Although Chu Lan was furious with Chu Zhao for causing trouble, he never intended to actually hand her over to the authorities.
It wasn't out of affection for Chu Zhao, but because their fates were intertwined. If one daughter of the Chu family ended up in prison, the other Chu children would also face public scorn.
He had captured her with the intention of delivering her directly to the Liang family—bypassing official channels, any private settlement would suffice.
How dare this Deng Yi speak to him like that? Did he even know what case he was handling?
Chu Lan naturally objected, invoking the Liang family's authority: "This is Minister Liang's wish. Minister Liang is still waiting."
But Deng Yi paid no heed: "Minister Liang filed an official complaint, which is why the Court of Judicial Review sent me to apprehend her. If Minister Liang wishes to see her, he must first go to the Court of Judicial Review."
"Lord Deng, you mustn't—" Chu Lan stepped forward to block him.
But as soon as he moved, Deng Yi's previously smiling face darkened, and his whip came cracking down—
"How dare you obstruct an official in the execution of his duties!"
Caught off guard, Chu Lan felt the whip whistle past his eyes, narrowly missing the tip of his nose. The chilling wind it raised stung his face as if he had been struck.
Such humiliation.
"You! You!" he shouted, pointing at Deng Yi.
Chu Ke was also startled and rushed to support his father. He had witnessed firsthand how Deng Yi treated local officials along the way—striking without warning, turning hostile without regard for face, utterly fearless even when confronting local bullies.
He had brazenly declared: "Either kill me now, or behave yourselves."
Who would risk their lives over such trivial matters? So the local bullies swallowed their pride, nursing their grudges for future revenge.
At the time, since it involved another family's affairs and all the resentment was directed at Deng Yi, Chu Ke had enjoyed the spectacle.
But when the spectacle landed on his own doorstep, it was no longer amusing.
"Father, father," he pressed down Chu Lan's hand, "do not confront Lord Deng. He is merely carrying out orders and cannot disobey. We can discuss this further when we return."
Chu Lan was not an impulsive man and did not rush to argue further with Deng Yi, only fuming and exclaiming, "This is outrageous!"
Deng Yi did not wield his whip again. As long as no one obstructed him, he resumed his gentle demeanor. With a command, he urged his horse forward, and Chu Zhao's carriage naturally followed him.
In the blink of an eye, the bustling roadside returned to its previous state.
Chu Lan, who had been waiting to receive someone, stood frozen in place. He had risen early and traveled all this way for nothing.
The Crown Prince of Zhongshan had been driven away by Chu Zhao.
Chu Zhao had been taken by Deng Yi.
"This Deng Yi!" he trembled with rage, pointing at the receding procession. "How utterly audacious."
Chu Ke nodded with shared apprehension: "He is indeed very bold, Father. You have no idea how dangerous that was just now." He then recounted Deng Yi's actions during their journey.
After finishing his account, Chu Ke asked curiously, "What is this Lord Deng's background? Who is his patron?"
Chu Lan was also surprised to hear this but sneered coldly: "When petty men gain power, they indeed become rampant."
He had naturally made some inquiries about this Deng Yi: an unsuccessful scholar who took minor clerical posts in the counties to make ends meet, climbing diligently through the ranks until last year when he finally reached the capital and entered the Ministry of the Guards.
"What connections did he rely on?" Chu Ke grew even more astonished. For someone who sounded so ordinary to not fade into obscurity but instead enter the capital and court was truly remarkable.Chu Lan sneered, "What connections? By bribing with money and gifts—they say that in the beginning, just to secure a minor official post, he even pawned his cotton-padded coat to offer gifts, stuffing himself with dried grass for warmth every day. This time, he managed to enter the capital by currying favor with the Yang Family."
The Yang Family referred to the Imperial Uncle Yang. Although the Empress had passed away many years ago, the Second Prince, born to the Empress, had been appointed Crown Prince, so the Yang Family remained firmly established.
So, indeed, he had a backer.
Chu Ke understood and anxiously advised his father, "Father, don't provoke him. He's not someone to trifle with."
But Chu Lan laughed, his expression disdainful—not out of scholarly integrity, but because—
"This Deng Yi is utterly shameless. No sooner had he attached himself to the Yang Family than he entered the Zhao Family's doorstep."
After the Empress's death, the Emperor had never appointed another Empress. The Imperial Concubine Zhao monopolized the Emperor's favor in the rear palace, acting as if she were the Empress. Her maternal family, the Zhao Family, from grandfathers and uncles to sons and nephews, had almost all received titles and were privately referred to as the new Imperial Uncle, their influence even surpassing that of the Yang Family.
This backer was even more formidable.
But for a person to try relying on two backers—and two who were as incompatible as fire and water—there could only be one outcome: being crushed to pulp.
Chu Ke was dumbfounded, "Is Deng Yi stupid or insane?"
Though it's said that petty men have no integrity, even a petty man must follow some rules.
Chu Lan mocked, "That's why he's caught between a rock and a hard place, unable to gain a foothold in the Ministry of the Guards."
The current Minister of the Guards was close to the Yang Family—how could he tolerate such a petty man who tried to have his cake and eat it too?
That was probably why Deng Yi had been assigned this thankless task.
And yet, this Deng Yi actually dared to treat a chicken feather as a warrant arrow.
"I want to see if he dares to crack the whip at Minister Liang."
Chu Lan flicked his sleeve.
"Let's go."
……
……
Chu Zhao paid no mind to how angry Chu Lan was afterward. In her previous life, her uncle's family had always been angry with her—angry with her father, blaming all their misfortunes on the two of them.
If she couldn't satisfy them, they wouldn't speak a single kind word.
And they would never be satisfied, only demanding more and then complaining even more.
Deng Yi brought her into the Ministry of the Guards and actually arranged a prison cell for her.
Even the jailer was shocked to see this young girl brought to a cell.
It wasn't that the Ministry of the Guards had never held female prisoners, but those were usually the female relatives of officials whose families had been executed or confiscated.
Although Chu Ling had once shown great disrespect to the Emperor, the Emperor had neither executed his family nor confiscated their property. The position of Garrison General had remained secure all these years.
For his daughter to come here—wasn't she just asking for trouble?
"Miss Chu, this is what you requested. Don't blame me," Deng Yi said.
Chu Zhao had already stepped out of the carriage and replied, "How could I blame you, sir? You granted my request—if anything, I am indebted to you, and I've also made you bear responsibility on my behalf." With that, she bowed solemnly.
Deng Yi smiled. Bringing her to the prison cell was indeed beyond his duties, and she ought to be grateful.
He had accepted a large sum of money from this girl, but that was for her request to ride in the carriage. That transaction was already concluded. The girl didn't assume that just because he took the money, he would endlessly cater to her—she was very clear-headed, and he was pleased.
He nodded and said, "It has been a pleasure dealing with you, Miss Chu. I hope we meet again.""What kind of nonsense is this? Who would want to deal with the Ministry of the Guards' officials anyway? It's not like it's anything good," the jailer glared again, but seeing the girl showed no trace of fear or intimidation, instead smiling: "Having Lord Deng overseeing this journey is my great fortune amidst misfortune."
Deng Yi laughed heartily: "For Miss Chu's kind words, jailer, arrange a decent cell for Miss Chu. I'll owe you this favor."
The jailer spat: "Who wants to owe such favors? Stop talking nonsense and go report back already."
Without another word, Deng Yi strode away.
"Miss Chu, you've had bad luck running into him while he's on duty," the jailer shook his head helplessly, leading Chu Zhao to the cell. "Minister Deng isn't an easy person to deal with."
As she followed him, Chu Zhao couldn't care less whether Deng Yi was easy to deal with or not. She never intended to befriend him anyway.
All she hoped was to avoid offending him, so that when he eventually rose to power as destined in her previous life, he could deliver a resounding slap to Xiao Xun's face.
This time, she would never pity or feel sorry for Xiao Xun again - she would only applaud and cheer.
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