Plotting with You: The Forensic Scientist in Ancient Times!-Chapter 323 - 322: Song

Her reaction made Zhu Yu feel somewhat amused: "You’re quick to calm down!"

Yan Shu pursed her lips, couldn’t hold back, and laughed.

"In other words, even if I had told you about this earlier, secretly, privately, telling you that person is your betrothed husband, what would you do? Ride a horse in a fit of pique back to Jie Country?" Zhu Yu watched as Yan Shu calmed down at an astonishing speed, admiring her straightforward nature while continuing to ask.

Yan Shu shook her head: "No, after you told me last time, I realized how reckless I was before, almost bringing such a big trouble to my father and the people of Jie Country.

Especially now that these bandit soldiers just got caught, I wouldn’t want to run away."

"Exactly! So the two of you are bound to face each other sooner or later, even if neither of you can stand the other, you have to work together to figure out a way to dissolve the marriage, right?

At least that Lu Zhang isn’t some cross-eyed, crooked-mouthed, scarred guy, facing him during this period shouldn’t be too nauseating," Zhu Yu reassured her.

Yan Shu pouted: "If he’s kind-hearted, even a cross-eyed, crooked-mouthed, scarred guy can be liked!

Someone like him who looks down on people indiscriminately, even if he looks better than someone in a painting, I wouldn’t want to glance at him!"

"No worries, no worries, it’s similar to before, you two should just avoid each other, don’t interact, isn’t that fine?" Zhu Yu quickly nodded, "Besides, no one expected to encounter him; originally, we were worried whether quietly and safely returning you to the Prince Yi Mansion would cause trouble for your father and them.

Now it’s good, with Lu Zhang here, you can definitely be taken back without a sound by him, and he won’t want others to know you ran away before."

Yan Shu reluctantly nodded in agreement.

Although the persuasion went rather smoothly, Yan Shu still felt anger swelling inside at the thought of Lu Zhang being that man, making it hard for her to face him calmly. So after chatting with Zhu Yu for a while, she returned to her tent and didn’t come out again.

Even meals were sent in to her by Zhu Yu.

In contrast, Lu Zhang’s reaction was slightly more subdued; although he looked a bit embarrassed, he composed himself to follow routines, doing what needed to be done, striving to appear open and natural.

The next day, the group broke camp and continued traveling, with Lu Zhang assigning half his men to guard and escort the captured bandits, ensuring no mishaps would occur.

Actually, this wasn’t much of a concern; the poison Yan Daoxin crafted was incredibly effective, while those few captives remained defiant, refusing to confess anything, yet they had been tortured by countless ants biting painfully all over their bodies, sapped of energy to escape.

They traveled for two more days, encountering sporadic small groups of bandits along the way, none of them formidable, and clearly they weren’t "Jie Country bandits," merely opportunistic riffraff.

These people were captured without any thought of dying for a cause, their jaws dislocated for inspection, revealing there were no toxin capsules inside; upon interrogation, scared, they spilled everything.

They were hoodlums from village towns, having heard of Jie Country bandit troubles elsewhere, wanting to jump in and make mischief under the guise of "Jie Country bandits" fearing other people’s misfortune.

Lu Zhang felt both anger and helplessness, ordering those scoundrels to be beaten before sending them to the nearest government office for disposal.

Two or three more days passed, things grew increasingly more stable, no more encounters with either "Jie Country bandits" or opportunistic riffraff.

More than that, the places they traveled through gradually became more idyllic and beautiful.

They crossed a small mountain over to the other side, where a wide plain stretched out, rich in water and grass, and gentle streams flowed from the base of the mountain, clear waters sparkling, leaping like crystals under sunlight.

The weeds on the grassland were more luxuriant and robust than on the other mountain side, their hoofbeats occasionally startling rabbits in the grass and birds perched on treetops.

Yan Shu, having grown up in Jie Country, never left her homeland, felt curiosity at such scenery before her eyes, couldn’t help but keep looking around. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Zhu Yu, although a woman from Shuo Country, with her experience over two lifetimes had slightly broader perspective than Yan Shu, now found the surroundings tranquil and beautiful, yet her heart was puzzled.

Beautiful indeed, quiet truly.

The problem was, why was it so quiet?

Perhaps the string of dangerous encounters recently made her heart unable to relax; now faced with such flowery chirpings, she felt not a sense of leisure to appreciate, instead her heart felt increasingly uneasy.

As they walked, the wind blew, carrying faint voices with it from a distance, unclear for the time being, Lu Qing raised his hand signaling the group to halt.

Without the sound of footsteps and hooves, it grew quieter, making those muffled voices carried by the wind clearer.

"Is someone... singing?" Lu Zhang hesitated, unsure whether he heard right, questioning Lu Qing in a tentative tone.

Lu Qing listened quietly for a while, nodded: "It does sound like it, but too far away to hear clearly.

Since there’s habitation not far ahead and we’ve grown weary today, let’s have others set up camp here, we few can go and see what it’s about."

Lu Zhang immediately agreed, instructing his men to set up camp on this open land, then followed Lu Qing onwards, planning to trace those voices and see who up ahead had the leisure to sing.

Through their journey, most places had been fraught with anxiety, this sort of leisurely singing was unusual.

The few of them rode forward a while, rounding a bend when sight suddenly cleared.

Before them lay a gentle hillside, vibrant with colors, planted layer by layer along the slope with various blossoms, here a fiery red, there a golden yellow.

Several farmer-like men and women carrying baskets walked among the flower fields, singing a tune of lively melody as they picked.

"The dome covers the vast plain, with lattices across the chessboard field. Dust divides clarity from turbid, chasing waves floats fame lightly. The thriving raise heads prideful, the lost wander lonely. In deep clouds at Deer Gate, moon pillows count fireflies."