He Yao had spoken with Fu Ya last night and knew that everything was going very smoothly as planned, so she went to bed with peace of mind. But when she opened her eyes, she found herself teleported to Gesang's bed by a magical teleportation technique...
She was still a little dizzy when she rushed out of the tent; it was hard not to be fully awake after being so frightened. Now, recalling the scene she saw when she woke up: Gesang's arm was wrapped in white gauze and was soaked with blood, clearly indicating that he was seriously injured.
Who was the person who dealt him a severe blow?
Jun Wushuang, a young girl, would have a hard time escaping Gesang's clutches if she were trapped in the forest, let alone reversing the power dynamic and harming Gesang—she must have been rescued!
He Yao looked up and met Chu Yao's ambiguous smile.
Besides Chu Yao, who else would definitely save Jun Wushuang, and who wouldn't worry about being punished after severely injuring Gesang?
She was inexplicably thrown into Gesang's tent, which must be related to Chu Yao!
The words of accusation almost spilled out, but he swallowed them back down.
The more someone enjoys scheming in secret, the more they want to maintain a kind and innocent image in public, and He Yao is no exception. To convince Emperor Deqing that Chu Yao had plotted against her, she needed a solid reason. He Yao dared not and was unwilling to reveal that she had plotted against Jun Wushuang first, and she couldn't come up with a better reason for the time being, so she suffered in silence.
She gritted her teeth in hatred, but on the surface she still had to maintain a respectful demeanor towards Emperor Deqing, her features almost distorted: "Grandfather, it wasn't me. I just heard that my cousin Gesang was injured, so I came to visit him."
"Hmm." Emperor Deqing nodded. These words were in line with his own thoughts, so they were easy to believe. He did not press He Yao for why her clothes were disheveled, barely saving face for her. "In that case, if you have finished your visit, go back." After saying that, he instructed the accompanying palace maids to tidy up He Yao's clothes.
Inside the Jun family's tent, four girls were having breakfast. Chu Wan was somewhat absent-minded, her large, clear eyes constantly glancing towards the door.
Her deskmate, Wuyou Wuhui, unaware of the reason, assumed that she hadn't slept well and that it was affecting her appetite, so he was even more hospitable than usual, constantly urging her to eat more.
Wu Shuang guessed that Chu Wan was looking forward to Chu Yao coming to pick her up. After all, they were siblings born of the same mother, so of course there was no grudge that would last overnight.
After the meal, as the four of them sat in a row drinking tea to aid digestion, the curtains that had been hanging low were suddenly lifted.
"Brother!" Chu Wan exclaimed excitedly, almost knocking over her teacup.
However, the person who walked in from outside the tent was not Chu Yao, but someone who went to Lu Zhenniang to get some snacks for the girls.
Chu Wan sat back down in disappointment, looking at the four-colored pastries on the carved lacquer plate, but she had no appetite at all.
Wushuang noticed that Qiqiao's expression was a bit strange, as if she wanted to say something but hesitated, so she asked curiously, "What did you hear or see outside?"
"I didn't see it," Qiqiao said. "I just heard someone say that His Majesty has bestowed a marriage upon Princess Yunjing and Prince Gesang."
"That can't be right," the three girls from the Jun family said almost in unison.
Chu Wan, who had just regained her senses, said a beat late, "A Yao is a junior!"
The group exchanged glances, and although they didn't say it aloud, they all agreed that it was a rumor.
However, throughout the day, these words were being circulated in the camp. Not only did no one refute them, but some even patted their chests and guaranteed that they had seen the Grand Eunuch Liang Sanxing personally deliver the imperial decree to the two princesses.
Since it involved the emperor, no one dared to utter a word of discussion, but a single glance was enough to tell the whole story: a niece marrying her cousin was against all moral principles, and there must be some unspeakable secret involved.
Humans are naturally curious, and the more secretive something is, the more it arouses imagination and interest. Unfortunately, before this wave of rumors could fade away, it was overshadowed by an even more serious event—the next morning, everyone who woke up was shocked to find that the imperial carriage had already set off before dawn, taking only the concubines, two princes, and the accompanying guards with them. Most of the officials who had no connection with the garrison, all the officials' families, and even the crown prince were left behind at the camp and had to pack up and return to the capital on their own.
Chapter Index 103 | 02
Chapter 102:
"Shuangshuang, why didn't my brother and aunt take me with them? Waaah..."
On the way back, Chu Wan threw another little tantrum.
Wushuang, who was riding in the same carriage with her, casually comforted her, "Perhaps His Majesty left in too much of a hurry, or perhaps he didn't allow the officials' families to communicate with him." She pinched Chu Wan's pouty little face, "Who told you to run away from home? You won't go back unless Chu Yao picks you up, hehehe."
“That’s true.” Chu Wan was always easy to coax and said understandingly, “Brother is also responsible for protecting Uncle’s safety.”
She put her worries aside, happily lifted a corner of the curtain, and admired the scenery along the way.
Wu Shuang didn't appear as relaxed as she seemed. The news of He Yao's marriage to Ge Sang had spread far and wide, and knowing what He Yao had done, Wu Shuang suspected that this was the result of Chu Yao's deliberate revenge. Therefore, she worried that Emperor Deqing's sudden departure to return to the capital was related to this matter.
As the emperor, he was forced to arrange a marriage between his nephew and granddaughter for some reason, which caused him to lose face in front of his ministers. One can imagine how angry he was.
If Chu Yao was indeed behind the scheme, would he incur the wrath of Emperor Deqing?
The Marquis of Runan's family set off a day later than Emperor Deqing, and it has been three days since they departed. Wushuang has not received any news from Chu Yao's side, not even polite words like "I'm sorry to trouble the Jun family to take care of Chu Wan for the time being." This is really not like Chu Yao's style of having connections everywhere.
The carriage came to a leisurely stop, and the sound of horses' hooves grew louder as they approached. Jun Nian's voice rang out: "Datong Post Station is just ahead. I just sent someone to inquire, and they said there are still empty courtyards available. We'll stay here tonight."
Jun Shu also left with the imperial entourage, so the responsibility of managing and caring for the women and children of the family fell entirely on Jun Nian's shoulders. Fortunately, Wang Hongbo was there to help, which greatly reduced the burden.
After getting off the carriage, the four girls huddled together, chattering and asking each other questions.
"Shuangshuang, hasn't your future brother-in-law sent anyone to ask us yet?" Like Wushuang, Wu Hui suspected that Chu Yao was behind He Yao's affair, but both of them were afraid of being overheard and dared not communicate.
"Second sister, hasn't Brother Pang Yuan come looking for you either?" This was Wushuang asking Wuyou. After receiving a negative answer, she ran to ask her second uncle, Jun Nian, whether he had received any message from their father.
Seeing their chaotic state, the old lady shook her head and said, "Alright, alright, we don't even know where they are now. Even if something happens, we can't help. Just rest and take care of yourselves. Don't cause any more trouble. The most important thing is to return to the capital safely."
“That’s what I’m saying,” He Caiqiong said, coming over to comfort them. “You all panic every time you go somewhere. When people are flustered, accidents are more likely to happen. So you have to stay calm in the face of things.”
The four girls seemed to have learned their lesson, nodding in agreement, and then holding hands, they walked together into the post station.
The postmaster arranged a two-courtyard house for the Jun family. The women lived in pairs in the back courtyard, while Wang Hongbo and Jun Nian squeezed into the front courtyard with the guards who were not on night duty.
After days of travel, everyone was exhausted and went to bed early after dinner.
Wu Shuang was preoccupied with worries and slept very restlessly. Several times she dreamed that Chu Yao appeared in front of her bed. Each time she excitedly opened her eyes, she could only see the bright moonlight in front of the window and Chu Wan sleeping soundly beside her, snoring softly.
As the weather grew hotter, the road was filled with the heat of the day, and coupled with a sleepless night, Wushuang fell ill the next day.
This illness came on suddenly, causing fever and a prolonged, unconscious state. [www.qiushu.cc - tons of great novels]