After daybreak, the fighting within the capital gradually subsided.
Empress Chu's troops first secured the Imperial City, then escorted Xiao Yu out of the Imperial Palace. Clad in the Dragon Robe and gripping a sword, Xiao Yu loudly proclaimed:
"Empress Chu has returned to court. The Xie family has confessed their crimes. Lay down your arms and you shall be spared."
Then Xie Yanlai, wearing a mask, knelt and surrendered without resistance.
The true Xie family followers had perished in the fighting, while the remaining troops mobilized by the Xie family, seeing the situation was hopeless, abandoned their resistance.
Officials were summoned from their homes, and even commoners who hadn't been called emerged, crowding the streets shouting to protect the Emperor and welcome Empress Chu—
But everyone only saw the Emperor, not Empress Chu.
"Was she injured?"
"Perhaps she's still occupied."
The commoners murmured among themselves, worried and anxious.
Chu Zhao was indeed injured, though not enough to hinder her movement. Nor was she particularly busy, strolling leisurely through the shaded garden with Xiao Man beside her—one hand holding a sword, the other a cup of wine.
A dozen guards followed closely, their footsteps echoing and breaking the estate's tranquility.
"Third Young Master's residence always holds hidden wonders, so different from others," Chu Zhao remarked, looking around with admiration.
Cai Bo stood coldly under a cluster of osmanthus trees before the front door. "The entire realm is yours now. You can view this estate anytime. The Third Young Master only has limited moments of clarity—you'd best not waste them."
Chu Zhao said nothing more, smiling as she stepped forward. Xiao Man and the guards followed, their numbers nearly filling the room as they entered.
"Is Empress Chu so timid?" Cai Bo sneered. "Our Young Master is in this state."
Chu Zhao paused to glance at him.
"Even if Third Young Master were a corpse lying here, I would remain vigilant," she said. "That's a compliment—you should be pleased."
Before Cai Bo could respond, laughter came from within.
Though the man's voice lacked its former strength, it remained clear as a mountain spring: "The Empress is right. I'm quite pleased with your compliment."
Chu Zhao didn't reply, stepping inside to see Xie Yanfang on the curtained daybed.
His black hair was disheveled, his face pale as paper, lips bloodless—ethereal and elegant, yet unreal like distant mountains in an ink wash painting.
"A year apart, and Third Young Master has grown much thinner," she said.
Xie Yanfang smiled. "The Empress has also grown thinner. You've suffered."
"To achieve one's desires, one must endure hardships ordinary people never face," Chu Zhao replied.
Xie Yanfang nodded. "Indeed. So I'm glad—you still returned after all."
Was this his desire fulfilled then? That she, who never wanted to be Empress, had to fight her way back to the throne?
Chu Zhao approached the bedside.
"Hey, be careful," Xiao Man stopped her, whispering while glaring fiercely at the man on the bed.
Her own arm had been crippled by his hand.
Though he now appeared fragile as porcelain, his faint smile and chilling aura still evoked unease.
"Don't worry. Third Young Master can't bear to kill me now," Chu Zhao said, taking the wine cup from Xiao Man and sitting by the daybed.
Xie Yanfang watched her with amusement.
"The Xie family has fled," Chu Zhao said. "Why didn't you run?"
After entering the city, besides heading to the Imperial Palace, she'd sent troops to attack the Xie residence. But the Xie family had vanished—even their servants were gone.
Only Xie Yanfang remained.
It couldn't be because he was too ill to move, or because he'd been abandoned as worthless.For the Xie family, even if Xie Yanfang were a corpse, they would treasure and take him away.
"Me?" Xie Yanfang leaned against the pillow and looked at her. "I was waiting for you."
Chu Zhao made a sound of acknowledgment. "That makes sense. Watching a trapped beast enter its cage is always most satisfying when witnessed personally."
Xie Yanfang smiled, neither admitting nor denying it.
"Running or not makes no difference. The Xie family has already been convicted, and all under heaven belongs to the emperor," Chu Zhao said. "The Xie family cannot escape."
Xie Yanfang nodded. "The Empress is right." He leaned against the pillow and gazed around the room. "The birth and death, rise and fall of all things in heaven and earth are predetermined. The Xie family didn't exist in the beginning, so it's fine if they cease to exist."
Chu Zhao laughed. "It sounds like you don't care about the Xie family's survival."
"I have perspective," Xie Yanfang said with a smile.
"You don't have perspective. You only care whether life and death, rise and fall happen according to your expectations. If they do, you have perspective. If they don't, you would never rest," Chu Zhao said calmly. "Xie Yanfang, you're actually the person with the least perspective in this world, because you only ever see yourself."
Xie Yanfang raised his hand to touch his brow, as if pondering her words. "Is that so? But that's not important. What matters is that the Empress has returned."
Chu Zhao laughed wryly. "See? Even now you only care about that, only see yourself, and not me."
Xie Yanfang looked at her.
Chu Zhao gently twirled the wine cup in her hand.
"Third Young Master, I came back precisely to leave."
"This is the lesson you taught me."
"I previously thought A'Yu had grown up, and that you were sincerely protecting him. With you in charge of the empire, I could retreat peacefully."
"Later I realized that the only one who can ensure my peaceful retreat is myself."
"This time I returned to accomplish exactly that."
Xie Yanfang frowned. "Unless you're sitting here, holding power in your own hands, how can anyone in this world be trusted enough to let you retreat peacefully?"
Chu Zhao said, "It's about making others trust me."
At this point, her eyes sparkled with a smile as she leaned close to Xie Yanfang and whispered.
"Deng Yi is still alive. He can be used again."
Xie Yanfang looked at the girl leaning toward him. "Impressive. I truly didn't expect that."
His eyes curved, filled with genuine admiration.
"Also, the Garrison Guard imprisoned in the dungeons—you didn't kill them. Having experienced life and death, they'll be even more useful now."
"I'll devise some new methods to rebuild a clean and honest court."
"More importantly—"
Hearing this, Xie Yanfang took over the conversation with a smile. "More importantly, with troops in hand at Yunzhong Commandery, you can divide the territory and rule independently."
Chu Zhao's eyes sparkled as she asked, "What do you think? My arrangements aren't bad, are they?"
"Deng Yi enters the court to restrain A'Yu. A'Yu controls the Garrison Guard to pressure the court officials. You remain distant from the court, using Yunzhong Commandery as both A'Yu's support and—his threat." Xie Yanfang said thoughtfully. "These three or four parties relying on each other while remaining wary of each other indeed creates chaos without disintegration, with proper tension and relaxation."
Chu Zhao smiled like a student receiving praise, her eyes curving happily.
Watching her smile, Xie Yanfang also smiled gently.
Though they had experienced life-and-death struggle on the hunting grounds, it seemed as if nothing had happened between them.
"Still, I don't understand. What would be so bad about you staying here?" Xie Yanfang sighed softly."Perhaps it's because the me who stays here would no longer be me," Chu Zhao said.
Xie Yanfang looked up at her. After more than a year apart, she had grown thinner, her black hair framing a pale face, yet her eyes still sparkled like stars.
Through those eyes, the girl standing here still seemed like the one who had rushed to his home to befriend him.
She was still weighing things.
Weighing people and matters, deciding whether they were worth her sinking into.
Xie Yanfang nodded: "I understand."
This Imperial City wasn't worth her sinking into.
Neither was he worth her sinking into.
Chu Zhao also looked at him: "But there's something I don't understand either. Third Young Master, you should know what kind of person I am. Why insist on trying to control me?"
Xie Yanfang didn't speak, his gaze falling on her hand as he asked: "Is that wine for me?"
Chu Zhao looked down at the wine cup in her hand: "Yes."
Xie Yanfang reached out, but the girl didn't hand over the cup, seeming somewhat hesitant.
He smiled slightly and reached further, his slender fingers grasping the wine cup while also holding the girl's hand.
Chu Zhao froze for a moment, then her cold fingers withdrew, taking the wine cup with them.
Xie Yanfang drained the wine in one gulp, then leaned against the pillow.
"Perhaps it's because—" he said, "of love."
Was this answering her question? Chu Zhao looked at him.
Xie Yanfang smiled at her.
"I thought I was loving myself," he said. "Turns out I wasn't."
Wasn't what? Chu Zhao was slightly stunned. When she looked again, Xie Yanfang had closed his eyes, the white porcelain cup slipping from his hand like jade,
He fell peacefully asleep.
......
......
When A Le entered, the guards were no longer in the room, only Chu Zhao sitting alone by the bedside, finally able to examine this Third Young Master Xie at ease.
As she looked, she couldn't help but smile again.
Third Young Master Xie probably didn't know that in that previous life, he had examined her corpse in the same way.
Though probably not as carefully as she was looking now.
After all, the Empress Chu of that lifetime wasn't worth more than a glance.
"Miss," A Le said softly, "are you alright?"
Chu Zhao turned to look at her: "Why wouldn't I be alright?"
A Le stepped forward, looking around before lowering her voice: "Xiao Man told me that, Xie Yanfang, he, he said he loves you."
Who would have thought that Xie Yanfang actually admired the young lady?
Killing someone who says they love you must feel, not very good, right?
Especially since this was Xie Yanfang we're talking about. A Le couldn't help but glance at the bed - though he had been ill and weak for so long, the young master was still pleasing to look at.
Chu Zhao understood and laughed: "I'm perfectly fine. This is good, I'm very happy. But I'm happy for myself."
She looked at Xie Yanfang.
"His loving me isn't because he's so great, but because I'm great."
Xie Yanfang had said these words too - that she was worth his affection.
But back then she hadn't fully understood their meaning. Now she could comprehend what these words meant.
If she were still the Chu Zhao of that previous lifetime, how could Xie Yanfang possibly love her?
She would no longer become excited because someone liked her, nor feel grateful to them for liking them.
She would only love herself more, be grateful to herself.
Chu Zhao stood up, reached out to gently stroke Xie Yanfang's face, smiled, then turned and walked out.
......
......
Outside the Xie residence stood rows of soldiers and horses. Chu Zhao paused slightly as she emerged, until she spotted a bright yellow figure.
"Sister!" Xiao Yu jumped down from his horse and came running toward her.
After a few steps he stopped, looking at her with timid eyes.Chu Zhao said, "Your Majesty."
She called him Your Majesty... Xiao Yu's already pale face grew even paler. He tried to force a smile but didn't know if the smile he managed looked even worse than crying.
"Is there anything you want to say to me?" Chu Zhao asked again.
Xiao Yu murmured, "I'm sorry."
He took a step forward.
"Sister Chu, I'm sorry. I was wrong. I shouldn't have taken advantage of your affection for me to hurt you."
Chu Zhao shook her head and said, "No, you shouldn't have failed to cherish what you have. A Yu, surviving is a blessing. You should cherish everything—whether it's me or others, and also this Great Xia."
Xiao Yu nodded, "Yes, Sister, I understand."
Chu Zhao walked forward and stood before him. The once mischievous child was now almost as tall as her.
Since daybreak, he had been rushing around the city, comforting the people and intimidating the rebels in his role as the Son of Heaven. His Dragon Robe had become somewhat disheveled.
Chu Zhao reached out and gently smoothed his collar.
"Then I'll forgive you this once," she said, then poked his forehead with her finger. "But I won't forgive you next time."
A smile instantly bloomed on Xiao Yu's face.
"Sister," he called out, his voice choked with emotion as he reached out to hug Chu Zhao.
Chu Zhao let him hold her for a moment, then raised her hand to pat him. "Alright, let's return to the palace. There's still much to do."
Return to the palace. Xiao Yu straightened up happily. "Yes, let's return to the palace."
Chu Zhao nodded with a smile and walked ahead.
Xiao Yu paused slightly behind, looking at his outstretched hand.
Sister hadn't taken his hand again.
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