Ashes to Crown

Chapter 18: Chapter 18: Refusal

Zhang Gu’s ears were ringing. He wasn’t sure if it was from the earlier shouts or the suffocating tension of being surrounded now.

’Miss Chu?’

’Since when did we have a "Miss" with us?’

He looked at the girl on the horse. Maybe it was because she’d been called "Miss," but the country girl, Ah Fu, suddenly seemed to carry herself differently.

The girl gripped the reins, dressed in a tattered cotton robe. Her once-coarse, messy hair, washed clean after her plunge into the river, was now dark and smooth. Though her face was still a bit grimy, she held her head high, her eyes fully visible—dark, bright, and dazzling. Encircled by guards and soldiers, she looked like a jade lotus rising from the water, possessing a striking grace.

"You’ve got the wrong person," she said.

Ah Jiu, whose expression had been shifting unpredictably, couldn’t help but purse his lips. Hearing her words, he looked like he was trying to suppress a laugh.

’She’ll say anything, won’t she?’ he thought. ’Just throwing out lies and hoping someone’s dumb enough to believe one. If it works, great. If not, oh well.’

Dressed in a white robe with a blue sash, Xiao Xun urged his horse forward. "The Posthouse Minister of North Cao Town and the courtesan Li Niang both identified you," he said with a smile. "Furthermore, Miss Chu, your portrait has already been delivered to the Prince Mansion. You’ll be able to see it for yourself if you just wait a bit."

’They found me so quickly? My uncle is selfish and cold-hearted, but he’s a fool. He definitely couldn’t have managed this. It must have been the Liang Family!’

Chu Zhao cursed the Liang Family under her breath and quickly lowered her gaze.

Ah Jiu curled his lip. ’So, the ’play dumb’ routine didn’t work,’ he thought. ’Time to switch to playing the pitiful victim.’

"There are bad people in the Capital City bullying me," Chu Zhao said, her voice trembling. "I want to go home. I’m going to find my father. I’ve already told him, and he knows I’m coming back. Whatever you have to say, you can say it after you’ve met my father."

Hearing her words—’bad people bullying her?’—Xiao Xun’s gaze suddenly flicked to Ah Jiu.

Ah Jiu noticed at once and met his gaze coldly. ’Stupid boy, what are you thinking!’ he fumed. ’Do you really think she’s eloping with me?’

’What a fierce boy,’ Xiao Xun thought, though he wasn’t angry. He withdrew his gaze and looked back at the girl on the horse.

"Miss Chu," he said. "Your father’s men have arrived as well."

Chu Zhao froze, her hand tightening on the reins. ’Father really does know...’

...

...

「In the nearest town by the river.」

The town’s only inn had been surrounded and cleared out by guards.

Chu Zhao and the posthouse soldiers walked inside.

The innkeeper bowed, both terrified and thrilled—not to them, of course, but to Xiao Xun, who was right behind them.

"Young Master," he said, "I have personally cleaned the guest rooms."

Xiao Xun nodded. "Thank you."

The innkeeper was so excited he was flustered. "To be able to serve you, Young Master, is my greatest honor! It brings glory to my ancestors."

Xiao Xun said nothing more, clearly accustomed to such treatment.

"You should all get some rest," he said to Chu Zhao and her companions. "Food has been prepared in the main hall."

Zhang Gu and the others were still in shock. So much had happened in just half a day that they felt dizzy and disoriented, unable to react.

Xiao Xun paid no mind to their lack of etiquette. He led Tie Ying into a room, clearly having no intention of speaking with them further.

Only after he left did Zhang Gu and the others finally breathe a little easier.

"So that’s the Heir of Zhongshan King," a posthouse soldier whispered. "I’ve heard so much about him. He’s just as impressive as the rumors say."

The King of Zhongshan was the Emperor’s youngest brother. Since childhood, he had been known for being diligent, studious, humble, and polite, earning him a fine reputation. He also had the best relationship with the Emperor. After being enfeoffed as the King of Zhongshan, his lands enjoyed favorable weather and his people lived in peace and contentment, making him deeply beloved.

His eldest legitimate son was likewise intelligent and studious. As a child, he was raised in the palace by the Empress Dowager and was treated like a son by the Emperor himself.

However, the King of Zhongshan was a stickler for propriety. After the Empress Dowager passed away, he summoned his son back to his side. Since then, father and son had dutifully remained within their fiefdom, rarely venturing out.

’To think we’d actually meet the Princely Heir.’

But aside from the Princely Heir, there was the matter of Ah Fu’s identity—

The posthouse soldiers’ gazes turned to Ah Fu—no, to Miss Chu.

"Are you really the daughter of General Chu Ling?" one of the posthouse soldiers couldn’t help but ask.

Chu Zhao hummed in affirmation.

"Then what was all that about at the North Cao Town posthouse?" "What about Yang Dachun?" "And your mother—"

Chu Zhao’s hum of confirmation opened the floodgates. Questions poured in from all sides, but she didn’t answer any of them.

"Ah Jiu." She pushed past the other posthouse soldiers and grabbed him.

The chatter from the other soldiers died down. Their complicated gazes shifted between the two, silently asking another question. ’Are you two really... together?’

Ah Jiu looked at her coldly, shaking off her hand and taking a step back. "Miss Chu, please conduct yourself with dignity."

Chu Zhao ignored him, stepping forward to grab him again. She lowered her voice. "Now do you believe me? About who I am."

Ah Jiu glanced down at the girl, who barely reached his chest. "Oh," he said.

"So, you don’t have to worry that I have any ulterior motives," Chu Zhao said, looking up at him with shining, expectant eyes. "Take me with you. Let’s go find my father."

Ah Jiu let out a short, humorless laugh. He leaned down and whispered to her, "Miss Chu, do you know what it means that you had to cause such a huge scene just to go see your father? It means you’re in a huge amount of trouble! And you want me to take you with me? I’m not crazy. Why would I go looking for that kind of mess?"

Chu Zhao froze. A moment later, Ah Jiu pushed her away.

"Let’s eat," Ah Jiu said, then called to the others. "We’re just posthouse soldiers. None of this other business concerns us."

Zhang Gu and the others exchanged complicated looks. After a moment’s hesitation, they followed him inside.

Chu Zhao stomped her foot. "Ah Jiu!" she yelled, chasing after them.

Standing inside the room, Tie Ying watched the scene unfold. The young man and woman’s voices rose and fell, and though he couldn’t make out their words, the way they were grabbing and pushing each other—

"General Chu’s daughter... she’s, well, like that?" he couldn’t help but say. To think she was fooling around with a common posthouse soldier, and so dramatically at that. He’d heard rumors that General Chu Ling was wild and defiant, but the few times Tie Ying had seen him, he had seemed like a refined and courteous general.

"Stop staring at other people’s private affairs," Xiao Xun said, then added with a small smile, "Love doesn’t follow logic."

’It’s not impossible for a general’s daughter to fall for a common soldier.’

Tie Ying glanced at Xiao Xun and muttered, "Then you not liking any of those many ladies, Young Master, that must not follow logic either."

Xiao Xun laughed heartily. "I came out here for some peace and quiet. Don’t you start with me on that subject."

As master and servant bantered, Tie Ying kept his eyes fixed outside. His face suddenly lit up. "General Chu’s men are here!"

...

...

When a travel-worn, middle-aged man in a soldier’s uniform stepped into the main hall, his face weathered and marked by a scar, Chu Zhao was overjoyed. At the same time, her eyes began to burn.

"Uncle Zhong!" she cried out, her voice thick and nasal.

’Although the scar made him look fierce, Uncle Zhong was a good man. As her father’s deputy general, he had been by her side as she grew up. After her father died, he had come to the palace to see her, telling her not to be sad.’

’"The General is gone, but I am still here," he had said. "I will protect you, Miss."’

’He had kept his word. After her father’s death, he continued to lead troops in campaigns across the land. Even though Xiao Xun had become the Emperor, his reign was a precarious one.’

’A struggle between the princes had left the borders of the Great Xia Dynasty unstable, and rebellions were rampant. The Dongyang Xie Family, in particular, refused to accept Xiao Xun as Emperor. Under the banner of punishing the wicked, they had conquered nearly half the empire.’

’And Uncle Zhong had died in battle trying to quell that rebellion.’

’She didn’t find out until long after his death. When she had asked Xiao Xun about it, he merely said dismissively, "He acted rashly and fell into a rebel ambush. For your sake, as the Empress, I will not extend blame to his family."’

’But in truth, Uncle Zhong’s wife and daughter had fallen into the hands of the rebel Xie family. Their fate was easy to imagine.’

Chu Zhao grabbed Vice General Zhong’s sleeve, tears streaming down her face.

Seeing the girl cry, a flicker of compassion crossed Vice General Zhong’s solemn face. "Miss Ah Zhao."

Chu Zhao sobbed, "You’ve come to take me home. Let’s go, quickly."

Vice General Zhong’s expression stiffened, his face resuming its solemn mask. "The General has given his orders. You are to stop this nonsense and return to the Capital City immediately. That is your home."

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