Her guards

Chapter 209 Jiang Meng's Support

Consort Li was buried three days later.

The emperor meant that being assassinated was, after all, dishonorable.

The princesses resumed their classes.

The companion girls have also resumed their four-day work week and three-day rest schedule.

Fortunately, it's already springtime, and with the flowers blooming and willows turning green, going out isn't so difficult anymore.

But Jiang Rui was a little late when she woke up. She didn't even have time to eat. She walked out in a daze and didn't hear the shouts behind her until Jiang Meng ran up in front of her and blocked her way.

"Sister!" she exclaimed, her eyes wide. "Why hasn't your husband been coming lately?"

Jiang Rui snapped out of her daze: "What?" She then looked away, "What are Second Uncle and Second Aunt saying behind my back again? Tell Mother not to pay them any attention."

Following the assassination attempt on the imperial concubine, news spread that Zhu Yunxiao had bravely rescued Miss Yang.

If it weren't for Prince Zhu, Miss Yang would have been killed as well.

This wasn't the first time that Prince Zhu had saved Miss Yang.

Previously, he even beat up Miss Chai because of Miss Yang.

Those two were extremely close.

Miss Yang comes from an extraordinary background.

She is the young lady of the Duke of Ding'an's mansion and the only female disciple of the chief priest.

No, no, no, these are all just appearances. Miss Yang's true identity...

"...What's the point of your brother-in-law coming? He's hooked up with a princess!"

The sarcastic voice of Aunt Jiang came from behind.

Jiang Rui closed her eyes and took a deep breath: "Second Aunt, don't talk nonsense..."

Aunt Jiang interrupted her with a cry of "Oh dear!": "I'm talking nonsense? What good will it do me to talk nonsense? Lose a relative like the heir of the Marquis of Yongwu? Ah Rui, you can't stop me from talking nonsense. You have to get the heir of the Zhu family to stop me from talking nonsense. The heir of the Zhu family hasn't come, hasn't explained, hasn't even come to our door. Ah Rui, if they break off the engagement, you have to speak up. Our Jiang family can't suffer this loss!"

Jiang Rui couldn't listen anymore: "Stop talking, he's not that kind of person!"

Jiang Meng also shouted at her second aunt, "Don't you dare slander my brother-in-law!"

Aunt Jiang exclaimed repeatedly, "How could I possibly slander him? If he's so capable, he should stop being slandered, clarify things, and set a wedding date with us! He hasn't said or done anything, and now he's not even coming. Why aren't you making a scene at the Zhu family's house? What are you yelling at me for!"

Jiang Meng clenched her fists, about to rush towards her second aunt, but Jiang Rui grabbed her: "Don't argue with her, take me to school."

After saying that, he grabbed Jiang Meng and hurried outside.

Behind him, Aunt Jiang's voice was loud and boisterous.

"...Poor brother, he has no son, and his daughter is being bullied with no one to stand up for her..."

"...If they had granted us titles and official positions back then, we wouldn't be left without anyone in our family..."

……

……

"elder sister."

As she sat in the carriage, leaving her home, Jiang Meng called out.

“I can also back you up. Uncle Yang said that even if she is a daughter, I can inherit my father’s strength.”

Jiang Rui looked at her, then suddenly reached out to examine her hands, and then looked through her clothes—

"I didn't bring any weapons," Jiang Meng said, dodging and laughing at the same time.

Jiang Rui breathed a sigh of relief when she found no weapons. She then solemnly warned, "Never touch any weapons. You are too young. You can't hurt others with weapons; you'll only hurt yourself."

Although she was young, she was very capable. How could she have hurt herself? Jiang Meng muttered to herself, but she did not refute her sister anymore. Her expression was a little uneasy: "Sister, Zhu, does the young master really want to break off the engagement?"

"She doesn't even call him brother-in-law anymore," Jiang Rui thought. "There are too many rumors, and Zhu Yunxiao really hasn't come to visit again. Jiang Meng must be starting to have doubts too."

Why did she use the word "also"?

She clearly had no doubts.

As the thought crossed his mind, the image of Zhu Yunxiao helping Asheng into a car at the entrance of the National Academy flashed before his eyes, the two chatting and laughing...

That kind of smile was something Yunxiao only ever showed when he looked at her; no, she had never even seen Yunxiao smile like that before…

Jiang Rui shook her head violently, shaking off the image, and looked at Jiang Meng: "Don't listen to other people's nonsense."

She lowered her voice and told Jiang Meng what Zhu Yunxiao had said to her.

"So, he was thinking about my safety."

Jiang Meng patted her chest and breathed a sigh of relief: "I knew my brother-in-law wasn't that kind of person." Then, her expression turned serious, "But, my brother-in-law is in such danger, we can't just ignore it."

That's true, Jiang Rui thought to herself. She had panicked a few days ago and didn't even have the courage to go to Zhu Yunxiao.

Yunxiao was worried about her safety and didn't come to see her, but Yunxiao was in more danger than her, so she had to go to the Yongwu Earl's house to ask.

“Okay.” Jiang Rui nodded and smiled at her younger sister. “You will come with me to the National Academy. After school in the afternoon, we will go to visit the Marquis of Yongwu’s residence together.”

Jiang Meng smiled happily: "Okay, okay."

…… ……

As the school bell rang, the noise inside and outside the academy subsided, and the students disappeared into the courtyard.

The women who had been gathered in the pavilion all left, leaving only two women.

Jiang Meng squatted on a large tree nearby, the lush foliage obscuring her view. Without the young ladies surrounding her, she could finally see the two people clearly.

The one standing there is a maid.

The one sitting must be a young lady.

Jiang Meng pursed her lips.

The woman, Ms. Yang, who is rumored to have an unusual relationship with her brother-in-law.

The older sister didn't want her to argue with her second uncle and aunt at home, so she promised to take her to see Zhu Yunxiao after school and brought her to the National Academy.

However, she wasn't a student at the National Academy and couldn't enter. Her sister told her to stay in the car and wait.

She was originally supposed to wait in the car, but first she greeted Liu Chan, whom she knew, with her sister, and then a young lady who came with the princesses passed by her.

"Yang Luo is at the National Academy, right? I need to go see her. Sigh, she's really shaken by this incident. As her sister, I'm very worried."

Her ears immediately perked up.

Yang Luo.

Besides her second uncle and aunt hearing the rumors on the street, she also heard them when she went out.

Is that Miss Yang a princess?
Wouldn't that make her even more formidable than Miss Chai from the Marquis of Yichun's family?

And it would also be more effective in...forcing my brother-in-law?

She then noticed that besides the young lady who wanted to see this Miss Yang, a princess was also going.

This princess is Princess Wuyang.

Then another princess, Princess Nangong, also wanted to go.

Then several more female companions followed them...

In contrast, Princess Heisei appeared quite lonely, surrounded only by a few maids.

Jiang Rui, the older sister, of course didn't go. She went to school with her head down, looking dazed.

My sister probably wouldn't even dare to see that Miss Yang.

It's okay, she dares!

Moreover, she not only dared to come to see her, but also wanted to give this Miss Yang a warning.

Jiang Meng carefully reached into her trouser leg and pulled out a slingshot, then pinched out two pebbles from her other trouser leg.

She wasn't carrying any weapons. After being reprimanded by her sister, she felt that a slingshot was more convenient, less likely to be detected, and just as lethal, hitting people very hard.

Jiang Meng squinted and aimed her slingshot at the young lady sitting in the pavilion.

The young lady leaned against the stone table, one hand supporting her chin, the other holding a willow twig, seemingly examining the tender buds on it. Even from a distance, one could see that she was as delicate as a tender willow branch…

"If you're so delicate, don't try to seduce someone else's brother-in-law!" Jiang Meng gritted her teeth, but just as she released the slingshot, she saw the young lady flick the willow branch in her hand...

The delicate willow branches appear to have broken.

Before she could see the broken willow branch fall, a mountain breeze seemed to blow in front of her.

The mountain wind was sharp, and I grabbed a tree branch and lashed it hard against my shoulder.

Jiang Meng let out a scream, her slingshot fell from her hand, and she swayed unsteadily. Fortunately, after falling from the tree branch, she managed to grab a branch in time and hang in mid-air.

However, her whereabouts were immediately exposed.

"Oh--"

Hearing the woman's exclamation, Jiang Meng's unsteady gaze fell upon the maidservant in the pavilion, who was pointing at her with a surprised expression.

"Miss, there's a little child in the tree, he's about to fall!"

The young lady also stood up in surprise, exclaiming, "Quick, quick, help her!"

The maidservant rushed over with outstretched hands and stood below, anxiously and concernedly saying, "Child, jump down, I'll catch you."

Jiang Meng looked down. Falling directly from this distance would hurt a lot, but if someone cushioned her fall, she wouldn't be the one in pain.

Hmph, this maid should be used as her human cushion, since her mistress seduced someone else's fiancé!
"Thank you, sister," she said in a trembling voice. "Then, I'll get down."

As he spoke, he released his grip on the branch and plummeted downwards. Just as he was about to land on the maid, the maid suddenly stepped back a few paces...

With a bang, the scream rang out again.

This time it wasn't a scream, it was a scream of agony.

Jiang Meng felt as if her whole body was shattered. The pain was so intense that her face was contorted. She lay on the ground, feeling dizzy and seeing stars.

As his gaze shifted, he saw the maid looking down from above, her face showing no anxiety, worry, or guilt.

His eyes were cold, and a hint of mockery played on his lips.

(End of this chapter)