Chapter 15 Danger at the Fu Mansion
Xiao Qing cursed herself in her heart for being spineless, but in the end, she still couldn't bear to do it.
Considering the Grand Tutor's poor health, Xiao Qing quickly added after stating his opinion: "However, it's not urgent. I'm just telling the Grand Tutor that it's not too late to make a decision after he recovers."
Thinking that this was still not enough to express his sincerity, Xiao Qing added, "If I had known that the Grand Tutor was ill, I would not have come to disturb him."
Fu Mingyi shook his head. "It's nothing. What is it?"
Xiao Qing glanced at him; the ailing Grand Tutor looked different from usual.
She wouldn't look at her with a scrutinizing gaze, wouldn't always unconsciously purse her lips, or furrow her brows into a small mountain, and wouldn't sit upright and serious behind the desk in the side hall of the imperial study, meticulously handling official business.
Xiao Qing wondered if it was just her imagination, but she felt that although the Grand Tutor seemed listless today because of his illness, there was a hint of inexplicable sadness in his weary expression.
"Your Majesty?" Fu Mingyi asked, somewhat puzzled.
Xiao Qing withdrew his gaze, and the words that were already on the tip of his tongue unconsciously became: "Actually, it's nothing. It won't cause the sky to fall if we don't do it today. Grand Tutor, you should rest well since you're ill. I'd better return to the palace first." With that, he prepared to leave.
Fu Mingyi looked at her for a while, then said softly, "I have overstepped my bounds."
Then he went directly to Mingxiu at the back, picked up the memorial she was holding with both hands, and began to read it.
After reading it, his gaze deepened.
"This must have been delivered to the palace by Lord Wang today," the Grand Tutor said, closing the memorial and handing it to Mingxiu.
Xiao Qing could only nod, and after walking closer, he whispered, "I hadn't had a chance to look at it before it was sent over. I originally wanted to ask the Grand Tutor what he thought."
Several thoughts raced through Fu Mingyi's muddled mind.
Although the man said that the person in the young emperor's palace was indeed Princess Xiao Yan of the Great Xiao Kingdom, his intuition always told him that it wasn't her.
If there must be a rational explanation for this, it is that the little princess really didn't want to be stuck in this position, so she lied to him.
But his intuition didn't believe in such a rational explanation.
This person clearly came to him as soon as he received the memorial submitted by Wang Xiang.
Her lack of avoidance suggests that Wang Xiang has likely already received the news.
Just as Fu Mingyi was about to speak, he suddenly tensed up and instinctively sensed danger.
"careful!"
Just as he felt the hairs on his body stand on end, Xiao Qing suddenly pounced on him.
To his right, a cold, gleaming arrow shot down from the not-so-high courtyard wall.
Xiao Qing regretted it as soon as she lunged forward.
Sacrificing oneself to save others is a matter of perspective.
She clearly remembered how the Grand Tutor had frightened her when they were in the Hall of Diligent Governance.
Compared to the Grand Tutor, she was the one who was completely powerless, okay?
Moreover, she seems to habitually overlook the fact that she is actually a child in this world.
However, reality didn't give her much time to think.
Zhao Youchen reacted quickly. He pointed to the spot where the arrow had been fired and shouted, "Over there!"
Guards quickly gave chase.
However, even faster than them were dozens of men in black who jumped off the wall from another direction.
Zhao Youchen's heart tightened, and he quickly led the remaining guards to fight those people.
But at that moment, another short, silver arrow shot out from a tricky angle, heading straight for Xiao Qing's heart from behind.
Xiao Qing then lunged at Fu Mingyi, successfully making him dodge the first cold arrow. However, Fu Mingyi seemed slow-witted and clumsy, and was actually knocked back several steps by her pounce, unable to stand firmly at all.
Fu Mingyi lost his balance because Xiao Qing lunged at him, and Xiao Qing also lost her balance due to inertia. The short silver arrow came with great force and was only a palm's width away from Xiao Qing in the blink of an eye.
Xiao Qing felt a chill run down her back. She instinctively sensed danger, a danger that she likely couldn't avoid on her own.
Her heart leaped into her throat, the sound of her heartbeat momentarily drowning out all other sounds.
Fu Mingyi's gaze was fixed on her back, his eyes were a little cold, but most of his emotions seemed to be hidden in a thick fog, making her heart feel even heavier.
A large, slightly warm hand covered her back, while the other hand reached across and gripped her shoulder. Then she felt him pull her sharply, and she fell backward.
The cold arrow spun and grazed her ear before shooting forward with a "whoosh." Her ear felt a little hot or painful. A few thin strands of hair floated slowly down beside her face and landed in front of her eyes.
Xiao Qing's heart, which had been pounding so hard it was almost stopped, finally calmed down. Looking down, she saw that the palm of the hand she was gripping tightly with the Grand Tutor was damp.
Fu Mingyi rolled her around twice in his arms and shouted, "General Zhao!" His voice was deep yet sharp, like a dull stone colliding with a blade. By the end of the three words, his voice was so hoarse that he was almost speechless.
Those men in black did not linger in the fight; they cunningly withdrew from the battle and all scaled the wall to escape.
When Fu Mingyi helped Xiao Qing up, her body was still trembling slightly.
Although she had already died once, being threatened with a cold weapon so close to her still made her somewhat apprehensive, even as she tried her best to remain calm.
Therefore, being an emperor is not a job that just anyone can do.
Without sufficient self-defense capabilities and protective strength, one is like a tender lamb placed among wolves—already becoming prey for the wolves.
"Your Majesty, I am guilty and have frightened you." Fu Mingyi bowed respectfully.
Xiao Qing waved casually, and because she didn't want to be too out of line while walking, she stood there with her head slightly lowered to calm herself down.
Mingxiu had never seen anything like this before, and she was almost scared out of her wits. She ran over and said, "Your Majesty, your ears..."
Xiao Qing reached out to touch it, and a bright red mark was left on her wet palm, so vivid that it made one dizzy.
Unpleasant memories were triggered in her, and she suddenly felt her head spinning. Before she even realized what was happening, she had already gone limp.
"His Majesty!"
She heard Mingxiu scream, and then it seemed as if she had fallen into a warm, slightly hot black hole, and knew nothing more.
Xiao Qing woke up again in the dark.
The inner room was dark, while the outer room seemed to be lit by a faint oil lamp.
There was a dark head by the bed. She stared at it for a while before recognizing it as Mingxiu.
The carved wooden door casts shadows of varying shades and overlapping layers, suggesting that more than one person is standing outside.
However, all around was quiet, and the darkness was like a monster that was ever-changing yet omnipresent.
Xiao Qing felt inexplicably flustered.
Just as she was about to sit up, she heard a soft voice from outside the outer room ask, "Has His Majesty not woken up yet?"
The other person said, "He hasn't woken up yet."
"The kitchen has been keeping porridge warm. If His Majesty wakes up, let him have some porridge first, and then we'll make whatever he wants to eat..."
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