Ashes to Crown

Chapter 184: Chapter 15: Reciprocation

The summer night was muggy, but the young man’s presence by her ear brought a bone-chilling cold.

Chu Zhao looked up at him. ”That’s an interesting thing to say. Why would I want you and the Third Young Master to kill each other? Before, I had nothing to do with any of you. Now, I and your Xie family—oh, wait.”

At this, she tilted her head up even higher, staring into the young man’s eyes.

”I should say, the Third Young Master and I are as one. The safety of the young prince, the stability of my position as Empress—all of it depends on the Third Young Master.”

”What good would it do me for you to kill each other?”

Xie Yanlai looked at her, withdrew his hand, and stood up straight. ”Everything you say is right. But I know that’s your intention. Otherwise, why are you being so good to me?”

Chu Zhao let out a short, incredulous laugh. ”Ha. Me, good to you?”

She acted as if she’d heard the most ridiculous thing, as if she’d never done any of it and it was all his imagination. Xie Yanlai sneered.

’Keep pretending.’

Chu Zhao stopped laughing and thought about it seriously. ”I have been pretty good to you. On the road, when you were hiding that secret letter for my father, I didn’t tell Uncle Zhong. When you were being beaten, I stopped them and brought you medicine for your injuries. During all that turmoil, I trusted you to guard the palace gates for me, and now I’m offering you the Dragon Power Army—”

She looked at the young man before her, nodded, her expression filled with emotion.

”I really have been good to you.”

She reached out and patted the young man’s cold iron armor.

”Ah Jiu, so you do know how good I’ve been to you.”

As she spoke, she pulled a letter from her sleeve.

”In that case, you should at least deliver a letter for me, right?”

Xie Yanlai had imagined all sorts of reactions from her, but in the end, this sentence defeated him. He was both angry and amused, but mostly just furious.

”Chu Zhao,” he gritted out. ”Don’t play dumb with me.”

Chu Zhao’s face darkened. ”I have never played dumb. I’m being this good to you precisely so you’ll repay me.”

Xie Yanlai sneered. ”And that’s not playing dumb? You might not trust Xie Yanfang enough to have him deliver your letter, but what about Zhong Changrong? Don’t tell me you don’t even trust him. He’s about to head back.”

Chu Zhao said, ”My father’s and my situations are different now. This position of Empress is something I requested from His Majesty. It caught many people off guard, and they resent it. Uncle Zhong is of course reliable, but there’s no telling how many eyes are watching him. There are some things I can’t explain clearly to him, nor can I spell them out. My father knows nothing about what’s happened here. I have to write to him personally and explain everything, bit by bit. Besides, some matters concern—”

She looked up at Xie Yanlai.

”They concern whether my mother is alive or dead.”

Xie Yanlai glanced at her. ’Her mother is alive or dead?’ Although he didn’t care about this girl, he couldn’t help it. She had stirred up so much trouble in the Capital City that everyone was talking about her, and news about her naturally reached his ears.

This girl didn’t have a mother either.

Her mother died when she was born.

’So what does she mean by that now?’

”I know a secret. My mother didn’t die. She’s still alive,” Chu Zhao said softly, her hands clenching in front of her, her large eyes dark and hollow. ”I have to ask my father what really happened.”

”My father is dying. I’m afraid I won’t get to see him, and I’m afraid I’ll never learn the truth about this secret.”

Xie Yanlai averted his gaze. ”You want me to take over the Dragon Power Army and deliver a letter. I’m not a god.”

Chu Zhao said, ”You can arrange for someone else.” She thought for a moment. ”Mr. Zhang and his men would be perfect. You know them, I know them, and they’re completely unremarkable. No one will pay them any attention.”

Xie Yanlai shot her a look and scoffed. ”Your ’familiarity’ and ’trust’ are pretty casual, aren’t they?”

’What’s there to be familiar with? They just happened to meet on the road while hiding their identities.’

”It’s true that distance tests a horse’s strength, and time reveals a person’s heart,” Chu Zhao said. ”But with some people, you can tell at a glance whether they’re reliable and can be entrusted with things.”

When she finished, she looked at Xie Yanlai and gave him a slight smile.

’What are you looking at? What are you smiling at!’ Xie Yanlai sneered. ”Do you know what makes the most skilled liars? They tell nine lies and one truth.”

With that, he snatched the letter from her hand and turned to leave.

”Hey,” Chu Zhao called out.

Xie Yanlai stopped and turned back, asking impatiently, ”What now?”

Chu Zhao walked over and circled him. Unfortunately, Xie Yanlai was too tall for her to whisper in his ear.

”You’ve questioned me, but I haven’t questioned you yet.” She could only get close to his chest and whisper, ”Why do you want to fight to the death with Xie Yanfang?”

She tilted her head up to look at him.

”I’m good to you, and that’s the first thing you think of? What kind of life have you been living at home? Has no one ever been good to you in your entire life?”

Xie Yanlai looked at the girl who had moved closer with a mock-serious expression, then pushed her away by poking her forehead with two fingers.

”Chu Zhao, stop trying to play these games with me.” His almond-shaped eyes narrowed as he said in a low voice, ”Trying to turn my own words against me? I’m not a three-year-old.”

With that, he strode forward.

From behind him, Chu Zhao called out again, ”Ah Jiu.”

Xie Yanlai, annoyed, glanced around before looking back at the girl. His gaze was a harsh warning: this was the Imperial Palace Hall, not the wilderness or some public street.

Chu Zhao smiled. ”I want the Ah Jiu I know to help me, not some other person.”

The corner of Xie Yanlai’s mouth twitched into a sneer. He scoffed, then turned and strode away.

’Would he be moved by words like that? What could an Ah Jiu who wasn’t a Xie Family’s son even do?’

’An Ah Jiu who wasn’t a Xie Family’s son would never have even met Miss Chu in this lifetime.’

Watching the young man stride away, Chu Zhao let out a breath, her expression complicated. ’Ah Jiu really is a smart and sensitive kid...’

Xie Yanfang.

Chu Zhao lowered her eyes. Of course she wouldn’t trust him completely. She knew what a clever and ambitious person he was.

She could cooperate with him, advance and retreat alongside him, but she could not trust him.

As for Ah Jiu... Chu Zhao raised her eyes, looking at the young man’s figure receding into the dim night.

’He questions me for being good to him?’

’Why doesn’t he stop to think that he was good to me first? He knew who I was but never said a word to his family. He knew he could ruin my reputation, yet he never mentioned it.’

’I’m being good to him to repay him.’

’Of course, there are selfish motives too.’

’But... fighting to the death with Xie Yanfang—’

Chu Zhao pressed her lips together. It was too early to talk about that now. What right did she and Ah Jiu have to fight to the death with Xie Yanfang?

...

...

Chu Zhao walked back to the side hall. Seeing a familiar figure about to step inside, she quickly called out, ”Third Young Master.”

Xie Yanfang, standing on the steps, turned around. He saw her at once, smiled slightly, then lowered his head to bow.

Chu Zhao walked over and asked, ”You must be hungry?”

Xie Yanfang said in a low voice, ”Not hungry. Just tired of sitting. I was looking for a place to rest.”

Chu Zhao couldn’t help but laugh. ”Well, I’m different,” she said softly. ”I’m hungry.”

Xie Yanfang gestured for her to go first.

Chu Zhao walked ahead, then glanced back. ”I just saw Yanlai.”

Xie Yanfang made a sound of acknowledgement. ”Oh. Just give him any orders you have. He might not be pleasant to talk to, but he’s perfectly reliable when it comes to getting things done.”

Chu Zhao said in a low voice, ”Uncle Zhong has to return to the Border County, so I’ve asked him to temporarily take over Uncle Zhong’s duties.”

Xie Yanfang showed no surprise at all and nodded. ”He’s the most suitable choice.” He looked at Chu Zhao again. ”I’ll select a physician to go with Vice General Zhong.”

Her father’s illness was no secret to Xie Yanfang, so Chu Zhao nodded. ”Alright. I’ll leave the arrangements to you, Third Young Master.”

Xie Yanfang sighed softly. ”If it weren’t for Yu being so emotionally unstable and unable to leave your side, you should go back and see him.”

Chu Zhao shook her head. ”It’s not Yu’s fault. This is my own choice.”

Xie Yanfang also shook his head. ”No, this isn’t your choice. This is the cruelty of fate. A situation you have no control over.”

In short, it wasn’t her fault, and she shouldn’t blame herself for it.

’When Third Young Master Xie wants to be good to someone, he’s truly good.’

’I hope he can always be this good to me.’ Chu Zhao smiled at Xie Yanfang, and they crossed the threshold together.