Chapter 26: Duke Ding’an’s Mansion’s Carriage
With the arrival of the Embroidered Uniform Guards, several prisoner carriages slowly passed through the City Gate.
There were men and women, old and young, each one not knowing what punishments they had endured, slumped in the prisoner carriages like mud with their souls sucked away.
Only one young child had not been tortured, innocently and curiously grasping the prisoner carriage railings to look outside, babbling and waving at passersby.
The civilians watching from the roadside were terrified, pitying, and at a loss.
The guilty should be killed if they deserve death, sentenced if they deserve judgment, but Wei Jiao preferred parading them through the streets for public display, parading the living through the streets, and leaving corpses exposed after death.
So young, yet his actions were bizarre and absurd, his words and deeds mad and erratic.
No wonder he was the little madman raised by the madman Zhao Tan.
The City Gate Colonel lowered his gaze, daring only to spit in his heart, because Wei Jiao had not left yet, still at the City Gate Entrance, watching several carriages from Duke Ding’an’s Wife’s family pass by with concern.
“Three carriages? So many people?”
“Does Duke Ding’an’s Family have so many people?”
Duke Ding’an’s Family has quite a few people too, right? Duke Ding’an has three sons and two daughters. Is three carriages a lot for going out? Even the prominent servant women and maidservants in the Duke’s Mansion could have their own carriages. The City Gate Colonel pursed his lips again.
“Aren’t the dead supposed to be ignored? Yet so many people are going to pay respects?”
Suddenly another remark drifted over. The City Gate Colonel was slightly stunned, as if Wei Jiao knew who Duke Ding’an’s Wife was mourning. The next moment, he heard hoofbeats, lifted his head, and saw Wei Jiao turn his horse’s head, leading a group of Embroidered Uniform Guards toward outside the city, heading straight for the Great Awakening Temple.
Had he spied on something again? Found some leverage? Was he going after Duke Ding’an? Wei Jiao’s thoughts were as elusive as the man himself. The City Gate Colonel frowned as he watched the group depart into the distance.
……
…….
Accompanied by the distant sound of bells and drums, the West Garden gate of the Great Awakening Temple, reserved for distinguished guests, opened, and a carriage drove out surrounded by five servants.
Beside the carriage followed a round-faced, plump servant woman.
From inside the carriage came a woman’s soft sobbing, then a slender hand lifted the carriage curtain.
“……Mama Wang…..”
The woman said tremulously.
But after speaking, the curtain was not lifted further; Mama Wang grabbed her hand and pushed it back.
“Young Lady, be good,” Mama Wang said softly.
The woman inside the carriage choked up: “Please, Aunt, don’t send me back. If I go back, I only have a path to death…”
Mama Wang interrupted her: “Young Lady, rest assured. Madam has already sent someone ahead to inform your mother not to blame you and to reconsider your marriage arrangement.”
With that, she straightened the curtain and sternly faced the surrounding servants.
“Take good care of the invitation. Watch over Young Lady carefully along the way. Do not allow anyone to slight her.”
The servants responded in unison.
Mama Wang gave them a look, and the coachman immediately urged the horse forward. Perhaps caught off guard, the woman inside the carriage seemed to tumble, letting out an “ouch,” followed by the maidservant’s concerned inquiry, then even more despairing cries.
The cries continued to emanate from the carriage as it traveled, scattering along the small road.
“Young Lady, once we reach the main road, don’t cry,” the coachman advised from outside, with a hint of warning. “This is the Capital City. Many people recognize our family’s carriage. If seen, it would waste Madam’s good intentions.”
The woman’s cries instantly grew much quieter, as if she were tightly covering her mouth with her hands.
Satisfied, the coachman cracked his whip. Ahead, where the main road was about to begin, a group of people suddenly appeared standing on it.
The coachman was startled and was about to shout at the blind fools when he saw their uniforms and instantly shut his mouth. In his panic, he bit his tongue, letting out a cry of pain, while reining in the horse.
The horse neighed, the carriage halted, and the people inside were caught off guard again, tumbling with startled cries.
These years, the Embroidered Uniform Guards in Great Xia had reached the point of stopping children from crying.
Even in broad daylight, suddenly seeing them appear would scare one like seeing a ghost.
Of course, Duke Ding’an’s Mansion would not be so easily frightened; otherwise, they would not have insisted on leaving knowing the Embroidered Uniform Guards were blocking the road just now.
But because of the earlier incident, the servants felt somewhat uneasy.
Especially upon seeing the young man among them.
This was Wei Jiao.
Wei Jiao had actually come personally.
Could it be that he had seen them forcing their way through earlier and held a grudge, coming for revenge?
Wei Jiao really might do such a thing.
The lead servant hurriedly dismounted, respectfully paid respects, and anxiously said: “My lords, do you have official business?” He gestured to the coachman, “Make way quickly.”
The coachman was just about to lead the horse aside when Wei Jiao raised his hand and waved it.
Though he said nothing, the coachman instantly froze in place, watching as Wei Jiao urged his horse closer.
Wei Jiao chuckled.
“Once in the Capital City, she’s crying quite fiercely,” he said.
This, this was addressed to the person inside the carriage? The servants looked shocked and incredulous toward the carriage.
This young lady had not been in the capital long; how could she know the Embroidered Uniform Guards? Impossible.
The person inside seemed frightened too; there were no more cries now, as if even her breathing had stopped.
Wei Jiao’s gaze swept the surroundings, passing over the servants: “Where is that dog?”
Dog? What dog? Duke Ding’an’s Mansion servants were even more confused.
“Could it have been disposed of?” Wei Jiao raised an eyebrow, then laughed. “Makes sense. A dog will fight outsiders to the death for its master, but if the master wants its life, it can only obediently offer it up.”
The lead servant could not hold back and stepped forward cautiously: “My lord, are you looking for someone?”
Although Madam had instructed not to expose this young lady’s identity—hence placing her in the temple and sending her away quietly—there was no need to hide from the Embroidered Uniform Guards.
But no need to conceal from the Embroidered Uniform Guards.
“This is Miss Yuan, daughter of Madam’s older sister, here to visit relatives and now returning home.”
“Inside the carriage are only the young lady and her maidservant.”
Wei Jiao had been listening with raised eyebrows, but upon hearing “maidservant,” his expression changed slightly. He suddenly raised his hand, drew his long sword, and swung it.
The servant’s words were still on his lips when a flash of cold light appeared before his eyes, the long sword slashing toward the carriage interior…
The servant let out a startled cry.
Amid the women’s screams, the long sword chopped down the carriage curtain, revealing two terrified women embracing inside.
Both women were sixteen or seventeen, their flower-like beauty paling from fright but not altering their features.
Not transforming into an unrecognizable appearance.
Looking at their faces, Wei Jiao let out a laugh.
During the search, records of outsiders from Zhao County were sent to various places for verification by local Embroidered Uniform secret guards.
That frightening master-servant pair was naturally among them.
The Embroidered Uniform Guards there confirmed with the Yuan family that a young lady had indeed gone missing and they were searching everywhere.
Of course, the Embroidered Uniform Guards did not inform the Yuan family; they only verified if the person was genuine and did not meddle in family affairs.
After learning of it, Wei Jiao dropped the matter.
Just now, seeing Duke Ding’an’s Wife’s carriages, he suddenly recalled it. Calculating the days, that young lady and her guard should have already arrived at Duke Ding’an’s Mansion.
He suddenly wanted to take a look, though he didn’t know why, so he turned around and followed.
Sure enough, he saw a carriage from Duke Ding’an’s Mansion sneaking out the back door.
So the young lady with the fierce guard had been swept out the door? Hilarious. Of course Wei Jiao had to come mock her.
He hadn’t expected to see this scene.
This Miss Yuan was not that Miss Yuan, and there was no dog-like guard either.
Turns out the one who should be mocked was not Miss Yuan, but him, Wei Jiao.
“Good, good.” His dark eyes filled with gloom. “Truly impressive.”
