The leader of the group quickly looked towards her and hurriedly sent people to clear away the thorny trees and shrubs in front of the cave. Only then did he lead his men to stand in front of her.
Seeing that she was just a disheveled young woman with most of her hairpins and jewelry in disarray, he quickly had his men turn their backs so he could take off his cloak and wrap it around her shoulders. Only then did he say, "Last night, the Ye family said their second young miss had also gone missing, worrying the Ye family members and Master Fu to death. How is it that the second young miss also fell off the cliff? How did you fall down? Was there anyone else with the second young miss?"
Upon hearing that the Ye family was worried sick about her, Gu Ying felt a twinge in her heart. Her uncle and cousin did care for her after all...
She blinked back tears in her eyes, wanting to ask about Zhao Changdu's whereabouts but not daring to be too obvious. She could only reveal some of a young girl's fear and grievance, "I accidentally slipped and fell off the cliff. My bow and arrows were all lost down below. I thought I was done for, but luckily I happened to land on a big tree. That tree had dense foliage, and I finally managed to climb down its trunk with great difficulty... Thinking back now, I was so scared."
The leader looked at her dubiously as he listened to the young girl's tearful account. While he sympathized, he was still full of doubts.
It was such a high cliff that a noble lady had leapt to her death here years ago.
How could a young girl like her survive the fall?
"From the lord's tone," Gu Ying sniffed as she continued crying, "I wonder if there was anyone else who slipped and fell off the cliff like me?"
The leader went into the cave, looked around, and didn't find anyone. He said, "There was also the heir of Zhenguo Duke Manor."
"Ah?" Gu Ying pretended to be shocked as she covered her lips with her hands, flustered and at a loss. "Then have the lords found the heir? I spent a long time last night finding this cave to take shelter from the wind and snow. I don't know where the heir is now. Has he been injured?"
The leader looked thoughtful. "The second young miss really didn't see the heir?"
Gu Ying shook her head solemnly. "Really not..."
Unable to get anything out of Gu Ying, the leader had no choice but to hand her over to the other guards to take her back to the hunting grounds, while he led another group of men to continue searching.
Gu Ying kept looking back worriedly at the group of imperial guards searching for people, knowing that Zhao Changdu had left alone entirely for her own good. She sighed softly in her heart, feeling very apologetic.
But before she had walked far, she heard the leader cry out excitedly, "The heir! We finally found you!"
Soon, the dozens of imperial guards clustered around the aloof and handsome man walked over from the boulders by the creek across the way.
Seeing the man's noble and striking face, Gu Ying's breath hitched.
"Heir..."
Zhao Changdu's handsome brows knitted coldly. He gave a faint "hmm" and didn't even glance at her, as if he didn't know her at all. He turned his head to talk to the leader of the guards instead.
The guard leader nodded and bowed, not knowing what he said to Zhao Changdu. The two walked on ahead shortly after.
Gu Ying pressed her lips together, gripping the dagger hidden in her sleeve. She hurried to catch up, following far behind Zhao Changdu and the guards.
...
The two returned to the hunting grounds unharmed.
Emperor Tianqi himself came to welcome them. He brought Zhao Changdu into the imperial grand tent and specially summoned the most skilled imperial physicians from the Imperial Medical Bureau to personally examine Zhao Changdu's injuries, in order to appease Zhenguo Duke Manor.
All the imperial physicians the emperor had brought rushed over anxiously, waiting expectantly outside the tent with their medicine boxes in hand, as if facing a formidable enemy.
Upon hearing the news, Empress Consort Wan and the others also hurried over worriedly, "Where is the heir? How is he? He's not injured, is he?"
A eunuch respectfully said, "Reporting to Mother, the heir has no major issues, only that he broke his arm when he fell off the cliff."
As soon as the Empress Consort heard that, she knitted her shapely brows. "Quickly, fetch the best medicinal ointment from the palace."
Compared to the eminent Heir Zhao, the insignificant Gu Ying was of little consequence.
Gu Ying calmly relayed the emperor's words outside the tent.
Concubine Wan leaned against the emperor's side, the corners of her mouth brimming with smiles. "It's truly heaven's blessing that the heir and second young miss could return safely. But last night the wind howled and snow swirled, so how did the heir and second young miss survive the storm?"
Emperor Tianqi's gaze swept over the two of them. He had wanted to probe further.
Zhao Changdu frowned, clutching his injured right arm. Ignoring Concubine Wan, he said to Emperor Tianqi, "Your Majesty, I did not fall off the cliff together with Second Young Miss Gu. We only caught a fleeting glimpse of each other when we were found by the Guard Commander today. I did not know the Second Young Miss was also at the bottom of the cliff."
Gu Ying moistened her lips and picked up where he left off, her eyes rimmed red in grievance. "Your Majesty, I also did not know the heir was at the bottom of the cliff last night. If I had known, I would not have suffered so much down there. I thought I was going to die..."
She spoke tactlessly on purpose, insisting on being tactless, so that the schemers present would know that if she, a lone woman, had really met Zhao Changdu, she would never have left his side.
Emperor Tianqi did not say anything more, knowing that Zhao Changdu was trying hard to distance himself from the Gu family. Knowing that he had no interest in the Gu daughter, the emperor was reassured.
Seeing Zhao Changdu escorted into the imperial grand tent, that was the end of Gu Ying's matter.
She stood in place in a daze for a while, increasingly grateful to Zhao Changdu.
It was said that the heir of Zhenguo Duke Manor often led troops abroad, dealing with foreign enemies and domestic rebels. His methods in the army were a hundred times more ruthless than those petty tricks in court.
Even before he returned to Bianjing, many young ladies had gossiped about him. On one hand, it was because of his excellent background and marriageable age. On the other hand, it was because of his unmatched, stunning looks. And lastly, it was because he was ruthless and merciless, sinister and malicious. Even the emperor was wary of him.
So everyone wanted to marry him but didn't dare, liked him but didn't dare get close.
But from her interactions with him these few times, although she still didn't know what kind of person he really was, he had not shown the slightest disrespect towards women.
After thinking for a while, she sighed.
No matter what he was like, she should first return to her camp to change her clothes and take a hot bath.
She had just taken a step when Gu Shuang, looking a complete mess for some reason, suddenly grabbed her in an embrace. "Sis! Where did you go! You're finally back! Do you know how worried I was last night!"
The little girl cried hard, her eyes red like a little rabbit, and her tone was severe, completely lacking a young lady's manners.
Gu Ying's left arm hurt badly. She impatiently patted the girl's shoulder and said, "There, I'm back safe and sound, so stop crying. Be careful your eyes swell up and look ugly."
