Chapter 534: Retaliation (Part Two)
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A whistling arrow tore through the night sky, exploding into a dazzling display.
Inside the pitch-black carriage, Madam Cui, her daughter-in-law, and granddaughter clung together tightly, too terrified to make a sound. There were a few small ventilation holes inside the carriage, but they were clearly insufficient for the hot summer night. Soon, the three of them were soaked in sweat, their breathing becoming heavy.
Lady Qian, worriedly supporting Madam Cui, asked in a low voice, “Mother, are you feeling unwell?”
Madam Cui gripped her collar, trying to take deep breaths, attempting to calm her rapidly beating heart, and forced out, “I’m fine, don’t worry about me.”
Lady Qian felt the sweat on her forehead and said, “Just bear with it. Let me fetch some water for you.”
Madam Cui nodded laboriously, unable to speak any further.
Lady Qian let go of her and fumbled for the tea cabinet, only to find with a bitter smile that the tea had spilled during the earlier commotion. The only maid remaining in the carriage said, “Madam, don’t worry. Let me check if there’s still some water in the kettle.”
As she spoke, a sudden commotion outside the carriage erupted. The horses pulling the carriage suddenly reared up, emitting agonized neighs once again. The carriage shook violently, and Madam Cui and Su, caught off guard, fell from their seats.
Lady Qian’s head also slammed against the carriage wall, causing a sharp pain. She heard Fu Mingzheng’s stern voice, “Kill that horse! Kill that horse!”
The carriage finally stabilized, and Lady Qian, ignoring her headache, struggled to ask Madam Cui and Lady Su, “Mother, second sister-in-law, are you both alright?”
In the darkness, Lady Su’s frightened voice came, “Mother seems to have fainted!”
Lady Qian was startled and shouted loudly outside the carriage, “Fourth brother, Mother has fainted!”
Fu Mingzheng’s eyes burned with fury as he gritted his teeth and ordered the swiftly approaching guards of Ying Wang Mansion, “Surround them from both sides! Leave only the necessary alive, kill the rest on the spot!” Then, he instructed Xie Siqi, the captain of the Fu Mansion’s guards, “You immediately ride to Ying Wang Mansion for help and bring Doctor Tang!”
In Ying Wang Mansion, Yuwen Chu received congratulations from the officials and aides, smiling as he ordered money to be distributed. Then, he heard a sharp sound, and Jing Song hurriedly entered, whispering, “Fourth Master and Madam Fu were attacked on their way back to the mansion. It seems quite serious.”
Yuwen Chu quickly stood up, saying sternly, “Mobilize the men! Follow me to the rescue! Jing Song, watch over the mansion. If anything goes wrong, I’ll hold you accountable!” Then, he added, “Bring Tang Chunlai along. There might be casualties.”
Mingzhu had a restless dream. She saw the newborn Zhuangzhuang, her fourth brother, Yuwen Chu, her parents, and the elderly Great Empress Dowager with white hair. She woke up from the dream, feeling like there was a stone pressing on her chest, making her very uncomfortable.
Su Lan came over and softly asked, “Does Wangfei feel thirsty?”
Mingzhu took a sip of warm water from her hand and asked, “What time is it?”
Su Lan replied, “It’s almost noon.”
She had slept for so long. Mingzhu sat up and asked, “Where’s Zhuangzhuang?”
Su Lan said, “He just finished nursing and fell asleep. Does Wangfei want to see him? I’ll have the wet nurse bring him over.”
Mingzhu hesitated, “I’ll go see him myself. Don’t wake him up.”
Su Lan urged anxiously, “But you’re still in confinement. You shouldn’t be moving around.”
Mingzhu shrugged it off. Other than some discomfort below, she felt fine. Besides, the child was just next door, only a few steps away, and there was no draft. What harm could come?
Suddenly, Yuwen Chu came in, frowning. “What’s gotten into you? Even if you have a strong constitution, you shouldn’t be so careless.”
Seeing his serious expression, Mingzhu instinctively felt that something major had happened. Not wanting to provoke him further, she quickly lay back down, trying to appease him. “I just missed the baby and you.”
“We’re both fine.” Yuwen Chu hesitated whether to tell her about last night’s events. The casualties were minor, with all the enemy assassins killed, leaving behind some crossbow arrows. Fu Mingzheng, Lady Qian, and Lady Su sustained only flesh wounds, but Madam Cui fell from her seat and hit her head, still unconscious.
Although they didn’t gain an advantage, with Madam Cui injured, they still suffered a major loss.
Yuwen Chu’s anger surged upward, but seeing Mingzhu’s uneasy expression, he suppressed his anger and decided not to tell her. He forced a smile, “Everyone is fine. You focus on recuperating. If you miss the child, just have them bring him over. I need to step out for a moment. If you need anything, send a message to me through Zhou Shuyi. He knows where to find me.”
“Alright.” Once Yuwen Chu left, Mingzhu grabbed Su Lan and asked, “What happened?”
Su Lan had been instructed in advance and smiled, “Nothing happened. It seems to be a summons from the palace, probably some administrative matter went awry. His Highness is dealing with it.”
Mingzhu glanced at Su Lan and didn’t pursue further. She knew when Su Lan was lying because her left eyebrow would slightly raise. She had noticed this since childhood.
But Su Lan rarely lied, especially not to her. If Su Lan did lie to her, there must be a reason she couldn’t avoid, and regular questioning wouldn’t yield answers. So she didn’t ask further.
Rong Momo, who was responsible for Mingzhu’s postpartum care, entered with a bowl of medicinal oil. “Your Highness looks good. I’ll massage your abdomen with this oil. It might be a bit uncomfortable, but it can help expel lochia and restore your figure.”
Mingzhu laid quietly and endured the uncomfortable massage. If something serious had indeed happened, she needed to recover quickly to assist her family and Yuwen Chu instead of being a burden to them.
Rong Momo, sweating profusely from the massage, rinsed her hands and then personally brought a medicinal soup for Mingzhu to drink. “This soup helps with recovery. It’s a bit bitter, but Your Highness, please bear with it.”
Mingzhu drank it, and Rong Momo left contentedly. Then the meal attendant came to serve food, and Mingzhu ate quietly. After finishing, she didn’t feel like sleeping, so she reclined against the pillow to rest.
She reviewed the recent situation in the capital. Yuwen Chu had been busy lately, making significant efforts and gains, but her father and Yuwen Chu had both warned her that this relatively calm situation couldn’t last long. After all, the Great Empress Dowager, Min, Zhongshan Wang, Yuwen Long, and Yuwen You couldn’t possibly allow Yuwen Chu to manage his reputation so unrestrainedly. It was likely that once Yuwen Chu had sorted out the tangled mess, they would join forces to push him out.
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