Wu Caiwei listened to him ramble on about the past. If she wasn't mistaken, there was indeed a hidden story from those years.
After assuring them, Wu Caiwei left. To her surprise, someone visited them as soon as she walked out. Seeing the armor on the other person, the Liu family members involuntarily took a few steps back, instinctively feeling that these people were not to be trifled with.
Deep in sleep at night, Wu Caiwei was suddenly awakened by a commotion. She opened her eyes, wanting to investigate, but before she could even step out, two groups of people were already fighting.
Looking out through the window, she saw that the courtyard was indeed full of hidden talents. If she remembered correctly, these people were the sweeping maids and the errand boys. She hadn't expected them to be her protectors. The black-clad figures, on the other hand, clearly intended to harm her; Wu Caiwei could tell that much.
Although the people in her courtyard were fighting with all their might, the opponents were exceptionally skilled. If this continued, they would surely be at a disadvantage. Fortunately, the commotion here had already alerted the people in the courtyard.
In the past, they might have been too lazy to intervene, but now she was the focus of the Ye family's protection. After all, some people wanted to use her to ascend. The moment there was any disturbance, they rushed to check. The black-clad assailants, not wanting to attract further trouble, exchanged glances, kicked the guards far away, and then scaled the wall to leave.
This was strange. She had only recently arrived in the capital and hadn't offended anyone. Why would someone want to harm her? The situation was becoming more and more interesting.
After perfunctorily dealing with the Ye family, Wu Caiwei sat at the head of the table, looking at the kneeling figures. She said meaningfully, "Don't you have anything to tell me? For example, who sent you."
The figures exchanged glances, and finally, a woman named Yun Cai stepped forward. With her head bowed, she respectfully said, "Replying to Miss, we are all from the An Ding Marquis's mansion. The eldest young master and his wife ordered us to come here to protect you."
"Do you know who wanted to harm me?" Sending several masters to hide in her courtyard meant they had known for a long time that she would encounter danger, and even knew who wanted to harm her. Was this the reason she had not dared to acknowledge her identity for so many years?
Wu Caiwei fell into deep thought. In the imperial court, there were only a few individuals whom the An Ding Marquis's mansion could not handle, forcing them to send people to protect her. If she wasn't mistaken, this should be related to her true identity.
"We do not know this. We were merely following orders," Yun Cai replied truthfully. What she didn't say was that they were all secret guards trained by the Marquis's mansion, who never asked for reasons and only obeyed orders.
Wu Caiwei knew she wouldn't get any more information from them. She waved them away. If one plan failed, the enemy would surely have a second, and eventually, they would reveal themselves.
Early the next morning, upon hearing the news, the eldest young madam of the Marquis's mansion rushed to the Ye mansion. As soon as she saw Wu Caiwei, she quickly examined her from head to toe. Seeing that she was unharmed, she breathed a sigh of relief.
"From now on, try not to go out, and don't interact too much with people. Be cautious even with your food. If you need more people in the courtyard, just say the word, and I'll arrange it." The eldest young madam looked at her with deep concern, knowing that what was bound to come had arrived.
"The eldest young madam knows who wants to harm me, right? I don't want to be kept in the dark. Please enlighten me." Wu Caiwei stared intently at her, wanting to know the answer.
"Why do you ask so many questions? You just need to know that I will protect you." The eldest young madam was taken aback for a moment, then forced a smile.
"Only by knowing ourselves and our enemy can we win every battle. If we don't even know who the enemy is, what if one day we foolishly fall into someone else's trap and die with regret?" In fact, Wu Caiwei could roughly guess who it was that made him so afraid, but she needed him to tell her himself to know her true identity, so that the original owner could rest in peace.
"I won't allow you to speak of yourself like that." The eldest young madam immediately retorted emotionally. This reminded her of eighteen years ago, when he had fallen before her eyes, wide open.
"Tell me about it. Perhaps I am not as weak as you think. Otherwise, how could I have escaped from a small village alone and traveled all the way to the capital? Besides, I should at least know who my biological father is. Every Qingming Festival, I go to his grave to offer a tribute, letting people know that he has descendants in this world." Wu Caiwei felt that her father must have had a very deep affection for her, so saying this was certainly not wrong.
The eldest young madam was stunned for a moment and suddenly felt she was being too stubborn. She truly wanted her to live a peaceful life, but she couldn't keep it a secret forever. The enemies had already come knocking. By telling her, her daughter could visit his grave often, and it would also bring her some comfort.
"Your father was a great hero. He protected the country and was loyal and steadfast, but unfortunately, he became the target of others' jealousy. Everyone said he died of illness, and indeed he was ill, but it was only a cold." As she spoke, the eldest young madam recalled the moments they had spent together back then.
At that time, they were deeply in love. He had just returned to the capital and a few days later, he went south to quell the rebellion. Young and impulsive, she wanted to surprise him and left a letter, secretly departing.
She found him after traveling a long distance with a few people. Their reunion was filled with immense joy, and eventually, she disguised herself as a man and stayed by his side.
Since they were not yet married, and to avoid any unfavorable rumors, they deliberately kept their distance in public. With the help of his confidantes, no one knew their relationship.
To facilitate their time together, he had a secret chamber built within his study, which contained a bed where they could occasionally rest.
She remembered that a few days before the incident, he had indeed caught a cold. There was a medicinal smell in the room. At that time, she was worried and stayed with him, resting in the adjacent room when she was tired.
As she drifted in and out of sleep, she suddenly heard a commotion. She quickly looked out through the small peephole left in the secret chamber to observe the situation.
She saw Prince Xiaoyao entangled with several people. To her astonishment, he, who was usually incredibly valiant, was now lying on the ground, spewing black blood, and glaring at them, "You ambushed me."
"Your Highness, please do not blame us. Every wrong has its cause, and every debt has its owner. We are merely following orders to ensure the safety of our families. We did not want this, but we have no choice," said one of the men, looking at him with a pained expression.
"Even after I have come here, he still cannot tolerate me. For the sake of our long association, I beg you for one thing. You want my life, but can you spare my people? My death does not matter, but I hope they can live well." As he spoke, his gaze inadvertently swept towards the peephole.
She tightly covered her mouth, afraid that she would cry out loud. She touched her belly, her heart filled with apprehension. Otherwise, she could have died with him.
"Very well." The men exchanged glances and all nodded in agreement. They also felt a sense of shared misfortune, and if they could help, they would.