Tang Ning quickly had Hang Li drive the carriage over. Compared to the spacious and luxurious imperial carriage of Emperor An, her carriage was much smaller and more delicate.
Emperor An, who was suffering from a headache, felt a bit dizzy and almost lost his balance. Xiao Yan half-supported him as he climbed into the carriage. Once they were settled, he turned to the outside and spoke, "It’s already night outside. Your Majesty should not attract too much attention with this movement. I, along with Chief Steward Feng and Commander Yu, will go with Your Majesty. The rest of you stay at the academy and do not leave without permission."
After speaking, Xiao Yan glanced at Tang Ning, "Tang Ning, stay here and watch over things. Once Your Majesty’s headache has eased, I will send someone with a message."
Tang Ning quickly nodded, "Brother, go quickly. I will have someone watch the situation here. No one will gossip."
They exchanged a glance, and with that, both understood what the other was thinking.
Xiao Yan and Eunuch Feng climbed into the carriage, with Feng supporting Emperor An, who was still twitching slightly from the pain in his head, worried that he might injure himself.
Xiao Yan called out to the light-armored man who had quickly arrived in front of the carriage, "I’m too conspicuous, Commander Yu, you’ll have to drive the carriage."
Yu Yanfeng, who was officially the Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guards, was, in fact, also the head of the emperor’s most trusted secret guards. He knew that Xiao Yan’s face was too recognizable and driving the carriage himself would cause suspicion. So, after removing his light armor and handing it to someone else, he jumped onto the carriage’s front.
"Lord Xiao, please take care of His Majesty."
"Understood."
The carriage rolled away into the night, disappearing from view within moments.
The Imperial Guards dispersed, pretending that the emperor was still inside the academy.
After they had left, the people in the academy who had been blocked earlier gathered around.
"County Princess, what happened to His Majesty?"
"Yes, what’s wrong with him?"
Tang Ning saw their worried expressions and softly explained, "The emperor just suddenly remembered something he needed to take care of in the city, so he changed to my carriage. He didn’t want to draw too much attention. You’ve all worked hard today, so please rest. Tomorrow morning, we’ll need to assess the students entering the academy."
The others hesitated. Since they had chosen to come to Rongsheng Academy, they were naturally tied to it and had interests in the academy’s success, which was directly connected to Tang Ning. The sudden stir outside and Emperor An’s condition clearly indicated something was wrong, but seeing Tang Ning shake her head slightly, indicating she couldn’t talk more, they understood that some matters couldn’t be questioned. It involved the emperor, and although they were suspicious, no one dared to ask further.
Once Tang Ning had reassured everyone and they had dispersed, she returned to her room. In the flickering candlelight, she pulled her hand from her sleeve, revealing a small sachet resting in her palm.
It was the sachet Xiao Yan had placed in her hand when they brushed past each other earlier.
"Hang Li."
"Lady."
"Take care of this, don’t let anyone see it."
Hang Li glanced at the sachet and vaguely remembered it being the one Xiao Yan had hung on his waist before. He didn’t ask any questions, simply took it from her and left.
Tang Ning washed her hands in the water that Hua Wu had brought in to remove any lingering fragrance from the sachet. While drying her hands with a handkerchief, she raised her eyes and looked out at the darkening night.
She had done what needed to be done.
She only hoped... that Lu Qin wouldn't disappoint her...
The summer nights were short, and outside, the sky hadn't fully darkened yet. In the southern part of the city, many shops had already lit their lamps, but there were still people walking along the streets.
Although there was a curfew in the capital, the southern part of the city was an exception. Most of the city’s docks and markets were located here, and even the entertainment districts were concentrated in the south, where all walks of life gathered. So, while there was technically a curfew, the patrols in this area were different from those elsewhere.
After the carriage left the academy, Yu Yanfeng drove towards Jiyun Alley. Along the way, they passed through some market areas and occasionally brushed past other carriages.
Yu Yanfeng kept his senses alert, paying attention to the people around him. But after a while, seeing that most people in the area were just merchants or ordinary citizens in a hurry, and his own carriage was rather understated, he relaxed a little.
Inside the carriage, Emperor An’s groans grew quieter. Steward Feng helped him lean against the side of the carriage, gently massaging his temples.
When it seemed that Emperor An’s condition had improved slightly, Xiao Yan asked, "Your Majesty, how do you feel now?"
Emperor An’s face was pale, the pain in his head still lingering, but it was no longer as intense as before. "It seems... it’s not as bad as earlier..."
"That’s great," Steward Feng almost cried with relief. "Your Majesty, you really scared me just now."
Xiao Yan also sighed in relief. After helping Emperor An sit up, he said, "This headache is truly strange. The repeated attacks are bad for Your Majesty's health. Although it’s eased a little, we still need to have Qin Niangzi and the court physicians take a good look at you later."
Emperor An massaged his forehead, his body feeling weak, the dull pain still pulsing in his head. His pale face showed agreement.
The last time this headache struck, it had lasted the entire day, and it had taken several days of rest to ease. Now it had struck again so suddenly—it was truly disturbing.
"By the way, why did Tang Ning say that Qin Niangzi is at her house?" Emperor An asked.
Xiao Yan explained, "It’s that illegitimate daughter from the Song family. She had a hard time in the Song family, and Tang Ning sympathized with her situation. She took her in and let her take her mother's surname."
"That girl is also very grateful. Last time, when Lu Zhi'an tried to harm Tang Ning and the young lady of the Qian family, the girl was badly injured trying to protect them. Her body was nearly ruined."
Emperor An paused in his movement, then looked up at him. "So, that’s why you deliberately humiliated Lu Chongyuan today?"
His expression darkened.
"You have a lot of nerve, daring to use me as a tool!"
Steward Feng was startled by the sudden outburst and instinctively dropped to his knees. Xiao Yan, however, lowered his head.
"Your Majesty, I would never dare to use you. The request for Your Majesty’s inscription at the academy was sincere. Rongsheng Academy is meant to select talent for the court, and no one could be more respected by scholars than Your Majesty."
Emperor An's eyes were cold. "You speak in such a grandiose manner, but dare you say you and Tang Ning had no ulterior motives today?!"
Xiao Yan fell silent for a moment before quietly saying, "I do have ulterior motives."
"Your Majesty knows that I have been at odds with the Lu family for a long time. I have already investigated Lu Zhao’s case, but before I could present the evidence to you, you had already sent him to the Ministry of Justice, where they forced through the grain transportation case."
"I don’t know why Your Majesty pardoned the Lu family, and I would never defy your orders, but both Tang Ning and I almost lost our lives because of the Lu family. This grudge must be avenged."
"Are you blaming me?"
Emperor An looked at him in disbelief, his anger rising.
"After all I’ve given you, you dare to harbor resentment against me?!!"
"I would never dare," Xiao Yan said as he knelt before Emperor An. The cramped carriage seemed even smaller now with his posture.
"My honor and disgrace are all granted by Your Majesty, and I would devote myself fully to repaying Your Majesty’s kindness. But after this incident, I realize that I am not irreplaceable, and Your Majesty... has not trusted me as much as I thought."
The carriage continued moving, but Yu Yanfeng, sensing the tension inside, instinctively slowed the horses, focusing his attention on the carriage.
Inside the dimly lit carriage, Xiao Yan’s expression was filled with bitterness.
"After Lu Chongyuan returns to the court, he will no longer have the same weaknesses. With what I have done, he will surely try to destroy me. And Tang Ning, who humiliated him earlier, will also become a thorn in his side."
"I know Your Majesty must have your reasons for sparing the Lu family, and I dare not question your decision. I have blood on my hands, and from the moment I became your sword, I never expected to end my life peacefully. But Tang Ning is different. She should not be dragged into this."
"Today, I asked Your Majesty to come here with another intention, but it was just to use Your Majesty's presence to intimidate the Lu family."
"If Your Majesty wants to punish me, I am willing to accept it."
You can read ahead to chapterr 400 (100+ extra chapters) here
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