The pink-dressed woman's back froze, and she turned back hastily: "Ran Ran?"

"It's me!" Wei Hanzhang was delighted to see that he had recognized the right person, and was about to hold the other person's hand: "I didn't expect that you, Rou Niang, would be in the capital. We are all very worried about you."

The Cao family and the Jiang family have a close relationship. They are in-laws for several generations, and the children of the two families love to play together. Wei Hanzhang grew up in the Jiang family and has known several girls from the Cao family since childhood, especially Cao Xinrou, with whom she has a very good relationship.

"Don't touch me..." Cao Xinrou hurriedly took a step back, avoiding Wei Hanzhang's hand, and whispered: "I am of low status now, don't dirty your hands, Ranran."

Low status...

It was not until this time that Wei Hanzhang saw Cao Xinrou's hairstyle.

Her long black hair was all tied up, and she looked like she was no longer a girl waiting to be married. She only had two strands of hair on her temples, and she was not dressed like a formal lady.

Wei Hanzhang was startled. Did Rouniang...become a concubine? There were many customers in the cosmetics shop, and some of them looked at them curiously.

"This is not the place to talk," Cao Xinrou froze and whispered, "Ranran, come with me."

The two walked out of the shop until they reached a secluded corner. Without the third person around, Wei Hanzhang no longer hesitated and said bluntly, "Rouniang, you and I have known each other since childhood. If there is anything you need my help with, as long as I can do it, just let me know."

Something happened at home, and Cao Xinrou fell from the clouds to the bottom of the mud. This was the first time that an old friend said to her, "If you need any help, just tell me."

Her eyes were wet, and she shook her head slowly, saying, "My father embezzled the money for disaster relief in Jiangnan, and was personally ordered to be beheaded by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. I am the daughter of a criminal official, and I have been sent to the Music Bureau. No one can save me."

Jiaofangsi! Wei Hanzhang's eyes widened in shock. She had never thought that Cao Xinrou would become an official prostitute!

The eldest daughter of the Cao family in Xuzhou actually became a prostitute! "The women in the Jiaofangsi are only allowed to come out for one hour every three days. It is fate that I can meet you today." Cao Xinrou took out a handkerchief from her bosom and said, "I have something to ask of you. If Ranran is willing to help me, then I will have no regrets."

Wei Hanzhang said solemnly: "You say."

Cao Xinrou stared at the handkerchief in her hand infatuatedly, her eyes filled with tears, and she choked up and said, "This is a token of love given to me by Liu Lang. Now there is no possibility for us to be together in this life, and I don't want to delay him. If Ranran meets him, please help me return this handkerchief to him. Just say that I said so, and let him forget me."

Wei Hanzhang: “…”

"Why is Ranran acting like this?" Seeing that she was silent, Cao Xinrou asked in confusion, "If it were any other man, I wouldn't dare to bother you, but Liu Lang is Gu Yunran's cousin, so this shouldn't be a problem for you."

Of course it’s not difficult, but…

How could her Liu Lang be delayed? As early as the second month after the incident of the Cao family last year, Gu Yun's family was afraid of being implicated by the Cao family, and they hurriedly welcomed a new bride for their son.

Before returning to Beijing, she heard that not long after Gu Yundan got married, he took his wife to Beijing to participate in the Spring Examination, and he was probably in Beijing now.

At this moment, looking at Cao Xinrou's eyes full of infatuation, she had fallen from a favored girl to a courtesan who could be trampled upon by everyone. The friendship between her and Gu Yundan was probably her only spiritual support. How could Wei Hanzhang dare to tell her the truth?

She suppressed the bitterness in her heart and said with a smile: "I know, don't worry, I will definitely deliver this handkerchief to Gu Yundan, and I will also deliver your words to you."

Cao Xinrou breathed a sigh of relief and bowed, saying, "Ranran, go back quickly. If people see you walking with me, it will damage your reputation."

Even when she fell from the clouds, she was still so considerate.

Wei Hanzhang ignored her rejection and hugged her: "Rouniang, you must live well. Only by living can there be hope. Wait for me to think of a way to save you."

What he said was true, but since the founding of this dynasty, the treatment of the families of criminal officials who were sent to the Jiaofangsi was extremely harsh. Ordinary women of low status could still redeem themselves, but the official prostitutes of the Jiaofangsi were recorded and managed by the government, and were not allowed to redeem themselves or be redeemed by others.

Once you enter the Jiaofangsi, you will be a prostitute for life. Even if you are the daughter of a duke or marquis, as long as your father or brother has committed a crime, you will still be sent to the Jiaofangsi.

There is such a precedent in the capital.

In ancient times when imperial power was supreme, the royal family’s words determined life and death, and all thunder, rain and dew were to be borne.

Even so, if there is a chance, she will try to see if she can rescue Rouniang. She can't just watch herself having sex with a handkerchief and become a prostitute.

…………

Men are unreliable, not as reliable as sisters.

In the afterglow of the setting sun, Wei Hanzhang bid farewell to Cao Xinrou, took the white handkerchief she gave him, and rode back home with Wei Hanshuang, thinking of these words.

Cao Xinrou's face lingered in her mind. This was the sister she grew up with. She was once a pampered young lady, but now...

Before the Cao family got into trouble, Cao Xinrou and Gu Yundan's wedding was less than half a month away. If she married and became a wife of the Gu family, then according to the laws of this dynasty, a married woman would not be implicated by her natal family unless her entire clan was punished with a heinous crime.

Only half a month left! Cao Xinrou and Gu Yundan were also childhood sweethearts. They had planned to get married since they were young. Wei Hanzhang felt that their relationship was no worse than that between her and Gu Yunran.

But after Cao Xinrou got into trouble, Gu Yundan still married a new bride within a month.

This is the friendship between childhood sweethearts.

Are all men in the world really heartless?

If something happened to the Wei family, would Gu Yunran make the same choice as his cousin?

He must have, right? He was the heir of the eldest branch of the Gu family, and he would bear more responsibilities than Gu Yundan. Even Gu Yundan couldn't handle it, so what could Gu Yunran do? Could the love between a young man and a young woman outweigh the interests of the family? With a series of sorrows in his heart, Wei Hanzhang returned to Jingya Hall. As soon as he entered the door, he saw Jiang leaning on the soft couch, with a hint of bitterness between her brows.

Wei Heng was there too. He had probably just returned from duty and had not yet changed out of his official uniform. He was sitting upright on a pearwood chair, looking unhappy, and was sipping tea slowly from a teacup.

Seeing her little daughter coming in, Jiang forced a smile: "Ran Ran is back, did you have fun today?"

Wei Hanzhang was startled: "Did something happen at home?"

These days Jiang's health had been getting better day by day, and her complexion had become more and more radiant. How come she looked like this again after returning from a trip?

The couple looked at each other, and Wei Heng said, "This is a family matter, there is no need to hide it from Ran Ran."

Jiang nodded, tears streaming down her face as she said, "It's all an injustice..."

As the couple spoke a few words, Wei Hanzhang's expression gradually changed.

It turned out that the news came from the ancestral temple that Wei Hanyue had hanged herself yesterday. Fortunately, a servant who had been taken care of by Jiang found her in time and rescued her.

After the news came, Marquis Zhongyong only said after hearing about it: With such integrity, this is a real girl from the Wei family.

(End of this chapter)