Ashes to Crown

Chapter 16: Chapter 16: Identity

Her becoming Empress—or rather, Xiao Xun becoming Emperor—was both fate and a coincidence.

The late Emperor had two sons, so the throne should never have passed to the King of Zhongshan’s line.

But things took an unexpected turn. While the late Emperor was gravely ill, the two Princes vied for power. In the end, one was dead and the other deposed.

The gravely ill, dying late Emperor had no choice but to adopt his brother’s son. And just like that, the King of Zhongshan’s eldest son, Xiao Xun, was transformed into the Crown Prince, and then the Emperor.

And she, having married the Heir of Zhongshan King, also became the Empress of Great Xia—the most honored woman in the world.

This ’most honored woman’ hadn’t seen Xiao Xun in a very long time.

After her miscarriage, she remained chronically ill. Xiao Xun visited a few times, growing more impatient with each visit, before he stopped setting foot in Kunning Palace altogether.

With the Emperor no longer visiting, her title as Empress became a mere formality. Kunning Palace turned into a Cold Palace, its halls deserted.

’It’s laughable, really. The liveliest my palace had been was at the time of my death, when Princess Consort Liang arrived to gloat, followed by a great crowd of Palace Maids and eunuchs.’

’They forced poisoned wine down my throat. But because of the medicine I had taken for so long, my body had become toxic in its own right. It was like fighting poison with poison; the poisoned wine failed to take full effect, and I lingered, refusing to die.’

’Finally, a Little Eunuch sent to check on me grew impatient and simply strangled me to death.’

’I died such a wretched, miserable death. How could I not be filled with hate!’

Full of grief and fury, she had suddenly opened her eyes, emerging from excruciating pain, suffocation, and darkness. She didn’t realize at all that she was thirteen again. Girls chattered and laughed all around her, and she assumed she was still in Kunning Palace, surrounded by Princess Consort Liang’s pack of maids.

As fate would have it, someone called out to one of the girls, addressing her as Miss Liang.

A torrent of furious grief overwhelmed her. She stormed forward and kicked the girl into the lake.

In truth, she had kicked the wrong person. The future Princess Consort Liang was this Miss Liang’s younger sister, who at this very moment was only five or six years old.

But she felt no remorse. The entire Liang Family deserved to die.

Before her death, Princess Consort Liang had gloatingly explained that many hands had orchestrated her downfall, and the Liang Family was among them.

Of course, the one who most deserved to die was Xiao Xun.

’He was the mastermind. He had let it all happen. He was utterly heartless and treacherous, vicious and cruel.’

’It was he—’

’Xiao Xun!’

Ah Fu’s hands shot out, aiming for his neck—

The girl, who had been on the verge of death just moments ago, suddenly thrashed about, clawing and tearing at him as if fighting for her life. But Xiao Xun didn’t find it strange.

’This is how drowning people always act.’

’The moment they find a rescuer, they latch on with all their might, often causing their would-be saviors to drown as well.’

’That wouldn’t be a problem for him, though.’ He raised his hand and punched the girl in the head.

The blow stunned the girl, and her struggles ceased.

Xiao Xun hauled the girl’s head above the water and began towing her toward the riverbank.

When Tie Ying leaped ashore carrying a clean fur cloak, he saw that the girl who had fallen in the water was already conscious, hunched over at the river’s edge, coughing.

In the distance, a crowd of people was running toward them.

The first to arrive was Ah Le. She had woken up to find Ah Fu missing and had gone searching for her. Seeing Ah Fu being dragged from the water by a man in the distance, she let out a piercing scream.

Her scream alerted the other posthouse soldiers.

The early morning quiet of the riverside was shattered by the clamor.

...

...

”What’s going on here?”

Zhang Gu asked in astonishment, his gaze falling on Ah Fu. She was sitting on the ground, cradled in Ah Le’s arms, her face deathly pale. Her hair was sopping wet, her clothes were soaked through, and she was shivering uncontrollably.

’How did she fall in the water?’

’Ah Fu was frail, but she was always so careful. This shouldn’t have happened.’

His gaze shifted to the side, where a young man stood apart from the crowd, his arms crossed and an indifferent expression on his face.

”Ah Jiu!” he barked, striding forward to grab him. ”This is your doing!”

Ah Jiu said nothing. He didn’t even glance at Ah Fu. Instead, his eyes flickered toward the man on the other side of the crowd, who was being helped into a thick fur cloak.

”Brother Zhang, that man looks like someone important,” he said. ”Aren’t you going to go and greet him?”

Zhang Gu shot him a harsh glare. He had, of course, also noticed the young man with the extraordinary bearing, and it was obvious what had happened.

”I’ll deal with you in a minute!” he said, shoving Ah Jiu aside. He walked over to the man, bowed, and said, ”Thank you for saving her, Young Master.”

The young man gave a slight nod. ”It was nothing.” He gestured to Tie Ying. ”One cloak is enough for me. Give the other to the young lady.”

Tie Ying acknowledged the order and held out a black fur cloak toward Ah Fu.

Ah Le quickly took it and wrapped it around Ah Fu.

The young man’s gaze returned to Zhang Gu. ”What unit are you soldiers from? Are you with this young lady?”

Zhang Gu replied, ”We’re posthouse soldiers, on our way to—”

Before he could finish, Ah Fu, who had been huddled in Ah Le’s arms, flung off the fur cloak.

”Who wants your damn cloak?” she yelled, glaring daggers at the man. ”Who asked you to save me!”

Everyone froze, stunned.

”Ah Fu,” Zhang Gu said, dumbfounded. ”What are you talking about? You nearly drowned!”

”I’d rather drown than have him interfere!” Ah Fu cried. She struggled to her feet, soaking wet, her teeth chattering as tears streamed down her face. ”This is between me and Ah Jiu! It has nothing to do with you!”

Once again, everyone was stunned into silence.

Ah Jiu froze for a second. Then, as if realizing something, his body went rigid. His expression shifted, and he started to back away.

But he was a step too late.

Ah Fu lunged forward, throwing her arms around his waist. ”I’d die for you, and I’d do it gladly!” she sobbed. ”Even in death, I’ll still be yours!”

Zhang Gu and the others stared as if they’d seen a ghost.

Ah Le, still sitting on the ground, could only gape.

Tie Ying, however, seemed to understand. He curled his lip in disdain. ’So that’s it,’ he thought. ’Just a secret rendezvous between two young lovers, threatening life and death over some trivial matter.’ It was a shame the Princely Heir’s kind-hearted rescue had been so thoroughly unappreciated.

Xiao Xun didn’t seem angry. He simply gave a small, unreadable smile and looked away.

.....

.....

As if from nowhere, guards appeared on the riverbank. They quickly lit a bonfire, pitched a tent, and produced strong liquor to ward off the cold. They had even brought a bathtub.

Zhang Gu watched, clicking his tongue in amazement. An entourage of this scale was a rare sight, even in the Capital City.

But he was still so stunned by the recent events that, in his daze, the young man was whisked away by his guards before Zhang Gu could say another word.

The young man entered the tent to wash, change his clothes, and warm up. His guards formed a perimeter, their expressions solemn and vigilant. Zhang Gu didn’t dare disturb them.

However, despite Ah Fu’s appalling behavior, the young man didn’t seem to hold a grudge. He even had a tent set aside for her, fully equipped with a bathtub, hot water, and a set of clean robes.

After much crying and pleading, Ah Le finally managed to persuade Ah Fu to go into the tent to wash and change.

”Are there any prominent families around here?” Zhang Gu muttered. He turned to Ah Jiu, and thinking of the earlier scene, asked with a conflicted expression, ”What’s going on between you two?”

Ah Jiu kept his head down, wiping the water from his clothes. After being embraced by the sopping-wet Ah Fu, he was nearly soaked himself, but no one had offered him a tent or a change of clothes.

”Don’t lump me in with her. I didn’t say a word,” he sneered. ”This has nothing to do with me.”

Just as Zhang Gu was about to say more, Ah Le ran out of the tent. Head bowed, she approached Ah Jiu.

”Young Master Ah Jiu,” she said softly. ”My younger sister would like a word with you inside.”

Ah Jiu let out a dry, humorless laugh. ”I’m not going.”

Ah Le dropped to her knees with a THUD. ”Please, Young Master, I’m begging you,” she sobbed. ”She’s the only sister I have. If anything happens to her, I won’t be able to go on!”

Ah Jiu spat on the ground. Before he could say anything, Zhang Gu slapped him hard on the back.

”Get in there and clear things up with her,” he muttered under his breath.

The other posthouse soldiers chimed in with a disorganized chorus of urgings. With a flick of his sleeve, Ah Jiu strode toward the tent.

Everyone watched him go, their expressions a mixture of confusion and speculation.

”I can’t believe it. Ah Jiu and Ah Fu are actually...”

”You never would have guessed. It was so obvious Ah Jiu couldn’t stand Ah Fu, and Ah Fu was afraid of him.”

”Right? And Ah Fu was always complaining that Ah Jiu bullied her. Hmmm, unless...’bullying’ was just their code for... you know—”

”But we’re all together all the time. I’ve never seen them alone.”

”Oh, I’ve got it! Ah Fu always goes to fetch water before dawn, and Ah Jiu is often gone around that time too. They must have been meeting in secret—”

”But Ah Fu is so young! How could Ah Jiu make a move on her!”

”What a beast!”

...

...

Ah Jiu lifted the tent flap and stepped inside. A brazier and the steam from the bathtub made the small space comfortably warm.

The girl had changed into a clean robe. With her hair still damp, she sat before the brazier, drying it in the heat while slowly sipping a bowl of ginger soup.

At the sound of his entry, she looked up from her bowl, her large, dark eyes fixed on him.

”So now your identity is no longer that of a pitiful child who’s lost her mother and traveled a thousand miles to find her father,” Ah Jiu said, raising an eyebrow coolly, ”but a lovesick fool willing to live or die for some handsome, brave, and kind posthouse soldier?”

Ah Fu couldn’t hold back a snort of laughter.