Chapter 135 This subordinate deserves to die, Miss Su has disappeared.
"You're awake?"
The man slowly turned his head. Under the straw hat, his face was plain and even somewhat simple. Only his eyes were calm, like two dry wells, unfathomable.
His voice was very steady, and you couldn't tell his emotions.
Su Xiaoyu's attack failed, so she quickly retreated, approaching the carriage and staring at the other party with a wary expression.
"Who are you? Why are you arresting me?"
"Let me tell you, I am from the Yongning Marquis's mansion, and my father is the steward of the mansion. If you dare to hurt me, the Marquis's mansion will never let you off!"
The man was taken aback at first, then explained with some helplessness, "Miss Su, you misunderstand. I am not a bad person. I just noticed someone following you near the rendezvous point. In a moment of panic, I had no choice but to use this method. If I have offended you, please forgive me."
track?
Su Xiaoyu was stunned for a few seconds. Was it someone sent by the Crown Prince?
No wonder I've been feeling a gaze on me from behind these past few days, but every time I turn around to check, I see nothing.
Could this be the legendary secret guard?
Thinking of this, Su Xiaoyu suddenly felt a little flustered.
She carefully examined the man in front of her. He was extremely skilled and acted strangely, but he didn't seem to have any ill intentions.
She tentatively asked, "Are you... one of the people arranged by Master Shen?"
The young man—or rather, the eunuch—acknowledged it readily: "Yes, my godfather instructed me to ensure Miss Su's safety and to take you to where you need to be."
“I am Fu Gui, the head of the Eastern Depot’s Criminal Division, and Chief Secretary Shen is my godfather.”
Wealth and status? A high-ranking official in the Eastern Depot? A godfather?
With a series of identities coming crashing down on her, Su Xiaoyu's tense nerves finally relaxed a little.
She breathed a sigh of relief, rubbed her sore neck, and said with a hint of dissatisfaction, "Even if it was to save me, couldn't you have done it in a gentler way? Like pretending to bump into me, or just coming up and telling me directly?"
Fugui put his straw hat back on and focused on driving.
"Time is of the essence, so that method is not fast enough and would easily be noticed by the other party. This method is the most effective."
Su Xiaoyu: "..."
Okay, you're strong, so you're right.
She bent down to pick up her bundle and patted off non-existent dust.
"Are you sure you've shaken off all the tails that were following behind?"
"Don't worry, Miss Su, I've already shaken them off."
"Alright then, let's go to the hunting grounds now and find a place where the horses are kept."
Su Xiaoyu made up her mind that since the Third Prince wanted to frame the Crown Prince for falling off his horse, he would definitely tamper with the Crown Prince's horse.
All she had to do was pretend to be a eunuch, guard the prince's horse, and make sure no one with ulterior motives got close, wouldn't that be enough?
When Su Xiaoyu and Fugui arrived at the hunting grounds, it was already evening.
The royal hunting grounds were located at the foot of the Cangyun Mountains, a place with deep forests and lush vegetation, making it a favorite hunting ground for emperors throughout history.
Looking out, a huge campsite was built along the gentle slope, with thousands of tents scattered like mushrooms after the rain, all in good order.
In the center of the camp was a large complex of tents and palaces, predominantly bright yellow, where the royal family and relatives lived.
Centered on the Yellow Tent Hall, radiating outwards were the camps of officials from various departments, sons of nobles, and their accompanying attendants. Tents of different colors distinguished different camps, and although there was some noise, everything was orderly.
The Yongning Marquis's camp was not far from the central area. Several spacious and sturdy tents had been erected, and the area was surrounded by a simple fence. Servants were busy moving luggage and starting fires to cook.
Lady Liu, accompanied by Xiao Lingxi, was exchanging pleasantries and laughter with several ladies and noblewomen from the neighboring camp.
The outer perimeter of the camp was a large stable area and vehicle parking area, which was the busiest place at the moment, with the sound of hooves and neighing horses. The fine horses brought by various prefectures and the imperial horses were all gathered here and taken care of by special grooms and eunuchs.
Su Xiaoyu had already changed into a eunuch's robe. With her head down, she followed the team transporting fodder, her eyes quickly scanning the area.
The venue was so big that Su Xiaoyu couldn't keep up with all the sights.
"That's the Crown Prince's private stable."
Fu Gui pointed to a spacious stable not far ahead, where two eunuchs dressed in the uniforms of the Imperial Horse Administration were carrying buckets of water into it.
Su Xiaoyu understood immediately. When the two eunuchs came out, Fugui stepped forward at the right moment and patted a round-faced eunuch who was wiping the horse stall.
"Little Zhuozi, are you busy?"
Upon hearing this, the eunuch looked up and saw Fugui. His face immediately broke into a respectful yet somewhat naive smile. He put down his work and ran over.
"Grandpa Fu, what brings you here?"
"My godfather is busy with things on his end and is worried that you won't have enough manpower here. If something goes wrong, he'll send someone to help you out."
As Fu Gui spoke, he introduced Xiao Zhuozi, "This is Eunuch Xiao Yu. He's quite clever. You can arrange some light work for him and keep an eye on him."
Xiao Zhuozi understood immediately and bowed deeply, saying, "Thank you for your consideration, Master Zhang. Thank you, Eunuch Fu. Brother Xiaoyu, welcome."
His eyes were filled with gratitude and acceptance as he looked at Su Xiaoyu. He was clearly an honest person with no ulterior motives.
Su Xiaoyu quickly imitated the eunuch's manner and gave a vague reply, which was considered a greeting.
After giving his instructions, Fu Gui winked at Su Xiaoyu, then turned and disappeared into the busy crowd.
Xiao Zhuozi was very easy to get along with, and he assigned Su Xiaoyu the simplest tasks, mainly adding water and keeping an eye on the fodder to prevent other horses from stealing it.
Su Xiaoyu readily agreed and acted very diligently.
During a break from work, she casually patrolled the area, her gaze carefully sweeping over each horse. It must be said that the royal stables were indeed filled with exceptional steeds, each one plump, strong, and glossy.
Soon, her gaze was drawn to the horses in the innermost private compartment.
The horse was pure white except for its black hooves. It was tall and well-proportioned, with smooth, powerful muscle lines, a long neck, and its head held high. Its large eyes were bright and piercing, and it seemed to have an innate sense of nobility and arrogance in its gaze.
Even among a group of fine horses, it stands out like a crane among chickens.
"This is His Highness the Crown Prince's most beloved steed, named 'Zhaoye'. It is said to be a fine steed presented as tribute from the Western Regions, capable of traveling a thousand miles a day."
Xiao Zhuozi stood aside and introduced Su Xiaoyu at the right time.
"His Highness will most likely be riding it on the hunt tomorrow, so we must take good care of it and make sure nothing goes wrong!"
Su Xiaoyu thought to herself: Just as I expected!
She put on a solemn expression and nodded repeatedly: "Don't worry, Father-in-law, I'll take care of it. I will definitely take good care of 'Zhaoye' and never let any unauthorized people get close!"
If nothing unexpected happens, if the Third Prince's men are to make a move, their target will most likely be this 'Zhaoye' horse.
She must be extremely vigilant and guard it well!
-
Meanwhile, at the Marquis's camp.
Xiao Jingheng had just returned from his patrol when he saw the bodyguards responsible for protecting Su Xiaoyu kneeling at the entrance of the tent.
His phoenix eyes narrowed, and a bad premonition immediately rose in his heart.
Upon seeing him return, the guard knelt down and reported:
"Your Highness, I deserve to die!"
"Miss Su...she's gone!"
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