Master Wang, upon receiving the letter, did not hesitate to act as his daughter advised. "Every man for himself, and heaven help the rest," he thought. As long as he was safe, everything else was just floating clouds.
Meanwhile, the prefect also received a letter. After reading its contents, he sighed, lamenting that after so many years as a county magistrate, he still couldn't resist temptation.
When the county magistrate came to Master Wang's door again, he was refused entry. He knew then that things had taken a turn for the worse and a bad premonition stirred in his heart.
He rushed to find the prefect, but no matter how he pleaded, the gatekeepers wouldn't let him in. This had never happened before, and his premonition grew stronger.
With no one to turn to, he sought out Wu Caiwei again. To his surprise, she showed no hint of surprise. In Wu Caiwei's estimation, anyone who would treat the An family that way could not be a good person. Naturally, she assumed that whatever trouble they encountered, they would find a way to extricate themselves completely.
"I beg you, can you return those two gold ingots to me?" the county magistrate pleaded, his eyes full of desperation, clinging to his last hope.
"That is impossible. You all conspired to frame me. Now you ask for my pity? If our positions were reversed, would you pity me?" Wu Caiwei posed a soul-searching question. Although she felt some sympathy for the magistrate's plight, she had no regrets about her actions. If she had to do it all over again, she would choose the same path.
"I know I was wrong. Please, have pity on me. I cannot afford to have anything happen. I have elders and young ones at home. Moreover, the theft of state treasury funds will undoubtedly lead to the execution of my entire family. I admit I acted selfishly and conspired with them to frame you, but my family is innocent. I owe you, and this has nothing to do with them. Please, spare their lives. My life is in your hands. Do with me as you will," the county magistrate knelt on the ground, weeping and begging.
"When you embarked on this course of action, you should have considered the consequences. What use is it to beg me now? You were the one who didn't consider their lives and safety in your heart," Wu Caiwei remained unmoved. Although she understood that the magistrate's family was innocent, as she had said, he was the one who hadn't considered them.
No matter how the county magistrate pleaded, Wu Caiwei remained firm. Finally, he left with a sense of utter despair.
Walking on the bustling streets, only two words echoed in his mind: "It's over."
He hurried back to his manor and gave his trusted subordinate some instructions. He told him to take the money and their younger son and flee, to live under a new identity and continue the family bloodline.
At the same time, he sent people to keep an eye on the Wang family. As soon as he heard news of the Wang family's only son leaving, he, along with some desperate criminals from prison, had the son kidnapped.
"Isn't the magistrate afraid we'll just escape?" one of the murderers asked, his face grim.
"Although you are ruthless killers, I believe you value your word. We have kidnapped the Wang family's only son, and we can definitely extort a sum of money from the Wang family. Then I will give you some of it, and you can disappear and live freely," the county magistrate replied without hesitation. Su Dan Novel Network
The county magistrate was also a ruthless man. Knowing he was doomed, he directly selected death row inmates from the prison and struck a deal with them. If they helped him accomplish one task, he would not only set them free but also give them a sum of money.
He had his reasons for choosing these men. Although they were murderers, they were loyal and kept their word. Since he was in this predicament because he had helped the Wang family, and now his entire family was at stake while the Wang family had turned their backs on him, he decided that no one would escape.
He knew without a doubt that this matter would be pinned on him, so he decided to exact his revenge personally before he died.
In truth, he also harbored resentment towards Ouyang Xue. He was certain she had hidden the gold, refusing to give it to him. Once he dealt with the Wang family, he would have a proper reckoning with her.
Wu Caiwei had anticipated that the county magistrate might turn against her. For now, she had no immediate family. Even if something happened to the Ouyang family, she wouldn't intervene. Furthermore, outsiders were unaware of her relationship with An Yu Chen, so the An family wouldn't be implicated. She had nothing to worry about. She believed that with her martial arts and medical skills, as long as she was careful, no one could harm her.
Just then, she heard earth-shattering news: the Chen family had encountered trouble. With so many things happening recently, they had almost slipped her mind, and now they had re-entered her focus in such a way.
Ever since her miscarriage, Liu Wen Yu had felt that she had married poorly. She lorded over the Chen family, acting as if she had nothing to lose, completely disregarding the Chen family's reputation and escalating every minor incident.
Chen's mother already harbored deep hatred for her. Seeing her stir up trouble every day and disrupt the household, while Chen's father remained bedridden, she formed a plan.
That night, Liu Wen Yu drank a bowl of soup with an unusual ingredient. She found the soup tasted strange, different from the usual flavor, but she couldn't quite articulate why. She never considered that Chen's mother might intend to harm her.
After finishing the nourishing soup, she handed the bowl to her maid. Feeling restless, she decided to go to the courtyard for some fresh air. As soon as she stepped out, she overheard the maid and an old servant woman whispering.
"Isn't it strange? The mistress is usually asleep by now. Why is she in the kitchen at this hour? Did she discover I was stealing food?" the maid said worriedly.
"You're overthinking it. If she had discovered it, she would have made a scene then and there. Do you think she would come here to inspect things properly?" the old servant woman disagreed. After much thought, she said uncertainly, "Do you think she might have put something unclean in the young mistress's soup?"
The maid was startled by her words and quickly glanced towards the main courtyard. Seeing no one, she patted her chest in fear. "You don't mean it, do you?"
"The people in the Chen family are all ruthless. Have you forgotten how the master became paralyzed? Besides, the young mistress has been causing a lot of trouble lately. Mark my words, the madam and the young master will find a way to deal with her sooner or later," the old servant woman asserted confidently.
"Now that you mention it, I do think it's possible. They were capable of harming the master without a second thought. And they were originally targeting the former young mistress, who slaved away for the Chen family for twenty years. They acted without batting an eye. What's to say they wouldn't do the same to her?" The maid considered this and nodded in agreement.
What else did they say? Liu Wen Yu didn't hear. Her mind was a blank, her heart pounded with fear. She felt as though she had uncovered a shocking secret of the Chen family. Recalling the strange taste of the soup she had just drunk, she felt as though she was about to die.
Unwilling to wait passively for death, she tucked a dagger from her bedside into her怀 and went to Chen Yan's room.