Ashes to Crown

Chapter 32: Chapter 32: Heart’s Intent

Vice General Zhong walked in and heard Chu Ling’s whisper. The burly man’s eyes reddened, and he almost shed tears.

"Big Brother," he choked out, "don’t let your mind run wild. Everything will be fine. We’ve already made all the arrangements—"

He was also furious. ’What in the world did that Ah Jiu say to him?’

"Don’t listen to his nonsense! What does he know!"

Chu Ling gave him a small smile. "Yes, we’ve arranged everything. I’m not worried." He paused for a moment before asking, "Back when Ah Zhao met with you, what did she say?"

Previously, Vice General Zhong had only recounted what had happened and delivered Chu Zhao’s letter. Chu Ling hadn’t asked what Chu Zhao had said—there was no need. He already knew. What could she possibly say? It would be nothing more than complaints about being wronged, how much she missed her father, and clamoring to be allowed to come home.

But now, Chu Ling suddenly wanted to hear it.

Vice General Zhong thought for a moment. His meeting with Chu Zhao had been rushed, and they hadn’t said much, but he still remembered. "The Young Miss said that the only place she can call home is where her father is. She demanded to know how I could be so heartless as to not let her see you. What if, she asked, she never got to see you again?"

Chu Ling fell silent, his gaze falling on the letter on the desk.

Vice General Zhong sighed. ’The Young Miss misses the General, and of course the General misses her too. He raised her himself, from a nursing infant to the young woman she is today.’

"Changrong," Chu Ling said, using Vice General Zhong’s given name. "Wrap up the matters you’re handling. Then go and bring Ah Zhao back."

Vice General Zhong was stunned. ’What?’

"Big Brother," he said, taking a step forward. "We’re about to submit the memorial to His Majesty. Your illness will be exposed, and that other matter will surely come to light. This place will descend into chaos and strife. Bringing the Young Miss back now—"

He lowered his voice, trying to reason with him.

"Didn’t we already agree? We let the Young Miss stay safe and sound with the family in the Capital City. Once we deal with things here, we resign our posts. Free of all burdens and ties, we can finally go home as well."

Chu Ling nodded. "To be honest, even if Ah Zhao were here, I could guarantee her safety. I sent her away because I didn’t want her to face the strife here and live in a state of anxiety. But since she’s anxious in the Capital City, she might as well come back."

’Damn it all, what in the world did that brat Ah Jiu say!’ Vice General Zhong was both anxious and furious. ’Isn’t this just making things more chaotic?’

"General, it’s not that simple," he said urgently in a low voice. "The struggle between the Crown Prince and the Third Prince has moved from the shadows into the open. The Yang and Zhao families are vying for dominance, and military power is the main prize. If this force you command is brought out into the open, they will never let it go."

Chu Ling smiled, his expression cool and detached. "The Yang Family and Zhao Family’s court disputes have nothing to do with me. But here, on my turf, if they think they can do as they please, they are sorely mistaken."

Vice General Zhong looked at Chu Ling. The man’s frame was still tall and broad, his presence as imposing as ever, like a towering mountain.

But in truth, this great mountain was already hollow on the inside.

For over a decade, countless wounds had piled up like stones, forming their own mountain. Now, those stones had begun to crumble, destroying the mountain from within.

"Big Brother," he said, his voice hoarse. "His Majesty today is not the same man he was. He’s old, and he’s changed. In recent years, the court has been in chaos, the two Princes are at each other’s throats, and he not only turns a blind eye but even condones it. Big Brother, you wrote to His Majesty to ask permission to resign and inquire how to handle the Dragon Power Army, but he ignored you. He’s forcing you to submit a formal memorial, which makes it clear he intends to push you into the eye of the storm."

If any of the other officers of Yunzhong County had been present, they would have found this strange. Among the four armies and twenty-three battalions of the Border County, there had never been one called the Dragon Power Army.

Chu Ling raised a hand, shushing him.

Vice General Zhong gritted his teeth and said no more.

"I must be a rock," Chu Ling said. "A rock that cannot be moved. Other people and other matters are of no concern."

Vice General Zhong clenched his fists.

"I will handle these matters," Chu Ling said with a smile. "Don’t you trust me?"

Of course he trusted him. Vice General Zhong grunted in affirmation.

"And you are the only one I can trust," Chu Ling said, patting his shoulder, his eyes filled with anticipation. "Go and bring Ah Zhao home."

Vice General Zhong sighed in resignation. "I’ll go right now."

Chu Ling stopped him. "Not yet. Wait until after I’ve submitted the memorial."

’By then, everyone will know he is gravely ill and on the verge of death. Bringing his daughter home will only serve to confirm it.’

’He had originally worried that Ah Zhao would be heartbroken upon learning the truth. But now he understood that even amidst the sorrow, as long as she could stay by his side, Ah Zhao’s heart would be at peace.’

’And only when her heart is at peace, no matter the time or place, can she live a truly stable and secure life.’

"Go to the County town in the next two days," Chu Ling said. "And give those posthouse soldiers a thank-you gift."

’He means give a thank-you gift to that Ah Jiu,’ Vice General Zhong thought with a snort. "What do we have that’s worth giving? Besides, giving valuable gifts to a few posthouse soldiers will attract unwanted attention. It would be bad if word about Ah Zhao got out."

Chu Ling thought for a moment. "Just give each of them a pair of cattail-leaf sandals."

That wasn’t valuable at all. Vice General Zhong breathed a sigh of relief. But then, after a moment’s hesitation, he asked in a low voice, "Ah Zhao and this Ah Jiu—"

’What exactly did Ah Zhao say to Ah Jiu? Why was Ah Jiu so accommodating? How did he manage to persuade Chu Ling?’

’Sigh, Ah Zhao barely said a word to me.’

’Are the two of them really as desperately attached as Tie Ying claimed?’

Chu Ling smiled. "Don’t let your imagination run wild. There’s nothing between Ah Zhao and this Ah Jiu." He paused to think. "If you insist on there being a relationship, it’s likely a case of empathy for one’s own kind."

’What kind of relationship is that?’ Vice General Zhong was even more confused.

"Go and get some rest," Chu Ling said, noticing Vice General Zhong’s chapped lips. "You haven’t even sat down since you returned. Whatever else you have to say, we can talk about it tomorrow."

Vice General Zhong noticed the bloodshot veins in Chu Ling’s eyes and came to his senses. "It’s late. You should get some rest too, Big Brother." He pointed at the desk. "No more work."

Chu Ling nodded. After Vice General Zhong left, silence returned to the room. The night grew deeper. A Guard went around extinguishing the lamps one by one, urging Chu Ling to rest.

Chu Ling looked at the two letters on his desk. He casually tossed the one from Third Young Master Xie into the brazier, where it flared up and turned to ash. He smoothed out Chu Zhao’s letter, intending to put it away, but found himself unable to resist opening it again.

All the other lamps in the room had been extinguished, leaving only the single one on his desk, which cast a dim light on the letter in Chu Ling’s hands.

Chu Ling’s gaze fell on the last line.

He had only told Vice General Zhong half the story. When he’d mentioned that Chu Zhao was asking about her mother, Vice General Zhong had assumed people were once again mocking the background of Chu Zhao’s deceased mother. But that wasn’t it at all.

The question Chu Zhao posed in her letter wasn’t about her mother’s background. She had asked, "Is my mother still alive?"

With a sharp SLAP, Chu Ling pressed the letter flat against the desk again. He then blew out the last lamp, plunging himself into the darkness of the night.

’What happened back then was handled cleanly. Very few people here in the Border County knew the truth, and practically no one in the Capital City. More than a decade has passed. Why would Chu Zhao suddenly ask this now?’

’Who told her that her mother is still alive?’

’Did she hear something? Something about who her mother was?’

...

...

As dawn broke over the horizon, the Yunzhong County military camp began to stir with activity. Head down, Ah Jiu carried a bucket of water through the bustling grounds, drawing no attention. He soon reached a door, pried it open, and slipped inside.

Old Hei was still passed out.

Ah Jiu paid him no mind. He stripped off the clothes he was wearing and had just finished changing back into his own when he heard a KNOCK KNOCK at the door.

"Ah Jiu! Ah Jiu!"

"Old Hei! Old Hei!"

Ah Jiu vaulted onto the bed and, in one smooth motion, kicked Old Hei off of it.

Old Hei landed with a THUD. The impact woke him, leaving him dazed. The door had already been forced open. Smelling the stench of wine in the room, Zhang Gu covered his nose and mouth.

"Old Hei, how much did you drink!" he exclaimed, looking at Old Hei sitting on the floor. He then quickly looked toward Ah Jiu on the bed. Seeing him facing the wall, apparently asleep and snoring soundly, with nothing else out of the ordinary, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Old Hei rubbed his head, still a bit dizzy. "Not that much, I don’t think. The kid’s just a lightweight."

Zhang Gu grabbed him. "Come on, get out of here with me. Let him sleep it off—"

He dragged Old Hei out. Old Hei snatched his haphazardly thrown clothes from the floor and wrapped them around himself, staggering out after Zhang Gu, who didn’t forget to close the door behind them.

The morning clamor of the military camp was shut out. On the bed, Ah Jiu’s entire body finally relaxed.

’It’s finally done. No more ties, no more worries.’

He let out a long, deep breath. This time, he truly sank into a profound sleep.

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