Chapter 288 Xiao Yeming Breaks into the Grand Princess's Residence
Although he couldn't understand what A Bao was saying, he could imagine from the terrible state of the creature that it had suffered, and he was afraid that Sister Lu's situation in the mansion was even more dangerous!
An ominous premonition, as cold as ice, instantly seeped into his limbs and bones.
Abao tilted her head back, her emerald pupils dilated with pain, yet she stared intently at him, squeezing out a weak, mournful cry: "Brother Yeming...save...Mother...the manor...poison..."
How could Xiao Yeming understand this heart-wrenching plea?
He only saw the kitten's lips moving, its breath faint.
Wang Wu had already dismounted, and upon seeing this, he gasped in shock: "General! This... this was done by Lady Yunxiu?"
Xiao Yeming suppressed the anger that was about to burst from his chest, carefully handed Abao to Wang Wu, his eyes already red, his voice firm and unwavering: "Go quickly! Find the best doctor and save it!"
Wang Wu took the small, frail body in his arms and said with concern, "But General, you're entering the manor alone..."
"Go quickly!"
Xiao Yeming interrupted sharply, his gaze sweeping over A Bao's bloodied and mangled paws, his voice trembling uncontrollably, "It can't wait! It can't wait even a moment longer!"
Wang Wu dared not hesitate any longer. He hugged A Bao tightly, mounted his horse, and rode away in a cloud of dust.
Xiao Yeming's bloodshot eyes flashed with murderous intent, piercing the two tightly closed vermilion doors like ice spikes.
The gatekeeper had already caught a glimpse of the dust and smoke from his personal guards rushing in, and scrambled inside to report.
Xiao Yeming stepped directly up the stairs, intending to force his way in.
Just as he approached the doorway, the door creaked open a crack.
A steward dressed in black robes, with a sharp and capable expression, stepped forward and bowed, blocking the doorway: "General, please wait! Allow me to inform him immediately..."
"No need!"
Xiao Yeming's voice was as cold and hard as iron, "I have important business to attend to, get out of the way!"
After saying that, he waved for his personal guards to come forward.
Almost simultaneously, the vermilion gate burst open.
The Grand Princess's maid, Ji, stood solemnly inside the gate, with two rows of guards behind her, each holding a fire-and-water stick and dressed in a uniform blue-brown short jacket, ready to block her way.
Before the screen wall, more servants stood solemnly, the atmosphere heavy.
Aunt Ji's gaze swept over Xiao Yeming and the armored soldiers behind him. Her tone was calm but sharp: "General Xiao's sudden arrival, with so many armored soldiers, is for some reason? My lord has not summoned any foreign officials recently."
Xiao Yeming had no intention of engaging in pleasantries and said coldly, "Your family knows perfectly well why I have come! Where is Madam Lu now?"
Aunt Ji's expression remained unchanged as she calmly said, "So it's about Lady Lu. His Highness admires Lady Lu's talent and has specially invited her to our residence for a chat today. She is currently serving tea at 'Listening Bamboo Pavilion.' General, is this because you suspect that my Grand Princess's residence will neglect its guests?"
"Visiting?"
Xiao Yeming stared directly at Aunt Ji with his dark eyes: "Treating a guest's beloved pet, whom you treat like your own child, to the point of near death? Is this how your family treats its guests?"
Aunt Ji's tone remained calm: "General, you are wise. That beast startled the princess's carriage earlier. The princess is young and hot-tempered, so she only punished it slightly. It's just that the cat is weak and cannot be disciplined. Why should the general bother with such a trivial matter?"
Xiao Yeming said no more and took a step to force his way in.
Aunt Ji's eyes sharpened, and the water and fire sticks of the guards behind her slammed down with a dull thud, their imposing presence palpable.
"General!"
Aunt Ji's voice suddenly turned stern, "If you insist on barging into the mansion today, you will be disobeying the imperial family and showing contempt for the imperial authority! According to the 'Criminal Code,' you should be punished for 'great disrespect'!"
She took a step closer and lowered her voice: "Even if you are a fourth-rank general and enjoy the Emperor's favor, you may not be afraid. But have you considered that the Xiao family's reputation and the Old Madam's peaceful old age may all be ruined by your momentary impulse?"
He could disregard his own safety and risk his life to rush in and rescue Lu Zhaoruo, but he could never gamble the reputation and safety of the entire Xiao family on his momentary impulse.
He quickly made up his mind.
He suddenly raised his hand and sternly ordered his personal guards behind him: "You all wait here! Without my order, you are not to step into the mansion!"
"General!"
One of the guards tried urgently to dissuade him.
Xiao Yeming's gaze was like iron, brooking no argument: "This is a military order!"
After speaking, he turned to Aunt Ji, his imposing aura softening slightly, but his tone remained solemn: "Aunt, you may not know this. I came here today to discuss the matter of proposing marriage and betrothal with Madam Lu. I heard that she was invited to your residence, and I was concerned about her, so I came here to find her. Please lead the way."
Aunt Ji was deeply shocked when she heard the words "marriage proposal".
She had long heard that Xiao Yeming was interested in that Lu family member, and that Madam Xiao was extremely fond of Lu family member.
At this moment, it's indeed difficult to find an excuse to stop him from using this reason to look for someone.
She immediately stepped aside to make way, her tone complex: "I see... General Xiao, please follow me."
Aunt Ji led Xiao Yeming to the main hall in the front courtyard, ordered a maid to serve tea, and then hurried into the inner room to report.
Inside the inner hall, the Grand Princess Linglang stood by the window, her fingertips twirling a string of sandalwood prayer beads.
Upon hearing Aunt Ji's report, her fingers, which were twirling the prayer beads, suddenly stopped, and she turned abruptly: "How dare he come so quickly? And use an excuse like 'marriage proposal'..."
A flash of incredulous rage crossed her eyes, which quickly turned into a cold sneer: "For the sake of a mere merchant's daughter, Xiao Yeming dares to risk the entire Xiao family to force his way into my residence? He's utterly insane!"
Aunt Ji lowered her head and whispered, "Your Highness, General Xiao is waiting in the front hall right now. Although his words are polite, his attitude is tough. He insists that he has come to find the 'person he is about to propose to'... We can't really take him to see that Lu family, can we?"
Shu Linglang's eyes suddenly turned cold, as if tempered with frost: "Take him to see you? Ha..."
She paced slowly in the room, her mind racing: "This boy is shrewd and meticulous. He's using this as an excuse to force me to release him with 'dignity'."
She stopped abruptly and instructed Aunt Ji, "Go tell him that Lady Lu is having tea and conversation with me in the backyard, and it is inconvenient for a man to disturb her. Tell him to wait a moment."
They waited from dawn until three-quarters past dusk.
The sky outside the window had long since turned from leaden gray to deep black, with thick clouds hanging low and the air so stuffy that there was not a breath of wind; a downpour was imminent.
During this time, Xiao Yeming repeatedly sent his maidservants to inquire about the matter.
Every time the maid returned, she would repeat the same thing with her head bowed: "Reporting to the general, His Highness and Lady Lu are having a very pleasant conversation and are quite engrossed in their conversation. Please wait a little longer, General."
They had a very pleasant conversation.
Xiao Yeming's unease grew rapidly with the passage of time.
He knew perfectly well that there was no way that Sister Lu could have a "pleasant conversation" with the Grand Princess.
This excuse only means that Sister Lu's situation is becoming increasingly dangerous!
When the first rumble of thunder sounded outside the window, Xiao Yeming suddenly stood up. He could no longer endure this agonizing pain, like being slowly torn apart by a dull knife! Just as he was about to rush into the inner courtyard, a soft tinkling of jade pendants and footsteps came from outside the hall.
Then, Lady Yunxiu walked in with a light step, carrying a pomegranate.
Her gaze fell on Xiao Yeming's tense face, and a hint of undisguised mockery and smugness curled at the corners of her lips. Her voice was contemptuous: "Xiao Yeming? You're still waiting here? My mother is having a pleasant conversation with Lu Zhaoruo. She's probably already forgotten about you to the ends of the earth!"
Xiao Yeming immediately stepped forward and pressed, "Yunxiu, where exactly have you imprisoned Sister Lu?"
'Sister Lu?'
Yunxiu found the title grating.
She was about two years older than Xiao Yeming, and they had grown up together since childhood. When had she ever heard him call her Sister Yun?
She sneered, "Sister Lu, how intimate you are! What do you mean by imprisonment? Didn't you hear? She was chatting happily with my mother in the backyard. I treated her like an honored guest."
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