Chapter 131: Saving People

Qi Third knocked everyone down, pulled his sword back, and turned around to see Zhao Wei and Zhao Da standing at the end of the alley.

Qi Third: “…”

Zhao Da, with a mysterious expression, said, “Not bad with the sword.”

Qi Third forced out a few dry laughs and awkwardly said, “Well, since you’ve caught me, I’ll admit it. This is the Qi Family sword technique I secretly learned. Do you believe me?”

Believe you? Not a chance!

“Brother, then I’m sorry, but I’ll have to take you to see the authorities.” Zhao Da extended his strong arm and hooked it around Qi Third’s shoulder. “You better explain clearly to the Prefect how you managed to steal the Qi Family sword technique.”

Qi Third: “…”

“Stop your banter, you two, and check on this young lady’s condition first,” Su Wan said as she walked into the alley and knelt beside the unconscious woman. The woman’s clothing was made of fine silk, and her head was adorned with luxurious jewelry, indicating her affluent background.

Su Wan took the woman’s pulse and examined her. She noticed red marks on the back of the woman’s neck, indicating she had been knocked unconscious by a heavy blow. Su Wan then took out silver needles and applied them to specific acupoints.

The woman slowly regained consciousness, and the moment she saw Su Wan, her eyelashes fluttered in fear, and her face turned even paler.

“Don’t be afraid; the people who tried to capture you are all dead,” Su Wan reassured her, pointing to the black-clad men lying on the ground.

Qi Third quickly added, “Young lady(Su Wan), I suspect that all of this young lady’s guards were drugged, leaving them with no ability to resist.”

Zhao Wei and Zhao Da weren’t fools; by this point, they had already figured out that he was part of the Qi Family Army. Qi Third saw no reason to hide the truth anymore.

Zhao Da was surprised when he heard how Qi Third addressed Su Wan, and cast an unexpected glance at him.

Qi Third noticed Zhao Da’s expression of “You’re not pretending anymore,” which nearly made him lose his temper again.

“Let me take a look,” Su Wan said as she went over to examine the guards. After a quick check, she concluded, “They’ve been drugged with Mongolian sweat medicine.”

Cao Wanqun tightly clenched her sleeves, her teeth chattering as she stared intently at the guards. 

Before the black-clad men attacked, they hadn’t even approached their group, which meant there had to be a traitor!

“Sister, sister, you’re here!” A young girl, tears streaming down her face, rushed over to Cao Wanqun, knelt on the ground, and tightly embraced her, sobbing in fear. “Sister, you’re safe, thank goodness. I… I went to find the authorities, terrified that I might have been too late.”

“Suxue, I’m fine,” Cao Wanqun tried her best to suppress the fear and anger in her heart, and gently patted Cao Suxue’s back. “This young lady and these gentlemen came to my rescue, preventing me from falling into the hands of the bandits.”

Cao Suxue, still sobbing, stood up and wiped away the tears on her face. She then expressed her gratitude to Su Wan, Zhao Wei, and the others, saying, “Thank you for saving my sister. We were chased here by our enemies, and if it weren’t for your courageous help, who knows what might have happened to her…”

As she spoke, she began to cry again, covering her face with her sleeves.

Cao Wanqun, having grown up in the sheltered confines of the inner chambers, had never encountered such a terrifying situation. She was still shaken, her legs weak and unable to stand.

Cao Suxue hurriedly helped her up. “Sister…”

“I’m really fine,” Cao Wanqun replied, her lips pale, her almond-shaped eyes misty with tears. She weakly bowed to Su Wan and her companions in a gesture of gratitude. “My father is Cao Guangyi, the Governor-General of Liangjiang in Jiangnan. My sister and I were on our way back to the capital to visit family, accompanied by several dozen guards, when we encountered enemies seeking revenge. A traitor also emerged from within our ranks. If it weren’t for your righteous intervention, I fear I would never see my family again. From this day forward, you are my benefactors. If you ever need help, please send someone to the Governor-General’s office to find me.”

By revealing her identity, Cao Wanqun demonstrated her sincerity and gratitude.

“Sister!” Cao Suxue’s face turned pale as she forcefully tugged on Cao Wanqun’s sleeve, seemingly scolding her for being too rash.

Cao Wanqun smiled gently. “Suxue, they are all honorable people. We shouldn’t judge them with a petty mind.”

Cao Suxue bit her lip, glanced at the dignified Zhao Wei, then at the excessively beautiful Su Wan, and chose not to dwell on the matter further. “The Prefect has arrived; we should go to the inn with the officials soon.”

Cao Wanqun nodded. Right now, all she wanted was to soak in a hot bath to rid herself of the bone-chilling cold, and then sleep to recover.

Shortly after, the Prefect arrived and wished to greet the Cao sisters. However, upon suddenly seeing Zhao Wei, he quickly stepped forward and bowed, saying, “General Zhao, I wasn’t aware you were in the city. Would you honor me by visiting my humble abode?”

“No need, I have official duties to attend to,” Zhao Wei declined the Prefect’s invitation. He then turned to Su Wan and asked, “Where are you headed? I’ll take you there first.”

With Zhao Wei discovering the presence of the Qi Family Army, Su Wan decided to discuss the possibility of arranging a military drill between the two forces. This could benefit the newly recruited soldiers in the Qi Family Army by helping them improve. Without hesitation, she responded, “Guangren Hall.”

“Let’s go,” Zhao Wei said, taking the lead.

Su Wan bowed to the Prefect and then followed Zhao Wei out.

Cao Wanqun stood in stunned silence, General Zhao?

“My lord, is this General Zhao the Fourth Master Zhao Wei from the Defender Duke’s residence?” she asked.

“Yes, it’s him,” Prefect Liu replied kindly. “Ladies, please come back to my residence with me. I’ll also arrange for a doctor to check your pulse for peace of mind.”

Cao Wanqun didn’t want to trouble Prefect Liu.

Cao Suxue gently shook her arm, saying, “Sister, the prefect’s residence is safer than the inn.”

Unable to resist Cao Suxue’s pleading, Cao Wanqun agreed to go to Liu’s residence.

Cao Suxue smiled but couldn’t help glancing in the direction Zhao Wei and Su Wan had left, her eyes flashing with disdain for Su Wan. She thought to herself that someone of Zhao Wei’s status would never marry a woman as lowly as Su Wan. Seeing how close they were, even though they weren’t husband and wife, and noting that Su Wan wore her hair in the style of a married woman, she concluded that Su Wan was not a virtuous woman and was merely trying to climb up the social ladder.

Prefect Liu glanced at the black-clad men lying on the ground, his expression darkening. “Investigate!”

He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. If Cao Wanqun had died in his jurisdiction and he failed to apprehend the culprits, Cao Guangyi would surely hold him accountable.

Prefect Liu then escorted the two sisters to his residence, settled them in, and immediately began investigating the case.

Cao Guangyi was planning to move back to the capital, and his two daughters had returned early to settle down, taking advantage of the Mid-Autumn Festival. This was likely because they were of marriageable age and wanted to be present at the palace banquet for potential matches, where they would surely be paired with high-ranking and powerful families.

Prefect Liu, seeing this as an opportunity to align himself with such a powerful family, naturally wanted to make a good impression.

Cao Wanqun wasn’t very particular; the place Prefect Liu arranged for them was quite serene, which helped her calm down.

Cao Suxue, being a concubine’s daughter, had a mother who was a maid accompanying the legitimate wife. Due to her cunning nature and ability to please, she was greatly favored by Cao Guangyi.

Most of the time, in front of people of lower status than Cao Guangyi, she didn’t regard herself as a concubine’s daughter. She picked at a few faults and said in a delicate voice, “Sister, we need to get to the capital quickly, so we don’t miss the Mid-Autumn Festival.”

Cao Wanqun nodded slightly, “We’ll set out at dawn tomorrow.”

“Can we delay by a day?” Cao Suxue twisted her handkerchief, and a look of melancholy appearing on her delicate face. “Brother Gu is from Guangling Prefecture, and I want to know how he’s doing.”

Cao Wanqun frowned deeply, disapproving, “Suxue, Mr. Gu is a man of strong will and determination. He rejected you before, so you shouldn’t hold onto those thoughts any longer. Don’t forget, Grandmother has already chosen suitable matches for us, and this trip to the capital is for us to meet them.”

Cao Suxue lowered her eyelids, hiding the fleeting annoyance in her eyes. She was quite irritated by Cao Wanqun’s lecturing.

Cao Wanqun gently advised, “Mr. Gu is not young anymore; he may already be married. If you visit him so abruptly, it could cause him trouble.”

Cao Suxue responded half-heartedly, “I understand.”

Having been through a terrifying ordeal, Cao Wanqun was utterly exhausted, her mind in disarray, unable to notice the subtle change in Cao Suxue’s demeanor. She fell into a deep sleep before the hot water she had requested even arrived.

The two sisters encountered an ambush and split up. The black-clad men pursued Cao Wanqun relentlessly, resulting in the complete annihilation of those protecting her.

On the other hand, no one pursued Cao Suxue, and the four guards and one maid escorting her were all still alive.

Cao Suxue then instructed the guards to go to Xinghua Village and inquire about Gu Huaizhi’s whereabouts.