Her guards

Chapter 221 Knowing everything
After three days of rest, the three princesses returned to the Imperial Academy.

Before even getting out of the car, Princess Heisei noticed that the atmosphere among the ladies-in-waiting waiting outside was unusual.

Even if they had been studying together for a long time and were no longer as reserved as they were at the beginning, there was still a difference between the ruler and his subjects. When welcoming the princesses, they could be relaxed and not whisper to each other or be absent-minded, right?

However, this scene is not surprising.

Princess Heisei clenched her fists.

Everyone knows the rumors about that Miss Yang.

Although His Majesty has never admitted it, he has not stopped such rumors. Unlike the last time when it was rumored that the Emperor had taken a fancy to Miss Yang and wanted to bring her into the harem, the Emperor quickly came to the Imperial Academy in person and publicly stated that his concern for Miss Yang was because of the Chancellor, and encouraged her to study hard and inherit the Chancellor's mantle...

Not denying it is, in effect, admitting it.

She didn't bother to investigate or ask.

Judging from the reactions of the Emperor and Empress, one could easily understand the situation.

The Empress Dowager's anger.

The emperor's indulgence.

This Yang Luo should indeed be...

Princess Heisei took a deep breath and stepped down from the carriage.

She couldn't back down; that was nothing but an unrecognized, illegitimate bastard!
Princess Heisei walked over, her gaze sweeping over everyone, and asked with a smile, "What are you all talking about? Why is it so lively?"

The female companions were busy bowing and talking all at once.

"Princess, something bad has happened."

"Miss Jiang has stopped studying."

"Jiang Rui dropped out of school."

What? Princess Heisei was stunned. Princess Wuyang and Princess Nangong, who had come along, were also surprised. Was there really such a good thing as being able to drop out of school?
……

……

"Jiang Rui".

Princess Heisei arrived at the library and saw Jiang Rui coming out.

Jiang Rui quickly bowed respectfully: "Greetings, Princess."

Princess Heisei asked, "Did you go to say goodbye to the chief priest?"

Jiang Rui nodded: "But the chief priest was busy and didn't see me, so he told me to go by myself."

Princess Heisei looked at her and said, "You don't need to leave."

Jiang Rui was taken aback, seemingly puzzled.

"Is it because of Yang Luo that you've stopped studying?" Princess Heicheng said. "You don't need to worry about her. With me here, she can't drive you away. I will speak to His Majesty."

Everyone could see that the farce of the attack on Jiang Rui and her sister was definitely related to Yang Luo, but the Emperor repeatedly interrupted the Empress Dowager's inquiries, and Jiang Rui, who had obviously been intimidated by Yang Luo, dared not tell the truth and instead thanked Yang Luo...

It's probably to prevent people from discussing and asking about this that Jiang Rui is being expelled from the National Academy.

Jiang Rui suddenly realized and quickly said, "Princess, you misunderstand. It's just that I don't want to study anymore." Then she smiled and said, "I have something else I want to do."

After saying this, he knelt down in a gesture of respect.

"Thank you, Your Highness. I shall take my leave now."

Princess Heicheng frowned, but did not keep her any longer. She could not appease Jiang Rui now. She would wait until Jiang Rui returned to the palace to do something, such as having her father issue an imperial decree to invite Jiang Rui to be her maid and bestow upon her a rank.

In this way, Jiang Rui can still come to study, and as her maid, she no longer needs to fear Yang Luo.

Princess Heisei withdrew her gaze, glanced in the direction of the library, and turned to leave.

……

.......
Although Jiang Rui has left, Mo Zheng is still receiving guests in the library.

Yuan Cheng, a lieutenant general of the Changshui Camp, looked at the girl who held a book in one hand and a pen in the other...

This was the first time he had met this Miss Yang.

When they arrived after receiving the news, Miss Yang, who had rescued Jiang Meng, had already left, leaving only a few people holding the imperial guard tokens bestowed by His Majesty to give instructions on the follow-up matters.

Later, in the palace, they only saw Miss Yang's maid, and Miss Yang herself was nowhere to be seen when she came to the Imperial Academy.

Upon learning of Jiang Rui's request before His Majesty, Yuan Cheng did not come to the gate of the National Academy to request an audience. Instead, he secretly climbed over the wall and was then restrained by the guards.

Only after he insisted on seeing Miss Yang was he taken to the library and met her.

Although Miss Yang let him in, she kept glancing at her book, seemingly not wanting to waste any time.

The young lady Jiang Rui described was so formidable; she seemed more like a scholar than any of the students at the Imperial Academy.

The most formidable people are those who are impossible to see through.

Yuan Cheng knelt down on one knee: "Yuan Cheng thanks Miss. Yuan Cheng thanks Miss on behalf of General Jiang Feng."

His voice was choked with emotion.

“Since Brother Jiang passed away, I have indeed considered having Miss inherit his mantle, but…”

Miss Jiang was, after all, a woman, and she had never had the idea of ​​inheriting the military leadership. He could only give up his thoughts and helplessly watch as the Changshui Camp was regarded as something in Zhu Yunxiao's hands...

Unexpectedly, Jiang Rui took the initiative to request to join the army.

More importantly, the emperor agreed.

In fact, Yuan Cheng never mentioned this idea to Jiang Rui, because he knew in his heart that even if she were Jiang Feng's daughter, the emperor would not agree to let her join the army.

To my surprise, it actually worked!

This is not something that can be accomplished by Jiang Rui clumsily wielding a spear in front of the emperor.

Yuan Cheng knew perfectly well whose credit it was, looking at the Miss Yang before him—the child of the emperor and the Yang family's daughter.

It was just a rumor to others, but to those in the army, especially those who had followed the emperor from the beginning, it was true that the emperor had been married before his marriage alliance with the Chai family, so it wasn't surprising that they had children.

Thinking of this, Yuan Cheng knelt down, a gesture rarely seen even by a military general before an emperor.

"Please accept Yuan Cheng's bow, Miss."

"Wait, wait," Miss Yang's voice came. "If you want to worship, don't worship me."

Yuan Cheng was taken aback. Was he still not going to accept the thanks?
Then Miss Yang pointed to the side.

"Thank my maid." The maid called out reproachfully, "Miss."

Yuan Cheng was also puzzled. Was Miss Yang joking?
Miss Yang looked at him and said, "It was this Miss Asheng who personally brought Miss Jiang to meet the Emperor and spoke well of her, which is why His Majesty agreed."

She had a smile on her face.

"Listen to me, thank her."

Then he looked at the maid.

“Ah Sheng, he should pay his respects.”

Jiang Rui did mention that her maid, Asheng, accompanied her and even persuaded the emperor, but that wasn't to convey her mistress's intentions. The emperor was only doing so out of respect for his mistress.
But Yuan Cheng was a straightforward person; he came to express his gratitude, and he would thank whoever Miss Yang asked him to thank.

Sure enough, he turned to the maid and bowed deeply, saying, "Thank you, young lady."

The maidservant no longer avoided him, accepted his greeting, and nodded with a smile: "You're welcome, General Yuan, please rise."

Yuan Cheng thanked him and stood up.

“We have received General Yuan’s gratitude,” Miss Yang said. “We hope that you can teach Miss Jiang well and also achieve your own wishes.”

Just as Yuan Cheng was about to say something, several birds chirped outside the library, and then Miss Yang waved the book in her hand.

"Go quickly, don't let Prince Zhu persuade Miss Jiang to go home again," she said with a smile.

Upon hearing this, Yuan Cheng's expression hardened, he clasped his hands in a salute, and turned to leave.

The library quieted down, except for the increased chirping of birds outside the window. Yang Luo already knew that this was a code word that Peach Blossom and the others often used.

"What are they talking about, all this commotion?" she asked curiously.

Mo Zheng was reading a book with one eye, writing with the other, listening to birdsong with one ear, and listening to Yang Luo speak with the other.

"Then Zhu Yunxiao arrived and stopped Jiang Rui outside the door. The two argued, then Yuan Cheng arrived and took Jiang Rui away. Zhu Yunxiao followed him... Okay, that's quiet now, no more excitement to watch," she said.

Yang Luo smiled. The birdsong outside stopped, and everything inside and outside became quiet. She sat down and watched Mo Zheng write furiously, as if she could read ten lines at a glance.

"Did the chief priest assign you homework again?" she asked.

It seems that ever since becoming a disciple of the chief priest, Mo Zheng has been reading almost every moment.

"No, I just made sure to study as much as I could," Mo Zheng said.

"What's the rush? As a disciple of the chief priest, you can look around here as you please," Yang Luo said.

Mo Zheng looked up: "I'm worried I won't have time later, after all..."

She paused as she spoke, then looked at Yang Luo and smiled.

"You've already spoken to His Majesty. I'm getting married to Wei Jiao soon, and then I'll be leaving the capital."

……

……

"Father, Jiang Rui has been banished..."

“Oh, Heisei, you’ve misunderstood. She wasn’t driven away; I agreed to it. She wanted to enlist in the army herself.”

Princess Heisei went to see the Emperor as soon as she got out of school. This time she was allowed to enter without any hindrance, but Princess Heisei was not very happy.

She thought it was because Miss Yang's maid was not there.

Never mind, she shook off these thoughts and told the emperor about Jiang Rui. The emperor knew, and she had guessed it too, but she hadn't expected that Jiang Rui would actually go to the military camp.

barracks.

Was that a place the woman went to?
Jiang Rui, a noblewoman, from then on...

Her face turned pale.

"That Yang Luo, how could he be so vicious..."

The Emperor coughed lightly: "I said it had nothing to do with anyone else; it was Jiang Rui's own request. I've set a precedent for her..."

“Father,” Princess Heping said in a deep voice, “this can’t be unrelated. What I wanted to tell you last time, Yang Luo is entangled with Jiang Rui’s fiancé, Zhu Yunxiao. She’s trying to kill him to steal him away—”

"What are you saying!" the emperor shouted, somewhat displeased.

Princess Heisei was stopped. She looked at the emperor, her eyes slightly red: "Father, am I not allowed to say anything in front of you?"

The emperor sighed inwardly, his expression softening once more.

“Father, you’ve spoken too harshly. Of course you can say whatever you want,” he said. “But some of what you said is incorrect. Yang Luo has absolutely no connection with Zhu Yunxiao; their only interaction was because of the Baima Town case…”

Princess Heisei shook her head: "No, Father, you've been deceived. You don't understand..."

"Whether I understand or not is not important, because Yang Luo is going to marry Wei Jiao," the emperor interrupted her.

Princess Heicheng was stunned once again upon learning of her marriage to Wei Jiao.

She did know that Wei Cui had sent someone to the emperor to ask for a marriage arrangement, but he was scolded and driven away by her father...

how?

"Wei Cui has sent me another letter," the emperor said, looking at a document on his desk. "He says that Wei Jiao and Yang Luo are in love and asks me to grant their wish."

He snorted as he said this.

"If we're talking about involvement, Yang Luo is involved with Wei Jiao, but has absolutely nothing to do with Zhu Yunxiao!"

Wei Jiao and Yang Luo are in love? Princess Heicheng was stunned. How could that be!

"In short, you don't need to think about Zhu Yunxiao anymore," the emperor said. "I have already written the imperial edict, registered it, and will send it to the General's Mansion of Longxi and the Duke of Ding'an's Mansion tomorrow to announce to the world that Yang Luo and Wei Jiao are getting married."

……

.......
At the same time the imperial edict was sent to the residence of the Duke of Ding'an, the Grand General of Longxi, the courier soldiers also rushed to spread the news throughout the land.

As the horses galloped on, the sun rose and set, cheers rang out outside several tents in the cloud-covered mountain valleys.

"We would like to offer our congratulations to the Commandant."

A dozen or so embroidered-clothes knelt on one knee and shouted to Wei Jiao, who was sitting in front of the campfire.

Congratulations on your marriage, Captain.

Wei Jiao sat in front of the campfire, her fair face shining brightly in the night and the flickering firelight.

"No need to congratulate me, you should congratulate Miss Yang." He said lazily, his eyes crinkling. "She's lucky to have married me."

(End of this chapter)