Qiao Chu

The fierce wind howled, and the white funeral banners hanging in the Zhongshan Prince's Mansion fluttered like snow.

The coffins of the dozen or so assassins who had targeted Xiao Xun were all placed here.

Xie Yanfang stepped over the threshold, then turned back to look at Chu Zhao. "You don't need to accompany me to see him, do you?"

"Worried I'll be sad?" Chu Zhao said, shaking her head with a faint smile. "No need. I've bid farewell to my father before. I can accept loss."

With that, she stepped inside first.

Xie Yanfang said nothing more and followed her in, stopping before Xie Yanlai's coffin. The coffin was open, and although the weather had turned cold and various preservatives had been used, the corpse inside and its odor were still horrifying.

Xie Yanfang's expression remained calm as he carefully and meticulously examined it. He took various items handed to him by the attendants—clothes, shoes, socks, ornaments, and food.

"These were all gathered by his maids," Xie Yanfang said to Chu Zhao. "They were his favorite things to wear, use, and eat."

Chu Zhao replied, "In the army, he had no particular preferences. He ate, wore, and used the same things as everyone else."

Xie Yanfang said, "In the army, he wasn't the Ninth Young Master of the Xie family."

The Ninth Young Master of the Xie family didn't have many preferences either, and the items were quickly arranged.

"The others have already been cremated," Chu Zhao said softly. "Yan Lai was waiting for you to see him with your own eyes."

Xie Yanfang glanced once more at the corpse in the coffin and said, "In my memory, he's still that little boy who first entered our household. The Xie family has many children, and in my eyes, they were all the same. Now, he's finally become different, but it's a pity I can no longer see him."

Chu Zhao also looked into the coffin and said, "When I first met him, he wasn't a Xie family young master. So, even now, when I think back, it feels a bit surreal. The one I'm familiar with, the one I've lost—is it Xie Yanlai, or that Courier I met by chance on the road?"

Xie Yanfang turned to look at her, seeing the melancholy and confusion in the girl's eyes, and said softly, "No matter who he was, he died a worthy death."

Chu Zhao nodded and signaled to the soldiers nearby, "Seal the coffin."

...

...

As night fell and Xie Yanlai's ashes were properly collected, Xie Yanfang returned to his residence. Cai Bo had already prepared the room, with incense burning and cushions laid out. Attendants stood by, holding copper basins and towels.

Xie Yanfang took the towel handed to him by an attendant, while Cai Bo helped him remove his cloak.

"Will the young master bathe and change now?" the attendants asked.

Xie Yanfang nodded. "The Empress has prepared a banquet. I'll be heading over shortly."

The attendants hurried to make preparations.

"Young master," Cai Bo asked, "are you certain the corpse is Xie Yanlai?"

Du Qi, who had followed them in, scoffed. "Burned like that, what could you possibly tell?"

Cai Bo glared at him. "Of course, you can't tell by looking at the corpse. What matters is the reactions of those around him."

Du Qi frowned and crossed his arms. "The Empress? She didn't cry or scream. She didn't seem sad at all."

"If the Empress had wept and wailed, that would have been strange," Xie Yanfang said with a light laugh.

Cai Bo furrowed his brow slightly. "The Empress has always been very close to Xie Yanlai. He died to help her eliminate Xiao Xun. She shouldn't be so unmoved."Xie Yanfang held the teacup, watching the dissipating steam, and said, "The Empress is not unmoved. She seems somewhat bewildered, as if she has lost someone unfamiliar. But this reaction is normal because, to the Empress, Xie Yanlai has always been divided. In her eyes, there are two Xie Yanlais. The Xie Yanlai the Empress was close to was not a member of the Xie family in her view. Now she doesn't know which Xie Yanlai she should mourn."

What's all this about this Xie Yanlai and that Xie Yanlai? Du Qi and Cai Bo exchanged glances.

"Young Master, just tell us if there's a problem or not," Du Qi said. "You came all this way personally just to confirm."

"I came, I saw, and I personally buried my brother. That confirms he is dead," Xie Yanfang replied, draining his tea in one gulp.

Exactly. Even if the one lying in the coffin wasn't Xie Yanlai, he was still a dead man. Cai Bo smiled. "Young Master, go bathe quickly. Don't keep the Empress waiting too long." As he said this, he recalled the scene when they entered the city and saw the Empress. After a year apart, the girl's demeanor had grown even more composed, carrying an air of authority that made her emotions unreadable. "After this battle, no one in the court can stop her from speaking."

Xie Yanfang smiled. "As it should be."

...

...

When Xie Yanfang finished bathing and changing clothes and arrived at the Zhongshan Prince's Mansion, he learned that the Empress was meeting with officials.

"Who is it?" Xie Yanfang asked.

With the rebellion suppressed, many officials had been traveling between the capital and Zhongshan Commandery.

"It's Commander Ding of the Garrison Guard," the guard replied without concealment, then asked, "Lord Censor, should I announce your arrival?"

Xie Yanfang waved his hand. "No need. Matters of the Garrison Guard are confidential. Don't disturb the Empress. I'll first enjoy the scenery of the Zhongshan Prince's Mansion." With that, he stood under the corridor and looked around.

The guard obeyed, standing solemnly without reporting inside.

Inside, Chu Zhao was reviewing the roster handed to her by Ding Dachui—personnel for the Garrison Guard to be established here.

"I trust the people you've selected," Chu Zhao said. "But remember, when investigating these noble families, you must be discreet. The rebellion has just been quelled; we cannot stir up more turmoil or alert our targets. These families have been entrenched locally for centuries, some even a hundred years. Their roots are deep and tangled. They may hold no official positions, but they are harder to deal with than officials."

Ding Dachui acknowledged, "Your Majesty, rest assured, I understand."

Chu Zhao added, "But don't worry. I will personally remain here to oversee things. Once your Garrison Guard is stable, I will leave."

"Your Majesty, your presence in the capital or here makes no difference to us. There's no need to specifically hold the line for us," Ding Dachui said, with a note of concern. "You've been away for so long; you should return and rest."

Chu Zhao smiled. "I'm fine. I'm not staying here just to support you. The Zhongshan Prince schemed for decades. I must ensure this place becomes stable before I can return home with peace of mind."

When she mentioned returning home, her eyes lit up. Ding Dachui couldn't help but think, the Empress must really want to go home too.

"Very well, Your Majesty. I will guard this home carefully," he said solemnly.

The home she referred to was not the capital. Chu Zhao smiled and asked, "Dachui, have you thought about going home? When things settle down, you and your brothers should visit home."Nowadays, when Ding Dachui walks through the capital, the common people dare not look directly at him. Officials, regardless of their inner disdain, show him surface-level respect. Ding Dachui has almost forgotten he was once a bandit and can no longer recall what his life was like before he took to the hills.

He even feels he was born to be a commander.

Of course, the Empress is well aware of their origins.

Thinking of his past, Ding Dachui gave an awkward smile: "All my brothers have settled in the capital. Those who had wives and children brought them here, and those who didn’t have found wives. Life is very good now."

He then bowed deeply to Chu Zhao once more.

"Thank you, Empress, for your great kindness in lifting us up."

"This life was earned with your lives. It was you who showed me great kindness first, and only then could I extend mine to you," Chu Zhao said with a laugh.

Xiao Man, who had been standing silently nearby, snorted: "Enough about the past. It’s all over."

Ding Dachui chuckled: "And thank you, Miss Xiao Man."

Xiao Man snorted again and turned away.

"Alright, you may go now," Chu Zhao handed him the register. "Finish your duties and return to the capital early."

Ding Dachui acknowledged the order, took the register, and withdrew.

Chu Zhao leaned back in her chair, exhaling softly and closing her eyes briefly.

"Are you tired, Your Majesty?" Xie Yanfang’s voice came from outside. "Shall I return tomorrow?"

Chu Zhao opened her eyes with a smile: "Dealing with officials is tiring, but Young Master Xie the Third is not an official at this moment." She sat up straight. "Besides, it’s precisely when I’m tired that I need to eat. Xiao Man, have the meal served."

Xiao Man acknowledged and gave the order outside. Xie Yanfang entered with a smile and sat comfortably opposite Chu Zhao.

"Though you seem somewhat weary, Your Majesty, your spirits are high," he observed her for a moment before saying. "So, will you return to the capital next, or wait until things here are more stable? If you return, I will handle matters here."

Back when Xiao Xun first led troops to threaten the capital and caused chaos, it was like this: Chu Zhao ended the conflict, while Xie Yanfang stayed behind to manage the aftermath along the route.

Chu Zhao shook her head: "This time is different from last. Last time, there was no real fighting. This time, we’ve been in a real battle for nearly a year. Since I led the fight, I should handle the aftermath." She smiled again. "It won’t take too long. Once the officials here are selected and the government is functioning, I’ll return. I’ll definitely be back in time for the New Year."

Xiao Man led attendants in with the meal.

"You’ve never been to Zhongshan Commandery before, have you?" Chu Zhao said with a laugh. "Try the local flavors here. I think they’re quite delicious."

Xie Yanfang picked up his chopsticks.

"Young Master the Third," Chu Zhao added, "Do you think I’m being too domineering by doing this?"

Previously, when she spoke from behind the curtain and intervened in court affairs, it was limited to the court itself. But now, by staying in the commandery and personally reorganizing the disrupted government, it meant the Empress was establishing her influence in the regions as well.

Xie Yanfang held his chopsticks and said: "In my heart, you and His Majesty should dominate the world. I don’t see this as domineering—it’s what you ought to do and must do. Moreover, I, Xie Yanfang, am willing to strategize for you and would go through fire and water without hesitation."

He looked at Chu Zhao, his gaze clear and bright.

"From the time I met Miss Azhao until now, I have always been this way, and I will remain so in the future."