Her guards

Chapter 218 Miss Yang's Actions

"Your Majesty, I have disturbed you."

Inside the Hall of Diligent Governance, Jiang Rui bowed and kowtowed.

After news of Jiang Rui's rescue by the Changshui Camp arrived, she waited for nearly an hour before finally arriving at the capital to pay her respects, escorted by the Jingzhao Prefecture and the Changshui Camp.

The emperor's eyes reddened as he looked at the woman kneeling and kowtowing.

Although when Princess Heisei spoke earlier, he didn't immediately realize who Miss Jiang was.

They were very worried after they found out she was the daughter of the Jiang family.

Seeing the real people at this moment, the faces of the generals who fought alongside him to conquer the world seemed to reappear before his eyes, and the emperor felt extremely sad.

"Get up and speak quickly." The emperor stood up and then called for the imperial physician, "Quickly check if there are any injuries."

Besides the emperor, the empress also came to the palace after hearing the news.

Princess Heicheng, her maid Asheng, Zhu Yunxiao, and Uncle Jiang and Aunt Jiang were all invited back, and the emperor also summoned the imperial physicians in advance.

The hall was now packed with people.

However, due to the emperor's authority, there was no noise. The Jiang family's uncle and aunt were also restrained by the eunuchs and warned not to make a fuss.

Zhu Yunxiao stood quietly to the side the whole time.

When he heard the emperor ask him to rise, he quickly stepped forward and helped Jiang Rui up, looking at her with concern in his eyes.

Jiang Rui glanced at him, then looked at the emperor: "Thank you, Your Majesty. I have suffered some minor injuries, but it's nothing serious. Uncle Yuan Cheng has already bandaged them for me."

A military officer in his forties with a square face and dark complexion stepped forward from the back: "Your Majesty, rest assured, they are all minor injuries."

“Even a minor injury is still an injury, especially for a girl.” The emperor shook his head, looking at the military officer. “Yuan Cheng, what exactly happened?”

Yuan Cheng did not answer, but looked to the side and said, "Arui, you go and tell His Majesty. You are the person involved, so you can tell the clearest story."

Jiang Rui bit her lower lip...

"Don't be afraid, Arui," Zhu Yunxiao said softly, holding her hand.

Jiang Rui withdrew her hand, took a deep breath, and looked at the emperor: "Your Majesty, I didn't go to school today. I took my younger sister out, and on our way back, three men suddenly surrounded us on horseback, killed the coachman, overturned the carriage, and dragged me onto their horse..."

Although her voice was still a little trembling and hoarse, she spoke clearly and her breathing was steady.

He only mentioned that when he was abducted and put on a horse, he gasped for breath a few times, which is understandable, as it was too terrifying.

The emperor nodded secretly, looking satisfied. Hearing Miss Jiang catch her breath a few times and press her chest, he continued.

"...My sister used a slingshot to injure the people who were robbing me. I fell down, but they captured my sister..."

The emperor nodded again upon hearing this.

Jiang Feng's daughter is young but brave.

His gaze swept across the hall.

That child...

“Your Majesty, the Second Miss has injured her leg and has difficulty walking. She is currently being cared for by the military doctor of the Changshui Camp. Please rest assured, Your Majesty, her life is not in danger, and her leg injury will not leave her disabled,” Yuan Cheng said from the side.

The emperor breathed a sigh of relief and gestured to one of the imperial physicians: "You should also go and take a look at this child."

This time, neither Jiang Rui nor Yuan Cheng stopped him. As they watched the imperial physician hurry out, Jiang Rui continued her story.

"...At that time, passersby heard the commotion and gathered around. The three men then stopped grabbing me and hurriedly fled..."

Before he could finish speaking, a woman's voice rang out.

"So, Miss Jiang, you weren't kidnapped after all."

Jiang Rui stopped speaking, and the others looked in the direction of the voice, seeing the maid Asheng standing to one side.

To everyone present, she showed no sign of timidity, her expression a mixture of amusement and smirk.

"You've really frightened Princess Heisei."

That lowly servant girl.

The Empress's expression immediately darkened, and she snapped, "Slap yourself! Who gave you the right to speak so casually in front of His Majesty?"

A palace maid standing below the empress immediately went to approach the maid.

"Enough!" the emperor shouted.

The palace maid stood still.

"What time is it now? Don't mention irrelevant matters," the emperor said in a deep voice.

Who is being reprimanded? Why wasn't that lowly maid reprimanded when she was being sarcastic and sarcastic towards the princess?
It's one thing to protect that man surnamed Yang, but to fawn over a mere maid?

The Empress sneered, about to say something.

The officials from the Jingzhao Prefecture quickly came to their senses and stepped forward: "When the people reported this to the authorities and we rushed over, we didn't see Miss Jiang at the scene, so we assumed that both of them had been kidnapped. We were the ones who informed the Jiang family."

As she spoke, she glared at Uncle Jiang and Aunt Jiang.

The Jiang family's uncle and aunt, feeling dizzy and disoriented, hurriedly shouted, "Yes, yes, we don't know. The government said that both of them have disappeared and it has nothing to do with us."

Jiang Rui then spoke up: "Your Majesty, I was busy seeking help at the time, so the people and officials didn't see me and thought I had been arrested as well."

The emperor nodded. "I see." Then, in a deep voice, he said, "Continue."

Just as Jiang Rui was about to speak, the Empress spoke again.

They did not order the maid to be slapped again.

"Jiang Rui, where are you and your sister going?" she asked.

The Emperor frowned slightly: "Empress, let's ask how you were rescued first..."

"She has been rescued," the Empress said, looking at the Emperor. "Now, the more important thing is to catch the thieves, Your Majesty. For ten years, the capital has enjoyed peace and stability, and there has never been a case of bandits robbing women and children in broad daylight. The people are panicked, and we must find out the details..."

She looked at Jiang Rui again.

"You can only have a result if you know what the cause is."

“Miss Jiang, this matter is of great importance. You must tell me in detail and not hide anything.”

The emperor moved his lips as if to say something, but Jiang Rui had already spoken.

"Yes, Your Majesty, I dare not conceal the truth," she said. "I went to the Imperial Academy with my sister today. Not long ago, my sister offended Miss Yang, and I took her to apologize."

The Empress said, "Oh, and then you two started arguing again?"

Yang Luo frowned again, about to speak, when a eunuch who had quietly come over grabbed his sleeve and shook him forcefully.

Jiang Rui's voice came from the other end: "No, Miss Yang has accepted our apology, so we'll take our leave and go home."

The Empress continued, "Then you encountered bandits. There were so many people on the road, why were they all coming for you?"

The Empress is truly wicked; she insists on framing Miss Yang for the attack on Jiang Rui and her sister. Yang Luo tugged at her sleeve, shaking off the eunuch who was holding her.

Standing next to Jiang Rui, Zhu Yunxiao spoke first. "Your Majesty, Your Majesty the Empress, this incident is definitely not an accident; it's aimed at A-Rui." He said, reaching out to take out a scroll. "This is the revenge of the murderers from Baima Town against me. I have obtained the letters from the murderers and the mastermind behind them; they must have discovered it."

Oh, right, he was the first to mention this, but firstly, he already knew who the real culprit in White Horse Town was, and secondly, he was worried that the bandits would harm Miss Yang, so the emperor didn't pay any attention to it.

At this point, Zhu Yunxiao's explanation was the most reasonable in order to stop the Empress from framing Miss Yang again.

"Bring it here quickly," the emperor said hastily.

A palace attendant stepped forward, took the scroll, and presented it to the emperor. The emperor glanced at it and quickly gestured to the empress.

"Ah Feng," he said in a low voice, his expression tense, "this is of great importance, we must ask the Marquis to come."

Is this related to Marquis Yichun? So, we shouldn't keep harping on whether Miss Yang committed any wrongdoing? The Empress looked at the Emperor and shook her head slightly: "Your Majesty, the casualties in Baima Town are of great importance. Although Miss Jiang and her sister were attacked, it is still a significant matter, as it concerns the stability of the capital and the peace of mind of the people. Your Majesty, please inquire about this matter first."

As he spoke, he glanced at Zhu Yunxiao.

"Your Highness, please be patient. Wait until Miss Jiang finishes speaking before you speak. I will ask you questions carefully."

Then look at Jiang Rui.

"Miss Jiang, you and Miss Yang...?"

Yang Luo couldn't hold back any longer: "Your Majesty—"

“Your Majesty, this matter is indeed related to Miss Yang,” Jiang Rui said.

The Empress looked at her, a slight smile on her face.

Zhu Yunxiao couldn't help but gently tug at Jiang Rui's sleeve.

Jiang Rui seemed oblivious, looking at the Emperor and Empress in front of her.

"I was able to be rescued this time thanks to Miss Yang."

The Empress's face lit up with joy.

……

……

"what happened?"

The emperor's urgent voice rang out in the hall.

Although he didn't know what was going on, upon hearing this sentence, his face lit up with undisguised joy.

“I just mentioned that after my sister was captured, I went to seek help,” Jiang Rui said, looking at the emperor. “I sought help from Miss Yang. I knew that His Majesty had sent imperial guards to protect her. Since it was close to the scene and they were imperial guards, I immediately returned to the Imperial Academy. When Miss Yang heard that something had happened, she had the imperial guards take me to chase after them and also sent a message to the Changshui Camp…”

Yuan Cheng continued, "I was indeed outside at the time, but because I received a message by carrier pigeon, I was able to surround and catch up with the bandits in time according to the instructions, and rescue the Second Miss. At that time, the bandits had already reached the edge of the cliff and were about to throw her off."

He knelt down on one knee as he spoke, his voice choked with emotion.

"Thank you very much, Your Majesty's guards. If it weren't for them, we wouldn't have been able to save you in time. If anything had happened to the Second Miss, my sister-in-law would certainly not have survived either. We would have no face to see Brother Jiang again!"

Jiang Rui also knelt down and kowtowed: "Thank you, Your Majesty, for providing Miss Yang with imperial guards. They saved our family."

The emperor's eyes reddened: "What are you thanking me for? The guards I gave to Miss Yang were to protect her from thieves. Protecting her is also protecting the people around her."

He then got up and helped Yuan Cheng and Jiang Rui to their feet.

"Good child, you remained calm in the face of danger and knew to ask Miss Yang for help." He praised her, "You saved your sister. You truly deserve to be Jiang Feng's daughter, you are wise and courageous."

Jiang Rui's tears welled up instantly, and she covered her face and bowed again: "Thank you, Your Majesty."

Officials from the Jingzhao Prefecture rushed forward to chime in: "Miss Jiang and Miss Yang's actions not only saved Miss Jiang the Second, but also eliminated the thieves, putting the people at ease."

Then, a eunuch secretly pressed Jiang's uncle and aunt to the ground.

The two had no idea what was being said in the hall. In their panic, they hurriedly bowed incoherently according to the eunuch's whispers: "Thank you, Your Majesty. Thank you, Miss Yang. Long live Your Majesty!"

The somber atmosphere inside the hall was swept away, replaced by lively chatter.

The Empress watched this scene with a cold expression.

……

……

Because the Jingzhao Prefecture wanted to continue inquiring about the details, Miss Jiang, Yuan Cheng, and the others remained in the hall, while the others were allowed to leave.

Yang Luo strode out of the imperial city and headed towards his carriage.

"Asheng."

Zhu Yunxiao's voice came from behind, and at the same time, he followed and grabbed her arm.

Yang Luo angrily shook him off: "What are you doing?"

Zhu Yunxiao said, "I'm going to see Miss Yang. She saved Arui, and I want to thank her in person."

Yang Luo chuckled and lowered his voice: "Miss Jiang isn't dead. You should go and thank my young lady. If Miss Jiang had died this time, you could have joined my young lady in our hatred of the enemy?"

No matter what, Zhu Yunxiao was able to establish a relationship with Miss Yang and achieve his desired goals.

Zhu Yunxiao frowned: "I don't understand what you mean."

Yang Luo took a deep breath and looked at him, speaking slowly and deliberately: "Zhu Yunxiao, I'm warning you, if anything happens to Jiang Rui, and my young lady suffers an unexpected calamity, you won't get away with it!"

Zhu Yunxiao's face darkened, and he seemed somewhat annoyed: "You're really being unreasonable. I've been so kind, but you've treated me like dirt."

Yang Luo ignored him and turned to get into the carriage.

But just as the curtain was lowered and the carriage hadn't moved, Zhu Yunxiao's voice came again.

"Asheng."

Yang Luo sneered: "My young lady isn't so easy to meet. You just wait and see."

The footsteps outside the car stopped.

"Ah Sheng, it's Uncle Yuan and I who want to thank Miss Yang in person."

A woman's voice came through.

Yang Luo was taken aback. He reached out and lifted the carriage curtain to see Jiang Rui standing outside the carriage with Yuan Cheng.

Zhu Yunxiao stood beside them, his expression solemn: "Miss Asheng, even if Miss Yang is unable to receive guests, General Yuan Cheng would like to pay his respects outside the National Academy to express his feelings. I hope Miss Asheng will do me the favor."

He looked at the maid Asheng, and then emphasized the meaning of General Yuan Cheng's words with his eyes.

This is a great opportunity to recruit the officers of the Changshui Battalion.

How can you turn people away!

Yang Luo gritted her teeth and looked at Zhu Yunxiao, clenching her hand holding the curtain. Then she looked at Jiang Rui and Yuan Cheng and smiled slightly.

“Miss Jiang, General Yuan, you’re too kind. Please come with me.”

　There might be no update tomorrow, so please don't wait.

　　(Spoiler alert: it was "Miss Yang" who personally saved him, hehe)
　　(End of this chapter)