Love Lock

Chapter 240: No Return?
Just as Song Yuanqing and his entourage rode away, in Tuomugou, ten miles outside the south gate of Qingshui County, the early winter sun shone on the compacted loess road.

On the towering arrow tower of the fortress, the black banners with gold trim of Cangzhou fluttered in the wind.

A squad of soldiers guarding the fortress stood with guns at the ready on both sides of the road, impartially blocking two groups of weary travelers.

"Halt! No one may enter Cangzhou without a travel permit!" The leading soldier captain's voice boomed, his long spear blocking the middle of the road.

The group on the left consisted of about twenty people, all dressed in dark blue tight-fitting clothes, with gold thread patterns unique to the Duke of Heng's mansion wrapped around the hilts of their swords at their waists.

The leader was a burly man with a square face and a wide mouth. Hearing this, he sneered disdainfully.

"Open your dog eyes and see clearly! We are from the Duke of Heng's mansion, here on the Duke's orders to escort my young master back to the capital!"

The group on the right was dressed more elegantly. The tall, thin man in the lead took out a waist tag from his pocket, but his gentle words carried an undeniable arrogance.

"Sir, we are guards from the Zhang family mansion, here to fetch my young master. Please do us a favor."

The captain of the soldiers stood firm on his principles and refused to budge an inch: "Whether you are from the Duke's mansion or the Grand Secretary's mansion, my lord has ordered that you must present your travel permit to enter Cangzhou!"

He tapped his rough fingers on the notice board hanging at the city gate, the laws written in vermilion ink on it glaringly bright in the sunlight.

The square-faced guard from the Duke of Heng's mansion slammed his hand on the saddle beside him. "Bullshit! The King of Cangzhou is about to rebel, and my young master is still in Cangzhou. If anything happens to him, can you bear the responsibility?"

These words were like a spark thrown into a hot oil pan. The woodcutter, who was resting by the roadside, suddenly put down his load, his bronze face contorted with bulging veins.

"You son of a bitch! How dare you slander our prince?" He picked up a carrying pole and was about to step forward when his companion held him back tightly.

The old man at the noodle stall next door was so angry that his beard trembled. He picked up a rolling pin and strode over to the noodle stall.

"In my sixty years of life, I have never seen anyone more benevolent than the Prince! The Prince not only allowed us to clear wasteland and cultivate the land, but also distributed seeds and reduced taxes. He even paid us double for our work."

He pointed a trembling finger at the guard's nose, "You parasites from the capital, do you even know what the hardships of ordinary people are?"

In front of the herbal tea stall, a middle-aged man with a scar on his face smashed a teapot with a loud crash.

"Jingzhou was hit by torrential rains, and the river dikes breached. I fled here with my wife and children. It was the Princess who sent someone to teach me how to brew herbal tea. If you dare to slander the Prince again, I'll tear your mouth apart with my life!"

The way he picked up the stool startled the guards, who retreated in fear.

"That's right, go and see our Cangzhou. It's thriving everywhere. The prince and princess are busy making money with us. When did they start plotting a rebellion?"

"If you dare to talk nonsense again, I'll break your legs."

"Go back to where you came from."

……

In the blink of an eye, peasant women on their way to the market, porters taking a break, and peddlers selling their goods all gathered around, glaring angrily at each other.

Some people picked up clods of dirt from the roadside, while others swung their carrying poles.

After all, the Zhang family was a family of scholars and poets, so the people in the mansion naturally knew how to behave appropriately.

The tall, thin guard at Grand Secretary Zhang's residence, not expecting the local people to be so supportive of the Prince of Cangzhou, quickly changed his mind and bowed and smiled apologetically, realizing he had provoked public anger.

"Fellow villagers, you've misunderstood! We're only here to pick up someone, and we have absolutely no intention of offending Your Highness!"

"What's all the noise about!"

Just then, a loud shout came from the direction of the bastion. The crowd automatically parted to make way, and a towering figure strode in.

His iron armor was branded with the wolf head insignia unique to the Northern Pass Guard Battalion, and he was one of Zhao Zun's trusted guards—Charcoal Head.

The old man at the noodle stall exclaimed as if he'd seen a savior: "General Charcoal Head! These scoundrels from the capital are actually accusing our Prince of treason!"

Upon hearing this, Charcoal Head's eyes instantly turned as cold as ice, and he placed his hand on the hilt of his knife.

The guards of the Duke of Heng's mansion all took a half step back. The square-faced man forced a defense: "My young master, Hua Tianyou, is still in Cangzhou. We must..."

"You're looking for Young Master Hua?" Charcoal Head was taken aback, then suddenly grinned, revealing his gleaming white teeth.

"What a coincidence! It's my lord's wedding day, and both Young Master Hua and Young Master Zhang happen to be guests at the manor!"

He turned to the soldiers and ordered, "Go and fetch a few horses to take these 'distinguished guests' to the Prince's Palace."

He deliberately emphasized the words "distinguished guest," saying, "Let the prince personally entertain him."

Upon hearing this, the expressions of both groups of people changed drastically.

The tall, thin guards at Grand Secretary Zhang's residence were sweating profusely. The information they had received clearly stated that the two young masters might be under house arrest, so how could they have become honored guests?
But with everyone watching, they didn't know what to do, so they could only bite the bullet and bow, saying, "Then... thank you for your trouble, General."

Two soldiers led them to the Prince's Palace. As the sound of horses' hooves faded into the distance, Tan Tou squinted at the dust rising at the end of the official road.

The old man who ran the noodle stall leaned over and whispered, "General Charcoal Head, these people don't seem to have any good intentions."

Charcoal Head pulled a copper coin from his pocket and threw it on the noodle table: "Don't worry, old man, the prince knows what he's doing. Give me a bowl of knife-cut noodles, with extra chili. The princess gave you so much, he's reluctant to add any more."

As the group walked along the official road into the gate of Qingshui County, the bustling scene that greeted them made them stop and look around.

The streets were lined with shops, their banners fluttering, displaying a dazzling array of goods. There were also many street vendors setting up stalls along the way.

The sugar vendor skillfully twirled the sugar syrup, a delicate fragrance wafted from the teahouse, and newly dyed silks hung in front of the cloth shop, gleaming softly in the sunlight.

"This...this is really the remote and impoverished Cangzhou?" The square-faced guard from the Duke of Heng's mansion stared wide-eyed, unconsciously touching his chin as if to confirm whether he had come to the wrong place.

The tall, thin guard at Zhang Ge Lao's house also squinted, sizing up the passersby.

"The people of the capital are always busy making a living, their faces full of worry. When have they ever seen such a carefree smile?"

Just then, a little girl with pigtails skipped past them, holding a candied hawthorn stick she had just bought, the bright red hawthorns coated with glistening sugar.

The woman following behind quickly called out, "Xiao Cui, slow down!"

Although the mother and daughter were dressed in coarse, faded, and somewhat tattered clothes, their smiles were genuine, as if they lived a very comfortable life.

After turning through several streets and alleys, the vermilion gate of the Cangzhou Prince's Mansion came into view.

As the soldier leading the way whispered to the gatekeeper, the tall, thin guard noticed that the stone lions in front of the palace were carved so lifelike, yet they showed no trace of extravagance, but rather exuded a sense of solemnity and dignity.

"Gentlemen, His Highness requests your presence." The guard bowed respectfully, his attitude neither humble nor arrogant.

Inside the main hall, Zhao Zun, dressed in a dark blue brocade robe, sat in the main seat, the dragon pattern on the jade belt at his waist appearing and disappearing in the light and shadow.

Han Lei, dressed in a light purple ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), sat to one side, a white jade hairpin in her hair accentuating her flawless skin. Upon seeing the group enter, Zhao Zun slightly raised his eyes; his sharp, hawk-like gaze caused everyone to instinctively tense up.

"This humble servant greets Your Highness and Your Highness."

The crowd bowed, their voices unconsciously softening as they faced the King of Cangzhou, who had fought on the battlefield for many years.

Zhao Zun raised his hand, gesturing for them to stand up: "What brings you all from so far away?"

Fearing that the guards of the Duke of Heng's mansion might offend the King of Cangzhou again, the tall, thin guard stepped forward first and respectfully explained his purpose.

"Your Highness, my master at home misses his grandson dearly and has specially ordered us to come and bring Young Master Hanlin back to the manor."

“Yes, yes, that’s right, so are we.” The square-faced guard quickly took out the token from the Duke of Heng’s mansion: “My master and mistress are worried about Young Master Tianyou, so we’ve come to take him back to the capital.”

“But…” Han Lei frowned and said gently, “The two young masters were drinking with someone three days ago and got so drunk that they were unconscious. They are still asleep right now!”

Upon hearing that the two young masters were drunk to the point of unconsciousness, everyone's hearts sank.

With their limited knowledge, they had never heard of anyone drinking so much that they were unconscious for three days.

They looked at each other and saw three words in each other's eyes—untrustworthy.

They all thought that the King of Cangzhou would stop at nothing to rebel, and sure enough, he had their young master under control, probably to blackmail their master in the capital.

Saying he was drunk is probably just an excuse; no one knows how their young master is really doing now.

The way everyone looked at Zhao Zun became more wary.

The square-faced guard exchanged a glance with the tall, thin bodyguard, then cupped his hands and said, "Your Highness, may we see the young master?"

“Of course, I will take you to see it.” Zhao Zun stood up, the dark patterns on his dark blue brocade robe flowing like water.

He naturally put his arm around Han Lei's shoulder, an intimate gesture that startled everyone slightly.

Neither Zhao Zun's calm tone nor his casual movements could lead them to associate this carefree prince with the word "rebellion."

Zhao Zun walked gracefully with his arm around Han Lei's shoulder, as if no one else was around, while the others followed behind them cautiously with their heads down.

As they walked through the corridor, the tall, thin guard took a special look at the layout of the palace.

The overall layout is simple yet grand, with a few pine trees dotting the artificial hills and streams, completely unlike the flamboyant style one would expect from a rumored rebel.

Zhao Zun first led them to Zhang Hanlin's room. Before they even reached the door, they could hear thunderous snoring coming from inside.

Pushing open the door, one could see Zhang Hanlin's obese body lying in a starfish shape, almost filling the entire bed. His round belly rose and fell with his breathing, and there was a suspicious water stain on the corner of his mouth.

“This…” The tall, thin guard’s lips twitched, and he stepped forward and called softly, “Young master? Young master, wake up.”

Zhang Hanlin continued snoring without moving.

Everyone couldn't help but look at Zhao Zun, who innocently shrugged and turned to walk towards the next room.

Hua Tianyou's sleeping posture was much more elegant, with his hands and feet together, his posture proper, and his snoring was not as exaggerated as Zhang Hanlin's.

Just as the square-faced guard was about to step forward to wake Hua Tianyou, he suddenly heard a series of light footsteps outside the door.

"Has someone from the Duke of Heng's mansion come?" Zhao Ling'er lifted her skirt and hurried in, the pearl hairpin in her hair swaying gently with her movements.

As soon as she entered, she saw that the room was crowded with people, and she looked at Han Lei with a questioning gaze.

Han Lei pursed her lips and explained softly, "Ling'er, they are servants who came to take Young Master Hua back to the manor."

Zhao Ling'er's bright smile froze on her face. She bit her lower lip, her gaze shifting between Hua Tianyou's sleeping face and the guards, her eyes filled with undisguised disappointment and grievance.

Hua Tianyou had been writing home for some time, and since his servants had already arrived in Cangzhou, yet he hadn't mentioned the marriage at all, it meant the Hua family did not approve of the marriage.

Han Lei knew what she was thinking, so she went over and gently took her hand to comfort her, while also observing how things would develop.

The servants of both households wanted to take their young masters home, but seeing their young masters sleeping so soundly and the imposing Prince Cangzhou beside them, they were at a loss.

The tall, thin guard hesitated for a moment, then looked at Zhao Zun. "Your Highness, when will the two young masters wake up? The master instructed us to return to the capital as soon as possible."

Zhao Zun glanced at the sun outside the window and shook his head. "I don't know either. We come to visit them every day, but they just keep sleeping like this."

He turned to Zhao Ling'er, his tone gentle yet authoritative: "Ling'er, you go back first."

Zhao Ling'er's eyes were slightly red. She took one last look at the sleeping Hua Tianyou, and as she turned around, her skirt traced a lonely arc.

Han Lei sighed softly and gestured for Zi Tan to follow and take care of her.

After Zhao Ling'er left, the atmosphere in the hall became tense for a moment.

“In that case…” the tall, thin guard said carefully, “Then, Your Highness, would you allow us to take the young master to an inn to settle down and rest?”

In any case, they need to get the young master out of the Cangzhou Prince's Mansion first, and then make further plans.

“No need.” To everyone’s surprise, Zhao Zun waved his hand to interrupt, “There are plenty of rooms in the Prince’s mansion.”

He glanced at everyone and said, "Since you're all here, you can all stay in the Prince's Mansion. You can also take a good look around Qingshui County."

Hua Tianyou and Zhang Hanlin were his good friends, and it was because of his orders to keep Song Yuanqing from drinking that he got so drunk.

Before Hua Tianyou and Zhang Hanlin woke up, how could he let them stay in the inn? Otherwise, people would say he was heartless and ungrateful.

Zhao Zun's intention to have them stay at the Prince's residence was good, but it caused the guards and protectors of both residences to have different ideas.

"Ah, this..." The square-faced guard's pupils contracted.

Zhao Zun's words were full of meaning, and the square-faced guard from the Duke of Heng's mansion felt a chill run down his spine, as if his thoughts had been seen through.

He glanced at the guards at Zhang Ge Lao's residence and noticed that they all looked solemn.

Is Zhao Zun going to place them all under house arrest in the Prince's mansion? Are they doomed to never return?
Everyone held their breath and looked at each other in dismay.

Just as they were secretly plotting how to safely escape the Cangzhou Prince's Mansion with their young master, Hua Tianyou, who had been unconscious for three days, slowly woke up on the bed next to them.

Sunlight streamed through the carved window lattice and fell on his face, with tiny dust particles dancing in the beams of light.

Hua Tianyou wrinkled his nose and let out a lazy groan. Then he stretched dramatically, and the brocade quilt slipped off, revealing a white undergarment embroidered with gold thread underneath.