Her guards

Chapter 116 A Nightmare Within a Nightmare
"Didn't you sleep well again last night?"

When school was over, Yang Luo walked side by side with Mo Zheng, scrutinizing her face, and asked in a low voice.

Although he had slept for a while in the library, he couldn't hide the weariness in his eyes.

Mo Zheng sighed: "Wei Jiao came last night."

Yang Luo was startled: "What does he want with you?"

Mo Zheng said, "Come to sleep."

Yang Luo was stunned. What?
Mo Zheng told her what happened last night.

Wei Jiao slept on the artificial hill. Whether she was really asleep or not, she didn't speak or move. She didn't know whether to leave or stay, so she simply stayed on the artificial hill in a half-asleep state until Wei Jiao left just before dawn. So it was as if she hadn't slept all night.

“This madman is deliberately tormenting you,” Yang Luo said in a low voice, then frowned. “I’ve already told him his true identity. He witnessed your mother’s murder, your attack, and your uncle’s strange behavior. What else is there for him to keep pursuing?”

This is probably because Wei Jiao still had the Jiang Wangchun case in Zhao County on his mind.

Given that she had previously appeared in Zhao County and had now offered a reasonable explanation, though it hadn't completely convinced him, his intuition told him to keep an eye on her...

After all, she did indeed have another identity hidden.

Mo Zheng curled her lip: "He's a madman, you can't judge him like a normal person."

Indeed, and Wei Jiao is the emperor's man. Perhaps the emperor ordered him to do this. Yang Luo lowered his eyes and asked in a low voice, "Won't it cause trouble if you tell him that Brother Zhang and the others are your people?"

Mo Zheng laughed and said, "He must have guessed it a long time ago."

Therefore, telling him can show your honesty.

Moreover, although Zhang Shengyou and his wife were exposed to Wei Jiao, she still had many more people in the capital.

Exposing some people to the light of day makes it easier for those in the shadows to remain hidden.

"Never mind him. We've told him everything. Let him think what he wants," she said to Yang Luo. "Let's think about the exam first."

In three days, it will be the end of the month, and the exam presided over by the chief priest will finally begin.

Upon hearing the word "exam," Liu Chan, who was walking ahead while silently reciting her lessons, turned around with a look of fear in her eyes.

"What should I do if I fail the exam?" she asked.

Mo Zheng reached out and patted her arm: "Do your best, and just have a clear conscience."

Liu Chan responded with an "oh," her fear dissipating, and nodded: "That's right, exactly."

He turned his head and continued reciting.

Yang Luo chuckled, then gave a mocking laugh.

This exam was specifically designed to eliminate them. Both the Duke of Ding'an and the emperor, who approved their admission to the National Academy, were planning to remove them from the program.

I wonder what tricky questions the Academy of Chinese Studies will give this time, whether they will give Yang Hui the answers in advance again, or simply judge them as the worst without even looking at their answers...

“People say that we should do our best and leave the rest to fate,” she said softly. “If fate is already predetermined, what’s the point of doing our best?”
"I don't know," Mo Zheng said softly from the side. "I haven't decided yet."

Yang Luo was interrupted and paused for a moment. What hadn't he thought of yet?
……

.......
Night fell over the imperial city, but the lights were still on in Princess Heicheng's study.

The emperor watched from afar without going any closer, listening to the eunuch's report from the side.

"The princess told Your Majesty not to worry, that she wouldn't stay up all night, but with exams coming up soon, she'd better cram a little beforehand."

"These past few days I've been resting in the study instead of going back to my bedchamber, and I've been sleeping well."

The emperor shook his head: "How can one sleep well here?"

The eunuch chuckled and chimed in, "Perhaps the princess feels very at ease sleeping among the writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones."

The Emperor couldn't help but smile and nodded: "Heisei is a child with her own opinions and a sense of propriety. Since she has ambition, I will encourage her." He instructed the eunuchs, "Just keep an eye on her from all sides and don't disturb her."

The eunuchs responded and escorted the emperor to his bedchamber.

"Not only Princess Heicheng, but they also say that Princess Wuyang and Princess Nangong are studying hard, unlike before," the eunuch continued.

Since the emperor liked to see his children diligent, they said more.

But the emperor's smile did not deepen; he merely snorted, "That would be for the best. If they don't perform well in this exam, they won't have to go out and embarrass themselves anymore."

The eunuchs dared not say anything more.

The emperor stopped, but instead of looking towards the imperial study, he looked out of the city, where the night was dark and his expression was gloomy.

Some people who appear by accident should also disappear from the public eye.

……

.......
When she saw the person who shouldn't be there reappear, Mo Zheng felt a headache coming on. "Captain Wei, I really won't go out at night anymore." She looked at Wei Jiao, who was squatting on the eaves, and said seriously, "I've told you all my secrets."

Wei Jiao, who had been motionless like a stone beast, turned his head, his eyes, hidden by his large hat, suddenly brightening: "All? Is it because you feel ashamed to talk about the things your father doesn't want you to do?"

Mo Zheng's hand, hanging by her side, froze.

She had confessed her "identity" to Wei Jiao, and knew that Wei Jiao must have already known her identity before she confessed.

However, it is generally accepted that Yang Luo's biological father has passed away, and no one mentions it or dares to ask about it.

Even Yang Luo himself only made a guess based on a jade pendant.

Wei Jiao actually said that her father didn't want her, so does he know who this father is?
Is this something Wei Jiao did herself, based on her own research and guess?

Or did that father reveal...?

That day, the Empress came to the Imperial Academy, and the Emperor came too, but left halfway there...

The Empress's behavior, the Emperor's behavior, the Imperial Concubine's behavior...

Mo Zheng's mind was in turmoil. The next moment, she took a few quick steps toward Wei Jiao, her voice tense and agitated: "You, you know about my father's affairs, I didn't even know myself..."

Wei Jiao did not respond to her again. After saying this, he looked ahead again, overlooking the entire Ding'an Duke's Mansion, and remained motionless.

He could certainly guess who Yang Luo's father was.

The true past between the emperor and the Duke of Ding'an's family has been concealed and buried by time, but he is in charge of the Embroidered Robe and is in charge of investigating all kinds of privacy, so he naturally knows that the emperor and the Duke of Ding'an's family are related by marriage. Looking at the Marquis of Yichun's recent behavior, he is a madman, not a fool, so of course he can guess.

As for Miss Yang, judging from her behavior all along, she is either fearless because she has something to rely on, or she harbors a wicked spirit and deliberately causes trouble. She must know in her heart who her father is.

He didn't say he was happy to watch these people put on airs, to see what else they would cause trouble.

Listen, this bastard is starting to spout nonsense and cover up his tracks, Wei Jiao thought to himself.

"...My mother never mentioned it when I was little..."

"...When I was a child, my mother's reaction was very strange when I went to the grave with my father..."

"...I knew something was wrong, and sure enough..."

"...Commander Wei, what do you know? I trust you the most, tell me..."

Wei Jiao chuckled inwardly. The sounds around him gradually faded away, and the mansion in front of him had changed. It was larger and brighter than before. Even though it was late at night, there were people everywhere, with singing, dancing, and all kinds of laughter.

He huddled in the kennel, surrounded by the large and small hunting dogs that were still growling and baring their teeth, but unlike in his previous dreams, they were not biting him endlessly.

They seemed to want to pounce, but were afraid of the human figures nearby.

Wei Jiao raised her head and looked at the brightly lit front, where the woman shone brightly in the light.

She looked at him with a smile and reached out her hand to him.

"Ah Jiao, Mother is here, don't be afraid."

Yes, his mother was there, Wei Jiao thought, what did he have to be afraid of?

He used to be afraid to approach this mansion because it was the origin of his nightmares.

Ever since Qin'an City, he has been plagued by nightmares. He is not afraid of nightmares, but perhaps because he is too unafraid and too lucid, he always wakes up as soon as he falls asleep.

He couldn't fall asleep.

When I got back, I tore up a room full of books at the Chinese Academy, but that didn't work either.

Unexpectedly, when he passed by the Duke of Ding'an's mansion that day, he suddenly had the idea to step inside and actually managed to get a good night's sleep there.

Yes, this is the source of his nightmares, but it also bears traces of his mother.

Where your mother is, even nightmares are beautiful dreams.

Wei Jiao reached out and grabbed her mother's hand, pressing her face against her soft palm.

"Mother, I'm sleepy, I'm going to sleep," he murmured.

His mother gently stroked the top of his head.

Suddenly, a strange female voice whispered in his ear: "Wei Jiao, your parents don't want you anymore."

It was as if a bolt of lightning had torn his eyes apart, splitting him in two.

Wei Jiao opened his eyes and saw that half of himself was standing, while the other half was lying on the ground.

The hunting dogs that had retreated suddenly swelled up, transforming into a gigantic shadow with gaping maws, and pounced.

(End of this chapter)