Ashes to Crown

Chapter 124: Chapter 80: A Feeling

Chu Zhao was unaware of the events unfolding outside the Capital City, but she had certainly noticed the change in her own reputation.

Visitors came almost every day, mostly young women, but some men as well.

The young women came to befriend her, sitting down for a chat and calling her ”sister.”

The men came either to make her acquaintance or to discuss poetry and philosophy.

There were also many banquet invitations from Aristocratic Families.

Because they were no longer in the Chu Garden, all visitors first had to pay their respects to the Family Head, which left the Jiang Family and Chu Lan feeling both pleased and displeased.

They were pleased that the Chu Family’s residence was so lively, but displeased that these visitors would ask for Chu Zhao after just a few words, making the Family Head feel more like a messenger servant.

”This is hardly surprising,” Chu Lan said with a cold laugh, sitting in his bedroom. ”It was the same over ten years ago when Second Brother was at the height of his favor.”

Back then, men and women also visited in an endless stream. The men came to build connections, while the women came to propose marriage.

”We’ve seen this kind of bustling popularity before,” Chu Lan said wistfully. ”And we’ve also tasted the danger that lies beneath it.”

The Jiang Family hesitated for a moment. ”Are you saying there’s more danger to come? Surely not. Ah Zhao is just a girl, not a man in the court like Second Brother.”

A girl can cause a stir now, but once she marries and enters the inner quarters, she’ll be serving her husband and raising her children, cut off from the rest of the world.

Chu Lan snorted. ”How should I know? Heaven only knows what that father-daughter pair will do.”

As the couple was speaking, Chu Tang entered with a radiant smile.

”Father, Mother, you don’t need to worry about this,” she said. ”I’ve already persuaded Ah Zhao to stop receiving guests.”

Chu Lan asked, ”She agreed to listen? Isn’t this whole fuss she’s been making just to be in the limelight?”

”It’s because she wants to be in the limelight that I was able to persuade her.” Chu Tang sat beside her mother. ”Father, she’s participating in the Wangchun Garden Literary Meeting. Most of the people who came to the Chu Garden for the excitement were mediocrities. Who with real talent would waste time fooling around with a group of young women? A man like you, for example.”

Chu Lan stroked his beard and nodded. ’That’s right. That’s exactly it.’

”So the Wangchun Garden Literary Meeting is what’s truly important. If Ah Zhao wants to make a name for herself, she has to study diligently,” Chu Tang said with a smile. ”I took the liberty of giving her Father’s study to use and told her to stop seeing visitors so she can study in seclusion.”

Chu Lan nodded with a smile. ”Well done. Let her use it.”

The Jiang Family stroked her daughter’s shoulder, smiling radiantly. ”Thank goodness we have Ah Tang.”

Chu Tang turned and took her mother’s hand. ”It’s no trouble for me; I just have to coax her. The real trouble will be for you, Father and Mother, having to turn away all the guests.”

Chu Lan and the Jiang Family nodded. ”Don’t worry, don’t worry. We’ll take care of it.”

’They couldn’t let their daughter be put in a difficult position.’

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...

Chu Tang sauntered into the study and saw Chu Zhao browsing through the books on a shelf.

”Father has collected many rare editions,” Chu Tang said, walking over to point them out. ”Many have his annotations. He’s poured half a lifetime of effort into this.”

She added with a smile.

”Father’s literary skills are certainly respectable.”

Having been personally taught by Mr. Zhu, the Chief of Staff, and having inherited the Qiao Mountain Academy, Chu Lan was indeed a learned man. Chu Zhao nodded, acknowledging this. ’In that other life, I studied under him and know this from experience,’ she thought. ’But back then, my studies were only to please Xiao Xun. I learned in a rush, and Chu Lan taught me perfunctorily.’

”I’ve secured this study for you, so you can use it without worry,” Chu Tang continued. ”And just as you asked, I had Father and Mother start turning away visitors.”

Chu Zhao offered a smile and a ”Thank you.”

”Are you really planning to work so hard?” Chu Tang asked curiously.

Chu Zhao sat down and waggled the book in her hand. ”Even if I study myself to death, it’s not like I can be invincible at the Wangchun Garden Literary Meeting. I’m well aware of my own abilities. I wasn’t exactly sweeping the floor with everyone at the Chu Garden Literary Meeting, you know.”

Chu Tang laughed. ”And here I thought you were biding your time, planning to stun everyone.”

”Stunning everyone doesn’t necessarily mean you have to win,” Chu Zhao said languidly. ”I lost, didn’t I? And I still managed to do it.”

Chu Tang burst out laughing.

’What mattered was never winning or losing, but whether one dared to act.’

’Besides, she had no interest in fame for its own sake. The Third Prince had come to her door looking for trouble, and she had simply struck back. The resulting fame was just a means to an end—to show the world that her father had not sired a useless daughter. Her father was a hero, and so was she.’

’If she were being honest, she didn’t want to attend the literary meeting at all. But of course, a hero must also know how to read the situation. When the Third Prince sent people to challenge her, it was perfectly reasonable to accept. But now that he had sent a formal invitation, tossing it aside and refusing to go would make her seem arrogant and clueless.’

’The Third Prince would then have the perfect excuse to strike a fatal blow.’

”I’m just going to join in the fun,” Chu Zhao said, ”and to lend my support.”

’And to deal with whatever trouble the Third Prince cooked up for her there.’

”So when the time comes, stay far away from me.”

Chu Zhao added with a smile, reminding them to avoid getting caught in the crossfire.

Chu Tang nodded. ”In that case, I won’t go.”

Chu Zhao snorted with laughter. ”You should still go,” she said.

She looked at her cousin.

”Go see for yourself how fickle and unpredictable imperial royalty and the nobility can be. That way, you, my dear cousin, will better understand the dangers that hide beneath all that glamour.”

’In her past life, Chu Tang had used her connection to her—the Empress—to marry into a good family, only to be cast aside later. In the end, she had even gone mad and tried to assassinate her. She had been a fool, through and through. But the Chu Tang of this life, while selfish and disloyal, was very clever. Perhaps in that other life, she had been blinded by power and prestige, which fueled her ambition until she became arrogant and reckless, leading to her tragic end.’

”You’re a smart person, Cousin. I hope you can see more, and see more clearly—with a clear heart and sharp eyes. That way, the evils of this world won’t be able to harm you so easily.”

”And don’t worry, Cousin. As long as you don’t follow me around, even if I cause trouble, you won’t get dragged into it.”

Chu Tang found it strange to hear the younger girl say this with such a calm expression. It was as if she didn’t consider her family at all. ’Then again,’ Chu Tang thought, ’we don’t really consider her family, either.’

Chu Tang fell silent for a moment, then nodded. ”Alright. I’ll go and see for myself. The more one sees, the better one knows how to seek fortune and avoid disaster.”

As the two cousins were talking, a maidservant entered cautiously.

”My ladies, Miss Qi has arrived.”

The Jiang Family had told her that Chu Zhao and Chu Tang were studying in seclusion and not receiving guests, but Qi Leyun immediately claimed she had academic questions to discuss.

”’After all, we’re all going to the literary meeting together. If I perform poorly, they’ll be embarrassed right along with me,’” Qi Leyun argued, full of self-righteousness.

The Jiang Family couldn’t be bothered to wrangle with the young lady, so she had no choice but to let her in.

”What are you doing studying at home?” Qi Leyun said, pushing past the maidservant. ”We all fought for this chance at the Wangchun Garden Literary Meeting together, so of course we should be preparing together!”

She grabbed Chu Zhao as she spoke.

”Everyone’s waiting for you at Yaqug Pavilion.”

Chu Zhao laughed and let herself be led away, while Chu Tang called out indignantly from behind, ”What about me?”

Qi Leyun waved a dismissive hand. ”You just stay home and study hard.”

Chu Tang scoffed and followed after them.

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When Qi Leyun pulled Chu Zhao into the private room, it was already filled with young women.

Upon seeing Chu Zhao, they all began to wave. ”Hurry, come here!” ”Miss Ah Zhao, sit with me!”

Qi Leyun ignored them, pulling Chu Zhao to a seat in the center of the room.

Chu Tang didn’t trail after them this time. Instead, she found an empty seat and was soon laughing intimately with the other girls.

”What’s the occasion today?” Chu Zhao asked with a smile, looking around. There was no banquet set out. ”I thought you were all treating me to drinks.”

”Forget eating, we have business to discuss,” one of the girls said.

Before she could finish, Qi Leyun held up a hand, interrupting her. ”Hold on. Close all the windows first.”

Chu Zhao laughed. ”It’s sweltering. Why would we close the windows?”

But the other girls were already getting up and shutting them. Qi Leyun stood by one of the windows, snorted, and shot her a sidelong glance. ”This is to prevent someone from seeing something they shouldn’t through the window and running off, leaving the rest of us behind.”

This was a jab about the incident with Ah Jiu, and Chu Zhao laughed heartily.

”Alright, alright, the windows are closed. I won’t run away,” she said.

A girl hesitated for a moment, then said, ”Ah Zhao, we asked you to come today because recently, there’s been a rumor—”

Before she could finish, the door was thrown open with a BANG, and a girl stormed in.

”Chu Zhao!” the girl shrieked. ”You shameless wretch!”

Chu Zhao blinked, taken aback. She studied the girl and asked, ”And you are?”

The girl’s face was a mask of fury. Chu Zhao’s question seemed to catch her so off guard that she almost choked on her own anger.

”Chu Zhao, stop playing dumb!” she shrieked.

Qi Leyun stood up. ”Liang Qin, if you have something to say, then say it properly. Why are you shouting?”

’So this was Liang Qin.’ Chu Zhao felt a bit helpless. ’Though I kicked Miss Liang the moment I’d opened my eyes that day, I hadn’t gotten a good look at her, having mistaken Liang Qin for Princess Consort Liang. I haven’t seen her since and truly didn’t remember her face.’

’Liang Qin wasn’t as strikingly beautiful as Princess Consort Liang.’

At the thought of Princess Consort Liang, Chu Zhao’s expression cooled. ”Miss Liang. Long time no see. How exactly have I been shameless?”

Liang Qin stared at her and sneered. ”You hit me just to ruin my marriage prospects! For a man, you even dragged your father’s name into it, claiming I’d insulted him. You’re the one who’s truly shamed your father by pulling a stunt like that. You’re absolutely shameless!”