Chapter 428 The Young Marquis (Two Updates)

Princess Xinyang was fortunate not to have depression, otherwise she would have been driven to the brink of illness by Long Yi sooner or later.

Princess Xinyang could certainly order Long Yi to put down, throw down, or abandon the cage, but Long Yi, perhaps having guessed his master's tendency to give orders, simply grabbed the cage and ran away!

All that was left for Princess Xinyang was a dark, shiny back of her head, as if it were written: "Run away, run away, can't hear me!"

Yu Jin's expression was indescribable. She turned to look at Princess Xinyang, opened her mouth, and said, "Princess..."

Princess Xinyang remained silent with a cold expression and casually lowered the curtain.

The imperial city was under martial law; not only were people strictly checked when leaving the city, but the same applied when entering.

The guards on guard were on high alert when suddenly a strong gust of wind swept by, and it was as if a blurry image had flashed past their eyes.

The guards looked at each other in bewilderment.

What just happened?

"N-I don't know, did you see it?"

"It feels like something has passed by, but it also feels like nothing has."

The group looked around the city, but the streets were deserted; there wasn't a soul in sight. So, were they seeing things? They were all seeing things...

Soon, Princess Xinyang's carriage arrived at the city gate. The guards checked the token, bowed respectfully, and let Princess Xinyang's carriage pass.

Meanwhile, the Imperial Guards who went to hunt down the assassin gradually realized that the assassin might not have gone any further. The group returned along the way and found the "stolen" prison cart and four "yamen runners" who had already died.

Meanwhile, another group of imperial guards found the real constables, who had been knocked unconscious, in a patch of grass three miles away.

After regaining consciousness, the constables recounted their experience of being robbed.

"The prisoner escaped. Could it be that his friends hijacked the prison van?" a guard asked.

One of the constables said, "Impossible. That prisoner is a seasoned veteran; he doesn't have any powerful friends."

As they were talking, the prisoner who had been released by the assassins obediently returned. From him, the Imperial Guards learned that there were four assassins, and they seemed to have another person in their hands. Their purpose in disguising themselves as yamen runners was to quietly transfer the hostage right under the noses of the Imperial Guards.

The prisoner couldn't see what the hostage looked like, but the Imperial Guards boldly guessed that the hostage was Xiao Liulang.

The assassin was killed, and Xiao Liulang disappeared. Who took him away? And where did they take him?

“We’ve been guarding the main road, but no one has passed by… Could it be… that they’ve returned to the capital?” one of the imperial guards speculated.

The commander of the Imperial Guards asked, "Have all the carriages entering the capital been thoroughly checked?"

The subordinate said, "We didn't check the carriages of two people."

The Imperial Guard leader frowned: "Whose?"

The subordinate replied, "It's Minister Zhao's and Princess Xinyang's carriage."

On Zhuque Street, the carriage stopped outside the residence, and Princess Xinyang and Yu Jin alighted from the carriage.

Unsurprisingly, Long Yi had already brought back the cage... or rather, the person inside the cage, removed the cheap human skin mask from his face, took off his blood-stained prison clothes, and changed him into a set of dry clothes.

The clothes were a bit small; not only could the collar not be fastened, but the sleeves and trouser legs were also too short.

Long Yi still placed the person on Princess Xinyang's bed.

Xiao Liulang's breathing was weak, and he fainted, whether from exhaustion or excessive blood loss.

Princess Xinyang walked over with a calm expression, but stopped just before crossing the threshold.

Yu Jin quickly entered the room and glanced at the man in front of the bed.

She didn't know who the prisoner Long Yi had brought back was, nor did she know why Long Yi had done this. After all, this was the princess's bedroom, and it would be terrible if some shady characters were allowed to lie down there.

However, when she came to the bedside and saw the pale, handsome face that came into view, she was stunned!

"Princess!"

Yu Jin walked out in shock, and said to Princess Xinyang, who had turned her back to the endless night, "The person inside...he...he is...he looks...he..."

Yu Jin was at a loss for words, stammering for a long time before finally steeling herself and saying, "He's the Hanlin official I told the princess about last time, the one who looks like the young marquis! No wonder Long Yi brought him back; he must have mistaken him for the young marquis! Princess! Please come inside and take a look! It's no wonder Long Yi mistook him; they really look so alike! I almost suspect the young marquis has come back to life! And they're about the same age... If the young marquis were still alive... he would be about this age too..."

Princess Xinyang remained silent.

“Princess, I’m not lying to you…he really is…” Yu Jin’s words came to an abrupt halt when she saw Princess Xinyang’s expression.

Princess Xinyang's face remained as serene and aloof as ever, but her eyes held a complex mix of emotions, yet none of them showed surprise.

All of Yu Jin's voices disappeared.

But it was only for a moment before Yu Jin regained her senses: "Princess, you... know?"

Yu Jin wanted to ask her when she found out.

Was it during the time Long Yi broke into the prison van, or earlier?

Princess Xinyang turned and went to the study next door.

Yu Jin arrived at the door, intending to follow her inside, but sensed an immense sense of alienation and loneliness emanating from Princess Xinyang.

She didn't want anyone to enter the house.

Yu Jin stopped at the threshold, staring blankly at Princess Xinyang, who had enveloped herself in the darkness. Her eyes flickered, and she asked, "Princess, is he the young marquis?"

...

Xiao Liulang was seriously injured.

Yu Jin went to a nearby clinic to fetch a doctor, who, after examining the injury, bluntly stated that he could not save the patient's hand with his medical skills.

This hand was injured once, fell once, and was tormented and bumped many times by the assassin. It was no better than being frozen in the snow for several hours.

The doctor, still possessing a conscience, sighed and said, "I've heard that the doctors at Miaoshoutang are highly skilled, even able to reattach severed hands. Madam, why don't you go to Miaoshoutang and find a doctor to take a look?"

Just as Yu Jin was about to personally go to Miaoshoutang to ask for a doctor, Gu Jiao arrived at the door.

Gu Jiao received news from the Imperial Guards, and her intuition told her that Xiao Liulang had been saved by Princess Xinyang. As for whether it was Princess Xinyang who saved him or Long Yi who intervened, she didn't know.

Yu Jin was slightly taken aback: "Miss Gu?"

Gu Jiao asked, "Is my husband here?"

Yu Jin looked at her in confusion: "You...husband?"

Gu Jiao said solemnly, "Hanlin official, Xiao Liulang."

Yu Jin was speechless once again.

She probably used up all the surprises of her entire life tonight.

Gu Jiao went to Princess Xinyang's room. At that moment, she didn't have time to ponder Yu Jin's or Princess Xinyang's thoughts. She immediately checked Xiao Liulang's injuries.

Just like in the dream, he was injured on his right hand, and the location of the wound was exactly the same. However, he encountered other things along the way, so the injury was a bit more serious than in the dream.

At this point, she was finally able to conclude that the events in her dream had come earlier than expected.

She just couldn't understand why it was done ahead of schedule.

Gu Jiao opened the small medicine box, took out disinfectant to clean Xiao Liulang's wound, and the scab that had finally formed started bleeding again.

Gu Jiao smelled the scent of blood.

She closed her eyes and began a rigorous spiritual practice.

It was half an hour later when Gu Jiao came out of the house. Surgery on Xiao Liulang was much more difficult than surgery on other patients. Perhaps it was because this man was too tempting to her. Even his blood excited her more than other people's blood. She had to spend more effort to suppress it.

It was half an hour later when everything was over.

Xiao Liulang lay quietly on the bed receiving an IV drip.

Yu Jin brought in a basin of hot water. It was the first time she had ever seen such a strange thing, so she couldn't help but take a second look.

"Thank you." Gu Jiao took the hot water and wiped Xiao Liulang's face and hands.

"Dr. Gu," Yu Jin said, hesitating.

"What is it?" Gu Jiao asked.

“Could you…go and see the princess? Talk to her…” Yu Jin glanced at the unconscious Xiao Liulang, swallowed the words “Young Marquis,” and said, “the patient’s condition.”

"Okay." Gu Jiao put down the handkerchief and went to the study next door.

There were no lamps lit in the study; only the cool moonlight and the scattered candlelight from the corridor filtered in.

Princess Xinyang sat by the window, her back to the door.

Gu Jiao gently knocked on the already open door, then stepped inside.

She sat down opposite Princess Xinyang.

"What are you doing here?" Princess Xinyang asked indifferently, without looking up at Gu Jiao, and continued to look out the window at the night.

Gu Jiao said, "His injuries are not serious. I came to tell the princess."

Princess Xinyang coldly replied, "What does it matter to me whether something happens or not?"

Gu Jiao raised an eyebrow: "If it's okay, why did you take him in?"

Princess Xinyang said calmly, "It was Dragon Lord who picked him up."

Gu Jiao: "Oh."

Princess Xinyang looked at Gu Jiao expressionlessly: "You don't believe me? Long Yi picked you up."

Gu Jiao asked curiously, "Does Long Yi often pick people up like this? Does he just pick one up and throw it onto your bed?"

Princess Xinyang gave Gu Jiao a cool look.

Gu Jiao rested her elbows on the table, propped her chin on her hands, and looked at Princess Xinyang: "Princess, you recognized him a long time ago, didn't you? You even inquired about him and knew about my relationship with him, so you didn't throw me out that night?"

She said, "How could Princess Xinyang be so merciful as to let a doctor from a medical clinic, whom I've only met once or twice, occupy her princess bed?"

"Are the mooncakes delicious? He personally bought the red dates." Gu Jiao asked. It would be unreasonable for her not to guess who the mooncakes were for. No wonder he offered to deliver the mooncakes to the palace and even brought the date paste filling that his aunt didn't like.

Princess Xinyang turned her face away: "It tastes awful."

Gu Jiao hummed in response: "So you ate it?"

Princess Xinyang choked: "...She didn't eat it, Yujin ate it."

Gu Jiao: "So you accepted it?"

Princess Xinyang: "..."

Where did this girl learn her skill at digging traps for others?

Gu Jiao didn't really understand.

He originally thought that Xiao Liulang disliked Princess Xinyang and therefore was unwilling to acknowledge her, but now it seems that's not the case.

As for Princess Xinyang's attitude towards Xiao Liulang, Gu Jiao was even more puzzled.

She thought Princess Xinyang was unaware that her son had returned to the capital alive, but now it seems that wasn't the case.

This mother and son are really strange.

Xiao Liulang's main injury was on his right hand, with only minor abrasions elsewhere. He was unconscious due to excessive blood loss and exhaustion.

But Long Yi seemed to think he was seriously injured, and he was so depressed that he stopped bothering Gu Jiao to pick up the pen.

Gu Jiao thought this was good; at least her little hand had escaped another disaster.

However, seeing how unhappy Long Yi was, Gu Jiao decided to make it up to him in other ways.

Yu Jin made some snacks for Gu Jiao, and Gu Jiao saved half for Long Yi.

Seeing that she had only eaten half, Yu Jin asked, "Is it not good?"

Gu Jiao said, "No, it's for Long Yi."

“Long Yi…is unhappy?” Yu Jin looked at Long Yi in the room. Long Yi was a shadow guard. How could he be unhappy?

Yu Jin asked, "How did you figure that out?"

Gu Jiao said, "I could tell by feeling."

Yu Jin asked in confusion, "Why don't I feel anything?" In fact, no one felt anything. Long Yi would occasionally disobey, but he didn't have any emotions, and even if he did, they wouldn't be able to sense them.

Gu Jiao touched the bridge of her nose. She thought everyone could sense Long Yi's emotions. Was she the only one?

News of Xiao Liulang's injury eventually reached the palace. At that time, the Crown Princess was in the Imperial Study reporting to the Emperor on the recent situation of the girls' school when she happened to overhear the Imperial Guards' report that Xiao Liulang had been kidnapped by assassins and was injured, and his whereabouts were currently unknown.

Gu Jiao had her own guesses, but she didn't tell the Imperial Guards, so the Imperial Guards didn't know that Xiao Liulang had been rescued.

The emperor was furious: "Send men to search immediately!"

"Wait!" the emperor called out to the imperial guards leader who was about to leave.

The commander of the Imperial Guards bowed and said, "Your Majesty."

The emperor pondered for a moment and said, "Summon Prince Ning."

When such a major incident occurred, the first person the emperor thought of who was truly capable was not the crown prince, but his eldest son.

"yes!"

...

After leaving the Imperial Study, the Crown Princess's face turned pale.

"Your Highness," Chunying followed behind her, looking at her with concern as if she were about to collapse at any moment, and whispered, "You are injured, and the Crown Prince has already told you to stay in the East Palace to recuperate. Why did you rush here?"

The Crown Princess didn't respond to her question, but instead asked blankly, "Chunying, did you hear what was said just now?"

Chunying did not answer.

The Crown Princess was indeed feeling unwell, so she reached out and handed her hand to Chunying.

A strong hand supported her arm.

The moment that scorching body heat penetrated the thin fabric and burned her skin, she stiffened and abruptly turned her head to look at the other person!

Upon recognizing who it was, she abruptly pulled her hand away and took several steps back!

"Chunying!"

She called for help.

Unfortunately, Chunying had long since disappeared.

Prince Ning walked forward unhurriedly, glanced behind her, and said with a playful tone, "There's a pool behind you, be careful."

The Crown Princess turned around, her Adam's apple bobbing. She composed herself, turned back to him, and looked at him coldly: "Did you do it?"

Prince Ning smiled and said, "What do you mean, did I do it?"

The Crown Princess retorted angrily, "Stop pretending!"

Prince Ning crossed his arms and said helplessly, "Yes, it was me who did it. I'm fine, but Xiao Liulang is the one who got into trouble. Aren't you disappointed?"

The Crown Princess glanced away, her eyes flashing, and said, "I don't understand what you're saying."

Prince Ning chuckled softly, raised his hand to stroke her temple, and said gently, "Linlang, I am not so easily dealt with. If you think you can get rid of me through Xiao Heng and Princess Xinyang, you are being too naive. I'll let it go this time, but there must be no next time, understand?"

(End of this chapter)