The news of her father's awakening did not improve the Empress's mood, further confirming the strangeness of Wu Caiwei. However, now that she had released Li Shengxu, she believed that the promised deal would come true. She wanted to see the Second Prince's fate, and what frustrated her was that this meant she couldn't casually harm Li Shengxu. Who knew what method the other party would use to deal with her next.
The Second Prince left the palace dejectedly. The Empress's gaze seemed to portend impending misfortune, making him cautious.
The carriage passed through the most bustling streets of the capital, filled with the calls of vendors. Suddenly, he caught a peculiar scent and involuntarily inhaled deeper. Before he could take a full breath, the horses bolted, causing pedestrians to scream and scatter.
Two young children were strolling along the street with candied hawthorns. As the carriage approached, their parents snatched their son away, leaving the little girl alone in the middle of the road. Watching the carriage rush towards her, her eyes widened, her mind went blank, and she felt she was doomed.
Pedestrians on the street instinctively closed their eyes, unable to bear witnessing a little girl being flung by the carriage. Her parents, though doting on their son, cherished their daughter just as much and tried to rush forward again, only to be pulled back by onlookers.
They knew it was too late. Not only could they not save the girl's life, but they might even endanger themselves. Everyone thought the little girl was surely going to die. Wasn't that carriage magnificent? For such noble people, the death of commoners like them would be a mere word, or perhaps a small sum of money.
At the critical moment, Wu Caiwei appeared from nowhere and yanked the girl to safety. The girl's family, seeing their daughter saved, rushed to her side, and just as they were about to thank their benefactor, they found she had already vanished.
As if driven mad, the horse bolted in a direction contrary to the driver's corrections. It finally crashed into the wall at the end of an alley. The horse died on the spot, and the carriage was shattered. The Second Prince lay on the ground, writhing in pain, unable to even cry out. The guards following behind arrived and, upon seeing his condition, their hearts sank. Though the Empress wanted him dead, and the Emperor wanted to punish him, the final outcome was still undecided.
Moreover, regardless of anything, he was of royal blood. The Emperor would not watch him die. But now, he couldn't be sure. Seeing him lying motionless on the ground, if his eyes weren't open, they would have thought the Second Prince had already passed away.
News of the Second Prince's injury reached the Emperor, who was furious. Although he suspected the Empress, he had recently dispatched many men to monitor the Xu family's residence, and no one had approached his horses that morning. The guards reported smelling a strange aroma on the street, after which the horses went wild, indicating they had been drugged.
At that time, the street was crowded. Even if all the commoners were arrested, it would only add to the casualties. The mastermind was definitely hiding somewhere unknown. But who was the one who saved the little girl? People said it was a woman. When did such a skilled martial artist appear in the capital? Why had he never heard of her?
Unfortunately, it was said that the person was wearing a veil, and even the girl's parents couldn't see her face clearly. Even if they could, they wouldn't be able to provide a useful description. In the end, the Emperor, having no other choice, had an artist draw her portrait based on the limited descriptions.
"Master, with such high martial arts skills and eyes that resemble the woman in the portrait, the more I look, the more you seem to be her. If you weren't dressed as a man, I would report you to the court and claim the reward," Lu Zi said, looking at the portrait that increasingly resembled his master. However, he was only joking. His master was clearly a man, so how could he be connected to the woman in the painting? But his casual remark struck a chord with Wu Caiwei. She couldn't help but pat his head, saying exasperatedly, "Be careful, they might seek revenge." Su Dan Novel Network
Lu Zi pouted a little, feeling wronged. He hadn't expected his master to be so sensitive to jokes today. He said helplessly, "I was just joking with you, Master. You know my character. Besides, I don't even know who this person is. Even if she stood in front of me, I wouldn't report her. Who knows if she has others behind her? What if she retaliates against me, and I have no way to defend myself? Although I've learned some martial arts from you, I can only deal with some petty thugs. There are countless experts in the martial world. Wouldn't that be risking my life?"
Hearing this, Wu Caiwei felt uncomfortable again. She feigned anger and said, "Don't you think the martial arts I taught you are just mediocre? To be honest, your master is a hidden master. You've struck it rich by becoming my disciple. Don't believe me? Go out and try it in the martial world. With your current skills, even if you're not among the very best, you're definitely top-tier."
This child had suffered too much in the past few years and carried many secrets. If Wu Caiwei guessed correctly, he was desperately learning martial arts to seek revenge, practicing day and night without regard for his health. She had advised him many times, but to no avail. Afterward, she provided him with plenty of medicinal herbs for bathing, urging him to use them daily. His martial arts had improved considerably. Although it couldn't guarantee absolute safety in the martial world, his life would not be in danger.
Lu Zi looked at his master with surprise, wondering if she was telling the truth. His master was very mysterious, with formidable martial arts skills and excellent medical knowledge. Could it be that she was truly a hidden master, as she claimed? Then he had indeed struck it rich.
Wu Caiwei watched him standing there, chuckling to himself, and shook her head. She felt this child was truly lucky to have met her. Otherwise, in his current state, anyone could easily trick him to no end.
Seeing his master enter the door, Lu Zi's heart itched with curiosity. He quickly approached his master, tugged at his sleeve, and pleaded, "Master, Master, what you said just now is true, right? To test my martial arts, should I go out into the martial world for a bit? But if I leave, what will you do? Without me, your right-hand man, you'll be very tired."
Wu Caiwei rolled her eyes. Don't think she didn't know he was grooming a successor recently. Hadn't Hua Zi been flitting around him? He had already delegated many tasks to the other person. Wu Caiwei turned a blind eye to this, feeling that her businesses would only grow, and Lu Zi would become increasingly weary. Knowing how to cultivate talent was also a skill.