That was indeed a person.
Those eyes, illuminated by the moonlight amidst the darkness of the bamboo forest, were so bright they seemed to reflect light, like those of a ghost.
"After the Empress Dowager passed away, this person was responsible for cleaning the Empress Dowager's palace. She was also responsible for keeping, cleaning, and enshrining the Empress Dowager's jade carvings. She was Granny Jing!"
Yun Zhuo said in a deep voice, his tone as if covered in frost, very cold.
As soon as he finished speaking, Zhuang Xin and the other ten men behind him all moved, gripping their weapons and preparing to rush out and capture the old woman.
Yun Zhuo, however, was in no hurry to send them out. Instead, he turned around and faced Zhuang Xin and the others.
Yun Zhuo selected six people from those ten, and those six people were the weakest in terms of overall ability.
"After I was deposed, this old nanny Jing 'escaped' from the palace and hid in the Bamboo Sea Stream. When we fled back then, we were on the verge of death. As an old nanny, she had almost no hope of escaping under the watchful eyes of Empress Shen's people."
"So, Granny Jing is just bait to lure me out of my hole. We can't expend too much effort to capture her! But we still have to take action!"
"If we make a big fuss, we might be able to provoke that little palace maid who serves Consort Li, and our goal is to find that little palace maid!"
Not only do they need to provoke the little palace maid out, but they also need to lure away Shen Jiefeng's men to make it easier for the rest of them to act.
Yun Zhuo left four of his most capable guards behind to search for the young palace maid, who was the one who held the evidence to prove his innocence!
Yun Zhuo pointed at the six people and said, "Now you can set off to catch up with that Granny Jing!"
There should be six people.
In the tranquil mountain forest, their momentum was like thunder, but Yun Zhuo knew that their journey was extremely dangerous and their chances of survival were slim.
Therefore, he added, "Unless absolutely necessary, there's no need for a fight to the death; it's better to save your life."
In short, the already tense atmosphere calmed down.
It was as if the aura of death had already enveloped them.
Even so, they bowed deeply, turned around, and went down the mountain to the bamboo forest on the opposite side.
Granny Jing seemed to be quite old and didn't run very fast. Amidst the swaying bamboo shadows, one could almost see her stumbling and staggering through the bamboo grove.
After the six guards descended the mountain, they pursued the enemy into the bamboo forest opposite, while Granny Jing had not yet reached the summit.
However, the bamboo forest was dense and the terrain was uneven, so the guards' view was largely blocked after they entered the forest, and they could not see Jing Mama for a while.
They could only desperately push their way up to the top of the bamboo forest, but after only ten zhang (approximately 33 meters) they heard noisy footsteps behind them, chasing after them.
The layers of footsteps intertwined with the rustling of bamboo leaves, as if a murderous aura was gathering and enveloping them.
Although they were prepared to die, the six men's expressions changed. One of them said, "Someone must have caught up with us! They're going to surround and kill us here!"
The remaining five all thought so, so no one objected.
One of them said, "Since we're going to die anyway, let's try to capture that Granny Jing and make a bigger commotion so that it will be easier for His Highness and the others to act!"
Everyone nodded emphatically, their faces filled with expressions of resignation to their fate!
I remember on the night of the Lantern Festival, many of their brothers had already died at the hands of the city's guards. Compared to those brothers who died tragically, they had already lived many more days.
To die for loyalty, to die for His Highness, is worthwhile!
Thinking on a higher level, their deaths tonight can clear His Highness's name and dispel the gloom over the Great Zhou Dynasty. They died a worthy death!
With that in mind, everyone did their best to chase after her up the bamboo forest mountain, and finally they saw Granny Jing's figure.
Granny Jing stood on a large rock, looking down at them. Under the moonlight, there was no expression on her face, as if she were a soul-reaping ghost without joy or sorrow.
Soon, the sounds of fighting rose from the bamboo grove, and blood splattered, staining the bamboo stalks and creating a scene reminiscent of a traditional Chinese ink painting, bathed in moonlight.
"It was indeed bait," Ye Qingxue said. "It seems that twenty guards went in."
Yun Zhuo frowned slightly: "Did you see Shen Jiefeng? Was that him?"
Ye Qingxue replied, "It looks like him! He personally took action, clearly intending to kill you and give you no chance of survival! Luckily, we didn't all chase after Granny Jing!"
Yun Zhuo suddenly raised his hand and pressed it hard against his temple, his expression contorted with pain.
Ye Qingxue immediately asked, "What's wrong?"
What else could he do? As a prince who had been on the battlefield and killed countless enemies, he was filled with disgust at the sight of such fighting, bloodshed, and death, and his head was throbbing with pain.
It felt as if a giant hammer was hammering at his head, striking at his most vulnerable spot, again and again, as if it wouldn't stop until it had knocked his soul out!
I really want to reach into my brain, grab that hammer, and grind it into dust.
Seeing his pained expression, Ye Qingxue immediately stepped forward, cupped his face in her hands, and forced him to look into her eyes.
"Look at me." Her voice was soft, yet carried an irresistible force. "Just look at me."
Her thumb gently stroked his tense temples, the warmth of her fingertips seeming to penetrate his skin.
Ye Qingxue noticed that Yun Zhuo's veins were throbbing under her hand.
“Breathe,” she guided him. “Follow my rhythm.”
She deliberately slowed her breathing, her chest rising and falling rhythmically.
Yun Zhuo's gaze finally focused on her face. Her deep eyes were now bloodshot, like those of a trapped wild beast.
This chapter is not finished yet. Please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
