Chapter 19 World One
After Lord Chen left the dungeon, he ordered his subordinates to fetch the Zhang family's account books, which numbered six or seven boxes.
He even personally flipped through the booklets, read them carefully under a lamp, and proofread them one by one, and finally found a few things that were wrong.
Considering what Zhang Shang said in prison, Lord Chen was already about 70% certain that what Zhang Shang said about hiding a sum of gold and silver was probably true.
Lord Chen changed out of his official robes and put on a light dress. He did not go directly to find the treasured fan. Instead, he went to find Mu Nanxing first and told her in detail what Zhang Shang wanted.
Mu Nanxing frowned and thought. When he raised his head again, he found that Lord Chen was looking at him respectfully. His slender bamboo-like knuckles were slightly bent and tapping lightly on the table. The words that came out of his mouth were as clear and cold as a spring.
"There's no need to look for the treasure fan. Burying the gold and silver isn't important right now."
Fuling City is such a big place, and there are only a few mountains where gold and silver can be buried. You can always find them if you spend some time.
What's more, Mu Nanxing didn't believe that Zhang Shang could really keep his mouth shut and not reveal any clues as he said.
What is more important is not to let Baoshan hear this matter, for fear it might pollute her ears.
Zhang Shang asked to see the treasure fan at this time. I don’t know what he was planning, but it was definitely not a good thing.
Lord Chen naturally nodded in agreement. He walked out of Mu Nanxing's room, went down the stairs, and was about to walk through the corridor when he came across the treasure fan.
Lord Chen lowered his eyes, clasped his hands together, and bowed.
"Miss Baoshan."
Baoshan had never seen anyone bow to her before, let alone Lord Chen, who was in a high position and much older than her. She couldn't help but feel flustered for a moment when he was bowing to her, an orphan girl.
She dodged Master Chen's greeting lightly and asked softly, "Master Chen, are you here to see the young marquis?"
Lord Chen naturally took back the gift. In his heart, he didn't think about whether he was worthy of her. Since Miss Baoshan was Yan Ruyu in the book, it was not unusual for him to give her a gift.
Bao Shan saw that his brows were tightly furrowed and he looked like a serious teacher. She also thought that he had just met Mu Nanxing and must have just reported something to him.
Now that he had something important to attend to, he didn't ask any more questions and waited for Lord Chen to leave.
There was a man running towards this place in the distance. This man was an attendant of Lord Chen.
Because Zhang Shang in the dungeon couldn't wait for a reply, he started to toss and turn in the prison again. His crazy appearance was really frightening.
The attendant didn't know what to do, so he hurried to find Lord Chen.
He had just stood beside Lord Chen, and his breathing was still unstable.
When the follower calmed down a little, he noticed the precious fan beside him.
The attendant's gaze shifted back and forth between Lord Chen and Baoshan, and his mind changed slightly, thinking that Lord Chen had told Baoshan about Zhang Shang.
When the attendant opened his mouth, he was not referring to Lord Chen, but the precious fan.
"Did Miss Baoshan agree?"
His nonsensical words made Bao Shan confused.
Lord Chen's face became even darker, and he sternly stopped his follower from saying anything.
"Isn't it something important? Come back with me."
The attendant seemed to be covered by a cloud of mist and blurted out, "It's Zhang Shang again, shouting that if he doesn't see Miss Baoshan again, he will -"
There was surprise in the gentle words, and Bao Shan's doubts deepened: "Zhang Shang wants to see me?"
The attendant stopped talking at this point. Seeing the anger on Lord Chen's face and the strange treasure fan on his face, he suddenly realized -
Could it be that Lord Chen hasn't told Miss Baoshan yet? What should he do then? Did he just say something wrong?
Baoshan's eyes were as clear as a spring in a valley, and Lord Chen regarded her as the fairy mentioned in the scriptures. He could make up a lie at any time, but it kept turning around in Lord Chen's throat and he didn't say it out in the end.
With a serious face, he told Baoshan what had happened in the dungeon truthfully.
At first, there were wrinkles between Baoshan's eyebrows, but after listening to what Lord Chen said, the wrinkles between his eyebrows were smoothed out, and a gentle and relieved smile appeared on his face.
"Since Master Zhang wants to see me, then let him see me."
Lord Chen: "Miss Baoshan, aren't you afraid?"
Bao Fan's crow-feather eyelashes trembled slightly: "I'm afraid."
But she changed the subject: "But Lord Chen and the guards are here, and Master Zhang is imprisoned. I think... they won't hurt me..."
She spoke the following sentences hesitantly.
The attendant quickly assured: "Miss Baoshan is worried that Master Zhang will not have the opportunity to get close to her."
Bao Shan seemed to have received a guarantee, and the determination in his eyes became even stronger. "It's just a meeting, and if it can help you, Master Chen, I'm willing to do it."
The attendant looked at the precious fan and felt that the person in front of him was not only extremely beautiful, but also very kind-hearted.
The hiding place of gold and silver mentioned by Zhang Shang is very important to them.
But for Baoshan, a woman, what do these things have to do with her?
Moreover, after hearing that Zhang Shang had ill intentions and had frightened Bao Shan, there was no need for Bao Shan to agree to meet Zhang Shang.
But now, in order to solve their troubles, Miss Baoshan is willing to take the risk alone to meet the dying man.
Not only did the followers' hearts surge with joy, but the worries that had been lingering in their hearts just now were swept away.
Lord Chen was also surprised, but he also felt that Baoshan's move was within his expectations.
The precious fan looks even more like the fairy described in the book.
She has an ethereal appearance and a heart as gentle and kind as a lotus.
But as for Mu Nanxing… Lord Chen only thought about it for a moment before making his decision. Although he was born into a poor family and was a bit dull in his actions.
But it doesn't mean that we have to follow the rules and report everything.
As for Young Marquis Mu, he will inform you later.
Zhang Shang was already waiting anxiously in the cell. At first, when he heard Lord Chen say that he needed to think about it, he thought he was deliberately making fun of him.
After all, it would be a great achievement to find out such a huge amount of gold and silver. He had already revealed that there was a hidden treasure of gold and silver.
If they can't find it, it will be a big trouble.
Therefore, Zhang Shang was certain that Lord Chen would persuade Bao Shan to come.
But after one day, and another, Zhang Shang's confidence slowly began to waver.
He stayed in the cell, never seeing the sun, each day an unbearable ordeal. And since that day, Lord Chen hadn't come to see him once. A multitude of thoughts raced through Zhang Shang's mind—what if Baoshan refused to see him? The moment the thought arose, Zhang Shang dismissed it. No, Baoshan wouldn't do that. He'd seen Baoshan before he entered the cell, and she hadn't shown him the same dislike as before. He'd even promised to pick the freshest, dew-drenched herbs.
If Baoshan didn't come to see him, someone must have been trying to stop him.
Is it the reckless General Feng, or Mu Nanxing?
Zhang Shang had already made up his mind. It couldn't be anyone other than Mu Nanxing. It had to be him! Zhang Shang smiled bitterly inwardly. He should have known long ago that Mu Nanxing was a double-faced man, always pretending to be a handsome young man, and had deceived Bao Shan's heart.
Mu Nanxing must have been afraid that Bao Shan would come to see him, so he resorted to some tricks.
Zhang Shang despised the mossy earthen wall in his heart, and with a ruthless heart, he crashed into it.
This scared the guards. Although Zhang Shang was guilty of serious crimes, his death was not yet imminent. The guards hurriedly called a doctor, who used a folk remedy to heal the wound on Zhang Shang's forehead.
Zhang Shang woke up. His forehead was covered with blood, yellow soil and herbs, and he looked extremely scary.
Zhang Shang seemed to feel no pain. He grinned, revealing his white teeth, and spoke softly like a ghost.
"I want to see the treasure fan."
When the followers came again, they were shocked to see Zhang Shang in this state for the first time.
But he quickly calmed down and brought Zhang Shang the good news that Miss Baoshan would come to see him.
"But—there's only one side, and after you've seen it, you must tell me the truth about where the gold and silver are buried."
"I will."
Zhang Shang and his wife, who were in the other two cells, felt a pang of pain when they saw Zhang Shang injured. But then they thought about why their beloved son had been injured. Was it for their lives? No, it was for a woman, just to see a woman, that he had ended up like this.
They suppressed the pain in their hearts and watched coldly.
Before Bao Shan arrived, the guards in the prison had already emptied all the cells except for those of Mr. Zhang and his wife Zhang, and moved them to other places.
This idea was thought up by Miss Baoshan.
"If Master Zhang wants to see me, he will definitely say something secretive.
If other people hear our conversation, it might get leaked.”
Lord Chen immediately ordered everyone else to move out.
Baoshan stroked his chest lightly, as if his breathing was unstable.
"In that case, I will tell Master Chen everything that Master Zhang said, hoping that it will be of some help to you."
Although she said this, her brows were shrouded in sorrow, which was difficult to conceal even if she tried to look relaxed.
Lord Chen seemed to have thought of something and his expression turned grim.
If Bao Shan met Zhang Shang, he would have only met Zhang Shang a few times, but based on the rumors in Fuling City and some things he did in the prison, he could tell a lot about Zhang Shang's character.
Madman and lecher are not enough to describe him.
What if he said some obscene words to Miss Baoshan in a place where no one was around and disturbed her? What should I do?
But before Lord Chen could speak, Baoshan spoke first to comfort him.
"Master Zhang...he shouldn't do anything out of the ordinary. Master Chen, please don't worry too much."
When she said this, Lord Chen felt even more guilty and worried.
Bao Shan followed Lord Chen down to the dungeon. It was not very clean there, so she could only hold up her skirt and be careful to avoid the moss and dirt.
The first time she saw Zhang Shang, Baoshan's beautiful eyes opened wide. He looked so haggard. Was he still the young master Zhang Shang who was rampant in Fuling City?
With wounds all over his body and a sad face, he couldn't even afford a clean piece of coarse cloth, let alone fancy clothes. He looked like a beggar on the street.
Zhang Shang seemed to sense something and looked up towards the source of the sound.
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