Wu Caiwei didn't notice his oddity. She quickly stepped forward, snatched the wooden stick from one of the servants, and with a swift, precise move, knocked them to the ground. The servants looked at her with terrified eyes; none dared to step forward again. Wu Caiwei, holding Ouyang Chenxi's hand, walked step by step towards the entrance. The servants exchanged glances and rushed towards her, planning a sneak attack. As if she had eyes in the back of her head, Wu Caiwei used her internal energy to send them flying.
As angry as he was, Old Master Ouyang could only watch them leave. Madame Ouyang, who had been hiding behind him, peeked out. Seeing that they were gone, she breathed a sigh of relief. In the past, she had never taken Wu Caiwei seriously and had planned to visit her manor when she had time to dictate terms and teach her how to be a proper daughter-in-law. After witnessing her prowess today, not only did she not dare to cause trouble, but she would also avoid her in the future.
Old Master Zhou, who was anxiously waiting at home, did not get the outcome he desired. Everywhere in the city, Ouyang Chenxi was being berated for his lack of filial piety, and the situation had escalated beyond his expectations. While others participated in the discussion with a gossipy, onlooker mentality, Old Master Ouyang felt a sense of dizziness and numbly returned to prepare the silver.
Ouyang Chenxi knew how harshly he was being condemned, but he didn't care. He held a sinecure anyway, and at worst, he could lose his official post and become an ordinary citizen.
After several days of turmoil, despite the Emperor's fervent attempts to save the Princess's life, she ultimately passed away. He hid in the palace, weeping in secret, reminiscing about every moment he had spent with the Empress. His heart ached unbearably. Previously, he could have compensated for his shortcomings towards her by doting on their daughter. Now, even his daughter was gone, leaving him with a sense of utter despair. After crying and grieving, he recalled the princess's final days, when she had repeatedly mentioned Zhou Jiayang and expressed her hatred. Suddenly, he felt a surge of renewed energy.
In the past few days, Zhou Jiayang had been unusually quiet and well-behaved, albeit reluctantly admitting no guilt, due to his recent blunder. He had been hiding in his manor, rarely venturing out. One day, he was lying in bed as usual, sleeping soundly. Suddenly, he felt someone standing at the foot of his bed. He immediately opened his eyes, his expression turning to one of horror. Before he could even scream, his mouth was covered.
When he woke up again, he found himself completely immobilized, lying inside a sack. The movement beneath him indicated he was in a carriage. He struggled, but after a long time, he was exhausted without any sign of loosening. Suddenly, his back was roughly kicked. The pain was so intense he wished he could die. The assailant impatiently said, "Behave yourself. We'll be there soon. If you move again, I'll kill you." Zhou Jiayang was terrified. Kidnapped in the dead of night and brought to this unknown location, he had no idea what their intentions were. The bumping of the carriage suggested they had already left the capital, likely heading to some desolate wilderness. He feared he might die here without the murderers ever being found. However, his fear did not last long. The carriage stopped, and he was unceremoniously thrown out, landing with a thud. Then, he heard the rustling of shoes on fallen leaves, growing closer.
"Good sirs, I have money. I can give you all of it. If you think it's not enough, I can go and borrow more. I beg you to spare me," Zhou Jiayang pleaded, trembling. But the footsteps continued to approach. Soon, he felt pain all over his body. After an unknown amount of beating, the sack was untied. Before Zhou Jiayang could get a clear look at his assailants, they roughly tore off his clothes. He instinctively tried to protect himself, but their numbers were overwhelming, and he was no match for them. They left him with only his pants and quickly drove away in the carriage.
Safe from immediate danger, he breathed a sigh of relief and surveyed his surroundings. It was pitch black, and the distant mountains looked like monsters with gaping maws. He was too scared to look further. It was autumn, and the nights were cold. A gust of wind made him shiver. He hugged himself tightly. The howl of wolves in the distance made him feel an urge to cry. "Who would be so heartless as to abandon me in this place? Even if I can make it back to the capital by dawn, I'll cause a stir dressed like this. I'll never be able to show my face in public again." Zhou Jiayang wiped his tears and cursed. This situation wouldn't do. He followed the path the group had taken, walking one step forward and one step back into the mud. In his life, he had never walked such a long distance. As dawn broke, he miraculously spotted a farmhouse. He stealthily climbed the wall and saw un-dried clothes hanging in the yard. It was a godsend. He hastily grabbed a piece of clothing and fled. By the time the sun was directly overhead, he saw the gates of the capital. Tired and hungry, despite his disheveled appearance, he blended in with the crowd. The guards at the gate stared at him, then, after a moment, excitedly ran back shouting, "Young master is back! Young master is back!"
"My child, how did you end up like this?" Madame Zhou, having heard the news of her son, rushed out immediately, grabbing his hand and looking him up and down. Seeing his numerous injuries, she asked with concern. He told them everything that had happened to him the previous night without any omission. "Could it be the Ouyang family?" Madame Zhou was the first to suspect Wu Caiwei. Father and son remained silent. In reality, they had thought of the same thing. After all, they had only offended the Ouyang family recently, and with their methods, dealing with the Zhou family would be easy. Wu Caiwei listened as Old Master Zhou, who stood before her, furiously rebuked her from the moment they met. After some explanation, she finally understood that Zhou Jiayang had been beaten yesterday, and they were convinced she was responsible. Wu Caiwei quickly interrupted, impatiently saying, "You've got the wrong person. It wasn't me." Old Master Zhou's next words caught in his throat. He didn't know whether to deny it or not. After stammering for a while, he asked doubtfully, "If not you, then who?" Wu Caiwei looked at him with a half-smile, saying meaningfully, "I heard the Princess died. Before she went into the palace, Zhou Jiayang acted so conspicuously. Do you think she might have guessed something? What if she revealed it to the Emperor? The pain of losing her daughter..." "You mean the mastermind is the Emperor? How is that possible?" Old Master Zhou didn't want to believe it, and he didn't want to believe it. Given the couple's behavior, they wouldn't lie to him. This meant it was indeed possible that the Emperor wanted revenge for his daughter. If that were the case, the Zhou family was doomed.