Chapter 209: Jiang Meng’s Support
Imperial Consort Li was buried three days later.
The Emperor’s meaning was that being assassinated was disgraceful after all.
The Princesses resumed classes again.
The companion reader ladies also resumed their schedule of four days on and three days off.
Fortunately, spring had arrived, with flowers blooming and willows turning green, making it less difficult to go out.
But Jiang Rui had overslept upon waking up, didn’t even have time to eat, walked out in a daze, didn’t hear the shouts from behind, until Jiang Meng ran up ahead with thumping steps to block her path.
“Older Sister.” She glared and shouted, “Why hasn’t Brother-in-law come recently?”
Jiang Rui came back to her senses: “What?” Then she averted her gaze, “What are Second Uncle and Second Aunt saying behind our backs again? Tell Mother to ignore them.”
With the Imperial Consort’s assassination, the news that Zhu Yunxiao bravely rescued Miss Yang also spread.
If not for Young Lord Zhu, Miss Yang would have been killed too.
It wasn’t the first time Young Lord Zhu had saved Miss Yang.
Previously, he had even beaten Miss Chai for Miss Yang.
Those two were unusually close.
Miss Yang’s background was no ordinary one.
The young lady from Duke Ding’an’s Mansion, the Libationer’s only female disciple.
No no no, those were all superficial; Miss Yang’s true identity…
“…What coming from your brother-in-law? He’s gotten together with a Princess!”
Second Aunt Jiang’s sarcastic voice came from behind.
Jiang Rui closed her eyes and took a deep breath: “Second Aunt, don’t speak nonsense…”
Second Aunt Jiang interrupted her with an “oops”: “Me speaking nonsense? What’s in it for me to speak nonsense? Losing an Heir of Duke Yongwu as a relative? A Rui, you can’t just tell me not to speak nonsense; you need Young Lord Zhu to come stop the nonsense. Young Lord Zhu hasn’t come at all lately, hasn’t explained, hasn’t visited. I say, A Rui, if their family calls off the wedding, you have to speak up. Our Jiang Family can’t suffer this loss!”
Jiang Rui couldn’t listen anymore: “Don’t say anymore; he’s not that kind of person!”
Jiang Meng also shouted at Second Aunt Jiang: “Don’t slander my brother-in-law!”
Second Aunt Jiang let out successive “Ouch”s: “How could I have the ability to slander him? He has the ability not to let people slander him—go clarify it, set a wedding date with us, don’t just say and do nothing, and now he doesn’t even come. You don’t go make a fuss at the Zhu Family, but come yelling at me!”
Jiang Meng clenched her fists wanting to charge at Second Aunt Jiang, but was grabbed by Jiang Rui: “Don’t argue with her; take me to school.”
With that, she pulled Jiang Meng and hurried out.
Second Aunt Jiang’s loud clamoring voice came from behind.
“…Poor Big Brother, no son either; when his daughter is bullied, there’s no one to back her up…”
“…If they had gotten us a title and an official position back then, how could the family have no one now…”
……
……
“Older Sister.”
Sitting in the carriage, after leaving home, Jiang Meng called out.
“I can back you up too. Uncle Yang said that even as a daughter, I can inherit Father’s prowess.”
Jiang Rui looked at her, suddenly reached out to check her hands, then flipped through her clothes—
“I didn’t bring weapons.” Jiang Meng dodged and laughed.
Jiang Rui indeed didn’t find any weapons, let out a breath of
Although she was young, she was very formidable, so how could she have hurt herself? Jiang Meng muttered inwardly, but she did not refute her older sister again, her expression somewhat uneasy: “Older Sister, Young Lord Zhu, the Heir, is he really going to, break off the engagement?”
Not even calling him brother-in-law anymore, Jiang Rui thought. There were too many rumors, and moreover, Zhu Yunxiao indeed hadn’t come to the door again, so Jiang Meng must also be suspicious.
Why did she say the word “also”.
She clearly had no suspicions.
With that thought, the scene from that day at the National Academy doorway appeared before her eyes: Zhu Yunxiao helping A Sheng into the carriage, the two chatting and laughing…
That kind of smile, in the past, Zhu Yunxiao only had it when looking at her—no, even she had never seen Zhu Yunxiao smile like that…
Jiang Rui shook her head fiercely, shaking off that image, and looked at Jiang Meng: “Don’t listen to others talking nonsense.”
Lowering her voice, she repeated to Jiang Meng what Zhu Yunxiao had said to her.
“So, he was thinking of my safety.”
Jiang Meng patted her chest and breathed a sigh of relief: “I knew brother-in-law wasn’t that kind of person.” Then her expression turned serious, “But brother-in-law is in such danger, we can’t just sit idly by.”
That makes sense, Jiang Rui thought. A few days ago, she had been panicked and hadn’t even had the courage to go find Zhu Yunxiao.
Yunxiao was worried about her danger and didn’t come to see her, but Yunxiao was even more dangerous than her, so she had to go to Duke Yongwu’s Family to ask about it.
“Alright.” Jiang Rui nodded and smiled at her younger sister, “Accompany me to the National Academy. After school lets out in the afternoon, we’ll go together to Duke Yongwu’s Mansion to visit.”
Jiang Meng laughed happily: “Great, great.”
……
……
With the bell for class, the noisy voices inside and outside the National Academy faded, and the walking students all disappeared into the courtyard.
The women surrounding the small pavilion all left, leaving only two women.
Jiang Meng squatted on a large tree nearby, the lush branches and leaves covered her, and without the young ladies crowding around, she could finally see these two clearly.
The one standing was the maidservant.
The one sitting must be the young lady.
Jiang Meng pursed her lips.
That legendary Miss Yang, who had an unusual relationship with her brother-in-law.
Her older sister didn’t want her to quarrel with second uncle and second aunt at home, and promised to take her to see Zhu Yunxiao after school, bringing her to the National Academy.
But she wasn’t a National Academy student and couldn’t enter, so her older sister told her to stay inside the carriage and wait.
She had originally planned to wait inside the carriage, but first she followed her older sister to greet the acquaintance Liu Chan, and immediately after, a young lady who came with the princesses passed by her side.
“Yang Luo is at the National Academy, right? I’m going to see her. Sigh, she was frightened by this incident. As her younger sister, I’m very worried.”
Her ears immediately perked up.
Yang Luo.
Besides second uncle and second aunt hearing rumors on the street, she had heard them too when she went out.
That Miss Yang was a princess?
Wouldn’t that make her even more formidable than Miss Chai from Marquis Yichun’s family?
And even more able to… force her brother-in-law?
Immediately after, she saw that besides that young lady wanting to see this Miss Yang, a princess was going too.
This princess was Princess Wuyang.
Then another princess, Princess Nangong, was also going along.
Then a few companion reader young ladies followed too……
In comparison, Princess Pingcheng seemed all alone, surrounded only by a few companion reader young ladies.
Her older sister Jiang Rui, of course, didn’t go, heading to the schoolroom with her head down, looking dazed and distracted.
Her older sister probably didn’t even dare to see that Miss Yang.
No matter, she dared!
Moreover, she not only dared to come see her, but also wanted to give this Miss Yang a warning.
Jiang Meng carefully reached into her trouser leg and pulled out a slingshot, then pinched out two stones from the other trouser leg.
She didn’t carry weapons; after being scolded by her older sister, she felt the slingshot was more convenient, not easily guarded against, and just as lethal—it hurt a lot when it hit people.
Jiang Meng narrowed her eyes and aimed the slingshot at the young lady sitting in the small pavilion.
That young lady was leaning against the stone table, one hand propping her chin, holding a willow branch in her hand, seemingly examining the tender buds on it. Even from a distance, one could see the young lady was as delicate as tender willow……
If she’s so delicate, she shouldn’t seduce someone else’s brother-in-law! Jiang Meng gritted her teeth, but just as she released the slingshot, she saw the willow branch in that young lady’s hand flick……
The delicate willow branch seemed to snap.
Before she could clearly see the broken willow branch fall, a mountain wind seemed to assault her eyes.
The mountain wind was sharp, grabbing a branch and fiercely whipping her shoulder.
Jiang Meng let out a cry of fright, the slingshot dropping from her hand, and she swayed unsteadily. Fortunately, after falling from the tree branch, she timely grabbed another branch and hung in midair.
However, her whereabouts were immediately exposed.
“Ah—”
Jiang Meng heard the woman’s cry of surprise, and in her shaky gaze, she saw the maidservant in the small pavilion looking shocked and pointing at her.
“Young lady, there’s a little child in the tree, about to fall down—”
That young lady also stood up in surprise, exclaiming, “Quick, quick, help her.”
The maidservant then rushed over with hands outstretched, standing below, worried and anxious: “Little child, jump down, I’ll catch you.”
Jiang Meng looked down; falling from this height would hurt a lot, but if someone cushioned it, it wouldn’t hurt her.
Hmph, that maidservant should be her meat cushion—who asked her young lady to seduce someone else’s fiancé!
“Thank you, older sister.” She called out in a trembling voice, “Then, I’m coming down.”
Accompanying her words, she let go of the branch she was holding, and her body plunged down fiercely. Just as she was about to land on that maidservant, the maidservant suddenly stepped back a few paces……
With a bang, a cry rang out again.
This time it wasn’t a cry of fright, but a scream of pain.
Jiang Meng only felt her whole body shatter, the pain twisting her face. Lying on the ground, the world spun, her vision full of stars.
In the rotating gaze, he saw the maidservant looking down from above, her face showing no anxiety or worry, and certainly no guilt.
Her gaze was cold, with a trace of mockery at the corner of her mouth.
