Her guards

Chapter 230 Farewell
Because so many people came to help with the wedding preparations, it wasn't until noon that the Wei family finally took Miss Yang out.

But once you step outside, there are even more people on the street.

Because the procession included members of the Wei and Yang families, as well as palace eunuchs and guards, the crowd was no longer afraid of the women in embroidered robes walking among them, and even pointed and gossiped about them.

"...Wei Jiao doesn't seem happy, and he's not smiling."

"...Perhaps His Majesty is unwilling to arrange a marriage for her."

"...Yes, this guy originally wanted to marry Princess Heisei."

“…Princess Heisei was a princess by right and proper, how could he possibly be the one to claim her…”

Wei Jiao sneered. How foolish! Becoming a princess legitimately is due to one's parents, but to be able to make everyone know one is a princess even without legitimate status—that's truly impressive...

He glanced coldly at the people discussing the matter on the street.

The noisy crowd here fell silent instantly, but because there were so many people on the street, the noise started again as soon as things quieted down.

"...He looks unhappy, it's scary."

"...Sigh, speaking of which, I always used to see Wei Jiao smiling, and his smile was quite frightening."

"...Yes, now that I'm not laughing, it doesn't seem scary anymore."

"...After marrying a disciple of the chief priest, he himself became more upright, hahahaha."

Wei Jiao's face stiffened.

He knew from a young age that he shouldn't listen to the gossip around him; he should treat it like the crowing of roosters and the barking of dogs.

I haven't listened to it carefully for so many years, but this time I'll listen to it seriously... It really isn't human language.

Why is this car moving so slowly?
Aren't the guards here to clear the road?
What are you dawdling about for?
He gestured to the embroidered maid beside him. The maid hesitated for a moment, then leaned closer and whispered, "His Majesty saw us off at the highest point of the palace gate tower. Please walk slowly."

Wei Jiao scoffed inwardly, "It's not like my real daughter is getting married..."

Moreover, the real daughter will not leave the capital this time either.

He glanced back at the car behind him.

The carriage was also of royal standard, and it was a special gift from the emperor, disguised as a gift to a relative. It was magnificent, spacious, and comfortable for long journeys.

Yang Luo sat in the car and pressed the seat cushion.

“It’s still not thick enough,” she said.

Mo Zheng lay half-reclined eating dried fruit and said with a smile, "Don't worry about it, I ride horses most of the time."

Yang Luo said "oh," and then looked at the cabinets and boxes in the car: "Are all the daily necessities packed?"

“Miss, you’ve forgotten, I’m a hunter,” Mo Zheng said. “I can travel without carrying anything and gather materials wherever I am.”

He raised an eyebrow as he spoke.

"The rabbits we caught after rescuing you were all freshly hunted."

To pretend to be a hunter, she had just fled here and was acting as if she knew the place well, sleeping in a dilapidated temple, even though it was the first time she had ever been inside that temple.

Yang Luo was amused, then pouted and said, "You were very good at pretending to be a hunter, but unfortunately, I knew you weren't a hunter back then."

However, she knew what Mo Zheng meant, that she didn't want Mo Zheng to worry about her.

She knew Mo Zheng was very capable and there was nothing to worry about, but...

Rather than saying she was worried about Mo Zheng, it was more accurate to say she was reluctant to part with him.

Although they've only known each other for a year, Mo Zheng has been her lifeline since her rebirth, and she truly saved her life, protecting her all the way to this day.

She hasn't left her yet...

"How about..." she couldn't help but say.

She had just opened her mouth when she saw Mo Zheng looking at her with a smile, and she didn't say anything.

Yang Luo swallowed back the words, "I'll go to Longxi with you."

Mo Zheng has her own path, and so does she.

She can't rely on her forever.

The enemy has been killed, and the father has been acknowledged. From now on, the path ahead and how far things go are up to me.

“…Take a few more people with you, and let Brother Zhang and Sister Taohua go too,” she said softly. “They’re unfamiliar with the area.”

Mo Zheng said softly, "Precisely because I am unfamiliar with the place, I can act openly and honestly. The imperial guards given by His Majesty are enough. I can use the open to deal with the covert and act without restraint. Once I leave, your identity will be even more illegitimate. You will need people hidden in the shadows to help you. It will also allow me to keep abreast of the situation in the capital."

He smiled again as he said this.

"Let them stay in the capital; it's better for them."

Yang Luo knew that Mo Zheng had always wanted those who followed her to wash away their identities and live normal lives, so she nodded and agreed.

“Although I know you are skilled and intelligent,” she continued, “I still want to remind you to be careful and stay alive.”

Mo Zheng smiled and said, "Although I am smart and skilled, I am still a human being, and I am afraid to do something dangerous."

As he spoke, he shook Yang Luo's hand.

"Thank you for your concern, Miss."

Yang Luo was amused again, but as she laughed, she couldn't help but get teary-eyed.

Wei Jiao's lazy voice came from outside the car window.

"We've left the capital city gates. Should those who came to see us off get off the carriage?"

Yang Luo lifted the carriage curtain and frowned as she looked at him: "I need to take my young lady to the post station outside the city."

Mo Zheng leaned back and looked around: "Let me take another look at the city gate."

After saying this, he pressed his hand to his chest and sighed.

"I'm about to leave home."

Yang Luo nodded with tears in her eyes: "Miss, don't be sad."

Wei Jiao rolled his eyes, no longer watching the master and servant's pretense, and spurred his horse forward.

Mo Zheng watched the city gate recede into the distance, wondering if her head would still be displayed here this time.

……

……

The wedding procession arrived at the post station outside the capital, but there was no quiet; people were also waiting there to see them off. It was Liu Chan, accompanied by her maids and the bodyguards she had hired.

After the princess's lessons at the National Academy ended, Liu Chan packed her things and went home.

"I have no regrets about this trip to the capital. What I have learned, seen, and known is enough to keep me talking for a lifetime." Liu Chan smiled broadly and was full of energy. She bowed to Yang Luo and Mo Zheng and said, "Thank you both."

She still occasionally dreams that she is unable to take the exam due to illness, and is too ashamed to return to her hometown. She hides in the capital and almost starves to death. She wakes up in a fright and sees the homework left by the teachers of the National Academy on her desk that she has not yet finished. Although it is frightening, she is mostly relieved.

Before Liu Chan could finish her laughter and leave, another rider galloped in.

As you get closer, you can see that she is dressed as a soldier, in a drab gray robe, but the girl's figure is still very noticeable.

"Jiang Rui!"

Liu Chan saw it at a glance and exclaimed in surprise.

Jiang Rui rode swiftly until she reached the outside of the post station before stopping, raising a cloud of dust, but she did not dismount.

"Miss Yang, I wish you a safe journey," Jiang Rui said loudly.

Mo Zheng smiled and thanked her.

Although Jiang Rui had only been away from the Academy of Chinese Studies for a short time, she was already quite different from before. Perhaps it was her rough clothes, her simply tied-up hair, her sun-exposed skin, and the faint scars on her hands.

However, his expression showed no sign of distress; on the contrary, his eyes shone brightly.

Liu Chan exclaimed, "Oh dear, oh dear, you look like a female general!"

Jiang Rui smiled, clasped her hands in a salute, and said, "Thank you for your kind words, Miss Liu. I will treat you to a drink when I become a female general."

Liu Chan laughed heartily.

“Miss Yang,” Jiang Rui said to Mo Zheng, “I ran away from home. I’m saying goodbye and going back now, otherwise I’ll be punished.”

Mo Zheng smiled and waved her hand: "Military law is strict, you should go quickly."

Jiang Rui turned her horse around and looked back at her, slightly shyly: "Also, I wanted to show you that my riding skills have improved a lot."

Without waiting for a reply, he spurred his horse forward and galloped away quickly.

Liu Chan nodded: "His riding skills are impressive; he comes and goes like the wind."

As soon as she finished speaking, a cold voice came from the side.

"Those who aren't good riders and can only ride in carriages should hurry up, lest they miss the next post station and be unable to enter the city gate."

Liu Chan glanced at Wei Jiao, who was riding on horseback beside her, and who had been pacing around the area from the beginning.
So that's what they meant by urging us to keep going.

Yang Luo said irritably, "Ignore him."

But eventually, we must say goodbye.

"We'll meet again someday," Liu Chan said with a smile, bowing to them. "I'll take my leave now."

Mo Zheng and Yang Luo knew that she was also traveling a long way, so they did not linger. They smiled and returned the greeting, watching Liu Chan get into the carriage and head off along the main road under the escort of the hired bodyguards.

Yang Luo took a deep breath and looked at Mo Zheng: "Then I'll go back too."

Mo Zheng nodded with a smile.

Yang Luo took another deep breath, turned around, and got into the carriage. The coachman, Zhang Shengyou, also nodded solemnly to Mo Zheng and urged the horse on.

The carriage drove away.

Finally, it quieted down. Before Wei Jiao could say anything, Mo Zheng turned around, walked to a man in embroidered clothes, took his horse, and mounted it.

"My lord, let's set off," she said, urging her horse forward.

Husband, Wei Jiao thought to himself, we're not even officially married yet!

He gently pulled on the reins, and the horse neighed and chased after the people ahead.

……

……

The area outside the car gradually became more lively, indicating that we had arrived near the city gate.

"...Did you see Wei Jiao's wedding procession just now?"

"The Wei family's betrothal gifts are truly magnificent; no wonder everyone calls them the King of Longxi."

"Oh, have you seen Miss Yang's dowry? It was a gift from the Emperor."

The noise was still recounting what had just happened.

Yang Luo couldn't help but laugh as he sat in the carriage, lifting the curtain to see the city gate ahead.

She walked through this city gate many times that year.

But this time, whether she went back to the academy, to the alley, or to the Duke of Ding'an's mansion, Ah Sheng was not waiting for her.

Yang Luo's eyes stung, and tears were about to fall.

Suddenly, another commotion arose.

"Dr. Li Xuan is dead—"

"What? Wasn't he just arrested?"

"Yes, he died in prison without even being interrogated; he was murdered by the Marquis of Yichun—"

"My God, this is absolutely outrageous!"

"Go quickly and see! A group of scholars are demanding an explanation in front of the Dali Temple."

"Many other students who had received funding from Dr. Li also went—"

Amid the commotion, the crowd surged toward the location of Dali Temple.

Yang Luo lifted the carriage curtain and suddenly laughed again.

It’s so lively.

It was more lively than ever before in my previous life.

This life is a new life created for her by Ah Sheng, a life under her control.

"Brother Zhang," she said softly, "to Dali Temple."

Zhang Shengyou responded and drove steadily through the bustling crowd. In addition, there were agile bodyguards surrounding him from the front and back.

(End of this chapter)