: The path of ruthlessness is ultimately fraught with emotion; love is hard to forget.

How could Rose be here? How did she end up at the Prince's mansion? Wang Lun felt completely bewildered, his mind simply not functioning properly!

He really wanted to go in and get to the bottom of things, but he was afraid that if he went in, it would be like throwing good money after bad, and he would never come back! After hesitating for a long time, he still didn't dare to go up and knock on the door. He just circled around outside for a while and then hurriedly left!

Back at his place, Wang Lun gulped down a bowl of wine, cursing himself for being useless. He had a thousand words to say to Qiangwei, but he had no idea how to see her!

After a sleepless night, he finally came up with a solution!

The next morning, he returned to the calligraphy and painting stall and wrote: "A light thunderclap fell like ten thousand threads, the clear light floated on the green tiles, uneven and clear. The amorous peony holds spring tears, the powerless rose lies on the morning branch." This is "Spring Day II" by the poet Qin Guan of this dynasty. The rose here corresponds to his cousin's name, Qiangwei. If his cousin heard this, she would surely know that he was looking for her!

For three days in a row, he did not see Rose on the street again, which made him think that the encounter that day was just his imagination!

For those three nights, Wang Lun felt as if his heart was being torn apart, suffering immense torment!

He knew it wasn't a misperception; Rose had grown up with him since childhood, how could he mistake her for someone else!

He pretended to be passing by the Prince's mansion by chance, but could not see that beautiful figure!

No one knows how much time has passed, maybe ten days, maybe half a month! Wang Lun lives like a walking corpse every day, eating, selling his calligraphy, sleeping, living a life worse than death!

He himself didn't know why he was living; perhaps it was just a sliver of hope—the hope that he could still see the roses!

He had considered asking around about Rose, but he was just a failed scholar who could only make a living by selling his calligraphy. He didn't have any money, and he didn't know anyone. On the contrary, asking around rashly would attract the attention of Master Wang, making things even more difficult in the future!

He knew he was useless and a coward! He knew nothing but reading and writing. He had fantasized about what it would be like if he were skilled in martial arts, could he directly infiltrate the royal palace and wander the world with Qiangwei? But it was just a dream!

"Bang!" Wang Lun smashed a bowl! He hardened his heart and decided that if he didn't see Qiangwei on the street tomorrow, he would go to the Wang Mansion alone. He would either succeed or die. Anyway, he had nothing better to do than die!

Suffering like this every day, it would be better to die. It would be a quicker and more painless death. With his mind at ease, Wang Lun calmed down and finally got his first peaceful sleep in a long time!

The next morning, Wang Lun got up early, dressed, and went to his market to sell calligraphy and paintings!

A vendor selling jujube cakes nearby quipped, "You scholar, up so early? Who buys calligraphy and paintings this early?"

Wang Lun smiled but didn't answer. He just stared intently at every passerby. The vendor, seeing that Wang Lun ignored him, felt awkward and stopped talking. He sat on the stool and waited for passersby to come and patronize his business.

To be honest, business isn't good. People are busy making a living, so why would they spend their spare money on calligraphy and paintings, which are ephemeral and useless?

But Wang Lun's mind wasn't on selling calligraphy and paintings today; instead, he was searching for that figure in the crowd!

I scanned it again and again, filled with hope each time, only to be disappointed each time!

As the sun began to set, Wang Lun composed himself, preparing to head straight to the Wang Mansion to find out exactly what had happened!

Just then, a snow-white figure slowly walked over, as holy as a goddess in the setting sun!

Wang Lun was thrilled, his eyes unable to leave the shadow. It was indeed Rose, he was not mistaken, it was Rose!

He remained composed, forcefully suppressing his elation, and read aloud: "A light thunderclap fell like a thousand threads, the clear light floated on the green tiles, uneven and glistening. The amorous peony held back tears of spring, the powerless rose lay on the morning branch." His voice was soft but firm and powerful!

The woman trembled at the sound and looked over hesitantly. Her sorrowful expression instantly turned into one of surprise!

Wang Lun's eyes welled up with tears. This was truly a rose, but he shook his head almost imperceptibly, indicating that now was not the time to acknowledge each other!

Rose forced back her tears, turned her head and strode forward, with two burly men following closely behind her.

Wang Lun was both surprised and delighted. He was delighted that the person in front of him was none other than Qiangwei, whom he had been longing for day and night. She was still alive and lived in the same county as him. But he was surprised that he could not see her at all and could not even say a word to her!

"At fifteen I joined the army, at eighty I returned home. I met a fellow villager on the road, but who was home? Looking afar, I saw your house, surrounded by pine and cypress trees and graves. Rabbits entered through the dog hole, pheasants flew from the beams. Millet grew in the courtyard, sunflowers grew by the well. I pounded the millet to make rice, and picked the sunflowers to make soup. The rice and soup were cooked at the same time, but I didn't know who would enjoy them! I went out and looked east, tears falling and wetting my clothes." Rose's gentle and melodious voice came from ahead!

Wang Lun was overjoyed. The poem that Qiangwei recited was "Fifteen Years Old, I Joined the Army," which he knew well from his extensive reading of poetry. But the key wasn't that; it was the line, "The rabbit enters through the dog hole, the pheasant flies from the beam!" Qiangwei had given him a hint, and he had an idea. He left his stall without making a sound.

At midnight, Wang Lun quietly arrived at a wall in the Wang Mansion. There was a dog hole under the wall. The dog hole was not big, but it was big enough for his small body to squeeze through!

He had prepared some meat beforehand, and seeing the dog leave through the dog hole, he realized he wouldn't need the meat for the time being, so he immediately crawled inside himself!

Inside the wall was the rose he had been longing for. It had been a long time since he had seen it. The rose under the moonlight was still so beautiful, but that beauty was tinged with sadness, making one's heart ache!

Wang Lun embraced Qiangwei. At that moment, time seemed to stand still. Nothing else in the world mattered. Only the two people in love remained, clinging tightly to each other!

After a long while, the two parted ways. Wang Lun tried to pull Qiangwei away, but Qiangwei said bitterly, "Cousin, forget me! I am no longer a pure person, and I am no longer worthy of you!"

Wang Lun was already mentally prepared. Holding Qiangwei, he asked, "Why? What happened? How could Uncle and Aunt do this?!"

Rose cried out in anguish, "Stop talking, stop talking, it's all my fault!" Then she covered her face and wept.

Through Qiangwei's tearful account, Wang Lun finally learned what had happened!

It turns out that Master Wang had long taken a liking to Qiangwei. He acted as guarantor for Wang Lun so that Wang Lun would leave Wangjia Village. Afterwards, he asked a matchmaker to propose marriage. Of course, Master Wang was already married, so if he married Qiangwei, she could only be a concubine!

Rose had no place in her heart but Wang Lun, and she could not accept anyone else, let alone become his concubine. She directly rejected the wealthy man, Wang Lun!

As the matchmaker left, she sneered, "No one whom Master Wang sets his sights on has ever escaped. I hope you won't regret your choice today!"

Rose didn't take those words seriously; instead, she secretly hoped that Wang Lun would pass the imperial examination and become a scholar as soon as possible!

But misfortune struck. Two nights after the matchmaker's visit, a gang of thieves broke into Wangjia Village, killing anyone they saw and robbing any woman they encountered. No one survived. Screams, wails, pleas for mercy, and cries filled the air with a horrific sound. There is no greater suffering in the world than this.

Seeing her parents die tragically before her eyes, Rose's world collapsed. But before she could even grieve, a short thief knocked her unconscious and took her away!

When she woke up, she was already in a bed in the Prince's mansion, and the man she called her cousin was looking at her with a cold smile.

Seeing the smear of blood on the bed, she knew exactly what had happened and immediately slammed her head against the wall!

The wealthy man sneered, "If you dare to die, I guarantee Wang Lun will suffer a fate worse than death!"

Upon hearing this, Rose thought of her unfortunate cousin and burst into tears!

The wealthy man snorted coldly, "You don't know what's good for you!" and walked out of the room, leaving only Rose sitting blankly on the bed!

At this moment, Wang Lun felt as if his heart was being torn apart. He hated himself, hated Master Wang, and hated the injustice of fate even more!

Before Qiangwei could finish speaking, Wang Lun grabbed her hand and said, "Let's escape first. Once we're out, just keep running until we're somewhere no one knows us, then we'll get married!"

Rose struggled free from Wang Lun's grasp and said, "I'm no longer a virgin. You should run away! If you run away, I'll have no regrets!"

Wang Lun pointed to the bright moon and said, "Heaven doesn't mind, earth doesn't mind, and I certainly don't mind! I, Wang Lun, hereby swear that I will never abandon Qiangwei, and will hold her hand until we grow old together!"

"Clap clap clap clap!" A round of applause rang out, followed by a shrill voice: "How touching! What a hilarious farce! Wang Lun, it's a real shame you're not an actor!"

Wang Lun was so shocked that his soul seemed to leave the heavens!

Master Wang, accompanied by five or six servants carrying lanterns, was coldly watching me and Qiangwei, who had appeared out of nowhere!

"Bring these adulterous couple here!" Master Wang said coldly.

Several servants, without any emotion, escorted the two men to the front of the Wang family mansion!

"Slap!" Master Wang slapped Qiangwei hard across the face, and her fair face immediately swelled up red!

"You shameless woman! I provide you with food and lodging, and you still dare to secretly meet your lover!" Master Wang shouted!

Wang Lun gritted his teeth and suddenly unleashed a tremendous force, breaking free from the servants and kicking Master Wang in the groin!

Master Wang clutched his groin and screamed in agony, collapsing to the ground and writhing in pain!

The servants panicked immediately, and Wang Lun hurriedly pulled Qiangwei towards the dog hole!

"Chase them! Once you catch them, bring them straight to me. I want them to suffer a fate worse than death!" Even as he lay on the ground, Master Wang still managed to give orders to his servants!

Wang Lun quickly crawled through the dog hole with Qiangwei and ran forward as fast as he could!

"Woof woof woof!" A vicious dog suddenly chased after them; it must be the dog the Wang family kept!

Wang Lun hurriedly took out some meat and threw it on the ground! This was something he had prepared beforehand to prevent dogs from blocking his way when he came out of the palace! It actually came in handy; the dog no longer cared about chasing Wang Lun and picked up a piece of meat to eat!

After running for a long time, seeing that the servants hadn't caught up, Wang Lun breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Qiangwei, who was also panting heavily, and said happily, "We can finally be together!"

"Who are you people?" The sudden voice startled Wang Lun; it was actually two constables!

"You're all acting suspiciously. Come with us to the county office!" a constable shouted.

As Wang Lun hesitated, Qiangwei suddenly whispered in his ear, "Master Wang is the county magistrate, you should leave quickly!"

Wang Lun realized what was happening and immediately turned and ran outside. The two constables also reacted quickly; one grabbed Qiangwei and the other chased after Wang Lun.

Wang Lun finally managed to shake him off, but realizing he couldn't stay in the city any longer, he took the opportunity to slip out of the city at dawn!

At this moment, Wang Lun was on the verge of tears. Why did God keep toying with him?

He wanted to go to the county magistrate, but considering the relationship between the magistrate and the county assistant, he knew that going there would be like walking into a trap!

"Gurgle, gurgle!" My stomach growled! My belly was completely empty; I hadn't eaten a single grain of rice since yesterday, and I was really hungry!

Although I was anxious, I still needed to fill my stomach before I could think of a solution!

Wang Lun found a tea stall, ordered a pot of tea, and started eating two steamed buns!

As he was eating, he felt a gaze fixed on him. He turned his head and saw a large man staring at the steamed bun in his hand with longing in his eyes!

Moved by compassion, Wang Lun smiled and said, "Why don't we take a seat together?"

The big man didn't stand on ceremony. He walked straight over, pulled up a stool, and plopped down on it!

"Four more steamed buns and a bowl of tea, please!" Wang Lun said to the waiter.

Soon, four steamed buns were served. Wang Lun smiled and said, "Have some, there's more if you're not full!"

The man picked up the steamed bun without even noticing how hot it was, took a big bite, and started eating!

The four steamed buns were quickly devoured by the man, along with a bowl of tea. He let out a satisfied burp and then said, "My name is Du Qian. I fled here and am penniless. I haven't eaten for two days! Thank you for your hospitality today, sir. If you don't mind, I, Du Qian, would like to follow you and help you this time to repay your kindness!"

Wang Lun sighed and said, "We met by chance, and our fate ends here. Here is some silver; you may leave now!" After saying that, he took out three qian of silver, which was all of Wang Lun's possessions!

Silver was of no use to Wang Lun at this point, because he planned to go to the county government office to find Qiangwei right now. This time, he absolutely could not lose Qiangwei!

Since we cannot share a bed in life, let us share a grave in death!

The man didn't take the silver. Instead, he gave Wang Lun a deep look and said, "Put the silver away for now. Since we're destined to meet, why not tell me what's on your mind? Although I, Du Qian, am not a remarkable person, I don't like owing favors. Once this favor is repaid, we can part ways amicably!"

Perhaps feeling frustrated and needing to vent, Wang Lun thought for a moment and then told Du Qian everything that had happened before!

Du Qian thought for a moment and said, "Since that's the case, and it's inconvenient for you to go into the city, I'll go to the county town to find out what's going on, and then we'll come back together to discuss a plan. What do you think?"

Wang Lun said gratefully, "I am extremely fortunate to have met such a brave man. I dare not express my gratitude enough. Please accept my bow!"

Du Qian helped Wang Lun up and said, "It will probably take a few days. Lend me the money first, and wait for my return!" He then bowed.

Wang Lun hurriedly handed the silver to Du Qian, who took it and rushed off towards the county town!

Time flies like an arrow, and seven days have passed in the blink of an eye. During these seven days, Wang Lun was like an ant on a hot pan, not having a single day of peace, and worrying about Qiangwei and Du Qian all the time!

Just as Wang Lun was waiting anxiously, a familiar figure appeared in the distance. Du Qian slowly appeared before him!

He rushed forward as if seeing a savior, saying, "It's good you're back, it's good you're back! How did things go?"

Du Qian shook his head and said, "Not too good, not too bad!"

Wang Lun was taken aback and asked, "I don't quite understand!"

Du Qian explained, "Your cousin was falsely accused by the county magistrate of colluding with bandits from Lushan Mountain to plunder the village, and was sentenced to immediate execution! But these past two days, a clerk named Pei Xuan, who was in charge of six cases, passed through this area, learned of the matter, and felt something was amiss, so he personally met with the county magistrate! I heard that although Pei Xuan is just a clerk, he holds the position of Prefect of the Capital and has considerable influence, so the county magistrate had to give him face and reopen the case! Later, because there was insufficient evidence that your cousin had colluded with the bandits, but that County Magistrate Wang insisted that your cousin had been having an affair with you, and many of your servants also came to testify, your cousin was ultimately sentenced to fifteen strokes of the cane and exiled to Cangzhou. The county also issued an arrest warrant for you! A reward of twenty taels of silver is offered!"