The general’s expression showed some surprise. Looking at the letter again, he hesitated, then said to that soldier: “I’ll go report to the Crown Prince. You keep those people under watch.”
The soldier responded affirmatively and left.
The general was about to leave when he saw the clan families following behind him.
“You wait a moment. There’s an urgent matter to report to the Crown Prince,” he said.
The clan families naturally had no objections. They’d already waited all night—they didn’t care about waiting a bit longer. They quickly said the general should please go, and again apologized for disturbing the Crown Prince when he was so busy—
The general didn’t listen to the rest of their pleasantries and proceeded into the hall.
Xiao Xun sat at his desk listening to Tie Ying speak while occasionally glancing at a map.
“Crown Prince.” The general strode in and called out loudly. “Someone from the capital has sent a letter.”
Letters from the capital were nothing more than the court’s new moves, and those moves were just troop deployments. At this point, unless they deployed celestial troops and generals, nothing would help. They were unstoppable. Xiao Xun wasn’t concerned: “Give it to Master Ning to read.”
But the general didn’t respond and leave. Instead, he stepped forward: “It’s a personal letter from Old Master Zhou of the Zhou clan in the capital.”
The Zhou clan.
That was a renowned aristocratic family.
Xiao Xun raised his head: “I didn’t expect the Zhou clan to be first. They truly live up to their reputation as masters of chess strategy, best understanding the ways of advance, retreat, victory and defeat.”
Previously, letters had been sent to the capital’s prominent clans—reassurance was one aspect, but the real purpose was persuasion.
Persuading them not to meddle, to all keep quiet, and to entice them to side with Prince Zhongshan.
According to news from recent days, the clans had indeed all quietly shut their mouths and hadn’t denounced Prince Zhongshan.
As they executed the proclamation envoy and drew closer to the capital step by step, finally a clan had come to actively show goodwill.
Though the Zhou clan didn’t appear to hold high positions at court, relying on chess mastery they’d gathered many disciples and had branches spreading everywhere. That they came first—Xiao Xun was somewhat pleasantly surprised. He took the letter and opened it, but as he read, his brow furrowed.
“What did old man Zhou say?” Tie Ying quickly asked. The unruly ones were never youths but these old diehards. Aristocratic clans’ arrogance was never uncommon. In the previous dynasty, an emperor seeking to marry into a certain clan was refused by them, who even privately declared, “Aristocratic clans are iron, emperors are water that flows”—
Seeing Tie Ying’s expression as if he wanted to immediately go chop off Old Master Zhou’s head, Xiao Xun quickly reassured him: “He wrote very pleasantly, not at all like his aggressive chess style. However, he wrote this letter on behalf of someone else.”
Someone else? Tie Ying didn’t understand.
Xiao Xun smiled: “Our old friends we haven’t seen in a long time.”
……
……
The several clan heads standing in the government office were forgotten again.
They watched that general rush in and rush out again. Before long, he brought a scholar rushing back—from start to finish never sparing them another glance.
Was Prince Zhongshan’s crown prince truly busy, or deliberately giving them the cold shoulder?
But now they were under someone else’s roof—they didn’t dare ask, could only continue waiting.
They heard the clear laughter of a young man from inside—the Crown Prince was at least in a good mood. When they met him shortly, it would be easier to talk.
……
……
After listening to Ning Kun describe the recent events in the capital, Xiao Xun laughed heartily, then shook his head while laughing: “Chu Lan is truly pitiful.”
Ning Kun said: “After Miss Chu became empress, things weren’t so good for him either. He’s been kept confined, the couple never coming out to see people—it’s equivalent to imprisonment.”
“She was also protecting them.” Xiao Xun smiled. “But now that she’s left, there’s nothing to be done.”
He sighed.
“Deng Yi and Xie Yanfang are both heartless, unrighteous, cold-blooded people, not caring a bit about Miss Chu’s dignity.”
Though the court specifically said Chu Lan’s matter had nothing to do with Chu Zhao, it was useless. Empress Chu would carry this family stain for life—deposing the empress in the future would be much easier.
“Deng Yi and Xie Yanfang haven’t received any favors from the Chu clan, so why should they care about the Chu clan’s dignity?” Ning Kun said disdainfully.
Tie Ying also sneered: “If Chu Zhao had remained at home back then, not only could she still have become empress, the Crown Prince would have received favor from her family and would certainly have shown gratitude, protecting the Chu clan’s dignity everywhere.”
Back then—Xiao Xun said: “Miss Chu is intelligent and brave, she doesn’t care about such things.”
Nor does she care about him.
“Caring now is too late.” Tie Ying said. “Her reliable father is dead, her uncle’s family has also been convicted by the court. Let’s see what she can do now.”
Ning Kun interrupted Tie Ying: “Don’t mention the past. Crown Prince, the Chu Lan family fled here in panic seeking refuge—do we receive them or not? Chu Lan is of no use. Receiving him plays right into Deng Yi and Xie Yanfang’s hands, confirming that you, Crown Prince, colluded with the Chu clan in rebellion. In my opinion, we should execute him before the battle lines, just to tell the world this matter is the court’s slander.”
Xiao Xun smiled: “The Chu Lan family is indeed useless, but Old Master Zhou sent them here.”
He waved the letter in his hand.
“That Old Master Zhou could write this letter and send people here shows his pledge of allegiance to us. If we kill Chu Lan at this time, not only the Zhou clan but other clans in the capital will certainly be wary of us, and might even immediately rise up to aid the court.”
Ning Kun nodded thoughtfully. This was indeed a problem.
“Let the Chu Lan family enter.” Xiao Xun said, then smiled. “Me taking in the Chu Lan family—does that count as a hero rescuing a beauty?”
Tie Ying said: “No, Chu Lan is too ugly.”