ISWTDB Ch69

Chapter 69: The Secret Guard is Mentally Ill (3,4)

After observing Lu Yi, Ying Zhao’s gaze shifted to Lu San beside him. However, upon seeing Lu San, Ying Zhao’s eyes instantly widened.

Because this face was all too familiar to him, having been with him countless days and nights, Ying Zhao almost couldn’t help but laugh.

Ying Zhao carefully observed Lu San, only feeling that in this world, his lover’s eyes appeared rounder, adding a touch of honesty. His stature was tall and strong, and without needing to take any action, Ying Zhao knew the other party was a highly skilled martial artist.

Since the other party kept his eyes straight ahead without looking at him, Lu San didn’t show any particular reaction to Ying Zhao. However, Ying Zhao was naturally in a very good mood to see his lover in this world so soon.

He couldn’t help but curl his lips and said to Marquis of Anping beside him, “Father, are these the two candidates you chose?”

Marquis of Anping nodded and explained, “Lu Yi and Lu San have always worked together. Lu Yi is the leader of our marquisate’s secret guards, and he handles matters most reliably. Initially, I had decided to let Lu Yi replace Huo Yi and marry you. However, in terms of physique, Lu San is the most suitable. I was also worried that the other side had already investigated Huo Yi’s situation and wasn’t quite sure, so I brought both of them here. Ziyang, which one do you think is better?”

Upon hearing Marquis of Anping’s words, Ying Zhao’s gaze wandered between the two. So, it was for him to choose between them. If it was up to him, the choice was obvious.

Ying Zhao’s eyes flashed with interest as he looked at Lu San and asked him, “Are you Lu San?”

Lu San nodded upon hearing this. Seeing that although Lu San answered, he still didn’t look at him, Ying Zhao raised his eyebrows and instructed, “When answering the master’s question, you need to look at the master.”

Upon hearing Ying Zhao’s words, Lu San was clearly taken aback. He lowered his eyes slightly and stole a glance at Lu Yi beside him. Seeing Lu Yi giving him a hand signal, he then raised his head to look at Ying Zhao. However, as soon as he saw Ying Zhao, Lu San was dumbfounded.

Although Lu San was highly skilled in martial arts and had been trained as a secret guard since he could remember, he was also aware that his mind was not very sharp. He became a secret guard purely because of his astonishing talent in martial arts and his photographic memory.

So, Lu San always remembered to obey the orders of the Marquis and Lu Yi. Before coming, Lu Yi had carefully instructed Lu San to keep his head down when answering.

But now, the young master had instructed him to look up, and Lu Yi hadn’t told him whether the young master was also a master.

So, Lu San hesitated. Not knowing how to respond, he stole a glance at Lu Yi. Seeing Lu Yi signaling him to comply, he dared to look up.

However, he did not expect that as soon as he looked up and saw Ying Zhao’s face, with just one glance, he felt his entire soul tremble for a moment. An unprecedented throbbing sensation filled his heart, making him feel unfamiliar yet somewhat delighted.

He stared straight at Ying Zhao, clearly forgetting Lu Yi’s previous instructions. The Marquis beside him frowned at Lu San’s inappropriate behavior, feeling displeased with him staring at his son like that.

Marquis of Anping coughed forcefully a couple of times, finally bringing Lu San back to his senses, leaving him somewhat flustered. He quickly turned his head to look at Lu Yi. Lu Yi also knew that Lu San’s behavior was inappropriate and felt anxious, quickly giving Lu San several signals with his eyes.

However, Lu San did not understand Lu Yi’s intentions. Lu Yi had no choice but to clasp his hands and apologize to Marquis of Anping and Ying Zhao: “Master, Lu San meant no harm; he was simply awestruck by your demeanor. I beg you to forgive his rudeness.”

Marquis of Anping naturally knew that Lu San was not very bright and wouldn’t hold it against him. As for Ying Zhao, seeing his lover’s dumbfounded expression upon seeing him, he was too happy to be angry.

However, seeing the man looking up to Lu Yi, he felt a bit concerned. He raised an eyebrow and turned to Lu Yi, saying, “You two seem quite close.”

Lu Yi nodded without hesitation and respectfully said, “The six of us secret guards grew up together and have faced life and death together. Lu San has been under my care since childhood at the old marquis’s behest, and he is like a younger brother to me.”

Ying Zhao nodded upon hearing this. He knew his lover’s character well and knew that Lu San wouldn’t obey Lu Yi so thoroughly unless Lu Yi was genuinely good to him.

But looking at the situation, it seemed that his lover was not a traditional secret guard. His somewhat dazed expression suggested that he wasn’t very bright.

Initially, Ying Zhao thought that his lover, being a secret guard in this life, should be highly skilled in martial arts and in good health. But from Lu Yi’s tone, it seemed that while Lu San’s body was fine, his mind was not.

Just as Ying Zhao was about to ask, Marquis of Anping, worried, asked Lu Yi, “Can Lu San really be put in the spotlight as my son’s fake husband? What if his foolishness gives him away?”

Although Ying Zhao knew Marquis of Anping was genuinely concerned, he felt somewhat unhappy hearing him speak of his lover this way.

Then he heard Lu Yi respectfully reply, “Marquis, rest assured, though Lu San is different from typical secret guards, he is exceptionally talented and very obedient. As long as I am present, I believe Lu San will handle this task well.”

Marquis of Anping still frowned, seemingly wanting to say more, but was interrupted by Ying Zhao. Ying Zhao looked at Lu San, smiling gently, and asked, “Lu San, you’ve worked for the marquisate for many years; have you ever made a mistake?”

Lu San looked at Ying Zhao, shook his head dazedly, and said, “I’ve never made a mistake.”

Ying Zhao nodded in satisfaction, knowing that even with some deficiencies, his lover was excellent.

Seeing Ying Zhao’s satisfaction, Marquis of Anping swallowed his words. Since this person would be spending all his time with his son, it was better for Ying Zhao to choose.

With a sigh, Marquis of Anping felt guilty towards Ying Zhao, but this was the best solution he could think of.

He then turned to Lu Yi and Lu San, solemnly instructing, “Then Lu San will replace Huo Yi. Lu San, go with Lu Yi to find Huo Yi, give him money to leave, and then return to the marquisate to complete the marriage with the young master.”

But before Marquis of Anping finished, Ying Zhao shook his head disapprovingly and said, “Father, no.”

Marquis of Anping looked at Ying Zhao, puzzled, wondering if his son had changed his mind so quickly. Then he heard Ying Zhao say, “Father, you’ve mentioned what kind of person Huo Yi is. Such a selfish, greedy rogue has plagued the village for many years. If we simply give him money, it might lead to endless trouble.”

Marquis of Anping asked, “Ziyang, what do you suggest?”

Ying Zhao lowered his eyes slightly, then raised them, showing clear killing intent. He said, “Such a person must be eradicated to prevent future trouble.”

Marquis of Anping was startled by Ying Zhao’s ruthless gaze but then felt a tinge of sadness. If he hadn’t been so weak, his gentle child wouldn’t have become so harsh.

Thinking it over, Marquis of Anping realized his son was right. He nodded to Lu Yi and Lu San, who then disappeared from sight.

Left alone, Ying Zhao and Marquis of Anping chatted a bit more before the marquis left, telling Ying Zhao to rest well.

Ying Zhao knew his words were harsh, but he didn’t feel he was wrong.

Huo Yi had plagued the village for years. Not only was he greedy and lascivious, but he had also kidnapped children for money. Such scum deserved to be eliminated.

Moreover, in the original storyline, this matter was exposed, leading to the original owner’s execution, and Huo Yi was a key part of it. Ying Zhao decided to root out this problem first and deal with other matters later.

Meanwhile, Huo Yi was gleefully preparing to follow a maid sent by the marquisate to Marquis of Anping’s residence. Though he disliked men, he anticipated the marquisate’s wealth and the generous dowry for marrying their only son.

Huo Yi couldn’t believe his luck. As long as the other party was a man, he couldn’t bring him children, so the dowry money would be his to squander. With money, he could buy any beauty he wanted.

But the marquisate only sent a maid to notify him, without even bringing half a tael of silver. He thought they were stingy for not giving him face, but considering the future wealth, he decided not to fuss.

However, Huo Yi didn’t know that the marquisate’s neglect was entirely due to the orders of the princess. The plan was to disgrace Ying Ziyang, so the princess and Ying Ning chose Huo Yi for Ying Zhao to marry.

They despised Huo Yi and didn’t plan to honor Ying Zhao, so they didn’t send an extravagant entourage to fetch him.

They casually found a coarse maid and sent her to the countryside to find Huo Yi. They didn’t even give her any money, just wanting Huo Yi to arrive at the marquis’s mansion in rags to embarrass Ying Zhao. However, this facilitated Lu Yi and Lu San’s actions.

The next day, Huo Yi got up early, which was rare for him, and put on his best clothes, waiting for the maid from the marquis’s mansion to come for him.

After waiting for a long time and still not seeing anyone, he spat impatiently and opened the door to go find someone. Unexpectedly, as soon as he opened the door, his head was chopped off.

The maid who had just arrived in the courtyard to call for him saw this bloody scene and opened her mouth to scream. But before she could make a sound, Lu Yi covered her mouth instantly.

Seeing the terror in her eyes as she stared at him, Lu Yi took out a gold ingot from his bosom and stuffed it into her hand.

The maid’s eyes lit up at the sight of the gold. After Lu Yi released his hand, she no longer wanted to scream. Instead, she looked at the two men with a flattering smile and said, “What orders do you have for me, sirs?”

Lu Yi, as usual, kept a blank face. Lu San, naturally missing a nerve, always looked like a grim reaper, following Lu Yi’s orders.

Lu Yi looked at the maid coldly and said, “You saw it; we’ve killed this person. If you return to the mansion just like this, you won’t be able to explain it.”

Then he pointed to Lu San and said to the maid, “Now, he is Huo Yi. You take him back to the marquis’s mansion, and you’ll get another hundred taels of gold afterward.”

Upon hearing this, the maid immediately smiled broadly. But before she could finish being happy, she heard Lu Yi continue, “If I hear a single rumor about this, you should worry about your only daughter in the countryside and your newborn grandson.”

The maid’s face changed instantly upon hearing this. She knew well that Lu Yi was threatening her. She felt cold sweat running down her back and quickly nodded to Lu Yi, saying, “Rest assured, sir. Even if someone puts a knife to my neck, I won’t utter a word.”

Lu Yi nodded in satisfaction and continued, “Good that you understand. There’s another hundred taels of silver on the way to your daughter’s house. As long as you keep quiet, you and your daughter will live in wealth for the rest of your lives.”

The maid, listening to Lu Yi’s words and looking at Huo Yi’s decapitated body, felt the gold in her hand burning hot. Fearfully, she nodded vigorously to Lu Yi and said, “I will follow your orders, sirs.”

Then Lu San casually found a set of Huo Yi’s clothes to change into. After dealing with Huo Yi’s body, he left with the maid for the capital.

Upon arriving in the capital, many recognized the maid as someone from the Marquis of Anping’s mansion. It was said that she was bringing back Ying Zhao’s betrothed. However, they didn’t expect such a person.

Although Lu San was handsome and imposing, his expressionless face was intimidating. Since Huo Yi’s family had long been destitute, his clothes were naturally not good.

When people outside heard that this person was the one the marquis’s mansion was marrying Ying Zhao to, many showed expressions of pity. They lamented that the marquis’s son, as precious as jade, had to marry such a rough country bumpkin.

Ying Zhao didn’t care about this. Being able to marry his man, he was happy no matter what the other person looked like. As for how they lived their lives behind closed doors, it was not for others to comment on.

However, after arriving in the capital, Lu San didn’t go to the marquis’s mansion first but was summoned to a secluded villa by the princess and Ying Ning.

After all, they were the ones who selected him. The princess naturally didn’t mind giving him a hard time, making sure he knew who to listen to.

Lu San was brought before the princess and Ying Ning. Ying Ning first saw Lu San’s shabby clothes and felt pleased.

For many years, Ying Ziyang had always overshadowed him. Everyone in the capital praised Ying Ziyang, the marquis’s son, as a talent. However, Ying Ning had become a nobody in comparison, and he was unwilling to accept that.

Now that Ying Ziyang was marrying such a poor and uncouth rogue, he felt exhilarated. But when Lu San looked up, revealing his handsome and resolute face, Ying Ning’s mood soured.

He wondered why Ying Ziyang deserved such a good-looking, tall, and strong person. However, remembering the other’s poor character, he felt relieved. It was merely a case of outward gold hiding inner decay.

The princess, seeing Lu San’s expressionless face and fearless eyes, frowned and stared sharply at him, asking, “Are you Huo Yi?”

Lu San nodded without hesitation. The princess then asked, “You are about to marry the marquis’s son, Ying Ziyang. Do you know what to do?”

Hearing the princess’s question, Lu San frowned but didn’t know how to answer. At this moment, Lu Yi was not by his side. Usually, when neither Lu Yi nor the old marquis was around, Lu San would refrain from speaking to avoid revealing his foolishness.

Now, following his usual habit, he frowned, making it hard for others to guess what he was thinking.

Seeing no response for a long time, the princess slammed her teacup on the table in anger and shouted, “I’m asking you a question; why don’t you answer?”

The maid beside him broke into a cold sweat, naturally not wanting the truth to be exposed. If it were known that Huo Yi was impersonated, she would be the first to lose her head.

She immediately forced a smile and said to the princess, “Master, don’t be angry! This Huo Yi is a country bumpkin, overwhelmed by your presence, and couldn’t speak.”

The princess then looked at Lu San again, seeing his expressionless but somewhat dazed eyes, and believed the maid’s explanation.

The princess felt quite satisfied. A country bumpkin who has never seen the world before probably wouldn’t be able to cause any trouble. She then said to Lu San:

“You are fortunate to have this marriage. Though you are marrying the son of Marquis of Anping, after the marriage, he will no longer hold his title and will just be your wife. As for how to treat your wife, whether to scold or beat him, you should know well. You don’t need to be too accommodating. Do you understand?”

Although Lu San didn’t fully comprehend the princess’s words, he felt uncomfortable. Talking about beating and scolding, the marquis’s son, someone so good-looking, should be eating good food, sleeping in a comfortable bed, and living a happy life every day.

Even though the marriage was fake, he felt he should treat the marquis’s son well. If he could really have such a beautiful spouse, he would treat him with utmost care, not bully or discipline him.

Feeling unhappy, Lu San pressed his lips together. However, following Lu Yi’s previous instructions, he nodded woodenly to the princess.

Seeing Lu San’s response, the princess felt even more satisfied. She believed the maid’s words, thinking that Lu San’s slow response was due to his fright at her imposing presence.

After some more casual remarks, which the maid smoothed over, the princess felt tired and gave Lu San ten taels of silver, dismissing him.

She intentionally told the maid to take Lu San around the city, ostensibly to broaden his horizons before returning to the marquis’s mansion. This was actually to let more people see the kind of person marrying Ying Zhao, intending to embarrass him.

The maid, feeling relieved, quickly left with Lu San, smiling obsequiously. As they walked, she saw the ten taels of silver in Lu San’s hand and rolled her eyes in disdain.

She thought, “The princess, dressed in fine silks, is so stingy. Just ten taels of silver? She must think others are ignorant. Following such a master, maybe this incident isn’t so bad for me after all.”

Following instructions, she took Lu San around half of the capital before arriving at the marquis’s mansion. Marquis of Anping, Ying Shiwei, naturally greeted Lu San with a stern look, showing clear displeasure.

This was expected by the princess, so she had no complaints. She just ordered the servants to prepare a guest room for Lu San to rest.

The princess specifically had Lu San’s room arranged in Ying Zhao’s courtyard, intending to disgust Ying Zhao, under the guise of fostering their relationship.

However, Ying Zhao didn’t mind. He even felt a bit grateful to the princess, as he was naturally willing to be closer to his man.

Ying Zhao didn’t act excessively, but would speak to Lu San when others weren’t around. Seeing the man blush and stare blankly at him always improved his mood.

Since the wedding was meant to bring good fortune to the emperor, everything was hurried, and in a couple of days, it was their wedding day. Huo Yi’s family was destitute, so they naturally couldn’t provide any betrothal gifts.

The princess and Ying Ning intended to use this to humiliate Ying Zhao, enjoying the spectacle. But before they could gloat, they saw Marquis of Anping take money from his private treasury and give it to Lu San, allowing him to prepare lavish betrothal gifts. Clearly, the marquis wanted to uphold his son’s dignity.

Though the princess was resentful, she was helpless. She thought once Ying Zhao was married off, she would have nothing to worry about. However, on the wedding day, the wedding procession returned directly to the marquis’s mansion.

The princess furrowed her brow, seeing the dowry parade around the city and return to the mansion. Facing the many guests, she reluctantly asked Marquis of Anping:

“Marquis, why is this wedding taking place at the marquis’s mansion? Although Ziyang’s husband’s family is indeed poor, according to tradition, it should be held at the husband’s home.”

For days, Marquis of Anping had concealed this to prevent the princess from interfering. The invitations were only delivered by secret guards to various houses the night before.