Qiao Chu

A Le was startled and almost immediately clung to Chu Zhao’s leg.

The tavern attendant delivering the wine was so frightened he nearly knelt down.

“Young lady, don’t do anything rash—it’s just a matter of a few coins for food and drink!”

He had felt uneasy about it all along. That Lord Deng was an official, and so much older—how could he let a young girl pay the bill?

Chu Zhao waved them off. “I’m fine. I was just looking at that gentleman—Young Master Xie.”

At these words, although A Le still didn’t quite understand, the attendant breathed a sigh of relief and straightened up.

Ah, looking at Young Master Xie—what young lady in the capital didn’t want to catch a glimpse of him? More than half the patrons at Elegant Interest Pavilion today had come just for Young Master Xie.

“Miss Chu, you’re a bit late,” the attendant said, setting down the wine jug and looking at the girl leaning over the railing. “Young Master Xie has already left.”

“Not late, not late,” Chu Zhao murmured, her gaze fixed on the young noble surrounded by people in the hall below. “That’s Xie the Third of the Eastern Sunlight Xie family, the Crown Princess’s younger brother, isn’t it?”

The attendant smiled and confirmed it. “That’s him. He just arrived from Eastern Sunlight. Aside from the Crown Princess’s wedding to the Crown Prince, this is only his second time in the capital. Miss Chu, you must have heard—Young Master Xie is handsome, talented, virtuous, perfect in every way—”

The attendant chattered on, clearly fond of Young Master Xie himself. Who wouldn’t be captivated by such an elegant and noble young man?

Chu Zhao tightened her grip on the railing. Perfect? Of course he was perfect. Beyond what everyone knew now, Young Master Xie had even more “perfect” qualities.

He was warlike, skilled in military strategy, ruthless, and merciless—the very ringleader who would one day tear the Great Xia dynasty in two and plunge its people into exile.

But in that previous life, she had never laid eyes on this rebel leader in person.

The rebel leader Xie the Third, cousin of the Crown Princess, had been renowned since childhood, which was why he could rally thousands at a single call and instantly stand against Xiao Xun.

Of course, it wasn’t truly instantaneous. Xiao Xun had raged, “Damn that Xie traitor! They’ve long been plotting treachery. Everyone says the Zhao and Yang families as Imperial Relatives are arrogant, but the Xie family is the worst of all. The Crown Princess isn’t even Empress yet, and they’re already secretly networking everywhere, forming cliques for their own gain.”

But his curses were futile. The Xie family possessed vast wealth, numerous descendants, and extensive connections—they had fame, fortune, followers, and, most importantly, a banner.

The Xie family raised the banner of punishing evil and vanquishing villains.

And the villain they aimed to punish was her.

Chu Zhao’s hand clenched the railing tightly as she uttered word by word, “Swallow... Wolf.”

The attendant had already left. Hearing this, A Le scratched her head. Earlier, while moving about, she had overheard people mentioning that Young Master Xie, being the third son, had a name that seemed to include the character “Yan.”

“Is Young Master Xie called ‘Yan Lang’?” she asked curiously. Or was it a term of endearment?

Chu Zhao smiled. Young Master Xie’s name did contain the character “Yan.” Perhaps at first, everyone affectionately called him “Yan Lang,” but because he was so ferocious and ruthless, his name later morphed into “Yan Lang”—the Swallow Wolf.

A savage beast—Xie’s Swallow Wolf.

Chu Zhao looked down from above. The hall resembled a lake, with the noble young man blooming like a lotus flower, surrounded by leaves and fish.

Several young men darted through the crowd like fish swimming toward Xie the Third. One fish lagged at the back, seemingly reluctant, swaying and glancing around until he looked up and spotted the figure above. The next moment, he leaped back as if startled, causing ripples.

“Yan Lai, what are you doing?” the young men noticed one fewer among them and called out anxiously. “Why aren’t you following?”

Turning back, they were even more startled."What are you doing?"

It turned out that the phoenix-eyed young man who had jumped back had actually grabbed a tablecloth to cover his head and face.

A muffled voice came from beneath the cloth: "Because whenever I see Young Master Xie the Third, I feel ashamed of my own inadequacy and can't bear to show my face."

......

......

Young Master Xie the Third glanced over in this direction.

The person beside him also looked over, frowning as he whispered: "That scoundrel is out drinking again. He hasn't been home for days."

Another young man sneered coldly: "Everyone in the tavern knows Third Brother is here. He's neither blind nor deaf, yet he doesn't come to pay his respects. I'll drag him over."

As he stepped forward, Young Master Xie the Third stopped him: "We can see our own brothers at home. Let him enjoy himself."

With that, he paid no further attention and thanked the several people behind him: "Thank you for your hospitality."

Those people smiled and returned the courtesy: "It's our honor."

Both groups walked toward the door together. The young women who had come downstairs looked disappointed - was he leaving already? They hadn't gotten their fill of looking at him.

Qi Leyun was especially regretful. She hadn't even gotten a clear view of him, having spent most of her time staring at the corridor pillars. Unable to restrain herself, she called out: "Young Master Xie the Third!"

Young Master Xie the Third didn't ignore her, turning to look back.

Now that he was actually looking at her, Qi Leyun felt both nervous and delighted. Gripping the stair railing tightly, she stammered: "You... you will attend the Hope Spring Garden Literary Gathering, won't you?"

Young Master Xie the Third smiled at her but didn't speak before turning and leaving.

The other young women were somewhat annoyed.

"Qi Leyun, what kind of question was that!"

"If you don't know how to speak properly, say less!"

"Don't you know who Young Master Xie the Third is?"

Qi Leyun regretted her words immediately after speaking. Of course she knew who Young Master Xie the Third was - he was from the Eastern Yang Xie family, the Crown Prince's brother-in-law, and the Crown Prince and Third Prince were extremely at odds.

Never mind whether the Third Prince would invite him or whether Young Master Xie would attend if invited - this posed a difficult situation for both the Third Prince and Young Master Xie.

And here you were, Qi Leyun, publicly putting him on the spot.

"I didn't mean to, I wasn't trying to pressure him," Qi Leyun said with a worried expression. "I just thought that with Young Master Xie's exceptional talent, the Hope Spring Garden Literary Gathering would be lacking without him."

"Lacking what?" another girl scoffed. "Even if Young Master Xie attends, we still can't get in to see his elegance."

"What?" Qi Leyun exclaimed in surprise, quickly asking, "Didn't they say it was a grand event where everyone could participate?"

The other young women were also surprised. Although they didn't believe the Hope Spring Garden Literary Gathering would truly be open to everyone, they assumed noble families like theirs would certainly be able to attend.

Literary gatherings are meant to be lively, after all - you need many people to build reputation.

Everyone looked at the girl who had spoken.

"Not at all," the girl shook her head. "Everyone can participate, but 'everyone' doesn't include women. I originally wanted my brother to take me, but he said the Third Prince won't allow women to attend and told me to forget about it."

The young women immediately erupted in chatter: "That can't be true?" "Impossible!" "Did your brother just say that because you're annoying?"

Everyone discussed animatedly but couldn't reach any conclusion.

"Stop arguing," one girl said. "I'll visit the two princesses and ask if they're going." Her family had connections to the imperial family and could speak with the princesses. "If the princesses attend, we'll naturally accompany them."

Then she made a shushing gesture to everyone.

"In such a public place, we shouldn't be discussing matters concerning the Third Prince."

The young women naturally understood who could be provoked and who couldn't, and obediently changed the subject."Speaking of Young Master Xie the Third, have you all heard?" a girl whispered. "Liang Qin's marriage proposal is with him—"

This caused even greater astonishment among the girls than the Third Prince's literary gathering, instantly sparking another wave of commotion. The girl's unfinished words were drowned out by the noise.

"Impossible!" Qi Leyun's voice rose above the others. "How could Liang Qin ever be worthy of Young Master Xie the Third!"

The uproar drew glances from all around. Even Chu Zhao, who was still leaning against the railing looking downward, caught the mention of "Liang." Meanwhile, Liang Qiang, seated near Chu Ke, sharply lifted her head.