Her guards

Chapter 101 Unexpected Accident
"Why should I associate with him? Now he's even called 'Palace Reader' in private. What a joke."

Uncle Yongwu laughed heartily.

Zhu Yunxiao didn't laugh: "Father, please don't make fun of him, otherwise you'll be making fun of the Emperor. Think about it, it's one thing for the eldest daughter of the Duke of Ding'an's family to be chosen as a tutor for the princess since the Emperor and Empress know her well and have watched her grow up. How come a relative's daughter who just arrived in the capital and whose character is unknown can also be sent to the princess's side as a tutor? Your Majesty, are you such a person who easily trusts others?"

The Emperor, Yongwu Bo had followed him from the very beginning and knew that he was brave, resourceful, and extremely intelligent and perceptive.

This keen insight is a commendable quality when conquering the world, allowing followers to avoid many dangers.

But when one sits on the throne, followers become subjects, and the monarch, in his high position, transforms this keen insight into suspicion.

The Earl of Yongwu stopped laughing and hesitated slightly: "His Majesty will naturally not let this go unpunished. Previously, this Miss Yang encountered bandits when she went out at night. His Majesty was very angry and sent palace maids to teach the young lady of the Duke of Ding'an's mansion a lesson."

“The deeper the love, the deeper the hate,” Zhu Yunxiao said. “There are many unruly young ladies from the newly rich families in the capital. Has His Majesty ever paid attention to them? Moreover, just a few days ago, His Majesty had palace maids slap the hands of the Yang family’s young ladies as punishment for their misbehavior at the Imperial Academy.”

He looked at his father.

"It sounds like His Majesty is very angry, but isn't it strange that this Miss Yang has been repeatedly punished yet has been able to remain by the princess's side as a tutor?"

"Yes, that's right!" Marquis Yongwu exclaimed, clapping his hands. "Given the emperor's temper, shouldn't this kind of person have been driven away long ago?"

“The Duke of Ding’an’s divine favor is truly extraordinary,” he said.

Zhu Yunxiao shook his head: "I originally thought so too, but now I think it might be those two young ladies."

So I made a special trip to the entrance of the Chinese Academy to take a look.

The two young ladies were dressed no differently from the ladies of the capital, and even appeared somewhat humble and submissive, but...

His intuition told him that there must be something special about these two people.

His eyes are best at recognizing the wealthy and powerful; they won't linger on ordinary people for even a moment.

……

.......
The plum blossoms in the academy are in full bloom, adding to its beauty.

After the class ended, the ladies looked out the window to watch the performance, which relieved some of their fatigue.

"The plum blossoms at the National Academy are still not as beautiful as those at Lingquan Temple," a young woman sighed.

If it weren't for school, they would usually go with their families to enjoy the flowers and snow at this time of year.

"I heard the Grand Master of Ceremonies went too," another young lady said, "and he brought many students from the Academy of Chinese Studies with him."

Another young lady came over, took her arm, and said with a smile, "No rush, once you become the disciple of the chief priest, you can go with him."

These words made the girls laugh and say, "Then I have no hope in this lifetime."

Because the instructor had previously mentioned that there would be rewards and punishments for this major exam, a young lady inquired and found out that the reward seemed to be becoming a disciple of the chief priest.

This reward is huge!

The girls who accompany students to school wouldn't dare to even dream of it.

As everyone talked, they looked ahead. Princess Heisei sat there in a bright red dress, like a blooming plum blossom, charming and graceful.

In terms of both scholarship and status, Princess Heisei was undoubtedly the first female disciple of the Grand Master of Ceremonies.

"Ladies, come and fetch the writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones."

Several palace maids came in, carrying trays.

"The afternoon class is painting. Instructor Yan will teach everyone how to paint plum blossoms."

The young ladies responded and went from their seats by the windows and doorways toward the palace women, choosing the paper, brushes, and paints they needed.

Yang Luo and Liu Chan brought over several sheets of paper, brushes, ink, and paints, and placed them on Mo Zheng's desk: "We've got them, you can choose."

Mo Zheng smiled and thanked her.

Yang Hui came over from behind carrying her own paper and paints, and sneered when she heard this: "You have hands and feet, why do you need others to serve you?"

“I’m popular with people,” Mo Zheng said, raising an eyebrow at her.

Just as Yang Hui was about to say something, a palace maid behind her called out, "Miss A-Luo."

Mo Zheng quickly turned her head and saw a palace maid. She recognized her as a palace maid surnamed Sun who served Princess Wuyang. At this moment, the maid was holding four or five paintbrushes.

“Send it to the princess,” she said. “The princess is used to using her own.”

Mo Zheng stood up in response and whispered to Yang Hui, "I'm going to serve the person you mentioned who has hands and feet now."

Yang Hui stared, wanting to say something but daring not to, watching Mo Zheng walk up to the palace woman, take the paintbrush, and walk briskly forward.

"I hope you fall down!" Yang Hui cursed under her breath through gritted teeth.

Yang Luo glared at her, about to say something, when Yang Hui's eyes widened instantly and she let out an "Ah!"

More clamorous screams came from ahead—

"what--"

"Be careful--"

Yang Luo hurriedly looked ahead and saw Mo Zheng, who had just walked to Princess Wu Yang's seat, bump into a palace maid who had finished distributing paper and paint. Paper and paint flew everywhere.

The palace maid and Mo Zheng stumbled towards Princess Heisei, who was sitting in the middle. Princess Heisei, who was concentrating on spreading out her painting paper, was caught off guard and had no time to dodge when she was hit.

Yang Luoliu Chan and Yang Hui both stood up instantly.

Yang Luo and Liu Chan were worried, while Yang Hui looked excited.

Her curse had come true! The country maid had really fallen!

The classroom was in chaos. The young ladies who accompanied the students all stood up and rushed to help the nearest girl. Suddenly, another piercing scream rang out.

"Princess--"

"The princess's face—"

The two young ladies who came to help her up looked horrified as they stared at the fallen Princess Heisei.

A bright red bloodstain was spreading across Princess Heisei's fair right cheek.

Their gaze followed the bloodstains and they saw a brush lying on the princess's neck, the brush still held in the hand of Mo Zheng, who was lying on top of the princess.

Yang Luo, who was rushing over, also saw this scene. Her legs went weak, and her heart felt like a boulder had fallen and crashed down.

It’s over.

……

.......
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty—"

"Your cloak—"

"shoe--"

The Empress's palace was in complete chaos.

When the news arrived, the Queen was pruning flowers and trees in the greenhouse as usual. Upon hearing that the princess's face had been injured, she rushed out wearing soft shoes and a casual dress.

The palace maids, servants, and eunuchs tried to dissuade him, and helped him put on his clothes, shoes, and hair, finally managing to perfect his demeanor before he sat on the imperial carriage.

Sitting on the phoenix carriage, the Empress's face was deathly pale as she listened to the palace maids continue to relay the urgent messages that had been sent from the other side.

"...They said that a cutting knife was hidden inside the paintbrush."

"...The imperial physician has already gone there ahead of us."

The Empress stopped her; she couldn't listen anymore, or she would faint.

Her Heisei era, her Heisei era...
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, I am guilty—"

Heart-wrenching screams came from outside the imperial carriage.

The carriage curtain swayed, and the Empress saw Consort Li collapse in front of the carriage.

Consort Li had obviously rushed out in a hurry, dressed simply and wrapped in a cloak.

"Your Majesty, I am guilty, I am guilty."

The news came quickly. The Empress looked at the beautiful woman kneeling and kowtowing, and she knew that there was no one easy to deal with in the harem.

"Drag her away," she said in a hoarse voice.

The eunuchs outside the carriage immediately rushed over and dragged Consort Li away.

"Your Majesty—" Consort Li, tears streaming down her face, kowtowed before the Empress's carriage, "Please punish me, Your Majesty. Wu Yang is just a child; it is my fault for failing to properly educate her—"

The Queen's carriage drove past, but the next moment she ordered it to stop.

“Bring her along,” she said.

The palace maid was slightly puzzled.

“She went to beg His Majesty, and she can still go, and she will even take His Majesty with her.” The Empress looked at the imperial palace in front of her with a cold gaze. “His Majesty cannot go now, otherwise, he will definitely protect the Yang family.”

Although Heisei was His Majesty's most beloved princess.

Although the emperor had previously either bestowed upon the young ladies of the Yang family the title of palace maid and taught them manners, or punished them by slapping their hands.

Although the emperor would be furious if he heard that the Yang family's daughter had injured the princess.

But if the emperor were to meet that Miss Yang, he would not punish her severely at all.

"Tell His Majesty that the princesses had a quarrel with their companions at the Imperial Academy, and it went a bit too far. I will handle it personally."

The Empress said in a deep voice.

The palace maid responded, "Yes."

Although this matter will inevitably be exposed to the emperor, at least before the emperor intervenes, we should teach the young lady of the Yang family a lesson!
The Queen looked at the swaying carriage curtain and listened to the quickening hoofbeats of the carriage.
She was bullied back then, which was bad enough.

The man surnamed Yang should not dare to bully her daughter again!

(End of this chapter)