In the afternoon, after Princess Ruoling returned to the palace, she went to the Empress Dowager's Cisui Palace, where the Empress Dowager and Granny Liu were tending to several plum blossoms that had just been delivered by palace servants.
"Grandmother." Ruoling skipped over to the Empress Dowager's side, wrapped her arms around the Empress Dowager's arm, and acted coquettishly.
The Empress Dowager chuckled and patted Ruoling's head, delighted to see her rosy cheeks. "You've seen your fourth brother. Did you have lunch at his residence?"
"Hmm." Ruoling walked inside, her arm linked with the Empress Dowager's. "Mr. Lu from Fourth Brother's residence brewed some fruit wine. I had a few cups, and it was delicious. Fourth Brother asked me to bring a few jars into the palace. Would Ruoling pour a couple of cups for Grandmother to try later?"
"Good, good, good." The Empress Dowager smiled and patted Ruoling's hand.
"Oh dear, my good princess, the Empress Dowager is only just recovering, she mustn't drink alcohol," Granny Liu said with a smile.
Ruoling bent her head to look at Granny Liu: "Mr. Lu said that as long as you don't drink too much, a few cups will actually be good for the Empress Dowager's health."
“Grandmother, Mr. Lu is really amazing. Fourth Brother said that your chronic headaches can be completely cured in just one month.”
"Fourth Brother also said that he will personally bring Mr. Lu over tomorrow to give you acupuncture."
"Hahahaha." The Empress Dowager laughed, her eyes narrowing. "Speaking of Mr. Lu all the time, our little princess has really grown up!"
Princess Ruoling blushed: "Grandmother, it's because he can cure your illness that I'm saying a few more words."
The Empress Dowager looked back and asked, "Didn't your fourth brother bring you back?"
Ruoling nodded: "Yes, there were bandits in Xizi Forest, and Fourth Brother took some men there. Yes, Mr. Lu brought me back."
"Bandits?" The Empress Dowager looked at Granny Liu behind her.
Granny Liu hurriedly replied, "Yes, this morning in Xizi Forest, a group of bandits killed a wealthy merchant who came from the Luo River. It is said that the merchant and dozens of his guards were killed by the bandits. It's pitiful that the merchant's young daughter, who was only five or six years old, was also cruelly murdered by these bandits. The Emperor sent Lord Liang and his men to suppress the bandits."
The Empress Dowager frowned imperceptibly. The Five Cities Garrison was suppressing bandits? Could they possibly be a match for them?
Why would the emperor leave the Xishan Military Camp and the Beifu Army stationed more than a hundred miles away unused, but instead send people from the Five Cities Military Command?
Alright, Yu'er has taken people there, it's not a big problem.
During dinner, Ruoling poured two cups of fruit wine for the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager drank it and praised it highly. She wanted to have a few more sips, but Ruoling said that Mr. Lu had instructed that she could only drink two cups a day at most, and she refused no matter what. So the Empress Dowager gave up.
The palace gates were already locked, and the guards leaned against the wall, dozing off intermittently.
...
In Feixue Garden.
Li Feng said urgently, "Miss, the Prince won't let you go over. He said he knows you're worried, but his injuries are nothing serious. Mr. Lu has already examined the Prince's injuries and applied medicine, so there's nothing to worry about."
Zhu Yu said coldly, "Are you the master or am I the master? Stop with the nonsense. Quickly call them in and carry me over."
Seeing her young mistress in that state, Li Feng dared not offer any further advice. She could only go outside and wake up the old woman who had already fallen asleep, then hurriedly carried the sedan chair to the front courtyard.
After returning to the front yard, Lu Xiaoyun quickly took a shower and changed her clothes.
Lu Yuyan examined the wound on her arm again, changed the bandage with better medicine prepared by the Prince of An's mansion, and before he could even take a bath, he went to see the maid that Xi Yi had brought back.
She had to go to the palace first. There were still nearly a thousand bandits being held captive in Xizi Forest. She had to ask the old emperor how he planned to deal with them.
In other places, these bandits could easily be recruited into the army; some were forced into banditry by circumstances.
But we are now in the territory of Shengjing City.
Moreover, Liang Zhiyun and all the soldiers of the Bingcheng Military Command are dead, and she must tell the old emperor about this tonight.
As Jiang Chuan helped her get dressed, tears streamed down his face again.
Lu Xiaoyun frowned and looked down at him: "Why are you crying, you grown man?"
Jiang Chuan sniffed: "Your Highness, you're injured again. Your injuries haven't healed at all these years. One heals, and another is injured. Look at yourself, is there any part of your body that's completely unscathed except for your face?"
Lu Xiaoyun wanted to say how sexy, wildly sexy, but when she thought of Zhu Yu's scars all over his body, she fell silent.
Jiang Chuan tied Lu Xiaoyun's half-dry hair into her jade crown, then bowed and stepped aside.
Lu Xiaoyun got up and went outside.
Wearing a moon-white brocade robe with piping and a wide white jade belt, she stood tall and graceful, the cool moonlight filtering through the broad canopy of the trees and casting her slender shadow.
A gentle breeze rustled the leaves, and she stood amidst the dappled light, her brows and eyes resolute.
When Zhu Yu saw Lu Xiaoyun like this, he was momentarily speechless, and his heart fluttered for some reason, but he dared not look into Lu Xiaoyun's eyes.
"Why haven't you rested yet?" Lu Xiaoyun asked in surprise when she saw Zhu Yu being carried by two old women.
Zhu Yu wanted to grab Lu Xiaoyun's hand, but he didn't know where she was injured and was afraid of hurting her. He pulled his hand back halfway and asked anxiously, "Where are you injured?"
Lu Xiaoyun moved her arm: "It's just a minor injury, a little skin break, and it's stopped bleeding. You should go back and rest. I'll go to the palace first, and then I'll return home after I've finished talking to you."
Jiang Chuan, who was following behind, lowered his head and secretly wiped away a tear.
Zhu Yu knew that every time he was injured, Jiang Chuan would have this expression: "Jiang Chuan, you tell me, where is the prince injured?"
Jiang Chuan looked up at Zhu Yu, his eyes blurry with tears.
Zhu Yu's face darkened: "Can't you even speak properly anymore!"
Jiang Chuan felt a chill run down his neck: "Your Highness, His Highness's left arm was pierced by an arrow. It hurts just looking at it, but when Mr. Lu pulled the arrow out, His Highness was just like before, without even uttering a sound."
Zhu Yu's heart tightened suddenly, as if it wasn't Lu Xiaoyun who had been pierced through the arm by an arrow, but himself.
Even breathing was difficult; how could Lu Xiaoyun, a woman, possibly endure such pain?
Two months ago, he was eager to return to Shengjing and went deep into the enemy territory of Northern Qi. Although he beheaded the crown prince of Northern Qi with one stroke, he also found himself in danger when an arrow pierced his shoulder blade.
He endured the pain of his skin being pierced, but it still made him break out in a cold sweat.
But Lu Xiaoyun, how could she possibly bear it?
Zhu Yu's face turned pale, and he asked in a panic, "How... how did you get so badly injured?"
He then coldly turned to Wu Chuan, Xi Yi, and the other guards in the courtyard: "What are you all good for? You couldn't even protect the Prince! The guards and secret agents of the Prince An's mansion were all personally selected by His Highness Prince An, yet you couldn't even handle a few rabble of bandits!"
In the front courtyard, Wu Chuan, Xi Yi, and the other guards felt as if Mount Tai was pressing down on them as they were being coldly stared at by the "princess" on the palanquin, and they dared not even breathe.
They knelt on the ground, saying, "We failed in our duty to protect our master. Please punish us, Your Highness and Your Highness!"
All that could be heard was the clang of swords and the thunderous roar of horses.
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