Her guards

Chapter 143 The Sleeping Miss
A crisp sound came from inside the Imperial Concubine's palace.

"Your Majesty, please forgive me."

"Bring another bowl of medicine."

"Everyone, stand down."

Amidst the commotion, the palace maids retreated in a panic, exchanging glances as they stood outside the hall.

The Emperor had visited Consort Li a few days ago and even stayed overnight, indicating that her confinement would be lifted before the end of the year.

Unexpectedly, the Imperial Concubine has angered the Emperor and Empress again today.

It's all because of Yang Luo.

The Empress went to plead for Yang Luo again, but returned with a bloodied face after being beaten by the Empress.

"Your Highness is so kind-hearted. She's just Princess Wuyang's study companion, but you treat her like your own daughter and insist on protecting her."

"Now that's great, we can forget about going out for the New Year."

The palace maids outside the hall were annoyed, but the imperial concubine inside did not look too bad. She gently applied a poking and burning mask to her swollen cheeks while listening to the latest news from the emperor and empress.

"...Princess Heicheng stopped her, and the Empress did not insist on hitting Yang Luo anymore. Instead, the Emperor issued an order to punish him by striking his hand with a slap."

"The eunuch has already gone to the Duke of Ding'an's residence."

The palace maid looked at the Imperial Concubine with regret as she spoke.

"The Empress still couldn't hurt Yang Luo this time."

Consort Li wasn't too disappointed, perhaps because she had failed several times before.

"The Empress has given birth to a fine daughter. This little girl really knows how to please the Emperor," she said. "It's alright. Although the Empress didn't actually manage to defeat Yang Luo, the Emperor has already seen and remembered her attitude today. When she turns against you in the future, she will still be twice as hateful and despicable in the Emperor's eyes."

Just then, a young palace maid entered and whispered, "The Marquis of Yichun has arrived with Chai Wan'er."

With the Marquis of Yichun coming in person, half of the Emperor's resentment will be wiped away.

Consort Li reached out and pressed her forehead.

The Empress and Emperor had been married for many years. With Princess Pingcheng at home and Marquis Yichun at home, she and her brother alone were too weak to handle the situation. Moreover, for the sake of future plans, they could not afford to implicate themselves and had to act cautiously and discreetly.

If we could get more help...

The voice of a palace maid reached my ears.

"...Princess Heicheng first met with Marquis Yichun, who then went to see His Majesty. The princess then summoned the imperial physician to treat Chai Wan'er's injuries..."

hurt?
Consort Li sat up straight and looked at her trusted maid beside her: "Who did you say injured Chai Wan'er?"

"It is said that Zhu Yunxiao, the heir of the Marquis of Yongwu, was present at the time," the palace maid hurriedly replied. "Zhu Yunxiao struck Chai Wan'er back with his whip, injuring her."

Consort Li murmured the name Zhu Yunxiao, lost in thought.

"Zhu Yunxiao previously rejected the marriage proposal from the Marquis of Yichun's family, and now he's injured Chai Wan'er for Yang Luo's sake. He's truly offended the Marquis of Yichun's family completely," the palace maid continued, her expression somewhat gloating. "The Earl of Yongwu is mediocre to begin with, and His Majesty dislikes him. Even if the Heir Apparent Zhu is both talented and handsome, the Zhu family's title won't last three generations..."

“Not bad.” Consort Li nodded, her eyes sparkling.

The palace maid was taken aback. What's wrong? The Zhu family's title can't be kept?
Consort Li didn't say much, but only instructed: "Bring me paper and pen, I want to write a letter of apology to my brother."

……

……

Two eunuchs and two palace maids stood outside the Duke of Ding'an's residence, their faces grim.

Although it wasn't a formal imperial edict, the emperor's verbal decree was equivalent to a royal decree. The Duke of Ding'an didn't even open the gate to welcome them in; instead, he stood at the door and asked them who the verbal decree was for.

"It's for your young lady!" the eunuch said irritably. "Otherwise, what are we doing here?"

Was the Duke of Ding'an driven mad by fright?

The eunuch looked at Duke Ding'an and sneered.

"My lord, please open the gate and receive the imperial decree. Stop pretending to be ignorant. You don't know what your young lady has done?"

Duke Ding'an did not make way, but smiled and said, "It is so. My young lady is currently studying at the National Academy and is not at home. If this decree is not for me, then I will have to trouble you to go to the National Academy."

Chinese Academy?
The palace maids and servants were stunned; this…

"It was the chief priest who called the person away, and I dare not go and call them back," said the Duke of Ding'an. "Then I will trouble you gentlemen to go and find the person yourselves."

The palace maids and servants exchanged bewildered glances.

……

……

Standing outside the Imperial Academy, the eunuchs and palace women did not have the same imposing presence as they did outside the Duke of Ding'an's residence.

The instructor guarding the gate was more imposing than the Duke of Ding'an, and did not immediately and respectfully let them in.

"His Majesty's decree?" the instructor asked sternly. "Is it for the Chancellor?"

The eunuch hurriedly said, "No, no, it's about Miss Yang from the Duke of Ding'an's mansion. The Duke of Ding'an said that Miss Yang is at the Imperial Academy and asked you to inform her so that she can receive the imperial decree."

The instructor said, "I'll go check if they're having a lesson with the chief priest."

As for classes... the eunuchs and palace maids exchanged glances, guessing they would have to wait.

When the chief priest was giving a lecture, the emperor would not interrupt, and the eunuchs would not dare to interrupt either.

……

.......
The academy, bathed in the bright light of day, was devoid of the sounds of reading and the usual bustling activity of students.

Because it was close to the Lunar New Year holiday, some students went home, while those who didn't go home wandered around the capital, taking a rare break during the holiday.

The library was completely silent.

Wei Jiao stood outside the two bookshelves, looking at the woman lying on the ground, her head covered by her sleeves, sleeping haphazardly, her body more disorderly than the scattered books, and let out a cold laugh.

"Miss Yang, the Emperor is here to punish your hand."

The woman lying on the ground stirred, but did not wake up or get up. Instead, she changed her position and covered her head and face with her sleeves.

Wei Jiao grabbed the bookshelf next to him, jumped up, sat on top of the bookshelf, looked down at the woman lying on the ground, then pulled out a book and dropped it.

The book didn't hit Mo Zheng's head; instead, the sleeve covering her head was lifted, and her fair, slender hand caught it steadily.

"Thank you for telling me, senior brother," Mo Zheng murmured with her eyes closed. "Teacher will take it first, and then hit me later."

Wei Jiao didn't say anything, but took out another book, picked it up, and let it go.

One after another.

Slowly, very slowly.

Continuously.

When the falling books were too heavy to catch in her hands, and there was no more room for them beside her, Mo Zheng helplessly opened her eyes, lying among a pile of books and looking up at Wei Jiao above her.

“Senior, I didn’t sleep a wink last night. The teacher made me copy books all night as punishment. It was so pitiful,” she said.

Wei Jiao looked down at her with a smile: "Don't worry, there's something even more pitiful waiting for you. Right now, His Majesty has ordered someone to slap your hand first, and Marquis Yichun is in the palace advising the Emperor on how to punish you."

He frowned in thought as he spoke, his expression filled with longing.

"I wonder what ideas Marquis Yichun can offer?"

"These old guys who have lived for a long time are the most troublesome."

"Great, there's bound to be a big show to watch."

Mo Zheng yawned: "Thank you for the reminder, Senior Brother, but I'd better take another nap before the excitement begins."

After saying that, he closed his eyes again.

"You bastard, Wei Jiao doesn't believe she can actually fall asleep."

Does she really think no one can do anything to her just because she's a disciple of the Grand Master?

Wei Jiao looked at the girl with her eyes closed, surrounded by books scattered on the ground. Her eyes, which were usually sharp and bright, were now quiet and still.

They were so quiet, it was as if they were really asleep.

Wei Jiao snorted inwardly, about to say something, when a sharp bird cry rang in his ears, and his expression hardened slightly...

Because the Imperial Academy didn't allow embroidered robes inside, Wei Jiao always left them outside whenever he came, using bird calls as a code in case of emergency. This time, he used an emergency code as well.

Wei Jiao glanced at the sleeping girl, then turned and leaped down. At the same time, the two bookshelves collapsed, and countless books fell over with a crash.

"Wei Jiao—"

Ling Yu's angry shout came from above the library, followed by the sound of hurried footsteps.

"Help! Someone come quick!"

Wei Jiao ignored what was behind him; if that bastard could be killed by being smashed, he would have died eight hundred times over.

……

……

Besides the embroidered clothes, the eunuchs and palace women in the Imperial Academy were whispering timidly.

"How to do?"

"The instructor said that the Grand Master of Ceremonies said he understood and that he would punish the offender with a rod..."

"So, was the imperial edict delivered or not?"

"Never mind, let's just tell His Majesty this."

"Your Majesty, please ask about the sacrificial wine."

The group whispered among themselves, and when they saw Wei Jiao come out, they were even more startled and quickly got into their car and drove away.

The women in embroidered robes ignored them and went to greet Wei Jiao.

Wei Jiao asked lazily, "What's the matter? Why are you making such a fuss?"

A woman in embroidered robes stepped forward and whispered a few words.

Wei Jiao's previously lazy expression suddenly hardened: "What? How come there was no prior notice?"

The woman in embroidered robes lowered her head: "Li Bu has always been quiet and reserved in the Censorate, only responsible for organizing documents. No one paid him any attention. I really didn't expect him to suddenly appear out of nowhere..."

After saying that, he raised his head again, feeling uneasy.

"Captain, it's too late, he's gone to see the Emperor..."

People from the Censorate could be directly summoned to the palace.

unstoppable.

"Interesting." Wei Jiao wasn't angry that he knew nothing about it; on the contrary, he was quite intrigued. "Let's go, let's go see what's going on—"

After he finished speaking, he strode towards the horse, grabbed the reins and mounted it. Suddenly, he remembered something, and the horse abruptly turned its head towards the National Academy.

The embroidered-clad warriors, who were ready to gallop, were caught off guard and reined in their horses, causing a chorus of neighs.

"Captain?"

Wei Jiao looked in the direction of the National Academy, his expression no longer the usual smiling face, but his brows and eyes slightly furrowed.

Well, that bastard!
No wonder he could sleep soundly in the library...

So it turns out, it was someone else who couldn't sleep.

"Captain, are we going back to the National Academy?" a woman in embroidered robes asked, puzzled.

Wei Jiao didn't speak. He glanced at the tall library in the distance, then turned his gaze away and spurred his horse to gallop towards the imperial city.

……

.......
"Wei Jiao!"

As Wei Jiao strode into the imperial city, he saw Princess Heping and Chai Wan'er walking out from the direction of the inner palace.

The two women saw him before he saw them.

However, Princess Heicheng did not call out to stop her as usual; it was Chai Wan'er who called out first.

Wei Jiao turned and rushed over: "Princess—"

He looked happy, his face was full of smiles, and his voice was as friendly as before.

But that's what he called her too, Junior Sister.

Princess Heisei stood quietly, watching him approach, still without saying a word.

“Wei Jiao, I was just about to tell the princess—” Chai Wan’er shouted first, pointing at Wei Jiao and then looking at Princess Heicheng, “Princess, that day Wei Jiao let Yang Luo get into his carriage!”

After saying that, he looked at Wei Jiao again.

"Wei Jiao, Yang Luo disobeyed the Empress, why did you let her into your carriage!"

Wei Jiao glared at her: "She even dares to defy the Empress, what can I do if she gets into my carriage?"

"Can't you?" Chai Wan'er was taken aback by his words.

This logic seems flawed. She was about to speak again when Princess Heisei stopped her, looked at Wei Jiao and smiled: "Where have you been?"

Wei Jiao smiled and called out to the princess, her eyes crinkling: "I just returned from the Imperial Academy and went to see His Majesty."

Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Princess Heisei smiled and looked at him: "Go and plead for your junior sister?"

Wei Jiao exclaimed, "Princess! She doesn't need me to plead for her. She has the Chancellor as her teacher! Who would dare to offend her!"

Princess Heisei thought to herself, "Is that why he doesn't dare to offend the Grand Master, and why he calls me 'Junior Sister' so enthusiastically?"
"So what if she's the Imperial Academy Chairwoman?" Chai Wan'er snorted from the side, her eyes full of pride. "My grandfather has already spoken with His Majesty about holding a grand literary gathering. That way, the whole world will know how mediocre her talent is. Having such a disciple is a disgrace to the Imperial Academy Chairwoman."

Wei Jiao looked at her with a regretful expression: "I'm afraid the Marquis won't bother with such a trivial matter."

Chai Wan'er was taken aback, and Princess Heicheng was slightly startled: "What happened?"

……

.......
"What did you say? Ji Ying is dead!"

Inside the imperial study, the emperor stood up in disbelief and shouted.

An official was kneeling on the ground, with an open bundle in front of him and a blood-stained garment spread out on the ground.

Marquis Yichun's expression was also one of astonishment: "What's going on?"

The official, called Li Bu, took out another piece of paper.

“Your Majesty,” he said, “your subject Li Bu has reported that Inspector Ji Ying has used death row inmates to impersonate mountain bandits, thus covering up the truth that dozens of people in Baima Town were brutally murdered.”

White Horse Town, a brutal massacre, the truth.

The emperor's face turned ashen instantly. He swayed slightly and slumped down, remaining silent for a moment without asking any questions.

Marquis Yichun's expression remained astonished, now even more shocked.

The matter of Baima Town.

It feels like it happened a long time ago.

It feels like it just happened.

Thunder rumbled, the night was deep and dark, and an old servant delivered a message.

"My lord, something has happened to that woman in Baima Town."

He sat in his study, unable to sleep because of his age, so he sat with his eyes half-closed, seemingly half-asleep.

He didn't even open his eyes when he heard that.

"Why bring up someone who's been dead for so long?" he said simply.

At that time, it was indeed a trivial matter and had nothing to do with him.

but……

A cold winter wind blew in from outside the open palace gates, making Marquis Yichun shiver.

At this moment, the height of summer had passed, and the New Year was approaching. Sitting in the Hall of Diligent Governance, he was reminded of this matter by an imperial censor.
It’s lively.

(End of this volume)

(End of this chapter)