Chapter 239: Chapter 146: Miss Wang, You Wouldn’t Want...
’How could a man like that ever be my husband?’
At this thought, Wang Zilan’s resolve hardened. She had made her decision.
Although the clan had confined her to their grounds, she could still move about freely within them. Arranging for a carriage equipped with a Silence Array wouldn’t be a problem.
As for arranging for a few people to be in place ahead of time, she could manage that as well.
As a woman from the Direct Lineage of the Wang Family, Wang Zilan held a high status—second only to her elder male cousin. She had always treated her clansmen with kindness, and many of them were indebted to her for past favors.
She figured no one would refuse her if she asked for a small favor.
"Tao, come out for a walk with me," Wang Zilan said with a sudden smile. "I want to see how the engagement preparations are coming along."
"Yes, Miss."
.....
The date was the twenty-second of the fourth month, in the Eighth Year of Mingjing—a day deemed auspicious for weddings.
In a flash, the day of the engagement between the Lu and Wang families had arrived.
That morning, a festive air filled the Wang Family residence from top to bottom.
After all, this was a marriage alliance between the Direct Lineages of two great Noble Families, so the occasion was naturally extraordinary. In fact, the celebration on the Wang Family’s side was somewhat understated compared to the even grander affair planned by the Lu Family.
They had invited many of the most prominent figures in Ning’an Prefecture to attend.
Wang Zilan was dressed in a red Simurgh Phoenix Red Robe. Her face was calm and placid, but she couldn’t help the anxiety churning within her. Her greatest fear was that Chen Sheng, for whatever reason, wouldn’t be able to make it as promised.
After all, neither the Ning’an Wang Clan nor Luoyun Manor were minor powers. Crashing the engagement would mean making an enemy of both families. Even the Government Office wouldn’t risk a direct confrontation with them over such a matter.
If that happened, she would truly be out of options.
An engagement wasn’t a wedding, but it still involved paying respects to heaven and earth and announcing the union to the world.
Once the engagement was formalized, she would have no choice but to accept her fate unless Lu Maozhi met an untimely death through no fault of her own.
Once the engagement was set, any further acts of defiance on her part would bring shame upon the Ning’an Royal Family, and she could not bring herself to disregard her family in such a way.
Before the contract was sealed, however, she could still resist. It would still bring shame to the Wang Family, but ultimately, the responsibility would be hers alone.
It wouldn’t be a reflection of the Wang Family’s failure to raise their daughter properly.
Surrounded by a crowd of her clansmen, Wang Zilan slowly boarded a magnificent carriage. It had a roof of gold and jade, was nearly ten yards long, and was draped in gilded red silk, exuding an air of grandeur.
In the front, six Black-Scaled Strange Horses pulled the carriage.
Additionally, four more carriages flanked the procession in both the front and the rear. They were laden with gold, silver, jewels, and precious cultural items like zithers, chess sets, calligraphy, and paintings, all to be displayed during the engagement ceremony.
All this was to showcase the deep heritage and propriety of the Ning’an Wang Clan.
The escort numbered over a hundred people, including handmaidens, servants, and numerous expert guards trained by the Ning’an Wang Clan. The scale of the procession dwarfed that of the Song Family’s engagement from years past.
But what truly troubled Wang Zilan was the presence of two Wang Clan Elders at the Profound Gang Realm. With such a formidable escort, it would be incredibly difficult for Chen Sheng to either infiltrate the convoy or crash the engagement.
But things had already come to this point. She was helpless and could only place her hope in Chen Sheng, praying silently for his success.
The convoy headed east, as Luoyun Manor was in the eastern part of the Ning’an Prefecture, roughly a hundred li from the Wang estate. Since they had set out before dawn, and with the extraordinary stamina of the Black-Scaled Horses...
...they would surely arrive by noon.
Atop their Black-Scaled Strange Horses, the two Wang Clan Elders were conversing in low tones. Suddenly, they both looked up at the same time, their gazes fixed on the path ahead. They had sensed that something was wrong.
"Stay here and don’t make any sudden moves. Protect Zhilan. I’ll go see who dares to cause trouble on a day like this."
The burlier of the two Wang Clan Elders snorted.
"Alright."
The thinner elder nodded grimly.
The Wang and Lu families were top powers in Ning’an Prefecture, but there was no guarantee other forces wouldn’t try to secretly sabotage the event. The Blood River Sect and the Cyan Flood Dragon Alliance, in particular, had been making trouble in recent years.
With a sound of rushing air, the burly elder leaped up, transforming into a streak of brown light as he shot forward.
Less than a hundred breaths after the burly elder’s departure, the gaunt elder suddenly sensed a slight disturbance in the surrounding forest. His expression flickered.
"Maintain formation! If we encounter a powerful enemy, strike back immediately!"
The gaunt elder shot up, leaving an afterimage in his wake as he patrolled the immediate area.
Inside the magnificent carriage, Wang Zilan heard the commotion and took a deep breath. Her face was tense. ’Barring any surprises, that must be Chen Sheng,’ she thought.
After a moment’s thought, she lifted the curtain and shot a meaningful glance at a guard beside the carriage, one who was indebted to her.
The guard gave an imperceptible nod, tugged the brim of his hat lower, and began to walk toward the rear of the convoy.
The sudden turn of events had put all the Wang Family experts on high alert, their eyes scanning the surroundings.
Even the handmaidens and servants were in a state of minor chaos.
The reason for their timely unrest was self-evident.
It was all part of Wang Zilan’s plan.
However, her arrangements ended there. None of them knew the specifics of the situation, nor did they think anything truly serious was about to happen.
In the midst of the confusion, no one paid any attention to the inconspicuous guard.
A few dozen breaths later, the guard with the lowered head returned to the carriage. He looked up, a faint, almost imperceptible smile playing on his lips. One look at his eyes and brow...
...revealed that it was none other than Chen Sheng.
Wang Zilan stared at him. A wave of relief washed over her, though her heart still pounded with tension. She then gave a calm, composed order.
"Tao, have Wang Qi come aboard. I’d like to play a game with him."
"Oh."
Tao blinked, confused as to why her miss would have the leisure to play a game at a time like this. But considering Wang Zilan’s usual pastimes, she didn’t dare question the order.
She turned to the guard and said:
"Come aboard."
"Yes."
.....
"What’s going on?"
Soon, the burly clan elder returned to the convoy. The gaunt elder, having finished his own patrol, hurried over to question him.
"It’s nothing. People from the Jingwu Bureau. It seems they were chasing a fugitive and made some noise. They weren’t after us," the burly elder explained.
"I sensed something nearby just now and investigated, but all I found was an aura rapidly departing. Perhaps that was the fugitive the Jingwu Bureau is after.
"Still, something feels off. That’s why I didn’t stray too far. We need to remain vigilant."
The gaunt elder said gravely.
"Indeed."
The burly elder glanced around and noticed that the Array on Wang Zilan’s carriage had been activated. He couldn’t help but nod in approval.
"That girl Zhilan is a cautious one."
"A pity. To be honest, I don’t think much of that Lu Maozhi either. It’s just... the clan... sigh..."
"As a woman of the Wang Family, it is her duty to contribute to the clan."
The burly elder said impassively.
.....
Inside the spacious carriage, Chen Sheng had already removed his disguise and reverted to his true appearance. He looked Wang Zilan up and down. Dressed in the Simurgh Phoenix Red Robe, she looked dignified and graceful, truly possessing the aura of a highborn lady from a Noble Family.
"What do we do next?"
Wang Zilan’s brow furrowed as she pressed him for an answer.
"We’ll handle it right here."
Chen Sheng smiled.
"What do you mean?"
Wang Zilan was bewildered, not quite understanding what he meant.
"A-Aren’t you here to crash the engagement?"
"Directly ambushing a convoy... that’s not something the Government Office would do. And besides, I can’t mobilize that many experts."
"Then what exactly are you planning to do?"
The color drained from Wang Zilan’s face as she began to sense that something was terribly wrong.
"Give your Profound Yin Qi to me. Once we arrive at the Lu Family’s estate, I’ll get you out of this predicament."
"Impossible."
Wang Zilan instantly understood his true intentions, and her gaze turned icy.
"Miss Wang, right now, you have no other choice."
Chen Sheng’s faint, unconcerned smile never left his face.
"If I cry out, the two elders outside will be here in an instant."
Wang Zilan threatened, unwilling to concede.
’Chen Sheng’s actions made it clear he saw her as nothing more than an object to be used. What if this is all a ploy? What if he abandons me as soon as he takes my Profound Yin Qi?’
Even crashing the engagement would have been far better than this. Naturally, Wang Zilan could not allow it.
"Is that so? Then go ahead. Cry out."
Chen Sheng gestured nonchalantly toward the Silence Array, completely unconcerned. Then, his tone shifted.
"Miss Wang, you don’t want to marry Lu Maozhi, do you?"
Wang Zilan’s face paled. She fell silent, her beautiful eyes locked on Chen Sheng as she ground out her words through clenched teeth:
"Chen Sheng, what exactly are you trying to do?"
"Do...? Sigh. Miss Wang, surely you don’t think I intend to harm you?"
————
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