Ask the Nine Ministers

Chapter 138 Who is Deep in Love
As the horses' hooves approached, there was the clear sound of jade pendants hitting each other.

Almost in a moment, Lu Youan's tall figure was wrapped in a breeze and swept into the curtains.

He jumped off his horse, and before he could even steady himself, he bowed.

"It's an emergency. I came here rashly and disturbed you. I deserve death. I hope the princess and Concubine Zhaoyi will forgive me..."

He bowed his head slightly and respectfully presented a medicine bottle with both hands.

Wen Jia stared at his sweat-soaked temples.

It turns out that the "medicine delivery man" that Xue Sui mentioned was Lu Youan.

Her mind was in a mess, and she had not yet sorted out the myriad of threads that were going on. Xue Sui had already reached out to take the antidote, carefully examined it with a serious expression, and poured it carefully into Wan Zhaoyi's mouth.

"My lady, the antidote is here, please open your mouth."

At this time, Concubine Wan had already lost the ability to swallow.

Xue Sui quickly took out the golden needle and inserted it into her Dan Zhong point. After a lot of trouble, he finally managed to force the medicine powder down her throat.

"Let the queen rest for a while..."

Go ahead, she turned and looked at Lu Youan.

"Is this going well?"

Lu Youan lowered his eyes slightly, "Thanks to my wife, it's going well."

How could it be possible to go to Princess Pingle's mansion to get medicine smoothly?
Of course, Xue Sui asked Lu Youan to deliver the medicine not to ease his guilt towards Wen Jia, but to make Ping Le more heartbroken.

So she didn't ask any more questions and just nodded slightly.

"Mr. Lu, you have been traveling all the way, you must have worked hard."

Then he looked at Wen Jia and said softly, "You two can chat. I'll go over there and rest for a while. When Concubine Zhaoyi wakes up, call me."

Wen Jia was confused by this sudden change.

She slowly walked in front of Lu Youan.

"What the hell does this happen?"

Lu Youan bowed to her and said, "Madam sent someone to tell me that Concubine Zhaoyi was poisoned. The antidote is in Princess Pingle's mansion."

Wen Jia was full of confusion, "Ping Le gave you the antidote?"

Pingle is not a kind person. She might not have been willing to give her medicine easily in the past, let alone now that Lu Youan has divorced her?
“I…” Lu Youan frowned slightly, hesitated for a moment, and whispered, “I stole it.”

Wen Jia was stunned.

In her heart, Lu Youan was a man of integrity and upright character, and he acted in an upright manner. It was really shocking to hear the word "steal" coming out of his mouth.

"I am ashamed of the teachings of the sages." Lu Youan's face was full of shame. Seeing Wen Jia staring at him in a daze, he did not say anything and smiled at himself.

"Princess, do you think... I have changed?"

Wen Jia looked at him, and his thoughts could not help but drift back to the time after the Qionglin Banquet that year, when the number one scholar, surrounded by everyone, held the golden flower bestowed by the emperor and said with high spirits that he would defend the borders and expand the territory for Daliang.

Looking at him now, he was standing beside the shaft with his neck lowered, his face covered with sweat, like a piece of rice paper soaked in rain, soaked with helplessness and vicissitudes.

Wen Jia's heart ached suddenly, and he said softly: "People will change. It's not from our own heart. It's because of the world that forces people to change."

Lu Youan smiled bitterly.

"All the ambitions came to nothing."

Wen Jia asked: "Mr. Lu, what are your plans for the future?"

Lu Youan said, "Originally, I was going to take my children to Xise to guard the city. But my mother suddenly fell ill and I couldn't travel far. I had no choice but to find a job as a teacher at Yuying Academy to take care of my mother and pass the time."

Being a teacher is far from his former lofty ambitions.

Fate plays tricks on people, so he must be feeling very unwilling, right?

Wen Jia did not ask any questions, but just thanked him softly.

"Thank you very much for today's matter, Mr. Lu."

Lu Youan smiled bitterly.

"As I should. I am also responsible for the evil that Pingle has done."

He looked downcast, with a lingering sense of apology in his eyes.

Wen Jia looked at him quietly, and suddenly understood why Mu Ya held on to the faded wolf bone flute tightly before she died.

A hand that cannot be held, a love that cannot be touched.

They are all poor people who have been chewed up by fate.

"Mr. Lu, you are too kind." Wen Jia suppressed those complicated and inexplicable emotions, and finally maintained some decency. He bowed slightly to Lu Youan and instructed the maid.

"Dong Xu, please bring some tea to quench Mr. Lu's thirst."

"No need to trouble you." Lu Youan declined politely, "I will return to Beijing soon. Princess, please take care of yourself when you go to the palace..."

Before he could finish his words, the wheels suddenly shook violently, and the horses pulling the cart neighed.

Wen Jia hurriedly turned around and lifted the curtain, and was about to go to check on Concubine Wan's condition, but he saw twenty or thirty fat and strong black horses suddenly jumping out from the dense forest beside the road.

The men on horseback all had their faces covered with black scarves and held sharp blades in their hands. They blew a sharp whistle and without saying a word, they rushed towards them to kill.

When poisoning failed, assassination was attempted?

Lu Youan's face changed and he subconsciously stopped in front of Wen Jia.

However, Wen Jia rushed towards the carriage without hesitation and used his body to block the unconscious Wan Zhaoyi.

For a moment, the sound of weapons clashing could be heard all around.

There were originally only twelve guards accompanying the Xishan Palace. These assassins were obviously well prepared. They attacked without warning while the guards were resting, and rushed straight towards Concubine Wan's carriage.

Xue Sui was originally sitting on a rock not far away to rest her feet. When the leaves rustled, she quickly stood up.

But Xiao Zhao took a step ahead of her, pulled out a guard's sword, and rushed towards the assassin.

The guard looked down and saw that only an empty hilt was left of his sword. He turned pale with fear and exclaimed, "Girl..."

Xue Sui quickly comforted him: "Don't be afraid. At worst, if the knife cuts a hole, I'll compensate you."

Before she finished her words, she moved as fast as lightning, spun around, and accurately kicked away the oncoming sleeve arrow.

The sleeve arrow was kicked backwards, and with a "whoosh" sound, it was nailed into the tree trunk beside it.

"Xiao Zhao, lead the men to retreat into the woods!"

"Understood!" Xiao Zhao quickly returned to defend the carriage.

Xue Sui hadn't fought a fight in person for a long time. He sneered, picked up a sturdy wooden stick from the side of the road, and dealt with the assassins.

"Bang!"

A bone-piercing nail suddenly pierced into the carriage. Xue Sui looked back, and the smell of aconite powder drifted in the wind.

She thought to herself that something was wrong and hurriedly grabbed Xiao Zhao's arm. Her skirt swept across the shaft of the cart and she rolled quickly to the right to avoid it.

Xiao Zhao cursed: "Despicable!"

Xue Sui instructed Xiao Zhao.

"Go get the poison-removing pills from your bag, one for each of you, and cover your mouth and nose with them."

Xiao Zhao responded with a "yes", and saw Xue Sui quickly tear off the hem of his skirt, pick up a fallen knife, and rush into the chaotic battle formation as nimbly as a fox.

Wen Jia covered his mouth and nose, climbed onto the carriage, and held his mother tightly in his arms.

Suddenly, a cold light rushed towards her like lightning. Before she could think, she subconsciously threw herself to protect her mother.

The expected severe pain did not come. When she turned around, she saw Lu Youan stretching out his arm to block the bone-piercing nail.

The blood on his arm splashed onto his jade-like face.

"Mr. Lu!" Wen Jia exclaimed.

"It's okay." Although Lu Youan was just a weak scholar, he was not stupid. He quickly observed the situation and said, "These assassins are well-trained. I'm afraid they have planned it long ago..."

He looked at Xiao Zhao and said hurriedly, "Miss, you and Madam Ping'an escort the princess and Empress Zhaoyi away first... We will stay behind to cover your retreat."

Xiao Zhao stuffed a pill into his hand.

"You are powerless, what are you trying to do? Get in the car--"

As he spoke, Xiao Zhao suddenly stretched out his hand and forcibly pushed Lu Youan onto the carriage.

Everyone was shocked.

How could a little girl be so strong?

Xiao Zhao didn't have time to say more to them. He handed the remaining pills to a guard, then whipped the horse with a whip and shouted to the driver:

"Come on!"

"Xiao Zhao, go with the princess!" Xue Sui parried the attacks of two assassins, cut one of the assassins' throat with his blade, and at the same time raised a handful of sand with his left hand.

"I'll cover your rear here."

She doesn't trust Wen Jia, so how can Xiao Zhao trust her?
"No!" Xiao Zhao said firmly: "Wherever the girl is, Xiao Zhao will be there..."

"Be obedient!" Xue Sui pushed Xiao Zhao towards the gap in the shaft, and quickly tore off an assassin's coarse cloth shorts with his backhand, pulled out a few bone-piercing nails from it, and swung them hard, inserting them straight into the assassin's throat.

Her actions left Wen Jia and Lu Youan dumbfounded.

"Sixth Miss, Madam Ping An... take care!"

The carriage sped away, and several assassins chased after it...

The smell of blood became thicker and thicker, filling the air.

The thick night enveloped the sky, and the red sun that was originally emitting afterglow was now covered by layers of inky black clouds, as if it was going to swallow people up.

The wind was getting stronger, as if a storm was coming.

Xue Sui's appearance successfully attracted the attacks of several assassins.

She dodged the fierce attacks with a proud posture. Her clothes were torn in several places and her hair was flying in disarray. She was like a lone wolf fighting alone. Although she was in danger, she was not afraid at all. Every time she dodged and evaded, she was determined like a god of war.

Crack!

A flash of lightning cut through the clouds like a sharp sword!
From the distant horizon came the dull rumble of thunder.

The earth was shaking, as if it was going to tear the world apart.

Xue Sui glanced subconsciously, and suddenly a cold light flashed before her eyes. Several masked assassins rushed towards Xue Sui like vicious dogs out of a cage, and several bone-piercing nails shot towards her like meteors.

One of them hit the jade hairpin in her hair, sparking sparks like broken stars.

"Be careful, girl!" Xiao Zhao shouted in front of the shaft with red eyes.

At this critical moment, a black cloak appeared, like a black sky curtain descending from the sky, carrying a sharp gust of wind, enveloping all the deadly bone-piercing nails...

Xue Sui only felt his waist tighten, and he turned around and fell into a strong and solid embrace. A cold voice with the fragrance of ambergris clearly penetrated his eardrums.

"I'm late!"

At this moment, the sound of swords and horses could be heard on the official road.

I saw the Eastern Palace guard Yu Qianshan leading a team of Eastern Palace cavalry, roaring like thunder, with horse hooves raising dust and Eastern Palace flags fluttering behind their horses.

Xue Sui: "What are you doing here?"

Li Zhao lowered his head and said, "Ping An called me here, how dare I not come?"

Ask him to send someone, not to come in person.

He is the prince.

He is the crown prince.

How can one easily appear in such an occasion?

Xue Sui frowned, "Your Highness is worth a fortune, you shouldn't put yourself in danger and give people a reason to criticize you."

There were blood-stained pieces of cloth strung on the tassel of Li Zhao's sword. Upon hearing this, he glanced at Xue Sui and a hint of coldness appeared at the corner of his lips.

"Ping An's plan is so ingenious, wouldn't it be a pity if I didn't come and make the move myself?"

His deep and magnetic voice passed by Xue Sui's ears. Seeing her cold face, he sneered and shouted loudly:
"The Eastern Palace Guards and all the Imperial Guards, listen up. I am following the Queen's order to escort Sister Wenjia and Consort Wan. Any villain who dares to seek death under my watch will be killed without mercy!"

Xue Sui was startled and quickly reached out to grab his sleeve.

"Keep alive!"

Li Zhao raised his eyebrows slightly, a faint smile appearing on his face.

"Why are you panicking? I know what's going on."

He turned his wrist slightly, swung his sword to cut off the sharp blade that was coming towards Xue Sui, and at the same time, he gently embraced her with his arm and retreated with her.

"The guard team was attacked, and the East Palace rescued them in time. There will be a few memorials asking for merit at the court meeting tomorrow..."

Xue Sui raised his eyebrows, "Your Highness, do you want to say that you have made a profit?"

Li Zhao's hands around her waist tightened slightly.

"I made a lot of money."

Xue Sui pushed him away with all his strength, but felt his palms were sticky. He looked down and saw that his hands were covered in blood.

Her heart tightened and she looked up, only to find that the cloud dragon pattern on his shoulder had turned blood red - it turned out that Li Zhao had been hit by a bone-piercing nail in order to protect her.

Li Zhao: Today I am lucky enough to be a hero saving a beautiful girl.

Xue Sui: The hero is conceited!