Ashes to Crown

Chapter 225: Chapter 48: Settled

The girl’s voice rang out inside the tent. It was melodic, reasonable, and deeply moving.

Ding Dachui’s mind began to wander, probably because he’d already heard a very similar speech once before.

In short, both women were trying to persuade them to become guards. They didn’t shy away from the danger but promised a handsome reward.

Ding Dachui’s nervousness faded, and a funny thought even popped into his head: ’These two women are both trying to entice us into doing the same thing. I wonder who will win and who will lose in the end.’

’Hmm... Does this mean the power to decide is actually in our hands?’

’If I listen to the new boss, we can land this big fish that is the girl’s family. But if I really become the girl’s guard, we can take out the new boss together—’

’Either way, we’ll get a handsome reward in the end.’

’That’s right. It’s like a clever hunter who’s come across two fierce beasts. No need to rush or panic. Just let the two of them fight it out first.’

’So what if they’re fierce and powerful? They’re the ones fighting. I can just sit back and watch the tigers fight, then reap the rewards when they’re both worn out.’

Ding Dachui couldn’t help but smile.

”Uncle Ding?” Chu Zhao asked. ”Do you have something to say?”

Xiao Man, who was turning her head, shot Ding Dachui a look. It was a warning, laced with a hint of nervousness. ’He’d better not say the wrong thing!’

Ding Dachui grunted, looking at Chu Zhao. ”What?”

’Did I frighten him? He seems so dazed.’ Chu Zhao’s expression softened as she said earnestly, ”I need you. Are you willing to go with me to Yunzhong County?”

Ding Dachui said, ”Oh.” What was he supposed to say? Before he could think, another female voice spoke up beside him.

”My dear.”

At the same time, a hand shook his arm.

Ding Dachui shuddered and stiffly turned his neck to look at the woman standing beside him—

She still looked nervous and timid, only raising her head slightly. Her voice trembled, yet it seemed she had made up her mind. ”My dear, you should go. Don’t worry about me. I’ll wait for you to come back safely.”

Ding Dachui said, ”Oh,” again. Just as he was about to speak, Chu Zhao spoke up first.

”Aunt Ding,” she said with a warm smile, looking at the woman leaning against Ding Dachui. ”This journey is very dangerous. If you’re worried, why don’t you come along with us?”

At these words, the few people in the tent, all wearing different expressions, were instantly stunned. Even Aunt Ding, who had kept her head lowered the whole time, looked up.

...

...

Chu Zhao saw the glances flying between them and their varied expressions, but she wasn’t surprised. In fact, a knowing smile appeared on her face.

’I understand this woman’s identity now—’

’She’s a bandit, too.’

’This wasn’t a judgment based on the law, which held that a bandit’s wife was just as guilty as the bandit himself.’

’It was based on the attitudes of Ding Dachui and Ge Laosan. This woman wasn’t some mere dependent; it was obvious she had ”hunted” with them before.’

’She understood their thoughts, and the meaning behind their frantic glances. They were just trying to guess her intentions. Was this a gesture of goodwill, or a threat?’

’Bringing his family along meant they would live or die together, their fates bound as one. No one could escape.’

But her intentions weren’t actually that complicated.

Chu Zhao said, ”I just feel that instead of worrying at home, it’s better to come along. Even if it means witnessing and experiencing the danger firsthand, you might feel more at ease.”

She smiled as she spoke, looking at the woman. Though the woman had lifted her head, only her eyes were visible.

As Chu Zhao watched, the woman’s eyes met hers for a second before darting away. Unease, restlessness, panic... and was that even a hint of shame?

’The unease, restlessness, and panic—those I can understand,’ Chu Zhao thought. ’This whole situation is certainly unsettling for them.’

’But shame... Why would she feel shame? Because she’s a bandit?’

’She’s overthinking it. There’s no need for a woman to feel ashamed of being a bandit.’

Chu Zhao’s smile grew warmer as she looked at the woman.

”I believe that as long as Aunt Ding is with Uncle Ding, you won’t be afraid of anything, not even a mountain of knives or a sea of fire.”

Hearing this, the woman’s gaze, which had been averted, finally met hers. She looked at Chu Zhao, nodded, and then shook her head. ”Yes, I’m not afraid.”

Her voice was soft, but Chu Zhao could clearly sense her resolve.

The next moment, she lowered her head again, her hand gripping Ding Dachui’s arm tightly.

’Ah, the power of love,’ Chu Zhao mused. ’That’s just how women are. When they love someone, they’ll gladly walk through fire and treat it as if it were nothing.’

”Uncle Ding,” Chu Zhao said earnestly, ”that’s all I have to say. Whether you come with me or not is ultimately your decision. After all, it’s your life, and only you can be the master of it.”

’Master of my own life?’ Ding Dachui felt the pressure on his arm. No one knew better than him just how lethal that soft hand could be.

The hand shook slightly, reminding him how he was to choose between life and death.

Ding Dachui looked at the girl and nodded. ”I’ll go with you.”

”Aunt Ding” immediately nodded along. ”My dear, I’ll go with you.”

What else could Ge Laosan say? He immediately declared, ”Me too.”

’I’m not an idiot,’ he thought. ’If I say no now, my life is forfeit.’

Chu Zhao clapped her hands and smiled. ”That’s wonderful!” With that, she bowed again. ”Thank you again, my friends.”

She seemed about to say more, but Xiao Man grabbed her and pulled her away.

Once they were a short distance away, the two of them stopped.

”What was that all about?” Xiao Man said irritably. ”I told you not to worry about them. I could have handled it myself.”

Chu Zhao laughed. ”I was just showing my sincerity! If you want people to work for you, you have to be sincere enough.” She winked, looking a little smug. ”See? My sincerity worked, didn’t it? They were moved, weren’t they?”

Xiao Man suddenly felt the urge to laugh. Though this was her first real interaction with Chu Zhao, she was no stranger to her. She had been watching Chu Zhao in the marketplace since she was a baby in her aunt’s arms, though she was too little to remember it clearly.

When she grew up, she learned more. Eventually, it became her job to keep an eye on Chu Zhao in the market—

’This girl was no different from any other, with the coquettish temperament of a rich young miss.’

’Of course, after coming to the Capital City, she also witnessed the girl’s courage—that part was just like her aunt.’

’Then she became the Empress, trading barbs with those two formidable-looking court ministers. I couldn’t understand a word they were saying.’

’But looking at Chu Zhao right now, she seemed different yet again—utterly foolish.’

”Moved,” Xiao Man said, drawing out the word sarcastically. ”Even I was moved.”

’Even if she wasn’t moved, she was definitely affected in some way. This is the first time Xiao Man has spoken to me with such emotion in her voice,’ Chu Zhao thought. She smiled and said, ”Alright, Xiao Man. You’ve worked hard on this trip. Now that we’ve persuaded them, you can relax a bit.”

Xiao Man shot her a look. ”Oh yes, now I can *really* relax.” With that, she turned her head, huffed, and stomped away.

’She’s acting so strange,’ Chu Zhao thought. Ah Le stepped forward and said, ”Still, Xiao Man does seem happy.”

Chu Zhao’s expression was gratified. ”As long as she’s happy. She’s still just a child. She should be happy and carefree.”

’Even though I haven’t known Xiao Man for long, the girl always has such a grim look on her face, as if she carries the weight of the world on her shoulders. Sigh. If anyone has a right to feel that way, it’s me, Chu Zhao, and even I don’t go around with a long face all day.’

Ah Le stifled a laugh. ”Miss, you’re just a child yourself.”

Chu Zhao said, ”Oh,” and nodded. ”That’s right. I should be happy, too. Happy and carefree.”

Ah Le burst out laughing.

The sound of laughter outside the tent faded, while inside, the atmosphere had grown tense.

Ding Dachui watched the woman wringing her hands nervously, pacing back and forth inside the tent. She muttered, ”What do I do, what do I do? I have to go too, I’ll go with her—”

She was breathing rapidly as she spoke, as if she couldn’t get enough air.

’She’s that scared?’ Ding Dachui couldn’t help but say, ”Boss, if you don’t want to go—”

Before he could finish, the woman cut him off. ”I want to go.”

She turned her head, her eyes filled with excitement.

”I’m just...” she said, pressing a hand to her chest. ”I’m just a little nervous. I don’t know... I—”

She didn’t finish her sentence either, turning on her heel and rushing out of the tent.

Ding Dachui and Ge Laosan were left standing there, stunned.

”What does the boss mean by that?” Ge Laosan couldn’t help but ask. ”Is she going or not?”

”She’s definitely going,” Ding Dachui said with a nod. ”Otherwise the boss wouldn’t have come to threaten and entice us in the first place. But... her nervousness and fear seemed real, too.”

’Did the girl suddenly ask the boss to come along as a threat, a way to keep us in line?’

’And because of that, the boss will be trapped and exposed right under the girl’s nose, which is why she’s so flustered?’

’This girl is clever, quick-witted, and bold. It seems the boss doesn’t have much confidence in this ’business’ anymore.’

’So... should I just switch over to this young miss’s side now and lock in my victory?’