"Pay them no mind, they will leave on their own soon enough," Wu Caiwei said calmly.
The crowd breathed a sigh of relief. They had witnessed the capabilities of these individuals earlier and knew they were highly skilled martial artists. Not wanting further involvement, they felt as if they had received a great pardon upon hearing the young lady's words and quickly dispersed.
King Xiaoyao's jaw dropped as he watched the guards, who had supported each other back, report their failure. He had heard that Wu Caiwei's martial arts were extraordinary and had dispatched extra men, but they had still returned defeated.
How formidable was her martial prowess? The thought alone was terrifying. At that moment, he truly understood his imperial brother's words: sometimes, a killer could end your life without you even realizing who the perpetrator was.
His interest in her had completely vanished. He couldn't afford to provoke such a woman. However, had his men been lost in vain? He had few personal guards, and his heart bled when he heard they were all incapacitated.
Despite Wu Caiwei's strict household management, the events of the previous night were still terrifying and had spread.
However, most people didn't believe it. They had heard that Wu Caiwei came from a brothel. If she possessed such high martial skills, how could she have stayed in such a place for over a decade? Of course, they still kept this in mind and secretly resolved to stay far away from her in the future.
Wu Caiwei had anticipated this and was not surprised. As a person silently appeared before her, she suddenly felt grateful for her mercy yesterday in not capturing them all and making it widely known. This way, the person she had been searching for had finally appeared.
Yes, the person who appeared before her was Shangguan Ke. Upon hearing the news, he had a gut feeling that the person must be her. After inquiring about her past deeds, he decided to try his luck.
The moment they met, both felt a sense of joyous tears. That very evening, Wu Caiwei brought Shangguan Ke back to her own courtyard, introducing him to the outside world as her fiancé.
The people in the courtyard never pried, but they still overheard some gossip. After all, when they went out, the older folks looked at them with disdain. They heard it was because their young lady had been a courtesan, and in their eyes, everyone in their household was inferior. They also heard that the young lady's fiancé had passed the imperial examinations and abandoned her, so why had another fiancé suddenly appeared?
The masses didn't dwell on what they couldn't understand. Their reputation was already in tatters, and it was best for them to involve themselves less in the young lady's affairs.
Everything was as before. Shangguan Ke rarely ventured out, hiding in the courtyard to secretly practice martial arts. During this time, the Shangguan family had not given up on him, and they periodically sent people to search the countryside for his whereabouts. For this reason, he had already changed locations several times. This time, he intended to hide in the capital, acting boldly right under their noses. After all, the most dangerous place was often the safest.
The peaceful days did not last long. One day, as Wu Caiwei stepped out, she encountered a group of ragged villagers. The moment they saw her, they exclaimed in surprise, "You are Meng'er, aren't you?"
Wu Caiwei looked at them with a puzzled expression and searched through the original owner's memories, certain that she had no prior connection with them.
Seeing her expression, the group knew they had found the right person. They excitedly slapped their thighs and declared loudly, "We are your family! We haven't seen you for so many years, you've forgotten all about us."
Wu Caiwei looked at their reproachful expressions, feeling somewhat speechless. These were likely her real family. Who else would have traveled all the way to the capital to find them? Of course, after so many years of absence, were they truly her family? Wu Caiwei was unwilling to admit it.
"You've mistaken me for someone else. Although I am Meng'er, I was born in a brothel and raised in a brothel. The madam there told me I was an unwanted child, and I never heard of having any family," Wu Caiwei said with a smile, her tone calm and distant.
This was not what they had expected. Weren't children who lacked parental care from a young age supposed to desperately crave family affection when they grew up? Shouldn't she welcome them in, treat them to the best, and look at them with filial love?
"We are truly your parents. We were poor back then and had no choice but to abandon you. We only left after seeing a kind person carry you away, assuring us you were safe. We were reluctant, but we had to. After all, at that time, our family didn't even have food to eat; we would have starved to death sooner or later. Giving you away was a way to save your life." Meng'er's father quickly followed along, fabricating a story.
They had heard that their daughter was now doing well and had come to see if there were any benefits to be gained. They would never admit that they had deliberately sold her to a brothel because the brothel offered a high price. Anyone would find that unbearable.
After selling her, fearing that word would spread and they would be ostracized by the clan, the couple even staged a scene, pretending to search for her diligently and crying to anyone who would listen about how heartbroken they were at losing their child, garnering some sympathy.
Wu Caiwei sneered inwardly. If the original owner hadn't been so sharp-witted, she would have been completely fooled by them. Although life in the brothel was difficult, for the original owner, her childhood at home was the real nightmare.
She was underfed, ill-clothed, forced to do endless chores, and constantly beaten. As a result, at such a young age, she was exceptionally silent, thin, and frail, showing no hint of her current extraordinary appearance.
Upon entering the brothel, she studied with exceptional diligence, exceeding all the tasks assigned by her mentors. At a young age, she became a renowned talent, holding the position of courtesan for many years.
"Looking at you, your family must be extremely poor. Who knows if you've come to swindle money? Besides, women who enter a brothel sign a contract of indenture and have no further relationship with their families. If you continue to harass me, I won't hesitate to send you to the yamen for the magistrate to judge," Wu Caiwei said calmly.
Ordinary people feared entanglement with the yamen the most. Hearing that they would be reported to the authorities made them falter. In truth, the original owner's father was a shiftless fellow. If Wu Caiwei hadn't been adorned with gold and jewelry and followed by her personal maid, the great disparity between them would have made him want to step forward and teach this unfilial daughter a lesson.
"We are truly your family. Even if you report us to the magistrate, it cannot change that fact. If you don't let us into our home, we will squat at the doorstep and refuse to leave." The original owner's mother, seeing her husband waver, quickly seized the opportunity. She didn't want to let such a sure thing slip away.
"Is that so? If you have the ability, then stay here. If I compromise, consider me the loser." After saying this, Wu Caiwei stopped paying attention to them and walked directly towards her shop.