Chapter 109: Allies or Enemies 4 (1/2)

The Dukes's mansion

On a hot summer night, The watcher man slim man in brown fading clothes walked from street to street, striking his chapters for the second time signalling the start of the second watch which occurs from 9 pm to 10 pm. The watcher man would go about a few watches in the night, as the watcher man moved through the street he announced, ”it is summertime when the wind is drier, beware of fires and wear more clothes”.

He was on his normal patrol through the Jingu Qinwang's street when he heard the loud sound of multiple horse hops from a close distance. From the junction just opposite Duke Wu's mansion over fifty armed soldiers in full amour rushed out followed by twenty soldiers on horses and five prison carriages.

They surrounded the duke's mansion and with a reinforced wooden battering ram hit the gates of the Duke's mansion and knocked it open with a *THUD**. The foot soldiers rushed in as the gate was forced open, he hid behind a wooden stall at an ally as soon as the Duke's mansion was surrounded and watched silently.

Meanwhile, inside the Duke's mansion, Zhu Fengyin had just finished having her bath and changed into a nightgown when a loud THUD was heard from the direction of the gate. She dropped the hairbrush in her hand and shivered ”ah, what is that!”

”I will go find out, what that is” Tian Tian kept the bowl of water in hand by the wall and ran out the front door.

Zhu Fengyin picked up the hair brushed and placed it by the brass mirror when Tian Tian rushed back inside and shut the door quickly. Zhu Fengyin stood from the sear by the window and ran out of her bedroom to the centre room (*living room).

Leaning by the door leading to the centre room from the bedroom, she asked ”What was that noise Tian Tian?”

She had to wait a few seconds for Tian Tian who was still panting from her run while leaning in the wooden door to waste it with her weight to get her breathing in check. When she finally did, she said in a shaky tone ”we have trouble, madam. The Emperor sent a small troop of soldiers to arrest the entire Lu Family members!”

”What? This can't be happening” Zhu Fengyin paced around the room the looked down at her clothes and shuddered, ”it is only a matter of time before they get here. I need to get dressed” she ran back into the room.

Tian Tian pushed a chair to the door and ran after her. She helped her change into a simple blouse and skirt then braided her hair into a single braid before helping her put on the jacket. As the loud boot sounds got closer, Zhu Fengyin quickly penned a letter to Su Liya.

She called over the young male servant that delivered her letters to her contact in the capital and handed it over to him with the instruction to escape through the small dog hole in the garden and deliver the letter as soon as possible to her contacts.

She gave him a thick purse for his worries and sent him away. She watched him leave through her open bedroom window, before instructing Tian Tian to push the chair away from the door. The soldiers will be here soon and she was determined to meet them in style. She can not have them accuse the Lu family of disobeying Imperial orders au showing resistance.

Tian Tian pushed the chair out of the way and unlocked the door just as the soldiers rushed into the courtyard with torches. The leader of the soldiers was prepared for resistance from the duchess as expected of women but was surprised to receive none.

Unlike the big ruckus created by the Dowager duchess and the young mistress when they rushed into their courtyard. Zhu Fengyin left peacefully, they didn't even have to drag her out as they did the Young mistress. The door was pushed open as soon as they ran into the courtyard and a beautiful woman in brown and green blouse and brown skirts walked out of the Pavillion.

She walked gracefully with her head held high, her grace and beauty were enchanting. For the longest time, the soldiers found their eyes trailed on her. They would have suspected that she was tricking them so she could escape but the heavily sweating young maid following her behind discouraged them.

An overzealous soldier grabbed her arm but was rebutted by his commander. The commander gestured ahead and said, ”this way your grace”.