Chapter 96 - Take off
Aunty Lu was a familiar figure in the village, but Madame Lu remained a mystery. Within just two hours, nearly all the village women had gathered for a stroll.
Originally, the arrival of the elderly lady shouldn't have caused such a commotion. But she had brought Zuo Shaoqing along today, a man who was not only handsome and elegant but also exuded a refined air that set him apart from the typical villagers.
Consequently, all the women of suitable age who were at home became animated, bombarding Aunty Lu with questions like, “How old is your son?” and, “Did you mention a possible match for my daughter?”
Initially, Madame Lu playfully pushed Zuo Shaoqing forward to engage in some light banter. However, as more people inquired, she couldn't bear it any longer and promptly declared, “My son already has someone he's fond of!”
Lu Zheng would surely raise a fuss if he knew she'd practically offered her son to someone else!
To avoid further inquiries, Madame Lu gently tugged Zuo Shaoqing's arm, and they departed. Once they were far from An Village, they both breathed sighs of relief and exchanged smiles.
The journey back went much more smoothly. Madame Lu refrained from causing any trouble, and Zuo Shaoqing was no longer at risk of colliding with trees.
However, Zuo Shaoqing's mood had soured compared to when he arrived. He gritted his teeth, thinking about how rare his encounters with Lu Zheng had been since he came to the capital, yet here he was spending time with Jiung Hengzhou.
Lost in thought, Zuo Shaoqing failed to notice their surroundings properly. The carriage wheels struck a rock, causing him to stumble and nearly fall.
He quickly pulled on the reins to halt the carriage and let out a breath of relief. But then, he spotted an arrow flying in from the side.
“This is trouble!” Zuo Shaoqing reacted swiftly, though still a fraction too late. The arrow's sharp tip pierced the horse's leg, causing the animal to scream in pain and stumble, dragging the carriage along.
Zuo Shaoqing clung to the horse's tail with one hand and used his right foot to kick the ground. He then regained his seat on the carriage and seized the reins with his other hand.
Almost simultaneously, a magnificent golden firework burst in the sky. Zuo Shaoqing turned to see two groups of people behind the carriage. One group, composed of burly men in civilian attire, tried to give chase but was intercepted by another group of men dressed in black.
Gripping the reins tightly, Zuo Shaoqing shouted, “Hold on tight, Madame!”
The carriage door was forcefully kicked open, and Madame steadied herself with hands on either side as she inched toward the opening.
Seeing that the reins were ineffective, Zuo Shaoqing leaped onto the horse's back, clutching the animal's neck in an attempt to bring it to a halt.
“This won't work, this horse is too unruly, and it's been wounded by arrows. Quickly, jump off the carriage!” The composed voice of the elderly mistress reached Zuo Shaoqing over the roaring wind.
“What about you?” Just as Zuo Shaoqing voiced his question, the old lady ordered, “Jump!”
Turning his head, he witnessed the madam calmly release her grip on his hands and leap from the carriage. She rolled upon landing and rose unharmed.
By this point, the runaway horse had carried Zuo Shaoqing a hundred meters away. Seeing that the old lady was safe, he barely had time to marvel at her skill before dismounting from the horse's back.
However, his relief was short-lived as he witnessed something that froze his heart.
Several black-clad men, who had been lying in ambush alongside the road, suddenly sprang forth. Brandishing their sharp blades, they advanced toward the madam.
“Watch out!” Grateful that he had recently achieved the first level of inner force, Zuo Shaoqing closed the hundred-meter gap in the blink of an eye.
The madam narrowly evaded the first strike. Just as the second blow descended, Zuo Shaoqing urgently pushed her aside. He held a dagger and, when it clashed with the assailant's weapon, emitted a resounding ‘kacha' as the blade shattered.
This marked the first time Zuo Shaoqing had witnessed the dagger's exceptional sharpness, but he couldn't afford to be surprised. He shielded the madam behind him, focusing entirely on countering the assault from the black-clad attacker.
Zuo Shaoqing possessed inner force but employed rather ordinary techniques. After a dozen exchanges, he showed signs of being overpowered.
He understood that retreat or defeat was not an option. Failure would mean not only the end of his own life but also his future mother-in-law's.
Who were these individuals, he wondered? Bandits? A preposterous notion—how could bandits operate within the Son of Heaven's domain?
Assassins? How many enemies did Duke Zhen's Manor have to provoke such a brazen daytime assassination attempt on the outskirts of the capital? Weren't they afraid of retaliation from Lu Zheng?
Without the luxury of pondering these questions, Zuo Shaoqing bent low. A cold steel knife whizzed past his back, slicing through a few strands of hair that drifted through the air.
He lifted his leg and delivered a forceful kick to the nearest man clad in black. His dagger sliced through the air, aiming for the man's neck, but it was intercepted by another steel knife.
The assailant swiftly turned around and swiped his blade across Zuo Shaoqing's chest. The fabric of his cotton garment gave way, exposing the layer of cotton wool beneath.
A sudden chill coursed through Zuo Shaoqing's chest, accompanied by a twinge of pain. He didn't need to glance down to realize that the recent cut had not been limited to his clothing.
Zuo Shaoqing's offensive intensified. The dark gold dagger in his grip gleamed ominously. Having lost two steel blades, his opponent no longer dared to directly clash with his daggers. Instead, he resorted to evasive maneuvers, probing for Zuo Shaoqing's vulnerabilities.
Before long, several more shallow wounds adorned Zuo Shaoqing's body. Thankfully, he had donned a thick shirt that day, so as long as he managed to evade attacks in time, the injuries remained superficial.
Just as Zuo Shaoqing began to feel overwhelmed, the guards behind him finally broke through the ranks of the black-clad assailants blocking their path. They rushed forward to assist. With these skilled guards in the fray, Zuo Shaoqing could finally relax and breathe easier.
Over a dozen guards engaged in combat against the five men in black and swiftly apprehended them. A burly man with impressive strength disarmed the attackers and promptly gagged them to prevent any suicide attempts.
As the dust settled, a line of horses charged toward them in the distance.
Lu Zheng quickly dismounted from his horse, landing gracefully in front of Zuo Shaoqing and the elderly lady. He inquired with a unique tone, “Mother, are you unharmed?”
The elderly lady was only dust-covered and remained uninjured. Her demeanor remained composed.
She nodded at her son, observing as he pulled Zuo Shaoqing away. Despite the seemingly rough action, it did not aggravate Zuo Shaoqing's wound.
Lu Zheng wanted to embrace him, but he was cautious about causing further harm. He whispered softly, “How are you feeling?”
Zuo Shaoqing gestured toward the lacerations on his body and replied, “Take a look.”
The gray cotton attire lay in tatters, exposing the bloodied skin beneath.
The fresh crimson blood had yet to coagulate, casting an almost eerie, albeit captivating, spectacle against his fair complexion.
In this moment, Lu Zheng wasn't in a mindset for letting his imagination wander. He meticulously examined every wound on Zuo Shaoqing's body, confirming that they were all superficial injuries before he could ease his worry.
While returning to the military camp with his men, Lu Zheng noticed the signal detonator from Duke Zhen's residence. He hurriedly led his men there, as the golden light was a signal reserved for the madam.
As he looked at Zuo Shaoqing's pitiable state, Lu Zheng couldn't shake off his lingering apprehension.
Soong Hanlin conducted a search of the still-living five men in black. As expected, they yielded nothing. He then turned to Lu Zheng and inquired, “Master, how shall we handle these individuals?”
He cast several perplexed glances at Zuo Shaoqing and silently wondered, “Who is this young man? How could he make Master Lu so anxious? Furthermore, their intimacy seems quite pronounced. No matter how I look at it, there's a hint of ambiguity between them.”
Lu Zheng glanced at the five black-clad men kneeling on the ground with an icy expression. They appeared undaunted by death, kneeling with unmoving heads.
“Take them back to the barracks! Half of the men will escort the madam back to the residence, while the other three will secure the area.” Saying this, Lu Zheng lifted Zuo Shaoqing onto a horse, positioning the man against his chest. With one hand on the reins, he spurred the horse toward the barracks.
The speed was so rapid that Zuo Shaoqing was hit by a blast of cold air before he could prepare himself. He quickly pressed his face against Lu Zheng's chest and clung tightly to his waist.
Leaning against Lu Zheng's warm, solid chest, the wounds covering Zuo Shaoqing's body started to throb with pain. Even his right hand felt tender and weak from overexertion, with the palm of his hand developing cracks, causing him to wince.
Lu Zheng securely wrapped his coat around Zuo Shaoqing to shield him from the biting cold wind. His eyes emanated an icy resolve. Anyone who dared to harm his people would not escape unpunished.
Upon reaching the barracks, Lu Zheng gently carried Zuo Shaoqing off the horse and instructed the soldiers to summon the military doctor. He then carried Zuo Shaoqing to the main tent.
Lu Zheng carefully laid the person on the bed and knelt down. He began unfastening Zuo Shaoqing's clothes and swiftly removed them.
Zuo Shaoqing still maintained a serious expression as he felt a chill on his body. Blushing, he covered his lower body and said, “Could you… not take it all off? If it's too light and I catch a cold, what will I do?”
Lu Zheng chuckled faintly and revealed a hint of a smile. “There's a blanket nearby. How much can you cover with just your two hands without pulling it over?”
Zuo Shaoqing's blush deepened. As he covered himself with the blanket, he overheard someone informing the military doctor outside the tent.
After a brief absence, Lu Zheng personally returned with the medicine box. However, to Zuo Shaoqing's surprise, the military doctor he had been anticipating was nowhere to be found.
Curiously, Zuo Shaoqing asked, “Where is he?”
“Who?”
“Didn't you call for the military doctor?”
Lu Zheng placed the medicine box by the bedside and pulled back the blanket. “Why would we need a military doctor for such minor injuries? They're useless.”
Zuo Shaoqing pursed his lips. He first used a handkerchief to clean the area around the wounds and then applied a layer of Gold Sore Medicine. He treated each wound with the utmost care, as if they were formidable adversaries. Beads of sweat even formed on his forehead.
Zuo Shaoqing gazed at Lu Zheng's long eyelashes and playfully remarked, “Don't want others to see your humble physique, do you?”
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