The lakeside was lined with willows, and the water was so clear it was as beautiful as people said. After a leisurely stroll, some found it hard to tear themselves away.
Seeing that the sun had already reached its zenith, if they didn't leave soon, they wouldn't make it back to the city in the afternoon. The group reluctantly boarded the carriage.
Soon, cries of vendors reached their ears. Wu Caiwei quickly lifted the curtain. As expected, they had arrived at Anli Town. Anli Town had only one money changer. As soon as Wu Caiwei presented her token, the manager hurried to escort them to the back courtyard.
After moving two thousand taels of gold, they bought some food to fill their stomachs and rushed back to the capital.
At this time, Zhou Jiayang had already received the news that they had escaped, and his heart ached. He had never imagined that the two maids who had left with them that morning were so skilled in martial arts. He had, after all, hired thirty assassins at a great cost to be safe, but the worst had still happened.
He paced back and forth in his room, racking his brain for a solution. Two thousand taels of silver every day, who could afford that? The sky was about to darken, and they had likely already obtained the silver. With no prospect for tomorrow's payment, he reluctantly had to seek his father's help.
Looking at his son standing before him, having explained everything clearly, Governor Zhou, without warning, slapped him hard. He pointed at him with a trembling hand, his voice filled with anger, "You fool! Why didn't you consult your father before acting? You've placed our Zhou family on the brink of a cliff, and we could be shattered to pieces with one wrong move."
Zhou Jiayang knew he had made a grave mistake. He immediately knelt down, head bowed. If time could turn back, and he were given another chance, he would still choose to teach the Grand Princess a lesson, but he would have done it far more discreetly, ensuring no one noticed any anomaly.
After his anger subsided, Governor Zhou still tried to find a way to clean up his son's mess. He ordered the steward to bring twenty thousand taels of silver from the treasury, wrote a letter, and had the steward personally deliver it with his men to the money changer in Wuhu Town, handing the letter to the manager.
The steward dared not delay. The sun was about to set, and the city gates would soon be closed; he had to hurry.
Receiving a token and a slip of paper with only a location written on it, Wu Caiwei knew who had sent it. Just like yesterday, she headed towards Wuhu Town with the coachman.
This time, Wu Caiwei had no curiosity, but was cautious and vigilant. After all, if so many assassins yesterday couldn't deal with them, today's retrieval of twenty thousand taels of silver would surely not be simple.
As they were traveling, the carriage suddenly stopped. The coachman exclaimed, "Master, Madam, it's bad! I've been driving for half a day, and I've discovered we're still in the same place!"
Wu Caiwei and Ouyang Chenxi immediately jumped out of the carriage, puzzled. "What happened?"
The coachman was on the verge of tears. In all his years of traveling, this was the first time he had encountered such a situation. He said in panic, "When we first arrived here, I didn't notice anything unusual. I've driven for half a day, yet everywhere looks the same. I've been to Wuhu Town many times, and I remember this forest wasn't this large. How could it take so long? I had a sudden idea, picked up a stone, and drew three horizontal lines on a tree. But after driving for half a day, I found we were still in the same spot."
Wu Caiwei and Ouyang Chenxi quickly looked at the nearby tree and found the three horizontal lines indeed marked on it. If they thought this had nothing to do with Lord Zhou, they wouldn't believe it. They hadn't expected him to be able to hire a formation master so quickly; they had underestimated him.
Wu Caiwei slowly walked forward, carefully observing each tree. The trees in this forest were ancient, tall, and large, making it a good place to set up a formation.
Seeing her lost in thought, everyone followed closely behind her, their footsteps unconsciously lightened, lest they disturb her thinking. As they walked, a patch of grass suddenly appeared before Wu Caiwei. She quickly looked around, confirming it was the place, and said with full confidence, "Use your swords to damage this patch of grass, especially the center."
As soon as she finished speaking, two maids quickly came to the center of the lawn and began to cut with their swords.
A miracle happened. The forest, which had been shrouded in mist, suddenly became clear. The rows of trees that had been in front of them disappeared, and a wide road appeared.
The coachman looked on excitedly, "This is the road! I've traveled it many times; I can't be mistaken."
As the coachman drove the carriage along the road, he was still somewhat dazed. If he hadn't witnessed it with his own eyes, he wouldn't have believed it. Everything had truly happened. The more he looked, the more mysterious his lady seemed, while the master and the maids appeared to take it all in stride, clearly having known about it all along. A sense of awe, mixed with fear, grew in his heart, and he resolved to keep his mouth shut upon their return.
Soon, they arrived at the money changer. Upon seeing them, the manager greeted them to the back courtyard with a calm demeanor, apologizing, "To be honest, Lord Zhou does have a sum of silver deposited with me. However, a few days ago, some matters arose in the owner's household, and it was temporarily reallocated. It was originally intended to be replaced in a few days, but I didn't expect you to come at such a crucial time. I have already instructed my staff to prepare twenty thousand taels of silver as quickly as possible and bring it to you. Please wait a moment."
"It's fine," Ouyang Chenxi replied, understanding. After all, under normal circumstances, when withdrawing a large sum of money from a money changer, one would usually give advance notice to allow them time to prepare. They had indeed caught the establishment off guard.
Soon, a maid brought tea. The manager eagerly stepped forward, offering a cup to each of them, not even overlooking the servants beside Wu Caiwei.
He himself picked up the last cup, a broad smile on his face. "My apologies for making everyone wait. I'll drink this cup in lieu of wine as an apology."
The manager downed the cup in one gulp and then looked at them. "Please, try it. This is top-quality Biluochun tea, which I only bring out when distinguished guests arrive."
"We appreciate your kind intentions, manager, but we will not drink the tea. We are common folk and cannot discern its quality, so we would not want to spoil your precious brew." Wu Caiwei paused with her teacup in hand and slowly set it down, saying casually, "Where did you hear that, Madam? Guests are guests. A refreshing drink can be considered a token of your understanding of my incompetence."
"Madam, what are you saying? Your kindness is overwhelming. Please have some to quench your thirst, and consider it as understanding my negligence."
Seeing his persistent warmth, Wu Caiwei sneered, "Indeed, we will not forgive you. I advise you not to waste any more time and quickly bring out the silver. Otherwise, I will take your tea to the yamen and have the officials investigate thoroughly."
"Madam, what do you mean? I've offered you tea with good intentions as an apology. Are you saying you intend to sue me?" the manager asked incredulously.
"Stop playing dumb. You're not only skilled at formations but also adept at poisoning. I just don't understand why you're a money changer and are colluding with the Zhou family," Wu Caiwei said, too impatient to dally, and directly exposed him.