Chu Zhao was feeling extremely uneasy.
Even inside the sturdy carriage, she could feel the ground trembling.
Her heart raced along with the vibrations.
A Le lifted the carriage curtain, revealing the distant night sky that seemed to be ablaze with darkness. The sounds of shouting and horses neighing rushed in with the night wind.
"Put that curtain down at once!" Chu Ke, huddled in the farthest corner of the carriage, cried out in terror. "You wretched maid, why did you lift the curtain?"
"What are you shouting for?" Chu Zhao scolded him. "If the bandits really attack, do you think a curtain can stop them?"
Of course it couldn’t. Forget the curtain—even the sturdy carriage and the guards like Deng Yi, who had once seemed so reliable, were nothing in the face of fierce bandits. Chu Ke wrapped his cloak tighter around himself, his young eyes reddening. How unlucky they were to have encountered bandits.
Chu Zhao took a few deep breaths and softened her tone. "Think of it this way: we’ve encountered imperial troops surrounding the bandits, not the bandits running rampant. That would be a truly dangerous situation."
Chu Ke knew this, of course, but—
"Look how many troops were dispatched to surround the bandits. That just shows how formidable these bandits are," he muttered. "What if some slip through the net and charge at us—"
They would be doomed!
"This is all your fault!" Chu Ke yelled, his eyes red. "If it weren’t for you, how could we have encountered so much danger?"
He had been an elegant young scholar in the capital. Now, look at him—disheveled and facing a life-or-death threat.
"You’re just like your father—both of you only bring trouble to the family."
Chu Zhao had initially intended not to take the frightened boy’s words too seriously, but at this, she kicked out abruptly. Chu Ke, caught off guard, slammed against the carriage wall with a loud thud.
He clutched his stomach and howled in pain.
But that wasn’t the end of it. The next moment, Chu Zhao grabbed him, her small hand clamping down like a vise as she pinned him against the carriage wall.
Chu Ke couldn’t even cry out, his face turning a purplish-red.
Chu Zhao said coldly, "The trouble you’re in isn’t because of others—it’s because of yourself. Who told you to be born as a son of the Chu family and the eldest one at that? Otherwise, you wouldn’t even be here. Chu Ke, you’re just unlucky. If you dare say one more word against my father, I’ll break your leg—"
Chu Ke stared at her, coughing and choking as if trying to speak.
"You think I wouldn’t dare?" Chu Zhao pressed his head against the carriage wall, leaning close. "I’ve already nearly taken Miss Liang’s life. One more leg won’t matter. My father will beg the Emperor for mercy anyway—one crime pardoned, two crimes pardoned. Even if I end up in prison, your leg won’t grow back. If I’m doomed, you’ll suffer for the rest of your life too."
The girl’s voice and expression were calm, but her eyes were like deep, dark pools, gleaming with a terrifying light.
She wasn’t lying. She really would dare—and it seemed she genuinely wanted to kill.
Chu Ke’s wide eyes were filled with terror.
Since when had Chu Zhao become so frightening? He’d never noticed before—he’d never paid much attention to this cousin, and when he did see her, he’d look down on her with disdain.
Chu Zhao released him and sat up straight. "A Le, wrap the young master’s cloak tightly. Don’t let him catch a cold."
A Le acknowledged the order. With her round, honest face, she looked at Chu Ke and reached out with her plump hands to pat his cloak firmly.
Chu Ke clutched his neck, coughing violently. Madwoman! Chu Zhao is a madwoman! Her maid is a madwoman too! Her father, Chu Ling, is a madman! The entire second branch of the family is insane!
He didn’t dare say another word. There was no reasoning with madmen.Chu Zhao paid him no further mind, knowing full well that Chu Ke was likely still cursing her and her father inwardly. She didn’t care what people thought in their hearts, but from now on, no one would slander her father to her face.
At this thought, her heart ached with regret. In her past life, she had been no different from Chu Ke. She, too, had constantly resented her father, listening to her uncle’s family complain. Not only had she failed to defend her father, but she had also joined in their anger and grievances.
She had blamed her father for ruining such a promising future, causing her to have low status and position. She had blamed him for his improper relationship with her mother, which led to her being mocked. She had resented him for sending her to the capital so late—if only her grandmother had raised her from the start, she would surely have become an elegant noble lady.
In short, whenever her life was difficult, it was always her father’s fault.
She had never realized that it was she who had brought harm upon her father, and even after his death, he had continued to protect her, allowing her to live in peace for so long.
Chu Zhao raised her hand and wiped away the tears welling in her eyes.
Someone gently tapped the carriage: “Miss Chu.”
A Le lifted the curtain, and Chu Zhao looked at Deng Yi, asking with concern, “Lord Deng, you’re back? How did it go?”
Earlier, while searching for a campsite, the scouts had reported trouble ahead—government troops were clashing fiercely with bandits, who were fighting back. Deng Yi had ordered them to stay put and remain vigilant while he went ahead to assess the situation.
The sounds of battle had persisted for half the night, and now Deng Yi had finally returned.
In truth, Deng Yi had returned earlier but, hearing the siblings fighting in the carriage—or more accurately, Miss Chu beating Young Master Chu again—he had waited a while.
“It’s over. The government troops won,” he said.
Chu Zhao patted her chest in relief. “That’s good, that’s good.”
They couldn’t camp here now. Deng Yi ordered the party to press on. With torches lit, they passed through a mountain pass and came upon the scene of the fierce battle.
Witnessing it firsthand was far more visceral than imagining it from the sounds alone.
The clash had been brutal, with many casualties.
A Le grew slightly tense, but seeing Chu Zhao seemingly unfazed—calmly averting her gaze from the blood and wreckage—she relaxed. After all, the young lady had grown up in the Border Commandery army and was no stranger to such scenes. Unlike Young Master Chu Ke, who cowered like a quail in the carriage, covering his head and face with his sleeves.
A Le’s tension eased, and she adopted Chu Zhao’s solemn demeanor.
Since their identities had been verified, the party passed through without hindrance.
“Miss Chu must not have expected such fierce bandits in the heart of the Central Plains, did you?” Deng Yi, riding alongside the carriage, watched Chu Zhao as she peered out through the window curtain. “Although the world is at peace, banditry has always persisted.”
Chu Zhao murmured vaguely in response, sighing inwardly. The peace would not last much longer. Soon, there would be even more bandits, and the scenes of death and injury would grow far grimmer.
A sudden clatter of hooves approached as another troop of soldiers arrived ahead, calling out, “Lord Deng!”
Deng Yi reined in his horse. “It’s the Heir Apparent.”
Xiao Xun? Chu Zhao tensed immediately, gripping the carriage window. In the dim night, illuminated by flickering torches, a young man cloaked in black rode swiftly. The night wind lifted his cloak, revealing his white brocade robe and his face—a face Chu Zhao would never forget.
Why was he here?
Xiao Xun met Deng Yi but did not glance at the girl in the carriage staring intently at him.
“I am truly ashamed that such an incident occurred and frightened you all,” Xiao Xun said apologetically.Deng Yi said, "Heir Apparent need not be nervous. Such matters have nothing to do with me. I won't report this to the imperial court, so it won't tarnish Prince Zhongshan's reputation."
This Deng Yi truly doesn't mince words. Xiao Xun was taken aback. His father had said this Deng Yi was merely a minor official in the Ministry of the Guards, but he seemed quite arrogant.
In that case, he wouldn't stand on ceremony either.
"Thank you, sir," Xiao Xun said. "The bandit leader has escaped. For safety, my father has ordered me to escort you to the capital."
What? Escort? To the capital? Miss Chu, who had been listening intently from behind, immediately caught this.
"No!" she shouted.
Deng Yi and Xiao Xun turned to look at her. Before they could speak, Chu Ke's voice also rang out from inside the carriage.
"Why not?" the boy's voice was hoarse. "Didn't you hear? The most dangerous bandit leader is still at large!"
"If he's escaped, it's within Prince Zhongshan's territory. The Heir Apparent should focus on pursuing the bandit leader," Miss Chu said, her hands tightening on the carriage window. "Lord Deng, we should just leave quickly."
Deng Yi looked at her, the firelight and night shadows dancing across his face. He shook his head: "Miss Chu, ensuring road safety is my responsibility. I accept the Heir Apparent's escort."
Miss Chu's heart sank heavily.
So, she couldn't prevent Xiao Xun from entering the capital at all, nor could she even refuse his presence by her side.
After all her efforts along the journey, she had accomplished nothing - neither could she see her father, nor escape from Xiao Xun.
Her eyes grew vacant, and her grip on the carriage window weakened.
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