The suddenly uncontrollable horse caught everyone on the carriage off guard. Yan Shi An pretended to be thrown awake by the jolting, opened the carriage door, saw the situation, and shouted loudly for help.

There were still two people left on the carriage — one controlling the horse, and the other trying to force him back into the carriage while desperately trying to cover his mouth.

Yan Shi An dodged with the carriage’s shaking, calling out for help nonstop, pushing and pulling with a strength no frail scholar should have, shoving one of the men off the carriage, then snatching the reins from the other’s hands.

That man was strong, but Yan Shi An held back his strength and, despite clearly being outmatched, shouted even louder, “Help! I am Yan Shi An! This year’s imperial exam candidate, Yan Shi An!”

The man let go of the reins, freeing both hands to deal with him. Yan Shi An struggled and seized the chance to shout again, “I am Yan Shi An! Help! You will be handsomely rewarded!”

Wan Xia, dressed as a bodyguard, caught up on horseback, spurred her horse close, jumped onto the carriage, grabbed a corner of it, and kicked the man. When he retreated, she pulled Yan Shi An back inside the carriage, grabbed the reins with one hand, and attacked the man with a series of strikes aimed at his face. After several rounds of wrestling, she whipped out the long whip from her waist and wrapped it around the man, throwing him off the carriage.

Behind them, many people were chasing loudly — some were their own men, others were guards from different families.

Because Yan Shi An had announced his identity earlier, even those guards who hadn’t intended to get involved started chasing after them.

Right now, the hottest topic in the capital was the kidnapping of Yan Shi An. Every family had young masters and misses — who wouldn’t be afraid if their children got into trouble? If these kidnappers could be caught, the young masters who didn’t want to be confined at home would surely reward those who helped.

Everyone living near this spring had extraordinary family backgrounds; their guards were no ordinary people either. After capturing two of the men who were thrown off the carriage, they first dislocated their jaws to prevent them from committing suicide by poison, then tied their hands and feet to stop any further trouble. When they caught the third man, they all laughed — the whip had wrapped him tightly like a cocoon, and his jaw was crooked. It was clear that a professional had handled this.

On the carriage, Wan Xia looked back at Yan Shi An: “Are you alright?”

“A minor injury. Auntie, don’t worry.” Yan Shi An touched his forehead, which hurt badly. His hand came away wet with blood — he had hit himself hard on purpose earlier to make it look like he was more awake after the fall.

Wan Xia knew how agonizing it was to wait for time to pass little by little. From a young age, Young Master Yan had been aware of his precious and special status, and had always been treated with care. But he endured it without ever seeking out his bodyguards during the ordeal — such determination was truly strong.

What Wan Xia admired even more was his trust in the young lady. From being cautious at first to now daring to entrust his life — all in just a few short months.

“Hold on tight.”

Yan Shi An immediately clung tightly to the doorframe.

Wan Xia swung her dagger, cutting all the reins. The horse went wild and ran far away. The carriage crashed heavily to the ground. Yan Shi An, protected by Auntie, rolled off and landed on the ground, aching all over.

Their hidden followers were terrified and scrambled over quickly.

Yan Shi An’s head throbbed, and he was dizzy. Hearing vague sounds around him, he closed his eyes and half-faked unconsciousness.

“Here, here!” one follower shouted, calling everyone over.

Yan Shi An had quite a reputation in the capital. Many recognized the bloodied face as Young Master Shi An and exclaimed in shock.

Someone recalled he had a residence nearby and immediately escorted him there.

Inside Taoshengju, Second Manager Yan De Zheng was waiting. Hearing the commotion and the door open, he burst into tears when he saw his young master. He bowed deeply to everyone and asked to note down the names of all those who came to help — once the young master woke up, he would visit them to express gratitude.

The Yan family was so thoughtful; others would reciprocate, and they sat together discussing where to find a doctor.

In the capital’s vital areas, the city gates would never open at midnight unless it involved military matters. There had been others who came to this estate for recuperation before, but after today’s chaos, everyone had returned to the city. They could only find a doctor outside the city.

The guards discussed among themselves and did find one.

Yan De quickly asked them to lead the way and bring the doctor.

That night, chaos dominated most of the time. By the time it quieted down, it was nearly dawn.

Yan Shi An leaned against the bedhead, listening as Yan De carefully recounted everything he knew.

Yan Shi An already understood the whole plan clearly, but hearing Yan De’s words, he realized what it really looked like to execute the plan step by step. He realized how the tiny details made the whole matter credible. Even if the emperor or Chancellor Zhang later reviewed the entire case, they would never suspect them — everyone was a witness.

There was a knock on the door.

Yan De went to open it — it was Wan Xia.

“Auntie.”

Wan Xia handed over medicine. “Drink it with confidence, it wasn’t touched by others.”

Yan Shi An drank the perfectly cooled medicine without hesitation.

Wan Xia smiled, untied the soft cloth on his forehead, wiped most of the medicine off with a wet towel, and evenly sprinkled her own powder.

Yan Shi An let her work while asking, “Is this the same medicine you used on my arm last time?”

“Yes, it’s better than other medicine.” She rewrapped the soft cloth and said, “Those three men were captured by each family’s guards and brought here. The city gates opened once to let them in — the young lady must be anxious by now.”

Yan Shi An nodded, thinking the same.

That night, the Yan residence was brightly lit until dawn.

Hearing the morning bell, Shi Buyu, who hadn’t slept all night, said, “Yan Ze, take a few boxes of treasures to the pawnshop and wait.”

Yan Ze agreed and left quickly.

Shi Buyu blew out the candles one by one. Outside was only faint light. The study grew dark, and she sat down in the dim room.

He Yisheng quietly sat beside her with freshly made hot tea.

The sky gradually brightened.

She didn’t have to wait long. The noise came from afar, getting closer until it reached the main courtyard.

They’re back.

Shi Buyu pressed her hand on her chest and closed her eyes to calm her racing heart. No plan is foolproof, but she had the courage, and so did Yan Shi An. Although they dared to act, they still had many worries.

“I’m back.”

Shi Buyu opened her eyes, looking at the person being supported inside — a little disheveled, but otherwise okay.

“How did you get hurt? Did they hit you?”

Without asking anything else, her first concern was his injury. Yan Shi An looked at her sitting in his seat and thought even if he were injured ten times worse, it would still be worth it.

“I hurt myself trying to escape — it will be useful later.”

Since he caused the injury himself, it was within a controllable range. Shi Buyu nodded: “Were they all sent to the authorities?”

“Yes, first to the authorities. They saw my condition before returning.”

“Now you just rest. This drama should be taken over by others.”

Shi Buyu stood up: “Go lie down in your room. Someone will come soon. I’ll tell you what happened last night.”