Chapter 295 A New Hope
"Ah——" a scream broke the early morning.
The man who was shouting just now was hit by the force of the arrow and was thrown heavily backwards, raising a lot of dust.
"Ma'am, be careful!"
In order to avoid the man, Xu Wan stepped back and missed a step, falling to the ground. Cuizhi hurried to help her.
After hearing the scream, both of them looked over.
In the distance, well-trained soldiers stood in neat rows, their heads held high and their chests puffed out, dignified yet bloodthirsty, and they looked like elite warriors who had been on many battles.
"Oh... it hurts so much, who are you? I, Wu Kuang, am General Pang's favorite general. If you dare to break my hand, you are dead!" Wu Kuang howled in pain, and the others rushed forward.
They relied on their martial arts skills and thought that these were just ordinary soldiers, so they just rushed in and attacked them. The soldiers had stern faces, and they were all very skilled, so it was not difficult for them to beat these people.
Xu Wan looked past the soldiers and looked back. The morning mist had not yet completely dissipated. She could only vaguely see a man riding a tall horse, with the bow and arrow in his hand just put down.
He was the one who just made the move.
Who is that?
She faced the slightly dazzling morning light and saw the man dismounting from his horse and walking towards her in the mist. The closer he got, the clearer she could see his face.
The man was dressed in black, not in armor or fancy clothes, but he was the leader of these people. He had sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, and a good-looking face. He looked dull and calm, but he also had a reserved arrogance.
Xu Wan looked into those calm eyes. He just walked towards her, and when he was close to her, he stretched out his hand to her.
He wanted to pull her up.
Xu Wan's legs felt a little weak because of this sudden change. She subconsciously wanted to stretch out her hand to gain leverage to stand up, but she stopped halfway through.
In modern times, this would be a simple act and harmless; but this was in ancient times, she was already married, and having physical contact with a man outside of her would result in her spine being pierced.
She hesitated for a few seconds, but finally withdrew her hand and nodded, "Thank you."
The man's dark eyes were calm. He calmly withdrew his hand, turned around and saw that the soldiers had already arrested those people. He leaned over and said, "Go to the East Palace."
"Yes, General."
Watching the backs of these people leaving, and thinking of his words, Xu Wan finally woke up from a dream. She quickly turned to Cuizhi and said, "Yes, we are going to the East Palace too... Cuizhi, what's wrong with you?"
Cuizhi hadn't said a word just now because she was so shocked that she couldn't speak.
Now her eyes were filled with tears and excitement. She cried and laughed excitedly, "Madam, he, he... the young marquis, he is the young marquis, the young marquis is back! He is still alive, he is still alive! He is back safely!"
Xu Wan turned around suddenly.
But Zong Zhao's back could no longer be seen.
She murmured, "Zong Zhao... That's Zong Zhao..."
Cuizhi nodded vigorously and said aggrievedly, "The young marquis is finally back. The old man and the old lady must be very happy."
In the ten years that the young marquis was missing, everyone thought he was dead, except that his body had not been found. But now that Zong Zhao is back alive, their mansion will have someone to rely on in the future!
Xu Wan was still confused, but she tried to calm down and arranged: "Send someone to the Marquis' Mansion to inform my father-in-law and mother-in-law of the news. We should also go to the East Palace as soon as possible to prevent Jin Cheng from getting into trouble there."
"Yeah!" Cuizhi nodded vigorously.
After everything was arranged and the carriage started moving again, Xu Wan thought for a moment and asked Cuizhi to get on the carriage as she had something to ask.
Cuizhi was just a maid, so she naturally didn't dare to ride in the same car with her mistress. But she was too excited today, so she hesitated for a few breaths and quickly got into the car.
Seeing her abnormal behavior, Xu Wan couldn't help but ask, "You are so excited. Was Zong Zhao very nice to you guys before?"
Cuizhi nodded vigorously, then shook her head vigorously. She said, "The young marquis rarely talked to us, nor did he pay much attention to us. He was very opinionated since he was young. He studied literature and martial arts at the same time, and didn't care about anything else. However, we all like the young marquis. Although he doesn't talk much, he is very stable and reliable. It seems that as long as he appears, there is nothing that can't be solved. Oh, and the second young master, the second young master also admired him when he was alive, and listened to him in everything."
Cuizhi started to talk more when she mentioned Zong Zhao, and she kept on talking non-stop, which made Xu Wan laugh and cry. But she could also feel that Zong Zhao left a very good impression on people.
If it hadn't been for him, she would have had a hard time dealing with those people.
"Eastern Palace... Why does he want to see the Crown Prince? What happened..."
The East Palace is the prince's bedroom.
The Crown Prince went to the study to talk with Jin Cheng, while the Crown Princess waited for him to come back in the bedroom, because she had known that this day would come. She had broken down and despaired countless times before, but now she was in a very calm mood.
"My lady, when we were making the bed, we found two letters under your pillow. It seems that His Highness wrote them to you."
The Crown Princess paused while putting on makeup and said softly, "Give it to me."
The two letters were a little wrinkled because they were pressed under the pillow.
She opened the first letter and saw familiar handwriting.
"Qingrong, when you see this letter, I should have passed away. It seems a little impossible to say that you should not be sad, so... don't be too sad. I have only gone to another world. Think positively, maybe I can still see you and my daughter in the world.
These past few days, perhaps because the end is near, I keep thinking of many things in the past, the first time we met, the way you broke into the East Palace and forced me to marry you... Now thinking about it, you were so determined, brave and resolute at that time, which made people envy you.
But I still disappoint you.
After holding on for so many years, my life was finally taken away by God. No matter how reluctant I was, I couldn't escape it. Later I thought, maybe this is my fate.
Since I married you, my life has been constantly extended. You have pulled me out of the abyss, but I cannot escape the pull of the abyss and can only go back into the abyss step by step and slowly.
However, during these years when you were with me, I was very happy and satisfied. It was like a pleasant surprise that illuminated the half of my life that should have been dark.
In these 25 years, I have saved many people and I feel guilty towards many people, but I think the people I feel most guilty towards are you and the children. I often wonder what you will do when I am gone. Later, I thought that with Duke Wei here, he will definitely protect you.
So, Qingrong.
Stay away from all this fighting, this is the last thing I can do for you.
——Husband, Chu Heng, a masterpiece. "
The Crown Princess opened the second letter and saw the three words "和離书", which broke her calm and made her burst into tears.
"Your Highness...how can you be so kind and cruel? I don't want a divorce, I don't want to leave you, I will stay by your side until I die..."
But letters can't speak.
He won't comfort her or advise her.
The Crown Princess' eyes were blurred with tears, but her gaze was still cast towards the bottle of poison on the dressing table. She had already ordered someone to send her daughter back to the Duke's Mansion. As long as there was news from the bedroom that His Highness had passed away, she would go with him.
She is not a competent mother, she just wants to accompany His Highness. Otherwise, His Highness will definitely be lonely, and His Highness loves the hustle and bustle the most.
"Empress!" The anxious voice of the palace maid came from outside.
The Crown Princess' tears rolled down her cheeks, she was so heartbroken that she could not control herself. She reached out to uncork the bottle, waiting for the palace maid to say the next half sentence.
But who knew, the next moment.
The maid said excitedly: "Young Master Zong Zhao from the Yuanyang Marquisate has requested to see you and said he has a good medicine to save your Highness!"