Of course, Shangguan Hui didn't plan to deal with him on his own. After all, someone in the mansion hated Shangguan Ke more than he did.
As expected, he told his father the news. Old Master Shangguan was extremely agitated and quickly ordered people to go to the Wu residence to arrest Shangguan Ke.
Soon, the Wu family's courtyard was completely surrounded by soldiers in armor, wielding swords and spears. The Wu family's servants had never seen such a scene, screaming in fear. Even the neighbors who heard the commotion only dared to peek through cracks in their doors, knowing without a doubt that the Wu family's daughter must have provoked someone formidable.
The Wu family's steward stepped forward tremblingly and stammered, "L-Lord, we are honest little merchants. We don't know what offense we have committed to trouble you to come in person."
"Have you seen this person?" The leading general handed a portrait of Shangguan Ke to the steward. The steward's eyes narrowed unconsciously, and then he pretended to be calm, "Never seen him."
"Really?" The general scrutinized him up and down with a doubtful gaze.
The steward calmly lowered his head, his back soaked with sweat, and said calmly, "Of course it's true."
After watching him for a moment, the general turned his head, looked at his soldiers, and said coldly, "Search!"
The steward secretly gave a signal to a young servant following him, who immediately understood and nodded.
The general noticed their interaction and silently followed the servant's steps.
Seeing that something was wrong, the steward quickly stepped forward to block him. "General, the search will take a while longer. Why don't you have some tea in the reception hall and rest for a bit."
The general ignored him, walked past him, and quickly followed. The Wu family's courtyard was not large, and in the scuffle, they had already arrived at the entrance of Wu Caiwei's courtyard.
Seeing the servant hesitating at the door, he quickly strode forward and sternly asked, "Whose courtyard is this?"
"Reporting to your Lord, this is our young lady's," the steward quickly suppressed his anxious expression and replied respectfully.
The general's interest was piqued upon hearing this, and he kicked the door open with a single swift motion.
"General, you mustn't! Our young lady is not yet married. For so many people to barge into her boudoir today would damage her reputation."
The more the steward tried to stop him, the more interested the general became. He winked at the men behind him, who silently drew their swords and advanced towards her room step by step.
The general originally didn't want to bother with the steward, but seeing him open his mouth as if to say something more, finding him endlessly annoying, he retorted directly, "If it were other young ladies, I would naturally be more careful. But does your young lady care about these things? She must have already experienced such things in the brothel."
The steward's heart sank, not knowing how to retort, only feeling anxious. Usually, the young lady and that young gentleman lived in this courtyard. They had arrived in a hurry, and he hadn't had time to notify anyone. He wondered if the gentleman had hidden himself.
He felt a sense of powerlessness. Seeing their determination to capture the gentleman, it seemed they wouldn't rest until they found him. With the mansion surrounded today, escape was impossible. Even if his young lady was highly skilled in martial arts, angering these generals today would likely not end well for her.
Seeing everyone ready, the general exerted his full strength and kicked open Wu Caiwei's door. He then swiftly entered. Wu Caiwei was sitting upright by her desk, diligently writing. Sudannovel.com
The furnishings in the room were simple, and one could see everything at a glance. The general, disbelieving, searched the room inside and out three times but found nothing. Unwilling to give up, he led his men to search the other rooms in the courtyard again and again, still with no results.
Despite the grand display, Wu Caiwei remained unfazed and continued with her task. The general slowly approached her. Seeing her copying poems and verses in a graceful script, he grabbed the paper she was writing on, tore it to shreds, and threw it on the ground.
"What is the General doing? You came to my room to arrest a criminal. The steward said there was no one, and you didn't believe him, so you let you search openly. After finding nothing, you're going to lash out in anger?" Wu Caiwei looked at him with a half-smile.
"If you don't want anyone to know, don't do it in the first place. I advise Madam Wu not to oppose our Shangguan family. You cannot afford to offend our master. If we truly wanted to deal with you, it would be as easy as crushing an ant. If you know where the eldest young master is, it's best to hand him over quickly." The general said, scrutinizing her. His intuition told him this woman was problematic, and that she always seemed unfathomable, instinctively making him heighten his psychological vigilance.
"How could I, a woman from a humble merchant family, know your esteemed family's eldest young master? I don't know where you got your information, but you must have been misled."
Seeing her calm demeanor, the general felt something was amiss and voiced his doubts. Upon hearing this, Wu Caiwei laughed, "Since you know my identity, you should also know that I have seen many grand occasions. Moreover, I truly haven't seen the eldest young master you speak of, so I am naturally allowing you to look me over. After all, I have nothing to hide."
The general stared at her for a long time. Reluctantly, he sent men to search again and again, digging as if to reach bedrock. Fearing a secret chamber, they tapped on bricks one by one, searching every nook and cranny of the courtyard. The result was still fruitless.
The steward only felt a sense of lingering fear and patted his chest after they had escorted them to the main gate. They didn't know that the moment the general kicked open the young lady's door, his heart nearly leaped out of his chest. He thought they were doomed, but the situation took a turn. When did the young gentleman leave? He hadn't even noticed.
He decided not to dwell on what he couldn't understand and quickly closed the gate, letting out a sigh of relief. He definitely had to have the kitchen prepare something delicious for him tonight to calm his nerves.
As soon as they left, Shangguan Ke climbed back into Wu Caiwei's room through the window. It turned out they had noticed they were being followed by a tail earlier. Without a second thought, they knew it must be the Shangguan family. So, they decided to play along.
What seemed like a normal return to the Wu residence was actually Shangguan Ke climbing over the wall and leaving as soon as they returned to their rooms, causing them to find nothing.
When Old Master Shangguan heard that the person had not been apprehended, he was so angry that he threw the teacup in his hand at their feet, cursing, "Idiots! All of you are useless! You can't even catch one person. Don't ever appear before me again."
The leading general endured it as much as he could, clenched his fists, and hurried away. He could understand that Old Master Shangguan was injured and unwell, which made him so irascible. But regardless, he was a fifth-rank official and needed to maintain his dignity. If it weren't for their shared experiences in battles, he would have already lost his temper.