The Eldest Daughter-in-Law [Reborn] - Chapter 86

Xie Yunchu wondered if the Duke had also suffered from cold legs in his previous life; otherwise, how could he be easily assassinated? She also didn’t know who the assassin was targeting. She was still worried about whether the Duke could keep his life.

“How about you arrange for Qi Wei to secretly protect Grandfather?”

Wang Shuhuai followed Xie Yunchu’s advice, but he remarked, “Madam, you seem very uneasy?”

It was the first time that Xie Yunchu was so persistent about something.

Xie Yunchu lowered her eyes and said, “Grandfather is the pillar of our second branch. If anything happens to him, we will never have peace again.”

Wang Shuhuai was slightly startled; he had not expected his wife to think so far ahead. Her palm-sized face was glowing white, and the beauty mole at the end of her eye was full of charm but also filled with anxiety. Wang Shuhuai looked at her with rare tenderness and comforted her, “Madam, don’t worry. I’ll take care of everything. No matter what happens outside, it won’t bother you.”

Xie Yunchu was slightly stunned. This was indeed true. In her previous life, no matter how turbulent the court was, she was always safe at home. Although he did not give her love, he provided her with a quiet corner of peace.

Such a capable husband should work hard to climb up the ladder. When he became the Prime Minister, she would no longer have to look at anyone’s face or be humble.

She was really stupid in her previous life; that was why she wanted his heart.

“Second Young Master, I understand.”

Looking at his wife’s demure smile, Wang Shuhuai suddenly felt a sense of certainty in his heart.

He wanted to keep her rich and prosperous.

In the evening of that day, Qi Wei returned to the palace and told Wang Shuhuai that the Duke had arrived safely at the palace and was recuperating in Qinghui Hall.

After waiting for another two days, there was no news from the mansion, indicating that the disaster in the previous life had been avoided. Xie Yunchu was completely relieved. She found Wang Yining, “I’ve been out for more than ten days. I’m really worried about Sister Ke, so I plan to return to Beijing tomorrow.”

Wang Yining was a little reluctant. “I can’t go back with you.”

It just so happened that some officials had to return to the capital to work, so the Emperor held a banquet in Mingyu Hall that night. Xie Yunchu ordered Chun Qi and Qiu Sui to stay and pack their bags and took Xia An to attend the dinner.

There was a village to the north of Yanshan Mountain, where mountain people made a living by hunting. Later, that area was enclosed as a royal enclosure, and these people learned opera, creating the famous drum and gong opera in the north. One of the ministers proposed that these people present music to the Emperor, and the Emperor agreed. Not long after the dinner began, a group of peasant women in straw hairpins and cloth skirts came on stage to beat drums and gongs, and several old men in plain clothes played erhu on stage to sing. The tone was different from the formal opera in the capital and seemed to be mixed with the leisurely and carefree atmosphere of the fields, which was quite interesting.

Everyone listened attentively, and some ministers even tapped their chopsticks on porcelain plates in response.

From time to time, concubines would urge the Emperor to drink, and even the Eldest Princess got a little tipsy.

Xie Yunchu and Wang Shuhuai sat in the back seat. Wang Shuhuai greeted the officials around him politely. Wang Yining held her child and talked. Only Xie Yunchu remained awake. She stared at the peasant women beating the drums. Suddenly, some fragmented memories flashed through her mind. The guard who delivered the message seemed to have mentioned something about disguise and the term peasant woman, but because it had been so long, Xie Yunchu could not remember it clearly.

What if the assassin back then was not targeting the Duke, but the Duke was just injured by mistake?

Xie Yunchu’s heart suddenly jumped to her throat, and she stared at the sticks in the women’s hands without moving. Cold sweat broke out on her back. Xie Yunchu was extremely nervous and could not help but tug at her husband’s sleeve.

Wang Shuhuai suddenly turned his head and met his wife’s panicked eyes. His heart sank, and he leaned close to her, whispering, “What’s wrong?”

Xie Yunchu was trembling all over and said in a voice that only the two of them could hear, “There’s something wrong with those peasant women.”

Wang Shuhuai was perceptive, and alarm bells immediately rang in his mind. He grabbed his wife tightly and looked around calmly. The Yulin Guards retreated solemnly to both sides, some distance away from the hall.

If an assassin entered the dinner in disguise, the only possible targets would be the two at the top.

Wang Shuhuai pulled his wife up, pretended to leave, and placed her in front of the screen guarded by the Imperial Guards. Then he returned to his seat and cast a sharp gaze at the wine cup for a moment.

Fortune and wealth were achieved through risk.

He secretly observed the old man of Lahu and saw that the other party had a strange look in his eyes, as if he was going to fight. He did not hesitate to pick up the wine cup and climbed up the stairs to the Emperor at the top, saying, “Your Majesty, I, Wang Shuhuai, respectfully pay my respects to you. I wish you good health.”

The Emperor was already half drunk and waved at him in his wide robe, “Yunzhi, come here, drink…”

At that moment, the old man’s tone suddenly paused and abruptly changed to a voice of war. At the same time, several peasant women suddenly pulled out soft swords from the mallets and scattered in all directions with great force. Among them, the three with the most powerful martial arts went straight for the Emperor.

Everyone was so frightened that they screamed and dodged everywhere. The Emperor was so shocked that he almost stood still.

Wang Shuhuai reacted the fastest. He immediately threw down the wine cup, opened his arms, and stood in front of the Emperor, shouting, “Protect the Emperor!”

The Yulin Guards drew their swords and rushed forward. People were thrown to the ground at the banquet, and swords clashed in chaos. One of the guards drew his sword and threw it to Wang Shuhuai, but he stood in front of the Emperor and never retreated a single step.

Just when everyone thought that the assassins were going to kill the Emperor, the peasant woman leading the group suddenly had a cold light flashing in her eyes. She suddenly changed direction and stabbed the Eldest Princess below the Emperor with her sword.

At that moment, the Eldest Princess was wearing an indigo-blue thin jacket with a front opening and was surrounded by the Wang family, drinking and having fun. When the assassin came, no one was prepared. They saw the blade approaching step by step, as if it was going to pierce her. The children and grandchildren blocking in front of her staggered. The Fourth Master grabbed the wine pot and threw it at the intruder, while the Eldest Master stood beside his mother, trembling with fear.

None of the Wang family’s descendants beside her dared to step forward to fight.

The Eldest Princess stared at the assassin, remaining motionless.

The female official quickly stepped in front of the Eldest Princess. When the tip of the sword was about to penetrate her brow, the sword was suddenly picked up by someone, and a tall, slender figure jumped in, standing in front of the Princess. However, these assassins were all death warriors. They did not care about their own lives at all and risked being cut in half by Wang Shuhuai at any time. The tip of the sword brushed past Wang Shuhuai’s left arm and stabbed toward the Princess’s cheek. However, Wang Shuhuai’s sword was faster and pierced the opponent’s neck. At the same time, his left arm began to bleed.

The bright red blood splattered on the Eldest Princess’s cheeks, covering her cold eyes.