Ashes to Crown

Chapter 5: Chapter 5: Chu Girl

A young lady from the Capital City has gone missing?

The Posthouse Minister was a little surprised.

Lots of people went missing every year. From mischievous children to the elderly, young maidens to new brides—it was hardly anything unusual. A single missing young lady was a trivial matter.

The only thing that could make it a major affair was the young lady’s family background.

"Which dignitary in the Capital City does she belong to?" he asked, his curiosity piqued.

Qi Du You waved his hand. "Not a dignitary, per se, but her family isn’t simple either."

Now this was interesting. The Posthouse Minister grew even more curious.

"This young lady’s surname is Chu," Qi Du You said. "Her uncle holds no official post; he just teaches at Qiao Mountain Academy. Her father, however, is quite a figure. You’re sure to know him."

He looked at the Posthouse Minister and smiled.

"General of Yunzhong County, Chu Ling."

The Posthouse Minister blinked. He wasn’t particularly taken aback or enlightened by the revelation of the missing girl’s identity. Instead, the first thought that flashed through his mind was, ’What a coincidence. This must be the second time I’ve heard General Chu Wei’s name.’

"What are you muttering about?" Qi Du You asked, puzzled by his reaction. "What about General Chu Wei? Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten who he is."

The Posthouse Minister laughed quickly. "How could I forget? I was just thinking that for so many years, General Chu Wei’s name was rarely mentioned. But lately, I keep hearing it. It’s almost as much as when he was at the height of his fame."

"Who else mentioned him?" Qi Du You asked.

"A few days ago, there were some posthouse soldiers heading to the Border County," the Posthouse Minister said simply. This was the sort of information that shouldn’t be spread, lest he be suspected of leaking state secrets.

Of course, no one really considered posthouse soldiers heading to the Border County to be a top-secret matter.

It wasn’t strange for soldiers heading to the Border County to mention General Chu Ling, so Qi Du You dropped the subject. "General Chu Wei may be forgotten now, but his daughter has made quite a name for herself in the Capital City."

The Posthouse Minister asked with a smile, "Don’t tell me this young lady has also gone to discuss military and state affairs with His Majesty?"

"If that were the case, she’d be following in her father’s footsteps," Qi Du You laughed. "Unfortunately, this Miss Chu is uncultured, arrogant, and utterly tyrannical. A few days ago, she kicked the daughter of Lord Liang, the Minister of the Ministry of Rites, into a lake and nearly killed her."

’Who would have thought that the noble ladies of the Capital City would brawl like common shrews from the countryside.’

The Posthouse Minister shook his head and sighed. "How could General Chu Wei raise his daughter to be like this? Has he really given up on himself completely, with no ambition left at all?"

"I doubt she was taught. It’s in her nature. The father is defiant, and the daughter is just as insolent," Qi Du You sneered.

’So he really has lost all spirit, not even managing his own children and just drifting through his days,’ the Posthouse Minister thought. He then asked, "If this Miss Chu is so formidable, how could she have gotten lost?"

Just then, the government officers who had been moving the wine returned. Cao the Fourth placed a jar of wine on their table and, hearing this, let out a loud "Ha!"

"This Miss Chu didn’t get lost. She assaulted someone and then fled," he said. "Miss Liang nearly died. Her parents were beside themselves with grief and refused to let it go. They insisted on taking the case before the Emperor to have Miss Chu punished, so Miss Chu skipped town."

The Posthouse Minister couldn’t help but laugh. "So the young lady has no backbone."

As he poured the wine, Cao the Fourth spoke with great animation. "This young lady is really something else. After she hit the girl, she didn’t make a peep—no crying, no fuss. The very next day, she scaled the wall and fled. She even stole a great deal of money from the family. Mr. Chu is a scholar; he was out losing face and making apologies, while his wife and other daughter went to the Liang Family’s residence to personally look after Miss Liang. But the little troublemaker who caused all this just vanished, leaving him so furious he nearly fainted. The whole household is in chaos."

The Posthouse Minister said with a laugh, "Raising this daughter is even more trouble than raising a son."

He had often heard of wastrel sons causing trouble for their families, but this was the first time he’d heard of a daughter being capable of the same.

Qi Du You picked up his wine bowl and took a drink. One gulp was more effective than hot water, chasing away the chill from head to toe.

"I knew you’d have the good stuff, Old Xu," he said with a laugh.

The Posthouse Minister took a small sip from his own bowl before continuing, "So this Miss Chu must be on her way to find her father, then. The child is certainly brave. It’s a long way from the Capital City to Yunzhong County. Even if the realm is at peace, for a girl alone... How old is this Miss Chu?"

Qi Du You couldn’t quite remember, so he looked at Cao the Fourth. He was just here for appearances; his subordinates handled the real work.

Cao the Fourth quickly replied, "I think they said she’s almost thirteen."

He even gestured with his hand.

Indicating her height.

They had been given a portrait.

A small, thin girl, who looked quiet and gentle. You couldn’t tell at all that she was such a troublemaker.

Thirteen years old. The Posthouse Minister held his wine bowl, momentarily lost in thought. Lady Yang’s daughter was also twelve or thirteen. ’How odd,’ he thought, ’why do I keep thinking of that mother and daughter?’

"No matter her age, how can a girl travel so far on her own? Setting aside the issue of safety, does this young lady even know the way?" he said, shaking off his thoughts.

’Hmph. Even the two daughters from the Yang family knew to find a posthouse soldier to guide them.’

"That Miss Chu is no fool," said Cao the Fourth. "She left a letter saying she would hire the best Escort Masters to protect her on her way back to Yunzhong County."

’So that’s why she stole the family’s money,’ the Posthouse Minister thought, smiling as he both nodded and shook his head. "I wonder which Escort Agency would be bold enough to take that job."

"They’ve asked all over the Capital City. No one has," said Qi Du You. "She probably hired Escort Masters outside the city, hiding her identity. There are always daring Escort Agencies these days—as long as you have the money, they’ll take any job. That’s why the search has extended out this way."

He seemed to have just remembered something and looked at the Posthouse Minister.

"Old Xu, have you seen any Escort Masters in the past few days?"

The Posthouse Minister shook his head. "Qi Du You, you know as well as I do that those in the escort business don’t come to our official posthouses."

Escorts carry weapons, so they tend to be wary around government officials and would certainly never stop at a posthouse to rest.

Qi Du You obviously knew this as well and nodded. "I was just asking. The people from the Capital City are also making inquiries in the towns."

The Posthouse Minister urged the posthouse soldiers to bring the food out faster. His thoughts returned to Chu Ling, and he couldn’t help but ask, "Are General Chu Wei’s family members here looking for her? Speaking of which, since that incident, General Chu Wei has never returned to the Capital City. It’s been more than a decade now—"

Qi Du You shook his head. "One of Chu Ling’s older brother’s sons is here looking for her, but he’s accompanied by people from the Weiwei Mansion. The Minister of Imperial Guard dispatched the Left Minister, Lord Deng Yi."

The Posthouse Minister was very surprised. "The Minister of Imperial Guard sent someone? This must have alarmed His Majesty, right?"

Chu Ling was the second son in his family and had an older brother who was a scholar with no official post. He would have no authority to command the Weiwei Mansion.

Then it must have been due to Chu Ling’s influence—

"It seems His Majesty is still quite lenient with General Chu," the Posthouse Minister probed.

This time he didn’t even use "General Wei," but simply "General." He recalled that back when Chu Ling was just a Border County Captain, they had flatteringly referred to him as "General."

Back then, everyone believed Chu Ling wouldn’t just become a General Wei, but that becoming a Great General was a certainty. Who would have thought that at the peak of his prestige, an incident would occur, causing his fortunes to plummet and ruining all his prospects.

More than a decade had passed, and he was still just a General Wei. He would likely never be promoted or ennobled for the rest of his life.

’But His Majesty is getting old, and his health has been poor these last two years. The elderly tend to get nostalgic. Could it be that he’s planning to use Chu Ling again?’

"You’re reading too much into it. His Majesty couldn’t care less," Qi Du You said dismissively, lowering his voice to explain. "It was the Liang Family who requested it. They wanted to file an official complaint and have the Minister of the Imperial Court arrest her. Liang Siqing’s status is not ordinary, and what’s more, his daughter was just betrothed. Do you know who the other family is?"

Although the Posthouse Minister was well-informed, he didn’t know everything that happened in the Capital City, especially not matters of marriage and betrothal. He asked curiously, "They must not be an ordinary family, I presume."

Qi Du You’s face lit up with excitement. "The Dongyang Xie Family! A brother of the current Crown Princess Consort."

In the Great Xia Dynasty today, you have the Empress’s Yang Family, and you have the Zhao Family, who’ve risen to prominence thanks to the favored Imperial Concubine and are jokingly called the ’New Imperial Uncles.’ But ever since the Second Prince was named Crown Prince, and his wife from the Xie family secured her position by giving birth to a son, the Xie family has become a force to be reckoned with among the Royal Family.

After all, neither the Yang Family nor the Zhao Family can compare to the Xie family, who are destined to become the family of the future Empress.

’So with Miss Liang marrying into the Xie family, her being assaulted is truly no small matter. To provoke the Xie family is to provoke the Crown Prince.’

’That Miss Chu is in some serious trouble.’

"However," Qi Du You said, a little disappointed at the lack of a bigger spectacle, "out of consideration for the Chu Family’s reputation, the Minister of the Imperial Court ultimately had the Weiwei Mansion send people. Ostensibly, they are to ’search’ for her, not ’arrest’ her."

"That’s just for show," the Posthouse Minister said. "General Chu Wei is still in for a major headache."

’He can’t let his daughter be convicted. How would she ever get married in the future? Her entire life would be ruined.’

’Poor Chu Ling. He was already a disgraced official, living quietly and keeping a low profile for so many years. Just when everyone had started to forget him and he could live out his days in peace, he raises a daughter like this. With such a commotion, his fate is truly sealed.’

As they gossiped about other people’s affairs, the three men didn’t slow down, drinking heartily and eating with gusto. The hall grew lively and warm, driving away the evening chill.

"My lord, my lord!" a posthouse soldier ran in, looking nervous. "An official calling himself the Minister of the Imperial Guard has arrived."

Qi Du You threw down the wine bowl he was halfway through drinking, splashing wine on his clothes in his haste.

"Quickly, quickly," he said. "This Lord Deng... he has a terrifying temper."

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