Cang Lan Dao - Chapter 20.2
Chapter 20.2
Going To Dongdu
When she woke up with a start, it seemed like it had rained heavily, and the sky was already bright. She was lying on a pile of dead leaves in the forest, surrounded by the fresh scent of grass.
She propped herself up and raised her eyes to look at the sky. Once she counted the hours, she couldn’t help but widen her eyes, hurriedly got up, took some herbs from her bosom, and ate them while hurriedly rushing out.
She flies while pondering the most critical question. How can she enter Dongdu?
It was dusk when she collapsed, and now it was already early morning, which meant that she had slept through the night.
Initially, she thought she could reach Dongdu before nightfall and then take advantage of the nighttime color to fly to the city wall and leap over it. But now that the sky was already bright, with such sky color, she —
If she leaps over the wall, the whole city could see it. Without jumping over the wall, there’s another conventional way left, which is to steal other’s identity documents. But according to her memories of living in Dongdu, she remembers that Dongdu has different access from ordinary cities. While other cities rely on identity documents, Dongdu needs to check the portraits on the identity documents and the person’s appearance. The only people who could get out of the restriction were the women’s families of the officials.
Dongdu is a place where a fallen brick can kill three sixth-grade officials. You can hardly predict who exactly the winner in court is, so the guards at the gate are always much more lenient to officials. So right now, the most possible way for her to enter Dongdu is to — Hijack an official carriage and disguise herself as an official female family member. But she can’t hijack a senior official’s carriage. Otherwise, she would get into trouble.
Whether senior or junior official, this matter made Luo Wanqing distressed. She ran wildly, stopped at Dongdu’s outside, and started to ambush, waiting for the passing carriages.
She didn’t dare to get too close to the city. It would be hard to strike too many people, so she chose a relatively quiet road to monitor every passing carriage.
Officials from wealthy backgrounds mostly rode in their carriages. However, officials who passed the imperial examinations and did not have much money would generally ride in the official carriages. This kind of carriage had the official government’s unique logo and was recognized easily. Usually, officials who rode this kind of carriage had lower positions and were not too threatening. However, it was hard to find this kind of official. Luo Wanqing waited from noon until the afternoon. Watching the time pass by bit by bit, she gritted her teeth and decided to try her luck to strike. Suddenly, a carriage with the government seal appeared in her vision.
The carriage was average, surrounded by four guards, slowly and leisurely traveling in the mountains. When Luo Wanqing saw this, she was immediately alert, stooping down to get closer and then fiercely jumped out, raising her hand to point at the two guards!
The front guards noticed and immediately drew their swords, trying to turn back. But before they had time to make a sound, their acupuncture points were sealed by Luo Wanqing with the hilt of the sword, frozen in place. Then she turned over to get in the carriage. Before she got inside, someone stretched a sharp sword from the carriage, but the one slashed was an ordinary person. Luo Wanqing grabbed and pressed back his hand, saying coldly: “Listen to me if you want to live.”
The youth whose hand she pressed looked up at the sound, revealing a handsome face. He was wearing a scarlet official robe. That robe set off his complexion. He was extraordinarily fair with a scholarly look, clean and upright. But that pair of eyes made Luo Wanqing feel familiar. After a closer look, she felt those eyes were similar to Liu Xiniang’s.
He coldly stared at Luo Wanqing without the slightest fear in his expression, like a courtier standing in front of the imperial study who was about to run into death. He coldly scolded, “Under the feet of the Emperor, kidnapping an official and committing murder with a sword, aren’t you afraid of death?”
Luo Wanqing was confused by this scolding, not understanding where this man got his strength and how dare he lecture her at such a time. But she reacted quickly, swiftly drew her sword, and pressed it against his neck, speaking in a cold voice: “I’m a death row prisoner. What am I afraid of? If you listen to me, I’ll make sure you live.”
“Stray bandit, don’t think of forcing me into rebellion.” The youth sniffed, completely unmoved. With hands on both knees and sitting upright, he calmly said, “I have no fear of death.”
Luo Wanqing gave a start, not expecting to run into this kind of dupe. She couldn’t kill him. After hesitating for a moment, she turned the tip of her sword around, pointing it out of the carriage, faintly saying, “If you don’t listen to me, then I’ll start by killing those four people outside. You don’t want to live, but others may still have their wives and children.”
The youth froze when hearing this. He was ready to die but didn’t think that Luo Wanqing would first kill others.
His reaction amused Luo Wanqing, making her want to laugh a little. She sheathed her sword and put it on the youth’s neck, negotiating, “Don’t be nervous. I’m a death row inmate who went to take the examination for the Inspection Department. I could have escaped on the way, but I wanted to be an official and came back. Because there was no way to enter the city, I wanted to disguise myself as your female family member and enter the city. I have no evil intentions and do not intend to hurt people. If you don’t trust me, it’s not too late to report to the Government Office to arrest me after I enter the city.”
The youth sniffed, slightly moved, but still pursed his lips and said nothing.
Luo Wanqing continued to persuade: “I know you have the spirit and don’t want to relate with bandits. But you are young, so you must have parents and relatives. Think not for yourself but for your family.”
The youth relaxed his clenched fists, seemingly remembering something, and lowered his eyes.
Noticing her words moved him, Luo Wanqing was happy and put away her sword, saying, “Then it’s a deal. Let them escort us into the city.” Luo Wanqing jumped off the carriage and unlocked the guard’s acupoints. Before the guards could react, she immediately went back to the carriage, took a dagger, and pressed it against the youth’s abdomen.
“My lord!” After being unlocked from their sealed acupoints, the guards headed towards the carriage to save him.
The youth noticed the dagger against his abdomen and said stiffly, “It’s my family’s ladies.”
When these words fell, the guards froze. The youth clenched his fists but lied without batting an eyelid: “She’s been missing me for a long time and made a joke. Resume the journey, don’t worry about me.”
Hearing this, the guards looked at each other, pretended not to know anything, and restarted the journey. Their job was to protect the officials, and since their superiors had given orders, they didn’t need to risk their lives.
Luo Wanqing sat in the carriage. Seeing that the situation had settled down, she relaxed a bit. Thinking she would have to pretend to be this person’s female family member afterward, she immediately said, “You turn your back first. I’ll change my clothes.”
When the stupid youth heard this, he was angry and shocked. He said sharply, “Don’t you know how to be virtuous ……” Before he finished his words, Luo Wanqing nailed his acupoints and twisted his body for him.
When the youth heard the rustling sound behind him, he held his breath and closed his eyes.
Luo Wanqing changed into the woman’s clothes that Qin Jue had bought for her earlier. She didn’t have a hairpin, so she let her hair hang loose and took the veil to cover half of her face. But she still had burns on the corners of her eyes. With just a glance, one could see the abnormality. She rummaged around in the carriage and inquired, “Is there any cinnabar powder?”
“In the drawer.” The youth seemed to be enduring her with great fortitude.
Luo Wanqing followed his words and found the cinnabar. She took out a brush but realized she didn’t have a mirror. After hesitating, she unlocked the youth’s acupoints and turned him back.
The youth closed his eyes tightly. Luo Wanqing shoved the brush into his hand and ordered, “Open your eyes and draw a flower in the corner of my eye.”
The youth held the brush and said coldly, “I don’t know how to draw.”
“Can you draw by taking the blood of someone outside?” Luo Wanqing glanced outside and mockingly asked.
The youth opened his eyes angrily, “You!”
Luo Wanqing raised her eyes to look at him and said solemnly, “Don’t give me any attitude. Just draw when I tell you to!”
The youth seemed to be angered by her. His chest rose and fell violently. After a long time, he finally said in a suppressed voice, “Sit down!” Saying this, he turned his head and took the cinnabar powder, raising his eyes to look at Luo Wanqing, “Where should I draw?”
“There’s a wound in the corner of my eye. Cover it up.” Luo Wanqing turned her face sideways, pointing at the scar and ordering.
The youth pursed his lips and took the brush, sketching quickly.
Luo Wanqing felt that this person was angry and ruthless. She glanced at him sideways and asked, “What’s your name? What kind of official?”
The youth didn’t say anything. Luo Wanqing threatened, “The guards outside ……”
“Official of the Ministry of Public Works,” The youth finally opened his mouth and answered coldly, “Zhang Yiran.”