The abstinent and powerful minister is cold and aloof during the day, but he adores her in his dream

Chapter 97 Undercurrent
Shuang'er said indignantly, "When the servant and the nanny helped that girl change her clothes, we saw that there was not a single patch of intact skin on her body. She was covered in wounds, which must have been caused by long-term abuse."

Granny Fang sighed and said, "Now it seems that the girl must have been unable to bear the torture and threw herself into the river."

Zhiwan was very surprised.

I never imagined that the girl would be in such a terrible state.

"I don't know which heartless bastard treated a young lady like this," Granny Fang cursed.

Shuang'er also cursed a few times.

After hearing what the two said, Zhiwan's heart was also somewhat unsettled.

Because she was preoccupied with this matter, the next morning, after finishing her breakfast, Zhiwan took Granny Fang and Shuang'er to the girl's cabin to visit her.

When they went in, the girl had just woken up. Thinking that it was Zhiwan and the others who had saved her, she threw off the covers and was about to get down and kowtow.

“You mustn’t do that, young lady. It wasn’t us who saved you,” Zhiwan hurriedly stopped her.

Upon hearing this, the young woman looked at the group with some confusion. "Who is the benefactor who saved me?"

Just then, Ouyang Zhenzhu arrived to see what was going on. Upon hearing this, she pointed at herself and said, "I'm the one who found you. If it weren't for me, you would have been swept away by the river long ago and would be drifting somewhere unknown."

"Thank you so much, young lady. I will never forget your life-saving grace and am willing to serve you as my servant." The young lady quickly kowtowed to Ouyang Zhenzhu.

After she finished kowtowing, Ouyang Zhenzhu touched her head and said, "Actually, I only discovered you. It was Lord Lu who ordered your rescue."

Liu Niang was stunned.

Zhiwan and the others: "..."

"Could you please have a few ladies accompany me to kowtow to our benefactor?" Liu Niang asked cautiously.

Zhiwan hesitated, unsure whether her cousin would be willing to see her.

"I'll go and call Lord Lu for you." Ouyang Zhenzhu probably felt a little guilty because she had kowtowed to her, so she ran off to call for him as soon as she finished speaking.

Granny Fang helped Liu Niang back to bed and asked with concern, "When I changed your clothes last night, I found that you were covered in injuries. What happened?"

Liu Niang wiped away her tears and choked out, "I was beaten by my husband's family. I couldn't take it anymore, so I jumped into the river. I never expected that you would save me..."

Liu Niang was thin and pale, looking extremely weak. Coupled with her plight, it was easy to evoke sympathy for her.

Granny Fang and Shuang'er felt great sympathy for her plight, having witnessed her injuries firsthand. Upon hearing this, they also wiped away their tears.

"If you survive this, young lady, you're sure to have good fortune in the future. You must cheer up! The doctor said you're pregnant," Granny Fang advised.

"I'm pregnant?" Liu Niang stared at her blankly.

"Yes, that's what the doctor said." Granny Fang nodded, helped her lie down, and tucked the blanket around her.

Liu Niang touched her belly, her expression a mix of laughter and tears, it was hard to tell whether she was happy or sad.

Zhiwan's gaze fell on her face. Apart from being pale, she had no marks on her face. Moreover, she was beautiful and had a good appearance. Her skin was smooth and delicate. She did not look like someone who had been abused for a long time.

Seeing this, she couldn't help but wonder if she was overthinking it.

Just as Zhiwan was wondering what was going on, Lu Zhan and Duan Ling arrived.

"Liu Niang, Lord Lu who saved you has arrived!" Ouyang Zhenzhu exclaimed as she entered first.

Upon hearing this, Liu Niang struggled to get out of bed and wanted to kowtow to Lu Zhan, but Lu Zhan stopped her by raising his hand. "Miss, there's no need for such formalities. I've come here to ask you a few questions."

"Please speak, sir," said Liu Niang, bowing her head.

"Where are you from? What's your name? Why are you floating in the river?" Lu Zhan asked calmly, but his gaze was sharp.

Neither he nor Duan Ling went inside; they just stood by the door.

"I am from Qinghe County, Jizhou, and my name is Liu Niang. Unable to bear the abuse from my husband's family, I attempted suicide by jumping into the river, but I was unexpectedly rescued by several benefactors," Liu Niang replied softly, wiping away her tears. "I understand. Please rest well, young lady," Lu Zhan said, and then left with Duan Ling without asking any further questions.

A glint flashed in Liu Niang's lowered eyes. When she raised her head, she looked extremely pitiful and asked in a casual tone, "May I ask where you gentlemen are headed?"

“We’re going to…” Ouyang Zhenzhu was about to say something when Zhiwan tugged at her sleeve, “We’re going to Qingzhou.”

Ouyang Zhenzhu glanced at her in surprise, but didn't say anything more.

"So you're going to Qingzhou..." Liu Niang murmured to herself, then added, "I have relatives there, in Qinghe County. I can't go back there, so I'll have to go and stay with my relatives first. I'll have to trouble you all to give me a ride."

Upon hearing this, Ouyang Zhenzhu smiled and said, "That would be great, we can all travel together for a while."

"Thank you all for your help," said Liu Niang somewhat embarrassed.

"You're not going back to Qinghe County? What about the child in your womb?" Zhiwan asked.

“I…” Liu Niang hesitated for a moment, then said softly, “When we get to Qingzhou, let’s ask our relatives to help us think of a solution.”

Zhiwan nodded. "You must be hungry. I'll have someone bring you some food. We won't disturb your rest any longer."

"Thank you very much, young lady," Liu Niang said gratefully.

After leaving her cabin, Ouyang Zhenzhu couldn't help but ask, "Wanwan, why did you lie and say you were going to Qingzhou?"

Zhiwan glanced back at the cabin and whispered, "Liu Niang doesn't seem to be an ordinary person."

Ouyang Zhenzhu was taken aback. After thinking about it carefully, she nodded and said, "Now that you mention it, it's true. Her skin is very fair and delicate, even better than mine."

“But her body under her clothes was covered in wounds, it wasn’t fake…” Granny Fang asked doubtfully.

"Did you examine the wound closely? Is it a new wound or an old one?" Zhiwan asked.

“There are both new and old wounds,” Granny Fang replied.

This was something Zhiwan couldn't understand.

After thinking for a moment, she instructed, "Liu Niang might be suspicious. When you talk to her, be careful not to get any useful information out of her. Also, don't let her know that we are suspicious of her."

Upon hearing this, the group all nodded in agreement.

Lu Zhan's cabin.

Duan Ling frowned and said, "You suspect that Liu Niang, is there a problem?"

“Hmm.” Lu Zhan nodded. “When Chen Jiu pulled her up, he noticed symmetrical indentations on the inside of her right index and middle fingers. This was caused by long-term use of concealed weapons. Moreover, in recent years, the waterways in this area have not been peaceful, and water bandits have frequently appeared. The imperial court has sent several batches of troops to suppress the bandits, but they have found nothing. They haven’t even found where the water bandits are hiding.”

Duan Ling was taken aback when he heard this. "You mean, that Liu Niang might be a river bandit?"

"That possibility cannot be ruled out," Lu Zhan said.

Duan Ling couldn't sit still any longer. "No, I need to have people increase security. Also, I need to have someone keep an eye on that Liu Niang."

"Mm." Lu Zhan nodded.

As soon as Duan Ling left, Lu Zhan got up and stood by the window, looking out at the calm river with his hands behind his back.

The river appears calm on the surface, but undercurrents are surging beneath; the journey ahead is unlikely to be peaceful.

At this moment, Chen Jiu walked in and reported, "Young Master, Miss Biao wishes to see you."

Lu Zhan paused, turned around and went out the door, where he saw Zhi Wan standing outside.

"Cousin." Zhiwan bowed slightly.

"What is it?" Lu Zhan asked.

(End of this chapter)