Plotting with You: The Forensic Scientist in Ancient Times!-Chapter 530 - 529: Night Visit

Lu Qing had already heard the sound and sat up. The talisman had always been sitting closer to the cell bars and now simply stood up.

If someone comes during broad daylight, just a little vigilance would suffice, but now it’s late at night, who would come looking for them at this time?

The answer to this question came quickly.

Lu Zhang walked step by step to the front of the cell and stopped outside the bars.

He was wearing a gray robe wrapped with a black cloak, an unusually simple outfit, possibly to avoid attracting too much attention.

Following him was another person, with a slightly lowered head, dressed in narrow-sleeved short attire, looking nimble, like the costume of a martial arts practitioner or a guard.

However, this person didn’t appear as tall and strong as the guards usually around Lu Zhang, noticeably smaller.

They walked to the outside of the cell bars and both halted their steps. Lu Zhang first glanced at Lu Qing inside the cell, then turned his head to look at the other end of the corridor, ensuring the night-watch constables, according to his request, indeed did not follow, only then did he slightly relax and pull the guard closer to him, covering the guard in a position blocked by himself.

"Alright, those guys didn’t follow, you don’t need to sneak around." He told the person dressed as a guard.

The person raised their head, and although the oil lamp on the wall behind was slightly dim, it still illuminated the face clearly.

It was Yan Shu, who hadn’t had the chance to contact them since they parted in Lan Country.

Zhu Yu was a bit surprised to see Yan Shu, quickly getting up and walking over to the bars. Yan Shu, realizing the constables hadn’t followed, also breathed a sigh of relief, held the bars with both hands, wishing to squeeze her head inside, looking at Zhu Yu with worry and examining her from head to toe.

"I’ve been longing for us to meet again some day, yet I never imagined it would be in such a place!" Yan Shu looked at Zhu Yu with some heartache, reaching in to touch her cheek. "Has the Emperor starved you? Why have you lost so much weight?"

Lu Zhang hadn’t anticipated Yan Shu would say such astonishing words right away, startled, he reached out to cover Yan Shu’s mouth, only to be dodged by Yan Shu with disdain.

"Walls have ears, don’t speak carelessly!" He awkwardly put down his hand, lowering his voice to remind Yan Shu.

Yan Shu secretly rolled her eyes, no longer paying attention to him.

Zhu Yu also quickly shook her head, smiling and said to Yan Shu, "Since arriving here, I’ve been eating well and sleeping soundly, really not suffering much.

The main issue was during the escort from Bhutan to the Capital, the five of us crammed inside a prison carriage, hot and suffocating, lacking food and water, probably causing weight loss due to that torment.

Don’t worry, I’ll probably be back to normal soon here!"

"Look at what you’re saying, clearly being locked in this broken prison, yet it’s as if you’re enjoying yourself!" Yan Shu’s eyes were filled with heartache.

She had few sisters in Jie Country before, and after marrying into Jin Country, she became even more lonely, so a serendipitous escape led her to meet Zhu Yu, their temperaments matched exceptionally well, making her genuinely happy and cherishing their friendship.

Originally, when they parted, she felt sorrow, thinking that even if they both were in the Capital, it would be difficult to occasionally gather for fun, since one is Princess Yi and the other is Princess Xiaoyao.

Yet she didn’t expect the opportunity to see each other would arise now, but in this Shackles Prison, visiting Zhu Yu behind bars.

Previously, when she fell and injured her leg in the wilderness, Zhu Yu helped her, allowing her to recuperate peacefully in Prince Shuo Mansion.

Now Zhu Yu is in trouble, yet Yan Shu feels helpless, unable to offer aid or do anything.

This made Yan Shu feel irritable and sad beyond measure.

"Those damned Fan Country people!" She felt a belly full of anger with no outlet, cursed indignantly, "My father said long ago that Fan Country people conduct themselves without the least openness or uprightness, often engaging in ghostly practices, favoring concoctions neither medicine nor poison, requiring utmost vigilance.

Thus, our Jie Country keeps the passes neighboring Bhutan tightly guarded, with my father instructing the border troops that should any Fan Country people dare cross, don’t bother asking questions, shoot them outright to prevent them from employing underhanded tricks as soon as they get close!"

Originally, I thought this might be a bit extreme, possibly overdone.

Now, seeing your plight, I think my father was absolutely right!

How could individuals of your status and character possibly poison King Fan without reason! It’s obviously framing!

It’s infuriating!"

The more Yan Shu thought, the angrier she got, stamping her foot in fury, her boots making a thumping sound on the stone floor.

Compared to her righteous indignation, Lu Zhang seemed somewhat awkward.

He stood there, somewhat at a loss, watching Yan Shu holding Zhu Yu’s hand through the bars, alternating between indignation and anxiety, one moment expressing concern, the genuine sincerity of her care making him distinctly embarrassed.

Arguably, visiting should not occur at this hour of night; why did he choose this time to come? Even without explicit explanation, Lu Qing could speculate.

Obviously because Duke Yan objected to him visiting Lu Qing, not daring to rebel, hence the duplicity of feigning compliance by not visiting during daylight, but sneaking over at night, knowing well enough that the Shackles Prison contained no guards loyal to Duke Yan, nor would the constables here have means to report back to Duke Yan.

As for why he came to visit, whether due to remaining fraternal ties with Lu Qing or being compelled by Yan Shu’s concern after learning of Zhu Yu’s predicament, it’s hard to guess.

Which is why now, he and Lu Qing looked at each other, men who had been brothers for over twenty years, yet not as genuine and sincere as the nearby Zhu Yu and Yan Shu.

"Brother has suffered these days..." Maybe feeling it’s inappropriate to stand in silence like this without speaking, Lu Zhang finally squeezed out a few words expressing concern.

"It’s nothing." Lu Qing smiled, "Yet you, since we parted, you’ve returned to the Capital for some time, why do you seem even more fatigued and worn than during the border patrol? Is there trouble here in the Capital?"

"What trouble could there be?" Lu Zhang forced a smile and shook his head, promptly denying, "After returning, I am as usual, attending court daily.

Probably lately, father is unwell, causing me unavoidable worry, hence troubled sleep and poor appetite."

Lu Qing nodded, opting to remain silent.