Chapter 118 Chapter 118 The Emperor is under attack. The convoy slowly moves towards...
The convoy slowly drove towards the city, drawing ever closer to the bright yellow. Everyone was thrilled. What an honor it was to have the emperor personally visit. It was enough for them to brag about for the rest of their lives!
Except Zhao Mingsheng.
She felt no emotion and even had a slight urge to escape. She sat in the carriage, her anxiety growing with each turn of the wheels.
The more you fear something, the more likely it will come to you!
She had kept her trip to Yanzhou a secret from her grandmother and her family. If she disembarked to pay her respects to His Majesty, wouldn't her presence there be exposed? She had just caught a glimpse of several familiar figures. She was certain they would immediately recognize her and tell her grandmother if she stepped out of the carriage. However, if she remained in hiding, it would be disrespectful to His Majesty.
At that moment, Zhao Mingsheng caught a glimpse of the face towel she had carried earlier and grabbed it. Clutching the handkerchief, she heard the sound of horse hooves approaching her, and a moment later, there were two gentle taps on the carriage window.
She instinctively felt that it was Yan Zhuo, so she lifted a corner of the curtain and looked outside, and it was indeed him.
Today, Yan Zhuo donned the silver fish-scale soft armor he had worn with the army, and astride his chariot, he looked like a lone, proud snow-capped mountain. He was about to return to the capital, but his expression betrayed no joy, but rather a heavy heart.
Zhao Mingsheng was thinking about his own things and did not notice his abnormality.
"Why did His Majesty come in person?" She looked out at the dense crowd in the distance, a little worried. "Not only was there no thorough investigation, but there weren't even a few guards with them, and there were a lot of civilians gathered around."
She didn't understand why the emperor, who lived in the inner palace, would mobilize such a large force to welcome him at the city gate. You know, amidst the surging crowd, there might not be people with evil intentions. What if...
Yan Zhuo was silent for a moment. He was well aware of Zhao Mingsheng's words. The emperor had made too much noise, and the area hadn't been cleared yet. Furthermore, since they were returning to the capital, many people had come to watch the excitement. It wasn't appropriate for the emperor to be here.
However, he knew from the beginning that the emperor would come in person, or rather, this was part of the plan he and his brother had planned. His brother did this, firstly to show his appreciation for the soldiers who were going to Yanzhou to provide disaster relief, and secondly to serve as bait and take risks, deliberately lowering his guard to lure out the hidden thieves.
Yan Zhuo was about to tell the truth, but when he looked up, he met a pair of watery eyes. Although they were covered by long, slender eyelashes, the panic that was about to burst out was still evident in the eyes, even making her face look a little pale.
He was stunned for a moment, swallowing back the words he was about to say. After thinking it over, he decided not to scare the little girl, so he changed his words and said, "Nothing's wrong. Yanzhou has successfully overcome its difficulties this time. His Majesty is pleased, so he specially came to welcome us back to the capital. Remember to get off the carriage and pay your respects when you enter the city." After saying this, he changed the subject, "You don't look well. Are you feeling unwell?"
Zhao Mingsheng said casually: "This is my first time meeting His Majesty, I am a little nervous..."
Yan Zhuo heaved a sigh of relief when he heard this. It turned out that he was just nervous. He smiled and comforted him, "Don't be nervous. My royal brother is actually a very easygoing person."
But his comfort didn't work, because Zhao Mingsheng was not nervous about this at all.
She bit her lip and suddenly asked, "Can I wear a veil to see the emperor later?"
Although it was still a bit disrespectful, it was the best solution she could think of.
Although he couldn't understand why she did this, Yan Zhuo still nodded.
"Okay, if His Majesty asks, I'll help you tell him." He paused, then continued, "Stay with me for a while."
He had clearly prepared everything in advance, but when he arrived, he still felt a little uneasy. This was unlike him before. Perhaps it was because he had some concerns in his heart, so he was no longer the sharp arrow that could move forward without hesitation.
Zhao Mingsheng thought he was just worried that she would be nervous in front of the emperor. She raised her hand to put on the veil, and when she looked up again, she no longer looked nervous.
"It's okay now, don't worry about me." She smiled.
She is invincible when wearing a face mask!
The smile under the veil was not clear, but the smile in the pair of beautiful curved eyes was bright and dazzling. The warm emotions hit Yan Zhuo's chest, and he couldn't help but laugh along.
Among the onlookers, a sharp-eyed person spotted King Heng on his tall horse and shouted:
"His Royal Highness Prince Heng has returned!"
The originally quiet crowd immediately became abuzz. No matter whether they were married or unmarried, their hearts could not help but beat wildly, and they kept stealing glances at the figure on horseback.
Although Prince Heng usually has a cold face that keeps strangers away, he is so handsome that his cold face gives him a hint of abstinence. Add to that his status and his glorious military achievements, and it is enough to attract the admiration of half of the women in the capital. Which girl has not dreamed of marrying such a husband?
The figure being followed by everyone's eyes lightly pulled the reins, squeezed the horse's belly with his long legs, turned around and walked towards a carriage behind him. After saying a few words, he even smiled.
You know, His Royal Highness Prince Heng is the notorious cold-faced devil. When have people ever seen him smile, and his smile was so gentle and brilliant!
"I wonder which young lady in the carriage is so lucky." Someone sighed.
There were many people in the capital who admired him, and the youngest daughter of the Imperial Censor was one of them. She had been waiting long beforehand in the private room of the restaurant on her way into the city, just to catch a glimpse of the man she loved. Now, seeing the smile of His Royal Highness Prince Heng, she was even more captivated, her face flushed with excitement.
Suddenly hearing her sister say this, she immediately became anxious, "Big sister, how do you know that there is definitely a girl in the carriage? Maybe it is a boy!"
She was unwilling to admit that Prince Heng would smile so happily at a woman.
The purple-robed girl, who was being called "Big Sister," chuckled, poked her puffy cheek, and said, "Want to make a bet? If you guess wrong, you'll have to practice calligraphy for a month when you get home."
"Let's gamble." The youngest daughter of the Imperial Censor snorted, "What if Big Sister loses?"
"You want my Firefox scarf, don't you? If I lose, I'll give it to you."
The little girl suddenly perked up, "Okay! It's a deal!"
When the carriage arrived before the emperor, everyone watched as Prince Heng dismounted first and waited beside the carriage. A moment later, the carriage curtain was lifted, and a woman stepped out on a few stools, while he stood at arm's length. He wasn't intrusive, and if the woman stumbled along the way, he would be able to quickly offer a helping hand. He was truly attentive.
The answer will be clear.
The purple-robed girl poked her sister who was holding her heart with her hands.
"Would you like to make another bet?"
The little girl didn't know whether she was sad because His Royal Highness Prince Heng had a beautiful woman by her side, or because she had to practice calligraphy after returning home. "What's the bet this time?"
"Let's bet on whether the person in the carriage is the sweetheart of His Royal Highness Prince Heng."
Looking at Prince Heng's considerate and meticulous actions, she suddenly said with a bit of discouragement, "No more gambling, no more gambling. Big sister, let's go back."
The purple-robed girl reached out and touched her sister's head, then smiled and said, "Okay."
From a distance, the beauty's face was covered with a white scarf, revealing a pair of lively eyes. She was dressed in an ordinary dress, without a single pearl or jade ornament, but this couldn't hide her graceful figure. Standing side by side with His Royal Highness Prince Heng, they complemented each other quite well.
Naturally, there were also those who felt resentful and couldn't help but say something sarcastic, "Why are you still wearing a veil? I'm afraid you're too ugly to be seen in public."
The person who said this was Prince Jin's only daughter, Princess Huaiping.
She had been spoiled since she was a child, and no one in the capital dared to provoke her, so she naturally developed a lawless character. It was said that she once declared that she would not marry anyone other than Prince Heng.
But Prince Heng didn't remember her at all, and probably didn't even remember what she looked like. The little follower beside him thought about it but didn't show it on his face, and echoed:
"That's right, that's right. Judging from the way she's dressed, she doesn't look like the daughter of some wealthy family."
Princess Huaiping leaned against the window and sneered, "Could they be refugees from Yanzhou? Seeing that His Royal Highness Prince Heng is kind, they're just trying to take advantage of him."
These words could be said to be quite harsh, but hidden in the noisy environment they were not too obvious. But just as the words fell, a gaze shot straight at her.
Princess Huaiping shuddered all over, and when she followed his gaze, she saw that it was Prince Heng who was looking at her.
Under normal circumstances, Princess Huaiping would have been delighted to receive the gaze from Prince Heng, but this gaze was terrifying, as cold as frost, piercing her body like an ice blade, making her feel cold all over and trembling uncontrollably, and she couldn't help but lower her head to avoid it.
Why was Prince Heng looking at me like that? Could it be that he had heard what I had said...
Princess Huaiping looked up in disbelief at the thought, but Prince Heng didn't even look at her. His eyes were all on the woman beside him, as if the gaze just now was just her illusion.
"I probably can't hear it..." she muttered to herself awkwardly.
Besides her, there was another person who looked at the two people getting off the carriage in disbelief.
Cui Cen accompanied the emperor this time to welcome the relief team back in triumph. At first, he was quite interested in guessing that the person in the carriage might be the extraordinary woman described in his uncle's letter.
But when the woman got off the carriage, Cui Cen was immediately struck by lightning, and stood stiffly in place.
Although the woman was wearing a veil, he recognized her at a glance. It was Zhao Mingsheng!
How could she appear here, in the Yanzhou disaster relief team? Shouldn't she be staying in Qingshan Village?
Before Cui Cen could ask the question in his mind, the bright yellow figure in the imperial carriage stood up and walked down.
Seeing the emperor's action, the crowd immediately quieted down, and everyone bowed and saluted, and the uniform sound resounded in the air.
"Your Highness."
The figure walked up to Yan Zhuo and the woman with the veil and stopped. He said to everyone with a smile, "No need to be so polite, everyone. Thank you for all the hard work you've put in on this journey. I'm very pleased with your fearless performance in this matter in Yanzhou."
Yan Zhuo clasped his fists and said, "I am honored to have fulfilled my mission."
Yan Yu patted his shoulder and helped him up. "Everyone, stand up."
After saying that, he turned to look at the woman next to Yan Zhuo and asked.
"You are the great hero mentioned in Yan Zhuo's letter, right?"
Zhao Mingsheng curled the corners of her mouth. Why did everyone like to give her the credit? Were they testing her willpower?
She lowered her head and said, "I don't deserve to be called a great hero. The situation in Yanzhou at that time would not have been ignored by anyone. I was just doing my best to do what I could. It was also thanks to the joint efforts of King Heng and the soldiers."
Yan Yu heard her clear voice, as soothing as a spring. He couldn't help but take a closer look and noticed that she hadn't taken it off. He was about to ask her when he heard the woman opposite him exclaim in surprise, "Be careful! There's a hidden arrow!"
As the emperor began questioning, Zhao Mingsheng noticed a dark figure on a high pavilion not far away. She immediately had a bad feeling and followed it closely. Sure enough, within a moment, the figure had found the perfect angle, fully drawn the bow in his hand, and with a flash of cold light, the sharp feathers were released from the bow.
Cui Cen, completely focused on Zhao Mingsheng, naturally noticed her exclamation. Following her gaze, he saw the arrow's trajectory, heading for Yan Yu's back. He quickly warned, "Your Majesty, get out of the way!"
Yan Yu was shocked, but didn't know where to hide for a moment.
At the critical moment, Yan Zhuo took a step forward and protected Yan Yu behind him. The sword in his hand had been unsheathed at some point. With a seemingly light swing, the arrow was split into two pieces in the air.
Only those with sharp eyes noticed that Yan Zhuo's speed of drawing the sword from its sheath was three times faster than the speed of the flying sword.
Zhao Mingsheng looked at the broken arrow on the ground, then looked up to see that the figure on the high pavilion had disappeared. It seemed that he had not intended to hit the target with one shot; this arrow was just a signal to launch an attack.
As expected, before Yan Zhuo could put away his sword, a bigger commotion suddenly broke out in the crowd.
A man dressed as an ordinary citizen suddenly attacked. The guards on the edge were not paying attention and were hit in the abdomen by a sword. He covered the wound tightly and shouted:
"Protect the emperor! Protect the emperor!"
Before he finished speaking, more than a dozen people holding weapons stood up, dressed like ordinary people, and rushed towards the emperor.
The scene suddenly became chaotic. The real people had already screamed and scattered, scrambling to get away from the center of the chaos.
The few remaining guards fought bravely, but how could a few people withstand more than a dozen people? They were quickly defeated. Yan Zhuo waved his hand, and the soldiers accompanying him also joined the battle.
A sword pierced one of the men's chests. Yan Zhuo opened the outer garment, revealing the uniforms of the officers under Prince Jin's command. He glanced back at Zhao Mingsheng. She and the emperor were protected by Cui Cen, and for the time being, they were safe. Reassured, he turned back and chopped down another assassin wielding a dagger.
Yan Zhuo's brows knitted together; the situation before him was not optimistic. Although they could still hold out for a while, the enemy's reinforcements kept pouring in. They were afraid they would be unable to withstand the enemy's attack any longer.
At this moment, a sharp whistle sounded from far away, as if it was about to pierce the sky.
A large number of imperial guards finally arrived to support, led by Shadow Stream!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
