I've Got This Cannon Fodder Trope Covered!

Chapter 48

At this moment, in Wei Hanzhang's heart, this Xiao Boqian, even though his original wife had only passed away six months ago, was still a scoundrel who flirted with young girls. At least he was a straightforward scoundrel, not someone who used tricks to manipulate a woman's reputation to force her into marriage.

Unfortunately, Xiao Junzhan had no mind-reading abilities and was completely unaware of what Wei Hanzhang was thinking. Otherwise...

Xiao Junzhan got out of the carriage first. When Wei Hanzhang adjusted her hooded cape and lifted the curtain, she saw a long, slender hand as white as jade reaching out to her.

She hesitated for a moment before placing her hand in his.

Xiao Junzhan smiled slightly, applying gentle pressure with his fingertips as he held her delicate hand and helped her down from the carriage. His heart felt soft in a way he could hardly describe.

As soon as she stood firm, Wei Hanzhang heard a familiar voice from the side.

It was the young master of the Chen family, Chen Zishu, whom she had seen just days earlier.

At this moment, he was dressed in a purple official robe and slightly bowed towards them, saying, "This humble servant, Chen Zishu, greets the young master."

While speaking, Chen Zishu kept his head lowered and did not raise his eyes to look at her, his demeanor extremely humble and respectful.

Wei Hanzhang's heart tightened at first, fearing she would be recognized. But upon seeing him keep his head down the entire time, she sighed in relief, feeling a bit puzzled.

Logically speaking, as the Minister of Dali Temple, Chen Zishu held a respectable third-rank official position. There was no need for him to be this deferential even to the young master of Prince Yan.

Moreover, Wei Hanzhang had heard that Prince Yan's young master only held a ceremonial position with no real power, so it didn't seem like he warranted such a solemn greeting from the young master of the Chen family, a rising star in the capital who had achieved a third-rank official title at such a young age.

From the little details, it seemed that this Prince Yan's young master was quite favored by the Crown Prince.

Noticing the girl beside him looking a bit dazed, Xiao Junzhan tightened his grip on her hand and led her toward the already-prepared prison.

"Watch your step," he said, not releasing her hand. They walked down a staircase of moderate length, and the surroundings grew dimmer.

Compared to the eerie, damp, and lightless conditions of the sky prison, the Dali Temple's cells were relatively decent. Perhaps due to some arrangements made, the cells appeared quite clean.

But even so, having the privileged Jiang family live in such a place...

With a heart full of worry, Wei Hanzhang clenched her fists, peering through a small square window at her grandmother, several aunts, and her female cousins on the other side.

Her grandfather and uncles were detained in the cell directly opposite where the Jiang family women were held.

Including the concubines, there were a total of about forty or fifty people in the Jiang family. The men had removed their brocade garments, and the women had taken off their gold hairpins. They all wore plain white prison uniforms, stripped of their former dignity, all confined in the dark, lightless prison.

Aside from the occasional muffled sobs from the women, the entire cell was eerily quiet, filled with a sense of despair.

Wei Hanzhang looked at her family members, whom she hadn't seen for just two months. They were clad in thin prison garb, but fortunately, it was early summer, with mild temperatures, making them less susceptible to colds.

Feeling somewhat relieved that the weather was warm, she couldn't help but be affected by the atmosphere of despair. Her eyes began to redden, and she almost couldn't hold back from stepping out to speak with the Jiang family members.

A hand rested gently on her shoulder, and she didn't know when Young Master Xiao had moved closer, looking at her tenderly as he softly comforted, "Ranran, don't cry. I promise you, they will be fine."

"..." Afraid that her grandmother and the others on the other side of the wall might hear, Wei Hanzhang carefully sniffled and said nothing.

But she had to admit that at that moment, she was genuinely touched. Compared to her relatives in the Zhongyong Marquis's residence, Wei Hanzhang felt closer to her maternal grandparents, the Jiang family, as they were the elders who had watched her grow up.

Especially her grandmother and a few uncles, who had always doted on her abundantly.

Taking a deep breath to steady herself, Wei Hanzhang wiped away her tears and first looked at the elderly matriarch, noticing that although she looked a bit haggard, her spirit was not diminished. This eased the worry that had burdened her for over a dozen days.

Recently, Wei Hanzhang's greatest concern had been for her grandparents. After all, they were both elderly and couldn't withstand the hardships of travel.

Now that her grandmother was well, Wei Hanzhang's gaze slid over her uncles, eagerly confirming that they were all safe. Finally, her sight landed on her eldest cousin, Jiang Zhiqin, the legitimate daughter of the Jiang family.

Unlike her family, Jiang Zhiqin was curled up alone in a corner, staring blankly with vacant eyes, her face gaunt and hair in disarray. Compared to her younger sister, Jiang Zhiqin, who was still occasionally sobbing, she seemed to have cried all her tears dry.

Wei Hanzhang could hardly recognize her; this was not the gentle and generous eldest cousin she remembered. When she left Xuzhou, Jiang Zhiqin was still a happy young lady waiting for marriage, dreaming of her future life. But in just a few months, it seemed like she had withered into a delicate flower drained of moisture, aging rapidly like a matron. She hardly resembled an eighteen-year-old girl.

The Zhao family!!!!

Wei Hanzhang had grown up with her several cousins, sharing a close bond. At this moment, she couldn't help but loathe the Zhao family, who had callously abandoned their new bride as soon as trouble struck the in-laws. The hatred in her eyes could almost be felt as a physical entity.

The Zhao family was Old Madam Jiang's maternal family. Marrying her legitimate granddaughter back into the family was intended to strengthen that familial relationship, yet who would have thought...

It wasn't until Xiao Junzhan pulled her out of the prison and into the light again that Wei Hanzhang snapped back to reality.

She gently tugged at the man beside her, the hatred in her eyes still present, staring directly at him as she said, "My uncle's family... I mean..."

"Speak freely, no need to hold back," Xiao Junzhan replied warmly, patiently. "Ranran, you don't need to have any reservations in front of me."

"..." Wei Hanzhang was afraid that her request would be too burdensome, but this man was her only hope now.

She didn't want to come off as greedy, but she still spoke up, "Can you help save my two cousins and my aunt? They are all my uncle's family, and I don't want to watch them enter Jiaofangsi like Xinrou."

Her voice was so faint with shame that Xiao Junzhan had to lean in closer to hear her.

Hearing this, he paused for a moment, continuing to lead her toward the carriage as he spoke gently, "Rest assured, I had no intention of letting them go there."

Wei Hanzhang was taken aback, not quite hearing him. "What?"

"... It's nothing," Xiao Junzhan sighed lightly, saying, "I mean, the Crown Prince has no intention of letting them enter there."

The early summer breeze had grown slightly warm, and Wei Hanzhang's heart raced, as if the wind had disordered her very heart, staring blankly at his handsome face.

Although he said the Crown Prince didn't plan to send them to Jiaofangsi, Wei Hanzhang knew he must have interceded on their behalf.