Qiao Chu

The troops around them gradually regrouped, concealing Chu Zhao within their formation, allowing her to finally breathe a sigh of relief.

She turned to look back, but the peach grove was no longer visible, and the sightseers had completely disappeared from view.

"Miss," A Le urged her horse closer and asked in a hushed tone, "Were you and the Third Young Master arguing just now?"

She had been standing nearby earlier, and though it seemed like Miss and Xie Yanfang were chatting and laughing over tea, the atmosphere felt somewhat strange. She couldn't quite pinpoint what was off, but it was definitely different from when Miss was with Xie Yanlai.

Logically speaking, Xie Yanfang should be far more likable than Xie Yanlai.

"We weren't arguing," Chu Zhao explained to A Le, though she didn’t hide the truth from her. "The Third Young Master had some doubts about what I did this time, and I was explaining it to him."

A Le understood this immediately and slapped her horse’s neck in frustration. "What doubts? How dare he blame you! On what grounds? Miss, you took such a great risk to stop Prince Zhongshan’s evil deeds, quell the flames of war, and rescue the people from suffering—and he still dares to blame you?"

If she hadn’t heard it from Miss herself, she wouldn’t have believed it.

How could Xie Yanfang blame Miss for this? Shouldn’t he be congratulating, admiring, and feeling deeply grateful instead?

"Calm down," Chu Zhao said with a light laugh. "The risks I took and the things I did were my own choices. They have nothing to do with the Third Young Master."

A Le widened her eyes. "How can you say it has nothing to do with—"

"Indeed, it has nothing to do with him," Chu Zhao retorted, staring back at the young maid. "Because he has his own affairs to attend to."

"Miss, this isn’t just 'his own affairs,'" A Le corrected, no longer the ignorant maid from the Border Commandery. "This is a matter of family and state!"

Chu Zhao was momentarily taken aback by her words, then chuckled.

"Yes, you’re right, A Le," she said, nodding before letting out a soft sigh. "But that’s precisely the problem. This is a matter of family and state, yet the one acting is an individual. And whenever individuals are involved, personal motives come into play."

"Miss, you have no personal motives!" A Le protested indignantly.

Chu Zhao shook her head. "I do."

A Le fell silent with an "Oh." If Miss said so, then it must be true.

"The Third Young Master had his own plans," Chu Zhao continued in a low voice. "I acted without consulting him. Although I resolved a matter of family and state, I disrupted his arrangements."

This time, A Le understood. She lowered her voice as well. "So, he’s angry?" She grew anxious, tightening her grip on the reins. "Will he harm you?"

Even though—despite everything—she didn’t know why such a thought crossed her mind. The Third Young Master was, after all, widely regarded as a good man.

Chu Zhao shook her head again. "No, he won’t. The Third Young Master is a straightforward person. If he has doubts, he asks directly. Once things are clarified, he won’t hold a grudge."

Xie Yanfang had openly stated that Prince Zhongshan’s battle had been within his control—even something he had welcomed.

In other words, the Xie family had intended to use this battle to enhance their prestige.

But Chu Zhao had disrupted their plans.

So, she had been equally candid with Xie Yanfang, explaining that this battle was also an opportunity for her—a chance to gain renown for herself.

She had acted for her own benefit, not to deliberately oppose Xie Yanfang.

Her actions were directed at the situation, not the person.

Distrust, fear, admiration, even a craving for fame and influence—Xie Yanfang could accept all of these. He could even understand them and, from the looks of it, seemed quite pleased.

The Third Young Master was like an eagle soaring high in the sky, unbothered by the selfish desires of mortals.

As long as there was no—malice.Not exactly. He could probably accept malice, but it depends on who the malice is directed toward.

Ants, wild rabbits, birds, or fish—none of these matter.

But if it's a rival of equal standing—

For Young Master Xie the Third, it's likely a matter of "either you die or I die."

Chu Zhao pressed her hand against her chest and let out another soft sigh. She certainly bore no malice toward Xie Yanfang. Although in her previous life, the Xie family had been her enemies—cursing her father, slandering her as a wicked empress, and even killing Uncle Zhong—

This life had revealed the truth: due to Xiao Xun and Chu Lan's schemes, the Xie family and her Chu family were indeed on opposing sides.

This time, she and Xie Yanfang stood together, and she had no intention of making an enemy of him.

Of course, she hadn't truly bared her heart to Xie Yanfang either. Deep down, she still harbored selfish intentions she couldn't reveal.

In this life, she had seized the advantage early on and used it to step into the chaos of Great Xia. She had indeed taken opportunities from many people, including Xie Yanfang's.

With a hint of guilt, Chu Zhao glanced back again. Fortunately, no matter how much Xie Yanfang guessed or probed, even if he soared to the mountain peaks, he would never discover this.

"It's right that he isn't angry," A Le muttered beside her. "Miss did this for His Majesty. If the young emperor isn't angry, he has no right to be. If he gets angry, it would be an act of treason against the throne."

Chu Zhao laughed heartily. "Ah, our A Le knows so much."

A Le snorted and lifted her chin. "I am a maid who has attended court hearings in the grand hall."

Chu Zhao laughed again. "Well said! Let's hurry back to the capital and return to the grand hall for court sessions!"

...

...

But to return to the capital for court, they needed to change horses again.

At the last post station outside the capital's borders, Chu Zhao sent Ding Dachui and his men to change the horses while she took A Le to a nearby tea house to rest.

This was already a bustling area. The post station was splendid, and the surroundings were lively, though only four or five people sat in the tea house at the moment.

When they saw Chu Zhao approaching, they stood up nervously but excitedly.

A Le let out a happy exclamation. "It's Squad Leader Zhang."

It wasn't strange for Zhang Gu and the others to be here. While she concealed her whereabouts from local officials and civilians, the couriers—especially Zhang Gu—had always known her movements.

Chu Zhao smiled. "We should address him as Official Zhang now."

By then, they had entered the tea house. Hearing this, Zhang Gu hurriedly bowed. "Thank you for your promotion, Empress."

His companions behind him also bowed, wanting to steal glances at Chu Zhao but not daring to look too long.

"No need for formalities," Chu Zhao said with a laugh. "I didn't bring the empress's procession to the capital to avoid revealing my identity. You can still treat me as A Fu."

They wouldn't dare, but mentioning A Fu reminded them of past events, easing the couriers' tension. One of them spoke up, "We wouldn't dare call you A Fu. How about addressing you as Miss Chu?"

Chu Zhao smiled and nodded. "That's fine."

Zhang Gu invited her to sit, saying, "Although Your Highness instructed not to arrange a ceremonial welcome, we still wanted to see you. You've achieved such great merits, yet you're returning to the capital quietly, with no one aware—"

Earlier, when the emperor led the imperial expedition, crowds gathered like clouds. The empress also joined the expedition and prevented greater casualties in the war, yet she was returning to the capital so silently. They couldn't help feeling uneasy about it.

Chu Zhao laughed. "This was my decision. If I wanted to return to the capital with great fanfare, His Majesty and the court wouldn't object. I just find it troublesome and want to return to the palace quietly and quickly."Zhang Gu nodded. "We understand. But even though we understand—" He pointed to the table inside. "We'd like to offer tea in place of wine to express our gratitude."

Chu Zhao looked at the tea and snacks laid out on the table—this was the second time she had been invited for tea since arriving in the capital—and raised an eyebrow with a smile. "Did you brew this tea yourselves too?"

Only a few of them remained in the tea stall; the owner had been sent away earlier.

Hearing this, one of the couriers couldn't help but laugh. "That wouldn't do. The tea we brew is truly unpalatable."

……

……

In truth, the tea brewed by roadside tea stall owners wasn't particularly delicious either, and it couldn't compare to the famous tea personally prepared by Xie Yanfang. However, Chu Zhao naturally didn't care about the taste of the tea—what mattered wasn't the tea itself, but everyone's heartfelt intentions.

They barely drank any tea, as everyone was busy discussing recent events.

"Is Erxi about to return?" Chu Zhao asked upon hearing the news. "Has his injury fully healed?"

Erxi was the courier who had previously delivered the news of the Crown Prince of Zhongshan raising troops and the court preparing for battle.

Zhang Gu shook his head helplessly. "No, he should rest for half a year according to reason, but that stubborn boy won't listen and insists on coming back."

Chu Zhao said, "Brother Zhang, this place is his home, so of course he's eager to return." Then she asked, "Have the funeral arrangements for the late Brother Wang been properly taken care of?"

Zhang Gu replied, "Your Highness, rest assured, everything has been settled. He has a son; if he wishes to join the military in the future, I'll directly recruit him under my command."

Chu Zhao nodded and smiled. "He could also be assigned to A Jiu's unit."

A Jiu—these familiar yet distant names echoed in his ears, and Zhang Gu couldn't help but grin. "A Jiu has become a great general now, hasn't he? According to Erxi's letters, he's incredibly impressive."

Chu Zhao waved her hand. "Not yet, not yet. He still needs to achieve more merits before he can become a great general." She smiled again. "But it should be soon, right?"

Zhang Gu knew full well how difficult it was to earn military honors, titles, and official positions, but he nodded firmly nonetheless. "It will definitely be soon."

And this swiftness wasn't because Xie Yanlai was a member of the Xie family.

"A Jiu is both clever and formidable."

One of the couriers, reminded of something, fetched an extra teacup from the side, placed it on the table, and poured tea into it. "Since we're gathering today, we can't leave out A Jiu. Let's set a cup for him."

Zhang Gu laughed heartily, raised his teacup, and said, "Today we reunite! Let us toast to A Fu and Miss Chu for their heroic military achievements in protecting the nation and saving the people!"

The couriers raised their teacups and cheered in unison.

A Le also raised her cup and drank with Chu Zhao and the others.

After finishing that cup, Chu Zhao poured tea again and said, "After toasting to joyous occasions, let us also drink for those who can no longer reunite with us—our fallen brothers, the soldiers who died in battle, and the common people who perished. Let us share a cup for these unfortunate souls."

With these words, she poured the tea onto the ground.

Zhang Gu and the others grew even more fervent, each pouring their tea onto the ground as well.

After the second toast, Chu Zhao poured tea once more and raised her cup. "For this third cup, why don't we wish for A Jiu to soon be granted the title of Great General?"

Laughter filled the tea stall as everyone stood up, raised their teacups, and drank heartily.