Her guards

Chapter 23 Those Past Events
I wonder if it's because the past was brought up.

Mo Zheng also had a dream.

She hasn't dreamed in a long time.

Even in dreams, one is fully aware that it is a dream.

Because I dreamt of Eunuch Zhang.

Old Eunuch Zhang, still dressed in palace clothes, ran forward with rapid breathing and unsteady steps.

She was held in the arms of the old eunuch Zhang.

She looked around at the towering palaces with their upturned eaves, and heard the sounds of crying and fighting echoing in her ears.

This must have been when she was two years old and was taken out of the palace.

Do you have any memories of being two years old?
Anyway, she never remembered it when she was sober.

Even if she did have memories, they would likely be the same as when she later regained them – she would simply be locked up and hidden away, never seeing the light of day.

Although her father was the emperor.

But in this palace, in this realm, the one in charge was the emperor's maternal grandfather, Zhao Tan.

She almost didn't make it into the world.

Zhao Tan married his ten-year-old granddaughter to the emperor. The empress was too young to bear children, so Zhao Tan forbade the emperor to have any concubines or other women to avoid the birth of imperial offspring who were not of the Zhao family bloodline.

However, the emperor was a man in his twenties. Although he had been raised as a useless person since childhood, he occasionally had thoughts of breaking free from control, so he still slept with other women.

A female musician playing the zither.

The woman was pregnant and knew she would die if discovered, so she hid until she was about to give birth.

Zhao Tan was furious and wanted to beat the woman to death, then cut open her stomach and throw the baby to its death as well.

Zhao Tan's advisors stopped him.

Because of the unfavorable situation in the country, more and more people are privately contacting the emperor, urging him to get rid of Zhao Tan.

The emperor was, after all, an adult, and becoming increasingly difficult to control. His advisors suggested that they prepare an heir to the throne for better control.

So she was allowed to be born.

Unexpectedly, she gave birth to a baby girl.

However, Zhao Tan did not kill her because he could no longer tolerate the emperor. With a newborn imperial heir, he could send the emperor poisoned wine.

Although he had already decided to take over as emperor, he still had to put on a show in front of the world. So, holding the imperial heir, he staged a scene of an emperor's death and entrusting his son to someone else, abdicating the throne, and saying nice things like that he would return the throne to the child when he grew up.

Therefore, she, as a princess, must be a prince.

Zhao said yes, and no one dared to verify her gender.

After Zhao Tan ascended the throne, her usefulness ended. However, Zhao Tan did not kill her immediately. Instead, he kept her in a secluded place, away from the light of day, waiting for her to be forgotten by the world.

She doesn't even have a name.

The name Mo Zheng was one she gave herself later. Mo was the surname of the emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty, and Zheng was the name of her birth mother, a female musician who played the zither.

She was imprisoned in the palace until she was two years old, when the capital was captured and Zhao Tan fled with the remnants of his army.

Everyone in the palace was fleeing for their lives.

The palace maid who raised her also wanted her to escape, so she threw her out from under the floor and landed right in front of the unlucky old eunuch Zhang who happened to be running by.

"Please, please save her."

In her dream, it seemed that the old eunuch Zhang had fallen down. Mo Zheng felt herself being pressed down, but then she was turned over again.

"Oh, sweetie, don't cry." Old Eunuch Zhang shook her, trying to soothe her.

Mo Zheng couldn't help but laugh: "Grandpa Zhang, why did you save me?"

The old eunuch Zhang sat hunched over on a stool, busy carving a small wooden horse for her to play with. He looked up when he heard the question.

Mo Zheng looked at the aged face: "Is it because of loyalty to the emperor? Is it out of reverence for me, a descendant of the emperor?"

Old Eunuch Zhang laughed, his face deeply lined with wrinkles: "If I were truly loyal to the Emperor, I should have committed suicide to follow the late Emperor when Zhao Tan became Emperor."

Instead of continuing to serve Zhao Tan as his eunuch, serving this usurper who plotted to seize the throne.

"Your Highness, don't think so much. I don't have any other thoughts. I just want you to live a few more days and enjoy a few more good days."

The old eunuch Zhang placed the carved wooden horse on the ground, and the wooden horse swayed back and forth.

"It's a shame that he was reborn as a human and didn't get to enjoy a few good days."

"Live a few more days, and you'll enjoy a few more good days."

"Nothing else matters."

He looked up at Mo Zheng and smiled, extending his hand. "Your Highness, I've been a useless piece of trash my whole life, but I saved you and extended your life..."

He spread out his thin fingers, as if calculating her age.

"...I've lived ten more years, it was worth it."

Mo Zheng smiled slightly.

She was brought out when she was two years old.

She was twelve years old when Eunuch Zhang died, meaning she lived for ten years longer than expected.

However, five years have now passed.

“Grandpa Zhang.” She looked at the old eunuch Zhang’s withered and somewhat blurry face, and reached out to correct his fingers. “Now, he has lived for fifteen more years.”

Mo Zheng suddenly opened her eyes, feeling the boat rocking, the sound of water, and the night wind.

She raised her hand and made a fifteen-point gesture.

Yes, I've lived fifteen years longer.

A slight smile curved her lips. Indeed, she remained conscious even in her dream.

Mo Zheng glanced at Yang Luo, who was sleeping peacefully on the other small bed. Yang Luo was no longer struggling with nightmares.

It was already known that, according to the girl's prophecy, she was supposed to die.

However, before death comes, keep living to the fullest.

She placed her hands in front of her and closed her eyes.

……

.......
Night fell over the land, and fire snakes slithered across it, soon arriving before a city.

"Open the door!"

"Investigating the case with embroidered robes!"

Hearing the shouts of the men and women below the city gate and seeing clearly the robes on their bodies and the talismans in their hands, the city gate guards dared not delay in opening the city gate.

Surrounded by dozens of embroidered-clad guards, Wei Jiao sped forward, leaving the city gate guards trembling with fear, wondering who in the city was about to have their homes ransacked and their families wiped out.

However, to the relief of the officials who were awakened in the middle of the night, it turned out that the woman in embroidery was not there to investigate a case, but to ask for lodging.

Camping in the wild was out of the question, and he was too lazy to stay at post stations. It was Wei Jiao's habit to knock on the nearest city gate and stay in the government office.

The government office was brightly lit, and officials of all ranks stood respectfully, looking at Wei Jiao sitting in the main hall of the government office.

Wei Jiao yawned, sleeves raised, his eyes drooping.

"I'm just looking for a place to stay. Gentlemen, there's no need for such formalities. Please go and rest," he said with a smile.

If you really disrespect him, he will smash down your door and drag the official out of your home.

"His Majesty has pacified the world, brought peace to all people, and granted you all salaries and official positions. Yet you show such disrespect upon seeing His Majesty's imperial seal. Do you intend to rebel?"

Although it was their first time meeting this Commandant of the Guards, the officials had long heard of his reputation and knew of his outrageous behavior.

Upon hearing Wei Jiao's words, the officials withdrew.

I'll have a sleepless night too.

Who knows if Wei Jiao might question someone while she's asleep?

A group of people gathered at the prefect's residence, discussing the embroidered robes.

"They don't even need evidence; they just declare someone guilty and convict them."

“When Wei Jiao went to Fuyang to arrest people, the prefect only asked if there was any evidence, but he was arrested on charges of accepting bribes, abusing his power, and disrespecting His Majesty.”

"He always accuses others of disrespecting His Majesty, but what about him? If he were truly investigating a case, that would be understandable, but he treats the government office like his own home, using it to sleep."

“When handling cases, they never go to government offices, but only set up private prisons.”

"Is it we who are disrespectful to His Majesty, or is it he who is disrespectful?"

The prefect listened to everyone's complaints and waved his hand, indicating that His Majesty would decide whether or not to show respect.

In recent years, His Majesty has never been harsh on the embroidered robes.

The officials exchanged glances, their expressions helpless.

They couldn't speak ill of His Majesty.

"This Wei Jiao has a good father." An official snorted. "In the past few years, Shu was in turmoil, and Wei Cui took action to suppress it and recover it. However, there are still many tribal threats. It is also thanks to Wei Cui's assistance in guarding the area that the southwest can be stable. It is said that His Majesty will also enfeoff Wei Cui as a king of a different surname. Naturally, he will also show great favor to Wei Cui's son."

Upon hearing this, an official hesitated for a moment, but finally couldn't help but whisper, "I've heard that Wei Jiao isn't actually Wei Cui's son."

(End of this chapter)