Chapter 575: The Wangfei’s Good Fortune
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Madam Qian was puzzled, “What’s going on? How can we be lucky when someone has been kidnapped? I want to see who dares to take advantage of us. I’ll make them regret it!”
Lord Qian frowned impatiently, “Alright, alright, you still don’t know how lucky we are.” He looked around and whispered in Madam Qian’s ear, “That Jiang Zhouzi escaped on his own. He’s probably a fake, specifically targeting Ying Wangfei. Do you understand now?”
Madam Qian, who had always been quick-witted, was at a loss for words, staring blankly at Lord Qian without saying a word.
Lord Qian reached out to help her close her mouth, his face stern, “Hurry up and go ahead! Arrange for people to watch over, and make sure nothing goes wrong. Otherwise, if anything happens in our mansion, we won’t be able to escape!” After speaking, he quickly went to the front, ordered people to search for suspicious individuals, and sent someone to Ying Wang Mansion to deliver a message and apologize, expressing gratitude for their good fortune.
The sound of suona played loudly, firecrackers crackled, and the groom’s procession arrived. Several servants and attendants exchanged glances, ready to slip away with the crowd. But someone behind them shouted loudly, “Who are you servants from? Why do you look so unfamiliar?”
Among the group, only the last person stopped calmly, smiling and said, “We’re here to help from the Xia family.” While he spoke, the others continued to calmly walk away.
The person who stopped them frowned and shouted loudly, “I’m from the Xia family. How come I don’t recognize you?” Seeing the others fleeing faster, the first one had already left the Qian mansion’s gate, so he shouted, “Stop, all of you! Catch the thieves!”
The fleeing individuals sprinted away. The last one left pulled out a gleaming long knife from his sleeve without hesitation, pointing it at the closest bridesmaid and shouted, “Anyone dare to come closer, and I’ll kill her! I’ll turn your joyous occasion into a funeral!”
The crowd parted, and Qian Muyi walked out with a cold face, waving his hand coldly, “Fifty taels of gold for capturing the criminals!” As the head of the family and the current Chief Minister of the Dali Temple, he held great authority. With his command, no one dared to question. Moreover, since most of the male guests who came to congratulate were officials of the Dali Temple, they immediately rushed out, not assessing their martial prowess but relying solely on their intimidation and threat skills.
For a while, chaos ensued. Madam Qian’s face turned red with anxiety, shouting hoarsely, “Continue the celebration! The groom and his party are coming here with the bride sedan chair. They are catching the criminals; we’ll welcome our relatives!”
Mingzhu received the news from the mansion over an hour later. The mansion had sent the most trusted steward, Wei Qiming, to report the matter to Yuwen Chu. Since Yuwen Chu wasn’t at home, Mingzhu personally received him.
Wei Qiming first apologized and then recounted the incident vividly, describing the scene to Mingzhu: “Thanks to the good fortune of Wangfei, she managed to keep the situation under control, forcing the old swindler to reveal his true colors and flee. Our master, inspired by Wangfei, immediately ordered a search of suspicious individuals. Upon investigation, we indeed found many problems. Some were scared and fled through the back door, some climbed over the walls in panic, and others ran out through the front gate in haste. Oh, Wangfei, you didn’t witness it, but that person had quite the audacity. Even after being exposed, they dared to harm others, hiding a knife in their sleeve…
It’s also thanks to Wangfei’s good fortune that she kept the situation in check. Our master shouted loudly and offered a generous reward for the capture of the culprit. This frightened the villain so much that they dropped their knife on the spot. Everyone rushed to catch the culprit, and our Madam, fearless in the face of danger, ensured that the celebration proceeded smoothly. It’s all thanks to Wangfei’s blessings that our mansion averted disaster and continues to be filled with joy.”
Mingzhu almost spurted out her tea. Sure enough, they were from the Chief Minister’s mansion, playing their words so skillfully. She became alert. It was fortunate that she had good luck. She inadvertently learned from An Xiaogu about the iron caltrops, which was indeed true. Escaping swiftly and avoiding a disaster was also true. But how did the Qian family’s situation relate to her good fortune? They even claimed to be inspired by her. Why didn’t they praise Qian Muyi’s intelligence and competence? And Madam Qian’s performance was admirable, another heroine among women.
Wei Qiming eagerly looked at her, respectfully saying, “Although the wedding has been disrupted, it’s still a matter of concern. Some guests were frightened. Our master and mistress need to reassure the guests and can’t free themselves up. So, they sent me here to apologize and explain the situation. As soon as they handle things, they will personally come to apologize to His Highness and the Wangfei.”
Mingzhu commented, “It’s understandable. Lord and Madam Qian are both righteous and courageous, which I truly admire. Steward Wei, please convey my gratitude to your master and mistress for their hospitality. I’ve caused them trouble, but thanks to them, the wedding wasn’t disrupted. Otherwise, I would have been restless.”
Wei Qiming was very pleased. Originally, their master and mistress were worried that Ying Wang Mansion would blame them for bringing in a deceitful impostor and allowing so many assassins and evildoers to infiltrate the mansion, nearly endangering Ying Wangfei. But now, Ying Wangfei not only didn’t blame them but also showed understanding and generosity. If he handled things well, he would surely be heavily rewarded!
Mingzhu then asked, “Were any of the culprits captured alive?”
Wei Qiming’s face immediately fell, “They fled, and then three were caught, but they all died. They died terribly. Our master said they had poison hidden in their teeth.” Pausing for a moment, he added somewhat hesitantly, “And there was another one who was too audacious. He held a knife to a bridesmaid’s neck and was beaten to death on the spot.”
Alright. Mingzhu instructed Wei Qiming, “Please ask Lord Qian to come over and explain how they found the fake Jiang Zhouzi when he’s available.”
Not long after Wei Qiming left, Jing Song returned with people. He carefully showed Mingzhu several iron caltrops, saying, “These were found along our intended route back to the mansion. I also went to retrieve the iron caltrops that Marquis Runan’s horse stepped on during the incident on the road. They are the same.”
The two looked at each other, both sensing a lingering fear. If Mingzhu hadn’t left early but followed Madam Qian’s advice to go to the Qian mansion’s backyard to meet that suddenly appearing Jiang Zhouzi, she might have been killed or abducted. Even if Jing Song and the others caught up, the other party could have blocked their pursuit with the iron caltrops.
Similarly, if she had narrowly escaped the Jiang Zhouzi’s hands and left by the original route, the other party would have had other tricks waiting for her, such as scattering iron caltrops on the road to injure the horse, making it impossible to advance, or using other means to kill her.
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