TIGR Chapter 99

The Imperial Guard’s Revenge

Chapter 99 To Regain

When Lu Heng heard something break through the air, he still wondered if Fu Tingzhou gone mad to even do something like this? Fu Tingzhou was not afraid of risking his own life to attack the commander of the Imperial Guards’ Mansion in the capital, but what about his family?

Instinctively, Lu Heng reached for his blade, only to realize that this was his wedding day, the one day he had set aside his embroidered spring blade. Because of this brief lapse, the arrows were already closing in. Everything happened in an instant, leaving Lu Heng no time to think further. He quickly pulled Wang Yanqing to his side, using the sound of the wind to instinctively gauge the direction of the attack.

He heard a thud behind him and furrowed his brow momentarily before regaining his composure, reverting to the ruthless and calculating Imperial Guard Commander he was known to be. With decisive movements, he pushed Wang Yanqing toward Fu Tingzhou and swiftly turned to snap the tail of the arrow, then sharply ordered: “Find cover, seal off the street, and encircle from the southeast.”

As Lu Heng was struck by an arrow, many individuals disguised as passersbys outside drew their weapons and began attacking anyone in sight. Their faces were dark and sinister, and they were behaving like lunatics. Lu Heng then realized that the attack wasn’t aimed at him personally but at the entire assembly.

This made the situation a lot simpler. Lu Heng unleashed his full strength, no longer holding back, and instructed his subordinates to go all out.

For the chief’s grand wedding, Guo Tao, Chen Yuxuan, and others had all attended. So, it was not difficult to organize personnel, but the matter of weapons was inconvenient. After all, they were attending Lu Heng’s wedding and did not dare pass through the entrance with any blade.

The courtyard was in full chaos, and Wang Yanqing was pushed off balance but managed to steady herself. She pulled off her veil and saw that indeed, a disturbance had really occurred at the wedding, and blood was conspicuously staining Lu Heng’s back.

She had heard correctly just now, Lu Heng was indeed injured. While she was covered by the veil, she had no idea what was happening. Suddenly, she was yanked forcefully in front of someone, and then gasps and footsteps echoed all around her. Amid the chaos, she could strangely hear the heartbeat of the person behind her, followed by the sound of a sharp object piercing through flesh.

In that moment of imminent danger, his first instinct was still to protect her rather than to evade the attack himself. Given Lu Heng’s skills, he could have easily avoided the arrow if he hadn’t been delayed.

Fortunately, it hadn’t struck a vital area, the arrow had only lodged into Lu Heng’s shoulder. He had already broken the arrow shaft, leaving only the arrowhead embedded in his body. He was focused on managing the scene, completely disregarding his own injury. As he moved, the arrow pierced deeper and deeper, and blood continued to flow down his back and seep into the bright red wedding attire.

It was the first time that Wang Yanqing felt that red was so dazzling.

While she was still in a daze, Fu Tingzhou had already rushed to her side, grabbing her arm and pulling her away from the open space. Seeing that Wang Yanqing still stared blankly in the direction of Lu Heng, Fu Tingzhou frowned and asked: “Qing Qing, are you hurt?”

Wang Yanqing came to her senses, shook her head, and averted her gaze, pushing Fu Tingzhou’s hand away. Fu Tingzhou’s expression darkened, and just as he was about to speak, a short man wielding a knife suddenly appeared from the side. Fu Tingzhou dodged sideways and kicked his opponent in the chest. He took one of his daggers and quickly stuffed it into Wang Yanqing’s hand: “Stay here and don’t move.”

The upheaval happened in an instant. Though the Lu Mansion was usually highly guarded, only today, due to Lu Heng’s wedding, there were many guests, and each noble was accompanied by their servants. So, controlling the situation was far more chaotic than usual. This was why the assassins were able to strike so effectively.

The bride’s attendants, who had been hired by Lu Heng from outside, had never encountered such a situation. They screamed and scattered in panic, making the already chaotic scene even more of a mess.

Fu Tingzhou engaged in a fight with the suddenly appearing assassins. He had been prepared for any trouble at Lu Heng’s wedding and hid weapons on his body, which proved unexpectedly useful at this moment. But his opponent wielded a long sword, while he only had short weapons. The dagger that was most convenient for him had already been given to Wang Yanqing, so he was inevitably restrained when facing the assassins.

Wang Yanqing held the dagger tightly and looked once again towards Lu Heng. Lu Heng was organizing people encircling the scene, moving without hesitation, despite the wound on his shoulder which continued to bleed profusely. Wang Yanqing didn’t care about Fu Tingzhou’s instruction to stay put. She wanted to go over and help, but her heavy wedding gown hindered her. As she lifted the hem of her dress and took a few steps, she suddenly noticed someone dressed as a servant approaching her.

His appearance was unremarkable and expressionless, with unusually large black pupils. He seemed meek, but the barely visible lines beside his nose and the slight downturn of his mouth suggested something more sinister. Wang Yanqing immediately recognized that he was not an ordinary person and must have malicious intent, likely aiming to attack her.

Without hesitation, she drew her dagger and charged at him. The moment he realized his cover was blown, he discarded his pretense and revealed a fierce, dangerous demeanor. Wang Yanqing, who had trained in martial arts, could handle ordinary men, but when facing someone with real combat skills, her disadvantage in strength quickly became apparent. What made things even worse was that not only was she being targeted by one attacker, but others were also closing in on her.

Wang Yanqing used the dagger to block an attack, her knuckles straining from the opponent’s force. Another person pounced on her from the side, seeming to want to take her hostage. Wang Yanqing’s first thought was that she couldn’t cause trouble for Lu Heng. She gritted her teeth and pulled back the dagger.

The assassin in front dived from the lack of support, and Wang Yanqing took this opportunity to move to the side and face her attackers. But Wang Yanqing lost her balance, tripped over her dress, and was unable to adjust her position in time. With a loud thud, she fell backward.

Her head piece hit the ground first, cushioning part of the impact, but then the back of her head struck a stone. Her vision went black immediately, and she lost consciousness.

The two assassins who had been attacking her tried to pursue, but one was struck from behind, and the other, who was about to grab her, was suddenly attacked by a shadow from the side. The assassin instinctively dodged, only to realize that it was just a broken tree branch.

At that moment, Lu Heng arrived, and the assassin, gripping his knife, furiously swung it at Lu Heng. Lu Heng flashed over and grabbing the hand holding the knife. The two men were in a stalemate for a moment then Lu Heng suddenly struck the assassin’s wrist joint. The assassin was overwhelmed by pain and the knife slipped out of his hand uncontrollably. Lu Heng kicked the knife away, twisted his joints to force him to kneel, and at the same time hit the assassin’s temple hard with his elbow. The assassin lost all strength in an instant. Lu Heng chased him again and knocked him down completely.

After Lu Heng dealt with the assassin, he didn’t have time to look around and quickly went to Wang Yanqing. He carefully lifted her head, noting that the heavy headpiece had done its job. There was no blood from the back of her head, and she appeared to have just lost consciousness. Lu Heng let out a sigh of relief. At that moment, Fu Tingzhou, who had just dealt with another attacker, approached to check on Wang Yanqing. Lu Heng held her tightly and coldly said: “Get lost.”

Fu Tingzhou’s hand paused, his expression equally cold: “How can you continue to marry her after allowing her to be put in such danger in your own house?”

“That’s still better than you.” Lu Heng replied icily, glaring at Fu Tingzhou with undisguised hostility, “I left earlier thinking that you, having just come back from the battlefield, would be capable of protecting her. But you couldn’t even handle a few lackeys. If anything happens to her, you’ll be the first I hold responsible.”

Guo Tao ran over from the other side, urgently asking: “My lord, the assassins are all under control. Should we keep any alive…” But before Guo Tao could finish his sentence, he saw Lu Heng holding Wang Yanqing, the once dignified and beautiful bride now unconscious in his arms. Guo Tao’s remaining words were automatically silenced. He didn’t dare challenge Lu Heng’s patience any further.

Ignoring the wound on his shoulder, Lu Heng cradled Wang Yanqing and carried her towards the back courtyard. The once magnificent and cold headpiece on her head now hung limply, revealing a slender, pale neck.

Lu Heng’s wedding had attracted guests of at least third-rank officials, including many generals and nobles. After the initial chaos subsided, the guests quickly restored order. The government officials were escorted away, while the military officers, many of whom had battlefield experience and military achievements, managed to deal with the assassins. Young ones like Fu Tingzhou swiftly subdued the attackers, and the older ones were able to protect themselves. Soon, Lu Heng managed to regain control of the situation. Remarkably, apart from Lu Heng and Wang Yanqing, no one else was injured in the unexpected attack.

It was almost laughable.

Given the situation, the wedding was suspended. Guests began to leave the mansion one after another as Guo Tao managed the aftermath in the outer courtyard. Initially caught off guard, the Imperial Guards quickly took back control once they had time to react. Guo Tao was accustomed to handling such matters and could manage even if Lu Heng was absent.

Feeling reassured, Lu Heng, stayed in the inner courtyard to keep Wang Yanqing company. His subordinates and colleagues all expressed their understanding. After avoiding everyone’s eyes and ears, Lu Heng secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Lu Heng himself even thought he was going a bit crazy. He felt somewhat grateful for the timely appearance of the assassins, otherwise, he couldn’t have predicted what might have happened during the wedding ceremony. Although the ceremony was canceled, the marriage itself was considered valid, so whatever Lu Heng did next would be seen as justified by the public.

The maid, seeing Lu Heng sitting motionless by the bed and staring at his wife’s sleeping face, gathered her courage and approached him. Carefully, she interrupted: “My lord, the doctor has arrived. Please let me watch over Madam while you take care of your shoulder wound.”

Lu Heng did not move but said: “Let the doctor check her over first.”

The maid noticed the large bloodstain on Lu Heng’s back and hesitated but said: “Of course. My lord, you should have your shoulder wound bandaged as soon as possible, otherwise, Madam will worry when she wakes up.”

Lu Heng’s eyes flashed with a hint of irony, did she really care? He could only hope.

Nonetheless, Lu Heng moved aside to allow the physician to check Wang Yanqing. Only after the physician had finished did Lu Heng head to another room to tend to his own injuries. After being struck by the arrow, Lu Heng had been both commanding and fighting, causing the arrowhead to embed even deeper. The physician carefully removed the arrowhead and promptly washed the wound with strong alcohol, using up an entire bottle before applying powder on the wound.

During this process, Lu Heng sat quietly with a blank expression on his face. The doctor bandaged Lu Heng’s would with difficuly, sweating profusely from the effort. Despite this, Lu Heng remained motionless and indifferent, his expression cold. If one did not know, one would think that the doctor was injured.

After bandaging the wound, the doctor, though Lu Heng was familiar with such procedures, still offered his usual advice: “My lord, the wound is close to the scapula and quite deep. Avoid vigorous activity and extreme emotions for the next few days, and stick to a light, nourishing diet.”

Lu Heng nodded as per usual and asked: “How is her injury? Is it serious?”

At this, the physician’s expression grew serious as well: “Madam sustained a blow to the back of her head. Although there is no visible bleeding or swelling, it is difficult to determine any symptoms before she regains consciousness.”

Lu Heng sighed and asked: “When will she wake up?”

“The medicine I administered should have her awake by tonight.”

Lu Heng asked a few more questions and signaled for the doctor to receive his payment. The fact that a high-ranking Imperial Guard officer was attacked during his wedding was a tremendous disgrace. Lu Heng had many things to attend to, but he was consistently distracted. His subordinates, seeing that he seemed affected by his injuries, were reluctant to let him continue worrying and quickly urged him to rest.

Realizing he couldn’t focus, Lu Heng decided to leave and rest at home. There was no need to force himself to work while he was exhausted, recovering properly would yield better results. Moreover, his thoughts were not on official matters at the moment.

He needed to find out what had happened to Wang Yanqing today.

When Lu Heng brought Wang Yanqing out of the sedan chair, he secretly instructed the guards to capture the person hiding underneath. He entered the dark room where the person, named Fei Cui, was bound and gagged. Seeing Lu Heng enter, she was very scared but tried to maintain her composure. Lu Heng had the cloth removed from her mouth and, sitting down on a chair, asked in a relatively kind manner: “Was it Fu Tingzhou who sent you?

Fei Cui twisted her neck, keeping her mouth tightly shut and refusing to speak. Lu Heng was not actually here to question her, he already knew the answer in his heart. Lu Heng asked again: “What is your name?”

Fei Cui refused to answer, so Lu Heng continued calmly: “Given your age, it should be Fei Cui.”

Feicui was taken aback. How did he know her name? Lu Heng maintained his calm and amiable demeanor, speaking slowly: “Your name is Fei Cui. You were bought by the Zhenyuan Marquis Mansion in the thirteenth year of Zhengde and were assigned to serve Wang Yanqing in the first year of Jiajing. You have served her for ten years, making you one of the few in the Zhenyuan Marquis’s residence who treated her well.”

Feicui scoffed lightly and retorted: “There is also the old marquis and the marquis himself. Marquis treats the young lady the best.”

“Do you really think he treated her well?” Lu Heng asked, “Forcing her to endure the contempt of the Fu family ladies, making her his concubine, even making her curry favor with his future wife. Do you think she deserved that kind of treatment?”

Fei Cui was momentarily speechless and turned her face away stubbornly, refusing to respond to Lu Heng’s words. This was the infamous head of the Imperial Guard, known for his skill in sowing discord. The miss and the marquis had already been turned against each other by him, she couldn’t fall for his schemes too.

Fei Cui put on a defiant stance, but Lu Heng was not angered. He continued slowly: “Last night, I had people inspect the bridal sedan and there is no way something could have been missed. So, you must have sneaked in with the wedding procession this morning. Someone was able to dismiss eight sedan carriers at once, the person who assisted you was likely one of them. They all have family and relatives, if I investigate them one by one, someone will surely crack under interrogation. Fu Tingzhou dared to cause trouble at my wedding. Once I report this to the emperor, what do you think his punishment will be?”

Fei Cui’s face grew increasingly grim as she listened, and she couldn’t help but retort: “That’s because you deceived the miss and committed evil first! She was already alone. Then you caused her to fall off a cliff, losing her memory. When she woke up, you continued to deceive her. Do you still have a conscience after doing this?”

Lu Heng had no response to this. He was the best at blurring right and wrong. When faced with something he was at fault for, he never explained but instead turned the tables and attacked. Lu Heng countered: “So, from your perspective, was there any inadequacy in the wedding today?”

Fei Cui was taken aback by the question and bit her lip tightly. Lu Heng continued: “If she married Fu Tingzhou, do you think she would have worn a formal red wedding dress and been treated as a legitimate wife? You say I have no conscience. Then, honestly, look at your own conscience and tell me what attitude the Fu family has towards her. And that was the case even before marriage. If she had to face the Old Madam, a mother-in-law, younger sisters-in-law, and a legitimate wife after the marriage, would she be happy for the rest of her life?”

Fei Cui remained silent. She loathed the way Lu Heng spoke so smoothly, but she understood deep down that if Wang Yanqing had stayed in the Zhenyuan Marquis Mansion, it would have been almost impossible to reclaim her engagement. She would inevitably live as a concubine. Chen Shi never liked Wang Yanqing, and it was said that Miss Hong was not a kind-hearted person either. The Yongping Marquis Mansion had many concubines and secondary daughters, and Hong Wanqing had grown up seeing her mother mistreat concubines. How would she make things difficult for Wang Yanqing once she entered the residence?

After Wang Yanqing fell off the cliff, Fei Cui had unexpectedly discovered Wang Yanqing packing her things. Wang Yanqing had not told anyone, not even Fei Cui, who had been by her side for ten years. Even if she had not fallen off the cliff, Wang Yanqing was likely planning to leave anyway.

Fei Cui could understand Wang Yanqing’s decision. She was not born into a noble family, why should she willingly endure their mistreatment? The world was vast, there were endless places to live?

But these were two matters. Wang Yanqing wanting to leave was one thing, and Lu Heng causing her to lose her memory, and deceiving her while concealing the truth was another. Fei Cui coldly said: “Master Lu, I know what you want to say. However, as I am the miss’s maid, I must prioritize her wishes above all else. Whether she wants to leave or remarry, I will support her. However, it must be what she truly desires.”

Lu Heng had interrogated people in the Imperial Guard for many years, but this was the first time he was rendered speechless by a question from a prisoner. But his objective had been achieved. Lu Heng stood up and said: “Alright, since you are also doing this for her sake, we can reach a consensus. After she wakes up, I hope you will truly consider her well-being and not just speak on behalf of Fu Tingzhou.”

Fei Cui gave a cold snort and ignored him. At this moment, someone approached from outside, and Ling Xi stood by the door, silently with her hands lowered. Lu Heng glanced outside and instructed: “Untie her. Since she was once the lady’s maid, treat her well and do not be disrespectful.”

“Yes.”

Lu Heng walked out of the dark room, and Ling Xi automatically followed. Once they had walked some distance, Lu Heng finally asked: “What’s wrong?”

“The lady has woken up.”

Wang Yanqing regained consciousness sooner than Lu Heng had anticipated. Lu Heng hurried back to the courtyard. Upon entering the room, he saw Wang Yanqing quietly leaning against the bedpost, staring at the large red double happiness characters on the window, lost in thought. Lu Heng felt a bit uneasy, but he maintained a smile and approached Wang Yanqing as usual, saying: “Qing Qing, how are you? Does your head still hurt?”

As Lu Heng sat by the bed, he had already devised several plans in his mind. He could exploit the gaps in Fei Cui’s statements, acknowledging some parts and concealing others, which should help keep the situation stable.

Hearing his voice, Wang Yanqing’s eyes moved, slowly shifting her gaze toward Lu Heng. When Lu Heng met her gaze, his heart skipped a beat.

Still, he continued to smile and softly called: “Qing Qing?”

Wang Yanqing looked at him quietly and finally pierced through this grand, two-year-long, entirely fabricated illusion built on lies: “Master Lu.”

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