Chapter 153 Living Well with Lu Yuan
“My name is Lu Zhao. These brothers all served with me in the army in the northern border region. Unfortunately, our superiors took credit for our achievements. In anger, we left the army and wandered around trying to make a living.”
Lu Yuan had already prepared his explanation.
He couldn't let Jiang Zhi be taken away by the bandits like that.
Tian Yan raised an eyebrow. "So he's been on the battlefield. No wonder he's so ruthless, and his accent doesn't sound like that of a local from Sizhou."
"What is the name of the garrison commander of Yaocheng?" he asked again.
Yaocheng is a strategically important city guarding the northern border.
“Ji Feicheng is a confidant of Xie Qi, the heir apparent of the Marquis of Wuyi,” Lu Yuan said.
He served the emperor closely, so naturally he knew the names and factions of these people like the back of his hand.
Tian Yan asked some questions about military affairs, and seeing that he answered fluently, the wariness in his eyes lessened a bit. "Alright, you can come with us, but your brothers can't right now."
"It's alright. Once I've established myself, it's the same as letting them come."
Tian Yan's lips curled into a sinister smile. "That's more like it."
As he spoke, he tossed a brown pill from his pocket to him.
“Since you’re coming with us, take this medicine,” he said, his venomous eyes fixed on Lu Yuan. “Don’t worry, it won’t kill you; it will only temporarily deprive you of your inner strength.”
Lu Yuan took the pill without even glancing at it, and calmly tossed it into his mouth.
Tian Yan's last bit of apprehension vanished.
He had his men blindfold the three men with black cloths, and the group left the village in a grand procession.
＊
When Jiang Zhi regained her sight, she found herself in a spacious, dimly lit stone chamber, which should be their lair.
Shen Ci'an was right beside her, but Lu Yuan was nowhere to be found.
"Alright, now you can tell me where that thing is, right?" Tian Yan sat at the head of the table, flanked by bandits who were eyeing him menacingly.
Shen Ci'an was still weak, so Tian Yan had someone bring him a chair in case he couldn't hold on and fainted.
On the way here, he had already sent people to search Shen Ci'an's body, but they found nothing. He must have hidden it somewhere else.
Shen Ci'an merely sneered, "If I told you now, would we still be able to leave here alive?"
"I don't have much patience. If you hand it over obediently, I'll let you leave peacefully if I'm in a good mood."
“I don’t believe you,” Shen Ci’an shook his head, “unless you can give me enough assurances.”
"Shen Ci'an!" Tian Yan shouted angrily, "You are no longer an imperial envoy, but my prisoner. Do you think I have any fear of you and can't do anything to you?"
He raised his chin and said, "Take off that woman's clothes and throw her outside. So many brothers are eyeing her, it's time for them to have their turn. What our village lacks most is women."
Jiang Zhi's face turned pale, and she could only barely keep herself calm.
These bandits were very vigilant. All her jewelry was removed, and her ring was taken away. Now she had nothing on her to protect herself.
Several bandits had already come up and grabbed Jiang Zhi with lewd smiles.
"Stop," Shen Ci'an's handsome face was so dark it seemed to drip water. "If you dare to touch her, that thing will be sent to the Emperor's desk in two days."
"What do you mean?" Tian Yan waved his hand to stop the group.
“Before the incident, I had already entrusted the item to a trustworthy person,” Shen Ci’an said in his usual calm voice. “If I did not hear from him within half a month, he would personally come to the capital and hand the item and the memorial over to His Majesty for disposal.”
He stared intently at Tian Yan, "Now that half a month has passed, he should already be on his way to the capital."
"You!" Tian Yan slammed his hand on the table and stood up. "You, Shen Ci'an, you actually left me with this trick up my sleeve."
When Shen Ci'an first arrived in Sizhou, he had the Embroidered Uniform Guard secretly follow the official and search his residence, where they seized the account book.
The contents of this ledger are of utmost importance and must never be allowed to fall into the wrong hands, let alone be presented to the Emperor!
This is why they deliberately created chaos to shoot Shen Ci'an, in order to retrieve the account books.
I never expected Shen Ci'an to be so cunning. He underestimated this weak scholar!
"If this thing is exposed, we'll drag you and your fiancée down with us before we die! I advise you to think carefully!"
Seeing that Tian Yan was anxious, Shen Ci'an breathed a sigh of relief. "Don't worry, I have a way to salvage the situation."
"I will send him a message by carrier pigeon and ask him to return the items immediately. All you need to do is promise to let us leave safely."
After pondering for a long time, Tian Yan said, "You can stay in my village for a while until the things are returned."
"Then I'll have to trouble Chief Tian." Shen Ci'an smiled nonchalantly. "Please prepare a south-facing room, and all the items used must be new. My wife has been pampered since childhood and is pregnant, so she's not used to dirty things."
Tian Yan almost laughed in anger, "Are you here as hostages or for sightseeing? Should we send two more maids to serve her?"
Shen Ci'an readily agreed, saying, "If that were the case, it would be even better."
Before Tian Yan could completely lose his temper, Shen Ci'an added, "I hope you understand that only I know the code for the carrier pigeon, and the meeting place and handover method can only be done through me."
"If my wife and I are unwell and unable to move around at that time, we will not be able to retrieve that item."
"Oh, by the way, my medicine also needs to be brewed and delivered every day."
Tian Yan was filled with anger but had nowhere to vent it.
He didn't just take two hostages, he practically invited two patriarchs back!
He was so frustrated that his face turned ashen, he couldn't catch his breath, and he almost died of anger.
He instructed Shen Ci'an to write a secret letter on the spot and send it by carrier pigeon before waving his hand and telling his men to take them down to make arrangements.
Upon arriving at the prepared room, after everyone else had left, leaving only the two of them, Jiang Zhi helped Shen Ci'an lie down.
Throughout the journey, Shen Ci'an gritted his teeth and barely managed to stay conscious to prevent anyone from harming Jiang Zhi. His palms, hidden in his sleeves, were covered in blood, and he was now at his last gasp.
"Master, you should rest for a while. I'll call you when the medicine arrives." Jiang Zhi carefully treated the wound on his hand.
Shen Ci'an shook his head. "Miss, first remember the handover code I told you. If, if I don't wake up, you can use it to control them and protect yourself."
Jiang Zhi hadn't expected that even in this situation, Shen Ci'an would still only think of her. A warm feeling rose in her heart, and her movements became even gentler.
But in any case, this place is not a place to stay for long.
She had to find a way to ensure her and her husband's safe departure.
I wonder how Lu Yuan is doing.
Shen Ci'an whispered the code into her ear, and only after she repeated it correctly did his tense nerves relax.
He glanced at Jiang Zhi's lower abdomen again. "If something really happens to me, although Lu Yuan is a lone minister and has many enemies in the court, he should be able to protect you. Since you are pregnant with his child, then, then you should live well with him."
Shen Ci'an lowered his eyes, his voice bitter and difficult to express.
Jiang Zhi had never seen someone so focused on others.
I felt both moved and angry.
So, you can't get past the hurdle of pregnancy, right?
"Master, I am not pregnant, nor have I been with Lu Yuan... It was all just a temporary measure to find you. I am still waiting to return to the capital to marry you, so please wake up, even for my sake?"
Jiang Zhi placed his hand against her cheek, her voice soft and gentle.
"Is that so... then Miss must have suffered a lot on her journey south..." Shen Ci'an's voice grew softer and softer, and soon her hand fell limply to her side, and she fell into a complete coma.
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