When Chu Zhao returned home, Chu Ke had already arrived first. Seeing her son in such a state, Jiang Shi was terrified. Chu Ke initially didn’t want to speak, but the more he was questioned, the more aggrieved he felt. With tears streaming down his face, he recounted what had happened.
Having been beaten by Chu Zhao in public and having the invitation to the Third Prince’s literary gathering snatched away, Jiang Shi nearly fainted from anger. Chu Tang was shocked, while Chu Lan flew into a rage.
“Wasn’t Chu Zhao confined to the house? When did she go out?”
The maids on Chu Zhao’s side felt aggrieved and helpless: “Miss A Zhao closed the door and forbade us from entering. We didn’t dare to go in, so we had no idea she wasn’t home.”
Jiang Shi was furious: “Whose house is this? You listen to her? What do you mean you didn’t dare? Do you even have me in your eyes?”
The maids and servants immediately began pleading for mercy again.
Chu Tang quietly left and waited near the wall of Chu Zhao’s courtyard. Sure enough, before long, she saw Chu Zhao and A Le climbing over the wall to get in.
“You’re back,” Chu Tang greeted them.
A Le was somewhat wary, but Chu Zhao calmly acknowledged with an “Mm.”
“Elder Brother is back, and Father and Mother are furious,” Chu Tang said.
Was this a tip-off, a warning? A Le looked at Chu Tang in surprise, but Chu Zhao remained unfazed, nodding and saying, “No surprise there.”
Chu Tang asked curiously, “Did you really hit Elder Brother?”
“I did,” Chu Zhao replied. “He insulted my father in public, so of course I had to teach him a lesson.” She looked at Chu Tang and added, “I’ve said it before—if anyone dares to humiliate my father in front of me, I won’t let them off.”
Chu Tang smiled and said, “Don’t look at me like that. I remember.” She then asked, “Did you take Elder Brother’s invitation?”
Chu Zhao took out the invitation and waved it. “He’s not even as capable as you or me, yet the Third Prince gave him the literary invitation. Don’t you think there’s something wrong with that?”
Chu Tang was pleased to hear this but felt she shouldn’t be. Of course, Chu Ke was inferior to her, but was Chu Zhao comparing herself to her as well?
She also found it strange that her brother had received the invitation.
“You mean it’s because of Uncle,” she said.
Since when was Uncle so impressive? Why had no one mentioned it before, or if they did, it was always with disdain? Now, after Chu Zhao’s recent trip, Uncle had suddenly become a hot commodity?
Even the Third Prince was giving him face?
Chu Tang wore a faint, ambiguous smile.
Chu Zhao could see what Chu Tang was thinking but didn’t bother to explain. She wasn’t boasting—if her father had caught the Third Prince’s attention, it was anything but a good thing.
That was why she had to prevent Chu Ke from attending the literary gathering.
Who knew what traps awaited Chu Ke there? Harming Chu Ke meant harming the Chu family, and it was undoubtedly aimed at her father.
As she pondered this, she heard the sound of hurried footsteps accompanied by Chu Lan’s angry shout: “Chu Zhao! How dare you!”
Chu Tang gave Chu Zhao a sympathetic look before turning and calling out, “Father, she’s back. I was just about to tell you.”
……
……
In the past, she had been particularly afraid of her uncle and aunt’s reprimands. Whenever they showed even the slightest displeasure, she would grow uneasy.
But now, looking back, their angry scoldings were nothing to fear.
The scolding lasted half the day. Chu Zhao sat inside, washed her hands, drank tea, and even found time to snack on a few bites of pastry.
No matter what her uncle and aunt said, she only repeated two things:
“Chu Ke insulted my father first. If he dares to humiliate my father, I dare to beat him. Even if my father were here, beating him would be justified.”
“As for the literary gathering invitation, he lost it to me in a bet. A bet is a bet, and a gentleman’s word is his bond.”Her uncle and aunt kept repeating the same words—either furious scolding or tearful pleas—but beyond that, they couldn’t lay a hand on her, nor would she stand still and let them hit her.
Whenever Chu Lan raised his voice or adopted a threatening tone, Chu Zhao would eye him warily, while A Le would glare at him fiercely. The two of them looked ready to fight back at the slightest provocation.
Chu Lan was a refined man and could never bring himself to brawl with his own niece.
As for having servants restrain her—that didn’t seem feasible either. The maidservant was already gripping a wooden club, poised for a fight, and who knew how much chaos would ensue.
“Lock the gate!” Chu Lan finally ordered. “She is not to take a single step outside.”
The courtyard gate was promptly secured with multiple locks, and the maids and servants were instructed to keep watch day and night.
“If you fail to keep her contained, don’t expect to eat another meal in this household. You’ll be sold off.”
However, the invitation to the Hope Spring Garden Literary Gathering was never retrieved.
“If my brother can’t even surpass me, what right does he have to attend the Third Prince’s literary gathering?” Chu Zhao said coldly from behind the locked door, slapping the invitation onto the table. “If he insists on having it back, he must compete with me again. If he wins, I’ll return it. My uncle has already fulfilled his duties as a father and teacher by raising and educating him—must he even do his studies for him?”
What nonsense! Chu Lan flicked his sleeve in frustration and stormed off.
The small courtyard returned to silence. A Le shook the gate, hearing the clatter of locks and the trembling voices of the maids outside: “Miss Azhao, please don’t make things difficult for us.”
A Le refrained from causing a scene by smashing the gate or scaling the walls to trouble the servants. Instead, she asked, “You won’t stop delivering our meals, will you?”
The maids breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly replied, “Of course not.” They even eagerly inquired, “What would Miss Azhao like to eat?” and went so far as to ask A Le, “And what about you, miss? What would you like?”
A Le cheerfully returned indoors to find Chu Zhao already having removed her hairpins, her hair loosened, as she reclined on a rocking chair to rest. Whenever she was free from joy or anger, a trace of sorrow always lingered on the young lady’s face.
She must be upset about being scolded. The master and mistress had been too harsh with her.
If the General had known how the master and mistress would treat the young lady, he would never have sent her back.
“Miss, don’t be sad,” A Le whispered in comfort.
Chu Zhao opened her eyes and smiled. “I’m not sad.” She reached out and gently stroked A Le’s cheek. “I was just thinking that many things only matter if you let them. If you don’t care, they’re nothing at all.”
What things? A Le blinked in confusion but didn’t ask, merely nodding emphatically. “That’s right.”
Yes, that’s right. In this life, she would no longer allow herself to be troubled or bound by others’ greed, anger, obsession, or resentment.
Some people break free from their shackles only after dying once, while others are never bound by them from the moment they are born.
Xie Yanfang slowly made his way into the Eastern Palace.
This was his second visit. The first had been when the Crown Princess married, and he, as her brother, escorted his elder sister.
But he had been even shyer than the bride, hiding behind others the entire time and avoiding conversation with anyone.
Nevertheless, his brief appearance had left a lasting impression on many who saw him.
As he walked through the Eastern Palace, officials, palace maids, and eunuchs alike paused in their tracks. Some greeted him warmly, while others watched quietly. Xie Yanfang passed through calmly, neither flustered nor intimidated.
The Crown Princess, dressed in slightly worn palace attire, sat on an embroidered couch in the Water Pavilion of the Eastern Palace garden, carefully drying the half-bloomed spring flowers her maids had gathered."Sister, are you making flower jam?" Xie Yanfang asked, reaching out to help arrange the spring flowers. "When sister isn't home, we can no longer taste those delicious flower cakes."
The Crown Princess looked up, her features resembling Xie Yanfang's though not as striking as his.
She smiled gently: "That's just you being picky. Which of our sisters at home doesn't know how to make them?"
"Sister is one of a kind," Xie Yanfang said. "Every sister's flower jam tastes different."
The Crown Princess sighed softly: "All sisters will eventually marry." She looked up at him again with a teasing smile, "If you want to enjoy flower jam with a consistent flavor forever, you should take a wife and have her learn to make flower jam."
Xie Yanfang chuckled, picking up a petal and putting it in his mouth: "Why go through all that trouble? I'll just learn to make it myself from you, sister."
The Crown Princess made a disapproving sound but didn't continue the topic.
"Uncle can't control you, and I won't either. I know you have your own ideas," she said, having the palace maids remove the spring flower stand. "Are you determined to resign from the position the Crown Prince gave you?"
Xie Yanfang nodded: "To show my sincerity, I came in person."
The Crown Princess frowned: "This position was carefully selected by me beforehand. It won't hinder the Yang Family's interests and might even assist them. Is this still unacceptable?"
Xie Yanfang shook his head: "No. Anyone in the world can assist the Yang Family, except us." He looked at the Crown Princess and said softly, "The Yang Family are the Crown Prince's relatives, not ours."
The Crown Princess understood - they must neither offend nor get close to the Yang Family, as both would displease the Crown Prince.
Clasping her hands, she murmured: "Because I became Crown Princess, does this mean our Xie family has no chance to rise?"
Xie Yanfang smiled: "Sister, why would our Xie family need official positions or noble titles to rise?"
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