Chapter 187: At The Banquet
Zhu Yunxiao had just walked out the door when he bumped into an eunuch serving wine.
Wine splashed all over him.
Zhu Yunxiao stopped the panicked eunuch who was about to kowtow, saying, “No harm done. My clothes are dark-colored; it won’t show. I’ll just go air them out, which will also sober me up.”
The eunuch was endlessly grateful and invited Zhu Yunxiao to rest in the side hall: “I’ll go fetch charcoal fire and incense for the Young Lord right away.”
The eunuch hurried off, and Zhu Yunxiao slowly made his way to the side hall on his own. After walking not far, he saw the maidservant A Sheng standing in the corridor, talking to an eunuch.
That eunuch held a wine cup in his hands and handed it to the maidservant.
The maidservant reached out to take it and raised the wine cup to drink…
Zhu Yunxiao’s figure paused.
“A Sheng.” He called out involuntarily.
Yang Luo, holding the wine cup, looked over, and so did that eunuch.
Zhu Yunxiao quickly walked over and asked, “Is Miss Yang alright?”
Yang Luo let out an “oh”: “I’m fine, thank you for your concern, Young Lord.”
Zhu Yunxiao looked at the wine cup in her hand: “Miss A Sheng, don’t drink now. Miss Yang still needs someone to look after her.”
Yang Luo let out a “ha”: “The Young Lord is quite nosy.” With that, she shoved the wine cup back to the eunuch and turned to leave.
“I was just splashed with wine all over.” Zhu Yunxiao raised his voice, seemingly explaining, nodding to that eunuch, then quickened his steps to catch up. “I was reminding you to be careful.”
The eunuch held the wine cup, watching the two leave one after the other, his expression somewhat at a loss, then turned and walked away holding the wine cup.
Zhu Yunxiao glanced back, then stepped past the maidservant in front of him, frowning and saying in a low voice: “How can you casually drink something handed to you by others? Didn’t I already tell you there’s a plot today?”
Yang Luo was slightly stunned. So he had just stopped her because he feared she would drink the wine plotted by others? Not to strike up a conversation with her?
“I’m not the young lady,” she said. “I’m just a maidservant. The Young Lord worries too much.”
Zhu Yunxiao said: “If the young lady is in danger, the maidservant is even more so. The first to be eliminated is always the maidservant.”
Yang Luo was about to say something but swallowed it back, glancing at him: “Thank you, Young Lord. I’ll be careful.”
With that, she walked forward.
Actually, she hadn’t drunk anything recklessly. She and Mo Zheng had entered the palace today and ate nothing and drank nothing.
What she had just received was sent by the Emperor.
“His Majesty is concerned for the young lady; have a sip of sweet wine to moisten your throat.”
It was arranged by the most trusted eunuch by the Emperor’s side, who also knew she was the real princess. That eunuch was not far away; she had confirmed this before taking it.
“Still not careful enough.” Zhu Yunxiao caught up from behind and said.
Yang Luo didn’t reply.
Zhu Yunxiao smiled. This meant she knew she was wrong, so she didn’t retort like she usually did.
He stopped harping on it. This maidservant had a very stubborn temper; better to quit while ahead.
He said in a low voice: “Is Miss Yang prepared? The people arranged by Marquis Yichun should be taking action soon.”
“They’ve been acting for a while—splashing tea to ruin clothes and trapping my young lady in the side hall.” Yang Luo said lazily, then turned her head to glance at Zhu Yunxiao with a half-smile. “Now the Young Lord Zhu has also run into me by chance, and I’ve even invited the Young Lord to see my young lady.”
This was also an essential part of the arrangement.
The two talking and then leaving together would be seen by people around. After the incident, they would all be witnesses proving that Miss Yang had the maidservant invite Young Lord Zhu away.
Zhu Yunxiao continued: “Those were all accidents caused by carelessness; they don’t count as evidence. Only when the anesthetic is delivered into our hands will it be real evidence.”
At this point, he asked again.
“Captain Wei…”
Yang Luo looked toward the side hall ahead: “He was also splashed with tea water. He’s next door having the imperial physicians reapply medicine and bandage his wound.”
Moreover, the young lady needed to change clothes, so Wei Jiao had to avoid.
Zhu Yunxiao nodded: “Captain Wei is tasked with guarding Miss Yang. To move against Miss Yang, they must first draw him away.”
At this point, he also looked toward the side hall.
Time to formally meet this Miss Yang.
Although very familiar with the maidservant, he was practically a stranger to that Miss Yang.
That one time at the restaurant, with so many people and in a rush, they hadn’t spoken much and he hadn’t even gotten a clear look at Miss Yang’s appearance.
He didn’t know what this Miss Yang’s temperament was like.
Zhu Yunxiao couldn’t help but glance at the maidservant beside him.
Noticing his gaze, the maidservant glanced at him.
This maidservant might not even realize it herself: when she looked at him, her eyes and brows would inadvertently slant upward with a flash of cold intent.
Quite beautiful.
They say servants take after their masters. Did Miss Yang also have such a sharp temper?
“In a moment, someone will lead you away, and I’ll meet with your young lady…” He slightly turned his head and said in a low voice.
At this point, he paused.
Then…
Yang Luo had already let out a “ha,” looking at him with a half-smile: “Then why did you stop me just now? If I had drunk that eunuch’s wine, I could have been led away, and you could go straight to see the young lady. But you interrupted, so they have to try again.”
Yes, why had he stopped her earlier? If the maidservant drank the wine, got dizzy and was led away, he could directly meet Miss Yang. Miss Yang already knew his intentions anyway, and what followed would be between the two of them; no need for this maidservant to be present…
Zhu Yunxiao wondered, why had he stopped the maidservant from drinking what the eunuch handed her?
He… didn’t want her to get hurt.
“If called away, just go. But don’t drink anything.” He looked at the maidservant A Sheng and said. “I said I’m willing to assist Miss Yang. Since we learned of it in advance, try not to get hurt.”
He was… protecting her? Yang Luo was shocked inside, looking at him. Was this Zhu Yunxiao? The Zhu Yunxiao from her previous life who coldly watched her die and coldly planned her death?
Seeing the maidservant’s dazed look, Zhu Yunxiao smiled: “Do I seem especially nice?” He nodded again. “That’s how people like us are—different inside and out.”
This person… Yang Luo couldn’t tell if she was amused or annoyed, was about to say something when Zhu Yunxiao raised his hand to shush her, his gaze looking ahead. Yang Luo followed his gaze and saw two palace maids holding incense burners, clean dusters, chatting and laughing as they stopped at the door of a palace room.
That was where Miss Yang was.
Were these the people arranged by Marquis Yichun to place the anesthetic, drugged wine, and such?
“Miss Yang.”
“We’re here to add incense.”
The two palace maids outside the door called respectfully.
Miss Yang inside responded, and the two pushed open the door and went in, seeing Miss Yang leaning back in a chair, wrapped in a cloak, fiddling with the chessboard on the desk.
This was a place for the female guests entering the palace to rest, furnished with various items for amusement.
The two palace maids curtsied, then went to left and right. One went to put incense in the incense burner, the other placed the new duster on the rack…
Miss Yang’s fingers pinched a chess piece, lightly tapping on the chessboard as she counted softly: “One, two, three…”
With the word “three,” the palace maids on left and right whipped over like willow branches, daggers drawn from their sleeves with flashing cold light. But with clinking sounds, the chess pieces pinched in Miss Yang’s hands at the desk flew out left and right, striking the daggers. The two palace maids let out low cries as the daggers flew from their hands—
But the two also closed in at the same time, one using her hand as a blade, the other raising her leg in a horizontal chop.
Accompanied by a bang.
One palace maid flew out from indoors.
She crashed to the ground, body twisted.
Yang Luo, who had just rushed up, let out a sharp scream.
Not anesthetic, but killing intent? Zhu Yunxiao, who had followed, tensed up, instinctively looking around. Suddenly, several people appeared from all sides: eunuchs, palace maids, palace women, imperial guards, male and female guests at the banquet.
Flashing blade lights shone amid the chaotic figures.
At the same time, shouts rang out.
“Assassin!”
“Catch the assassin!”
Zhu Yunxiao narrowed his eyes. Without even getting close, he knew what was happening. Still shouting about assassins meant…
There were killers hidden among these people!
They wanted to kill Miss Yang and frame it on the assassins.
What a Marquis Yichun—deceiving him too?!
He must leave here to avoid being silenced together.
Zhu Yunxiao turned to leave, but the next moment he saw that maidservant rushing indoors. He instinctively reached out and grabbed her.
“Go!”
“Young lady—”
When the disturbance started in the next-door room, Wei Jiao already knew. By the time he leaped out the window, he saw two figures leaping out the next-door window as well.
The palace maid hadn’t landed when Miss Yang behind her kicked her in the back.
The palace maid spat out a mouthful of blood but didn’t fall. Staggering, she dodged the young lady’s follow-up attack and scattered a handful of hidden weapons like nails flying everywhere.
Miss Yang tumbled her figure, using the cloak to block the hidden weapons.
The palace maid seized the chance to flee into the distance. The young lady flung off the cloak, wearing only thin clothes, chasing relentlessly.
Finally drew out the big fish. Miss Yang wanted to capture her alive.
Otherwise, given this vicious thing’s ferocity, she would kill with one strike.
Why else entangle and fight with the killer like this? It was to make the killer relax her guard, thinking she could escape, to prevent suicide.
Wei Jiao watched with great interest, then his gaze slightly sharpened.
Because it was a family banquet, the venue was in the West Garden, with pavilions, towers, and lake water scattered about. Not far away was a pool of lake water.
That palace maid twisted and leaped to the lake edge and jumped in. Miss Yang followed without pause, jumping in after her. The two vanished into the water like fish…
Wei Jiao knew why the assassin jumped into the water. It wasn’t seeking death; the lake water here had a secret passage for quickly leaving the West Garden and hiding in the Imperial City, making it hard to catch her later.
But only for those good at swimming.
That assassin dared go, so she was surely prepared.
What about that dog thing? How was her swimming? Don’t get trapped and die in the passage!
Wei Jiao jumped down from the eaves and ran toward the lake edge.
…
…
After jumping into the lake water, time seemed to slow down.
Not just time—movements, sight, everything became slow.
Mo Zheng dragged the palace maid who had stopped struggling and fallen unconscious out of the narrow passage, striving upward.
She knew this palace maid entered the water surely having a way to escape, so she struck fast and hard, knocking her out the instant she entered the passage.
Unconscious, she wouldn’t suicide, but in water, she’d soon become a dead person.
Must surface as soon as possible.
But whether because of dragging someone or her own lack of strength, no matter how she paddled, the surface was always far away.
Getting farther.
She could swim.
Zhang the Eunuch’s planning back then was for going to sea, so he had her practice swimming too.
But hiding in the mountains for so many years after, her swimming might have gotten poor again.
“Sigh, I told you people can’t slack off.” Zhang the Eunuch paddled beside her, clucking twice at her.
Mo Zheng’s scattered thoughts instantly focused, and she let go of the palace maid she was dragging.
Hallucinations had started; she couldn’t care for this palace maid anymore, or she’d die too—really go see Zhang the Eunuch.
Fine, after getting out, fish out the corpse. Even dead, it’s evidence.
The next moment, the water ahead rippled again; Zhang the Eunuch’s face vanished, and another person’s face gradually approached.
Wei Jiao!
He had come.
Real, or another hallucination?
Mo Zheng instinctively reached to push away the increasingly close figure. Ripples surged, and the person was suddenly grabbed by Wei Jiao.
But Wei Jiao didn’t surface immediately. Looking at the slowly sinking palace maid assassin, he reached out his other hand—but just as he did, he was suddenly hugged on that arm by the person beside him.
This dog thing! Wei Jiao annoyedly looked at the clinging person. The young girl’s originally scattered eyes seemed to clear, tightly hugging his arm and shaking her head at him…
What was she doing?
Wei Jiao watched the palace maid assassin getting farther—not a distance issue; any more delay and it’d just be a corpse!
He used his other hand to tear at the young girl, but she clung dead to his arm, even wrapping her whole body around him, immobilizing that arm.
This dog thing was already crazy; drowning made her crazier. Wei Jiao raised his hand to punch her unconscious, but her frantic head-shaking made it hard to land accurately.
She was almost pressed to his face, opening her mouth at him…
Biting him?
Wei Jiao instinctively dodged back, then saw her moving lips.
She said: Don’t move; the arm is injured.
Wei Jiao froze.
His arm…
This dog thing was tightly hugging his injured arm.
The imperial physician had warned that this arm must not be strained for two months, or it would affect recovery.
He hadn’t even remembered the imperial physician’s warning.
This dog thing…
He looked at the close, still-shaking young girl’s face…
From speaking with mouth open, the young girl’s face had turned pale blue, her eyes scattering again.
Wei Jiao glanced at the palace maid assassin now far away and sinking, then fiercely swam upward.
With a splash, the two surfaced.
“Young lady!”
“Hurry, someone come!”
“Fell in the water—”
“Ah, they’re out—”
Countless noisy voices surged from all directions. Countless people surrounded the lake edge, with more running from afar—including the Emperor and the noble families in the hall who heard the news. As the imperial guards dispersed the crowd here, the Emperor and others spotted at a glance the man and woman floating in the lake water…
Both wore thin clothes, now soaked and clinging tightly like nothing, the two tightly embracing—or rather, the woman tightly holding the man…
“Heavens, this is truly, truly scandalous—”
A shrill voice shouted.
Marquis Yichun looked toward the voice and saw it was an eunuch, looking panicked, holding an iron in his hands.
As he spoke in fright, the iron fell to the ground.
Ha, Marquis Yichun chuckled inwardly. This was the arranged eunuch to wet Zhu Yunxiao’s clothes and then iron and dry them for him, happening to witness Zhu Yunxiao embracing Miss Yang.
This line was shouted right.
But the scene was wrong.
How did it become Wei Jiao and Miss Yang!
What exactly was going on? Why was today so chaotic?
