Her guards

Chapter 187 During the Banquet
Zhu Yunxiao had just stepped out the door when he bumped into a eunuch serving wine.

He spilled wine all over himself.

Zhu Yunxiao stopped the eunuch who was about to kowtow and said, "It's alright. My clothes are dark in color, so it won't be noticeable. I'll just go and air them out, which will also help me sober up."

The eunuch was extremely grateful and invited Zhu Yunxiao to rest in a side hall: "I will go and get some charcoal for the young master to burn incense."

The eunuch hurried away, and Zhu Yunxiao slowly walked towards the side hall. He hadn't gone far when he saw the maid Asheng standing in the corridor, talking to a eunuch.

The eunuch handed a wine cup to the maid.

The maid reached out and took the wine cup, raising it to drink...

Zhu Yunxiao paused.

"Ah Sheng," he blurted out.

Yang Luo looked over, holding his wine cup, and the eunuch also looked over.

Zhu Yunxiao walked over quickly and asked, "Is Miss Yang alright?"

Yang Luo responded with an "Oh," and said, "It's alright, thank you for your concern, Your Highness."

Zhu Yunxiao looked at the wine glass in her hand: "Miss Asheng, please don't drink now. Miss Yang still needs someone to take care of her."

Yang Luo scoffed, "The young master is really meddling in everything." With that, he handed the wine cup to the eunuch and turned to leave.

"I just got spilled wine all over myself," Zhu Yunxiao said loudly, seemingly explaining. He nodded to the eunuch and quickened his pace to catch up. "I was just reminding you to be careful."

The eunuch, holding his wine cup, watched the two leave one after the other, looking somewhat bewildered. He then turned and walked away, still holding his wine cup.

Zhu Yunxiao glanced back, stepped in front of the maid, frowned and said in a low voice, "How could you drink something handed to you by someone else? Didn't I already tell you that there was a scheme going on today?"

Yang Luo was slightly taken aback. So he stopped her just now because he was afraid she would drink the wine that someone else had tricked her into drinking? Not to strike up a conversation with her?
“I’m not a young lady,” she said. “I’m just a maid. Your Highness is overthinking it.”

Zhu Yunxiao said, "If the young lady is in danger, the maid is in even greater danger. The maid will be the first to be eliminated."

Yang Luo was about to say something but swallowed it back, glancing at him: "Thank you, Your Highness, I will be careful."

After saying that, he walked forward.

Actually, she didn't drink anything indiscriminately. She and Mo Zheng entered the palace today and neither ate nor drank anything.

It was sent to her by the emperor just now.

"Your Majesty is worried about the young lady, so please have a sip of sweet wine to soothe your throat."

It was arranged by the eunuch who was most trusted by the emperor and knew that she was a real princess. That eunuch was nearby, and she only accepted the task after confirming this.

"Still not careful enough," Zhu Yunxiao said, following behind.

Yang Luo did not reply.

Zhu Yunxiao smiled, indicating that he knew he was wrong, so he didn't refute her as he usually did.

He stopped pressing the matter; this maid was very stubborn, so he decided to let it go while he was ahead.

He said in a low voice, "Miss Yang, are you ready? The people arranged by Marquis Yichun should be making their move soon."

"They acted long ago, spilling tea, burning clothes, and trapping my young lady in the side hall," Yang Luo said lazily, glancing at Zhu Yunxiao with a half-smile. "Now, I've also run into Prince Zhu, and I've even invited him to see my young lady."

This is an essential part of the arrangement.

The two talked and then left together. This scene would be seen by people around them, and after the incident, they would all be witnesses, proving that it was Miss Yang who asked the maid to take away Prince Zhu.

Zhu Yunxiao continued, "Those were all accidental and don't count as evidence. The real evidence will come when the sleeping pills are delivered and we get our hands on them."

Then he asked again.

"Commander of the Guards..."

Yang Luo looked at the side hall ahead: "He was also splashed with tea, and the imperial physicians are reapplying medicine and bandaging his wounds in the next room."

Moreover, when the young lady needs to change her clothes, Wei Jiao must leave.

Zhu Yunxiao nodded: "The Commandant Wei is under orders to protect Miss Yang. If they want to make a move against Miss Yang, they must first get rid of him."

Speaking of this, he also looked towards the side hall.

I'm about to formally meet this Miss Yang.

Although he was very familiar with the maid, he was practically a stranger to Miss Yang.

We met briefly at the restaurant that time. There were many people around, so we didn't exchange more than a few words, and I didn't even get a clear look at Miss Yang's face.

I wonder what kind of person this Miss Yang is.

Zhu Yunxiao couldn't help but glance at the maid beside him.

Noticing his gaze, the maid glanced at him.

This maid herself probably didn't realize that when she looked at him, her eyebrows would unconsciously slant upwards, flashing a hint of coldness.

It's still pretty.

It is said that servants follow their masters. Is Miss Yang also such a difficult person?

“Someone will lead you away in a moment, and I will speak with your young lady…” he said in a low voice, tilting his head slightly.

Let's pause here.

that……

Yang Luo chuckled and looked at him with a half-smile: "Then why did you stop me just now? I drank that eunuch's wine and could have been taken away. You interrupted me like this, and they'll have to come again."

Yes, why did he stop her just now? The maid was drunk and taken away in a daze. He could just go see Miss Yang directly. Anyway, Miss Yang already knows why he came, and what follows is a matter between the two of them. There's no need for this maid to be present...

Zhu Yunxiao wondered, then why did he stop the maid from drinking the things the eunuch offered?

He probably...didn't want her to get hurt.

"Just follow me when I call you, but you can skip the drinks." He looked at the maid, Ah Sheng, and said, "I said I was willing to help Miss Yang. Now that we already know this in advance, let's try our best to avoid any harm."

He's... protecting her? Yang Luo was shocked. Looking at him, this was Zhu Yunxiao? The Zhu Yunxiao who coldly watched her die in her past life, who coldly planned her death?
Seeing the maid's stunned expression, Zhu Yunxiao smiled and said, "Do you think I'm a particularly good person?" He nodded again, "That's how we two-faced people are."

This person... Yang Luo couldn't tell whether she was annoyed or amused. Before she could say anything, Zhu Yunxiao raised his hand to shush her and looked ahead. Yang Luo followed his gaze and saw two palace maids holding incense burners chatting and laughing outside a palace room.

That's where Miss Yang is.

Is this the person sent by the Marquis of Yichun to place the intoxicating incense, medicinal wine, and other such items?

"Ms. Yang."

"Let's get some incense."

Two palace maids outside the door called out respectfully.

Miss Yang inside responded, and the two pushed open the door and went in. They saw Miss Yang sitting in a chair, wrapped in a cloak, fiddling with a chessboard on the table.

This was a place for the women who entered the palace to rest, and it was furnished with various entertainment and leisure items.

Two palace maids curtsied and went to the left and right, one to put incense into the incense burner, and the other to place a new whisk on the shelf...

Miss Yang held a chess piece between her fingers, gently counting on the chessboard, "One, two, three..."

As the word "three" was uttered, the palace maids on either side lashed out like willow branches, short knives flashing from their sleeves. But with a series of sharp clangs, the chess pieces held by Miss Yang at the table flew out to the left and right, striking the short knives. The two maids let out a soft cry as the knives slipped from their hands.

But the two men also approached at the same time, one using his hand as a knife, the other raising his leg to slash horizontally.

With a loud bang.

A palace maid flew out of the room.

It fell to the ground, its body twisted and contorted.

Yang Luo, who had just run close, let out a scream.

It wasn't a sleeping potion, but a murderous attack? Zhu Yunxiao, who had followed, stiffened and subconsciously looked around. It seemed that several people suddenly appeared around him, including eunuchs, palace maids and wives, imperial guards, and male and female guests attending the banquet.

Amidst the chaotic figures, the glint of a knife flashed.

At the same time, shouts rang out.

"Assassin!" "Catch the assassin!"

Zhu Yunxiao narrowed his eyes, knowing what had happened even before getting close. The fact that he shouted about assassins showed...

There's a killer among these people!
They planned to kill Miss Yang and then frame the assassin for it.

What a clever Marquis of Yichun! He was deceiving him all along!

We must leave here, lest we all be silenced and killed.

Zhu Yunxiao turned to leave, but the next moment he saw the maid rushing into the room, and he instinctively reached out and grabbed her.

"go!"

"Miss--"

Wei Jiao knew about the commotion as soon as it started in the next room. When he jumped out of the window, he saw two figures jumping out of the window next door as well.

Before the palace maid even landed, Miss Yang kicked her in the back.

The palace maid coughed up blood, but did not fall to the ground. Using her stagger, she dodged the young lady's attack from behind and at the same time scattered a handful of hidden nails.

Miss Yang tumbled about, her cloak deflecting the hidden weapon.

The palace maid took the opportunity to run away into the distance, and the young lady threw off her cloak and chased after her in only a thin garment.

Finally, the big fish has been attracted; Miss Yang is going to capture it alive.

Otherwise, given how ruthless this bastard is, he would have killed me with a single blow.

Why would she engage in such a protracted struggle with an assassin? This was to lull the assassin into a false sense of security, making him think he could escape and avoid committing suicide.

Wei Jiao watched with great interest, then his gaze suddenly sharpened.

Since it was a family banquet, the venue was chosen to be Xiyuan, where pavilions, terraces, and lakes are scattered, and there is a lake not far away.

The palace maid leaped and bounded to the lake's edge, then jumped in. Miss Yang followed without hesitation, and the two disappeared into the water like fish...

Wei Jiao knew why the assassin jumped into the water. It wasn't a suicide mission. There was a hidden passage in the lake that allowed them to quickly leave the West Garden and disappear into the imperial city, making it much harder to catch them again.

But this only applies to people who are good swimmers.

The assassin must have been prepared beforehand to dare to go.

Where's that bastard? How's he in the water? Don't let him get trapped in the tunnel!
Wei Jiao jumped off the roof and ran towards the lake.

……

……

Time seemed to slow down after I jumped into the lake.

Not just time, but also movement, sight, everything slowed down.

Mo Zheng stopped struggling against herself and dragged the unconscious palace maid out of the narrow passage, swimming upwards with all her might.

She knew that the palace maid must have a way to escape once she entered the water, so she acted swiftly and knocked her unconscious the moment the maid entered the passage.

If you faint, you won't commit suicide, but you'll die much faster in the water.

It must surface as soon as possible.

But whether it was because she was dragging someone along or because she herself was too weak, no matter how she paddled, the water was always far away.

further and further.

She is a swimmer.

The old eunuch Zhang's plan back then was to go to sea, so he also had her learn to swim.

But after so many years of hiding in the mountains, her swimming skills may have deteriorated.

"Hey, I always said one can't be lazy," Old Eunuch Zhang said to her, clicking his tongue twice as he gestured beside her.

Mo Zheng's previously scattered thoughts instantly coalesced, and at the same time, she released the palace maid she was dragging.

She's starting to hallucinate. We can't deal with this palace maid anymore, or she'll die too, and we'll really have to go see Old Eunuch Zhang.

Never mind, let's retrieve the body after we get out. Even though it's a death certificate, it's still evidence.

The water rippled again in the next moment, the old eunuch Zhang's face disappeared, and another person's face gradually approached.

Wei Jiao!

He is here.

Is this real, or just another of her hallucinations?
Mo Zheng instinctively reached out to brush aside the approaching figure, causing ripples in the water. Suddenly, Wei Jiao grabbed her and lifted her up.

But Wei Jiao did not rise to the surface. Watching the palace maid assassin slowly sink, he reached out his other hand, but as soon as he did, someone next to him grabbed his arm.

"You bastard!" Wei Jiao glared angrily at the person who had approached him. The girl's previously unfocused gaze seemed to clear, and she clung tightly to his arm, shaking her head at him...

What?
Wei Jiao watched the palace maids and assassins getting further and further away. It wasn't a matter of distance; any further delay would only result in corpses!

He tried to tear the girl away with his other hand, but she clung tightly to his arm, wrapping her entire body around him, making it impossible for him to move that arm.

This bastard was already crazy, and he became even crazier after drowning. Wei Jiao raised his hand to knock her unconscious with a punch, but because she was shaking her head frantically, he couldn't hit her accurately for a moment.

She was almost pressed against his face, opening her mouth towards him...

Should I bite him?
Wei Jiao instinctively backed away, then saw her moving lips.

She said she couldn't move because her arm was injured.

Wei Jiao was stunned.

His arm...

The bastard was clinging tightly to his injured arm.

The imperial physician had instructed me not to exert any force on this arm for two months, otherwise it would affect its recovery.

He didn't actually remember the imperial physician's instructions.

This dog...

He looked at the girl's face, which was still swaying, so close to his...

As she opened her mouth to speak, the girl's face turned pale, and her eyes became unfocused again.

Wei Jiao glanced at the palace maid assassin who had already sunk into the water and disappeared into the distance, then suddenly swam upwards.

With a splash, the two surfaced.

"Miss!"

"Someone come quickly!"

"She fell into the water—"

"Ah, it's out—"

A cacophony of noise surged in from all directions. A large crowd had gathered around the lake, and many more rushed over from afar. Among them were the emperor and the nobles and powerful families who had heard the news inside the palace. As the imperial guards dispersed the crowd, the emperor and his entourage spotted a man and a woman floating in the lake...

Both men and women were dressed in thin clothing, which was now soaked and clung tightly to their bodies as if they were nothing. The two embraced tightly, or rather, the woman was holding the man tightly...

"My God, this is truly, truly indecent—"

A shrill voice shouted.

Marquis Yichun looked in the direction of the sound and saw a eunuch with a panicked expression, holding an iron in his hands.

As he spoke, he was startled and dropped the iron to the ground.

"Heh," Marquis Yichun chuckled inwardly. This was the eunuch who had been arranged to wet Zhu Yunxiao's clothes so that he could iron and dry them, and who happened to witness Zhu Yunxiao embracing Miss Yang.

That's the right thing to say.

But something's not right here.

How did it turn into Wei Jiao and Miss Yang!
What exactly is going on? Why is it so chaotic today?
(End of this chapter)