Her guards

Chapter 114 The Long Night
The winter nights in Beijing are chillingly cold.

"stand up!"

The patrolling guards, their torches illuminating the figures huddled in the corners of the streets, shouted sternly at one of the men.

The huddled figure instantly stretched out, revealing that it wasn't one person, but two teenagers, dressed in tattered clothes, with dirty faces and vacant eyes.

"No sleeping in the street! Go under the bridge!" the patrolman shouted irritably.

The two child beggars got up and disappeared into the night in a flash, no one knows where they hid.

Running around would be good, lest they freeze to death on the street. The patrolling guards didn't take it seriously anymore and continued on their way.

"But lately it seems like there are a lot of beggars," a soldier muttered.

“It’s bustling in the city at the end of the year, and it’s easy to get a meal there,” another soldier said.

As they spoke, the street ahead seemed to darken instantly, followed by the clatter of hooves and wheels.

It's curfew now; no one is allowed to move around freely. If any noise is heard, the guards in front will immediately shout, "What—!"

The moment the words left his mouth, Bingwei grabbed him from the side.

"It's an embroidered garment—"

At the same time, the soldiers saw flickering firelight amidst the thick blackness, reflecting the glittering gold threads.

It was indeed an embroidered garment.

The dozen or so embroidered-clad figures, carrying only two palace lanterns, were almost swallowed up by their black attire.

As you approach, you see a carriage surrounded by people. The carriage is black, like a sealed box, and under the dim light, you can vaguely see the gorgeous patterns.

It's Wei Jiao's car!
The patrolling guards immediately moved aside, remaining silent as they watched the embroidered-clad women escort the carriage slowly past and disappear into the distance.

"Wei Jiao is back."

"Who knows who's going to be unlucky in the middle of the night."

The patrolling guards whispered among themselves for a moment, but were immediately stopped by their leader from continuing their patrol and urging them not to meddle.

Heibei carried the torch and strode forward.

The leader couldn't help but look back one last time.

The carriage was moving so slowly that it didn't seem like they were going to raid a house or exterminate a family; it looked more like they were taking a leisurely stroll.

After turning a corner, the windows of the closed carriage were suddenly opened, and Wei Jiao leaned half his body against the window.

"Captain," the woman in embroidered robes beside the carriage hurriedly asked, "Did I wake you up just now?"

Wei Jiao had his eyes closed, and the light shone on his pale face.

“No,” he said. “I wasn’t asleep.”

Just as Xiu Yi was about to say something, there was a commotion ahead, as if someone was approaching. Soon after, a woman in embroidery approached from outside.

"Captain," the embroidered-clad woman said softly, "the Marquis of Yichun invites you to his home."

……

.......
"Congratulations, Captain, for two great achievements."

As night deepened, Marquis Yichun sat behind his desk, watching Wei Jiao.

Because it was warm inside, Wei Jiao loosened his cloak, revealing the nightgown he was wearing underneath. Compared to the well-dressed Marquis Yichun, it looked as if he was getting up in the middle of the night to entertain guests at home.

"I originally sent congratulatory gifts to your residence, but you said you were unable to receive guests," Marquis Yichun continued, his expression concerned. "Is your illness any better?"

Wei Jiao went out and captured the remnants of the Sun family, and killed the Ma family of Qin'an City who colluded with the Sun family. The news had already spread as the Yunzhong Army escorted the prisoners to the capital.

As the news spread, the emperor also sent imperial physicians to Wei's residence.

Although the official explanation was that he was injured while capturing and executing rebels, it couldn't be kept secret, since Yunzhong Army came and said that Wei Jiao had fallen ill in Qin'an City.

So although Wei Jiao returned to the capital, he has not yet entered the palace to be rewarded, to be cured of his illness, and to meet the emperor.

After all, madness is different from other diseases. If someone goes mad and disrespects His Majesty, will His Majesty punish them or not?
Under the dim light, Wei Jiao looked at Marquis Yichun with a smile: "I'm not better yet. If I have a relapse, please bear with me, Marquis."

Sitting opposite him, Chai Yuan's face stiffened: "Wei Jiao, my father—"

But Wei Jiao interrupted him again and sat up straight.

“I remember now, I was able to achieve this great feat because of the Marquis,” he said. “The Marquis is my great benefactor, and I will never make a mistake in front of him.”

Marquis Yichun smiled: "You're too kind. I was just mentioning it. It's you, Commandant, who can walk over and catch the person."

Wei Jiao waved his hand: "Your Excellency is too modest. If you want to catch someone, how could you not? You are..."

These words made it sound as if they were deliberately concealing the truth. Chai Yuan was somewhat annoyed. He was about to speak when Wei Jiao's voice continued.

"...Treat me well!"

Wei Jiao looked at Marquis Yichun with emotion.

Chai Yuan swallowed back the words that were about to come out.

Wei Jiao continued speaking.

"Even better than my father."

He looked at Marquis Yichun, raised his hand to touch his chest, and his loose nightgown slipped off.

Chai Yuan's expression froze as he saw Wei Jiao's half-arm, which looked as if it had been gnawed by some wild beast under the dim light.

The bloody scars were shocking to behold.

Wei Jiao's voice continued to come from beside my ear.

"The Marquis also said he would send me a congratulatory gift, so it is I who should come to give the Marquis a thank-you gift."

Marquis Yichun laughed and said, "No need for thanks..."

“Your Excellency is right.” Wei Jiao stood up.

He lowered his sleeves to cover his arms, and Chai Yuan also came to his senses, looking at Wei Jiao's face.

Wei Jiao's eyes shone brightly.

“Sending money or gifts is nothing; it cannot express my gratitude.” “My lord, why don’t I recognize you as my godfather!”

Chai Yuan's face contorted instantly, and he almost choked on his own breath. What nonsense! He slammed his fist on the table and stood up: "Wei Jiao! Who are you insulting!"

Wei Jiao seemed to have just seen him, then suddenly realized something and laughed, waving his hand: "Lord Chai, don't be angry. I'm not trying to take advantage of you. I'm just saying that I treat the Marquis as my father, not as my brother."

He spoke with a serious expression, as if deep in thought.

"That's indeed inappropriate. How about this, I'll recognize Lord Chai as my godfather—"

"Wei Jiao!" Chai Yuan pointed at him, "Don't think I won't dare to beat you up!"

Marquis Yichun spoke up to stop them: "Alright, stop arguing."

Chai Yuan angrily shouted, "Father!"

“My lord, I truly wish to express my gratitude,” Wei Jiao said with a smile.

Marquis Yichun nodded: "I know the Commandant wants to express his gratitude, but there's no need to give me gifts or claim kinship. The Commandant helped me last time, so we've already balanced things out."

Wei Jiao nodded: "That's right, I was so happy that I forgot. Alas, I sometimes only remember to repay others and always forget what others owe me." He raised his hand in a salute, "Thank you, Lord Marquis. We are even now. Farewell."

After saying that, he wrapped his cloak around himself and turned around.

"Captain, please wait," said Marquis Yichun.

Wei Jiao turned around lazily.

"I have invited the Commandant here today because I have something to ask him," said Marquis Yichun.

Wei Jiao raised an eyebrow and smiled, then turned around and drawled, "So, the Marquis needs my help again."

Marquis Yichun nodded: "Yes, we'll need the Commandant's help again." He then looked at Wei Jiao, "Does His Majesty know about the situation in Baima Town?"

Wei Jiao looked at him, her deep eyes flickering slightly, and smiled.

“This is His Majesty’s domain; there is nothing His Majesty does not know,” he said.

Marquis Yichun's eyes flickered, and he asked, "Has the Commandant seen Ji Ying recently?"

Wei Jiao held up one finger: "My lord, this is no small matter." With that, he smiled and turned to leave.

……

....
"Is he saying that Ji Ying's disappearance and the events at Baima Town are not the same thing?"

"He means he'll only answer one thing!"

Marquis Yichun glared at his son and said irritably.

Chai Yuan cursed at the door, even more angrily, "You bastard! Asking him is an honor, you don't know what's good for you!"

and also!

"They keep saying they're here to express their gratitude, but they claim to have recognized your father as their godfather!"

"Everyone knows his adoptive father is Zhao Tan! He's insulting his father, saying he's like Zhao Tan!"

"What a piece of shit!"

Marquis Yichun slammed his hand on the table: "You said he's a dog, why bother arguing with a dog? Just get what you need."

Chai Yuan took a few deep breaths to suppress his temper and got back to business.

“He means that His Majesty knows about White Horse Town…” he said in a low voice, “So, it really was His Majesty…”

Marquis Yichun shook his head: "He only said he knew, but didn't say it was His Majesty who did it. However, since His Majesty knows, we should stop investigating for now."

The emperor knew that if he wanted to investigate, he would do so.

If the emperor doesn't investigate, they certainly can't meddle.

……

.......
Wei Jiao stood outside the Yichun Marquis's residence, looking at the deep night on the street, and yawned.

The woman in embroidery beside her said happily, "Not bad, not bad. It was worth the trip to the Marquis of Yichun's residence. I'm really sleepy. Get in the carriage and go to sleep."

Wei Jiao hummed in agreement. The carriage had already stopped, and he got in. As before, the carriage moved slowly, accompanied only by two lanterns, its dark presence making it seem like a ghost wandering the streets.

Not long after, Wei Jiao leaned out of the carriage again, his face appearing even paler against the dark night sky.

He didn't speak, and the women in embroidered robes didn't dare to speak either.

They walked on in silence, and as they turned a corner, Wei Jiao's previously unfocused gaze sharpened as he looked ahead.

A mansion ahead gleamed faintly in the night.

“Go to…” Wei Jiao said slowly, “to the Duke of Ding’an’s residence.”

……

.......
Mo Zheng looked at the top of the tent; her sleep was both good and bad.

Because I've been in danger since I was a child, being vigilant has become an instinctive reaction.

In a particularly safe environment, she can fall asleep as soon as she lies down, but she can wake up instantly if there is any unusual movement around her.

Right now, it's not really dangerous, because no one from outside has broken in.

But even if I tried to sleep, I couldn't fall asleep because the footsteps were neither fast nor slow, sometimes near and sometimes far, like an endless tide.

Mo Zheng sighed and got up.

Perhaps because she was too lazy to see her, Lady Ding'an arranged for her niece to stay in a courtyard near the garden.

Mo Zheng leaped onto the roof.

There was no moon tonight, and the night was deep. The Ding'an Duke's Mansion, dotted with twinkling lights, had a unique atmosphere.

On the other side of the roof, Wei Jiao, wrapped in a cloak, was huddled up and squatted, like a roof beast.

The beast's head turned and looked at her.

"Miss Yang, why are you sleeping soundly at home instead of going out for a stroll in this long night?"