Cang Lan Dao - Chapter 21.1
Chapter 21.1
This drawing, is it Lord Zhang’s handiwork?
The Ministry of Public Works —
He seems to be a fifth-grade official. Become a fifth-grade official at such a young age, he sure has some ability. However, the Ministry of Public Works is laborious, without real power and slow promotion. Usually, the son of the noble family rarely sat in this position.
It was not that Luo Wanqing was worried. But Zhang Yiran, this name, on the contrary, let her look at him more. She couldn’t help but think of Liu Xiniang. If she remembered correctly, Liu Xiniang’s original name was Zhang Jiuran, and she had a younger brother, who should be nineteen years old now. Liu Xiniang didn’t tell her about her family’s details, only said that she sold herself to the Feng Yu Pavilion, and the Pavilion recreated her identity. They arranged for her to be in the salt gang and became the small leader openly, but in secret, she was a killer. Her family was given a sum of money by the Feng Yu Pavilion, lying that she had died so that they could resume their own lives. Occasionally, she would visit them from afar, but she didn’t dare to let her family know that she was still alive, lest she brought them trouble. She said that her mother took the money and opened a clothing store, and when she made money, she would find a way to pretend to be a customer and give it to her mother. She was so good at disguising herself that her mother never recognized her. Her mother only assumed she was a wealthy customer and would give her extra things. She never described much about her family. She hadn’t told her where her mother did business, what her brother did, or their names. Perhaps these were her weaknesses. So, even if they had switched identities, she didn’t want her to know. Although they shared intimate secrets, they had not been friends for long, and it was understandable for her to refuse to hand over her secrets.
Luo Wanqing’s thoughts drifted off a bit, but she quickly adjusted again, raising her eyes to look at Zhang Yiran, who was carefully painting flowers on her face in front of her.
Zhang Yiran was very good-looking, with distinct features and long eyebrows. He didn’t look too old, between youth and teenager, still a bit childish. He was an old-fashioned scholar. Even though he was under coercion, he became serious when he moved his hands.
Luo Wanqing waited for a while, getting impatient, and finally said, “Have you finished painting yet?”
Zhang Yiran raised his eyes and gave her a cold look. After tracing a few strokes, he put down his hand.
After he put down his brush, Luo Wanqing couldn’t help but want to see what the final result was. She took the cup from the side and looked down at the woman inside.
Looking at this glance, she couldn’t help but be stunned. This person said he couldn’t draw, but the plum blossom he drew was beautiful. He only used cinnabar, but his drawing was so lifelike.
Her facial lines were originally beautiful, and now dressed in ordinary women’s clothes, with a veil on her face and plum blossom in the corner of the eye to cover the wounds, she looked like an average woman. The only problem was her hair. She didn’t have a suitable hairpin, so it was loose and looked suspicious. She thoughtfully put down the teacup and took refreshments from the side to eat to fill her stomach.
Zhang Yiran coldly watched as she naturally ate what was on his table and couldn’t help but say, “You’re a woman. How come you went astray?”
Luo Wanqing didn’t expect this douchebag to still be in the mood to educate her. She raised her eyes to look at him and casually said, “Because I didn’t study properly. I strayed into the jungle and trafficked in illegal trading salt.”
“You’re a salt peddler?” Zhang Yiran frowned, “Have you ever killed anyone?”
Luo Wanqing ignored him and rolled up the curtain to observe the outside.
Zhang Yiran followed her and looked outside the carriage. Seeing that they had reached the entrance of the capital city, he said, “Even if you are a female member of an official family, the guards still need to check your identification document.”
“I’ve stolen an identification document before,” Luo Wanqing pulled out the document she had taken from her bag and handed it to him, “Just give it to them.”
“You’re stealing?!” Zhang Yiran’s frown deepened as he continued his threats, “Don’t you ever do anything wrong again. I advise you to turn yourself in early. I can spare you the crime of kidnapping an official.”
“Just say I’m your cousin.” Luo Wanqing bicker with him, “Or, I’ll stab you to death. Think about your family and your future.”
Zhang Yiran pursed his lips. Luo Wanqing ignored his resistance and directly stuffed the document into his arms.
After a few moments, the carriage arrived at the city gates. Luo Wanqing was immediately on guard and put her knife against Zhang Yiran’s abdomen.
The guards came forward to inquire as usual. Zhang Yiran followed Luo Wanqing’s instructions and handed out the document. However, at that moment, Zhang Yiran violently slammed the document toward her face, and then he rushed toward the tip of her knife and shouted, “Help!”
Seeing him lunging towards her knife tip, Luo Wanqing subconsciously withdrew her knife. However, at this moment of hesitation, Zhang Yiran grabbed the knife’s hilt, and the guards opened the curtain and slashed at her.
Grabbing the knife, Luo Wanqing rolled onto the ground. Because Zhang Yiran didn’t let go of his hand, he got pulled out of the carriage. After Luo Wanqing kicked Zhang Yiran, he released his hands.
As things reached this point, Luo Wanqing didn’t need to overthink. She raised her hand and cut down the rope that tethered the horse, kicked off the guards, and drove the horse to rush inside.
“Catch her!”
After Zhang Yiran stood up, he chased after her and droned sharply, “This is a death row inmate who kills and traffics in salt. Don’t let her enter the city!”
As he said that, Luo Wanqing felt arrows flying behind her. She turned to see Zhang Yiran was still in hot pursuit with the soldiers behind him. She realized that this person never believed her words and that she would not do evil. He was only afraid of involving the guards around him, so he circled with her until they reached the city gates.
From the beginning, he made a death plan. Even if they die together, he won’t join her in doing the ‘dirty’ things. This kind of clean-cut dummy, no wonder he’s still sitting in the official’s carriage even though he’s a fifth-grade official!
Luo Wanqing was furious, but once she thought about it, if there were more of these kinds of officials, the people’s lives would be better. That thought made her less angry, but she remembered the things that Qin Jue gave her were still in the carriage. She immediately turned back and shouted, “Lord Zhang, I’ll put my things in your place for now. I’ll come and get them some other day!”
Zhang Yiran froze at her words, then angrily cursed, “You still dare to come!”
Seeing him angry, Luo Wanqing couldn’t help but smile. While raising her whip to hit her horse, she turned her head and galloped towards the Inspection Department.
She has long memorized the path from the city gate to the Inspection Department. Looking at the sky, it should be close to the fifth period now. She didn’t have time to get rid of the soldiers behind her before going to the Inspection Department, so she gritted her teeth and led the soldiers towards the Inspection Department.
Anyway, she was a death row prisoner. There is no saying that a death row prisoner who has committed a crime can’t take the Inspection Departments. Let’s add one more! Then, she rushed in!
She rode her horse furiously, greeting the people from afar, and shouted, “Make way! Get out of the way!”
The soldiers followed her and didn’t dare to shoot their arrows. This place was so crowded, so they could only catch up, trying to stop Luo Wanqing’s horse. But Luo Wanqing ran rashly. When soldiers rushed up to her, she kicked them away. She even apologized to them nicely, “Sorry, I’m in a hurry.”
The soldiers sniffed and couldn’t help but chase after her with curses. Luo Wanqing didn’t care when she heard their foul language, only calculating the time, squeezing the reins tightly, her heart beating fast.
Faster, faster.
She imagined the route repeatedly in her head, listening to the soldiers shouting and cursing while watching the sun setting bit by bit.