Chapter 36 (First Update)

Chapter 36 (First Update)

◎ Release Me ◎

Upon hearing this response, Luo Wanqing was uncertain if he was being truthful.

Zhuque cleared his throat and then explained, "Well, there are still several days left. It's impossible for us to go without food the entire time. Since it's all drugged anyway, it doesn't matter if we eat a bit. You eat first, then I'll eat; I eat first, then you eat. We'll keep an eye on each other – that's our strategy."

"Oh," Luo Wanqing nodded, then flattered, "Ambassador Zhuque speaks wisely."

"I'm full and well-rested."

With a stern expression, Zhuque said earnestly, "You eat and sleep now."

Luo Wanqing held the steamed bun she had just received and pondered. Zhuque did have a point, so she gave him some water and secretly loosened his ropes before eating the bun and falling asleep.

Each day, they took turns eating and sleeping. By the time they were to leave the Eastern Capital, Luo Wanqing felt like she might have gained some weight.

During the day, they both pretended to be unconscious, lying among the others who were being transported. At night, they heard someone open the door, and the old lady who had deceived Luo Wanqing entered, her voice cold as she said, "Carry her out."

With that, the person entered and proceeded to bind each occupant of the room before carrying them out.

Once they were loaded onto the carriage, the captors secured the doors and windows before the vehicle began to rattle along. As the sound of the carriage exiting the city reached her ears, Luo Wanqing opened her eyes to see Zhuque lying across from her, making a "shh" gesture with his hands bound in front of him.

Luo Wanqing remained silent. Zhuque sat up and, with a subtle twist of his wrists, managed to wriggle free from the ropes.

He leaned against the window, listening closely. Satisfied that no one was nearby, he withdrew a blade from the inside of his wrist and inserted it into the window crack, lifting it to unlock the latch. A small gap opened, and he peered outside. Then, moving to Luo Wanqing's side, he whispered, "The spy confirmed that Li Guiyu will be returning tonight via the main road. When I spotted his carriage from afar, I jumped off and hid in the woods so they wouldn't spot me. You should do the same, leap out and run towards Li Guiyu. These traffickers will surely chase you; just scream for help."

"Isn't that too obvious?"

Luo Wanqing furrowed her brow.

Li Guiyu was extremely cautious. Would he really intervene if she approached him?

"He might not," Zhuque glanced at Luo Wanqing before continuing, "But someone on his carriage definitely would."

"Who?"

Luo Wanqing was puzzled. The Phoenix rolled its eyes, seemingly recalling someone extremely troublesome. It said helplessly, "Zhang Yiran."

Luo Wanqing froze and couldn't help asking, "Zhang Yiran?"

"You've heard of him too, right? That man who started writing memorials to impeach people as soon as he entered the Board of Censors, even daring to criticize His Majesty in them." The Phoenix whispered to Luo Wanqing. "He even impeached our Young Master. While others were promoted, he was demoted. If not for his teacher valuing him, he would be in some remote village by now. Don't worry, with him around, he will definitely lend a hand."

"How could he be with Li Guiyu?"

Not understanding, Luo Wanqing asked, and the Phoenix replied helplessly, "Young Master said, although he's unpopular, his teacher is the Censor-in-Chief, and His Majesty quite likes him. If he changes his temper in the future, he'll have a promising future. As for Li Guiyu, he relies on being Zheng Family's son-in-law for a living. He has to gather some allies, right? Zhang Yiran is at the bottom now but has a bright future ahead. Who else would he ally with if not him? He's been working on repairing the river in the outskirts these past few days. Young Master calculated the time and arranged for him to intercept the carriage. He must've met Li Guiyu, and with such a good opportunity, Li Guiyu would definitely invite him into the carriage to gain his favor."

Luo Wanqing understood that Xie Heng had meticulously planned every detail.

"Oh, and also," the Phoenix continued, "Young Master mentioned that just your face might not convince Li Guiyu to send you back. But if you lean towards Zhang Yiran more, he will surely send you back alone. Just be careful on the way; he might kill you."

Upon hearing this, Luo Wanqing couldn't help frowning. "Something so important, and Young Master didn't tell me?"

"The Young Master was muttering to himself," the Phoenix immediately became alert and instructed, "Don't ever tell the Young Master that I told you this."

Xie Heng was even muttering about this in private?

Luo Wanqing found it hard to imagine, and besides, why hadn't Xie Heng told her about this?

"Um," the phoenix, sensing Luo Wanqing's confusion, awkwardly explained, "Actually, our Intelligence Bureau rarely assigns female agents for such seduction missions. This time was out of necessity. The Young Master might have thought it too much to ask you to actively approach Zhang Yiran. Don't worry, after we eliminate Li Guiyu, there won't be any more situations like this."

The phoenix spoke earnestly, "We usually rely on strength and combat!"

Luo Wanqing was taken aback at first, then she chuckled and replied seriously, "As an agent of the Intelligence Bureau, I am one of its own. My priority is always the mission. This minor matter is insignificant."

The phoenix still seemed a bit uneasy. Just as he was about to speak, he suddenly fell silent, closed his eyes, and listened attentively for a moment. Luo Wanqing noticed his ears twitching before he opened his eyes and informed her, "They're here. I'll go check first. If it's them, I'll yell 'run,' and you jump off the carriage."

"Alright."

With that, the phoenix walked to the door, crouched down to remove the bar, and turned back, saying, "I'm leaving."

The sound of the bar hitting the ground startled the people outside. In that instant, the phoenix kicked open the door and leaped down!

The carriage continued its journey, and Luo Wanqing saw many people rushing towards the phoenix. He glanced afar, confirmed the carriage's emblem, and then shouted, "Run!" After that, he darted into the dense forest!

The traffickers followed the phoenix into the woods. Seizing the opportunity, Luo Wanqing stood up and jumped off the carriage, rolling on the ground to soften her landing. She was immediately discovered. An elderly woman in another carriage, seeing her jump, yelled, "Grab that girl! She's valuable!"

Upon hearing this, Luo Wanqing immediately turned around and dashed towards the approaching carriage on the road, shouting as she ran, "Help! Noble one, save me!"

She ran at an incredible speed, her voice piercing through the night air. Trailing behind her were the slave traders, hot on her heels. Luo Wanqing dared not let them catch up to her, nor did she want to reveal her martial arts skills. She expelled all her inner strength, panting heavily as if her life hung by a thread. With tears in her voice, she cried, "I'm an innocent girl, with an aged mother at home. They're going to sell me - I beg your mercy, noble one! Save me! Save me!"

Her cries reached the carriage. Inside, Zhang Yiran was engaged in a respectful game of chess with Li Guiyu.

He had just returned from inspecting the riverbanks. Normally, he walked every day without a carriage. However, the wooden bridge he usually crossed on his way back was damaged, forcing him to take the main road instead. It was there that he happened upon the Third Prince, who was returning from his own patrol.

The prince, known for his warmth and respect for scholars, noticed Zhang Yiran walking and kindly invited him into his carriage.

Zhang Yiran initially intended to decline, but under persistent urging, he reluctantly accepted. However, he didn't dare become too close to Li Guiyu, so he kept silent and played chess to pass the time.

Fortunately, Li Guiyu seemed to understand and didn't push him to talk. When Zhang Yiran remained quiet, Li Guiyu would join him in the game, occasionally speaking a few words that carried a soothing comfort, like a gentle spring breeze.

Just as it was Li Guiyu's turn to make a move, he rested his forehead in his hand in thought. Then, he heard a woman's cry for help outside. The voice sounded vaguely familiar, but its shrillness made it difficult to discern clearly.

In that instant, Li Guiyu paused, and then he composed himself once more.

Lately, her voice would involuntarily surface in his mind in fleeting moments.

They had known each other for too long.

He always assumed that parting ways with her wouldn't be a significant matter.

At first, that was indeed the case. Being apart, not seeing each other, he imagined her settling down in Lingnan while he found his own peace elsewhere - it could have been an acceptable conclusion.

Although there were moments when he thought of her, he still considered this outcome to be rather satisfactory.

But for some inexplicable reason, she passed away.

Though her passing should have brought him relief, now that she was gone and all seemed settled, he found himself unexpectedly yearning for her.

It began when he was engraving her memorial tablet, each stroke of the chisel carving her name into the wood, each line stirring memories of her.

He recalled the afternoon in Yangzhou, after the chaos of life and death, standing in the tranquil courtyard as the young maiden stood before him, blushing as she introduced herself, "I haven't told you my name yet. I'm Luo Wanqing, what about you?"

He remembered the moment she walked ahead of him, gently lifting a flower lantern, turning to ask, "Shaoyan, do you want one?"

And the nights when she sat in her room, diligently writing prescriptions, declaring her ambition to be a great physician, to save more lives.

Recalling the days when she secretly embroidered a purse for him, stitch by stitch, while carrying him on her back.

His tablet was engraved, a laborious task that left his palm sliced open; blood seeped onto her name.

Speechless, he felt as if a hole had been carved in his heart.

It was what he had sought, yet it brought a painful sting like the slicing of wind.

Then followed each day, each night, every moment.

Sometimes he would wake up at night, wondering where she was. If she was buried beneath the earth, would she be afraid of the darkness?

She had always needed a lamp lit to sleep. It was only after he promised to guard her window that she gradually grew accustomed to sleeping in the dark.

For every time she called, he would respond.

With this thought, he seemed to hear Luo Wanqing's voice, tinged with unease, calling him like a fretful cat, "Shao Yan?"

Unable to resist, he answered, fearing that she might be scared.

Yet soon, he realized something was amiss.

Her calling out to him could only be heard by him. If he always responded like this, others would eventually notice his peculiarity.

So they came to an understanding: whenever she called, he would touch the sachet she had given him as a way of acknowledging her.

Luo Wanqing didn't explicitly agree or disagree, so Li Guiyu took it as consent.

Now, hearing that cry for help, he instinctively reached for the sachet. Zhang Yiran then furrowed his brow, asking with solemnity, "Your Highness, did you hear anything?"

Li Guiyu paused, and both of them became aware that the sound was growing louder.

The woman seemed to have been caught up with, and she pleaded urgently, "Let me go! All of you, let me go!"

Zhang Yiran immediately stood up, and Li Guiyu hurriedly said, "Lord Zhang!"

Zhang Yiran turned back. Li Guiyu listened to the woman's words and then contemplated before speaking, "A woman crying for help in the middle of the night on a deserted road – we must be cautious."

"Well..."

Zhang Yiran pondered for a moment before he said, "But we can't just ignore it. I'll take a look."

"Lord Zhang," Li Guiyu lowered his gaze to the chessboard, his voice elongated as he warned, "The people who can abduct someone in the Eastern Capital have some power backing them. Are you sure you want to get involved?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yiran's expression turned cold. He replied, "His Highness can choose to ignore it, but I won't."

With that, Zhang Yiran called for the carriage to stop and threw open the door, stepping out and shouting, "Stop!"

By then, Luo Wanqing had already been caught up with by the traffickers. They were dragging her back, but upon hearing the command to stop, she lifted her head hastily and looked at Zhang Yiran, pleading, "Your Excellency, save me!"

As Luo Wanqing looked up, Zhang Yiran was taken aback. He quickly averted his eyes, jumped down from the carriage, and walked up to the traffickers, his tone icy as he asked, "Why are you abducting people?"

"One of our women is cheating on us. Mind your own business!"

The trafficker sized Zhang Yiran up and bellowed, "Scram!"

They then tried to drag Luo Wanqing away, but Zhang Yiran held onto her firmly, sternly saying, "Even if she's your wife, if she's committing adultery, it should be reported to the authorities, not dealt with by private punishment. And how do you prove that she's your wife?"

"Your Excellency, I don't know him."

Luo Wanqing instantly grabbed Zhang Yiran, her eyes filled with pleading as she hastily pleaded, "Your Excellency, I am the daughter of a hunter in the nearby village. I came to the Eastern Capital to get medicine for my mother, who is still waiting for me at home..."

"Nonsense eigh..."

"Let go!"

Zhang Yiran kicked one burly man and pulled Luo Wanqing fiercely towards him.

His pull was so forceful that Luo Wanqing nearly stumbled. Zhang Yiran quickly caught her, and she leaned against him, trembling as if she was terrified.

Zhang Yiran's body stiffened, and he involuntarily took a step back, creating some distance from Luo Wanqing. He then glared at the gang of traffickers and declared, "This is the Eastern Capital, and you can't act recklessly here! If she truly is your wife, come with this official to the government office for verification. This official will send you both back. But if she isn't, do you have any regard for the law by abducting a woman in broad daylight?!"

Hearing this, Luo Wanqing secretly lifted her head to glance at Zhang Yiran.

He had scolded her similarly last time, suggesting that he was impartial when dealing with bandits.

However, his words didn't intimidate the traffickers. One of them sneered and said, "You don't appreciate kindness and only respond to punishment, attack!"

With that, they all lunged towards Zhang Yiran, who shielded Luo Wanqing, yelling, "Do you dare?!"

The attacker ignored his words and lunged at them with raised blades.

The flash of the knife descended upon Zhang Yiran, who, wide-eyed, forgot to dodge altogether. Instead, he instinctively raised his arms to shield Luo Wanqing. Her expression turned cold as she wrapped her arms around Yiran and retreated a step, just in time for an icy arrow to soar from the carriage, piercing the bandit right between the eyebrows.

Everyone froze, then heard the sound of the carriage's curtains being drawn aside. They all turned to look as a young man dressed in a blue brocade robe and adorned with a jade crown emerged from the carriage, holding onto the railing.

He lifted his head calmly and gazed at the crowd.

In one glance, he spotted the woman being protected in Zhang Yiran's embrace – the face he had known for years and yearned for every night, now looking back at him in panic as if she didn't recognize him at all.

His heart pierced with pain, his pupils constricted, and he clutched the carriage rail tightly, involuntarily shouting, "Let go!"

Author's Note:

"Short Scene"

Phoenix: "This is what the young master muttered in private."

Luo Wanqing: "Why didn't he tell me?"

Xie Heng: "Tell you? What would he tell you? That diving into Zhang Yiran's arms more often could effectively boost Li Guiyu's anger meter? I'd rather die than mention that to you!"