Ashes to Crown

Chapter 208: Chapter 34: Behind (Part 2)

Xie Yanfang smiled. ”It’s only natural to be impulsive when it comes to close family. He’s not to blame, not at all.”

Uncle Cai lifted his head and huffed again. ”See? It was no use for the Old Master to write to me. In the end, I was still persuaded by you, Young Master, and now I’m taking your orders.”

Xie Yanfang laughed heartily. ”Then what are you waiting for? Uncle Cai, go write a reply to Grandfather.”

Uncle Cai rose with a helpless smile and walked out. At the doorway, he paused and looked back at the young master sitting inside.

”What are you staring at?” said Du Qi, leaning against the wall with his longsword, his eyes half-closed. ”Old Cai, no matter how much you look, you’ll never understand things as clearly as the Young Master.”

Uncle Cai scoffed. ”It’s not just that I can’t see as clearly as the Young Master. I can’t even see as clearly as that Miss Chu. With the Young Master around, she truly has nothing to worry about.”

’That Miss Chu is so lucky, to have the Young Master protecting her.’

Uncle Cai paused again. ’Or rather, to make the Young Master *have* to protect her...’ As he pondered, the night outside grew noisy, and the evening breeze carried the faint sound of women’s playful laughter.

Uncle Cai frowned. ”Which courtyard is that? What’s all the commotion in the middle of the night?”

Du Qi’s eyes remained half-closed. He only twitched his ears and said, ”Who else but our Young Master Yanlai, of course.”

’Besides Miss Chu, there’s also this Xie Yanlai, who the Young Master also has to protect.’ Uncle Cai’s brow furrowed—

Other members of the Xie family weren’t allowed into the palace, but he had accompanied the Third Young Master in and out and seen with his own eyes how warmly the Xiao Emperor treated Xie Yanlai.

The Xiao Emperor’s face would light up whenever he saw Xie Yanlai. He would tilt his head back and call out, ”Uncle!”

’Who would have thought the Xie family would produce another person the Emperor calls uncle.’

Of course, he also knew why. At that critical moment, Xie Yanlai had defended the Imperial City. To a child who had suddenly lost his parents, like a lone bird cast from its flock, he was both a lifeline and a towering tree. From that point on, the boy had put his complete trust in him.

’It was the same for Miss Chu.’

’It was a matter of timing and fate. These two once-inconspicuous people had soared into the heavens.’

’Then there was that Deng Yi. When the late Emperor went mad and trusted no one, he’d thrown the heavy burden of the nation onto this mere Palace Gate Officer.’

Uncle Cai let out a long breath, his gaze turning cold.

’A person’s life isn’t built on luck. We’ll just have to see how long their good fortune lasts.’

Due to the national mourning period, the nightly revelries of the young masters in the deep courtyards of the Xie Mansion had vanished. Instead, it was Xie Yanlai’s usually quiet residence that now bustled from time to time.

Xie Yanlai strode outside, surrounded by a gaggle of maids.

One held up a cup of tea. ”Young Master Yanlai, have another sip.”

Another offered a piece of fruit. ”Young Master Yanlai, have a bite of pear.”

A third presented a brocade sash. ”Young Master, you should change to this one. It’s newly made.”

Xie Yanlai refused none of them. He took a sip of tea and walked on, munching on the pear in his hand, while also remembering to spread his arms to let a maid change his sash—

With the addition of maids carrying lanterns all around him, the lively procession resembled a ball of fire, blocking the winding path of the Xie Mansion.

The young masters approaching from the other end of the path wore ugly expressions.

”Xie Yanlai,” yelled the one in the lead, Xie Xiao. ”In the middle of the night, you—”

Before he could finish, Xie Yanlai looked at him and barked, ”Insolence! Is that any way to speak to me?”

Xie Xiao’s expression darkened further, his words choked off.

But Xie Yanlai didn’t let him off. ”Say it again,” he said coldly.

Xie Xiao’s face was ashen. He squeezed the words through his teeth: ”Uncle Jiu.”

Xie Yanlai smiled faintly. ”Good boy, my dear nephew.” As he spoke, his hand loosened, and the half-eaten pear fell onto his shoe. He looked down and frowned. ”My shoe is dirty. Xie Xiao, wipe it for your uncle.”

Xie Xiao was so angry he looked ready to leap up. ”Xie Yanlai, don’t think you can bully people just because you’re in power now—”

He didn’t manage to jump. Xie Yanlai kicked out, and the rest of his words turned into a scream as Xie Xiao tumbled to the ground.

The young masters with him were caught off guard, nearly hit by his falling body. A commotion broke out as they all shouted, ”Xie Yanlai, what are you doing!”

Xie Yanlai took one step, then another toward them. He had a smile on his face and his movements were leisurely, but for some reason, the young men felt a piercing chill—

’This guy fought his way out of the Imperial City on the night of the upheaval. Who knows how much blood stains his hands—even more than Xie Yanfang’s.’

’He’s killed many people. Now he’s the Commander of the Imperial City Guards, and all the troops in the Capital City answer to him—’

Xie Yanlai lifted his foot and planted it on Xie Xiao. He bent down, the corners of his mouth curving, his phoenix eyes glinting with amusement. ”What nonsense are you spouting? I bullied people when I *wasn’t* in power, too.”

With that, he twisted his foot, grinding it into Xie Xiao’s clothes to wipe his shoe clean. Then he retracted it and strode past him.

”Now that I *am* in power, of course I’m going to bully people even more fiercely!”

The maids moved past the other young masters, their lilting voices resuming as they surrounded Xie Yanlai.