Chapter 20 World One
Baoshan was wearing a peach pink skirt with two dark blue ties around her waist, which fluttered slowly with her steps.
Her dark eyebrows were lightly drawn, her cheeks were not made up, but they were rosy pink, her soft lips were slightly parted, revealing her teeth, and her clear eyes looked towards the cell with a little concentration.
For a moment, the joy and surprise of seeing the treasure fan gradually faded away, and fear surged in Zhang Shang's heart, and he even had the idea of escaping.
He was disheveled and grimy, like a beggar on the street. But the fan shone brightly, and her coming to see him was like a fairy stepping into the mud.
For the first time, Zhang Shang realized what kind of situation he had fallen into. Without Lord Zhang to rely on, he was now a prisoner.
The pain on his forehead reminded Zhang Shang that his former elegance and handsome appearance were gone. Not only was he thin, he also had ugly wounds and was applying ridiculous and ugly medicine.
Zhang Shang's steps that were about to move forward suddenly stopped. He wanted to retreat and took a few steps back, but was blocked by an earth wall.
A feeling of powerlessness came over Zhang Shang, and he could only bend down and kneel on the ground.
He saw his tattered soap boots at a glance and quickly covered his feet with the dry weeds in the cell.
Bao Shan walked to the cell where Zhang Shang was being held. When she turned her head slightly, she could see Lord Zhang and his wife staring at her with angry eyes.
Such a deep and terrifying look made Bao Shan tremble. The guard standing behind him immediately drew the sword from his waist. The bright white light reflected the pale faces of the couple.
Zhang Shang lowered his head. He knew Bao Shan was coming to see him, but he refused to look up. Lord Chen called out to him and reminded him.
"Miss Baoshan is here to see you."
Zhang Shang finally looked up, Bao Shan's beautiful face reflected in his eyes. He wanted to speak, but his throat felt dry, as if he had swallowed a stone, which was stuck in his throat and made him unable to speak.
Seeing him like this and Bao Shan's bewildered look, the usually calm Lord Chen's face turned a bit colder.
"Zhang Shang, it's only a stick of incense left. You must remember your promise."
Zhang Shang responded in a muffled voice.
Lord Chen looked at Bao Shan again, and their eyes met. They both nodded slightly, and Lord Chen turned and left with his entourage and guards.
The cell was empty, and although the guard's voice was low, his whispers as he left the cell still echoed in the dark dungeon.
"Let's stay alert outside. If the prisoner has any bad intentions, we can rush in and save Miss Baoshan..."
The sound gradually faded away, and then there was the sound of a wooden door closing.
Baoshan looked at Zhang Shang through the cell with clear eyes.
It was Master Zhang who spoke first, his voice soft and gentle, using the most humble attitude in his life: "You have some friendship with that young Marquis Mu, why don't you go and ask him to rescue your uncle and aunt..."
Zhang Shang's face flushed red, as if he couldn't believe what Lord Zhang was saying. How could he let Bao Shan go to beg Mu Nanxing!
Mr. Zhang reminisced, "I had a deep friendship with your father and mother. They were kindhearted people, and raising a daughter like you is a sign of kindness. Look at this dungeon... Alas, I've never suffered such hardship. Eating rice and flour that's brittle and hard, without even a change of clothes. I'm not even dead yet, but it feels like I'm living in hell..."
Baoshan, I am also your relative. Can you watch your uncle and aunt go to the underworld, leaving you alone and helpless, with no one to accompany you and rely on in this world?
He spoke with tears in his eyes, and racked his brains to think of how Baoshan's parents had treated him well, hoping to touch the soft spot in Baoshan's heart.
Lord Zhang knew that Baoshan had no other relatives in this world, so he hinted between the lines that if the Zhang family passed away, she would be left alone.
Baoshan's heart was as cold as ice, without a single ripple, but his face was frowning, as if he was worried.
"But the young marquis has made up his mind. How could he listen to me..."
Lord Zhang was delighted, thinking that Baoshan had taken his words to heart, and quickly gave her some advice.
"Since ancient times, it has been difficult to resist beautiful women. Young Marquis Mu is not interested in women anymore. You have sacrificed your dignity and stripped naked to lie on his bed. With such a beautiful woman before your eyes, I'm afraid he won't be tempted.
When he becomes interested in you, you can seduce him and let him forgive us..."
"Dad! What nonsense are you talking about!"
Lord Zhang paid no attention to Zhang Shang, who was shouting at the top of his lungs and trying desperately to stop him from speaking any further.
The more he thought about it, the more he felt that this method was brilliant. Originally, Lord Zhang had been complaining about why Zhang Shang insisted on seeing the treasure fan.
Now that he thought about it, after seeing Baoshan, he could have tricked her into giving up her body and saving their family.
Zhang believed that women like Bao Shan were the most vulnerable and could be easily deceived. As long as he shed a few tears, recalled the past, and brought up Bao Shan's parents, the girl would definitely listen to him and beg Mu Nanxing to let them go.
This was much better than trying to sneak out on their own. If they did, they would be labeled fugitives for the rest of their lives. But as long as Mu Nanxing spoke, they could be cleared of all charges, and with the buried gold and silver, they could make a comeback.
Zhang Shang's eyes were already red. He didn't care about the embarrassment he wanted to hide. He hurriedly stood up from the weeds and rushed to the wooden door of the cell.
Bao Shan had been keeping a distance from him, and when she saw him coming, she took a few steps back, increasing the distance between them.
"Baoshan, don't listen to my father. He's only trying to save his own life..."
"Shang'er, stop messing around."
Lord Zhang's mouth was dry from trying to persuade her, and when he saw Madam Zhang in the cell still staring at the precious fan with her eyes wide open without any restraint, he immediately shouted at her.
"lady!"
Under the threatening gaze of Lord Zhang, Mrs. Zhang could only suppress her anger, adopt a gentle and kind tone, and join the persuasion team.
"Yes, your uncle and aunt, and Shang'er's life. It depends on your thoughts. You must save us. It's not just to sleep with the young marquis... Just beg the young marquis, and we can get out of the cell."
Mrs. Zhang was furious, but she had to admit that Bao Shan's face might really be able to coax Mu Nanxing.
She had mixed feelings in her heart, a thousand emotions mingled together.
They don't want to bow to the treasure fan, but they also want the treasure fan to save them.
He wanted to tear Bao Shan's face apart and hoped that Bao Shan would be driven out and humiliated by Mu Nanxing. But he also wanted Bao Shan to succeed and rescue them in exchange for his innocence.
For a moment, Mrs. Zhang's face was filled with confusion.
Bao Shan's expression seemed to waver, and he whispered softly, "But Father and Mother definitely don't want me to do this."
Upon seeing this, Mr. Zhang immediately hardened his heart, lifted up his tattered robe, bent his knees, and knelt down under Mrs. Zhang's astonished gaze.
"Baoshan, uncle begs you."
He didn't believe it. Even after he knelt down and begged, Baoshan could still refuse.
Although Mrs. Zhang was reluctant, she felt that her life was the most important thing after weighing the pros and cons, so she knelt on the ground with a thud.
Baoshan's gaze lightly swept over the two people kneeling on the ground, and then turned to Zhang Shang.
In this dungeon, only Zhang Shang had not yet kneeled down. He stood, but his back was not straight and his legs were a little shaky.
The dirt on his forehead had fallen away, revealing dried blood. Zhang Shang muttered "No," and with his gaunt face, he looked a bit scary.
Baoshan was like standing on a stage, with a group of people each having different thoughts and performing their own parts, while she was just a spectator among these actors.
She put away her hesitant and flustered look, her face calm. Lord Zhang's heart skipped a beat, and he felt something was wrong.
In any case, they were kneeling down to beg for mercy, so Baoshan shouldn't have that kind of expression.
What should she do? She should have tears in her eyes, and even though she felt wronged, she had to agree to them. Instead of being completely unmoved like now.
"Zhang Shang, have I ever told you that you are disgusting?"
Zhang Shang's body froze and he looked at the treasure fan in disbelief.
"Ever since the day you tried to destroy my innocence, I've been dying to stay away from you. Every time I see you, I feel depressed."
Zhang Shang quickly explained, "No, no, no, Baoshan. I do like you, and I want to marry you into the mansion and make you my wife. Back then, I was momentarily bewildered, so... but I truly love you. It's just that now that I'm a prisoner, marrying you has become wishful thinking, absolutely impossible."
But I never thought of asking you to use your innocence to exchange for my life..."
Zhang Shang thought that Baoshan disliked and hated him because of what Lord Zhang and Madam Zhang said.
"Every word of love you say is like the dirt in this cell, disgusting to me and I don't want to get involved.
Whether you were Master Zhang or the prisoner you are today, I have always felt only disgust towards you."
It was still a gentle and lingering voice, but it seemed to have turned into a soft blade, breaking Zhang Shang's heart into pieces.
The precious fan turned slightly, and a clear sound rang out in the silent cell.
"As for Uncle Zhang and Aunt Zhang, you will be accompanied by the deceased refugees on the road to the underworld, so you won't be alone."
Mr. Zhang and his wife were so angry that they staggered to their feet.
Mr. Zhang still had some wit, but he looked at Baoshan as if he had never recognized her. Mrs. Zhang was not so graceful. She immediately started cursing and spitting out foul language, accusing Baoshan of having a vicious heart.
She was so engrossed in her cursing that she didn't notice Zhang Shang's pale face, as if struck by lightning, and Bao Shan's lack of a single word in response.
The cell door was opened rudely, and the guards hurriedly stood beside the crumbling treasure fan. Hearing those words that sounded like a shrew's scolding, their faces turned pale. Lord Chen gave a slight signal, and a guard grabbed the rag on the small wooden table and stuffed it into her mouth. Finally, the cell returned to silence.
Master Chen's tone was slightly heavy: "The time has come."
Several guards escorted Baoshan back. Seeing that the corners of her eyes were red, they thought of the shrew in the cell and couldn't help feeling sorry for her.
"Is Miss Baoshan in trouble?"
Baoshan's lips were almost bitten by her, but when she heard the guard's caring words, she still shook her head. Her hair stuck to her cheeks, and the original peach pink on her cheeks had faded away, turning snow-white.
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