Mu Hu's expression remained unchanged as he replied methodically, "In response to the Princess Consort, a few petty thieves have recently appeared in Yunyang City, so this general has been leading patrols in this area. Upon hearing that the Princess Consort was attending a banquet at Yun Mansion, this general brought men to escort you back to the residence, lest those lowly scoundrels disturb your carriage."
Hearing this, the Princess Consort couldn't help but frown.
Given Mu Hu's status, capturing a few petty thieves hardly required his personal involvement. Moreover, she had brought a considerable number of guards, and dealing with a few thieves wouldn't necessitate the large escort Mu Hu had brought. However, the Princess Consort trusted Mu Hu deeply, for she trusted her own son implicitly.
Thus, after only a slight pause, the Princess Consort smiled and said, "In that case, I shall trouble Lord Mu."
Without another word, Mu Hu gestured to his men, surrounding the Princess Consort's carriage. Even the guards she had originally brought were moved to the rear of the vehicle. Most of the residence's guards had been trained by Mu Hu, and with the Princess Consort's approval, no one dared disobey.
Mu Hu himself rode alongside the Princess Consort's carriage. Though his expression showed nothing, his body was tense, and even the faintest rustle of wind in the air did not escape his notice.
The Princess Consort's carriage proceeded at a steady pace along Chang'an Street. As it neared the intersection with Taiping Street, the sound of chaotic hoofbeats and firecrackers suddenly erupted. Flickering flames appeared at the intersection of Taiping Street, and the noise and light seemed to be drawing closer.
Mu Hu reacted swiftly, drawing his long blade from his waist almost the moment he heard the disturbance. He shouted, "Dismount! Release the horses! Protect the Princess Consort's carriage! Stay calm!"
Both Mu Hu's men and the Princess Consort's guards were elite soldiers of the Yanbei Army. If nothing else, their obedience to orders was swift. The moment Mu Hu spoke, they dismounted from their horses.
After issuing the command, Mu Hu suddenly leaped from his own horse, using the momentum to kick over two men in the guard formation who had taken advantage of the dismounting chaos to stealthily approach the carriage. Without hesitation, he swung his blade twice, cleanly severing their necks—both killed with a single stroke.
The guards were momentarily startled by this sudden turn of events but quickly regained their composure.
At the same time, five large ox carts charged out from the entrance of Taiping Street. Firecrackers were tied to the oxen's tails, and the carts were loaded with burning straw. The five ox carts rushed toward them, blocking the road ahead and threatening to scatter the residence's carriage and guards. Fortunately, their mounts had already been driven away, or the panicked horses would have caused even greater chaos.
Without waiting for Mu Hu's order, five burly men from his group leaped forward, wielding large blades as they charged toward the ox carts. They hacked apart the carts' beds just as they were about to reach them. Without the large beds laden with burning straw, the five frenzied oxen charging forward posed less danger. Mu Hu led his men in forcefully slaying two of the oxen that charged toward them, their spurting blood staining everyone's faces crimson.At that moment, a group of riders charged out from behind them. Mu Hu wiped the blood splattered on his face and calmly directed his men to engage the enemy. The two sides clashed fiercely. However, Mu Hu himself, along with a few others, formed a tight, solemn circle around the Princess Consort's carriage, remaining vigilant of their surroundings instead of joining the fight.
Inside the carriage, the Princess Consort sensed something was wrong the moment Mu Hu gave the order to dismount. She immediately leaned back, moving away from the window to avoid any potential ambush. Nanny Xin and the maid Su Jin flanked her protectively on either side.
Even as the fighting raged outside, the carriage remained silent. The Princess Consort did not speak, nor did Nanny Xin or Su Jin. They listened intently to the commotion outside, remaining on high alert.
It wasn't until Mu Hu spoke outside the carriage, "Princess Consort, are you alright?" that the silence was broken.
The Princess Consort replied in a steady voice, "I'm fine. What is the situation outside?"
Mu Hu reported calmly, "The enemy sent about twenty men, all skilled fighters. However, we outnumber them and have the situation under control. The garrison troops will arrive soon upon hearing the disturbance. Please rest assured, Princess Consort."
The Princess Consort nodded, though her brow remained furrowed. "If you are here, who is guarding the Prince's Mansion?" Not long after Xiao Jingxi's incident, Xiao Hua had also left Yanbei Prince's Mansion.
Mu Hu glanced in the direction of Yanbei Prince's Mansion. "Zhou Cheng is leading the guard detail today."
A sense of unease lingered in the Princess Consort's heart. Hearing this, she said, "The Dowager Consort and Yaoqi are still in the mansion. I am not at ease. Since the situation here is under control, you should take some men and return first."
"This..." Mu Hu scratched his head. "Nan Xing is also at the mansion. She will protect the young mistress. This general will escort you back together."
The Princess Consort insisted firmly, "I am fine here. It's unlikely they will send a second wave to attack me, but they might send people to infiltrate the mansion." It was clear the enemy had come well-prepared with a detailed plan; their objective was unlikely to be merely intercepting her carriage.
Mu Hu fell silent for a moment. "Then this general will wait for the garrison troops to arrive before leaving."
The Princess Consort wanted to say more, but Mu Hu stood outside like a wooden stake, silent and unmoving. Though anxious, she could only sigh in resignation.
Back at Yanbei Prince's Mansion, after the Princess Consort left for the Yun Family, Ren Yaoqi passed the time reading leisurely books in Zhaoning Hall. Less than half an hour later, Xiangqin came to disturb her.
"Miss, don't read anymore, you'll strain your eyes! I brought some freshly steamed water chestnut cakes from the kitchen. Would you like to try a couple?" Xiangqin placed the plate of cakes right under Ren Yaoqi's nose, blocking her view of the book.
Xiangqin had married Xiao Shun a few days prior and was now officially serving in Ren Yaoqi's quarters. Apart from occasionally crying from missing her former master, this girl adapted quite well. In just a few days, she had settled into Yanbei Prince's Mansion seamlessly, entering the kitchen as if it were her own backyard. Strangely enough, all the cooks seemed to like her.
"You all share them. I don't have an appetite," Ren Yaoqi said, putting down her book and declining with a smile.
Ren Yaoqi was pregnant, and for some reason, her cravings changed rapidly—sometimes she wanted sour food, other times sweet. Lately, the kitchen had been preparing various dishes for her. Whenever they made something she liked, the Princess Consort would reward them.Xiangqin tried to persuade her a few more times, but seeing that Ren Yaoqi really didn't want to eat, she happily agreed and called over Sangshen and Pingguo, who were serving in the room.
Sangshen teased, "You run to the kitchen every day, claiming it's to fetch food for the young lady, but really, it's because you're greedy and love to eat, isn't it? Most of the things sent from the kitchen end up in your stomach."
Xiangqin wasn't pleased. Biting into the water chestnut cake, she mumbled, "How is it that most of it ends up in my stomach? That's because the mistress is kind and rewards me! And didn't she reward you too? If you're afraid of gaining weight and won't eat, whose fault is that?" Although Xiangqin still couldn't bear to leave Ren Yaohua, she had to admit that the chefs at the Yanbei Prince's Mansion were better than those at the Lei residence. Because of this, she shed far fewer tears.
Sangshen, being good-natured, didn't argue with her and only said, "I'm afraid of gaining weight, and Pingguo doesn't like these pastries either, but Leshan and Leshui do enjoy them. Remember to save a few pieces for them."
Leshan and Leshui were young and still growing, so they loved eating pastries. Fortunately, they served Ren Yaoqi, who was very lenient with the maids around her. The Zhaoning Hall was never short of pastries for them.
"Ah, I'll go call them right away," Xiangqin said. After finishing her share, she tidied up the plate and turned to leave the room to look for Leshan and Leshui.
However, after searching all over Zhaoning Hall, even checking the room where the two sisters lived, she still couldn't find them. She had to run back and tell Pingguo and Sangshen, "They're not in Zhaoning Hall. The water chestnut cakes are best eaten while they're still warm. Should I just eat them all?"
Sangshen didn't believe her. "The mistress is here, so they wouldn't leave Zhaoning Hall. You probably didn't search carefully enough, did you?"
Leshan and Leshui knew martial arts. At least one of them would always stay by Ren Yaoqi's side to protect her safety. As long as Ren Yaoqi was in Zhaoning Hall, they wouldn't leave. Although the two young girls were not very old, they had been taught well.
Ren Yaoqi, who was sitting at the desk preparing to write a letter home to Xiao Jinglin, looked up upon hearing this and said to Pingguo, "Go look for Leshan and Leshui again. See if they went to the outer hall."
Pingguo complied and left. Xiangqin pouted and said aggrievedly, "Young lady, I really searched carefully."
Ren Yaoqi smiled reassuringly at her. "They might have gone to the outer hall to practice martial arts. You can eat the water chestnut cakes first. Later, you can go fetch some more for them."
Xiangqin immediately beamed. "Ah, young lady, you're so kind!"
Sangshen laughed beside her. Xiangqin gave her a big glare and then happily skipped off to eat her water chestnut cakes.
Not long after, Pingguo returned, but she came back alone.
"Young lady, I couldn't find Leshan and Leshui. No one in Zhaoning Hall has seen them for about an hour."
Ren Yaoqi frowned and slowly set down the brush in her hand.
The room suddenly fell silent. Even Xiangqin, who had just finished eating her share alone, stopped talking and stared at Ren Yaoqi with wide eyes.
After thinking for a moment, Ren Yaoqi suddenly instructed, "Xiangqin, go find Nan Xing. Tell her that a few petty thieves have recently appeared in Yunyang City, and we don't know if the Princess Consort is safe while she's out attending a banquet. Ask her to go and assist the Princess Consort."Xiangqin promptly agreed, but then heard Ren Yaoqi continue, "After you find Nan Xing, there's no need to return. Go and inform your master that my two maidservants are missing, and ask him to help me look for them—perhaps they've gone somewhere else."
"Sangshen, go call Tong He and Tong Xi. I have some questions to ask them."
Xiangqin and Sangshen both acknowledged and left.
Ren Yaoqi rested her chin on her hand, leaning back in the chair behind the desk, lost in thought with a furrowed brow.
"Miss, has something happened?" Pingguo asked worriedly.
Ren Yaoqi looked up and smiled at Pingguo. "No, I just feel something is off. It's always better to be cautious."
I'm the little tail making up for the missed update～o(∩_∩)o.
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