Luoyang Brocade

"Ah Shu!"

"Shū Tángmèi!"

Ling Xiao's voice choked with anxiety, and Ling Ji's urgent voice sounded together.

Ling Jingshu turned her head and called out "Ah Xiao", her tense spirit suddenly relaxed. A gleam of relief flashed in her eyes.

Finally made it through! Everyone was safe and sound, great!

Ling Xiao was blind but had exceptionally keen hearing and smell. The smell of blood in the air was disgusting. The bandits or guards who were seriously injured kept screaming.

It was simply hell on earth.

A chill surged from the bottom of his heart, and quickly spread to his limbs. Ling Xiao only felt that his hands and feet were cold and his whole body was stiff, and tears welled up quickly.

With Jing Yu's support, Ling Xiao groped to Ling Jingshu's side, choked up and said, "Ah Shu, you are kind and delicate by nature, you can't see blood, you must be frightened tonight..." 

Kind and delicate? Can't see blood?

The young man in Xuanyi gave Ling Jingshu a mocking look.

When she swung a knife to kill people just now, she didn't show the slightest bit of kindness and cowardice. It was possible that she could not see blood, otherwise, she wouldn't have vomited for a long time.

Ling Jingshu held Ling Xiao's hand tightly, and answered lightly: "All the bandits have been killed, so you don't have to worry about it anymore." Then she said to Ling Ji: "Tángxiōng, (1) luckily the reinforcements came in time tonight. You hurry up and tell everyone Uncle and the others, so that they won’t be frightened again.”

Ling Ji hurriedly responded, his gaze flicked over the face of the “reinforcement soldier”, and then he was startled, and quickly stepped forward to salute: “Thank you, Your Highness, for your kindness.”

. ...It turns out that he is Yang Yao, the grandson of the Emperor!

Prince Donggong was the eldest son of the Emperor and the late Empress Jiang and has been established as the Crown Prince since he was ten years old. At the age of sixteen, the Prince got married. The Crown Princess became pregnant the following year and gave birth to her eldest son.

The Emperor was very happy when his eldest grandson was born. He was given the name Yao, and in a hundred days, he was given the title of 'Huángtàisūn'. (2) This helped his father, the Crown Prince to stabilize his position in the East Palace.

In the same year, Concubine Xu also gave birth to a son. The emperor, who was over 40 years old, was happy to have a young son. So he named him Yang Qi and gave him the title of King of Yan.

Huángtàisūn and the Prince of Yan were referred to as uncle and nephew, but in reality, Huángtàisūn was the nephew of the Prince of Yan. He was actually several months older than his uncle, the Prince of Yan.

Ling Jingshu had previously guessed that the identity of the boy in Xuanyi was one of the two.

......

The Imperial Grandson glanced at Ling Ji's face.

Though he had seen him only a few times before, the Imperial Grandson had a good photographic memory, and he recognized who the other party was at a glance: "So it's the biǎojiěfū (3) of the Ling family. Don't be too polite, get up and talk!"

Duke Ying was the Maternal Uncle of the Emperor's grandson, and Madam Jiang was from a collateral branch of the Jiang family. Hence, in a way, he and the Imperial Grandson can be said to be relatives by marriage. When the Imperial Grandson meets him, it is natural for him to call him biǎojiěfū.

When Madam Jiang got married back then, the Crown Princess and the Imperial Grandson personally came to congratulate her. Madam Jiang also visited the Eastern Palace from time to time. Because of this, the Imperial Grandson met Ling Ji several times.

Hearing him call biǎojiěfū, Ling Ji was quite flattered and stood up straight as he said.

So many things happened tonight, and although Ling Ji tried his best to hold on, he was exhausted physically and mentally. At this time, he was finally rescued safely, and the string that had been tense was completely loosened.

Ling Ji said respectfully: "His Royal Highness. Father, Mother and the others are still in the cabin. I will go and tell them the good news that nothing happened, and please return to the ship to rest temporarily. We will go to see His Highness again when the sun rises." 

At this time, there were dead bodies everywhere on the board, and the injured gangsters were tied up one by one by the guards with knives. The blood almost stained the board and the nearby water surface. Even Ling Ji felt cold all over his body and nauseated when he saw it. Naturally, Ling Jingyan, Madam Sun and Madam Jiang should not be allowed to see such scenes.

The Imperial Grandson hummed casually, caught sight of Ling Jingshu from the corner of his eye, and asked suddenly: "Is she also a daughter of the Ling family?"

Ling Ji dare not neglect and quickly replied, "Yes, she is the eldest daughter of Fifth Uncle's family, and her given name is Jing Shu."

Fair maiden Jing Shu, awaits me in the corner of the city. Love without seeing you, I anxiously twiddle my hair and hesitate. (4)

Jingshu, Ling Jingshu! It is indeed a gentle and beautiful name. However, the way she killed someone with a knife just now has nothing to do with being gentle and virtuous...

"Miss Ling Jiu was startled when she saw the blood today. It's better to go back to the cabin to rest earlier." 

With a light toss of words, the esteemed Huángtàisūn gracefully brushed his sleeve and departed.

For a moment Ling Ji didn't understand what the Imperial Grandson said but thought that Ling Jingshu was frightened by the mottled death, wounds and bloodstains all over the floor.

Poor tángmèi, who was raised in the boudoir since childhood, had never experienced such a thrilling scene. Madam Jiang and Ling Jingyan were also frightened and did not face the gangsters in person. In order to protect everyone, Ling Jingshu took the initiative to step forward and was held hostage by the gangsters on the ship's deck.

Fortunately, His Royal Highness Huángtàisūn came to the rescue in time. Otherwise, Ling Jingshu would have been in trouble today...Looking at her pale face, she must have been frightened by the corpse under her feet.

Ling Ji secretly sighed in his heart, and the corners of his eyes and brows could not help showing a bit of pity: "Shū tángmèi, (5) you and Ah Xiao go back to the cabin to rest first. Come out after it's 'cleared up' here." 

Ling Jingshu raised her head and hummed in a low voice.

Then, holding Ling Xiao's hand, she walked around the murderer's body and entered the cabin.

Her pace was not fast, and she trembled a little at first, but gradually she walked more and more steadily, and her body was straight.

...

Wang Tong, who had been kneeling on the ground, didn't get up until now and quickly directed the guards to clean up the mess.

Ling Ji had read poetry and books since he was a child, and believed in the teachings of Confucius and Mencius. Although he had also learned horseback riding and archery, it was just some beautiful postures, and he had never seen so many casualties. Even looking at it made him feel sick to his stomach, so he simply entrusted all this to Wang Tong.

"I'm a frail scholar. I've never experienced this kind of thing, and I don't know how to deal with it." Ling Ji said sincerely, "I'll trouble Commander Wang to arrange it." 

As the Commander of the Imperial Guards of the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace, Wang Tong was accustomed to seeing people show respect and try to please him on a daily basis. It was nothing out of the ordinary for him, so he smiled and accepted it.

Ling Ji glanced over the corpse on the ground, and couldn't help being a little surprised.

Most of the weapons in the hands of the Eastern Palace guards were long knives, or bows and arrows. The bandit leader was stabbed in the chest with a dagger and died.

The dagger was no more than two feet long, and it was obviously very sharp. It completely sank into the bandit's chest, only the handle of the dagger was exposed. The handle of the dagger was also inlaid with several precious stones.

...Which bodyguard would carry such a weapon?

Wait, why does the dagger look so familiar to him the more he looks at it? It seems that I just saw it not long ago...

Wang Tong followed Ling Ji's gaze, walked forward, and pulled out the dagger. Then he handed the blood-stained dagger to Ling Ji: "This dagger belongs to Miss Ling Jiu, it would be a pity to leave it on the bandits. Please return the dagger to her, sir." 

Ling Ji: "....."

1. Son of your father's brother who is older than you.

2. Grandson of the Emperor. I thought Imperial Grandson sounds good, so will be using it in the place of Emperor's Grandson or grandson of the Emperor or the original title. Please let me know if there is a better alternative title.

3. Husband of the daughter of your mother's brother or sister.

4. I think this is some line or description associated with the meaning of our FL's name. If anyone knows more, please mention it in the comments.

5. Sister of your father's brother who is younger than you.