Chapter 304 - 89: Granting

Chapter 304: Chapter 89: Granting

Silence fell at the entrance to the hall. Everyone stared, somewhat stunned, at the young Princely Heir inside.

At this moment, Chu Lan was the quickest to react.

"Young Master," he asked. "What... what did you just say?"

He glanced at his daughter. Chu Tang’s clothes were a mess, and she looked utterly wretched, yet the young maiden was still pitifully charming and delicately beautiful.

’He’s... he’s taken a fancy to her?’

Xiao Xun said, "Just as before, I asked Mr. Chu for his assistance and promised him a place on the Heavenly Ladder. Now that I require Miss Ah Tang’s help, I must naturally offer a reward in return. Her younger cousin saved that little boy and became the Empress. As the elder sister, she should, of course, be given an equal station. Therefore, Miss Ah Tang... are you willing to marry me?"

’What girl in the world would refuse?’

The Heir of the King of Zhongshan was born into wealth and nobility, was young and handsome, and was now on the verge of accomplishing great things. He would go from being a Princely Heir to the Crown Prince, and in the future, the Emperor of Great Xia.

For a woman to become Empress in her lifetime was the highest glory and fortune imaginable.

After all, even though the young Emperor was only six, Chu Zhao had married him in an instant.

Now, Chu Tang also had the chance to become Empress—

Just a moment ago, the thought had merely flashed through Mrs. Jiang’s mind; she never imagined it could actually come true.

Mrs. Jiang and Chu Lan were trembling, not from fear like before, but from excitement. If Chu Tang became the Empress, their whole family would be climbing the Heavenly Ladder. It was nothing like Chu Zhao becoming Empress, from which they gained not a single benefit and even faced the threat of death—

"Young Master, your favor is too great. I... we..." Mrs. Jiang was too excited to speak coherently, and she took a step inside.

Chu Tang reached out to support her, and they stepped into the hall together.

But that was as far as they got. Tie Ying, standing beside Xiao Xun, barked, "Stop."

Mrs. Jiang’s legs went weak, and Chu Tang quickly steadied her.

The two of them did not advance any further, while Chu Lan and the servants remained standing at the entrance without taking another step.

"Mother," Chu Tang gently soothed Mrs. Jiang. "Don’t be afraid."

Before Mrs. Jiang could speak, she looked up at Xiao Xun and asked, "What do you need us to do, Young Master? We can’t get to His Majesty now. We can’t kill him anymore."

Xiao Xun smiled. "Miss Ah Tang, don’t worry. I’m asking you to do something within your abilities. The Empress is currently leading two columns of troops to besiege my father, the King."

’Chu Zhao?’ Chu Lan fumed. ’She knows the King of Zhongshan’s army is marching on the Capital City, yet instead of rushing back to save us, she’s still trying to snatch military glory for herself.’

"The Empress might think this will make me back down, but it won’t. At this point, I cannot turn back."

"However, my father gave all his troops to me, and I worry about him, so—"

Xiao Xun looked at Chu Tang.

"Miss Ah Tang, help me capture Chu Zhao."

’Capture Chu Zhao!’

Chu Lan and Mrs. Jiang’s hearts skipped a beat. Chu Tang gave a bitter smile.

"Young Master, how could I possibly do that?" she said. "You must be well aware of how formidable Chu Zhao is."

He did indeed know how formidable Chu Zhao was. Xiao Xun said, "It is precisely because she is so formidable that you, Miss Ah Tang, are the most suitable person for the job." He gave a slight, gentle smile. "Miss Ah Tang, you are her relative. For the most powerful people in this world, their greatest enemies are, in fact, their own family."

Chu Tang said helplessly, "But the truth is, she doesn’t trust us."

Mrs. Jiang spoke up for her daughter. "Yes, Young Master, Chu Zhao is vicious to us. She treats us like enemies."

But she couldn’t bear for her daughter to lose such a golden opportunity. ’Crown Princess Consort... the future Empress...’

"How about I go and try? At least I’m her elder."

’If I have to, I’ll sacrifice my own life to secure a future for my daughter. It would be worth it to die for that.’

Chu Lan was no longer hiding his face with his sleeve. He couldn’t help but take a step forward, entering the hall. "Let me go instead," he said. "My second brother is gone, so I am her only remaining elder. If I go to see her, she can’t possibly turn me away."

Chu Tang bit her lower lip, neither agreeing nor disagreeing with her parents. Her eyes flickered with indecision—

’Crown Princess Consort...’

’Empress...’

’I could become the Empress, too.’

Xiao Xun took in the expressions of all three family members. He knew them perfectly well. ’Chu Lan’s family has always been this way; they haven’t changed one bit,’ he thought. ’Now that their backs are against the wall, they’ll become even more frantic—and even more useful.’

"Actually, I have always admired Miss Ah Tang," Xiao Xun said.

’Admired?’ Chu Tang looked at him.

’This young Princely Heir came here for Chu Zhao from the very beginning. Did he actually notice me, too?’

The young Princely Heir gave a gentle smile. "Although Chu Ling was cast aside and his reputation suffered, he was, in the end, a man who commanded a region. Miss Chu Zhao lived a blissfully carefree life for more than a decade under her father’s protection. But you, Miss Ah Tang, are different. Your family was dragged down by Chu Ling, left with no official post or rank. You’ve had to navigate the circles of the Capital City’s young ladies since childhood. I can only imagine the schemes you’ve had to devise and the bitterness you’ve had to swallow just to avoid being bullied and mocked—"

Chu Tang sighed softly. ’Heir Xiao truly understands me.’