Chapter 7 Jin Hezhuo is still someone she can't kill
Two days later, the weather was fine and it was a perfect day for going out. Cui Yiluo's foot injury had healed considerably, and she could walk without much pain, so Jiang Zhaoyue brought her out.
"Mother had the dress made to your measurements long before you came. We can pick it up on the way to see the jewelry. Cousin, since you're new in the capital, why don't you go to Baoyue Pavilion, where I often go?"
Baoyue Pavilion is located in the most prosperous area of the capital. It usually receives high-ranking officials and nobles. Therefore, in addition to the Jiang family guards they brought with them, there are also many guards in the building.
"Take your time to choose, my dear. Call me if you need anything."
The shopkeeper brought them into the reserved private room, ordered someone to present the treasures, and brought some good tea and fruit plates before leaving.
Jiang Zhaoyue picked up a few hairpins and frowned, "Why do they all seem to suit you?"
My cousin is so beautiful that she looks good in anything she wears.
Cui Yiluo obediently let her gesture. The two of them picked for a while. Jiang Zhaoyue drank a lot of tea and then took people to the toilet.
Cui Yiluo looked at the table full of jewelry, her smile faded, and she no longer looked interested. She calmly picked up the teacup.
Suddenly, a black corner of clothing appeared in my peripheral vision.
Is there anyone in the corner?
The private room was not very big, and there was a screen with blooming flowers against the wall for decoration, which made it convenient for thieves to hide.
The guards were standing at the door, and she and Lilan were the only ones in the room.
Cui Yiluo signaled to Lilan with her eyes. Lilan was startled when she saw the corner of the clothes. She nodded slightly and slowly moved towards the door.
Cui Yiluo reached for the dagger hidden at her waist, pretended to get up and walk around, and closed the window next to the screen.
Suddenly, a sharp wind blew, and Cui Yiluo quickly drew her dagger.
With a muffled groan from the man, the dagger fell on the thick carpet and disappeared without a sound.
"stop."
These words were spoken to Lilan, who turned around and saw this and was immediately horrified.
The man in black clothes held a sharp sword against Cui Yiluo's throat.
The other hand that was not holding the sword was stabbed by the dagger and was bleeding profusely. Drops of blood fell onto the carpet bit by bit, leaving deep marks, but the man seemed unaware.
His eyebrows were sharp and cold, and he exuded a terrifying murderous aura, like a hawk clutching its prey.
The man said gloomily, "If you open the door, I will kill your master."
As he spoke, he pressed the sword deeper into Cui Yiluo's neck, leaving a red mark on her fair skin.
Li Lan suppressed her panic and said quickly, "I won't open the door, sir, please let my girl go first!"
The man seemed not to hear.
Cui Yiluo lowered her eyes and stared at the dark cloud pattern on the blade of his sword. The sword seemed to be stained with the blood of many people. Even after being wiped clean, it still emitted a faint and unpleasant smell of blood.
She asked calmly, "Who are you? You knew my guards were outside, yet you chose to attack me in this room. How bold of you to do that."
The man lowered his eyes and glanced at her. He didn't expect that a noble lady could remain so calm when being held hostage.
But then again, she wasn't just any ordinary noblewoman. What noblewoman would carry a dagger with her when she went out? How could she, upon discovering someone hiding in the room, calmly send her maid to notify the guards while she calmly closed the windows to prevent them from escaping?
Not to mention that this person's attack was so ruthless, which shows that he is vicious at heart.
He had been observing in the room for too short a time, and was deceived by her easygoing appearance, and chose her as his helper. He didn't expect that beneath the gentle appearance was a thorny flower.
If he hadn't reacted quickly, he would have been trapped in a jar.
The man said, "I don't want to kill you, I just want you to do me a favor."
"Why should I trust you?"
The man sneered: "Do you have room to negotiate with me now?"
He couldn't see the expression on Cui Yiluo's face, but he heard her chuckle: "That may not be the case."
He frowned slightly, subconsciously sensing that something was amiss. Just as he was about to ask again, he suddenly felt his whole body go limp, and the hand holding the sword also became limp.
There is medicine on the dagger!
He stepped back in a disorderly manner, almost collapsing to the ground, and only managed to steady himself by leaning against the mahogany cabinet in front of the window.
He raised the corners of his lips, revealing a bit of sinisterness: "It was I who underestimated you."
The control was immediately reversed. Cui Yiluo picked up the dagger she had dropped and pressed it against his Adam's apple.
"Your physique is quite good. It took you so long to give me the medicine. Tell me, who sent you?"
The man looked at the woman's fierce expression, yanked at the token at his waist, and sneered, "Miss, can you bear the charge of delaying an important case?"
Looking at the dragon cloud totem on the token in front of her, Cui Yiluo's expression changed slightly.
But in a flash, she regained her composure and sheathed the dagger neatly.
"It turned out to be the Lord of Yunyi Guards. I thought he was a thief and accidentally injured him. It was a misunderstanding."
"Misunderstanding?" The man raised his narrow eyes and scoffed, "You hurt me and drugged me, delaying an important case. What's your punishment?"
Cui Yiluo's eyes were cold.
The Yunyi Guards were personally selected by the Emperor, serving him directly and taking orders from him. This clearly showed their power. While the man before him wasn't wearing official robes, his casual black clothes suggested he was of high rank.
Cui Yiluo took out a porcelain bottle from her sleeve and threw it to him: "Antidote."
The man was not surprised by her behavior, and there was still a hint of sarcasm on his face.
Seeing him take it, Cui Yiluo put on a beautiful smile and said, "Your Excellency just asked me for help, and I am happy to help you."
"But after this, I hope you will forgive me."
The man regained his strength and stood up with his sword against the ground. He watched Cui Yiluo calmly change her attitude, and a hint of amusement flashed across his cold expression.
He didn't comment, but instead said, "Did you see the maidservant next to the shopkeeper? The one with the small mole on her forehead."
Cui Yiluo has had an exceptional memory since childhood. "I remember."
"Find a way to get someone in."
Cui Yiluo immediately turned around. The man wanted to add that the man was cunning and should not be noticed by her, but then he thought that Cui Yiluo was even more cunning and there was no need to give her more warnings.
Cui Yiluo instructed Lilan, "Tell me I want to see some jade pendants and ask someone to pick some up."
She remembered that the maidservant had been responsible for serving jewellery and had never served fruit plates or food. She thought she was the shopkeeper's right-hand man. The jade pendant was not very valuable compared to the jewellery on the table. Moreover, it was she, not Jiang Zhaoyue, who called for help, so such a small matter would not alarm the shopkeeper.
Not long after, the maid came alone holding the jade pendant.
As soon as she entered the room, the maid was mute-pressed by the man and captured. She raised her hand and hit the man's chest in the back.
The two exchanged a few moves, but she was obviously no match for the man. The man completely subdued her and left through the window.
Before jumping out of the window, the man looked back at Cui Yiluo, his gloomy eyes full of meaning.
Cui Yiluo, who was hiding far away, just responded with a faint smile.
Not until everyone left completely did Li Lanfang collapse to the ground exhausted, and Cui Yiluo's tense body also visibly relaxed, but her face was still as gloomy as water.
"Miss, how could you be so unlucky to run into Yun Yiwei today! And you mistook him for the thief who assassinated you before. What should I do? Will he take revenge on you in the future?"
Cui Yiluo recalled the look the man gave her before he left, and said with a dark look in her eyes, "After all, I helped him. If he still had some credibility, he wouldn't have embarrass me so blatantly."
Lilan looked even more embarrassed when she heard this. Keeping her promise to Yun Yiwei?
Cui Yiluo cautiously instructed: "What happened today is between you and me, and it must not be spread to anyone else."
Lilan nodded in shock: "Yes."
After all, apart from a few bloodstains left by the man on the carpet, there were no signs of a fight in the entire room, and no one was alarmed.
As calm as if nothing had happened.
Cui Yiluo's heart sank.
Her true side was exposed, and it turned out to be someone she couldn't kill.
-
The next day was the Lotus Banquet. Clusters of lotus flowers were in full bloom in Qingle Lake, and the lotus flowers and leaves complemented each other. The banquet was held in the Shuizhi Palace by the lake.
This was Cui Yiluo's first banquet since arriving in Shengjing.
The Lotus Feast was grand, and all the branches of the Jiang family were invited. While the banquet was supposedly for lotus viewing, it was actually a gathering of the aristocratic families. A number of people had already gathered in the side hall, and several of the Jiang family's daughters and sons spontaneously dispersed.
Lan Hui couldn't help but exchange pleasantries with the official's wife, so she had to ask her daughter to take good care of her niece.
The palace was heavily guarded, so Jiang Zhaoyue was not worried that Cui Yiluo would be in danger. She was just afraid that she would feel restrained because she was unfamiliar with the place, so she took Cui Yiluo to meet some noble ladies and gentlemen.
Because Jiang Zhaoyue was there, the ladies and gentlemen all appeared very enthusiastic towards Cui Yiluo, but a few of them still couldn't hide their contempt in their eyes.
"Here comes such a lovely cousin, yet I hid her away until today and brought her out."
The noble lady who was speaking had a pretty and elegant face, a calm temperament, and wearing a green dress, she looked like a lotus in the rain. She had a light and pleasant herbal fragrance all over her body, and she seemed very familiar with Jiang Zhaoyue.
Jiang Zhaoyue smiled and joked, "It's obvious that you haven't come to look for my brother for some reason, so you haven't seen your cousin."
When the other ladies and gentlemen heard this, they couldn't help but tease the lady. She immediately blushed and glanced at Jiang Zhaoyue angrily.
Cui Yiluo also reacted. Before going to Beijing, she memorized the relationships among the noble families in Shengjing several times. The woman she was engaged to Jiang Mingxun was his childhood sweetheart. The two of them were well-matched and in love, which was enviable.
Sure enough, Jiang Zhaoyue said, "Yiluo, this is Jingling, the daughter of Imperial Physician Yang."
Yang Jingling and Cui Yiluo smiled and nodded to each other, and this marked their formal acquaintance.
"Miss Cui, are you from Ningzhou? They say Ningzhou is a land of natural beauty. I've never been there, but the moment I saw you, I knew it was true."
It turned out that the noble lady next to Yang Jingling took the initiative to talk to Cui Yiluo. She had a gentle and pure face and seemed very easy to get along with.
Jiang Zhaoyue reminded in a low voice: "This is Xie Xiyun, the daughter of General Xie."
It turned out to be her, the daughter of the Grand Marshal, who was sincere and gentle in nature, but had a womanizing fiancé.
General Xie was upright and selfless, and his children were also upright, without any ulterior motives. Therefore, even though the Xie family was extremely dissatisfied with Xie Xiyun's fiancé, since the marriage was arranged by Old Master Xie, they would not take the initiative to cancel the engagement before the other party did anything out of line, let alone use tricks to cancel the engagement.
The intelligence Cui Yiluo received was superficial, but how could the secrets of a wealthy family be so easily known? She had only just discovered the hidden truth during a casual conversation with Jiang Zhaoyue.
She smiled at Xie Xiyun.
Xie Xiyun was stunned for a moment, as if she had been dazzled by her bright smile. After coming to her senses, she felt a little rude and her words stumbled. "Is Yiluo here to visit relatives? I wonder how long you plan to stay in Shengjing?"
Some people who knew the inside story showed a hint of sarcasm on their faces.
Jiang Zhaoyue's expression froze for a moment. Just as she was thinking about how to smooth things over, she heard Cui Yiluo calmly say, "I will probably live in Shengjing for a long time in the future. I'm here to prepare for my marriage."
The ladies and gentlemen present were all from wealthy families, and if they had no connection, they wouldn't have paid much attention to a mere supervisor like Cheng Feng. Those who didn't know the inside story were immediately intrigued, and the gentlemen who had developed some feelings for Cui Yiluo also expressed disappointment.
Ichiro-kun asked, "Which young man is so blessed?"
Cui Yiluo replied with a calm smile, "It's Cheng Jiancheng, the Imperial College."
This matter cannot be concealed.
Suddenly, surprise and astonishment, regret and ridicule mixed together on everyone's face, with different expressions. Xie Xiyun felt that she had touched a sore spot and looked guilty.
Yang Jingling said, "This... If I remember correctly, Cheng Jiancheng seems to be over 60 years old?"
Jiang Zhaoyue looked at Cui Yiluo worriedly, but she seemed not to notice the contempt or regret in everyone's eyes, and just nodded.
My cousin is just forcing herself. Who would be willing to marry an old and lecherous man?
The ladies and gentlemen present all thought so too. They felt that although Cui Yiluo looked calm on the outside, she must be feeling bitter inside.
Cui Yiluo certainly caught the pity in everyone's expressions.
But she no longer needed this kind of thing since she was a child. Pity is the so-called empathy that people in a superior position give to the weak. It cannot change her situation, nor will it bring her any comfort.
There was a sudden commotion not far away, breaking the dull low pressure.
Cui Yiluo followed the crowd and looked in the direction, and saw an extremely handsome man being passed by surrounded by several people. He was wearing a frosty round-necked brocade robe, and his black hair was neatly tied up with a jade crown.
Perhaps for the convenience of movement, Jiang Yunjin wore a wrist guard today, which showed off his strong and neat arm lines and a sense of power under calmness, making him particularly conspicuous in the huge crowd.
Jiang Zhaoyue uttered a puzzled "Hmm?" and muttered, "Big Brother rarely attends events like this. Why did he come today, even though the sun has already risen from the west?"
Cui Yiluo's stare was fixed on the person next to Jiang Yunjin.
It’s the person in Baoyue Pavilion. How could they be together?
"Cousin, is Yun Yiwei the one next to my eldest cousin?"
Jiang Zhaoyue looked over. The man wasn't wearing the official uniform of the Yunyi Guard, and she didn't know how Cui Yiluo recognized him. "That's the commander of the Yunyi Guard, Yuan Ling."
"Is he familiar with my cousin?"
Jiang Zhaoyue didn't notice the subtle nervousness in Cui Yiluo's tone. She shook her head and said, "I haven't heard of it. I guess I just happened to see it."
As soon as he finished speaking, the man seemed to sense something and looked over.
The moment their eyes met, Yuan Ling obviously recognized her and smiled playfully.
Cui Yiluo was about to look away when she saw Jiang Yunjin also turning his head to look at her.
His clear eyes remained emotionless, yet Cui Yiluo felt he was a bit strange. However, she still managed to put on a gentle and bright smile.
Before the corners of his mouth could fully curl up, Jiang Yunjin turned his eyes away.
Instead, Yuan Ling beside him saw the entire process and raised his eyebrows meaningfully.
Cui Yiluo couldn't help but feel a little irritated. He was actually the commander of the Yunyi Guard, one of the emperor's trusted ministers. This made things even more difficult than before.
But she had no time to think about it, because Jiang Zhaoyue was about to take her to pick lotus.
The Lotus Banquet would begin at the end of the Shen hour. Concubine Qiong had placed several small boats by the lake for the ladies and gentlemen to use for lotus picking and boating in the afternoon. To add to the fun, Concubine Qiong would also place some lucky charms every year and hide them deep in the lotus flowers, on a first-come, first-served basis.
Concubine Qiong was deeply favored, and her private treasury was filled with rare treasures in the world. She was also very generous, so everyone tried their best to win the prize every year.
Jiang Zhaoyue was an impatient person. Seeing someone else board the boat first, he also wanted to go pick lotus.
The intense sunlight scattered across the lake's surface, creating a rainbow of colors, the red lotus leaves and green leaves a striking contrast. The boat parted ways with the lotus blossoms, its stern leaving a long trail of water on the still surface.
Three women sat at the bow of the boat, holding bamboo umbrellas to block out the scorching sun. Jiang Zhaoyue chattered with Cui Yiluo about the lucky numbers of previous years.
"Last year's prize was truly remarkable! It was a five-colored jade tribute from the Western Regions. Its colors were brilliant and rare, and it was found by the youngest daughter of the Minister of Personnel. Oh, how enviable! I also won a prize a few years ago, but it wasn't as precious and beautiful as that five-colored jade."
Yang Jingling said helplessly, "What's so bad about the red agate that Kucha pays tribute to you? If you don't want it, you might as well give it to me."
"I'm willing to do that, but I'm worried that my brother will blame me for stealing his limelight."
Cui Yiluo listened with a smile.
Suddenly, a lotus flower flew through the sunlight and landed directly in Cui Yiluo's arms.
The lotus flowers had just been picked and were still covered with water droplets. The cold water droplets splashed onto the faces and clothes of the three people, scaring them all. Jiang Zhaoyue almost screamed.
The three of them subconsciously looked not far away.
They saw a small, but extremely exquisite and luxurious pleasure boat parked no more than half a mile northeast of them. A woman stood at the bow, looking at them with a smile.
She was about sixteen years old, with her hair covered with precious gems that sparkled in the sunlight, and her slender neck was also adorned with a pearl necklace, but what was even brighter was her eyes, which sparkled with intelligence.
"It's Princess Hejia."
Jiang Zhaoyue reminded Cui Yiluo.
Cui Yiluo had guessed it long ago. After all, in the palace, especially at the lotus viewing banquet hosted by the imperial concubine, who else could be the young woman who could dress so luxuriously except He Jia?
Princess Hejia, Xiao Ying, the only daughter of Consort Qiong, who had been favored for over a decade, and the Emperor's youngest daughter, was deeply adored. This young princess always loved wearing brightly colored jewelry and wearing dazzling clothes.
The little princess said something to the eunuch who was holding an umbrella to shade her from the sun. The eunuch responded and made a gesture to the eunuch who was in charge of Cui Yiluo's boat.
Soon, the boat carrying Cui Yiluo and the other two docked at the pleasure boat.
She had just instructed the eunuch who was coming over by boat to hand the umbrella to the other palace servants, and walked to the side of the boat with a smile on her face.
"Ladies, His Highness invites you."
How could the three refuse Princess Hejia's invitation? They looked at each other, then lifted their skirts one by one and carefully stepped towards Xiao Ying's pleasure boat.
Cui Yiluo walked at the end, holding up her skirt with the lotus hand and holding a bamboo umbrella with the other hand.
Suddenly a gust of wind blew, causing Cui Yiluo's bamboo umbrella to shake violently, and her body also swayed unsteadily like a kite in the sky.
"Miss Cui, be careful."
A whisk was swung over, and the eunuch was quick to use it to support Cui Yiluo's arm.
The force holding her up was as solid as a rock, and Cui Yiluo couldn't help but look up at the eunuch.
The eunuch smiled politely. He was wearing a maroon robe and was a high-ranking eunuch, serving closely. His hair was graying, his skin was pale and bloodless, and his kind smile was a little creepy.
Jiang Zhaoyue and the other man were already bowing: "Greetings, Your Highness."
Cui Yiluo calmly withdrew her gaze and saluted Xiao Ying together.
Xiao Ying smiled with her eyes curved and waved her hand: "No need to be polite."
Xiao Ying and Jiang Yang had known each other for a long time. After greeting each other, they looked at Cui Yiluo, who was holding the lotus, and asked, "Are you the family member of a newly appointed official?"
Cui Yiluo explained her identity with a charming smile, and finally said, "I haven't thanked Your Highness for the lotus flowers yet."
Xiao Ying didn't look down on Cui Yiluo because of her humble status. "I saw you at a glance just now, but I was quite far away, so I used the lotus-throwing method. Didn't scare you?"
Among the three, Jiang Zhaoyue and Xiao Ying were the most familiar with each other. "Your Highness is still the same."
Xiao Ying's smile was even more delightful. "Eunuch Xu, Miss Cui just said she was from Ningzhou. Is Ningzhou in the south? I vaguely remember that my father passed by here during his southern tour."
Eunuch Xu was the eunuch who had come to invite them. He said helplessly, "Your Highness, you have never left the capital, and neither have I. Aren't you making things difficult for me?"
Xiao Ying looked at Cui Yiluo again. Cui Yiluo was about to answer when she heard Eunuch Xu say with a smile, "Your Highness, it's hot outside. You look like you're sweating. Why don't you take a few girls inside to sit down?"
Xiao Ying came back to her senses and said, "It's indeed a bit hot. Miss Cui, there's tea and snacks inside. Why don't we go in and talk?"
"yes."
Xiao Ying's pleasure boat was naturally much larger than their small boat and had an inner room. Their small boat was completely open, with only bamboo umbrellas to block the sun, and it was far less cool than the pleasure boat.
When sitting down, Xiao Ying specifically asked Cui Yiluo to sit next to her.
Jiang Zhaoyue and Yang Jingling looked at each other and both understood that Xiao Ying really liked Cui Yiluo.
Although Xiao Ying was warm and welcoming, she rarely took the initiative towards any noble lady. Given her status and favor, it was too late for everyone to try to please her.
Sure enough, after sitting down, Xiao Ying started chatting with Cui Yiluo. Jiang Zhaoyue and the other two spoke only a few times, but they didn't mind and started talking about other things.
The pleasure boat sailed for a while, and when several people were chatting happily, a scream suddenly rang out -
"Ah! She fell into the water! Help! Miss Xie fell into the water!"
The author has something to say:
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A Luo: Trouble
[Poor] This chapter is almost 6k words. I have to control the word count to be on the list. I won’t update tomorrow. The next chapter will be on Thursday (7.17) at 9 am
[Dear] My dears, don’t forget to collect this
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