I've Got This Cannon Fodder Trope Covered!

Chapter 17

Translator: I was moved to tears while translating this chapter. (;_;)

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Blocked by the crowd, Wei Hanzhang could not see the woman's face, but the familiar feeling made her look up at the plaque as if possessed.

The moment the three words "Jiaofangsi" came into her sight, Wei Hanzhang's head exploded.

"Stop! Stop!" She didn't even bother to put on her veil and jumped off the carriage which had not yet stopped.

Holding back her panic, Wei Hanzhang quickly jogged toward the center of the crowd. An ominous feeling grew stronger until she pushed through the crowd and saw a familiar face.

"Xinrou, Xinrou!" Wei Hanzhang hurried over and crouched down. She ignored the blood covering Cao Xinrou's head, cradling her in her lap. She pressed her hand against the wound on the back of Cao Xinrou's head and called out to Lvzhu, who had followed her, "Quick, quickly go get a physician!"

Her hands were trembling. She couldn't understand why Xinrou had jumped. The last time they met, her face had been full of life, showing no sign of despair.

"Don't... Ranran, don't hold me." Cao Xinrou was still conscious, her lips barely moving as she spoke faintly. Her voice was so weak that it could barely be heard amidst the surrounding commotion.

Wei Hanzhang quickly bent down to listen more closely.

Cao Xinrou reached out to touch her face. "I've already entered a lowly status... You shouldn't... be involved with me. It will affect... your marriage... Let go of me."

"No! I'm not afraid of being implicated by you. You're not lowly, Xinrou! You're the best girl in Xuzhou!" Wei Hanzhang shook her head, crying, unwilling to let go. "I said I would save you, so why did you choose death? Only by staying alive can you have a chance to leave this place..."

The breath of the person in her arms grew weaker and weaker. Wei Hanzhang couldn't continue speaking. She shouted toward Luzhu behind her, "Where's the physician?"

"They've already sent someone to get one, but the pharmacy is far away..." Luzhu, who also knew Cao Xinrou, looked anxious. "There should be a physician in this district."

The Jiaofangsi was a government-run brothel, and the women there were once the wives and daughters of former nobles and high-ranking officials. Their skin was far better maintained than the average women from ordinary brothels.

It was common for officials to visit without fear of being reported, and many government officials frequented the place openly. What could be more enjoyable than sleeping with the wife or daughter of a political enemy? Wealthy merchants and businessmen were also happy to spend large sums of money to sleep with women who, in another life, would have required them to bow in respect.

In short, the Jiaofangsi was a lavish den of indulgence for officials and the wealthy. There was no way a place like this wouldn't have a physician on hand. The fact that no one had come to help yet was a clear sign that they didn't want to waste their efforts saving a woman who had already shown a will to die.

After realizing this, Wei Hanzhang gently handed Cao Xinrou over to Luzhu. She stood up, intending to enter the Jiaofangsi herself to call for help.

The Jiaofangsi was not like other brothels—it operated even during the day. As the commotion outside unfolded, many of the young gentlemen who had been inside enjoying themselves came out to see what was happening.

When they saw Wei Hanzhang—a young lady whose attire clearly showed she wasn't a woman from the brothel—walking toward the entrance, their faces revealed shock.