Her guards

Chapter 30 The Gaze from Afar

The streets near the imperial city were much wider than those in other places, and there was no noise from the market. As the carriage traveled here, Lady Ding'an felt much more comfortable.

Through the swaying carriage curtain, one could see a quaint old house on the left side of the street corner, with a spacious layout and an imposing presence.

This was originally the residence of a prince from the previous dynasty, but it was later seized by Zhao Tan and renovated into an even more luxurious place.

Upon ascending the throne, the new emperor bestowed this residence upon the Yang family as a reward.

Other dukes and marquises either chose small residences within the city or settled in the outer city.

For more than ten years, although his family members held lower official positions than others and rarely appeared before His Majesty, the mere fact of his residence was enough to make others dare not underestimate him.

Lady Ding'an sat upright in the carriage.

The carriage slowly came to a stop in front of the gate.

"Is the Duke in his study?" she asked.

Having received a definite answer, Lady Ding'an alighted from her carriage at the gate and did not ride through the second gate.

The servants accompanying the carriage rushed to help, and people inside also came to greet them upon hearing the commotion.

"Mother."

Surrounded by four maids and three servants, Yang Hui ran out of the door. The young girl was dressed in gorgeous clothes and adorned with gold, silver and jade, which shone brightly in the sunlight.

Lady Ding'an smiled and said, "Why did you run away?" Then she scolded, "You're not allowed to go out and play. You have to go to the National Academy for the exam in a few days."

Yang Hui, holding her mother's arm, said, "I know, I wasn't playing. My father called me to teach me how to write articles."

Lady Ding'an smiled even more broadly: "Very well, I'll go with you." She then stepped inside, but then looked back as if remembering something.

Yang Hui looked over and asked, "Mother, what are you looking at?"

"I always feel like someone is watching me," said Lady Ding'an, looking puzzled.

The street was bustling with people, and perhaps because of the lively atmosphere in front of the door, many people looked over with curiosity, awe, and envy in their eyes.

Yang Hui chuckled: "Isn't it normal for others to look at Mother? Mother is the Lady of Ding'an."

Lady Ding'an smiled, but she wasn't a three-year-old child. She could only listen to what she said and let it go. Moreover, she could sense that the gaze was somewhat strange and unpleasant.

However, Yang Hui's words reminded her of something: this matter would indeed attract the attention of others.

"Yes," said the Duchess of Ding'an with a smile, pinching her daughter's rosy cheek. "There's also a daughter who's going to study at the Imperial Academy."

Yang Hui looked smug and shook her mother's arm, saying coquettishly, "I haven't passed the exam yet, Mother, don't praise me now."

Lady Ding'an smiled and said, "Hui'er is so intelligent, she will definitely pass the exam."

The mother and daughter chatted and laughed as they went inside, surrounded by maids and servants. The gates of the Ding'an Duke's Mansion slowly closed, cutting off outside sight.

Sitting in a teahouse by the street, Wei Jiao's gaze remained fixed on the Duke of Ding'an's mansion, looking beyond the gate into the interior.

He leaned against the window, one hand supporting his chin, his sleeve slipping down to reveal a bright red lining, which made his face appear even whiter and more like jade.

He seemed to be staring intently at the screen, or perhaps he was looking at it very seriously.

"Captain," a man in embroidered robes couldn't help but say from behind, "We've been watching for so many days, and there's nothing unusual about the Duke of Ding'an's residence. Why don't we go in and search it?"

Wei Jiao shook her head: "No rush, maybe the other side is also on guard. Let's keep waiting."

His gaze remained fixed on the mansion.

The woman in embroidered robes responded with a "yes," and said without further questioning, "Let the captain see if he wants."

The door behind him was pushed open, and a man in embroidered robes rushed in. "Captain, His Majesty wishes to see you."

Wei Jiao said "Oh," looked away, and walked lightly outside: "Keep an eye on them and see if any strangers come in or out of their house."

The women in embroidered robes responded with a "Yes."

……

.......
In the magnificent imperial city, a young man dressed in black with red robes fluttered like wildflowers, and the people sitting in two small carriages on the palace road immediately saw him.

“It’s Wei Jiao—” A pretty girl of about fourteen or fifteen years old was overjoyed and immediately leaned forward.

Before he could even wave, a bright-eyed, beautiful girl of similar age from the car next to him shouted, "Ah Jiao—"

Wei Jiao looked over, a smile spreading across her face. She raised her hand and waved, making the two women in the carriage even happier. They urged the eunuchs to stop the carriage quickly, but before the eunuchs could stop, Wei Jiao flew away as nimbly as a butterfly.

Princess Wuyang's dignified face flashed with anger. She grabbed a cushion from inside the carriage and threw it at the eunuch: "Fool, why are you so slow?"

The eunuch knelt on the ground and repeatedly apologized.

Princess Nangong smiled, her eyes becoming even more gentle: "Sister, don't scold me. Even if I pulled you up and we flew, we still couldn't catch up with Ajiao." She sighed and looked at the conspicuous young man's back on the palace road in the distance. "Ajiao won't pay any attention to us. He only talks to the eldest princess."

Princess Wuyang glared at her and sneered, "Since you know he's the one Heisei likes, why do you keep calling him Ajiao? Is Ajiao someone you can call? Be careful Heisei finds out and he'll beat your mouth to a pulp."

Princess Nangong's eyes immediately reddened: "Yes, I deserve to be unlucky for angering the eldest princess. Who told me not to be like you, whose birth mother is a noble consort? My mother was just a minor noble lady..."

She covered her face and sobbed, looking incredibly delicate.

Princess Wuyang spat and said, "I'm not the Emperor, so don't try to show off your tricks in front of me."

The palace maids, clearly used to this, immediately spoke up to advise, "Princess two, please stop arguing," and "Go to the study quickly; if you neglect your studies, His Majesty will punish you."

Upon hearing the word "homework," both princesses sighed simultaneously, their brows furrowed with worry.

"It's so annoying! Why does Father insist that we study?" Princess Wuyang said irritably. "We are not the crown prince, so we don't need to inherit the country, nor are we princes who are to be enfeoffed and sent to govern a region."

Princess Nangong pouted: "I heard that some people mocked Father Emperor for being from the countryside and illiterate, so Father Emperor wanted us children to be both literate and skilled in martial arts."

Princess Wuyang snorted coldly: "Father, you should just cut off the head of anyone who says such nonsense. Why do you have to come and torment us?"

Princess Nangong sighed, "I don't mind studying, but with the eldest princess around, we're just there to make up the numbers."

Princess Wuyang glared at her with raised eyebrows: "I advise you not to always waste your energy on pretending to be weak. You should also study hard and get better grades than her, so you can vent your anger."

Princess Nangong laughed: "No matter how hard I try, I can't compare to you, Wu Yang. I'll still cheer you on."

The palace maids urged them again, but the two princesses said no more and settled in the carriage to head towards the study set up for the princes and princesses in the imperial city.

……

……

The princesses were studying hard in the study, while Wei Jiao sat casually in the emperor's palace, drinking tea and eating snacks.

"I have failed in my duty and am truly terrified. So I brought up a minor case of corruption by the Prefect of Fuyang to appease Your Majesty. I thought it would not fool Your Majesty's discerning eyes, so I avoided coming to see you."

As Wei Jiao spoke, he pointed to the tea beside him without the slightest hint of fear to the eunuch standing beside him.

"Continued Cup."

The eunuchs were clearly used to it and would offer him tea without the emperor's permission.

Emperor Deng Shan is forty-seven years old this year. Due to the hardships of his early years of war and the busy work of state affairs, his temples have turned white, but his posture is still upright and vigorous. He sits behind his desk, looking down at the memorials, and hums softly when he hears this.

"Corruption is no small matter," he said. "The country has only been stable for a little over a decade, and these people are already starting to get restless. Do they think they're living under Emperor Ai of Han?"

As she spoke, she looked up at Wei Jiao.

"Next time, we can be more ruthless with these kinds of minor cases."

Wei Jiao nodded: "Okay, okay. I've been reading a lot of books lately and have learned a few new techniques for skinning and stuffing with straw. I'll show everyone when the time comes."

The emperor chuckled, not asking what book the young man was reading, but looking at him, he said softly, "You've certainly earned a bad reputation."

Wei Jiao laughed: "Your Majesty bears the responsibility for the safety of all people and the peace of the world. I am merely being scolded a few times."

The emperor sighed: "Your father sent you to the capital at the age of thirteen so that you could study Huang-Lao philosophy under Wang Zaitian. Now, six years have passed, and instead of becoming Wang Zaitian's last disciple and achieving academic success, you have become a feared embroidered-robe envoy. I am ashamed before your father."

Wei Jiao smiled broadly: "But my illness is cured."

He stood up, opened his arms, and showed himself.

"In the first few years after I arrived, I often had relapses. But since I took on the job given to me by His Majesty, have you heard the imperial physicians say that I've gone mad?"

(End of this chapter)