mansion to keep an eye on Your Highness."
Though he held some dissatisfaction toward this Empress Chu, having personally entered Zhongshan Prince’s Mansion—or more precisely, Zhongshan Commandery—and witnessed the densely stationed guards, the tense standoff, and the anxiety pervading towns and villages along the way, he realized it was entirely different from sitting in the court in the capital. Though the court was also fraught with tension, it was nothing like experiencing it firsthand.This tension was suffocating, making one feel at a loss and driving one to madness.
But this girl had been sitting here alone for a long time.
Official Huang turned to Chu Zhao and bowed: "Apart from announcing the decree, this humble official is also here to escort Her Majesty back to the palace, so I cannot leave first."
Actually, the court had not made such a request - escorting Her Majesty back to the palace was something he added himself.
Chu Zhao smiled and said: "Then Official Huang will have to wait a bit longer. This palace still awaits news from the Border Commandery."
Official Huang acknowledged with "Yes."
Prince Zhongshan knocked on the table: "You, ruler and subject, should not discuss state affairs here in my presence. All of you, leave, leave."
......
......
As the large gate slowly closed, Chu Zhao, having stepped over the threshold, did not proceed forward but instead stood still and took a deep breath first.
"Having left Prince Zhongshan's territory, even the air feels fresher," she remarked with a sigh.
Official Huang said from the side: "Your Majesty, we should now refer to him as the King Who Pacifies the Country. Moreover, within the commandery city, this is still his territory."
Chu Zhao couldn't help but laugh, surprised that Deng Yi had actually granted Prince Zhongshan an additional title, creating this "King Who Pacifies the Country." Did many people think Prince Zhongshan had sent Deng Yi heavy gifts again?
She glanced around at the hostile troops surrounding them. Prince Zhongshan had only taken a step back - this step was a retreat from outside the capital, but Zhongshan Commandery remained Prince Zhongshan's territory.
And whereas before they had been somewhat covert, now there was no need for concealment.
Looking at the horses being brought over, Chu Zhao said: "This palace will first go outside the city to meet the commander of the troops."
Official Huang bowed: "This official will go to the government office to inspect commandery affairs."
"Dachui," Chu Zhao called.
Ding Dachui stepped forward and acknowledged.
"This is the most capable guard who has braved countless dangers with this palace," Chu Zhao said. "I'm lending him to you now, Official Huang."
Official Huang bowed again: "Thank you for Your Majesty's generous gift. This humble official will surely fulfill the mission." Having said this, he turned and left immediately.
Ding Dachui stood frozen, somewhat slow to react, until A Le pushed him: "Are you dizzy? Go quickly!"
Ding Dachui was indeed somewhat dizzy. What had the Empress just called him? Her most capable guard!
However, dizzy as he was, there was one thing he still remembered.
"Commandant Xie and the boss both told me to guard the Empress—" he couldn't help muttering quietly.
Chu Zhao heard him and smiled: "Don't worry, I'm going to see your boss right now. I'll explain it to her for you. As for Commandant Xie—"
Chu Zhao winked at him.
"He's too far away to know."
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