Her guards

Chapter 167 The Tranquil Imperial Palace

Late at night, the palace staff, exhausted from their busy cleaning and tidying up, fell into a deep sleep.

With the emperor gone, the palace was less heavily guarded, and Zhang Sheng and Tao Hua secretly sneaked in to meet Yang Luo, who was using her status to move around freely.

"People in the capital witnessed the grand return of the emperor, empress, princes and princesses. The emperor even distributed some of the game to the elderly in the city."

"However, the news of the horse being startled during the hunt at the imperial palace did not spread."

Yang Luo wasn't surprised; the emperor would definitely suppress such a matter.

“Those people are quick-witted; they found out about the news immediately,” Peach Blossom said in a low voice. “They ran to the butcher shop to ask if we could help spread the word throughout the city.”

He pursed his lips as he said this.

"A condescending attitude."

Yang Luo smiled and said, "Tell them that you don't know the specifics either, because the emperor doesn't dare to get close here. If it's convenient for them, they can come here to see me."

Peach Blossom understood and smiled: "Then we'll investigate how they got to the palace and who they were with..."

This will allow us to obtain information about the origins of these people.

"They shouldn't fall for it," Yang Luo said with a smile.

Although the guards had relaxed their vigilance, they could not linger. After a brief conversation, they had to leave, but Peach Blossom couldn't help but look towards Miss Yang's palace not far away.

Although they already knew that Mo Zheng was unharmed, the thought that even Wei Jiao had suffered such serious injuries showed how dangerous the situation had been.

“She’s not here, otherwise she would have found an excuse to come out and see you.” Yang Luo knew their worries and explained in a low voice, “She’s with Wei Jiao. Wei Jiao took an arrow for her, so it’s only right that she goes to visit her.”

So it was Wei Jiao who took an arrow for the young master?
Peach Blossom couldn't help but murmur, "He's so good to the young master."

The words sounded familiar, reminding her of the night Wei Jiao covered up the murder for the young master. She had said then that Wei Jiao was good to the young master.

But the young master said that this was good for Wei Jiao, turning the deaths of those villains into Wei Jiao's achievement.

So now, is taking an arrow for the young master considered a merit?

Yes, that's possible. After all, the young master's current identity is Miss Yang, the emperor's daughter.

Sacrificing himself to protect the princess is indeed a meritorious act.

……

……

"Don't look at me like that."

Inside the brightly lit palace, the air was thick with the smells of medicine and blood, but there were no imperial physicians, nor any of those horrifying tools for pulling out arrows.

Wei Jiao lay on the bed, looking at the woman sitting in the room with a look of disgust.

“That’s disgusting.”

Mo Zheng looked at him with concern: "Senior brother, I'm just worried about your injury."

After saying that, he picked up the bowl of medicine on the table.

"These are tonics prescribed for me by the imperial physicians. Since you were seriously injured, I specially brewed a bowl for you as well."

Wei Jiao chuckled twice: "I wouldn't dare drink your medicine."

Mo Zheng said, "That's a pity. If you're not going to drink it, I'll drink it."

After saying that, he slowly drank the soup that had just been cooled down, using a spoon.

Although it was a temporary palace and the emperor had left, the food, clothing, and daily necessities were still of royal standard. This soup was truly delicious.

Seeing the satisfied and leisurely smile on the girl's face, Wei Jiao spat. This bastard was never meant for him; he was just putting on an act to come and eat and drink in front of him.

“Get out of here! I’m warning you, if you ever dare to come here again, I’ll cut off your legs,” he said.

The useless eunuchs and imperial physicians here are all blind, letting this scoundrel come in as he pleases. He was unconscious for a whole night and day while getting the arrow, and he has only just regained some consciousness, which is why he couldn't stop him in time.

Mo Zheng took out a handkerchief and gently wiped her mouth, looking at the young man lying on the bed covered with a quilt, his bare shoulders exposed.

“Wei Jiao,” she said with a smile, “Even if you weren’t injured, you couldn’t do it now that you’re injured.”

Wei Jiao, ha, when he's feeling smug and arrogant, he mentions names. Wei Jiao didn't get angry and stood up, but smiled and said, "So you're saying that you're so powerful that even without me, that arrow couldn't hurt you?"

Mo Zheng nodded: "I don't lie. That arrow really wouldn't have killed me."

"She's not lying. Has she ever uttered a single word of truth?" Wei Jiao chuckled, then heard a soft female voice again.

"...But you caught that arrow before I could in that critical moment, Wei Jiao, that proves..."

What does this mean? Does it mean he's willing to die for her?

Wei Jiao looked at her coldly.

Mo Zheng looked at him and continued, "That means Wei Jiao, you're faster and more capable than me."

Her expression was solemn, and her eyes were filled with admiration.

Wei Jiao couldn't help but laugh out loud.

The loud laughter aggravated the wound, causing blood to seep out.

He seemed oblivious, continuing to laugh: "You know it."

He was also wondering why he had been shot by an arrow. Of course, it certainly wasn't to protect that bastard!
This bastard doesn't need his protection!

He just, well, just felt that this bastard couldn't die.

What's the point of watching a show when someone's dead?

See? This bastard's life is so interesting. When he goes crazy, he can scare people to death, and when he lies, he can make people laugh to death.

Mo Zheng's gaze fell on the blood seeping from Wei Jiao's shoulder.

“However,” she said slowly, standing up and walking to the bedside, “since my senior brother was injured and left with a disability, he can’t compare to me.”

Wei Jiao saw her dark eyes fixed on his shoulder, not with that disgusting concern or worry, but with excitement, like a small beast excited by the sight of blood, wanting to pounce and bite...

"Don't worry." He smiled slightly. "I don't mind getting hurt, but I won't hurt myself in vital areas, so as not to affect my ability to hurt others."

Mo Zheng was about to say something when her eyes suddenly narrowed.

In the quiet night, the faint chirping of birds could be heard.

More than once.

Wei Jiao sat up instantly, about to say something, but Mo Zheng turned and walked out.

"Senior brother, don't panic—" she cried out shrilly, "Help! Help! The Commandant Wei's wound is bleeding—"

The eunuchs and imperial physicians who had been driven away by Wei Jiao and were standing outside the palace heard this and rushed in.

The quiet room became noisy. Wei Jiao was made to lie down by the imperial physicians, and amidst the passing figures, she saw the woman disappear through the doorway—

He didn't call out to them again, but raised an eyebrow and looked out into the deep night.

I thought that was the end of it, but unexpectedly, the person who left came back.

Well, going crazy definitely paid off.

……

……

Apart from the noise in Weijiao's quarters, the other palace rooms were completely quiet.

As a group of people entered the palace, some people were startled, but they quickly stopped the commotion, and the palace became even quieter than before.

The ladies and maids in the palace were all fast asleep.

The tightly closed door was gently pushed open, and the person who opened it stepped aside. However, the tall man standing outside the door, whose head and face were covered by a cloak, did not take a step, as if hesitating about something. But after a moment, he stepped inside.

The bed curtains were lifted, and the dim light from the night lamp illuminated the blurry face of the girl on the bed.

This is for the best. Compared to daytime, he dares to look more closely at this face, a face different from the one he remembers...

The figure felt a lump in their throat, and suddenly the girl on the bed opened her eyes.

Eyes facing each other.

The person by the bed trembled, and the bed curtains slipped down.

"Don't shout—" he quickly whispered.

But there was no scream from the woman. The girl on the bed nimbly rolled off the bed and then knelt down.

"Your Majesty, I pay my respects," she said.

The sound was clear and crisp, and the figure was steady.

She felt neither fear nor shock at the person who suddenly appeared beside her bed in the middle of the night.

Was it foreseen?
The emperor reached up and lifted his hood, looking at the kneeling girl with a somber expression: "Did you know I was coming?"

He heard a rustling sound behind him, and when he turned around, he saw that the maid had also gotten up and sat up.

She didn't kneel down, but sat on the edge of the bed. Because the nightlight was a bit far away, her face looked even more dazed, and it was hard to tell if she was still terrified.

The emperor withdrew his gaze and looked again at the girl kneeling beside the bed.

"What do you know?" he asked in a deep voice. "Duke Ding'an, or perhaps your mother, told you something?"

The girl by the bed kept her head down and didn't speak, while the voice of the maid came from behind her.

"Your Majesty, what were you looking at just now?"

The emperor turned his head. What was this maid talking about? Was she talking in her sleep?
As he turned his head, the girl kneeling by the bed suddenly stood up.

The emperor was stunned again, watching the young girl walk with her head down to the maid's side and stand behind her.

The maid took out a handkerchief and gently wiped her face, saying, "Are you looking at what Miss Yang looks like?"

What? The emperor was shocked and his thoughts were in turmoil. He looked at the maid, and as she wiped his face, it was as if another face had appeared on his face.

The maid looked at him and said, "Look, don't I look like my mother?"

The nightlights seemed to brighten instantly, and as the emperor looked at that face, tears blurred his vision.

Ah Tong!

Ah Tong!
(End of this chapter)