Wu Caiwei, seeing his expression, knew it was likely the Prime Minister's manor. After all, only someone of the Prime Minister's status, second only to the emperor, would fear no official.
"Judging by your demeanor, you were sent by the Prime Minister's wife, weren't you?" Wu Caiwei stated with certainty.
"How did you know?" the man asked in surprise. He then realized exposing the mastermind was not a wise move and quickly fell silent. After a moment's thought, he added, "Why would you involve someone else? We clearly had mutual feelings, yet you decided to turn your back. I can't accept this, which is why I've come looking for you."
"That's like trying to hide a silver dollar with a single chopstick. I'll go see the Prime Minister's wife right away and tell her you implicated her," Wu Caiwei said with a mischievous glint in her eyes.
"How could you do this?" the man stammered, panicked.
Wu Caiwei ignored him and, without hesitation, swiftly subdued him. Within moments, he was pinned to the ground, and she tied him up with ropes.
Dragging him along, she ostentatiously headed towards the Prime Minister's manor, with a crowd of curious onlookers trailing behind.
The gatekeepers of the Prime Minister's manor spotted the approaching throng from afar. Utterly bewildered, they had no idea what brought such a crowd.
Wu Caiwei reached the entrance of the Prime Minister's manor, shoved the man to the ground, and, hands on her hips, declared haughtily, "Hurry and call your master and mistress out."
A servant immediately went to report the situation. Though they couldn't clearly see who was causing trouble from a distance, upon closer inspection, they recognized Wu Caiwei. She had almost become their Fourth Young Mistress, and the commotion she caused back then had shaken the entire capital. As gatekeepers, they had personally witnessed her departure from the manor, leaving an indelible impression. Seeing her again, they recognized her instantly.
The Prime Minister and his wife were initially reluctant to see her. However, upon hearing from the servant about the crowd of onlookers, they understood the situation needed to be handled with care. Although the Lin family could practically do as they pleased in the capital, they still valued their reputation and feared that any incidents might reach the Emperor's ears and leave a bad impression.
Shortly after, the gates of the Prime Minister's manor swung open. The Prime Minister and his wife, accompanied by servants, stood at the entrance with stern expressions.
The crowd of onlookers instinctively took a few steps back, eager to witness the spectacle but unwilling to court trouble.
"Prime Minister and Prime Minister's wife, what an impressive display. Since we parted ways last time, I never wished to set foot in this manor again, and I suspect you didn't wish to see me either. But he claimed your manor sent him to tarnish my reputation. As a humble commoner, I can easily fend off open attacks but am vulnerable to hidden daggers. Thus, I've brought him here to confront you." Wu Caiwei looked up at them fearlessly, determined to seek justice for herself.
"Presumptuous! How could my esteemed Prime Minister's manor resort to such vulgar tactics? If we wished to trouble you, why would we need to find others? We could simply have approached the Prefect and had you arrested on some fabricated charge," the Prime Minister said with authority.
The onlookers, hearing this, conceded the point. Officials had ample means to deal with commoners; there was no need for them to act indirectly.
"I believe the Prime Minister is magnanimous enough to overlook minor issues and would not stoop to argue with someone like me. It was only because he implicated you that I came. Perhaps you should investigate who dared to falsely accuse the Prime Minister's manor?" Wu Caiwei remained unfazed by the Prime Minister's anger and threats. Others might fear him, but she did not.
The middle-aged man was already terrified and quickly pleaded, "Prime Minister, spare me! Prime Minister, spare me! I was speaking nonsense. When she threatened to report me to the authorities, I panicked. I thought saying the Prime Minister's manor sent me would surely subdue her. Who knew she wouldn't be scared at all and instead dragged me here for a confrontation?"
The Prime Minister's wife's fierce gaze softened slightly. What a useless fellow, capable of ruining things but not accomplishing anything. All her years of martial arts training were for naught; he couldn't even defeat a woman and was caught red-handed.
"You heard him. He admits he was speaking nonsense. This misunderstanding should now be resolved. How dare you cause a scene in front of my manor based on a single foolish remark? Do you think this is a marketplace?" the Prime Minister said angrily. He found her presence irritating every time.
"If someone intends to slander the Prime Minister's manor's reputation, then it must be thoroughly investigated. Had he not implicated you, I would not have caused trouble here. As a humble commoner, I merely sought justice for myself." Wu Caiwei shifted all the blame onto the man. She knew that after this incident, the Prime Minister's wife would surely not let him off the hook.
She felt no sympathy for him. Given how he had tried to harm her earlier, this man was clearly no benevolent soul.
Although the matter ultimately ended without a definitive resolution, Wu Caiwei's fierce reputation, deliberately spread by the Prime Minister's manor, quickly took hold. Many had been eyeing her medicinal recipes, but upon hearing of this incident, they all retreated. They had initially thought to bully her simply because she was a woman, but they hadn't expected her to be so extraordinary, possessing more courage than most men and an unparalleled ability to stir up trouble.
They desired wealth, certainly, but they also wanted to live to spend it. Some matters could be left unaddressed if no formal complaint was filed. Given her capacity for creating disturbances, unwilling to suffer any slight, she could turn even the smallest issue into a city-wide spectacle. Who would dare provoke her?
Meanwhile, Zhou Hanxiao's life was proving to be exceedingly difficult. Her father was determined to marry her off. Unwilling to leave the capital in such a dejected manner, she wanted to postpone the wedding by two years, but Zhou Xiangyu adamantly refused.
She approached her mother, hoping she would intercede on her behalf. However, in her mother's eyes, her father always came first, followed by her brother. Although her mother doted on her daughter, when push came to shove, she could abandon her.
It was hard for Zhou Hanxiao not to feel disappointed, as she once again clearly recognized her mother's coldness.
Seeing her mother unwilling to help, she seemed to resign herself to fate, complying obediently with her father's wishes. Zhou Xiangyu was quite pleased, believing his daughter had finally matured and understood his concerns. Although the family he had found for her was not of noble lineage, they were undoubtedly honest. He sought not her great wealth but her peace and well-being.
"Mother, I heard that Sister's business has been flourishing recently. She's opened several more shops. I wonder where she got those recipes from; she's making a fortune. I don't mind for myself, but if only she could support our younger brother," Zhou Hanxiao said with an envious tone during another visit to her mother.
Madam Zhu was somewhat moved. Born into a merchant family, she was very fond of money. If others earned money, it was one thing, unrelated to her. But when the person making the money was her own daughter, and she received no benefit, it stirred up feelings of imbalance. She felt the girl was not filial at all, not offering her good recipes to honor her mother.
Seeing her mother's wavering expression, Zhou Hanxiao inwardly rejoiced. If she was having a difficult time, her mother would not be allowed to enjoy her peace.
Thus, the next day, Wu Caiwei encountered an unexpected visitor at her shop's entrance.