The physician bowed respectfully after listening to Vice City Lord Wang's questions.
"My lord, Miss Wang lost a lot of blood, but thankfully, the rescue was timely. Her life is not in danger for now."
Vice City Lord Wang glanced at Wang Zhilan lying on the bed, her face drained of color, then pursed her lips and walked out of the room.
"Find me the woman who was last with the young lady!"
"Yes!"
"Yes!"
"Yes!"
...
After several guards acknowledged her command, she turned to the steward behind her and said,
"With my City Lord's decree, the city gates are to be sealed tight for the next few days. Additionally, dispatch the city guard to search house by house within the city. I refuse to believe the perpetrator can grow wings and fly away!"
How dare they harm her daughter, Wang Man! She would make them regret being born into this world!
...
Chenxiang Academy.
Yellow Class Seven.
As soon as Nian Jiaojiao arrived in class, she was surrounded by her classmates.
"Class Leader Nian, you were invited to City Lord Wang's mansion yesterday, weren't you?"
"Class Leader Nian, Class Leader Nian, I heard that the garden of the Wang mansion is larger than our Chenxiang Academy, and many of the flowers there are rare specimens. Is this true?"
"Class Leader Nian, I heard that Qingquan the hermit was also invited to the Wang mansion. Did you see her in person? I've bought her entire collection of poetry!"
"Hey! Class Leader Nian, all the noble young men from Fengcheng attended the banquet. It's said they even performed talents. I wonder…"
"What the heck, why are you so vulgar? Let me say it, cough cough, Class Leader Nian, can you give us a ranking!"
"…"
Nian Jiaojiao was overwhelmed by the questions, feeling like a thousand sparrows were chirping around her head.
At this moment, Xin Lian, the little gossip monger, stepped forward to rescue her.
"Quiet! Everyone quiet down!"
As the person who provided gossip to everyone daily, Xin Lian held a certain status in Class Seven. Gradually, everyone quieted down.
"Everyone, please listen to me. What you're asking isn't the most important thing. A major event also happened at the Wang mansion yesterday!"
Xin Lian smiled mysteriously at everyone.
"What happened? What happened?"
Everyone turned their gaze towards her.
"City Lord Wang's daughter, Wang Zhilan, was attacked last night!"
Xin Lian's words caused the scene to become boisterous again.
She made a "shush" gesture, and her classmates quickly fell silent.
Suddenly, someone asked,
"Xin Lian, although you're well-informed, City Lord Wang wouldn't let news like this get out, would she? How did you find out?"
Xin Lian proudly lifted her head and said,
"Do you know who my maternal aunt's cousin's daughter is?"
Everyone shook their heads.
"She's the captain of the seventh squadron of the city guard!"
Everyone exchanged glances, unsure how to respond.
Xin Lian continued,
"Do you know? Yesterday, City Lord Wang ordered the city guard to search house by house for the assassin!"
Hearing this, Nian Jiaojiao also perked up her ears.
"Was the assassin found?" everyone asked.
"No," Xin Lian shook her head. "It's not that easy. However, I think it's only a matter of time before they find the person. The City Lord has closed the city gates! Oh, and Class Leader Nian!"
This sudden calling out made Nian Jiaojiao's heart jump. She smiled and asked, "What is it?"
"The incident last night was so big, don't you know? The assassin appeared, were you present?" Xin Lian asked.
Even if she sent the city guard to find the assassin, City Lord Wang wouldn't tell everyone that the assassin was the concubine her daughter brought back to the mansion to "play with."
In the end, the concubine wasn't "played with," and the "weapon" was lost.
Nian Jiaojiao replied to Xin Lian's question,
"No, I hadn't heard about the attack on the Young Miss before I left the Wang mansion last night, and throughout the banquet, she sat at the main seat the entire time."
Not only did she sit at the main seat, but she also kept glaring at her...
...
Five days later.
Wang Mansion.
Clang—
"Get out! Get out!"
Wang Zhilan, having regained consciousness, desperately smashed the things in the room.
"Miss, Miss, you... Ouch!"
The maid who stepped forward to dissuade her was hit directly on the forehead by a hard object, and blood immediately streamed down her forehead.
"Zhilan! What are you doing?"
Vice City Lord Wang's footsteps were blocked by an object thrown at her feet as she entered the room.
Seeing her mother, Wang Zhilan stopped smashing things and sat on the ground, cradling her chest and sobbing,
"Gone, all gone! Wuwuwu..."
Vice City Lord Wang looked at the bandaged wound on her daughter's chest, which was oozing blood, and frowned.
"You've just recovered, how can you make such strenuous movements!"
After speaking, she scolded the maid, whose forehead was still bleeding,
"How were you watching the young lady? Go and receive your punishment!"
The maid, with a pale face, bowed to Vice City Lord Wang and left the room.
Then, Vice City Lord Wang turned to the medical officer beside her and said,
"Please, sir, examine my daughter again and re-dress her wound."
This medical officer had retired from the court and come to Fengcheng. He was a fifth-rank official, and in terms of rank, he was no lower than her.
As he worked in the court, his connections were wider than hers, so she naturally dared not put on airs in front of him.
After the medical officer finished bandaging Wang Zhilan, City Lord Wang spoke quietly with him outside the door.
"Sir, for my daughter's… can it grow back?"
"Is City Lord Wang joking? How can severed limbs regenerate?"
"What about the rumored masters?"
Upon hearing City Lord Wang's words, the medical officer's expression changed. "Vice City Lord Wang, have you forgotten the dynasty's rules?"
"Sir, I am merely concerned for my beloved daughter. As long as you can help me connect with them, I am willing to pay any price!"
The medical officer's expression softened slightly upon hearing this, but he still shook his head.
"It's not that I don't want to help you. They say I am fifth-rank, but how can I possibly connect with... However, don't you have connections in Qingzhou? Perhaps the lord there could... Having said that, I shall take my leave now."
Vice City Lord Wang quickly took out banknotes from her embrace and handed them over.
"A small token of my appreciation. Thank you for your guidance, sir."
The medical officer naturally accepted the banknotes and turned to leave the Wang mansion.
When Vice City Lord Wang returned to Wang Zhilan's room, she saw her daughter staring blankly at the ceiling with a heartbroken expression. She said with frustrated disappointment,
"Zhilan, if you continue like this, don't say you're my daughter."
Wang Zhilan did not respond.
"Zhilan, you've lost... but you still have a mother. In the future, you will inherit everything in this Wang mansion, and even more. From now on, I won't interfere with how you want to play."
Hearing Vice City Lord Wang's words, Wang Zhilan's eyes moved.
"Mother, is that true?"
"Of course!" httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět
Wang Zhilan regained some vitality. She sat up and then said hatefully,
"Mother, did you catch that slut? I want to deal with her myself!"
Upon hearing Wang Zhilan's words, Vice City Lord Wang's expression turned unpleasant.
Fengcheng had been sealed for three days, and despite searching house by house, the perpetrator's trace had not been found.
She wondered where this little rat had hidden herself!
Even more infuriating was that Ying Fengxian chose this moment to oppose her, saying that the prolonged sealing of the city affected people's livelihoods, and opened the city despite her objections.
Hmph!
Let alone people's livelihoods, the entire Fengcheng couldn't compare to her daughter!