Chapter 51 Chapter 51 Lu Changji, what are you and Jiang Shu doing...
The night is deep and the dew is heavy. The autumn wind touches my body and brings a cool feeling.
Jiang Shu wrapped her clothes around herself, folded her hands in front of her chest, and hugged herself.
The current dynasty was open-minded, and the civil code explicitly stipulated that widows were free to remarry after their husbands died. Jiang Shu was already a free woman, so even discussing marriage with Ye Qian was perfectly reasonable.
But for some reason, facing Lu Changji, she felt guilty for no apparent reason. Her heartbeat quickened, and she was so flustered that she couldn't control herself.
Jiang Shu paused for a moment, mustered up the courage to look at Lu Changji, and said softly, "It's late at night, the dew is heavy. Why are you here, uncle?"
Lu Changji went straight to the point: "I'm here to take you home."
He spoke in a steady and low tone, as if he didn't think it was inappropriate for his uncle to pick up his sister-in-law at night.
When facing Lu Changji, Jiang Shu's reaction was always a beat slower than usual. She instinctively wanted to refuse to go with Lu Changji, but she could not think of a reason to shirk.
At this moment, Ye Qian said, "Minister Lu came to take you home late at night. It must be something important. Don't worry. I'll have the driver harness you right away."
He reacted quickly and solved her dilemma properly. Jiang Shu couldn't help but look at Ye Qian with gratitude.
Jiang Shu felt quite at ease, but to Lu Changji, this scene looked suspiciously like flirting. His expression darkened even further.
Cheng Yong felt bad, so he jumped off the carriage quickly, put the stool on the ground, and made a "please" gesture to Jiang Shu: "Second Madam, please get in the carriage."
He was so firm in his attitude that Jiang Shu couldn't refuse anymore. It was embarrassing and difficult to resolve.
She turned her head to look at Ye Qian and said softly, "Brother Ye Qian, something urgent must have happened at home. I can't delay any longer, so I'll go first."
Ye Qian nodded and watched Jiang Shu get on the carriage before turning back towards the Ye family.
The car was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. Lu Changji didn't say anything else, but Jiang Shu could sense that he was in a bad mood, so she simply kept silent.
There was a small ebony table in the middle of the carriage, and on the table was a fist-sized night pearl. The night pearl emitted a faint light, which was not as bright as candlelight, but softer and warmer. Jiang Shu looked at the soft light, and her tense heart relaxed a little.
Just when I felt a little relieved, I suddenly saw Lu Changji stand up. He was tall and had long legs, and the night pearl was covered in shadow. The carriage suddenly became dark again.
Jiang Shu's breathing became shallow. She stared at Lu Changji without blinking until Lu Changji walked to her side and handed a round object to her.
Jiang Shu took it and felt it was warm to the touch. It was a hand warmer wrapped in brocade. It wasn't even the beginning of winter yet, and even the warm gloves were stored in the closet. Jiang Shu hadn't expected Lu Changji to have a hand warmer in his carriage.
The heat spread through the hand warmer, adding a warm warmth to Jiang Shuhan's body. The tension and resistance that had arisen before were slowly melted away by the hand warmer.
"Uncle." Jiang Shu wanted to thank Lu Changji, but at this moment, the carriage, which was originally running smoothly, suddenly shook, and then the sound of horses neighing was heard, and the carriage was forced to stop.
Before Jiang Shu realized what was happening, she felt dizzy and in an instant, Lu Changji pinned her down.
The sound of sharp arrows piercing the wind whistled past, and dozens of long arrows pierced the carriage like flowing stones. Death passed by, and Jiang Shu's heart was still in her throat when she heard the sound of fighting outside.
"Don't be afraid." Lu Changji propped up his elbows and created a gap between himself and Jiang Shu. "These people are coming for me. No matter what happens, don't go out."
He was always cautious and guarded himself very strictly, so his opponents could never find a chance to kill him.
Today, I decided on a whim to visit Jiang Shu at Jiang's house, and only brought Cheng Yong and a coachman. I didn't expect that someone with ulterior motives would take advantage of me. The other party came prepared, and even if Cheng Yong had superb martial arts skills, he wouldn't be able to hold out for long.
Lu Changji's tone was calm, but his chin was straight. Thinking of the fierce rain of arrows just now, Jiang Shu was so anxious that cold sweats broke out.
Lu Changji raised his hand and tucked Jiang Shu's hair behind her ears. He lowered his head and whispered in her ear, "It's me they want to kill. You just need to hide well and you'll be safe. Remember, no matter what happens, don't go out."
The warm breath sprayed on her ears, making her feel tingling and numb, disturbing her heart. Jiang Shu unconsciously turned her face to the side, and said "hmm" with her body stiff.
Time passed slowly, and the sounds of fighting outside the car gradually subsided. Suddenly, a hoarse voice rang out, "Lu Changji, what are you still doing hiding in the car? Are you trying to be a coward?"
Safety is more important than anything else. The carriages of the high-ranking officials of the court all have mechanical devices. Even though Lu Changji is a civil servant, assassins would not dare to enter the carriage rashly.
There were thirty poisonous arrows embedded in the walls of Lu Changji's carriage. As long as he started the mechanism, all the poisonous arrows would be shot out and the carriage would fall apart.
Perhaps activating the mechanism could provide a chance to escape, but when Lu Changji thought of Jiang Shu, his hand, which was about to turn the mechanism, stopped abruptly.
If he fails to kill all the assassins, Jiang Shu will be exposed to the public, and he will not be able to protect her from the vicious criminals.
He couldn't let her make any mistakes.
Lu Changji glanced at Jiang Shu, put his hands on the ground, stood up decisively, straightened his messy wrinkled clothes, and stepped out.
"You are very brave." The hoarse voice sounded again, followed by a muffled groan.
The groaning sound was not loud, but it tore Jiang Shu's heart apart. Jiang Shu crawled to the car window, lifted the curtain a little, and looked out through the gap. She saw the assassin kicking Lu Changji's knee hard.
The man, as strong as a crane and as sturdy as a pine tree, was forced to kneel on the ground, surrounded by a group of unknown ants who insulted and mocked him.
"Having received such a great gift from Prime Minister Lu, even if I were to go to the underworld right now, my life on earth would not be in vain."
"Prime Minister Lu is the highest-ranking official in the country. I'm afraid he has never kneeled before anyone except the emperor. Why don't we experience the feeling of being the emperor for a while?"
"Oh, Prime Minister Lu's back is really stronger than that of an ordinary person. I can't push it down."
The man who was speaking suddenly exerted force and swung his long spear to hit Lu Changji on the back. The iron weapon was heavy and sharp, and it knocked Lu Changji to the ground.
Lu Changji knelt on the ground, clearly in a posture of submission, but his back was straight. His face was calm, his thin lips were tightly pursed, and his eyes were calm.
What people like to see most is a tiger in trouble. Nothing can make people more happy than teasing the strong.
Unfortunately, the tiger was too strong. Even trapped, it still stood tall and proud, showing no sign of panic or embarrassment. In fact, the assassin beside it looked like a clown.
Not getting the expected sense of accomplishment, one assassin was furious. He raised the spear in his hand and smashed it hard on Lu Changji's back. Lu Changji could not withstand the tremendous force and fell to the ground, his luxurious clothes covered with dust.
"Hahahaha..." The assassin laughed loudly, looking at Lu Changji's figure crawling on the ground, and felt endless pleasure in his heart.
He felt that he had broken the pride of the prime minister of the time.
He not only wanted to break the Prime Minister's pride, but also wanted to humiliate his dignity.
He moved to Lu Changji's side and spat at him. The disgusting saliva got on Lu Changji's cheek and slid down stickily.
Jiang Shu's heart ached even more.
The assassins wanted to do something even more extreme, but were stopped by the leading assassin.
"The master is still waiting. We have to go back and report quickly. Please stop messing around."
The assassin snorted in dissatisfaction, and finally stopped doing whatever he wanted. He tied Lu Changji's neck with a rope and led him towards the carriage like an animal.
He is Lu Changji, like the clear wind and bright moon, as beautiful as a jade or a jade tablet. He is a banished immortal that is out of reach for mortals. How can he be treated like an animal?
Lu Changji's footsteps seemed to step on Jiang Shu's heart. Every time he moved, Jiang Shu felt heartbroken. She covered her mouth, fearing that she would burst into hoarse tears.
The assassin led Lu Changji to the carriage, and when Lu Changji stepped onto the stool, he kicked him hard. Lu Changji fell to the ground at such a high speed that the rope around his neck tightened rapidly. His fair face quickly turned scarlet.
"What a loser!" the assassin glared at Lu Changji and cursed, "Get up quickly! You have a body like a woman, and I don't know how you became the Prime Minister."
Lu Changji supported himself on the ground with his hands and slowly stood up. His face was covered with mud and the corner of his mouth was bruised, but his expression remained calm.
The assassin satisfied his evil desire and did not dare to delay any longer. After Lu Changji got on the carriage, he whipped the horse's buttocks and drove away.
Tears flowed like a broken dam, soaking her clothes. Jiang Shu leaned against the car window, her eyes red and even her breathing became weak.
That man was Lu Changji, the powerful Lu Changji. How could he be humiliated like this?
If they were not certain that Lu Changji would not survive, how could they dare to act so recklessly?
Lu Changji cannot die, he must not die, she must save Lu Changji.
Jiang Shu climbed out of the carriage and drove it towards the Xinyang Marquis's residence. She had never driven a carriage before, but she rushed forward with her passion, driving the carriage as fast as lightning.
The carriage passed through Yongchunfang, Zhuque Street, Yingchun Road, and went all the way to Xinyang Marquis Mansion. The doorman was dozing off in a daze and heard a loud and urgent voice from afar.
"Open the door, open it quickly!"
The doorman was startled and rubbed his eyes. He saw Third Grandma coming towards him in a carriage full of long arrows. The speed was so fast that it was astonishing.
If the door wasn't opened quickly, the horse would crash into the wooden door. If that happened, the car would be destroyed and everyone would die. Even if the concierge was skinned alive, he couldn't bear the responsibility.
Their hearts suddenly jumped up, the two gatekeepers looked at each other, quickly ran to the gate, and lifted the wooden gate together. Each of them dragged a large door to open the middle door.
As soon as they opened the door, a carriage roared past. The two men patted their chests, thanking God that nothing went wrong.
Jiang Shu drove the carriage to the study. Only a small night light was on in the bedroom. It was dim and gloomy. It was obvious that Lu Lin had already gone to bed.
Jiang Shu didn't care about the distinction between men and women and walked straight into the inner room.
How could a daughter-in-law break into her father-in-law's bedroom at night? The night watchwoman was dumbfounded and reached out to stop Jiang Shu: "Second Madam, the Marquis and Aunt Shuang have already gone to bed. If you have anything to say, do it tomorrow..."
Jiang Shu pushed the old woman's hand away and stepped into the inner bedroom. As soon as she entered the room, she smelled the sweet fragrance of Suhe, and then saw Hu Lingshuang hurriedly putting on her clothes.
Lu Lin wasn't too out of control, at least he was still in his pajamas. He glared at Jiang Shu and said unhappily, "Second brother's wife, your manners..."
Before he could finish his words, Jiang Shu interrupted him: "Father, the old man has been kidnapped by an assassin!"
Lu Changji was kidnapped. How could such a cautious person like him give others an opportunity to take advantage of him?
His muscles suddenly became stiff and hard. Lu Lin took a breath and didn't even have time to ask why. He grabbed his coat and put it on, saying to Jiang Shu, "Hurry, hurry up and follow me into the palace."
Jiang Shu originally thought that Lu Lin would take her to meet the emperor, but unexpectedly the carriage went directly to the Empress Dowager's Fengzao Palace.
A seventh-rank official in the prime minister's household, the eunuch in the empress dowager's palace was naturally even more arrogant. Unexpectedly, Zhang Dajian treated Lu Lin very politely. He bowed to Lu Lin and said gently, "It's late at night and the dew is heavy. Why are you here, my lord?"
Lu Lin cut to the chase: "I have an urgent matter to discuss with Her Majesty. Please inform the Grand Supervisor Zhang."
The Empress Dowager was frail and had a light sleep. Unless it was an extremely urgent matter, Zhang Dajian would never dare to disturb her.
Lu Lin's words were a little vague. Normally, Zhang Dajian should have stopped him, but thinking of the relationship between Lu Changji and the empress dowager, Zhang Dajian had to make an exception and welcome him to the flower hall, then turned around and went to the inner chamber to report.
The flower hall is decorated in bright colors, and the walls are inlaid with colored tiles that were tributed from Persia. The colorful colored tiles reflect brilliant light under the candlelight.
Jiang Shu stood in the house anxiously, thinking that she would have to wait a long time before she could see the Queen Mother. Unexpectedly, the Queen Mother entered the flower hall in just a moment.
The Queen Mother was even younger than Jiang Shu had expected. She was wearing a light blue nightgown and sitting in the main seat with her hair loose. Her eyes were as bright as water, her skin was fair, and her lips were pink and tender, like a peach bud about to bloom.
If you only look at her face, no one would guess that she is already twenty-five years old and has given birth to a son.
The palace etiquette was strict, and Lu Lin hadn't expected Empress Dowager Yang to meet him with her hair disheveled. He was stunned for a moment, pretending not to notice the Empress Dowager's misconduct. He bowed and said to Empress Dowager Yang, "Your Majesty, something terrible has happened. Xue Ji has been assassinated."
"Xue Ji is a very cautious person, how could he be assassinated?" Empress Dowager Yang placed her hands on the armrest, her knuckles showing a slight white color.
Lu Lin was so concerned about Lu Changji's safety that he didn't even have time to ask why. He quickly turned his gaze to Jiang Shu. Jiang Shu then explained the whole story.
When Jiang Shu mentioned that Lu Changji came to Jiang's house to pick her up and take her back to Xinyang Marquis' Mansion, Empress Dowager Yang's eyes flashed with a hint of strangeness.
Empress Dowager Yang was no longer the young lady she used to be, so she quickly suppressed her strange feeling. The most urgent task now was to rescue Xue Ji, and she could not act on impulse.
With Xue Ji's current power, looking at the entire court, perhaps only Lu Jun dares to assassinate him.
The Lu family was powerful, and Prince Yong, born to Concubine Lu, was the late emperor's eldest son. Although the Empress Dowager gave birth to the current emperor during the late emperor's reign, due to his young age, the Lu family harbored rebellious intentions. If it weren't for Lu Changji's unwavering support for legitimacy, Prince Yong would be sitting on the throne today.
Lu Zhun had made great achievements in the court. His elder brother Lu Huo guarded the gate of Daying. The two brothers, one civil and one military, joined forces and had great power. Even though he had been on the throne for more than three years, he still had evil intentions and had been fighting openly and secretly with Lu Changji for many years.
Lu Changji was assassinated, and it is unacceptable to say that the person behind the assassination must be Lu Zhun.
Yang Zhaoyue stood up with a stern face, took out the Empress Dowager's Phoenix Seal and threw it in front of Zhang Dajian, saying loudly: "Zhang Pei, you must immediately mobilize 500 imperial guards and take all of Lu Zhun's family to Fengzao Palace!"
Zhang Pei was a retainer of the Yang family. He went to Fengzao Palace to accompany Empress Dowager Yang when she entered the palace. He obeyed Empress Dowager Yang's orders, but he also did not forget his duty to give her advice.
"Your Majesty, you haven't found any evidence that Lord Lu was involved in the assassination. If you bring his family into the palace without any evidence, I'm afraid it will arouse the fear of all officials.
By then, people will be in a state of panic and their words will be turned into gold. The censors will definitely impeach you for lawless behavior and seeking revenge. This will be very detrimental to your reputation."
When the late emperor was alive, Empress Dowager Yang and Concubine Lu were fighting each other to the death. Everyone in the court knew that the Empress Dowager and Concubine Lu were not on good terms. If the Empress Dowager rashly took the Concubine Lu's family to Fengzao Palace, she would surely be condemned.
Queen Mother Yang raised her lips in disdain. If she, Yang Zhaoyue, cared about her reputation, she wouldn't have repeatedly rejected the Prince of Qi's marriage proposals. If she couldn't even protect Lu Changji, she wouldn't have to be the Queen Mother. She never sought empty fame.
Empress Dowager Yang glared at Zhang Pei, her eyebrows raised, and angrily scolded him, "Stop nagging me! If you delay rescuing Xue Ji, I'll hold you accountable."
Zhang Pei was determined to save Lu Changji. He didn't dare to say anything more. He strode out of the flower hall, jumped on his horse, and rushed out of Fengzao Palace like a flash.
The carved wooden door of the flower hall was closed. Empress Dowager Yang suddenly remembered something. She sat up straight and looked at Jiang Shu, asking, "Did you return to the Xinyang Marquis' Mansion in Xueji's carriage?"
Jiang Shu didn't know why the Queen Mother asked this question, so she just nodded honestly.
Exhaustion emanated from within, and Empress Dowager Yang had a slight headache. She pressed her forehead and whispered, "Lord Lu and the Crown Prince's wife, please return home. If there is any news, I will send someone to pass it on."
Empress Dowager Yang risked offending all the civil and military officials in the court to arrest Lu Jun's family. It can be said that she had put a lot of effort into it. Lu Lin did not dare to bother Empress Dowager Yang again. He bowed and replied "yes", then took Jiang Shu back to the Xinyang Marquis Mansion.
The lights in the house were on brightly. Jiang Shu paced back and forth anxiously on the floor. In the cold night, a layer of sticky sweat appeared on her body.
Time seemed to stand still, and she couldn't bear it for even a moment. She waited and waited, and when the daylight finally dawned, she finally received news that the master had returned home.
Jiang Shu was ecstatic. She followed the man to Canaan Courtyard. As soon as she entered the house, she smelled a strong smell of blood. She looked up and saw Dean Yang bandaging Lu Changji's wound. Lu Changji's chest was covered with blue and red whip marks. The left chest was covered in blood and flesh, like a spring, gurgling with blood.
Jiang Shu stared at Lu Changji's chest, feeling cold in her hands and feet, as if all the strength in her body had been drained away. She took a deep breath, mustered her courage, and looked at Yang Yuanzheng. She asked cautiously, "Doctor Yang, is my uncle still going to survive?"
Lu Changji was so badly injured that even Imperial Physician Yang wasn't sure he could save him. He shook his head and whispered, "I've been practicing medicine for many years, but this is the first time I've seen such a serious wound.
I will certainly do my best, but as to whether or not I can bring Minister Lu back from the brink of death, I can only do my best and leave the rest to fate."
Judging from what Yang Yuanzheng said, it is almost certain that there is no way to save the situation.
Jiang Shu slumped dejectedly on the chair behind her, staring at Lu Changji, unable to utter a word, only shedding two lines of tears.
Imperial Physician Yang worked tirelessly until the Golden Crow broke through the dark clouds and illuminated the earth. He finally stopped and sighed heavily. He turned to look at Jiang Shu and whispered, "I have tried my best, but Minister Lu is truly not going to make it."
"No, no ...
Imperial Physician Yang was in a hurry to report to the Empress Dowager, so he said his condolences to Jiang Shu and left with his medicine box on his back.
Thinking of the past, Jiang Shu felt heartbroken. Lu Changji got off the carriage alone to protect her. He was a man as noble as a crane, but he was beaten and humiliated by Xiao Xiao, but she could do nothing.
Sadness, guilt and unknown emotions intertwined together, making Jiang Shu confused. Her body lost control and she fell limply on the couch, shaking constantly.
In front of her was a mattress made of kesi silk. The patterns of ruyi on it kept spinning and changing, gradually becoming blurred. Tears blurred her eyes. Jiang Shu closed her eyes heavily and fell into darkness.
I don’t know how long I was unconscious, but Lu Changji’s voice was faintly ringing in my ears.
Jiang Shu gave a wry smile, thinking she was just hallucinating. She didn't even bother to lift her eyelids.
When Lu Changji's voice sounded again, she realized that something was unusual. Flowers suddenly bloomed on the dry land, and the fragrance was everywhere.
Jiang Shu raised her head and saw Lu Changji looking at her with his eyes lowered, his long eyelashes fluttering like butterfly wings, his eyes full of fatigue.
Jiang Shu pinched her palm and felt pain. Only then did she confirm that she was not hallucinating.
"Uncle!" She stood up suddenly and said excitedly, "Uncle, you're awake."
The voice was a little hoarse, but full of joy.
There was a wooden stool next to the couch. Jiang Shu was so excited that she tripped over the stool and fell straight towards Lu Changji.
Lu Changji was seriously injured. Jiang Shu was afraid of pressing on his wound, so she spread her arms to her sides in panic.
She was weak, and her arms could only support her chest in the air, so her lower abdomen was pressed very closely against Lu Changji. Even through her clothes, she could still clearly feel the hard, tense heat coming from Lu Changji.
Jiang Shu felt both ashamed and helpless. She sighed silently, her cheeks flushed light red, and the tips of her ears became hot.
Her heart was pounding like a drum, and she frantically tried to get up. Unexpectedly, her belt caught on Lu Changji's arm, and she sat up, but her coat was pulled off.
The morning glow shone through the window onto the bed, casting a charming warm hue. Lu Changji lay on the bed, Jiang Shu's clothes entangled in his arms, as if he were holding them in his hand.
Jiang Shu leaned against Lu Changji in her middle-length dress. Without the cover of her outer garment, her fair skin looked even more majestic and towering, outlining an exaggerated curve.
In such an atmosphere, even if the two of them were lying down and sitting down, without even making eye contact, it would be hard not to let anyone see them and have wild thoughts.
Jiang Shu's face turned red as a shrimp. She coughed lightly, bent down, grabbed her coat and put it on. Before she could tie the belt, a horrifying voice sounded in her ears.
"What are you doing?"
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