Ashes to Crown

Chapter 13: Chapter 13: Theft

Perhaps because of her setback this morning, Ah Fu didn’t show up all day, resting in the kitchen instead. Ah Le was bustling about, even busier than when they were on the road.

She boiled several pots of hot water so Zhang Gu and the others could wash up and soak their feet. Although the posthouse didn’t have fine food and wine, the old Posthouse Minister’s stores of mountain delicacies and wild game were cooked into a very tempting meal.

The stone table was covered with large bowls and small basins. There weren’t enough chopsticks, so they used twigs instead. The posthouse soldiers and the old Posthouse Minister all gathered around, eating happily.

”These are buns steamed with honey.” Ah Le came over, holding a basket. After a moment’s thought, she moved next to Ah Jiu, set the basket down, and whispered, ”They’re soft and sweet.”

Zhang Gu laughed heartily. ”That’s right, leave them with Ah Jiu. None of us eat soft, sweet things. He’s the only one who likes them.”

Blushing, Ah Le quickly ran off.

Ah Jiu reached out, grabbed a bun, and took a bite. He curled his lip. ”It’s not fragrant or sweet.”

The old Posthouse Minister chuckled. ”This young fellow is quite picky. It must be your first time traveling far from home, eh?”

”He’s picky at home, too,” Zhang Gu said, then looked at Ah Jiu teasingly. ”Why is Ah Le being so attentive to you? She’s been trying to get close to you all day. Before, she used to avoid you like the plague.”

A posthouse soldier beside them pursed his lips. ”It’s because he was bullying Ah Fu again this morning. Ah Le is trying to butter him up, hoping he’ll be nicer to her sister. The poor girl, Ah Fu is too scared to even come out.”

Zhang Gu jabbed Ah Jiu with his elbow. ”You rascal!”

Ah Jiu dodged to the side. ”What are you talking about? You’re all overthinking this.”

’It’s true that Ah Le is trying to butter me up, but not because I bullied her sister. And Ah Fu isn’t hiding because she was bullied—she’s clearly hiding because I exposed her.’

’A handmaiden’s job is to serve people, so that’s why she’s being so attentive.’

As the men were talking and laughing, Ah Le returned, carrying a pot.

”The wild vegetable soup is ready,” she said, preparing to pour some for everyone, starting with Ah Jiu.

But perhaps because it was too hot, her hand slipped, and the soup pot tilted and spilled.

Ah Jiu dodged nimbly, but some still splashed onto his arm. He yelped, ”You did that on purpose!”

The posthouse soldiers nearby weren’t alarmed; they all burst out laughing.

”Ah Le has been busy all day. It’s only natural for her to be tired. Don’t be so petty,” Zhang Gu advised with a straight face.

In their hearts, everyone else also thought Ah Le had done it on purpose, but no one called her out on it. After all, it was Ah Jiu’s fault for bullying her sister.

Ah Le frantically tried to wipe his arm, looking like she was about to cry from fright. ”I’ll wash your clothes for you, Sir.”

Ah Jiu shook her off. ”Don’t touch me or my clothes.”

Ah Le stood there, at a loss.

”It’s alright, Ah Le,” Zhang Gu said with a laugh, before turning to Ah Jiu. ”It’s just a few drops. What are you making such a fuss about? Now, stop making a scene and eat.”

Ah Jiu snorted, rolled up his sleeve, and pointed at Ah Le. ”Stay away from me.”

Ah Le lowered her head and quickly backed away.

Zhang Gu told Ah Le to go eat. ”We don’t need you to wait on us.”

Only then did Ah Le leave.

The posthouse soldiers continued to laugh heartily; Ah Jiu’s misfortune had become their entertainment.

...

...

In the kitchen, Ah Le handed a letter to Ah Fu.

”Is this it?” she asked in a low voice.

Ah Fu sat up on the straw mat and reached out to take it. Seeing the four words ”For Chu Ling, Private” on the envelope, she nodded.

Ah Le looked on curiously. ’It’s actually a letter for the General? Who is this Ah Jiu?’

’Is it from the court, or is he just delivering it for someone else?’

”What a coincidence,” she said, a little delighted. ”For Miss to be the one who found it.”

’Yes, what a coincidence.’ Ah Fu’s expression was grave as she held the letter. She had already made discreet inquiries. This group of posthouse soldiers was on their way to Yunzhong County to deliver the approved military household registers. It had nothing to do with her father, and they weren’t even going to Luocheng, where he was stationed.

’Why would Ah Jiu be carrying a secret letter for Father?’

’Why would someone in the Capital City be writing a secret letter to Father?’

’Father was a man everyone avoided, a General Wei with no future prospects.’

Her heart pounded. She remembered the words she had heard just before she died. The father described in those words was a stranger to her, someone she couldn’t believe existed.

’Could those things be true? Is Father really not as ordinary and incompetent as he seems?’

’Who on earth is this Ah Jiu?’

’Zhang Gu said he was sent to be a posthouse soldier as a punishment.’

’This is all too strange.’

She had to see what was written in this letter. The court was about to be thrown into turmoil and descend into chaos, and this time, she and her father absolutely could not get entangled in it again.

Ah Fu gently opened the envelope, pulled out the sheet of paper inside, took a deep breath, and unfolded it. The next moment, her eyes flew wide, and she felt her breath catch in her throat.

There were only two words on the paper.

Heh heh.

...

...

Ah Fu threw the letter, envelope and all, into the firebox of the stove, where it instantly turned to ash.

”What—what do we do?” Ah Le’s voice was tense. ”Did he find out?”

’Is that why he used a fake letter to mess with us?’

’She rarely failed. Back in the Capital City, she’d turned the house of a great lord upside down and made off with a fortune in money and jewelry without anyone in the family ever finding out.’

’The last time she failed, she was caught by the General. This was the second time.’

When Ah Fu saw those two words, she nearly jumped to her feet. But after taking a deep breath and burning the letter and envelope, she calmed down again.

”Deny it,” she said, watching the ashes in the firebox. ”If he didn’t catch you in the act, then it wasn’t you.”

No evidence, deny it to the death.

”If he makes a scene, we’ll just cry.” Ah Fu stared at the fire, the flames dancing in her dark eyes. ”Besides, everyone already thinks he bullies us.”

Ah Le nodded, no longer afraid. ’Actually,’ she thought, ’it was a letter for the General. So what if Miss took a look at it? The General wouldn’t even care if he found out.’

Before discovering that Ah Jiu was carrying the letter, they had been a little afraid of him. Now that they knew, they felt emboldened and weren’t scared in the slightest.

’She even wished she could just reveal Miss’s identity. These posthouse soldiers would surely escort her back to the General’s side with the utmost respect.’

Ah Fu knew what Ah Le was thinking. But what Ah Le and most people didn’t know was that the one who truly didn’t want her to return was her own father.

To ensure she could live peacefully at her uncle’s home, her father had even promised her uncle certain benefits.

Her uncle was selfish and greedy. He would never let her go back, lest it ruin the future prospects he had been anticipating for so long.

There were pursuers behind her, and ahead, if her father learned of her plans, he would also send men to stop her. Therefore, her only chance to return to his side was to travel incognito.

She had so much to say to her father and so many questions to ask him. Most importantly, she could not stay in the Capital City. That place was the beginning of all her misfortune.

Ah Fu lowered her gaze and tossed a piece of firewood into the stove.