Ashes to Crown

Chapter 38: Chapter 2: One Night

The jailer settled Chu Zhao in comfortably, then strolled over to see Deng Yi.

Deng Yi had already washed up and changed. He was in the middle of putting on his robe and, upon seeing the man, tossed a money pouch over.

The jailer caught it and grinned. ”I’ve always admired your style, Lord Deng. You never let a debt linger overnight.”

Deng Yi just smiled without speaking and slowly tied his sash.

”Lord Deng, that must have been a trying journey,” the jailer said as he sat down, studying Deng Yi’s slightly weary face. ”And it’s not just the physical hardship, either. You’re bound to get tangled up in the consequences. This affair with Miss Chu is a real mess. The name Chu Ling is one everyone avoids like the plague. Why on earth would you volunteer for this assignment?”

That was right. Unlike what Chu Lan had said, this assignment hadn’t been forced on Deng Yi. He had requested it himself.

Deng Yi picked up the teacup from the table, twirling it slowly in his hand. He narrowed his eyes. ”You wouldn’t understand.”

Chu Ling wasn’t trouble at all. On the contrary, she was a golden goose.

Just by taking on this assignment, he had received a cart full of gold, silver, and jewels from the King of Zhongshan.

...

...

Chu Zhao slept deeply in her cell. By the time she opened her eyes, it was broad daylight.

The cell the jailer had arranged was indeed quite good. It was semi-subterranean but still let in some light.

Ah Le was inspecting the food that had been delivered. ”The prison food is actually pretty good!” she said happily to Chu Zhao.

Chu Zhao had to smile. ’A good prison? There’s no such thing. It’s just that *our* food is good.’ The jailer was looking after them, after all. It wasn’t like they were really in prison.

The women’s ward had even sent over water and a wooden basin. Ah Le helped Chu Zhao wash up before they sat down to eat.

”But, Miss,” Ah Le said, a little worried again. ”Are we really in prison?”

Although she’d followed Chu Zhao out in the middle of the night, watched her Miss do many strange things, and even traveled through the wilderness with a band of strangers, Ah Le had never felt the slightest bit of fear. It was only upon returning to the Capital City that her heart was constantly on edge. Her uncle’s family was completely unreliable and cared nothing for their Miss.

What would her Miss do here in the Capital City, with no one to rely on, especially when Miss Liang’s father was such a powerful official?

”You’re overthinking it,” Chu Zhao said. ”Didn’t Uncle Zhong tell us? My father will handle it. I won’t be going to prison.”

Ah Le slapped her head. ”How could I have forgotten about the General! Damn it, damn it. With the General here, and him saying it’s fine, what do I have to worry about?” With that, she picked up her bowl and began to eat heartily.

Chu Zhao smiled and ate slowly from her bowl. ’Yes, with Father around, I have nothing to worry about. Even after he was gone, his protection lingered for many years.’

’Only after the people Father left behind were all used up did Xiao Xun finally bring himself to kill me.’

’And it wasn’t just Father—’

”Ah Le,” she asked, gripping her chopsticks. ”Have you ever heard stories about my mother?”

Ah Le let out a sound of surprise. ”Miss, please don’t be sad. Not everyone has a mother. My own mother died after giving birth to me.”

She thought her Miss was missing her mother.

Chu Zhao wanted to laugh, but found nothing funny about it. ”What I mean is, who was she?”

There wasn’t much to tell, Ah Le thought as she put down her bowl and chopsticks. The story of Chu Zhao’s mother wasn’t a secret; everyone knew it.

The General had happened upon a beautiful village girl, and they had fallen deeply in love. The girl willingly came to serve the General. He had intended to take her home to meet his elders and marry her, but he couldn’t return due to urgent military affairs. The delay proved fateful. Before they could marry, the village girl became pregnant and died during a difficult childbirth, right after giving birth to Chu Zhao. The General’s love was as deep as the ocean, and he never remarried.

Chu Zhao, of course, knew this story as well; it was the one her father had told her since she was a child. Of course, after returning to the Capital City, she heard a slightly different version at her uncle’s house. For instance, it wasn’t that they were mutually in love, but that the village girl had seduced the General, hoping to climb the social ladder by shamelessly entering into an illicit union.

Her aunt would often sigh and lecture her, ”Ah Zhao, as a woman, you must be cautious in your words and deeds. You cannot willingly debase yourself, or you will come to a bad end.” ”A marriage can only last if the families are well-matched.” ”Shamelessness brings ruin upon a family for three generations.”

Combined with the pointing fingers and private ridicule from the other young ladies in the Capital City, the story her father had told her, which once seemed so beautiful, became a source of shame. She no longer wanted to mention this mother, wishing she had never existed.

When she became the Empress, she grew even more sensitive about her origins and forbade anyone from mentioning her mother.

Right before she died, Princess Consort Liang had come to gloat. While explaining why His Majesty had married her, she mentioned not only Chu Zhao’s father but also her mother.

”By marrying you, your mother could also be of use to His Majesty.”

This clearly meant her mother was still alive. Otherwise, how could a dead person be of use to Xiao Xun?

At that time, she had already been forced to drink poisoned wine and was withering away, waiting for death. But upon hearing those words, she had scrambled back up to grab Princess Consort Liang and demand an explanation. The consort had fled in terror, and Chu Zhao, sustained by a final breath of will, had clung to life, only to be strangled to death by a little eunuch.

’I thought I would never find out the truth. I never expected to have a chance to start over.’

’So Father had been hiding it from me all along.’ She had asked him directly in the letter she’d sent with Vice General Zhong. She wondered if her father would give her an answer.

The sound of footsteps in the quiet cell interrupted the conversation between the mistress and her servant.

The female jailer from the women’s ward approached, a smile on her face. ”Miss Chu, you can go home now.”

Chu Zhao didn’t stand up in surprise. Instead, she asked, ”Is my case closed?”

The female jailer laughed. ”What case? Lord Wei Qing has already given Commander Deng a harsh scolding. He said his orders were to find you, not arrest you. How could he possibly lock you up in here, Miss?”

’So Deng Yi really did get reprimanded.’ That’s why she’d thought that by bringing her to the jail, he was actually taking on the responsibility. Chu Zhao remained seated, simply acknowledging the news with a soft ”Oh.” She then asked, ”And what about the Ministry of Justice? Weren’t they the ones who commissioned Lord Deng—”

”The Ministry of Justice said it wasn’t a case either,” the female jailer explained with a smile. ”It was your uncle who filed a missing person report. Now that you’re back, the matter is closed.”

The female jailer found it strange. ’Why does this girl look like she doesn’t want to leave at all? She’s still sitting here, asking one question after another. This isn’t exactly a nice place. Couldn’t she ask her questions after she leaves?’

Chu Zhao understood now. Uncle Zhong had relayed her father’s message that the matter was resolved. And indeed, it had been resolved even before she returned. ’I wonder how Father did it?’

’It turns out Father isn’t the mediocre, unambitious man just trying to get by that I always thought he was.’

Chu Zhao said no more. But instead of getting up to leave immediately, she finished all the food in her bowl before finally standing up.

Chu Zhao and Ah Le walked out of the Weiwei Mansion with their bundles on their backs. Deng Yi did not appear again, nor was there anyone from her uncle’s family to meet them.

”Miss, how are we going to get back?” Ah Le asked.

Chu Zhao pulled a red hairpin from her hair and twirled it in her hand. This was another item she had stolen from her aunt when she left home. After all their expenses and gifts along the journey, it was the only thing she had left.

”Take this,” she said. ”Rent two good horses. We’re going home.”