Her guards

Chapter 200 Zhu Yunxiao's Actions

It was quiet inside the car.

Zhu Yunxiao seemed to have thought a lot, yet also seemed to have thought of nothing at all.

He sat up straight.

“It was during the martial arts banquet,” he said. “Doctor Li invited me to a discussion, and afterwards, under the guise of being drunk, he asked me to see him off, and then… asked me for help.”

They actually admitted it so readily? No rebuttal, no excuses... Yang Luo was surprised, but not entirely.

After several interactions, she seemed to have come to understand Zhu Yunxiao's personality.

Despicable yet frank.

Quick-witted and cautious.

For him, his words were not merely a guess.

There is no telling how much evidence is hidden behind this, and most importantly, the emperor is behind it all.

Since making excuses is useless, it might be better to just admit it outright; there's still a chance for survival.

"The favor you're offering is in response to the Yichun Marquis's scheme?" Yang Luo asked with a smile.

Zhu Yunxiao nodded: "Yes." Without waiting for further questions, he continued, "Actually, he told me Miss Yang's true identity. He told me to deliberately provoke Chai Yuan, then go to see Marquis Yichun, and under the guise of apologizing, deliberately remind Marquis Yichun that he could use the marriage to deal with Miss Yang, and then get Marquis Yichun to cooperate with me... In the future, the marriage with me will ruin Miss Yang's reputation, and His Majesty will be even more dissatisfied with Marquis Yichun."

Just as she had guessed, Yang Luo thought, sighing inwardly as she looked at Zhu Yunxiao.

However, Young Master Zhu, you've been too vague.

What Madam Li and you are planning is not to ruin Miss Yang's reputation, but to take Miss Yang's life.

Only in this way can His Majesty and Marquis Yichun completely break off relations.

No, it's not just about taking her life; it's about taking Jiang Rui's life first.

Furthermore, Jiang Rui's death was used to incite Jiang Meng to kill Miss Yang, and finally Zhu Yunxiao killed the "murderer" Jiang Meng.

Thus, he was merely a victim in the whole affair, living a peaceful life until the Chai family fell, the Empress fell, the Prince of Donghai was deposed, and the Li family, through the Prince of Linhai, rose to become the next emperor. He would then become a great contributor to the Li family, and the future of the Yongwu Earl's Mansion would be limitless.

Yang Luo looked at the young master in front of her, her hands clenched tightly in her sleeves.

The sounds of horses' hooves and wheels coming from outside, and the laughter and chatter of pedestrians on the road...

Amidst the commotion, she knew that there were secret guards sent by the emperor and people arranged by Uncle Hong, closely following her.

In her previous life, she wanted him to die before she died, but unfortunately, she was powerless to do so.

This time, if she wants him dead, he will die.

"I was wrong." Zhu Yunxiao bowed deeply.

He bent down, no longer looking at the maid, lest he reveal his inappropriate thoughts.

such as……

Kill the maid.

What's the point of killing this maid?

This maid was just a maid; she was there to deliver a message.

The maidservant voluntarily got into his carriage. Although she appeared to be alone, there must have been people sent by the emperor following her around.

Taking this maid hostage is useless; she's just a maid.

He cannot act rashly.

As long as you're not dead right now, there's still a chance.

“...My father is not favored by the Emperor. In recent years, His Majesty has frequently taken action against powerful and influential families. Even if I inherit the title, my future will be precarious.”

"...Because I refused the marriage, I offended the Marquis of Yichun. In the future, when the Prince of Donghai inherits the throne, my family will have no future."

"...The Li family used the Prince of Linhai as bait to invite me to support them. If the Prince of Linhai can replace the Prince of Donghai, the future of my Zhu family will be limitless."

Zhu Yunxiao solemnly explained why he did this.

The maid opposite him neither interrupted nor asked any questions; she just kept looking at him.

Even though she no longer looked up, you could still feel her fierce gaze.

She... wanted to kill him.

Zhu Yunxiao's clasped hands tightened slightly.

“You are indeed wrong.” The maid’s voice fell, and her gaze shifted away. “Young Master Zhu, it seems you still don’t know how capable my young lady is.”

Zhu Yunxiao slightly raised his head and looked at the maid, who sneered.

There was only sneer, no murderous intent. "I can understand your actions. Although you think my young lady is capable and can surpass the Marquis of Yichun, because she is a woman, she is still inferior to the Prince of Linhai in your eyes."

At this point, Yang Luo looked at Zhu Yunxiao and gently shook his head.

"Young Master Zhu, I really thought you were a man with a keen eye for talent, but it turns out you're nothing special."

"You'd rather place your hopes on a young prince who hasn't even come of age yet, whose intelligence and character are unknown, than choose my young lady..."

"You know perfectly well how my young lady got to where she is now, and what kind of intelligence and methods she possesses."

He suddenly raised his voice at this point.

"parking."

The coachman outside heard it, but because it was a woman's voice, he, who always only obeyed his young master's orders, did not rein in his horse. However, the echo still lingered in his ears, and a passerby carrying a basket and wearing a straw hat who was walking not far from the carriage suddenly threw off his hat.

The coachman felt a sudden darkness before his eyes as his hat covered his face and his reins were taken from him. The carriage came to a stop with the neighing of the horses.

At the same time, an old man who was chatting and laughing with his grandson on the other side of the road suddenly leaned close to the window, and a long sword slid out of his sleeve, passing through the curtain and held against Zhu Yunxiao's neck.

Zhu Yunxiao felt a chill that pierced his bones, and the stench of blood assaulted his senses. He could hear his own heart pounding, and he could also hear more footsteps approaching from outside...

Just as he expected, they came for him today, on His Majesty's orders, with secret guards everywhere.

But the sword did not immediately sever his neck.

He's still alive, he still has a chance.

"Ah Sheng," Zhu Yunxiao said hoarsely, looking at the maid who had risen, "I know I was wrong, but please consider that I haven't committed a grave mistake yet..."

Yang Luo bent down closer to him and gently pressed her hand against the sword: "Young Master, you didn't make a big mistake not because you didn't want to, but because my young lady didn't give you the chance."

The long sword was already pressed against his throat. With a gentle press from the maid, Zhu Yunxiao felt the blade instantly cut through his skin, and blood flowed out.

He didn't move.

“Ah Sheng, I understand now. Please give me another chance, Miss Yang.” He said, “Although I am incompetent, I still have the title of Earl of Valor, and... I still have the Changshui Camp.”

As he said this, his eyes lit up slightly and he lowered his voice.

“I know that Miss has His Majesty, but Miss still needs more help.”

"The Changshui Camp were Jiang Feng's troops. Because Jiang Feng died, His Majesty did not disperse the Jiang family's troops, but still regrouped them into an army."

"These men all came from the ranks of those who fought alongside His Majesty to conquer the land; they are extremely brave and loyal..."

As he spoke, he looked at the maid and lowered his voice to almost inaudible.

"...loyalty to the Jiang family."

Yang Luo looked at him and realized that this was why he was unwilling to give up his engagement with Jiang Rui. By using Jiang Rui as a son-in-law of the Jiang family, he could gain a loyal army.

"...The Changshui Camp is already in my hands," Zhu Yunxiao's voice continued. "I am willing to lead them to serve Miss..."

Before he could finish speaking, the maid sat up straight.

"Alright," she said, "Let's keep going."

The longsword was instantly sheathed, footsteps outside disappeared, and accompanied by the coachman's trembling voice, the horse trotted forward again.

Zhu Yunxiao leaned against the carriage, raising his hand to press his neck.

"You don't need to promise anything for the future," Yang Luo said calmly. "There's something I need to discuss right now, and I'll see how sincere you are."

Zhu Yunxiao said in a hoarse voice, "Please give your orders."

They escaped a terrible ordeal.

Because of his honesty? Because he was already in her grasp? Because of the allure of Changshui Camp?

Or was she instructed not to kill him?
Although his mind was in turmoil, Zhu Yunxiao did not say another word and waited quietly for instructions.

The maid didn't give any orders, but looked at him, then suddenly reached out and pulled his hand off his neck, looking at the faint bloodstain on his neck.

"Does it hurt?" she asked.

Zhu Yunxiao was stunned for a moment.

"It's alright," he said.

Yang Luo reached out and gently touched the bloodstains on his neck, shaking her head: "Cutting your throat hurts a lot."

The girl's soft fingers touched his skin, specifically his neck, and Zhu Yunxiao instantly stiffened, a tingling and chilling sensation spreading throughout his body.

He really couldn't understand this maid anymore...

(End of this chapter)