Zhang Jie had gathered all the firewood, but in the end, the fire still wouldn't start.
Because the sound of horses' hooves could be heard in the middle of the night, the three of them hid in the darkness and lay prone on the hillside.
Many people carrying torches came to the riverbank where the woman's body was found during the day, searched the area, and then left.
To avoid being discovered, the three of them squeezed into the carriage after they left.
Since they were all strangers, they remained silent and no one spoke.
Zhang Jie held Ruyue in his arms, and the two leaned on each other and closed their eyes.
The other girl also succumbed to sleepiness and fell asleep leaning against the carriage.
As dawn broke, Zhang Jie was the first to open his eyes. He had been holding her all night, and his arms were still a little stiff.
But seeing that Ruyue was sleeping soundly, he was very satisfied.
Turning to look at the girl, I wondered if it was just my imagination, but I felt like I knew her very well.
Perhaps sensing the gaze, the girl quickly opened her eyes, glanced around, and then realized that she hadn't expected to be so lucky yesterday; she had actually managed to escape.
"My name is Bai Lan. I am grateful to my benefactor for saving my life last night! May I ask how I should address you, my benefactor?"
Zhang Jie, expressionless: "Zhang Jie."
As the two were talking, Ruyue also woke up and silently looked at the other without saying a word.
Bai Lan also saw Ru Yue and smiled slightly at her: "Hello, my name is Bai Lan. Thank you both for saving me last night. May I ask your name, young lady?"
Zhao Ruyue sat up straight and took Zhang Jie's hand off. His hand must be sore from sitting in the same position all night. As she massaged his hand, she said, "My name is Zhao Ruyue. Miss Bailan, please don't be so polite. There are always inconveniences when you're out and about. It's fate that we met."
"By the way! Miss Bailan, do you have any sisters?"
Bai Lan's expression suddenly changed, and she looked at the two of them warily: "What's wrong? Why do you ask that?"
Zhao Ruyue had been observing silently for a while and discovered that Bai Lan looked very similar to the female corpse found by the river yesterday.
"I've seen a woman who looks somewhat like you."
Bai Lan rushed over anxiously, tears welling in her eyes, and asked urgently, "Is what you're saying true? Where is she? Where is she?"
Zhao Ruyue didn't know how to start the conversation. This person's attitude clearly indicated that it was related to that other person. She glanced at Zhang Jie.
Zhang Jie nodded to her, and Ruyue then decided to tell her.
Ruyue helped the person up: "Bai Lan, sit down first. I can tell you where I saw her, but you also need to tell me about your relationship with that person."
Bai Lan nodded: "That's my sister. We're twins. My sister disappeared half a year ago. I've been searching for her whereabouts ever since. A month ago, I heard that she seemed to be in Jiangnan, so I rushed over here."
Bai Lan didn't know who these two people were. She only told them half of the story: they had saved her and she didn't want them to get involved any further.
Looking at her expression, Zhao Ruyue understood that she still had many things to say. But since she spoke first, she would tell her everything that happened yesterday.
"See the river below? We just arrived here yesterday and found a woman's body in the river."
Bai Lan stared intently at Ru Yue, her body trembling; she dared not think of it.
Ruyue looked at her with some difficulty: "That female corpse looks a bit like you, and she even has a mole near her mouth!"
Bai Lan burst into tears, covering her mouth tightly with both hands. It was her! It really was her!
Ruyue continued, "When we found her yesterday, the woman had stopped breathing and her abdomen was slightly swollen, as if she was pregnant. Then we asked someone to report it to the authorities, and yesterday the government officials came and took her body away."
Bai Lan was on the verge of collapse: "My sister disappeared when she was still a virgin, sob sob... These scumbags! The damned Liu family! I want revenge! I want revenge for my sister!"
When Zhang Jie heard her mention the Liu family, his heart skipped a beat. Could it be...?
He glanced at Ruyue, who immediately understood his meaning: "Miss Bai, I wonder if the Liu family you mentioned is the renowned Confucian scholar Liu family of Jiangnan?"
Bai Lan suddenly flew into a rage: "What kind of bullshit Confucian scholars are they? They're just a bunch of demons, cancer, and trash! My sister was killed by Patriarch Liu!"
Suppressing her doubts, Zhao Ruyue asked, "Although I have never met this Patriarch Liu, I have heard that he has countless students and is a man of integrity. He shouldn't do anything to disregard human life, right?"
Bai Lan's eyes were red, as if she had endless pain to express, but she held it back.
She got off the carriage and bowed to the two men: "Thank you for saving my life. I was being chased last night. It seems that the Liu family has their eyes on me. I have a compelling reason to go to the capital. The journey is fraught with danger, so I won't travel with you two anymore. Let's part ways here."
Upon seeing this, Zhao Ruyue quickly got off the carriage.
She turned to look at Zhang Jie: "Lord Zhang, let's save her!"
Zhang Jie nodded, and Ruyue quickly stepped forward and grabbed her hand: "Bai Lan, let me introduce you. This is Lord Zhang Jie, the official who came from the capital to investigate the Liu family. If you can trust him, you can tell him what you know, and we will help you."
Upon hearing this, Bai Lan looked up in surprise: "Really?"
Zhang Jie nodded: "That's true."
Bai Lan looked at the two of them again, and asked hesitantly, "How many people do you have available?"
Ruyue paused for a moment, then looked at Zhang Jie.
Zhang Jie was puzzled: "Miss Bai, why do you ask that? Is there something you're worried about?"
Bai Lanxin understood. The people sent by the imperial city to investigate probably only had some questions and didn't know the specifics, so the number of people sent was probably not large.
“The three of us are not enough! Far from enough! The Liu family is far more terrifying than you imagine. Before you enter the city, let’s turn back to the capital immediately. We can’t handle this matter ourselves, so we must set off right away. If we are late, things will change.”
Seeing her so serious, Zhang Jie also became earnest: "Miss Bai, are all the things you said true?"
He traveled all the way to Jiangnan, but even after arriving at the door, he didn't go in, feeling that he wasn't being responsible enough.
Bai Lan looked at the two of them and swore, "My sister is gone, and I am all alone now. I swear on my life that what I said is true. I have discovered a secret of the Liu family, and I can only tell you by finding someone of high status in the capital."
"Besides, I was exposed yesterday and must leave immediately. If people find out that I was with you, all three of us will be dead. Now we need to think carefully about how to get back to the capital safely."
Seeing that she sounded sincere, Zhang Jie decided to take a gamble: "Okay, Ruyue, let's go back right away."
Zhao Ruyue agreed, then, thinking that the guards who had come with them didn't know they were leaving, asked, "Lord Zhang, what about the people who came with us earlier?"
“It’s alright, let’s leave first. I have a special way of contacting them. I’ll leave a message on the way and tell them to keep their identities hidden and continue their investigation here. Let’s go back first.”
Zhang Jie felt somewhat heavy-hearted. If what Bai Lan said was true, then the journey ahead would likely be anything but peaceful.
He pulled out his robes: "Miss Bai, Ruyue, you two change your makeup first, dress up as men, and darken your faces. We'll keep a low profile. There are only the three of us now, and if we encounter more people, I can't protect you."
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