Chapter 68 Returning Home (2) Her young lady has never had the heart to harm anyone...

Her young lady has never had any intention of harming anyone, so why would she want to kill a defenseless girl like her?

"Xiangyue?"

A soft, gentle voice called her name, and Xiangyue was startled, immediately snapping back to reality.

"Don't worry, Miss, I will never let you fall!"

Jiang Zhuoying chuckled. She wasn't afraid of that at all; she just noticed that Xiangyue's body was becoming increasingly stiff, and knew that she was nervous.

But it's not time to be on high alert yet.

...

As they approached the cliff, Wu Jiu exchanged a glance with Jiang Zhuoying and Xiang Yue.

Jiang Zhuoying immediately leaned back and exclaimed, "Ouch!"

Her delicate, petulant complaint immediately drew everyone's attention.

The girl's oval face scrunched up: "Riding a horse is too uncomfortable, I'm so dizzy, no, no, let's rest for a bit?"

"Granny Cui? Shall we take a break? If this continues, I'm afraid I'll fall off my horse."

Jiang Zhuoying covered her head, looking extremely weak and uncomfortable.

Cui Huan frowned subconsciously, but when the guard beside her leaned over and whispered something in her ear, her expression softened slightly, and she nodded: "Alright, whatever you say, Second Miss, your health is the most important thing."

Jiang Zhuoying dismounted with Xiangyue's help, gave Wujiu a wink, and pointed to a large tree that provided shade not far away: "Let's rest there, I need to sit for a while."

Xiangyue immediately helped her walk forward.

Just then, Wu Jiu was about to follow, but was stopped by a guard beside him: "Brother, do you need to relieve yourself?"

Wu Jiu glanced at him and said, "Okay."

While Xiangyue laid out a cushion for Jiang Zhuoying, she kept an eye on Wujiu's situation.

"Miss, Wujiu has left with their people!"

"Um."

"Wu Jiu and that guard have both vanished without a trace!"

"Um."

"Miss, aren't you worried?"

Xiangyue turned around and finally couldn't help but ask.

A pair of round eyes flashed with doubt; their young mistress's reaction was truly unusual.

Jiang Zhuoying stared at her intently, then suddenly smiled, revealing two dimples that made her look delicate and pretty.

"Isn't that what you're here for? My good Xiangyue would never let me get into danger, would she?"

Xiangyue suddenly felt a great sense of responsibility and nodded solemnly.

Miss is right. Ensuring Miss's safety is the most basic requirement. If we can't even do that, how can she and Wujiu have the face to stay by Miss's side?

Jiang Zhuoying had a basic understanding of Wujiu's abilities; her father had specifically instructed her on this.

"This man is exceptionally skilled and can be a trusted confidant."

It is truly remarkable to receive such praise from my father.

As Jiang Zhuoying was recalling her earlier conversation with her father, Cui Huan led a few others toward her.

The girl snapped out of her daze, her face turning ashen in the blink of an eye: "Granny Cui, riding a horse is too tiring. Why don't you go and find me a carriage?"

The woman did not respond to her words, but said with a half-smile, "Second Miss, please don't blame this old servant for leaving today. This is all Madam's will. My life and fortune are in Madam's hands, so I have no choice but to comply."

Jiang Zhuoying feigned ignorance: "Gone? Where did you go? Aren't we on our way to the Duke's mansion? Why would I blame Granny Cui?"

Seeing her innocent and unharmed expression, Cui Huan shook his head: "Second Miss, with your temperament and that face, now that you've lost the protection of your family, you'll inevitably end up in a miserable state sooner or later."

Xiangyue looked up abruptly: "You old hag, what nonsense are you spouting?!"

Cui Huan turned his gaze to Xiang Yue and sneered, "Miss Xiang Yue, I didn't expect that after all these years, you would still be so rude."

"Since you are so protective of your master, you might as well keep your young lady company on the road to the underworld."

After saying that, she glanced at the two maids and was about to turn around when the naive girl stopped Xiangyue, who was about to step forward, and called out to her.

Her voice trembled: "Granny Cui, do you mean I'm to die here today?"

Cui Huan glared at her, his face fierce.

Jiang Zhuoying trembled, silently lowered her eyes, and said in a trembling voice, "In that case, I have something I want to ask, please tell me, Granny Cui."

"Second Miss, please speak."

"Was my mother's death related to my aunt?"

Even though she already knew the answer, she still wanted to hear it from someone's own mouth. It was like stabbing her in the heart again, causing her pain, but also making her give up completely.

Cui Huan frowned: "It's alright to tell you. Back when the Second Master was alive, things were relatively peaceful in the mansion. But now that the Second Master has died in battle, and Lady He is too beautiful."

Jiang Zhuoying's heart sank, a chill ran down her spine, and a sense of disbelief arose in her mind.

She gripped the hem of her skirt above her knees, biting her lips tightly, the anger surging from her chest nearly making her lose control.

Cui Huan continued, "When the old man was drunk, he inadvertently revealed his secret thoughts to his wife... Madam He was just unlucky."

The girl looked up again, her eyes now bloodshot: "Why did they have to harm my mother when it was clearly someone else's fault?!"

Cui Huan saw the incomprehension and hatred in her eyes, but could only sigh softly.

"Second Miss, this old servant has told you the secret of He Shi's death. You can rest in peace today."

Tears welled in the girl's eyes, a mixture of fear and anger swirling within her, her voice trembling as she sobbed.

...

This was the last thing Cui Huan saw before she lost consciousness.

As the people in front of her collapsed one after another, Xiangyue silently helped Jiang Zhuoying up, and then exchanged a glance with Wujiu not far away.

Even someone as eloquent as her couldn't utter a single word at this moment.

Jiang Zhuoying composed herself, glanced at the people on the ground, and looked up at Wujiu: "It's up to you now."

The latter nodded: "Don't worry, young lady."

What Xiangxing had specially brewed for Cui Huan and his group was not tea, but a special powder mixed in that could cause memory confusion for a certain period of time.

What Wu Jiu had to do was to make Cui Huan and the others believe that Jiang Zhuoying had fallen off the cliff according to their plan.

...

When Jiang Zhuoying led Xiangyue and Wujiu back to the manor, Xiangxing had been waiting eagerly outside the door for a long time.

As soon as she returned, she stepped forward and took Jiang Zhuoying's hands: "Miss, is everything alright?"

"Hmm." The girl nodded slightly, then glanced at the maids and servants standing behind Xiangxing.

She said softly, "Let's go back to the manor."

"Yes! We servants will all follow you back to the manor!"

Hearing these resolute shouts, a little warmth flowed into Jiang Zhuoying's heart, which felt as cold as ice.

She will avenge her mother and protect the family business left by her father!

She will definitely wait for the day her father returns.

Cui Huan should have returned to the manor to report immediately. She only needed to appear after the entire manor knew that she had fallen off the cliff.

The luggage for the return journey filled more than a dozen carriages. As she closed the gates of the manor, she slowly exhaled. This time, A-Zhuo will protect you.

...

Jiang Zhuoying arrived at the gate of the Duke of Rui's mansion in a carriage. It was already dusk, and the two lanterns at the gate had been lit.

Xiangyue helped her down from the carriage, and unsurprisingly they were stopped by the guards standing at the door.

These guards were all unfamiliar to her, and before she could speak, Xiangyue beside her had already called out.

"This is the second young lady of the Duke's mansion, how dare you stop her?"

The two guards looked at each other in bewilderment. "Second Miss Jiang?"

Didn't Granny Cui come back crying and shouting just now, saying that the second young lady had fallen off a cliff?

The team that went to search for the person at the bottom of the cliff had already left the mansion a quarter of an hour ago, so why did a second young lady named Jiang suddenly appear?

Yet his overall demeanor and appearance were indeed extraordinary.

Just as the stalemate was at its peak, an elderly man with white hair and beard jogged out from the side door, rubbing his eyes as he ran.

Upon seeing Jiang Zhuoying's face clearly, his pupils widened, and he knelt down with a thud: "Is it Second Miss? Is it really Second Miss?"

Jiang Zhuoying was taken aback; at first glance, she didn't recognize the person in front of her.

She was a little unsure: "Uncle Lin?"

"Ah, it's the old servant, it's the old servant!"

Jiang Zhuoying's eyes suddenly filled with mist. Uncle Lin was a widower whom her father had rescued from the mansion many years ago. He was also the gatekeeper of the Duke's mansion. They had not seen each other for three years. The once spirited man had now grown up with white hair and beard.

She sniffed softly: "Uncle Lin, there's no need for such formalities. Please get up."

After saying this, she personally stepped forward and helped the person up from the ground. With the gatekeeper recognizing him, the two guards naturally withdrew.

Lin Feng was so nervous that he didn't know where to put his hands. He led Jiang Zhuoying through the door and immediately shouted excitedly at the top of his lungs, "Second Miss is back! Second Miss is back!"

This news was so shocking that it was like a pebble thrown into the water, quickly creating ripples...

Before long, the news reached the ears of the Duke of Rui.

Jiang Zhuoying was heading to Ninghui Hall, where he was currently residing.

The girl, simply dressed, rushed into the room and ran to the bedside, tears streaming down her face: "Grandfather, Grandfather, it's A-Zhuo who's back..."

Although Cui Huan was wicked, he made one very accurate statement.

Having lost her support in this vast Duke's mansion, no matter how cunning she was, she could hardly move forward. The first thing she had to do upon returning was to find a powerful backer.

Duke Rui, Jiang Yun, is now in his eighties. Before Jiang Zhuoying left the manor, her grandfather was still in good health, but today, when she saw him again, his hair was completely white and his spirit was not as good as before.

Before Jiang Zhuoying came to Ninghui Hall, Uncle Lin had already told her that her grandfather had indeed suddenly fainted last night, but he had just woken up when he received the news brought by Cui Huan.

It is said that the second daughter's horse suddenly had a seizure, and both the horse and the rider fell off the cliff.

Although it wasn't explicitly stated, after falling off a cliff, how could one possibly survive?

Duke Rui, who had just woken up, learned of this terrible news. He was so angry and anxious that he fainted on the spot.

Her uncle, Jiang Lang, immediately sent a group of servants to search the bottom of the cliff. They had only been gone a short while.

Jiang Zhuoying roughly figured out what had happened in the mansion in the past half day, and it was pretty much as she had expected.

She lay prostrate on the edge of the bed, her expression filled with grief. Xiangyue and Xiangxing, who were following behind her, were already exchanging greetings with Zhang Li.

Zhang Li was a steward who always served Duke Rui, Jiang Yun.

He was naturally aware of Jiang Zhuoying's fall off the cliff, and now that he suddenly saw her appear unharmed, he was naturally astonished.

However, he was a senior figure, having served the old Duke for many years, and had long since cultivated the ability to remain discreet.

Suppressing her surprise, she first comforted the heartbroken girl, "Second Miss? Don't panic. The imperial physician has already come and said that the Duke is alright and will wake up soon!"

The teary-eyed girl turned around, her nose red, and sniffed: "Really?"

Zhang Li waved for someone to bring a chair, and when he met that delicate little face with tears streaming down her face, his gaze softened.

"Of course it's true, Second Miss, please have a seat."

The girl shook her head repeatedly: "Thank you, Steward Zhang, but it's not necessary. My grandfather hasn't woken up yet, so I'll stay here and watch over him."

The words had barely left her lips when the person on the bed slowly opened their eyes…

In the following time, Jiang Zhuoying served the old Duke his medicine.

Then, as soon as she sat down, she just kept crying, crying so hard that she was heartbroken and breathless. Anyone who saw her would think that she had suffered a great injustice.

But when you actually ask her, she shakes her head, grits her teeth and refuses to say anything, looking pitiful from being too frightened.

Jiang Zheng's fate is unknown. Although Jiang Yun was dissatisfied with his youngest son's defeat, he had not seen his granddaughter for many years and had just experienced the loss and recovery, so he felt quite indebted.

The old duke, who had once been a formidable figure in his youth, looked at the two maids and said with an air of authority, "You two, speak."