Love Lock

Chapter 194 Duplicity
In front of the porridge distribution tent, disaster victims lined up in a long, winding queue. Although they were dressed in rags, they waited quietly.

Zhao Zun told Han Lei to go back and rest, but with so many disaster victims still not settled, Han Lei was worried and insisted on staying.

Zhao Zun and Han Lei patrolled back and forth beside the soup kitchen, watching the government officials distribute the soup.
Under the scorching sun, beads of sweat clung to the foreheads of the constables as they stirred the thick rice porridge with wooden spoons, making gurgling sounds.

As the sun began to set, Han Lei transformed the porridge stall into a temporary clinic.

Luo Hai led several folk doctors from Qingshui County to the scene in a hurry. Han Lei went up to greet them and bowed, saying, "Thank you all for your help."

The senior doctor, stroking his beard, said, "You're too kind, young lady. Saving lives is our duty."

After exchanging pleasantries, the doctors began cleaning up the clutter in the soup kitchen and taking out their medicine kits to treat the disaster victims.

Han Lei called the third and fourth-year students back to her carriage. She brought up the medicine purchase page from the system interface, and with a light tap of her finger, countless cold and fever-reducing capsules appeared in her hand.

She lifted the car curtain and said to the juniors and seniors waiting outside, "Open all these medicines and repackage the capsules into wooden basins."

The juniors and seniors understood Han Lei's meaning, nodded, and neatly arranged the wooden basins. Then they unpacked the capsules, took them out, and sorted them into the basins.

"Put the fever reducer on the left and the cough medicine on the right," Han Lei instructed, then took out many vitamin C tablets from the system. "Put these separately to boost your immunity."

Han Lei and her two companions carried wooden basins toward the soup kitchen, where five folk doctors were already examining the disaster victims.

"Doctors," Han Lei placed the wooden basin on the table, "these pills are specially made by me and are remarkably effective for common colds and fevers. After your diagnosis, if it is indeed a simple case of cold, please distribute these pills."

The eldest doctor, Dr. Chen, glanced at Han Lei, frowned, picked up a capsule with his fingertips, and brought it to his nose: "Young lady, I have never seen this medicine before. What is the recipe?"

“Yes,” the tall, thin doctor Li chimed in, “Treating and saving lives is no child’s play, these pills of unknown origin…”

"Don't worry, everyone." Luo Hai had appeared behind Han Lei at some point, stroking his beard with a smile. "This is no ordinary girl; she is the Princess Consort of Cangzhou, and her medical skills are extraordinary."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Zun naturally put his arm around Han Lei's shoulder: "Yes, even my life was saved by the Princess Consort. Please feel free to use these medicines."

Upon hearing this, the five doctors hurriedly rose and bowed.

Doctor Chen's beard trembled slightly: "This old man was blind and did not recognize you. I did not know that you were the Prince and the Princess."

"No need for formalities." Han Lei smiled and helped Doctor Chen up. "The most important thing right now is to treat the illness. Take two pills of each medicine with warm water, three times a day."

The disaster victims queuing by the soup kitchen overheard their conversation and craned their necks to look. Some whispered among themselves, "So the Miss Han who has been helping us along the way is the Princess of Cangzhou!"

"I knew it! Ordinary people don't have such magnanimity..."

"When I first entered the city, I saw Miss Han holding the arm of that handsome man. I never expected that man would be the King of Cangzhou."

"The Prince and Princess are such kind people!"

"Not only are they great people, but look at the prince and princess, they are a perfect couple!"

……

The news spread like wildfire through the ranks of the disaster victims. Suddenly, a woman holding a child rushed out of the line and knelt down in the setting sun.

"I will never forget Your Highness's life-saving grace!" The child in her arms had a flushed face, clearly suffering from a persistent high fever.

Han Lei quickly stepped forward to help the woman up: "Get up quickly." She touched the child's forehead, turned to the doctor, and called out: "Treat this child first."

Soon, more and more disaster victims learned that the "beautiful girl" who had helped them along the way was the Princess of Cangzhou.

The crowd stirred, and someone took the lead, causing the dark mass of people to kneel down one after another, with the sound of kowtowing rising and falling.

"Long live the Prince! Long live the Princess!"

Zhao Zun and Han Lei exchanged a glance, and Zhao Zun raised his hand to signal everyone to stand up.

"Please rise, everyone. It is my duty to help the disaster victims."

He pointed to the busy yamen runners and officials around him, as well as the doctor under the soup kitchen, and said, "Not only me and my queen, but everyone here is doing their best for you. Now that you have come to Cangzhou, you are citizens of Cangzhou, and I will certainly make proper arrangements for you."

Various expressions of gratitude and sobs began to rise from the crowd.

An elderly man with white hair said tremblingly, "This old man is poor and has suffered this natural disaster. Fortunately, Cangzhou took us in... The Prince and Princess have shown us great kindness..."

Sun Wenyuan, the prefect of Cangzhou, stood in the shadows beneath the city gate, coldly observing the scene.

His narrow eyes narrowed into slits, and his fingers unconsciously rubbed the jade ring on his finger, as if he had noticed something.

"Hmph! What a fine 'citizens of Cangzhou'! Are those really citizens of Cangzhou? They're clearly all citizens of Dajing." He sneered inwardly. "Zhao Zun is trying to win over the hearts and minds of the people!"

His gaze swept over the kneeling disaster victims and then landed on Han Lei, who was helping to distribute pills.

Han Lei stood out in her sportswear outfit, her hair casually tied back and a little loose, yet she still patiently explained how to use the medicine to each disaster victim who received it.

Zhao Zun stood beside her, wiping the sweat from her forehead from time to time. The two worked together seamlessly, just like an ordinary loving couple.

"Pretentious," Sun Wenyuan thought to himself. "This couple is no ordinary person! Tonight they'll write to the court, praising the King of Cangzhou for bestowing favors upon them—their intentions are despicable..."

With the doctors' help, Han Lei felt much more relaxed. She looked up at the sky and gave Zhao Zun a tired but satisfied smile.

Zhao Zun gently took her hand, their fingers intertwined, and stood among the grateful disaster victims, completely unaware of the sinister gazes cast from the shadows.

As dusk settled, the last rays of the setting sun were swallowed by thick clouds.

Zhao Zun looked up at the darkening sky, then turned to Han Lei and said gently, "Girl, it's getting late. You should come back to the magistrate's mansion with us to rest. The rest can be handled by the people at the magistrate's mansion."

Luo Hai, stroking his beard, smiled and said, "Don't worry, Miss Han. I've already given instructions on how to settle these disaster victims. You must be tired from your journey; you should go back and rest."

Zhao Zun forcefully pulled Han Lei's hand, causing the girl's ears to turn slightly red. "Come on, let's go back and rest now."

Han Lei then dusted off her clothes. Luo Hai instructed the servants to prepare a carriage, and the three of them returned to the magistrate's mansion as dusk fell.

The magistrate's mansion was brightly lit, and Madam Luo had already ordered people to prepare dinner.

Upon seeing them return, Luo Yuanyuan was the first to jump out of the hall: "Sister Han! You're finally back!" The little girl grabbed Han Lei's arm and shook it affectionately.

Madam Luo came out with a teacup in hand. Seeing this, she smiled and scolded, "Yuanyuan, Sister Han has been busy all day. Let her take a break." Turning to Han Lei, she said, "I asked the kitchen to make ginseng chicken soup to nourish you."

"Thank you, Auntie." Han Lei bowed slightly, but out of the corner of her eye, she caught Zhao Zun looking at her with a bright, smiling gaze, so she quickly turned her face away. During the meal, Luo Yuanyuan insisted on squeezing in next to Han Lei, which made Madam Luo shake her head: "You silly girl, you insist on sitting next to Sister Han, where is your brother Zun supposed to sit?"

"I don't care!" Luo Yuanyuan pouted. "Sister Han promised to teach me medicine."

Han Lei blushed upon hearing this and lowered her head to eat, not daring to look at Zhao Zun. Zhao Zun, on the other hand, remained calm and sat down opposite Han Lei, so that he could see her face to face.

Everyone was amused by Luo Yuanyuan's innocence, and the atmosphere at the table was harmonious. Han Lei secretly glanced up and met Zhao Zun's smiling eyes, and her heart skipped a beat.

Just as everyone was chatting and laughing, a guard rushed in and knelt on one knee: "Reporting to your Excellency, this is a memorial that was just intercepted and sent to the capital. The messenger has been detained."

"Keep the messenger for now!" Luo Hai put down his chopsticks, took the memorial, and unfolded it to examine it closely. After a moment, he sneered, "That Sun Wenyuan, two-faced."

As he spoke, he handed the memorial to Zhao Zun, saying, "Zun'er, this is for you."

Zhao Zun took the memorial and browsed its contents by the light of the solar lamp. Han Lei noticed a meaningful smile playing on his lips.

"Prefect Sun is certainly conscientious in his duties." Zhao Zun folded the memorial and put it into his robes, saying slowly, "It's a pity he's not well-informed enough; he probably doesn't know that things have changed in the capital. Who will even see this memorial?"

Luo Hai suppressed a laugh: "Not only did he not know that the capital had changed, but he also didn't know that the memorials had been intercepted halfway! This man is truly two-faced, flattering you to your face and then impeaching you behind your back."

Zhao Zun chuckled and looked at Han Lei: "Girl, you've had a long day, go back to your room and rest. Uncle Luo and I are going to the Wei residence tonight."

"Go to the Wei residence?" Han Lei's eyes lit up, and she immediately perked up. "I want to go too!"

Zhao Zun didn't stop him, but he pretended to frown, giving him an expression that said he really couldn't do anything about it...

Tonight, Qingshui County is unusually noisy. The streets, which should be quiet, are ablaze with flames, and the sounds of horses' hooves, footsteps, and shouts are all mixed together.

County Magistrate Luo Hai, riding a chestnut horse, dressed in official robes and with a long sword at his waist, led over a hundred yamen runners and soldiers in a grand procession toward Wei Dabao's house in the east of the city.

The torchlight illuminated his serious face, making the wrinkles between his brows appear even deeper.

Zhao Zun and Han Lei, dressed in yamen runner uniforms, followed behind Luo Hai. Han Lei wasn't there out of curiosity or playfulness, but rather to see what could be used for the ransacked house of Wei Dabao.

"Quickly! Surround the front and back gates of the Wei residence, and don't let a single one escape!" Luo Hai's voice was loud and particularly jarring in the night.

The constables quickly dispersed, surrounding the Wei residence completely.

At the gate of the mansion, two guards were shocked to see this. Just as they were about to turn around to report the news, they were pushed to the ground by the yamen runners who rushed forward.

"What are you doing?" one of the guards shouted, struggling. "This is the residence of Master Wei of the Wei family!"

Luo Hai dismounted and strode to the gate of the mansion. He took out a roll of yellow silk from his pocket, coughed lightly, and held it high.

"By imperial decree, Wei Dabao has been found guilty of murdering members of the imperial family. The evidence is conclusive, and he has been detained in the Dali Temple, awaiting execution in the autumn! I am ordered to search Wei's residence. Anyone who dares to obstruct this will be punished for disobeying an imperial edict!"

Chaos erupted inside the mansion, with screams of maids and servants rising and falling.

Before long, the Wei family's steward arrived at the front yard with a dozen guards. The steward was about fifty years old, with a lean face and a pair of small eyes that gleamed with shrewdness.

He stood on the steps, forcing himself to remain calm, and bowed, saying, "Lord Luo, there must be some misunderstanding. My master has always been law-abiding and would never plot against a member of the royal family. Please postpone your actions and wait for my master to return before discussing this further."

"Come back?" Luo Hai sneered, unfolded the imperial edict in front of the steward, waved it briefly, and then put it away.

"Wei Dabao is currently in a prison cell at the Dali Temple. Are you still waiting for him to return? As the steward, are you going to lead the way in defying the imperial decree?"

Cold sweat beaded on the steward's forehead. His eyes only caught a glimpse of a large vermilion seal on the edict. He didn't even see what was written on the seal before Luo Hai had already put the edict away.

The steward's face turned deathly pale. The guards behind him gripped their sticks tightly, but none dared to step forward.

"Your Excellency," the steward's voice trembled, "there are many women in your household, please do us a favor..."

"Enough with the nonsense!" Luo Hai interrupted sharply. "Men, search the place! Don't miss an inch! Confiscate all valuables."

The yamen runners rushed into the mansion like wolves and tigers, and began ransacking the place.

Among the crowd, two "yamen runners" stood out. Their movements were swift yet not overly rough, and their sharp eyes scanned the entire mansion. These two were none other than Zhao Zun and Han Lei in disguise.

"Look over there." Han Lei lowered her voice and gestured with her eyes to a row of side rooms on the east side. "Those rooms have a strange structure; the outer walls are thicker than they should be."

Zhao Zun nodded calmly, pretending to search the row of side rooms. He carefully examined the walls by the firelight, tapping lightly with his fingers and hearing a dull echo. "There's a secret room inside," he whispered.

Just as the two were about to examine the room more closely, a guard suddenly rushed forward and blocked their way: "Sirs, that is the lady's private room. It is not appropriate to search it!"

Zhao Zun looked up and saw that the guard was burly with prominent temples, clearly a trained fighter.

He deliberately adopted a businesslike demeanor, his face hardening as he said, "I'm here by imperial decree to confiscate your property. What's inconvenient about that? Move aside!"

The guard remained motionless, a fierce glint in his eyes: "Then you'll have to step over my dead body!"

The atmosphere instantly became tense. Luo Hai, noticing the commotion from a distance, strode over: "What's going on?"

“Reporting to Your Excellency,” Zhao Zun immediately bowed, “this man is obstructing the search, saying that we must step over his corpse first.”

A cold glint flashed in Luo Hai's eyes: "How dare you! Men, seize him!"

Four or five soldiers rushed forward. The guard tried to resist, but Zhao Zun tripped him and knocked him to the ground, then tied him up tightly.

"Who else dares to defy the imperial decree?" Luo Hai surveyed the surroundings, his voice booming, "Take them all down!"

The people in the Wei family immediately fell silent, and no one dared to stop them.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Zhao Zun and Han Lei entered the row of side rooms and, sure enough, discovered a hidden door behind the wardrobe.

Han Lei was about to push him away when Zhao Zun grabbed her and shook his head: "Now is not the time, just remember the location."

The two men withdrew and continued their pretense of searching.

Cries and screams echoed throughout the mansion. Everyone was gathered in the courtyard, trembling as they watched their possessions being carried out piece by piece.

Various gold and silver utensils, silks and satins, antiques and paintings, gold ingots and silver coins... The Wei family's wealth far exceeded what an ordinary country gentleman should have.

"Lord Luo," the steward knelt on the ground, tears streaming down his face, "the masters have gone to the capital, and all the servants in this manor are innocent. Please have mercy!"

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