Not long after entering the capital, the escort team encountered the Third Prince riding his horse recklessly down the street.

The streets were crowded, and the escort team had no way to avoid him. In the chaos, they accidentally collided with the Third Prince’s horse.

The horse was startled and reared up, throwing the Third Prince off its back.

At the same time, the frightened horse crashed into their carriage, shattering much of their cargo.

Rong An did not recognize the Third Prince and instinctively rushed forward to help him up.

However, the Third Prince, enraged, immediately drew his sword to kill her. In a desperate attempt to save Rong An, Rong Yunfei stepped in and took the blow for her—his entire arm was severed.

In his fury, the Third Prince ordered Rong An’s immediate execution.

He then commanded that the entire escort team be imprisoned.

Soon after, the entire Rong family was convicted of offending the Third Prince and sentenced to servitude.

Their mother could not bear the blow and passed away shortly after, leaving only the brother and sister to rely on each other.

“Since you have followed me, you are now my people. The past is the past, and we will not speak of it anymore. However, if you one day have the ability to seek revenge, I will not stop you. Just remember—think carefully before you act. Do not be reckless.”

Shen Qingwan could tell that the siblings still harbored deep hatred.

After all, their entire family had suffered unjustly, and their father had died a tragic death before their eyes.

How could they not seek vengeance?

The two siblings had expected their master to dissuade them from revenge, fearing they would cause trouble.

However…

“Thank you, Master.”

Rong Yunfei knelt and solemnly bowed to Shen Qingwan once again.

This time, the gesture came from the depths of his heart—he had fully acknowledged her as his master.

Shen Qingwan nodded.

“I have sent food for you both. Go and eat first. Afterward, Yunshuang will stay to take care of my mother. As you have seen, she is not in her right mind and cannot be left alone. Your responsibilities will be simple—one of you will serve her closely, while the other will protect her at all times.”

She didn’t need personal attendants for herself, so she assigned both of them to care for her mother instead.

“Understood, Master.”

The two siblings respectfully clasped their fists and then went to eat.

Shen Qingwan wiped her mother’s hands and fed her some food before gently holding her hand, attempting to communicate once more.

“Mother, look at me. I am Wanwan.”

This time, she didn’t call her “Mom” because she wasn’t sure if this woman retained memories from her past life or if she simply resembled her former mother.

Regardless of the truth, Shen Qingwan was determined not to abandon her.

“Wanwan? My Wanwan…”

Every time she heard this name, she would calm down, as if only this name could briefly bring her back to clarity.

Slowly, she lifted her hand and cupped Shen Qingwan’s face, staring at her as if trying to confirm something.

“Wanwan… my daughter…”

Suddenly, she pulled Shen Qingwan into her arms and burst into tears.

Shen Qingwan thought she had regained her sanity and hurriedly called out to her.

“Mother, do you remember me? Mother?”

She called several times, but there was no response.

The woman simply held her and cried for a while before falling asleep from exhaustion.

Just as Shen Qingwan tucked her mother into bed, she heard a commotion downstairs.

She stepped to the door and glanced down—official soldiers were searching the inn, holding two portraits in their hands.

Though the drawings were somewhat crude, Shen Qingwan immediately recognized that they depicted her and her mother.

So, Xu Pingwei hadn’t given up. Instead, he had brought reinforcements.

The innkeeper had seen her and her mother and would undoubtedly recognize them from the portraits.

However, Shen Qingwan had no intention of running. Since they were here to capture her, she might as well see what they planned to do.

Rong Yunfei and Rong Yunshuang also heard the disturbance and came out.

Seeing Shen Qingwan watching from the railing, they walked over to her.

“Yunfei, take these banknotes. Stay here and take care of my mother. These people are after me, so I will go with them. I’ll be back in two days at most.”

She handed Rong Yunfei two hundred taels of silver before calmly walking downstairs. Just as the soldiers prepared to storm up the stairs, she met them head-on.

The soldiers immediately surrounded her, but Shen Qingwan remained unfazed.

“Let’s go. I’ll come with you.”

She wanted to see just how corrupt the officials of Yongzhou truly were.

The soldiers, surprised by her cooperation, simply took her away without binding her. Since she wasn’t resisting, they didn’t see the need to use force.

However, instead of taking her to the government office, they brought her directly to the Xu family residence.

Xu Pingwei really had some nerve—he could actually mobilize government forces just to bring her back to his home?

Since she was here, she would make sure he learned the hard way that inviting trouble was easy, but getting rid of it was another matter entirely.

The Xu family was the most powerful clan in Yongzhou, and their residence reflected their wealth.

Red walls, green tiles, carved doors, and embroidered windows—everything was built with exquisite craftsmanship.

Upon entering, she saw rock gardens, pavilions, and vibrant flower beds. Walking through the long corridors, she was taken to Linfeng Courtyard. As night had already fallen, countless lanterns were lit, illuminating the entire courtyard.

“Third Young Master, the woman has been captured.”

A servant reported as the soldiers brought Shen Qingwan inside. Xu Pingwei, upon hearing this, immediately perked up.

“Bring her in.”

When Shen Qingwan stepped inside, she saw Xu Pingwei lounging on a cushioned couch, a concubine feeding him pastries.

His indulgent, arrogant demeanor was sickening.

Xu Pingwei dismissed the concubine with a wave of his hand before slowly approaching Shen Qingwan.

“I told you, you couldn’t escape me. In Yongzhou, there isn’t a single woman I cannot tame.”

His eyes roamed over her figure. Although she was dressed in men’s clothing, he still found her incredibly attractive.

Originally, he had planned to have her tortured, but now, he changed his mind.

“Since you have some beauty, if you obediently serve me well, I might just spare your life.”

His lecherous gaze made Shen Qingwan’s stomach churn. Before he could react, she raised her foot and kicked him flying across the room.

“You? Worthy of me serving you? Dream on.”

Xu Pingwei was stunned—she dared to strike him? And in his own home?!

He opened his mouth to call for his guards, but before he could make a sound, Shen Qingwan grabbed his jaw and dislocated it.

“AHHHH—AHHHHHH!!”

Xu Pingwei fell to the ground, clutching his chin in agony, unable to form words.

Shen Qingwan sneered.

“Little brat, you’ve kicked an iron plate this time. Since I’m already here, I might as well leave you a nice little memory.”

She proceeded to beat him mercilessly, raining down punches and kicks.

Meanwhile, the servants outside the room heard the commotion and exchanged glances.

“Hehe, our young master really plays rough. Sounds like they’re having quite the fun time in there.”

They chuckled and walked away, afraid they might overhear something they shouldn’t.