Suppressing his surprise, Zhao Qian ordered the servant to place the ladder under the tree and a bamboo basket on the ground. He then raised his head and smiled at Lu Liangwei. “Second Miss, here are all the tools you need.”
Lu Liangwei had already spotted him earlier. “Thank you, Butler Zhao.” As she spoke, she plucked the biggest peach, held onto the branch with one hand, and reached downward with the other. “This is for you, Butler Zhao.”
Awed by her gesture, Zhao Qian stepped forward hurriedly. He stood up on his toes and took it with both hands. “Thank you, Second Miss.”
Looking at the peach in his hands, Zhao Qian thought of an idea and reminded her, “Second Miss, Master also likes to eat peaches.”
Lu Liangwei immediately understood what he was implying. She promptly plucked another two and gave them to him. “Could you help me give these to His Majesty, Butler Zhao?”
Zhao Qian beamed in delight. “I’ll bring them to Master right now.”
Lu Liangwei did not pay him any more attention and busied herself with picking peaches.
Seeing that she was no longer entertaining him, Zhao Qian reached upward eagerly to hand her a small basket. “This is for you to keep the peaches, Second Miss Lu.”
Lu Liangwei took it from him and hung it on a branch casually.
Zhao Qian stood there for a while, and seeing that she had no more orders for him, he wrapped the peaches with the front of his clothes and hurried back.
“Master, Second Miss Lu asked me to bring you some peaches.” Zhao Qian could not wait to speak the moment he stepped into the study room. “Second Miss plucked them herself.”
Long Yang was marking Palace Memorials. When he heard Zhao Qian’s words, his eyebrows moved slightly.
Zhao Qian peered at his expression and said cautiously, “Second Miss Lu plucked the biggest peaches for you. I’ve already washed them. Would you like a taste, Master?”
Long Yang glanced at the peaches on the plate and nodded. “Sure.”
Breathing a secret sigh of relief, Zhao Qian hurriedly picked up a piece with a bamboo pick and passed it to Long Yang.
After watching him eat it, Zhao Qian spoke again, “Master, aren’t you going over to have a look? Second Miss Lu is there alone; what if something dangerous happens…”
Long Yang stood up abruptly and strode out.
Zhao Qian breathed another sigh of relief.
Truthfully, Second Miss Lu would never encounter any danger. Before he left, he had already ordered people to watch her in secret.
‘But if Master does not take the initiative, wouldn’t today’s arrangements go to waste?’
He did not understand why the Master was so cautious when dealing with matters related to Second Miss Lu.
He felt that Master was probably additionally worried because of Second Miss Lu’s young age.
Sighing, he shook his head, picked up another piece of peach, and munched on it.
Meanwhile, in the peach orchard, Lu Liangwei had already plucked plenty of peaches.
She descended from the tree.
Just when she was bending over to transfer the peaches from the small basket into the big one, she suddenly heard the ding of weapons clashing.
She spun around and saw that a few masked people in black clothes had suddenly appeared in the orchard.
They wielded sharp blades and were already engaged in battle with the guards of the imperial holiday home.
Lu Liangwei frowned. Long Yang was not here. Could these people in black be coming for her?
She flung the basket onto the ground, lost in thought.
Only when the guards collapsed, defeated, did she take a few steps backward, gripping the medicine ball that she always carried on her.
The masked assassins glanced at each other, then dashed toward her with their sharp blades in hand.
Without delay, Lu Liangwei hurled the medicine ball onto the ground with all her might. The medicine ball exploded with a bang, and in the next instant, a choking cloud of smoke spread out through the air, blocking all vision.
Lu Liangwei did not linger and raced toward the peach orchard’s exit.
These people had come for her, and she could vaguely guess who was behind this.