……
After arranging for Chu Garden to be lent to the Qi family, Qi Leyun and her father left. Chu Tang breathed a sigh of relief and glanced outside.
The ten-year-old boy squatting at the street corner grinned at her, tossing a small knife up and down in his hand. The old woman sitting opposite also looked at her, the needle in her hand flashing with cold light. She couldn’t help but shiver and slammed the door shut with a bang.
“Add two more door bolts,” she instructed the servants.
The heavy door bolts clanged, bringing Chu Tang some peace of mind. That foolish Qi Leyun—what “outside is safe,” what “old people and children are out playing”—were those old people and children? Those were people who could kill!
And were they playing? They were watching the Chu family!
What “the Chu family side is safe and sound”—what the Chu family side experienced was something none of you could imagine.
Actually, even now, she didn’t quite understand what had happened. How suddenly Chu Zhao had left, how suddenly there was killing everywhere outside, how half-grown children and white-haired old women jumped into the house, how suddenly many strangers appeared in the house, how the children and old women killed all those people—
Later, horse hooves and footsteps thundered heavily underfoot, people flew across the eaves and walls on the roof, and it seemed as if thousands of troops had gathered outside the Chu residence. Later still, the thousands of troops left, but the Chu residence didn’t become quiet.
It was still that group of old, weak, women, and children, moving in and out as if no one else existed, cleaning up corpses.
They even found her hiding place in the artificial hill.
“Miss Chu Tang, Sister A’Zhao says the family matters are left to you. Comfort your father and mother well,” that half-grown boy had said, squatting on the artificial hill, swinging a small knife in his hand with a grin. “We’re guarding outside to keep you safe, but if your father and mother run out, then we won’t be polite.”
What “keeping them safe”—this was clearly imprisonment!
Sister A’Zhao’s instructions—
This Chu Zhao, where did she get this kind of younger brother—
But since she had instructed it, then it should be… all right, shouldn’t it?
Chu Tang pulled herself together to discipline the servants, comforted the people hiding in Chu Garden, then went to check on her father and mother. Her father had already fainted from fright—this time he really fainted, it wasn’t an act. Jiang Shi was also badly frightened, saying that when the killing began outside, Chu Lan had shouted “My life is over!” and fainted dead away.
Chu Tang had servants cook ginseng soup and pour it into Chu Lan. Although he hadn’t yet regained consciousness, his breathing was stable. She repeatedly comforted Jiang Shi that the government troops were eliminating rebels and everything was fine now. She personally locked the door, leaving Jiang Shi and her father inside.
After doing all this, dawn broke. Then that half-grown boy—
“I’m called Little Rabbit,” the boy said.
This Little Rabbit told her that government troops had taken over the capital and the capital was now stable. Chu Tang then ran around again telling the people hiding in Chu Garden. The people worried about their relatives and homes tentatively came out and saw old, weak, women, and children cleaning the street in front of their doors—indeed it was safe. So they all left one after another.
A day and a night passed.
Outside the Chu residence, it seemed as if nothing had happened.
The capital also seemed to have returned to normal. Even Qi Leyun could come running to borrow lodging.
There was no news from Chu Zhao.
Chu Tang pressed her hand to her heart. She seemed not too worried—no news was good news.
The things Chu Zhao was doing were becoming more and more frightening.
She really didn’t know what would happen next.
……
……
The Qi Leyun family moved into Chu Garden, making the area outside the Chu residence even livelier.
Although living in Chu Garden, they still had to repair their old residence and procure daily necessities themselves. The adults bustled in and out.
By comparison, the Chu residence kept its main gate tightly shut, looking very strange.
“Chu Tang,” Qi Leyun couldn’t knock the door open, so she simply found a ladder to prop against the wall, called Chu Tang over to talk. “Why are you still so afraid? Everything’s fine now. How is Chu Zhao? Open the door, I’ll have a particularly good doctor my family knows examine her.”
Chu Tang shook her head and waved her hands: “No need, no need. She doesn’t need to be seen. Rest and recuperation is enough.”
Qi Leyun draped her arms over the top of the wall, looking smug: “See who’ll still say she’s fierce in the future. She’s clearly as timid as a mouse.”
Chu Tang laughed dryly.
“Zhou Jiang and the others have come out and had someone send their regards to me,” Qi Leyun said, leaning on the wall. “Fortunately, everyone’s safe. Just a few sisters injured their legs while running and hiding at home. But everyone’s not afraid anymore either. We’ve agreed that once the curfew is lifted, we’ll go to a restaurant together to drink and celebrate this narrow escape from death. Ah, if Chu Zhao still isn’t well by then, that would be embarrassing. I won’t be able to cover for her anymore—”
She chattered away. Chu Tang suddenly pricked up her ears.
“Listen, outside there’s… the sound of horse hooves,” she said.
Qi Leyun’s voice stopped. She indeed heard the urgent sound of horse hooves outside, growing more and more dense, as if many horses were galloping.
The nightmare of that night was still deeply imprinted in her heart. With the urgent sound of horse hooves, it boiled up and instantly swallowed her. The girl’s face immediately turned white. Her hands clutched the top of the wall tightly, her eyes full of fear.
What was happening?
Could it be that again—
“His Majesty has issued an edict—”
A shrill, high-pitched voice came, one after another.
……
……
In the summer of the fifth year of Yongning, the Third Prince Xiao Zhu committed treason, murdered his brother, slaughtered the Yang clan, brutalized the capital. Thousands died or were injured. Heaven could not tolerate this.
Xiao Zhu was stripped of his status and reduced to a commoner. The Zhao clan was to be executed in its entirety, nine degrees of kinship exterminated.
The Chu clan’s daughter was brave and intelligent, holding a blade and riding a horse to protect the Imperial Grandson.
For the eternal stability of the nation, the Imperial Grandson Yu is specially designated Crown Prince, and the Chu clan’s daughter Zhao as Crown Princess.
By this edict.