Тhе hоrsе gradually disарpeаred from еvеrуоnе's sight. Нan Yan slоwly stood up. At this momеnt, Zhuаngshan's mаid Yun'er hаd аlrеаdy stumblеd оut оf thе сarriаge and cоllаpsеd on the ground. Нan Yan wаlked up tо hеr аnd sаid саlmlу, "Don't yоu sеe? Тhе guаrds herе havе аll been роisonеd and can't mоve. Your yоung lаdу has bеen kidnapреd. Shоuldn't yоu hurrу tо rероrt this to thе аuthoritiеs?"
Yun'er wаs stunned for а momеnt, slоwlу cоming bасk tо her senses bеfore suddenly reаlizing that Zhuangshan hаd indeed bеen kidnарpеd. If Madam Zhou found out, she would surely lose her life. Hearing Han Yan's words, it felt as if she had grasped her last lifeline. She stood up and was about to run off when Han Yan kindly reminded her, "The authorities usually have many official duties to attend to. Given the urgency of the situation, you should vigorously beat the drum outside the yamen to draw the magistrate's attention. Only then will Sister Yu Shan be rescued quickly."
Yun'er nodded and stumbled away. Only then did Han Yan clap her hands and stand up. Ji Lan and Shu Hong also walked over. When Zhuangshan was kidnapped, her fiery red cloak had fallen off. Han Yan picked it up from the ground, shook off the dust, put it back on, and tied the strings before leisurely strolling over to the only conscious guard captain.
Earlier, while having the vegetarian meal at Fengdi Temple, Shu Hong had taken advantage of helping out to add something to the guards' food. Taken alone, it was harmless. But when mixed with another type of fragrance, it could immediately cause unconsciousness.
After the guards had eaten, Zhuangshan drove Ji Lan and Shu Hong outside the carriage—something Han Yan had anticipated, as the carriage itself couldn't possibly accommodate five people. Naturally, Zhuangshan wouldn't make her own maid get off, so Ji Lan and Shu Hong were inevitably forced to walk outside the carriage alongside the guards.
While chatting with the guards outside the carriage, Ji Lan discreetly dripped the fragrance from her sleeve into the guards' scabbards. The guards themselves were fine, but if they encountered bandits and drew their swords to fight, the fragrance would disperse and mix with the food they had eaten earlier, turning into a poison that could cause unconsciousness. As for the guard captain, he was overly cautious. Ji Lan, afraid of being discovered by him, didn't dare to act too obviously and only added a small amount. That was why the guard captain was now merely weak all over but still conscious.
Han Yan crouched down beside the guard captain. He was a middle-aged man who had witnessed the entire incident clearly. From the moment Zhuangshan was kidnapped, he recalled the sudden anomalies along the way—the exchange of cloaks between Han Yan and Zhuangshan, the guards suddenly falling unconscious, and the way Ji Lan and Shu Hong addressed Zhuangshan—and suddenly understood everything. This young girl before him had been planning from the very beginning, keeping them all in the dark and playing them for fools. She must have known about today's plan long ago and had turned it to her advantage, orchestrating Zhuangshan's kidnapping. In this way, Madam Zhou had lifted a stone only to drop it on her own foot—the one whose reputation was ruined was Zhuangshan, while Han Yan remained unscathed.
He was shocked and squinted at the young girl nearby. Han Yan smiled, her eyes curved, and looked at him with concern. "Brother, are you alright?"
He gritted his teeth and replied with difficulty, "Young lady, what a clever scheme." What cunning! To remain so composed, not revealing her true self even at this moment—he suddenly felt a chill of fear.Han Yan was not at all bothered by his words, smiling as she said, "Don't worry, Yun'er has already gone to report to the authorities. The officials will surely get to the bottom of this and clear your names." She emphasized the words "clear your names" heavily, then turned away from the guard captain without another glance, addressing Ji Lan and Shu Hong instead: "Which of you can drive a carriage? Sister Yu Shan has been abducted—we must hurry to report this." Before her words had fully faded, a disdainful snort suddenly came from behind her.
Han Yan turned around to find Fu Yunxi, Helian Yu, Wei Rufeng, and an unfamiliar young man standing before her.
The snort had come from Wei Rufeng, who now stepped forward, his eyes filled with contempt as he looked at Han Yan. "I never imagined Fourth Miss Zhuang could be so vicious, not even sparing her own sister?" he said.
Han Yan swept her gaze over the four of them. Among them were those who exuded noble dignity, those with striking beauty, and those as gentle and refined as jade. Even the unfamiliar young man resembled a fresh, delicate orchid—handsome and youthful. In a crowd, he would surely capture the hearts of many young ladies.
But the current situation was hardly the time for admiring beauty, especially when... she had been caught in the act of wrongdoing. Han Yan's eyes settled on Wei Rufeng. The disdain in his expression stung her eyes. Whether in her past life or this one, it seemed she, Zhuang Hanyan, would never be worthy in this man's eyes. Perhaps it was Heaven's will. Zhuang Yu Shan truly had good fortune. In her past life, when she herself had been abducted by bandits, no talented young gentlemen had stepped forward to defend her. As these thoughts crossed her mind, a mocking smile surfaced on her face.
Wei Rufeng had no idea what Han Yan was thinking. Today, he and several others from the court had gone to Fengdi Temple to listen to Master Qingfeng's teachings. On their way back, they had passed by this place and witnessed the entire scene unfold. Han Yan's every move had been observed by them, especially when she and her two maidservants referred to Zhuang Yu Shan as "Miss," drawing the bandits' attention to her. Everyone present understood what had happened.
He had long heard of the scheming and rivalry between legitimate and illegitimate daughters in wealthy households. Had this happened to someone else, he might not have felt strongly about it. But realizing it was Han Yan, a wave of disappointment surged within him.
Han Yan's talent at the palace banquet had been witnessed by all. Judging her character by her calligraphy, he had believed her to be a person of noble integrity. Yet now, seeing her act so ruthlessly, betraying her own sister to save herself, he felt nothing but disdain. That was why he had spoken as he did.
After speaking, Wei Rufeng felt he might have been too harsh. After all, Han Yan was only a twelve-year-old girl. Being spoken to like that by a young man might shame her. Regretfully, he looked at her, only to see a careless smile curl at the corners of the young girl's lips.
Her voice was clear and soft, yet it struck everyone's ears like a muffled bell, resonating quietly.
"Why must Young Master Wei speak so? Since you find my actions so contemptible and pride yourself on being a righteous man, why didn't you step in to help while you were watching the show?"
Seeing Wei Rufeng's face flush crimson in an instant, Han Yan continued, "Wanting to protect yourself while playing the hero—the world isn’t that convenient."
She walked to the side of the carriage, then turned back with a radiant smile. "Viciousness, after all, is more honest than hypocrisy."She mercilessly exposed Wei Rufeng's act of standing by and watching. A "pfft" sound came from the unfamiliar young man, who was amused by Han Yan's words and looked gleefully at Wei Rufeng's stiffened expression.
Helian Yu, however, wore a complicated expression. This young girl seemed different every time he saw her. At the palace banquet last time, she had already astonished everyone with her cleverness and whimsical charm. Yet today, witnessing her ruthless treatment of her own sister, she proved to be quite a formidable character. Moreover, she spoke to Wei Rufeng without the slightest courtesy. Shouldn't most young ladies, upon meeting Wei Rufeng, feel their hearts flutter and blush with shyness? Yet she calmly retorted, leaving the capital's talented scholar speechless with her words. Truly, she was someone to be regarded in a new light.
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