Ping Zhao Lu

The bright moon hangs high in the sky like a disk, casting its cool light and illuminating the earth like daylight.

The dense branches and leaves trembled slightly in the breeze, making a slight rustling sound.

A modestly decorated carriage rolled slowly on the bumpy road, and the sound of the wheels rubbing against the ground seemed particularly loud in the silent forest.

The driver sat lazily on the shaft, holding the reins in his hands, driving the horse in a disorderly manner.

From time to time, he opened his mouth and yawned, his eyes narrowed into slits, and he looked like he might fall asleep at any moment.

Just then, there was a sudden burst of noisy bird calls.

A black flock of crows flew overhead, flapping their wings and quickly passing over the treetops, startling the birds perched on the branches.

In an instant, the whole forest became lively, with various bird calls one after another.

However, before the noises subsided, the foal, which had been moving steadily forward, suddenly stopped, raised its front hooves high, and neighed.

The driver was awakened instantly and came to his senses immediately. He stared at the front vigilantly with his eyes, and then smiled helplessly, as if he was already accustomed to this scene.

I saw a group of mysterious people appear in the middle of the road not far away.

They all wore night clothes and black veils on their heads, making it impossible to see their faces.

Everyone held a sharp blade in their hands, which flashed a chilling light in the moonlight.

Without any hesitation, the group of people rushed towards the direction of the carriage.

"Protect His Highness!" the coachman shouted upon seeing this.

Then, he stood up suddenly, nimbly reached out to draw the sword placed beside him, and without hesitation faced the group of assassins rushing towards him.

There was a crisp "clang" sound, and the coachman's sword collided fiercely with the assassin's sharp blade, flying sparks.

Due to the impact of external force, the carriage shook violently several times, and the sound of objects colliding was heard inside the carriage.

But the driver was not distracted. He focused all his attention on dealing with the enemy in front of him, with fierce moves and without any retreat.

Soon, another group of people rushed out of the forest.

They were wearing red brocade robes and black gauze hats on their heads, and they rushed towards the group of men in black.

In an instant, corpses fell to the ground in the forest.

Seeing that the situation was settled, Shi'an slowly put away the blood-stained sword in his hand.

Then he saluted to express his gratitude to the court guards who arrived in time to rescue him.

Then, without delaying a bit, he hurried towards the carriage parked not far away.

He reached out and forcefully pushed open the tightly closed car door, his face full of tension as he anxiously asked, "Your Highness, are you okay?"

Inside the car, a young boy was sitting in the middle of the car.

He was surrounded by two loyal guards, who protected him closely.

Despite being in danger, there was no sign of panic on the child's young face. Instead, he showed a calmness and composure beyond his age.

Hearing Shi'an's concerned question, he shook his head slightly and said firmly: "I'm fine, let's continue on our journey."

"Beyond this point is the territory of Shuozhou. It's still four or five days' journey to Zhaojing at the fastest. This is already the third wave of assassins." Shi'an's eyes were solemn. He looked around and calmly analyzed the current situation. "I boldly guess that the danger we face will become greater with each step closer to the capital. Is your highness prepared?"

Hearing Shi'an's words, Chu Heyuan's expression remained unchanged. He only raised his chin slightly, and replied with a firm and confident look in his eyes: "Well, I know that this journey is dangerous, but I am relieved to have you here. In addition, my father's people are secretly protecting me. I will definitely return to Zhaojing safely."

*

Fengluan Palace

Xu Zhouye leaned on the couch gloomily.

His eyes were empty and lifeless, as if his thoughts had drifted away into the sky.

He just leaned there quietly, as if completely immersed in his own world. He didn't even notice someone approaching quietly, with footsteps getting closer and closer.

It was not until a tall figure covered his handsome face that Xu Zhouye came back to his senses as if awakened from a dream.

Then he quickly stood up and saluted.

However, before he could finish his ceremony, Chu Yunxiao reached out and held down his hands as he was about to bow, and pulled him tightly into his arms.

Then, Chu Yunxiao hugged him and sat on the couch together. His deep and charming voice rang out: "What is the Queen thinking about? Why is she so worried?"

Xu Zhouye sighed softly and said worriedly, "I'm just worried about the eldest daughter of the Wei family. I heard that Your Majesty gave her twenty lashes of the cane, and now she's been beaten so badly that she can only lie on the bed and can't move. Just thinking about that scene makes me shudder. I really don't know how she's going to live in the future!"

After saying that, he frowned slightly, his face full of worry.

Looking at his sad expression, Chu Yunxiao curled his lips. How could he not know his little thoughts?

So, he continued along with Xu Zhouye's words and said, "No problem. Since the Queen cares so much about her, I will personally act as a matchmaker for her and ensure that she will have someone to rely on for the rest of her life."

"That's a good idea, but does Your Majesty have a suitable candidate in mind?" Xu Zhouye asked curiously. Without waiting for the emperor's response, he continued, "I think the fourth son of the Wu family is quite good. He is a dashing, handsome man with great talent and poetic talent. He and Miss Wei are truly a match made in heaven. What do you think, Your Majesty?"

Chu Yunxiao lowered his head and kissed him, a playful smile on his lips, "Since the Queen thinks he is good, I think this person is not bad either, so I will do as the Queen wishes."

After receiving a satisfactory answer, Xu Zhouye's eyes were filled with unconcealed joy. He put his arm around the emperor's neck and said with a leisurely smile, "The Marquis of Changxing and his wife dote on Wu Silang. Miss Wei will not suffer any loss if she marries him."

You will definitely suffer losses.

It’s hard to say whether he can survive.

After all, Wu Silang is not a good guy.

Although he was born with a good appearance and looks like a decent human being, he is actually a complete beast in human clothing!

This man was extremely lustful. He had dozens of concubines in his house. He spent his days indulging in wine and women, lingering in brothels, seeking pleasure and living a carefree life.

In his previous life, Wu Silang married the fifth daughter of Wen, the Minister of Rites.

However, who could have predicted that just two days after their wedding, the two would be arguing constantly. If anything went against his will, Wu Silang would beat Miss Wen Wu without mercy.

Poor Miss Wen Wu, she was originally a beautiful, gentle and virtuous girl, but under Wu Silang's ruthless suppression, she became haggard and withered day by day.

She had also wanted to divorce Wu Silang many times and escape this painful marriage.

However, Wu Silang was vicious and not only refused to agree, but also threatened viciously: "If you dare to ask for a divorce, I will make sure that your father, the Minister of Rites, will have no place in the court and will never be able to rise to prominence again!"

Faced with such threats, Miss Wenwu had no choice but to swallow her anger and continue to suffer in this marriage. The days passed like stagnant water, lifeless day by day.

Later, Miss Wenwu finally became pregnant. She was looking forward to the arrival of the new life with great joy, thinking that perhaps life would be a little better from then on.

Unexpectedly, after hearing about this, those restless concubines became jealous and secretly colluded with each other to kill the fetus in Miss Wen Wu's belly.

That is Miss Wenwu's only hope.

Now, this only remaining thought has instantly turned into nothing and completely shattered.

She was heartbroken and devastated, and no longer had the courage to live.

So, on the Mid-Autumn Festival when the moon was full, she hanged herself.

……