Don't ask where people go

Chapter 2023 Achievements
“I informed the officials in advance and arranged for someone to go in. According to my man, he would go with them every time supplies were moved. Before the control was so strict, he would try to get close to the soldiers outside and get some information out of them. These are all the information the soldiers gave us.” Wang Shen’s expression was grim. “Now that the outside is fenced off, the officials are seeing that they have no way out, so they have all scattered like birds and beasts, and my man has been sent back.”

"Young Master Shen, may I borrow one of your men?" Fang Zilan said solemnly, "Please have him lead the way and show me that fence."

“Sure, I’ll have him take you there right away.” Wang Shen gave some instructions to the servant beside him, and then led over a man to take Fang Zilan and Awan to see the fence.

The three hadn't gone far out of town when they saw a tall fence across the middle of the road. The trees beside it had been cut down and were now surrounded by the fence, trapping them inside.

Upon seeing this, Fang Zilan could not contain her anger. Without saying a word, she drew her plum sword and slashed fiercely at the fence.

The fence, unable to withstand her all-out attack, snapped straight in the middle. Yet, she wielded her plum-sword relentlessly, each strike delivered with ferocious force, and in no time, she had cleaved several sections of the fence in two, carving a path through them.

The man who had led the way stared in disbelief at the scene. A-Wan said to him, "Young man, thank you for leading the way today. But my sister is in a fit of anger. If she destroys the fence, it will surely attract the guards. Who knows what might happen later? You'd better go back first, lest you get hurt in the process."

"Okay...okay, I'll go now." The person leading the way stammered, then turned and ran.

Awan walked to Fang Zilan's side and saw that Fang Zilan's hand holding the sword was trembling slightly. Her heart also trembled. Could they really create a way out for everyone?

As expected, the destruction of the fence quickly attracted the attention of nearby soldiers. Each of them wore a thick face mask and stood outside the fence, their weapons pointed at Fang Zilan. "You audacious commoner, how dare you destroy..."

Fang Zilan interrupted the soldier's shout in a cold voice, "Summon Su Yun and Deputy Cao to see me within three days."

Having said that, she took the official's token and walked step by step to the fence. With each step she took, the soldiers outside withdrew their weapons a little, until she reached the edge of the fence, just a step away from them, and they all involuntarily took a step back.

She stopped, stepping onto the broken fence, and did not move forward. Then she stretched out her arm, displaying the official token in front of all the soldiers, and said solemnly, word by word: "Fang Zilan, Duke of Yue of the Great Capital, hereby orders Su Yun, the special envoy of the Southeast, and Cao Hong, the deputy general, to come here to meet me within three days. If they disobey, they will be punished according to military law."

"What happened?" Fang Zilan quickly walked to Yun Qinghan's side to help. "Qinghan, Xiaohuan, step aside, I'll handle this."

Yun Qinghan and Xiao Huan made way, and Fang Zilan easily moved the water vat to the doorway, temporarily blocking the commotion outside.

"I don't know who spread the word that our clinic can cure the epidemic, and now there are many infected people gathered outside." Yun Qinghan said with a heavy heart, "I really dare not let them in."

“Qinghan, you did the right thing. Once is never enough. Besides, Elder Yun is still recovering, and Awan is sick. We have no capacity to treat patients.” Fang Zilan used a water vat to prop up the door while asking Yun Qinghan, “Qinghan, is there anything else we can use? I’m afraid this water vat won’t last long.”

"There are still some tables and chairs, but I'm afraid they're unusable." Yun Qinghan looked anxious. Xiao Huan, standing beside him, weakly suggested, "If all else fails, why don't we open the door and explain things to them?"

“It’s no use. These people outside are like mad dogs. They won’t listen to anything we say.” Ah Jun’s body swayed with the door, his expression and tone unusually exasperated. “Who exactly spread the message that our clinic can cure the plague?” Yun Qinghan was so anxious she was about to cry. Fang Zilan lowered her eyes and said, “I told them, but I only told Young Master Shen.”

"You mean the message that Wang Shen sent?" Ah Jun spat fiercely. "Pah, I knew that guy was no good! He could even kick Uncle Wang out of his house, what else wouldn't he do!"

Upon hearing this, Yun Qinghan couldn't help but feel secretly saddened. Fang Zilan gently scolded, "Ah Jun, say less and save your energy to guard the door."

"I'd like to," Ah Jun said with a sour face, "but our clinic's doors aren't impenetrable; they'll crumble sooner or later! Miss, think of something else—is there any way to stop them?"

He had barely finished speaking when a cracking sound, like a wooden plank breaking, rang out. Xiao Huan immediately turned pale, stammering and unable to speak coherently, "W-what...what do we do?"

Fang Zilan tightened her grip on the plum sword, her expression stern. "Don't panic, Qinghan, take Xiaohuan inside and hide for a while. Remember to lock all the doors."

Yun Qinghan's eyes were red-rimmed, and her whole body was trembling violently, but she still managed to stand up straight. "Then what about you and A-Jun?"

“No ordinary person can hurt me.” Fang Zilan said, looking at A-Jun and raising an eyebrow. “If you’re afraid, find a place to hide.”

"Who...who's scared?" Ah Jun stubbornly pressed his entire weight against the door and shouted at Yun Qinghan, "Miss, don't worry about me. You and Xiao Huan should hide quickly. I can still hold on!"

Yun Qinghan, holding Xiao Huan, nodded with tears in her eyes. Just as the two were about to leave, they suddenly heard the noise outside gradually subside, and even the banging on the door was not as intense as before.

"What's going on?" Ah Jun steadied himself against the door and couldn't resist peeking through the crack to see what was happening outside, but Fang Zilan grabbed him by the collar and pulled him aside. "Be careful, it might be a trap!"

Startled, Ah Jun immediately stood obediently by the door, ready to fight, fearing that after the brief calm, an even bigger commotion would break out. Thinking of this, he became even more nervous.

"Someone else is here." Fang Zilan held her breath and listened carefully to the sounds outside the door. "The person who can quell the chaos is no ordinary person."

Hearing her say that, Ah Jun curiously pressed his face against the door, vaguely hearing people talking outside, but he couldn't make out what they were saying. "What did they say?"

Fang Zilan didn't speak for a moment, but then she relaxed and smiled, "It's Young Master Shen."

"What did you say?" Ah Jun looked completely incredulous. "Why would he come?"

"Who knows?" Fang Zilan calmly straightened her clothes and instructed Ah Jun, "Open the door."