Chapter 18: Sending You On Your Way
“Young Madam.” The two were instantly moved, their eyes turning red.
Shang Wan frowned in dissatisfaction, “What did you call me?”
“Sis!” The two shouted in unison, their voices loud and clear.
“Good boys.” Shang Wan reached out and rubbed each of their heads, “Wait until we rescue Lu Chengjing, then we’ll properly plan how to live our future days.”
The two nodded heavily, their hearts warm and fuzzy.
The Young Madam had really changed from before.
“Wah wah wah… Mommy… don’t go!”
Little Friend Yuan Yuan obediently nestled in her own mother’s arms and listened for a while, finally realizing something was wrong.
Mommy had just come back, and now she was going again.
The little one felt aggrieved, tears falling like golden beans, blowing snot bubbles from sadness.
“Wah wah wah… don’t go!”
“Don’t cry, don’t cry.” Shang Wan quickly coaxed her, and only when the little one’s crying quieted a bit did she say, “Just this once, from now on wherever I go I’ll bring Yuan Yuan, okay?”
“Wah wah wah… don’t go…” Yuan Yuan wouldn’t listen, clinging to her own mother like a koala, tears falling nonstop.
“Mommy… don’t go…”
Shang Wan felt a bit heartbroken, carried her to the bedroom, coaxed the little one to sleep, fed her a drop of spiritual spring water, then came out.
Shi Tou glanced into the room and whispered, “Sis, Yuan Yuan can’t be without you, let me go send the letter to the prefectural city instead.”
Shang Wan shook her head, “No, your speed is too slow, we won’t make it in time.”
Shi Tou: ?
Aren’t all carriages the same speed?
Shang Wan didn’t want to say more, took the luggage Xiao Huan had packed for her, and quickly left.
Zhang Er on the rooftop watched Shang Wan’s receding figure, puzzled, “Big Brother, at this hour, what is Lady Shang rushing off to do?”
“What does it have to do with you? Get back to work!” Zhang Da scolded his younger brother without looking up.
“Oh.” Zhang Er lowered his head to lift a broken roof tile, replacing it with a new one. Taking advantage of his brother not noticing, he sneaked a glance in the direction Shang Wan left, but that graceful figure had already disappeared.
……
The next day.
The chains on the prison cell door clanked loudly. Lu Chengjing, sitting on the straw mat, turned his head to look, and saw the bailiff leading two constables with stern faces walking in.
The constable on the left held a set of stocks, the one on the right held leg irons.
Lu Chengjing’s heart tightened; that Tian Sheng really wasn’t a fool.
“The city has been unsafe lately, to prevent any mishaps, Lord Tian has ordered that the major criminal Lu Chengjing be escorted to the capital city today.”
After the bailiff gruffly finished speaking, Liu Tong came forward with the stocks and locked them on Lu Chengjing.
Liu Tong had received great favor from Li Wen Hua; he was as grateful to Li Wen Hua as he hated Lu Chengjing this murderer, so he secretly swapped the fifteen-catty stocks for thirty-catty ones, intending revenge.
As soon as the stocks were on, Lu Chengjing sensed the weight was wrong. He glanced at Liu Tong, not missing the resentment in his eyes.
Lu Chengjing was already weak, and today he hadn’t eaten or drunk. With these thirty-catty stocks on, it felt like they would crush him, no different from torture.
In mere moments, sweat beaded on his forehead, the blood color faded from his gaunt face, and his lips were as white as paper.
Even so, he did not bend his slender back. His long lashes drooped, the depths of his clear moon-like eyes pitch black.
The stock swap naturally didn’t escape the bailiff’s eyes, but he said nothing, waving for Xie Zhiqiang to come forward and put leg irons on Lu Chengjing.
Even with the help of spiritual spring, Lu Chengjing’s leg wounds weren’t fully healed. When Liu Tong and Xie Zhiqiang roughly dragged him up, drilling pain shot through both legs.
His legs trembled uncontrollably, Lu Chengjing bit his lip tightly, veins bulging on his neck hidden by messy hair, sweat pouring like rain.
“Move it!” Liu Tong pushed him.
Lu Chengjing was barely standing; this push made him unable to hold, crashing heavily to the ground, a muffled grunt escaping from his bitten, bleeding lips.
Liu Tong dragged him up, but midway let go as if his hand slipped. Lu Chengjing fell again, his pale cheek scraping the rough ground, instantly breaking skin and bleeding, gradually swelling red.
“Time’s up.” The bailiff glared warningly at Liu Tong, had the two support Lu Chengjing up, and nearly dragged him outside.
Lu Chengjing was roughly thrown into the prison cart, messy hair covering his face, looking weak and disheveled.
He panted heavily twice, barely pushed aside the hair from his face, leaned on the prison cart’s wooden bars, gazed at the crowd, and slowly hooked a mocking smile at his lips.
In the surrounding crowd, a man in blue-and-white scholar’s robes stood with hands behind his back, coldly watching the prison cart head toward the north city gate.
The prison cart drove out the city gate, anxious shouts coming from behind.
“Wait!” Qiao Yu’an, holding a green bundle, chased up and blocked the prison cart, his worried gaze on the disheveled Lu Chengjing in the cart, “I’ve come to see Chengjing off, please make an exception, officers.”
“It’s Young Master Qiao.” The bailiff recognized him at a glance, thinking of the Qiao family, put on a polite smile, “Lu Chengjing is a major criminal, orders from above say no contact with others, Young Master Qiao, don’t make it hard for us little ones.”
“I’m just bringing some dry rations for Chengjing.” Qiao Yu’an tossed two taels of silver to the bailiff, “Just a cup of tea’s time.”
The bailiff weighed the silver bar, smiled, “Of course we give face to Young Master Qiao, go ahead.”
He waved for Liu Tong and Xie Zhiqiang to step aside.
Qiao Yu’an hurried forward, “Chengjing, I believe you’re not the murderer. I’ve already asked Father to send a letter to the capital city asking Grandfather for help, you must hold on.”
He placed the bundle at Lu Chengjing’s feet, “Dry rations and water in the bundle, I gave it, they won’t dare take it away.”
“Thank you.” Lu Chengjing slowly raised his head, a faint smile on his lips, “In this life, to have Yu’an as a close friend is Chengjing’s fortune.”
“Your face…” Qiao Yu’an stared in shock at Lu Chengjing’s swollen, broken cheek, fury flashing in his eyes, “You have xiucai scholar official rank, they actually dared to torture you!”
He clenched his fists; such a fine face ruined like this, if scars remained, even if cleared of charges, his official career would be over.
“I’ll go find them!”
“Yu’an.” Lu Chengjing called him, his voice gentle, “My path was uncertain before, and now it’s like this, don’t trouble yourself for me anymore, focus on preparing for next year’s provincial examination.”
“I won’t…”
“Today might be our last meeting.” Lu Chengjing interrupted, his starry eyes smiling, “I wish you success in your aspirations, farewell.”
Qiao Yu’an’s eyes reddened, nearly tearing up.
Such a good person like Chengjing, why was fate so unfair to him?
“Young Master Qiao, time’s up.” The bailiff came over, pulled away Qiao Yu’an who was gripping the prison cart, and shouted, “Depart!”
The prison cart moved slowly, leaving two long rut marks on the official road. Lu Chengjing closed his eyes, leaning against the prison cart to ease the pressure on his neck.
The sun grew hotter, the surroundings increasingly deserted.
The bailiff gave Xie Zhiqiang a look.
The prison cart suddenly turned, heading into the woods by the official road.
Liu Tong puzzled: “Leader, why detour into these woods instead of the official road?”
“Naturally to…” The bailiff drew his knife and stabbed toward Liu Tong’s chest, coldly saying, “Send you on your way!”
