Wu Caiwei, having gotten the answer she wanted, said happily, "Alright, listen to me carefully later, and I guarantee I'll heal your leg."
Wu Yuxuan asked with some alarm, "You're serious about this?"
Wu Caiwei ignored him and went to the next room, directing his servants around frantically. One moment she instructed someone to boil water, the next she ordered a bathtub to be prepared. Once the water was hot, she mixed the medicinal solution.
She instructed a male servant by her side to carry him into the bathtub to soak. At first, Wu Yuxuan didn't pay much attention, thinking she was just playing around like a young girl. Gradually, he began to feel uncomfortable all over, the pain intensifying until he could barely endure it.
He pleaded, "Sister, I really can't take it anymore. Can we play another day?"
Wu Caiwei said with some exasperation, "Who's playing? I'm telling you, you have to soak today, whether you want to or not. I went to great lengths to gather these medicinal ingredients. Trust me this one time, your leg will definitely be cured."
Hearing her words, Wu Yuxuan suddenly had a moment of clarity. Perhaps she hadn't been playing around with him from the start, and he simply hadn't believed her. In his eyes, how could his sister possess medical skills? But some things aren't as you perceive them. Perhaps his sister was a reincarnation of Hua Tuo. After all, she had become a county princess; any further extraordinary event happening to her would be within reason.
So this time, he chose to believe. Gritting his teeth, he endured. The medicinal water's composition was unknown, and the pain was truly beyond his tolerance. Ultimately, he passed out from the agony.
Upon receiving the news, Wu Caiwei didn't let up. She continued to have him soak, as everything in life involved trade-offs, depending on what you desired.
When the time was up, they had someone change his clothes and carry him to the room. She then used the handle of a knife to snap his leg. Even though he was unconscious, Wu Yuxuan still sat up from the pain, letting out a loud cry.
The ruthlessness with which the county princess had acted earlier sent a chill down the backs of the maids and servants present. They became even more cautious, determined not to provoke this devil.
Wu Caiwei quickly applied the medicinal herbs she had prepared and then set the splint, instructing the servants to take good care of him.
As soon as she left, her glorious deed spread throughout the entire Wu estate. Everyone looked at her with changed eyes. Wu Caiwei, with a little thought, knew what was happening, but she didn't care. Once Wu Yuxuan recovered, she believed everyone would understand.
As for the second young master, he remembered the confrontation with her that night and from then on, whenever he encountered her, he would steer clear. This woman was simply too ruthless, and her status was higher than his. Even if she broke his leg, no one would dare to blame her. If he couldn't afford to offend her, he could at least avoid her.
When Wu Yuxuan opened his eyes again, the memory of the pain he experienced in his daze still made him tremble. He moved his body slightly and found something different. Previously, his leg was numb and lacked strength. Now, it was painful.
His heart began to beat faster. Perhaps his sister was telling the truth. He tried to lower his expectations, knowing that without expectation, there would be no disappointment. Yet, his heart couldn't help but feel a little flutter of joy. Perhaps soon, he would be able to jump and run out as before, participate in the imperial examinations, and achieve his life's ambitions.
Besides coming to change his dressing daily, Wu Caiwei spent the rest of her time investigating the true reasons behind the incidents that had occurred involving the several individuals.
The Wu estate was not her territory. Although she instructed her own people to act discreetly and investigate in secret, sometimes after giving a hush-money, the very next moment, people would leak your affairs. Not much was investigated, and instead, it alerted several of the masters of the Wu estate.
Fortunately, the people she had dispatched had never appeared in the Wu household, so no one could immediately trace it back to her. This also caused Madam Wu considerable anxiety.
"Master, after so many years, who is still trying to bring up the matter? Could it be those two from the inner courtyard?" Madam Wu looked at Master Wu, guessing anxiously.
"Yuxuan shouldn't be. He's been in the estate for so many years. If he had the ability, he would have investigated long ago, and wouldn't have gotten himself into such a mess. As for the county princess, don't say it, it's really possible. But aren't she and her people staying obediently in the estate? Moreover, according to their descriptions, they don't match her people." Master Wu privately hoped it wasn't the county princess. If it truly were her, perhaps the secrets of his estate would be exposed. After all, he was merely a small merchant, and confronting her would be like an egg hitting a stone.
Madam Wu thought about it and agreed. Recently, the county princess and the eldest young master had been very close. If the county princess weren't already engaged, they would have harbored other thoughts.
Seeing that this situation couldn't continue, Wu Caiwei secretly found the owner of the small restaurant again and asked her for the name of the maid who had been by her side back then.
The proprietress remembered this matter very clearly. It was indeed that maid who had gone out with the young lady. The young lady got lost, and the maid couldn't explain what had happened. Then, the master had her beaten twenty times and kicked out in front of everyone.
Furthermore, she provided Wu Caiwei with a very useful piece of information. While out buying groceries, she had inadvertently seen her and quietly followed her to the entrance of a household.
Receiving this news, Wu Caiwei was overjoyed. Based on the proprietress's description, she dispatched a close guard to quietly investigate. From the Sudan Novel Network.
To avoid startling the snake, she had taken a distant glance at the person. Although many years had passed, her appearance had not changed. She confirmed it was her.
That night, while they were fast asleep, a group of people quietly jumped into their courtyard. They produced sleeping incense, and soon the courtyard fell silent. In a short while, several people carried everyone out of the house and placed them onto a waiting carriage, and then drove away.
When Hexiang and her family woke up, they found everyone bound hand and foot, with cloth stuffed in their mouths. They were stunned by the scene. They were just commoners; why would anyone kidnap them? They couldn't understand.
Hexiang wanted to lift the curtain and escape. As soon as her arm pushed the curtain open, she discovered a ring of people surrounding the carriage. There was no possibility of escape.
The carriage swayed unsteadily. It was clear they were heading to the outskirts. Fear filled their hearts.
Soon, they arrived at their destination. The guards lifted the curtain and found they were awake. They sneered and, like lifting small chickens, carried them into a room and threw them down carelessly. The group fell in disarray, groaning in pain as they gasped for air.