Ashes to Crown

Chapter 79: Chapter 41: The Word Spreads

News of this scene spread quickly.

Hearty laughter echoed from the walls of the palace.

”What did I tell you? Just as I said.” Xie Yanlai laughed, arms crossed. ”Lively enough for you now, isn’t it?”

If that girl had just kept losing, it would have been pretty boring. A real competition needs both wins and losses to be exciting. The other Imperial Guards nodded in agreement.

”Miss Chu’s provocation really set the scholars off,” described an Imperial Guard who had been at the scene. ”It’s a huge spectacle now. What’s that saying? A war of words! All trace of scholarly elegance is gone.”

”That sounds pretty good.” ”I’ve never seen scholars fight like this before.” ”It’s worth seeing.” ”Can anyone get in?”

The other Imperial Guards asked, their interest piqued.

The guard who had gone said, ”Anyone can go in, no restrictions. But it’s getting more and more crowded. If you go late, you won’t get a spot at the front, and you won’t get a good view.”

The Imperial Guards started calling to one another to go, but Xie Yanlai remained leaning against the wall, unmoving.

”Aren’t you going?” the others asked. ”Aren’t you the one who loves a spectacle the most?”

He had been talking for days about the commotion he saw at the tavern.

”It’s too lively. I find it noisy,” Xie Yanlai said lazily.

What was that about? Someone seemed to realize something and chuckled. ”Third Young Master Xie is still in the Capital City. Young Master Yanlai can’t exactly do as he pleases.”

The others caught on as well and began to laugh.

”That’s right. Ever since Third Young Master Xie arrived, Yanlai hasn’t even stepped out the door.”

”He’s stopped drinking and stopped visiting the brothels.”

”I heard from someone in your family that you were beaten as punishment by the Third Young Master not long ago?”

”The Third Young Master is a man of integrity. You family members just have to suffer along with him.”

”I don’t know what I’d choose, though,” one Imperial Guard said, frowning melancholically. ”I’d love to have an older brother like the Third Young Master, but I’d hate the thought of being so restricted.”

The others scoffed. ”In your dreams.” ”Your family couldn’t produce someone like the Third Young Master in generations.” ”Stop worrying about it.”

Everyone started egging on Xie Yanlai again. ”What’s there to be afraid of? We’ll go secretly. The Third Young Master won’t know.” ”And so what if he finds out? It’s just a beating. Yanlai, have you become this timid?”

But no matter how they teased him, Xie Yanlai wouldn’t budge. He insisted that he didn’t like watching spectacles. ”A bunch of men competing against a woman—not even a woman, a young girl. This young master has no interest in seeing that.”

The Imperial Guards laughed. ”That’s exactly why we have to go see it—it’s unprecedented! A bunch of men competing against a young girl. If we miss this, who knows when we’ll get another chance to see something like it.”

And so, the group went off with a great clamor. As they mounted their horses outside the palace gate, they glanced back and saw the phoenix-eyed youth standing alone on the city wall.

”He’s not a proper young master, after all,” one Imperial Guard said softly, a mocking glint in his eye. ”From what I’ve seen, the other young masters of the Xie family do whatever they want. If the Third Young Master beats them or scolds them, he does, but they don’t go cowering in a corner.”

”It’s his good fortune that the Third Young Master even acknowledges him as a brother,” said another guard. ”He’s been given the dignity of a Young Master Xie. If he doesn’t have the sense to appreciate it, then he’s truly a lost cause.”

An Imperial Guard laughed and cracked his riding crop. ”This piece of mud is only good for plastering a wall.”

The Imperial Guards cracked their whips and spurred their horses, shouting loudly. Their hooves clattered swiftly along Imperial Street, and soon they reached the bustling main roads, where everyone scattered to make way.

Only the sons of Aristocratic Families could become Imperial Guards and stand watch over the Imperial City, a station that drew countless envious gazes.

Although they also wore military robes, the ones worn by Zhang Gu and his men couldn’t compare to those of these Imperial Guards, let alone their bearing and aura.

These men served in the Imperial City, after all. Zhang Gu and the others watched with a hint of envy as the Imperial Guards galloped past.

”I heard Ah Jiu used to be an Imperial Guard, too. I wonder if he’s been absolved of his punishment,” a posthouse soldier said. ”Is he this dashing and heroic now? It’s a shame we’ve never seen him.”

A posthouse soldier pursed his lips. ”Even if we saw him, we wouldn’t recognize him. Ah Jiu would look completely different in clothes like that.”

Another posthouse soldier nodded, a nostalgic look on his face. ”Ah Jiu is handsome. Even when he was wearing rags with us, he was still very handsome.”

They could only wonder how much more striking he would look in fine clothes.

’Beautiful...’ Zhang Gu thought. ’Is that why Miss Chu can’t forget him, her heart full of infatuation?’

”No matter what, if I get to see him, I should still say hello,” he said in a low voice.

For days, he had been trying to find a way to get acquainted with the Imperial Guards to ask if they knew anyone named Ah Jiu, but he hadn’t had the chance.

”Mr. Zhang, Ah Jiu must be so happy now,” the first posthouse soldier said. ”He has so many sons of Aristocratic Families as companions.”

’Those young men have good backgrounds and good families. They must get along great with Ah Jiu, kindred spirits who have become close friends. They certainly wouldn’t bully Ah Jiu—’

Zhang Gu spat. ”You’ve got some nerve. You’re saying we, the ones with humble backgrounds, were the ones who dared to bully Ah Jiu? You were the one causing the most trouble back then. You put that snake in Ah Jiu’s bed.”

The posthouse soldier chuckled sheepishly and ducked his head. ”I didn’t know, okay? If I had known he came from a good family—” He drew out his words. ”I would have put two snakes in his bed!” With that, he bolted forward.

After all, Ah Jiu’s revenge had been to put three snakes in his bed.

He wasn’t afraid of snakes at all.

Zhang Gu and the others laughed heartily, chasing after him through the bustling market street.

On the palace walls, Imperial Guards came and went. Seeing the solitary, phoenix-eyed youth, they would either greet him enthusiastically or nod with a smile.

Xie Yanlai’s expression was proud and aloof; he ignored them all.

’He knew these noble sons looked down on him, but they wouldn’t mock or bully him. On the contrary, they would enthusiastically hang out with him, drink with him, and joke with him.’

’Because the person they were really joking and playing around with wasn’t him, but his status.’

’And his status, aside from bringing him this false enthusiasm, could also bring him trouble.’

Xie Yanlai crossed his arms and gazed into the distance. ’What right did he have to watch someone else’s spectacle? Especially that stupid girl’s.’

’She was foolish enough to cling to him like a life-saving straw.’

...

...

While the Imperial Guards galloped through the streets to see the spectacle, Liang Qiang was also rushing out of his high-gated mansion.

Liang Qin and a few other girls stopped him.

Liang Qin asked, ”Hasn’t that Chu Zhao admitted defeat yet?”

Liang Qiang laughed. ”Admit defeat? Far from it! Miss Chu is fighting with more vigor than ever. And she’s not losing every time anymore. She’s started to win.”

Qi Leyun stepped forward. ”How is that possible!”

Chu Tang, who was standing at the back, nodded. ”Among so many challengers, there are bound to be some mediocrities.”

’Chu Zhao could beat a mediocrity like Chu Ke, so naturally, she could beat other mediocrities. The world is full of mediocre scholars; many aren’t even as good as she is.’

”Then how long is she going to keep this up?” one of the girls asked. ”It was one thing when she kept losing, but if she’s winning, won’t that make it even harder to end things?”

Many people can’t stand to lose, especially to a girl. Wouldn’t that just make them even more relentless?

Liang Qiang smiled and nodded. ”Exactly. Even more people are going to Chu Garden now, and the competitions have gotten much more intense.”

’Intense? What did that mean?’ The girls exchanged a look.

”It means they’re no longer being polite to Miss Chu,” Liang Qiang said with a soft sigh. ”Before, they would stop after making their point. Now, they’re determined to vent their anger and humiliate her.”

’It’s truly heartbreaking. So what if the young lady was a bit arrogant? Bullying her like this is going too far.’

”I can’t talk to you all anymore,” he said. ”I have to go see right away and show my support for Miss Chu.”

With that, he hurried off.

’That girl admires him. If he goes over and stands by her side now, she’ll feel at ease when she sees him.’

’Sigh, this was all he could do to help her. As for marriage, he had no say in the matter.’

Liang Qin and the other girls called out to him a few times but couldn’t stop him. They watched as the young man ran off in a frantic rush.

”Is this never going to end?” Qi Leyun said, looking at Chu Tang with pity. ”Does this mean you still can’t go home?”

Poor thing. Because of her sister, Chu Tang couldn’t even return to her own home.

”It’s fine. You can stay at my home as long as you need,” Qi Leyun said magnanimously. She was quite pleased to be able to bestow kindness on someone who usually looked down on her.

But Chu Tang shook her head, saying thoughtfully, ”I think we should go take a look, too.”

Go to a place like that? The girls looked at each other. They all knew Chu Zhao. How embarrassing would it be to get caught in that crossfire?

”Don’t you all feel it?” Chu Tang looked at the others, her eyes shining. ”This competition, isn’t its reputation growing and growing? Doesn’t it seem a bit like the Little Wangchun Garden Literary Meeting?”

...

...

Night enveloped the Capital City, but the city itself was as bustling as if it were day. Amidst all this splendor, the Xie family’s residence was unremarkable.

The courtyard where Third Young Master Xie resided was like a deserted island, cut off from the world’s prosperity.

”The Little Wangchun Garden Literary Meeting?”

Xie Yanfang paused his brush and looked up at the old servant before him. His picturesque features, illuminated by the lamplight, showed a hint of surprise.

”That Miss Chu really hasn’t conceded?”