Plotting with You: The Forensic Scientist in Ancient Times!-Chapter 373 - 372: Beyond Help

Even though Zhu Yu wasn’t sure how much help she could provide as someone unskilled in martial arts, staying in the small courtyard without knowing the situation outside made her feel somewhat anxious.

Yan Daoxin was entirely focused on detoxifying Jiang Hong and paid no attention to anything else, so Zhu Yu felt embarrassed to interrupt.

However, she soon realized there was someone even more distracted than her.

Yan Shu stood alone in a corner of the second-floor corridor, leaning against the railing and gazing outward. Although there was nothing to see beyond, her view completely blocked by the high walls surrounding the courtyard, she seemed to be looking with great seriousness, her brows slightly furrowed, carrying an air of melancholy.

Clearly, she was just lost in her own thoughts.

Zhu Yu walked over slowly, mimicking her stance by leaning against the railing, "This view is truly stunning."

Yan Shu turned her head, looked at Zhu Yu with some surprise, then looked again at the wall opposite, quickly reaching out to feel Zhu Yu’s forehead, "A view?! Don’t scare me, what view is there here!

Don’t tell me those people have used some insidious confusing smoke on you?!"

"If I were bewitched, would you be able to tell by touching my forehead?" Zhu Yu smiled and asked, "I just saw you looking so intently and thought there might be some beautiful scenery, but I couldn’t see it because I’m not tall enough, so I had to pretend a bit for face."

Yan Shu was amused by her words and, after laughing, sighed, "In the future, when we return to the Capital and to our respective Prince Mansions, will there be no more chances to chat like this?"

"Speaking of it, Prince Yi indeed ranks half a step above Prince Xiaoyao... so I am unsure if I’ll still be able to associate with Princess Yi after returning to the Capital." Zhu Yu answered with a serious tone.

Yan Shu playfully tickled Zhu Yu in exasperation for her teasing.

After some playful tussling, it ended with Zhu Yu "surrendering".

There was no helping it; Yan Shu was taller, with longer arms, and Zhu Yu would surely be at a disadvantage in a tickling match.

"Alright, alright, no more playing around. Were you lost in thought worrying about these things just now?" Zhu Yu asked Yan Shu seriously after catching her breath.

Yan Shu’s expression returned to its previous faint melancholy.

She sighed slowly, "It’s more than that; I can’t even imagine what kind of life awaits me when I return to that mansion one day."

"After this incident, Lu Qing and Lu Zhang had a heart-to-heart discussion; Lu Zhang shouldn’t dare to allow the servants to be so neglectful and disrespectful towards you again." Zhu Yu didn’t know how to comfort Yan Shu. If it were her, she might also worry about life in Prince Yi Mansion.

Not to mention that for someone like Yan Shu, who grew up in Jie Country, used to being independent and free, integrating into the cloistered life of an aristocratic woman in Jin Country would already be quite difficult, let alone considering that Lu Zhang himself isn’t particularly unconventional or unbound by societal norms, and he lacks his own ideas.

Moreover, he has that old-fashioned and domineering Duke Yan behind him.

Duke Yan’s stance is very clear, as seen from his previous attempt to arrange a marriage between Lu Zhang and a girl from his wife’s family, showing his absolute disapproval of Yan Shu, the Commandery Princess from Jie Country who disrupted his plans.

So regardless of Lu Zhang’s personal wishes, as long as he and his maternal grandfather are united, Zhao Bi won’t allow him to live harmoniously with Yan Shu under his nose.

This way, the future days for Yan Shu in Prince Yi Mansion will certainly be much better than before, given that neglecting the bestowed marriage with a Princess, almost causing a runaway bride incident, if reached Emperor Jin’s ears, would mean trouble for both Yan Shu and Lu Zhang.

Still, being better than before doesn’t equate to good days; it might just mean becoming a well-fed and carefree caged bird.

But saying this would undoubtedly make things worse, not helping Yan Shu but possibly making her more upset.

"I really don’t know how I am supposed to live under the same roof with that person, let alone for a lifetime..." Yan Shu frustratedly hit the railing, "A lifetime is so long! In that Prince Yi Mansion, I’m like a horse with its legs cut off!

Sometimes I can’t help but think how nice it would be if this were all just a nightmare! I’d wake up, still at home, with no imperial decree of marriage.

I could live freely and at ease by my parents’ side, doing whatever I want!

You’ve never seen the vast grasslands of Jie Country; the flocks of sheep outnumber the clouds in the sky. Riding a horse and running as you please, when you’re tired, finding a spot with thick grass to lie down and sunbathe, it’s so warm and comfortable!"

Recalling those past happy times, Yan Shu’s eyes lit up, and an involuntary smile of joy appeared on her face.

But she quickly realized those ordinary days were gone forever, and the radiant look in her eyes extinguished as quickly as a candle blown out by the wind, fading back into dimness.

"There will never be days like that again..." she sighed softly.

Zhu Yu remained silent for a moment, then asked Yan Shu, "What do you think of the Holy Emperor’s treatment of Jie Country?"

Yan Shu, still immersed in her melancholic mood, was taken aback by Zhu Yu’s sudden question, "I think... it’s neither good nor bad. As things stand now, setting aside those outside causing trouble and blaming us, which likely isn’t the Jin Country Emperor’s intent.

At least the Jie people live comfortably and freely on their land, with nothing particularly bad."

"This time, not just your Jie Country, but also our Shuo Country was implicated, almost blamed as inexplicable criminals.

Clearly, even though our fathers and people haven’t done anything untoward, there are still those who don’t want us living peaceably."

Zhu Yu paused, then presented a harsher truth, "Some people don’t want any of us to have peaceful days, nor want to see peace in the world; they want chaos, and Jie and Shuo are evidently in their plans as the scapegoats, the unlucky ones to take the blame."

"It’s truly despicable!" Yan Shu, who had witnessed these matters herself, recalled them with anger.

"Though external perceptions of Jie and Shuo vary somewhat, I now understand we’ve been disadvantaged by turning a blind eye and a deaf ear." Zhu Yu continued, "Our fathers ignore external opinions and rumors, which others exploited for their misdeeds.

If we hadn’t acted in time to clear our names, by the time our fathers woke up to the situation, it might’ve already been too late."