Qiao Chu

The capital, a young lady missing?

The Station Chief was somewhat surprised.

Every year, many people went missing, from mischievous children to the elderly, and it wasn’t uncommon for young women or married ladies to disappear. A missing young lady was truly a minor matter.

What could make it a major affair was only if the young lady came from a prominent family.

“Which noble family’s young lady from the capital is it?” he asked curiously.

Qi Duyou waved his hand. “Not exactly a noble family, but her household is not simple either.”

This piqued the Station Chief’s interest even more.

“This young lady’s surname is Chu,” Qi Duyou said. “Her uncle holds no official position and teaches disciples at Qiao Mountain Academy. Her father, however, is a notable figure, and you surely know him.”

He smiled at the Station Chief.

“Garrison General of Yunzhong Commandery, Chu Ling.”

The Station Chief blinked, not particularly astonished or enlightened by the revelation of the missing young lady’s background. Instead, his first thought was, “How coincidental—it seems like this is the second time I’ve heard Garrison General Chu’s name.”

“What are you muttering about?” Qi Duyou asked, puzzled by his reaction. “What about Garrison General Chu? Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten who he is.”

The Station Chief quickly smiled. “How could I forget? I was just thinking that his name has rarely been mentioned all these years. Lately, though, I keep hearing it, almost as often as during his most glorious days.”

“Who else mentioned him?” Qi Duyou asked.

“A courier heading to the Border Commandery a few days ago,” the Station Chief replied briefly. Such matters were not to be spread around, as it could raise suspicions of leaking confidential information.

Of course, no one really considered couriers heading to the Border Commandery as handling any major secrets.

It wasn’t strange for soldiers bound for the Border Commandery to mention General Chu Ling. Qi Duyou dismissed the topic. “Garrison General Chu has faded into obscurity now, but his daughter has suddenly gained notoriety in the capital.”

The Station Chief chuckled. “Has this young lady also gone to discuss military and state affairs with His Majesty?”

“If that were the case, it would be like father, like daughter,” Qi Duyou said with a laugh. “Unfortunately, this Miss Chu is uneducated and unruly, arrogant and domineering. The other day, she kicked the daughter of Minister Liang of the Court of State Ceremonial into a lake, nearly causing a loss of life.”

It was truly unexpected that noble young ladies in the capital would fight like village shrews.

The Station Chief shook his head and sighed. “How could Garrison General Chu raise his daughter like this? Has he truly given up and lost all ambition?”

“I think it’s not about how she was raised—it’s in her nature. The father is defiant, and the daughter is arrogant,” Qi Duyou sneered.

Then he must have lost his drive, not even bothering to discipline his children, just muddling through life, the Station Chief thought to himself. He asked, “If this Miss Chu is so formidable, how could she go missing?”

Just then, the officers carrying wine returned. Cao Laosi brought a jar of wine to their table and, overhearing the conversation, let out a hearty laugh.

“This Miss Chu didn’t go missing—she ran away after beating someone up,” he said. “Miss Liang nearly lost her life, and her parents were so grief-stricken they refused to let it go. They insisted on taking the matter to the Emperor to punish Miss Chu. So, Miss Chu fled.”

The Station Chief laughed. “The young lady has no sense of responsibility.”

As he poured wine, Cao Laosi animatedly continued, “That young lady is something else. After beating someone, she didn’t make a sound, shed a tear, or cause a scene. The next day, she climbed over the wall and ran away, even stealing a lot of money from home. Old Man Chu is a scholar—he’s been humiliated outside, apologizing left and right, while his wife and daughter went to the Liang family to personally care for Miss Liang. And now, the troublemaker has run off, leaving him fuming and his household in complete chaos.”The Station Chief chuckled and said, "Raising this daughter has turned out to be more troublesome than raising a son."

In the past, it was common to see wayward young men causing trouble for their families, but this was the first time he had heard of a young lady doing the same.

Qi Duyou picked up his wine bowl and took a sip. The warmth spread through him more effectively than hot water, driving away the chill from head to toe.

"I knew Old Xu had something good," he said with a laugh.

The Station Chief took a small sip from his bowl and then asked, "So this Miss Chu is going to find her father? This child is truly bold. The journey from the capital to Yunzhong Commandery is so far. Even though the realm is at peace now, for a girl—how old is Miss Chu?"

Qi Duyou couldn't quite recall and glanced at Cao Laosi. He was merely there for appearances; the real work was done by his subordinates.

Cao Laosi quickly replied, "I believe she's almost thirteen." He even gestured with his hand to indicate her height—about this tall.

They had been given a portrait of her: a thin, petite girl who looked gentle and quiet, giving no hint that she could cause such trouble.

Thirteen years old... The Station Chief held his wine bowl, momentarily lost in thought. The daughter of Lady Yang seemed to be around twelve or thirteen as well. For some inexplicable reason, he kept thinking of that mother and daughter.

"Regardless of her age, how can a young lady travel such a long distance? Leaving aside safety concerns, would she even know the way?" He pulled himself back to the conversation.

Well, even the two Yang daughters knew to find a Courier to accompany them.

"Miss Chu isn't foolish," Cao Laosi said. "She left a letter saying she would hire the best Escorts to escort her back to Yunzhong Commandery."

So that was it. She had stolen money from home. The Station Chief nodded and shook his head with a smile. "I wonder which escort agency is bold enough to take on such a job."

"They've asked all over the capital, but no one has taken it," Qi Duyou said. "She probably found an Escort outside the capital under a false name. These days, there are always daring escort agencies willing to take any job as long as the pay is good. That's why we're tracking her down this way."

It seemed he had only just remembered and turned to the Station Chief. "Old Xu, have any of you seen Escorts around these past few days?"

The Station Chief shook his head. "Duyou, you know how it is. Those Escorts won't come to our official courier stations."

Escorts carried weapons and tended to keep their distance from officials, avoiding courier stations for rest stops.

Qi Duyou clearly knew this and nodded. "I was just asking. The people from the capital are also making inquiries in the towns."

The Station Chief urged the station attendants to hurry with the food and couldn't help but think of Chu Ling. He continued, "Is it General Chu's family who came looking? Speaking of which, since that incident, General Chu has never returned to the capital. It must have been over a decade now—"

Qi Duyou shook his head. "It was one of Chu Ling's elder brother's sons who came, but he was accompanied by someone from the Ministry of the Guards. The Minister of the Guards sent his Left Assistant, Deng Yi."

The Station Chief was astonished. "Even the Minister of the Guards sent someone? This must have reached Your Majesty's ears, right?"

Chu Ling was the second son, and his elder brother was a scholar with no official position. How could he possibly command the Ministry of the Guards?

It must have been out of respect for Chu Ling—

"It seems Your Majesty still holds General Chu in high regard," the Station Chief probed.

This time, he didn't even refer to him as Garrison General but directly as General. Back in the day, when Chu Ling was just a Captain in a Border Commandery, they had already flattered him by calling him General.Back then, everyone thought Chu Ling would not only become Garrison General but surely rise to Grand General. Who could have foreseen that at the height of his success, misfortune would strike, causing his fate to plummet and his future to vanish entirely.

Over a decade has passed, and he remains merely a Garrison General, with no hope of promotion or ennoblement until his death.

However, His Majesty is growing old, and his health has been poor these past two years. As people age, they tend to reminisce—could it be that he intends to reinstate Chu Ling?

"You're overthinking it. His Majesty hasn't paid him any mind," Qi Duyou said disdainfully, lowering his voice to explain. "It was the Liang family who requested it—they want to file an official complaint and have the court arrest the culprit. Minister Liang's status is no ordinary matter, especially since his daughter has just been betrothed. Do you know who the in-laws are?"

Though the Station Chief was well-informed, he couldn't know everything happening in the capital, particularly regarding marriages and funerals. Curious, he asked, "It must be an influential family, surely?"

Qi Duyou's expression grew animated: "It's the Xie family of Dongyang—the maternal cousins of the current Crown Princess."

In the Great Xia Dynasty today, there exists the former Empress's Yang family, as well as the Zhao family, who rose to prominence through the favored Imperial Concubine and are mockingly called the new Imperial Uncles. But with the second prince being enfeoffed as Crown Prince and his wife, Lady Xie, giving birth to a son, securing her position, the Xie family has gradually become a force to be reckoned with among the imperial relatives.

After all, neither the Yang nor the Zhao families can compare to the Xie, who are destined to produce the future Empress.

With the Liang family's daughter marrying into the Xie family, this young lady being assaulted is truly no small matter. Offending the Xie family means offending the Crown Prince as well.

That Miss Chu has stirred up serious trouble.

"However," Qi Duyou added with a hint of disappointment at missing out on the drama, "out of respect for the Chu family's reputation, the court ultimately dispatched the Ministry of the Guards to send someone under the pretext of searching for her, not arresting her."

This was merely a facade, the Station Chief remarked, "Garrison General Chu is still going to have a headache over this."

He couldn't possibly allow his daughter to be convicted—how would she ever arrange a marriage or have a future? Her life would be ruined.

Poor Chu Ling, already a disgraced official, has been keeping a low profile and avoiding attention all these years. Just when everyone had nearly forgotten him and he could peacefully idle away his remaining days, he raised such a daughter. With this commotion, his fate is truly sealed.

As they discussed others' affairs, the three men didn't neglect their drinking and feasting, downing large mouthfuls of wine and food. The hall buzzed with lively chatter, dispelling the cold.

"Sir, sir!" a courier rushed in, looking somewhat anxious. "A man claiming to be the Vice Commandant of the Guards has arrived."

Qi Duyou set down his half-finished drink so hastily that wine splashed onto his lapel.

"Hurry, hurry," he said. "This Lord Deng has a terrifying temper."