The origin of the chest was unknown, and no one dared to ask, especially Wu Ye and Li Yu. Although they were now considered the young lady's people, the thought of what they had done in the past made them want to slap themselves. Their hearts were filled with infinite guilt, and they always felt a distance between themselves and the young lady.
Wu Caiwei had anticipated this but had not found a way to eliminate it. After all, the original owner had indeed been terribly harmed by them. Although she had decided to employ them, it did not mean she wouldn't hold a grudge.
Meanwhile, the Zhou family searched frantically for several days with no trace. The first madam and Master Zhou were spinning in circles with anxiety. Zhou Jiayang, who usually loved to go out, was in no mood to wander outside.
Just as the Zhou family was overwhelmed with busyness, an imperial decree arrived. After warmly bidding farewell to the imperial envoy, the few of them sat in silent contemplation in Master Zhou's study.
"Father, what should we do next?" Zhou Jiayang was the first to lose his composure, anxiously inquiring.
Lord Zhou looked at him with deep eyes. Zhou Jiayang flinched back, stammering, "Father, why... why are you looking at me like that?"
Master Zhou remained silent, just gazing at him. It made him so uncomfortable that he felt uneasy all over. His wife, having been with him for so many years, immediately saw that he had already devised a plan, though she suspected it wouldn't be a pleasant one.
She sighed helplessly and said, "My lord, just tell me what we should do."
"I have thought of a method, but you will have to suffer. I plan to have a few skilled horse riders accompany you for an outing in the countryside. Accidentally, the horse will be startled, and you will fall from it, landing on your right hand. From then on, you won't be able to hold a brush for long periods, and thus you won't be able to paint. However, this fall requires great skill. If it's too light, your wrist won't be severely injured, the fall will be in vain, and you'll have to find other methods later. If it's too heavy, this hand might be crippled," Lord Zhou admitted, not wishing to resort to such a method, but it was the only one he could think of for now.
Seeing his son's pale face, he changed his tone. "Of course, if you can think of any other good method, we can discuss it. If we really can't, we'll have to use my method. Think of it this way, although you will suffer once, you might become a son-in-law of the royal family, and everything will be worth it. Let me say something practical: even if your hand isn't ruined, your painting is mediocre. Your studies are also average. Even if you could pass the imperial examinations, I would find a way to secure a minor official post for you. You won't achieve much in your lifetime."
Zhou Jiayang hesitated for a moment before nodding. In fact, his reputation had soared recently. His classmates and tutors had been looking at him with suspicion for a while. They knew the level of his painting, as they had been in contact with him for so many years. However, since they had not seen his paintings, and it was something even the Emperor praised, they dared not contradict him or raise any objections.
Moreover, after marrying the princess, what would he do if people asked him to paint? He could refuse those of lower status, but what if the princess or even the Emperor asked him? If Liu Yanyu were still in his hands, he could certainly find a way. But days had passed without any trace of her. How difficult it was to find someone in a vast crowd!
With all preparations made, one morning, Zhou Jiayang, accompanied by several servants, happily headed towards the outskirts. About an hour later, on a bustling street, several servants were seen carrying someone on a makeshift stretcher, rushing into a medical clinic in the capital. The doctor shook his head after examining him.
Unwilling to give up, they visited other clinics in the capital. The results were the same. In the end, they resigned themselves to finding a relatively famous doctor to treat him.
Soon, the news of Young Master Zhou's wrist injury and crippled hand spread through the streets and alleys. Those who loved painting or had seen his artwork couldn't help but sigh in regret. They rushed to inquire if anyone still possessed his paintings, knowing that they would be incredibly valuable in the future.
When the Grand Princess heard about it, it was like a bolt from the blue. She had specifically chosen the young Zhou because of his painting skills. Now, just as they were engaged, such an incident occurred. Those who were sensible would say it was a coincidence, but those who were not would surely say she was a jinx.
She quickly sought out the Emperor and, taking several imperial physicians with her, hurried to the Zhou residence. The imperial physicians were indeed remarkable, far more skilled than ordinary doctors. While other doctors had declared Zhou Jiayang's hand beyond repair, the imperial physicians stated that he would not be able to hold a brush for extended periods but could still manage daily life.
First Madam Zhou clutched onto this glimmer of hope and rushed to the Grand Princess's side, imploring her to find a way to save his hand no matter what.
The Grand Princess, on the verge of tears, nodded. She had nowhere to express her inner suffering. If this had happened before the engagement, she could have backed out. But now that their union had been announced to the world, even though her father doted on her, he would not agree to a broken engagement.
Not wanting to face the ensuing chaos, she left the imperial physicians behind and, with her attendants, departed in haste. Though heartbroken, Madam Zhou escorted them to the main gate. Watching the departing carriage, she felt a profound chill. Given the Grand Princess's attitude today, if she were an ordinary noblewoman, she would have certainly taught her a severe lesson. She should be grateful for her noble birth.
Thinking of her son's injury, her eyes welled up again. She hurried back. Her sorrow was genuine. Although she had been mentally prepared, seeing her son pass out from pain, his face pale, her heart ached intolerably, wishing she could suffer in his stead.
Wu Caiwei finally announced that they had reached their destination and planned to purchase a house to settle down. At this, the expressions on the faces of her companions were complex. Looking at the desolate streets and impoverished people, they couldn't understand why such an intelligent young lady would choose such a place, which clearly wasn't suitable for a stable life.
However, after the young lady entered the yamen for a while and then emerged, she held several identity documents in her hand. The sword that had been hanging over their heads finally fell. From then on, they had new identities and could live in the world openly.
Li Yu and Wu Ye, in particular, looked at her with gratitude. They had originally thought they would be refugees for life, only managing to obtain identity documents in the south. They never expected to get them so easily after a trip to the west with the young lady. They felt like shedding tears.
"Although this is the border and there is constant warfare, there are few outsiders. Sometimes, when the Xiongnu break through the defenses and enter the villages, many people's houses are burned, and their identity documents are lost. For a small sum of money, one can reapply. They are eager for people to settle here, so obtaining these documents is very easy. Of course, I brought you here for other reasons as well. You will know in a while," Wu Caiwei said. Although she felt it was unnecessary to explain so much, she thought that since they were following her, they were her subordinates, and she had to appease them.