Ashes to Crown

Chapter 22: Chapter 22: Family

Chu Zhao watched the young man run in, feeling a wave of emotion.

Her uncle, Chu Lan, had one wife and two concubines. He had raised three sons and one daughter, making his branch of the family far more populous than her father’s.

But before she died, her uncle’s family had already been decimated by death and injury, scattered and broken.

Her eldest cousin, Chu Ke, was the first to die.

Her uncle had been desperate to become an official and enter the court, but he believed her father was holding him back. So, after Xiao Xun became Emperor, her uncle immediately had his eldest son enter service. However, swayed by who knows what, he had his son forsake a stable position as a Hanlin Official. Instead, he sent him to an outer prefecture to build his reputation, only for him to get implicated in a major disaster relief scandal.

Her uncle begged Xiao Xun, but Xiao Xun helplessly explained that Chu Ke was the Empress’s brother. If he were to be let off, public opinion would be hard to appease.

In the end, to placate the public, Chu Ke was thrown into the imperial prison. They said he would only stay for a few years and would be released once the scandal blew over.

But Chu Ke, who had been pampered since birth, could not endure such hardship. He fell ill and never recovered, dying in his prison cell.

Her uncle’s family hated her for it, claiming she was willing to step on her own relatives to be seen as a virtuous Empress.

But how could she be a virtuous Empress? The court and the common people still mocked her, saying that if it weren’t for her domineering power as Empress, Chu Ke would never have dared to do such a thing.

The only one who gained a reputation for virtue was Xiao Xun. This stood in stark contrast to the late Emperor’s era, when the Empress’s relatives had been arrogant and abused their power. The people hailed Xiao Xun as a wise and brilliant ruler, which also caused the rebelling Xie family to suffer one defeat after another.

Her uncle’s family hated her, and she resented them for causing her so much trouble. From then on, she truly committed to being a virtuous Empress. She completely blocked them from entering officialdom, sent her uncle to open an academy in a remote region, and had their entire family leave the Capital City.

Later, her uncle used the academy as a front to seize large tracts of land, becoming the wealthiest man in the region. Her two male cousins socialized widely, spending their days drinking and carousing. Her female cousin got married but was later divorced for being arrogant and disrespectful to her in-laws, all because she was the Empress’s cousin.

This was all news brought to her by the noble ladies who came for an audience. She was both ashamed and furious. She told Xiao Xun not to let the local officials indulge her uncle’s family.

Later still, she heard her uncle had fallen ill. Her two male cousins had actually fought with weapons over the family inheritance, resulting in one death and one injury. The younger cousin who had hurt the other fled, and the shock of it all worsened her uncle’s condition, killing him.

After that, she saw her female cousin again.

Her cousin, Chu Tang, was brought into the palace by a noble lady. Although the family was on bad terms, she was still her only relative. Chu Zhao was very happy to see her again.

But before she could express her joy, Chu Tang grabbed her by the throat, screaming that she had killed their entire family and that she would die with her.

”If it weren’t for my father, you never would have married Xiao Xun! It never would have been your turn to be Empress!” Chu Tang, who looked as old as a woman in her forties, screamed like a madwoman. ”On what grounds do you get to live in splendor and riches while we suffer a fate worse than death?”

She was choked until she passed out. When she awoke, Chu Tang had already been executed by the Imperial Guard for treason.

Traumatized by the attack, she had another miscarriage a few days later. It was the second child she had lost. Overcome with grief, she hated Chu Tang to the bone and didn’t spare another thought for her cousin’s crazed words.

’Chu Tang was vain and ambitious. She had even secretly expressed her admiration for Xiao Xun back then. She must have been jealous that I became the Empress.’

Having died once and been reborn, looking back now, she felt that many things didn’t add up. The life she once thought was so clear now seemed shrouded in a fog. She had lived in confusion, and she had died in confusion.

Just as she remembered, Chu Ke was obnoxious from the moment he opened his mouth. She had never been close to her uncle’s three sons and one daughter, as they hadn’t grown up together. They had also heard many stories about her father from a young age, so they resented him, disliked her, and often bullied and mocked her.

Growing up in the Border County, it was the first time she had heard her own relatives complain so much about her father. She was shocked and bewildered. On top of that, the young ladies of the Capital City looked down on her, mocking her speech and mannerisms as rustic. This made her resent her father as well, so she meekly endured her cousins’ bullying and tried everything she could to please them.

Of course, that was impossible now.

”What’s so audacious about what I’ve done?” Chu Zhao said coldly. ”How is visiting one’s own father audacious? It’s filial piety that could move the heavens. You’re a scholar. Don’t you even know what loyalty and filial piety are?”

Chu Ke was taken aback. ’This damned girl actually dares to talk back to me?’ he thought. ’Didn’t she always just lower her head and stay silent?’

”You’re lecturing me?” he grew even angrier. ”Chu Zhao, the things you’ve done—”

”I know what I’ve done. You don’t need to repeat it,” Chu Zhao interrupted. ”Aren’t you tired? If not, we’ll set off for the Capital City.” She frowned at him. ”What took you so long?”

Chu Ke nearly choked on his own breath.

”You... you—” He pointed at Chu Zhao. How dare she blame him for being slow? ”You have the nerve to ask if I’m tired? I nearly died on the road, you know? If I had died, it would have been all your fault!”

’He did die because of me, but—’ Chu Zhao’s expression darkened. ”That’s because you’re useless. I traveled the same road. How come nothing happened to me?”

Berated once again, Chu Ke stared blankly at his cousin. ’Since when did she get so fierce?’

”Let’s not talk about what’s already happened,” Chu Zhao said, looking at him. ”If you’re tired, go rest and eat. Then we’ll head back to the Capital City. We can discuss whatever it is when we get home. If we make a scene here, we’ll just become a laughingstock for outsiders.”

Chu Ke scoffed. ”Oh, so now you’re worried about being a laughingstock? Let me tell you, we already are one in the Capital City. No, with everything you’ve done on the road, we’ve become a joke to the entire world.” As he spoke, he walked into the main hall, complaining again, ”What are you doing at a posthouse? Didn’t the Heir of Zhongshan King bring you here? Why didn’t you go to the Prince Mansion?”

”Men and women should maintain a proper distance,” Chu Zhao said casually. ”Going to the Prince Mansion with the Princely Heir would damage my reputation.”

Chu Ke nearly tripped over the threshold. ’Why does everything Chu Zhao says today sound so strange?’

”Are you alright?” He sized up Chu Zhao. ”What nonsense are you talking?”

’Worried about her reputation for traveling with the Heir of Zhongshan King? Heavens, to be associated with the Princely Heir in any way is the greatest fortune for someone like Chu Zhao!’

Chu Zhao said coldly, ”That’s what my father told me. He forbade me from having any dealings with the Prince Mansion. You shouldn’t go either.”

Chu Ke held little respect for this uncle of his and didn’t feel any obligation to obey his words.

”Your father is guilty of a crime, so it’s right for him to lie low to avoid causing trouble for others,” he said mockingly. ”But I’m different from you. Besides, Lord Deng and I owe a great debt to the King of Zhongshan for his help. It would be inhuman not to go and express our thanks.”

Chu Zhao grew angry. Everyone said her father was guilty. Before she became Empress, they said her father was guilty. After she became Empress, they still said her father was guilty.

But her father had painstakingly defended the Border County for over a decade. The border he guarded was impregnable, and the people lived in peace and prosperity. You couldn’t even find a single bandit there.

After Xiao Xun ascended the throne, her father, despite his ailing body, continued to defend the Border County, repelling the Western Liang people who tried to take advantage of the chaos.

Her father had personally led the troops to counter the King of Western Liang’s army. It was only after the great battle was won that everyone discovered he had already passed away.

Uncle Zhong said her father was sitting upright on his horse, his long saber clutched in his hand. It took several men pulling together to pry it from his grasp.

She could understand why the Xie family cursed her father. After all, he was loyal to Xiao Xun.

But the court cursed her father too, calling him a wolf with wild ambitions and insisting that he had forced Xiao Xun to make her the Empress.

She had wanted to marry Xiao Xun herself! It was Xiao Xun who had wanted to marry her! When they got married, Xiao Xun wasn’t even the Emperor, not even the Crown Prince!

”What nonsense are you spouting!” Chu Zhao could no longer contain her anger and kicked Chu Ke. ”If my father were truly guilty, your family would have been implicated and thrown into prison long ago! You’d have been exiled to do hard labor! Would you still be able to study? Still be called a ’Young Master’? Still be able to yell at me?”

Chu Ke never expected she would dare to strike him—or rather, kick him. And the girl’s strength was immense. His exhausted, weak leg felt as if it had broken.

He cried out, grabbing the doorframe to keep from falling.

”Have you gone mad!” he shouted furiously. ”You’ve gotten addicted to hitting people!”

Just as the two cousins began to fight, a cough sounded from behind them.

”Young Master Chu, perhaps you two should catch up while I go pay my respects to the King of Zhongshan?”

Chu Ke instantly suppressed his anger. Leaning on the doorframe, he turned around with a graceful air. ”My apologies for my conduct, Lord Deng. It’s nothing, it’s nothing. Of course, I will go with you to thank the King of Zhongshan.”

Chu Zhao looked over as well, the anger on her face gone, replaced by shock.

”Deng Yi?” she asked, her voice trembling. ”What are you doing here?”