Qiao Chu

A Le was not at home, as Chu Zhao had assigned her to keep watch outside. The moment Chu Ke stepped out, A Le followed.

However, with her young mistress backing her, A Le no longer feared causing trouble and hesitating to act, daring to assign other maids now.

There were two young girls sent by Jiang Shi to make up the numbers, whom A Le rewarded with a few coins, instructing them to keep an eye on the gate.

When the young ladies entered, the little girl squatting by the inner gate under the pretense of helping the steward's wife sweep immediately rushed to inform Chu Zhao.

"It's Miss Qi and the others," the little girl even recognized who had come, carefully noting where they went, and eagerly asked Chu Zhao, "They're all at Miss A-Tang's place. Miss Azhao, are you going over?"

Previously, it had always been like this—Chu Zhao watching Chu Tang, determined to follow her and play with those girls.

Chu Zhao smiled, grabbed a handful of preserved fruits, and gave them to the little girl: "I won't go over, but keep an eye out for me and see what they're playing."

Miss Azhao had become very generous lately. The little girl took them happily and ran off. Moreover, after Miss Azhao had struck Miss Liang, the entire household of the elder master went to apologize and make amends. But Miss Azhao made a trip to inform the second master, and upon returning, not only did she not have to apologize to the Liang family, she even went to the Liang house to scold them, and the Liangs didn't dare utter a single word in response.

The elder master and his wife always said the second master was a criminal who brought trouble to the family, but by comparison, the second master was clearly more formidable.

A formidable father meant a formidable daughter. Being able to work for the formidable Miss Azhao was naturally something to be happy about.

With the little girl running back and forth, when Chu Tang's maid arrived with a smile, Chu Zhao already knew her purpose.

"Everyone is playing in the garden," the maid said. "Miss A-Tang specifically sent me to inform you. If Miss Azhao would like to join, you can go speak to the master and mistress and take a stroll in the garden as well."

Chu Zhao gave an "oh" and stood up as she wished: "I don't need to inform my uncle and aunt to go to the garden. My uncle said to confine me to the house—isn't staying within the grounds enough?"

With that, she strode out.

"Miss Azhao," the maid hurriedly called out with feigned unease, "then let this servant seek permission on your behalf."

Chu Zhao paid no heed to whether she was seeking permission or tattling and headed straight for the garden.

The maids in the garden were also watching, reporting along the way to Chu Tang and the others: "Miss Azhao has come out." "Miss Azhao has reached the stone bridge." "Miss Azhao broke off a bamboo branch—"

What was she doing with the bamboo? Using it as a weapon? The girls felt somewhat uneasy, but fortunately, the maids soon brought news that Miss Azhao had used the bamboo to poke at the fish in the stream and then discarded it.

The girls breathed a sigh of relief.

"How vile," Qi Leyun said indignantly. "What did the fish ever do to her?"

Amid the girls' unease and tension, while they pretended to be calm playing the qin, chess, or painting, Chu Zhao finally appeared leisurely in their sight.

Looking at the girl in a half-new, half-old cyan dress, her black hair tied high, revealing a slender, pale neck, her expression seemingly smiling yet her eyes cold and sharp, everyone felt a sense of unfamiliarity. They couldn't recall what Chu Zhao had looked like before—who had ever cared about her appearance anyway?

In the lakeside pavilion, the girls were either sitting or standing. The qin music stopped, and for a moment, it was silent.

"What are you all playing?" Chu Zhao spoke up, not waiting for anyone to answer, and directly took a seat, looking around.Ten years ago and ten years later, the young ladies still engaged in the same activities—playing the qin, playing chess, writing calligraphy, and painting—always maintaining grace and tranquility, sitting, reclining, and moving as elegantly as a painting.

The imperial consorts in the palace were no different. Wherever Xiao Xun went, he could enjoy melodious qin music, and there was always a consort ready to play chess with him. Every palace hall was adorned with paintings of landscapes, birds, insects, and figures.

She stood out in no way among them.

No matter how hard she studied, she could never surpass these women who had been meticulously trained in these arts since childhood. Xiao Xun didn’t even bother to glance at her, let alone appreciate her skills in qin, chess, calligraphy, or painting.

Nor could she find any joy in these pursuits herself, for she had learned them solely to entertain others.

Her casual demeanor and somewhat gloomy expression made the other girls snap back to attention—clearly, she was not here with good intentions!

Qi Leyun snorted and said, “What? Are you going to blame us for not including you in our games?”

Chu Zhao also snorted. “No, I don’t even enjoy these activities.”

Her words stunned everyone once again. In the past, Chu Zhao had never expressed dislike; instead, she would flatteringly say how much she loved these pastimes and begged to be taught—

Was she now giving up entirely, abandoning all pretense of learning?

“Exactly, you never liked these things to begin with, so why insist on tagging along with us?” Qi Leyun retorted. “You don’t enjoy yourself, and then you blame us for neglecting or bullying you.”

Chu Zhao laughed and looked at her, struggling to recall who this girl was.

“And you are?” she asked.

This attitude infuriated Qi Leyun, who glared back. Who is she trying to fool? Chu Tang had long since revealed that Chu Zhao had written down and memorized each of their names, addressing them sweetly as “sisters” day in and day out. How could she pretend not to recognize them now?

“I’m Qi Leyun,” she snapped, no longer bothering with politeness. “My father serves as a Ling Shi in the Minister of Works’ office. I’ve spoken ill of your father too—go on, hit me!”

Chu Zhao was amused. The pettiness of young girls was different from the schemes of the palace consorts; looking back now, it seemed almost laughable.

And as for this Qi Leyun, she finally remembered: the Qi Ling Shi family had been terribly unfortunate. During the chaos in the capital, rioters had casually tossed a torch into their home, which happened to land in the firewood shed, sparking a blaze. The entire family had perished, unable to escape.

This fierce, vibrant girl before her would one day be reduced to a charred corpse.

“Hit you—” Chu Zhao began.

Qi Leyun tensed, and the other girls instinctively stiffened as well.

Chu Tang stood up but remained silent, ready to intervene if a fight broke out.

Instead of charging forward, Chu Zhao leaned back in her chair, her expression languid.

“—Why stop at you? All of you have said things, haven’t you?” she said. “If I were to retaliate against everyone, how could I possibly manage? So, I only made an example of Miss Liang. Consider it a warning—refrain from such behavior in the future, and that will suffice.”

The girls were stunned into silence. Qi Leyun stared blankly for a moment before growing even angrier.

“Chu Zhao, you act so magnanimous!” she shouted. “You think you’re justified in hitting someone? What’s wrong with speaking ill of your father? It’s not slander—it’s the truth! Did your father not release bandits? Did he not show disrespect to Your Majesty?”

Chu Zhao fell silent for a moment, then nodded. “Yes, my father did those things.”

“If he did them, then people have every right to talk!” Qi Leyun sneered.

The other girls quickly regained their composure, their expressions shifting to scorn or cold smiles as they began chattering about the past incidents."Your father once fought my second uncle, both were Captains, just because my second uncle wouldn't allow your father to leave the team without permission."

"Back then, your father even sent troops to seize the memorial impeaching him and burned it right in the street. Many people witnessed it."

Chu Tang sighed softly. "Why bring this up? It's all in the past. And you, A Zhao, arguing over this, bringing it up again and again—who exactly is shaming Second Uncle now?"

Hearing these words, Chu Zhao still didn't rush over to fight. Sitting in her chair, she plucked a zither string. The zheng sound cut off the girls' chatter.

"But His Majesty did not hold my father accountable for it," Chu Zhao said. "The court did not punish my father either, so he is not guilty."

Qi Leyun sneered. "That's because His Majesty is magnanimous and benevolent. But officials and commoners need not extend such generosity to such vile behavior. What your father did, others can speak of. What, are you trying to silence the entire world?"

Chu Zhao stood up.

Qi Leyun instinctively stepped back, and the other girls were startled too.

"Everything you say is true, but to me, unless the court or His Majesty convicts him, my father is innocent. I cannot listen to your insults and remain indifferent." Chu Zhao still didn't charge forward to fight but walked over slowly. "You can say whatever you want behind my back, but don't say it in front of me, don't let me hear it. Otherwise, if I don't teach you a lesson for insulting my father, I would be an unfilial child. Kinship means shielding and protecting one's own. Beating you is only right and proper."

As she spoke, she had already closed in on Qi Leyun.

Qi Leyun stiffened, refusing to retreat further—one more step and she would fall out of the pavilion.

"I came today to tell you this." Chu Zhao reached out and patted Qi Leyun on the shoulder. "From now on, don't come looking for me, don't appear in front of me. We have nothing to do with each other."

This wretched girl—they hadn't even said much, and she was the one telling them to stay away. Qi Leyun glared, grinding her teeth.

But Chu Zhao didn't look at her again. She glanced at Chu Tang.

"A Tang," she said, pointing around. "Is our family's garden beautiful?"

What now? Was she forbidding the girls from coming to play? "Our family"—that "our" included more than just her, Chu Zhao. Chu Tang smiled and said, "It is beautiful."

Chu Zhao said, "Such a beautiful garden, after all these years, still remains in the Chu family's hands. Why do you think that is?"

Of course the Chu family's garden should stay with the Chu family. What did she mean, why? Chu Tang was taken aback.

Chu Zhao said no more. She walked out of the pavilion, casually broke off a willow branch, and swung it as she walked, humming a little tune.

The girls watched her swaying, slow-moving figure, like a willow branch, and listened to Chu Zhao's humming, momentarily at a loss for words.

One girl, dazed, couldn't help but say, "She's humming the tune I played earlier."

That tune was very difficult. She had practiced it for a long time, specifically to showcase it in front of everyone.

Now, hearing Chu Zhao hum it so fluently, not a single note out of place, it was even more skilled than her own performance.