Chapter 228: Chapter 228: The Words "My Husband" Made Her Heart Flutter Wildly

"What do you know?" Zhi Ye clenched his fists, his face dark and resentful. "Speaking of heinous crimes, how much cleaner is that Dog Emperor than me? For the throne, he’s the kind of man who would slaughter his own brothers."

"So you think it’s perfectly natural to turn your blade on the common folk?" Lu Zhan’s tone was glacial. "For your own selfish desires, you let your men rob and kill people on passing ships to amass wealth. Your actions are even more detestable!"

Zhi Ye frowned but said nothing.

Lu Zhan said coldly, "You have no regard for the lives of the people. Even if you won the empire, it would be no blessing to them! I don’t care what personal grudge you have with the Emperor, but harming the people makes you a criminal! And you must face justice!"

Upon hearing this, Zhi Ye laughed wildly a few times, his once-handsome face twisting into an ugly sneer. "Easy for you to say! If you were in my position, you might do something even crazier."

"I wouldn’t!" Lu Zhan shook his head firmly, tossed the branding iron back into the furnace, and took a sharp blade down from the wall.

Seeing the cold gleam of the steel blade in his hand, Zhi Ye’s pupils constricted. "You’re going to kill me?"

"I serve the Emperor, and so I must be loyal. My apologies," Lu Zhan said flatly, pressing the blade to his neck.

"If you kill me, do you think my little niece will still be able to marry you with a clear conscience?" Zhi Ye narrowed his eyes.

A terrifying chill seeped into Lu Zhan’s gaze. "You think far too highly of yourself. So what if you’re her biological uncle? Where have you been all these years? You never once appeared when she most needed a family’s help. At best, you’re just a relative she’s met twice. She won’t give you a second thought!"

Zhi Ye choked on his words, a flicker of guilt in his eyes.

"Did you think I’d be out of options just because you refuse to name your accomplices?" Lu Zhan sneered.

"What are you planning to do?" Zhi Ye asked, his face full of vigilance.

"It’s simple. I’ll use you as bait," Lu Zhan said slowly.

Zhi Ye was shocked. "What?"

...

Zhi Wan knew nothing of what was happening in Yangzhou.

She had fallen ill from excessive worry.

"...How did she suddenly get sick when she was perfectly fine?"

Looking at the pale girl on the bed, Lady Wei was sick with worry. She turned to Shuang’er and chided, "How have you been looking after her?"

Shuang’er was filled with self-blame. "I was negligent."

"It’s not Shuang’er’s fault..." Zhi Wan shook her head weakly. "Aunt, please don’t worry. I’m fine, I’ll be better after a couple of days of rest..."

How could Lady Wei not be worried?

She sighed to herself and told Jiang Shi to find a way to get a physician.

When the boat docked at the next pier to resupply, Jiang Shi immediately disembarked to find a physician.

He finally returned with a physician before the boat departed.

After an examination, the physician diagnosed that Zhi Wan had fallen ill from being overwhelmed by worries, in addition to catching a chill.

"...It’s nothing serious. She’ll recover after three doses of this medicine." The physician left the prescription and went ashore.

Lady Wei quickly had someone go and brew the medicine.

She sat by the bedside and, after helping Zhi Wan drink some warm water, asked, "My dear child, what on earth is troubling you? To think you’ve worried yourself sick."

"I-I’m just worried about my cousin..." Zhi Wan didn’t dare tell the truth and guiltily lowered her eyes.

’Aunt doesn’t know I have a paternal uncle, and what’s more, that he’s a villainous Water Bandit Leader...’

Hearing this, Lady Wei couldn’t help but be amused. She teased, "So you’re worried about Ah Zhan. You silly girl, your cousin is tough as leather, what is there to worry about?

Then again, if your cousin finds out his little bride fell sick from worrying about him, I wonder if he’ll be pleased or angry?"

The two words "little bride" made Zhi Wan blush furiously.

After a moment, she tugged on her aunt’s sleeve and pleaded, "It’s-it’s too embarrassing. Aunt, please don’t tell my cousin."

"Silly girl, what’s there to be embarrassed about? It’s perfectly natural for a wife to worry about her husband," Lady Wei said with a chuckle.

At these words, Zhi Wan’s little face grew so red it looked like it might bleed. The word "husband" made her heart flutter wildly.

Meeting her aunt’s teasing gaze, she was so embarrassed she pulled the covers straight over her head.

This gesture made Lady Wei roar with laughter.

’My Wan’er gets flustered so easily.’

"Alright, alright, your aunt won’t tease you anymore. Come out now. You’re still weak, you’ll make yourself sicker if you stay under there," Lady Wei said, stifling her laughter as she pulled the blanket off Zhi Wan’s head with a grin.

Zhi Wan’s face was bright red.

But after all the commotion, her spirits actually seemed to have improved a little.

Later in the evening, the medicine was brewed. Lady Wei personally fed it to her and had her sleep for a while.

When she woke again, her body no longer felt so heavy.

Zhi Wan stopped thinking about her uncle’s situation.

Because she was powerless to change it.

’After all, her uncle had committed a crime punishable by death.’

’She believed that even if her own father were alive, he would not try to absolve his brother of his crimes.’

With that thought, her mood lightened considerably.

But a sense of melancholy still lingered.

「A few days later, the boat finally arrived in the Capital City.」

Upon their return to the Duke Dingguo Mansion, Zhi Wan was in decent spirits, but Lady Wei, who was not used to boat travel, had suffered terribly. Her face was pale, and she looked utterly exhausted.

As soon as they were back in the mansion, Zhi Wan first escorted Lady Wei back to Lan Courtyard to rest.

After seeing Lady Wei settled, she intended to return to Yaoguang Pavilion.

Unexpectedly, just as she came out of Lan Courtyard, she ran into Lu Jinglan and Lu Lan.

Seeing Zhi Wan, the two of them looked utterly astonished.

"Zhi Wan, didn’t you... elope with someone?" Lu Lan blurted out. Then, as if only just realizing what she’d said, she clapped a hand over her mouth in chagrin. "Oh, I’m sorry, Zhi Wan. I misspoke. Please don’t take it to heart."

Zhi Wan wasn’t the least bit surprised to hear this.

’After all, Chen Jiu had already told her about the elopement rumor.’

She gave Lu Lan a scrutinizing look. "I was wondering who started that rumor. Now, it seems it might have been you, wasn’t it, Lu Lan?"

Lu Lan started, her fingers hidden in her sleeves clenching tightly. She forced a smile. "Zhi Wan, why would you think that?"

Lu Jinglan, who had been silent until now, spoke up. "Wan’er, how could you say such a thing to Lan Lan? There’s a saying: an upright man needn’t fear a crooked shadow. Wan’er, if you really didn’t do such a thing, there wouldn’t be rumors like that in the mansion, now would there?"

Zhi Wan frowned and was about to speak, but Lu Jinglan interrupted her with a smile. "Well, all that matters is that you’re back. Go get some rest for now. Later, remember to go pay your respects to the Old Matriarch. She was very worried about you when you left so suddenly without a word."

Zhi Wan shot her a look and said coolly, "I know. However, Little Aunt Jinglan, you are an elder, after all. You shouldn’t believe every little rumor and carelessly accuse people.

Otherwise, if someday someone were to falsely accuse you of adultery, should we also say, ’an upright man needn’t fear a crooked shadow,’ and that if you hadn’t done it, no one would have accused you in the first place?"

The smile on Lu Jinglan’s face froze.

Zhi Wan ignored them and left with Shuang’er.

Watching her receding figure, Lu Jinglan gripped her handkerchief tightly.

’Since she left, why did she have to come back?’

"Zhi Wan suddenly caused such a scene, and it’s only made my older brother and my aunt pay more attention to her. The whole time she was gone, she must have been with my brother, right?" Lu Lan said, as if muttering to herself.

Hearing this, Lu Jinglan could barely conceal the jealousy and hatred on her face.

’Zhi Wan is certainly clever with her schemes!’

’I truly underestimated this orphan girl!’