Her guards

Chapter 140 No Apology This Time

"You still know how to come back!"

Mo Zheng returned to the Duke of Ding'an's mansion alone. The Duke of Ding'an, who was pacing in the hall, saw her and immediately shouted angrily.

After saying that, he realized something was wrong.

"Where is your maid? Is she still out fooling around?"

This maid is always by my side and always tries to talk back, why can't I see her today?

Mo Zheng said, "She went to deliver New Year's goods to Miss Liu and pawned some money to use." As she said this, she looked at Duke Ding'an and said, "Uncle, don't worry, I will treat you with my own money and won't let you pay."

Who cares about money! Duke Ding'an said angrily, "You actually provoked the Empress to issue an imperial decree to test you? Have you lost your mind?"

Yang Hui stood beside the Lady of Ding'an and nodded in agreement: "She's gone mad, Father. You should quickly tie her up and send her to the palace to apologize to the Empress."

Duke Ding'an was startled again. Send him to the palace? How could that be!

"What right does she have to be an eyesore to the Empress!" he shouted, then yelled at Yang Hui, "Shut up!"

How could you scold her? Yang Hui was furious, but was pulled back by the Lady of Ding'an.

“Uncle, it wasn’t me who provoked the Empress.” Mo Zheng said with a wronged expression, “It was the Chai family who made things difficult for me. When they did this, everyone would think of the Empress and the princess. They dragged the Empress into this.”

At this point, I became somewhat suspicious.

"Uncle, is the Empress really trying to make things difficult for me because I did better in the exam than the princess?"

"Well, of course it's true," Ding'an Gong thought to himself. "Last time, Yang Luo came in first place, surpassing Princess Pingcheng. When he went to apologize to the Marquis of Yichun's family, Chai Yuan said that the Empress was very angry."

She already disliked you! And you even outranked her daughter, no wonder she made things difficult for you!

"If someone's testing you, just answer the question. What's all the fuss about?" he said irritably. "You did so well on the test, why are you afraid to answer? Are you feeling guilty?"

“Uncle,” Mo Zheng said loudly, “it’s not that I don’t want to answer, it’s that I can’t answer at that time.”

She stepped forward and looked at Duke Ding'an.

“I answered, but Chai Wan’er is being unreasonable and insists that my answer was not good. What if the Chai family sends more people to test me every day? Am I supposed to keep dealing with that? That’s why I’m making a big scene to settle this matter once and for all.”

"Uncle, rest assured, if the Empress really issues an order to test me, I will definitely answer with a first-class grade again, and I will never disgrace the reputation of our Ding'an Duke's Mansion."

"What are you thinking!" Yang Hui couldn't listen any longer and stood up to shout, "The Empress will only issue decrees to slap you in the face—"

Mo Zheng looked at her and said, "Then let's fight. Let everyone see that the Empress just wants to beat me. And she won't use the excuse of doubting my knowledge to test me anymore."

His expression darkened as he spoke.

“She is the Empress, the Mother of the Nation, while my uncle is just a duke. If she wants to hit me, I accept it.”

Why does this sound like it's because of his low rank? What does this have to do with him? It's clearly because of her, the Duke of Ding'an, who murmured to herself that she shouldn't have been born into this world.

"You admit it, but I don't!" Yang Hui continued to shout, urging Duke Ding'an, "This has nothing to do with us, it's your own fault. Father, quickly beat her up and apologize to the Empress, so that she won't blame our family."

The Empress had long held a grudge against their family. Duke Ding'an sighed and said, "Come with me to the Marquis of Yichun's residence to apologize."

“I’ll say it again: the Empress has the right to punish me, but the Marquis of Yichun does not,” Mo Zheng said. “I will not go to the Marquis of Yichun’s residence with my uncle. If you want to go, take me to the palace.”

The Duke of Ding'an was furious. "You—"

Just as he opened his mouth, a servant rushed in from outside.

"My lord, my lord, Dr. Ling from the Academy of Chinese Learning has arrived."

Duke Ding'an was taken aback. The National Academy, Dr. Ling?

"Dr. Ling said he wants to take Miss Yang Luo to a lecture," the servant continued.

Attending a lecture?

It's almost Chinese New Year, and the Chinese Academy is on holiday. What kind of classes are we going to take?

……

.......
"My lord, there is no end to learning. Whether it is the New Year or a holiday, you should still study."

The young scholar stood in the courtyard, frowning as he spoke, before looking at Mo Zheng inside the hall.

"Let's go, don't waste time."

Mo Zheng responded, "Yes."

Ling Yu turned to leave, but then, remembering something, she turned back to look at Duke Ding'an.

"My lord, if the Empress comes to issue a decree, you can simply have them come to the Imperial Academy."

Upon hearing this, Duke Ding'an suddenly understood. What did he mean by "attending a class"? This was clearly an attempt to protect Yang Luo!

The incident had barely occurred when they came to pick them up and take them away.

The chief priest is serious this time.

He really has a powerful backer.

Yang Hui stared blankly as Yang Luo followed Ling Yu outside.

Yang Luo ran away. If the Empress orders someone to be beaten, then she will be the only one who gets beaten!
"Wait for me, I want to go to school too!" she called out, and started chasing after him.

Ling Yu did not stop Yang Hui from following, nor did the Duke and his wife stop her from returning. Under the current circumstances, going to the Imperial Academy was indeed safer. The two young ladies left by carriage, while the Duke remained standing in the hall, lost in thought.

"My lord," Lady Ding'an urged him, "you should go to the Marquis of Yichun's residence to apologize."

Duke Ding'an stood still.

“This whole thing was started by the young lady from the Marquis of Yichun,” he said. “I didn’t do anything; it has nothing to do with me.”

Lady Ding'an was taken aback. "Is it alright?"
No way, Yang Luo is their child, that means they have a relationship.

“I have already concealed the child’s background as he asked, what more do you want from me?” said the Duke of Ding’an. “It’s not like I made her stay at the Imperial Academy or become the Grand Master’s disciple…”

His eyes flickered as he stroked his beard.

"There's nothing to apologize for."

"I'll apologize when the Empress issues an edict to question me."

……

.......
"Senior Brother Ling."

Mo Zheng quickened her pace to catch up with Ling Yu as she walked through the covered walkway.

"Did I cause trouble for the teacher?"

Ling Yu turned to look at her: "How come you're the one causing trouble for the teacher? It's the teacher who's causing trouble for you."

Mo Zheng couldn't help but burst out laughing: "Senior Brother Ling, you must be joking."

Ling Yu said, "I'm not joking. You became the teacher's disciple, and the first female disciple, which attracted jealousy and provocation from others. This is all because the teacher is too famous."

A voice rang out from ahead: "You traitor!"

Ling Yu and Mo Zheng looked ahead and saw Wang Zaitian standing in front of the library, wrapped in a cotton robe.

Ling Yu was not afraid at all: "This is the straightforwardness of life."

Mo Zheng smiled and bowed, then quickly stepped forward, lifting her skirt. Before Wang Zaitian could speak, she took out two scrolls from her sleeve.

“Teacher,” she said, her eyes crinkling, “these are questions that two scholars from the Chai family found for me. I have answered them and would like to ask you to take a look.”

Wang Zaitian shook his robes and took the book: "If you don't write it well, you'll be punished by copying books until dawn."

After saying that, he took the scroll and walked into the inner library.

Ling Yu also came over, and Mo Zheng smiled at him.

Ling Yu sighed softly, "Compared to me, your studies have been much more difficult, with so many twists and turns."

Mo Zheng said with a smile, "Compared to other people who can't read books in their entire lives, I'm already very lucky."

Ling Yu smiled and said, "Even if an imperial decree were to test you, there's no need to be afraid."

Mo Zheng nodded: "I'm not afraid."

After saying that, he looked outside the National Academy and smiled slightly.

She is indeed not afraid of being questioned.

Moreover, those people no longer bothered to question her.

……

.......
"This is?"

The old man who rushed to the pawnshop after receiving the news looked at the maid sitting at the table.

A maid pushed a small bundle over.

The old man opened it and saw that inside were blood-stained clothes, shoes, socks, accessories, and so on.

Yang Luo didn't answer, but asked, "Do you know the Inspector Ji Ying?"

The old man did know that the emperor had appointed dozens of inspectors, but Ji and Ying were among them and not worth his attention.

"You should send someone to the government office with the blood-stained clothes and say that Ji Ying has been killed," Yang Luo continued.

The old man exclaimed in surprise, "Ji Ying is dead?"

How come we haven't heard about such big news?

No matter what, he was an inspector, an official appointed by the imperial court.

When did he die?
Who killed him?
Could it be them?

The old man looked at the maid.

The maid smiled, but did not answer yes or no, nor did she say anything more.

"My young master wants to give Miss Yang a very generous gift." She simply said, "I'll tell you how to do it."

This young prince is truly mysterious and unpredictable. The old man's expression shifted for a moment, then he asked no more questions: "Please give your instructions, young lady."

(End of this chapter)