Wu Caiwei appeared calm, but inside she was greatly surprised. She had never dreamed that the Emperor had set his sights on her months ago. Had it been someone else, they might have hesitated, for in the eyes of the world, the imperial court was the legitimate authority, and feudal lords were rebels, fearing posterity's judgment.
But Wu Caiwei, a person from another world, had little regard for such notions. Moreover, she knew the trajectory of this world's development. If the Emperor had been a diligent and capable ruler, she might have lent a hand. However, with an incompetent and selfish Emperor solely focused on achieving immortality, the common people could only suffer under his rule.
Thus, Wu Caiwei hesitated for a moment and then declared loudly, "I met the heir of Prince Yang first, and he treated me well. Even if you wish me to betray him, you must give me some time to consider."
If she had agreed without hesitation, the leader would have found it suspicious. After some thought, he uttered ambiguous words, which made him feel there was hope. He nodded and calmly stated, "A month from today, at this very spot, I want to hear your definitive answer. Otherwise, you will never see your son again."
Wu Caiwei nodded, watching He Sheng reluctantly leave as they dragged him away. Once the surroundings fell silent again, she extinguished the torch and retraced her steps. Feeling the eyes that had been closely watching her disappear, Wu Caiwei immediately turned into a small grove nearby, tied her horse, and used her Qinggong to pursue them.
"Reporting to you, sir, the lady has indeed left." The black-clothed man who had been closely observing Wu Caiwei hurried to report his findings to the leader.
Just as the leader was about to nod, a cold glint flashed. He instinctively raised his sword to block, but he was no match for Wu Caiwei. Although he had reacted in time and Wu Caiwei's sword did not strike his body, he was still thrown from his horse, spitting out several mouthfuls of blood from the sheer force of the blow.
Wu Caiwei picked up He Sheng and prepared to leave, but the others naturally drew their weapons to stop them. If their leader was no match for Wu Caiwei, how could they be?
Despite their desperate efforts, they could only watch as the mother and son departed. Wu Caiwei did not pause, leading him towards the small grove.
They galloped on horseback all the way to Yang Hanye's estate outside the city. Only then did Shang Cai breathe a sigh of relief. The ambush in the small mountain valley had not been large, but Wu Caiwei's sense of smell was exceptionally keen. She had already detected the scent of kerosene and knew the other party must have a backup plan, so she dared not act rashly.
Although she felt she could escape, He Sheng was still in their hands. If she couldn't protect herself, she wouldn't have time to save him, and he would perish at their hands. The original host would never allow that. She could only resort to a circuitous approach.
Free from danger, Wu Caiwei had the time to properly check his pulse and discovered he had been poisoned with a muscle-loosening agent, rendering his body weak and limp, unable to exert any force.
She had wondered why, despite her long tutelage and his not exceptionally high cultivation, he had fallen into their hands. It appeared he had been tricked. Who could have made him so unguarded? The answer was obvious.
Upon their return, He Sheng kept his head down the entire time, feeling too ashamed to face his mother. When his mother handed him the medicine, he finally looked up and downed it in one gulp.
Wu Caiwei ignored him, feeling she had been too protective. He had not suffered hardship on their escape, nor had he experienced the wickedness of human hearts, which was why he had been repeatedly deceived.
The next morning, they returned to Prince Yang's mansion. Wu Caiwei did not know what had happened to him afterward or if he had a place to stay. She could only bring him to Prince Yang's mansion first and assign someone to watch him. She felt that with his impulsive nature, she couldn't rule out the possibility that he was a spy sent by someone else, which could jeopardize Prince Yang's important affairs.
Perhaps realizing his mistake, He Sheng was exceptionally quiet this time, rarely leaving his room unless necessary. Wu Caiwei, when she had free time, sent people to investigate what had happened, and upon learning the details, she was truly speechless.
She wanted to crack open his head to see if water had gotten in. If she had known earlier, she wouldn't have so readily given him the antidote, letting him suffer the torment of illness until he was on the verge of death before appearing like a god. Well, he had never experienced the agonizing pain of the poison taking its full effect, thinking it was just an ordinary poison.
After returning, she exposed her sister-in-law's actions in person. Zhang Dashan immediately locked her up and threatened to divorce her. Hai Sheng and his children immediately knelt before He Sheng, weeping and begging for forgiveness, admitting she knew her mistakes and pleading with him to spare her this once. Without her, the children would lose their mother, and they would be looked down upon their entire lives, whether marrying daughters or sons.
If this family had denied everything, he might still have been angry with them. But seeing their pitiful appearance, he wondered if he was being too heartless. After all, he had not suffered any loss. As long as his sister-in-law mended her ways and did not repeat her mistakes, they would still be a family.
When he finally couldn't bear it and pleaded with his father on behalf of his sister-in-law, their grateful expressions made him feel particularly magnanimous and proud, believing he was a man who didn't stoop to a woman's level. Sudan Novel Network.
That night, as he was about to sleep, he suddenly heard a knock. Upon opening the door, he saw his sister-in-law holding a bowl of soup, looking at him somewhat cautiously. "It was my fault before. Thank you, third brother, for today's matter. To show my gratitude, I specially made a nourishing soup tonight. Taste it and see."
He Sheng repeatedly refused, "It's so late, sister-in-law. Hurry back and rest. As long as you live an honest life from now on, I will pretend this never happened."
Hearing this, tears welled up in her eyes, and she choked out, "I know I was wrong, and I want to reform. Tonight, I painstakingly made a bowl of soup and brought it to you. You say you forgive me on the surface, but your actions tell me that no matter what, people who have made mistakes are still different."
Seeing that she misunderstood, He Sheng quickly explained, "Me not drinking your soup doesn't mean I don't forgive you. It's just that I ate too much tonight and really can't drink any more."
Seeing her still crying, he felt a headache coming on. After some thought, he picked up the bowl and drank it all in gulps. "I truly forgive you. It's late, and I need to rest. Sister-in-law, you should rest too. Please leave quickly."
Only then did her face light up with joy. She nodded and left with a cheerful stride, leaving He Sheng dumbfounded. He never expected a person's mood to change so quickly.
However, he didn't overthink it, as he was extremely tired. He closed the door and lay down on the bed. He wasn't sure if it was his imagination, but his head began to spin. Before he could figure out what was happening, he fell asleep. When he opened his eyes again, he found himself bound and tied up, confined in a dark room. Usually, only a mute old woman came to deliver his meals.
The next time he saw light was when the leader used him to threaten Wu Caiwei. After many days of solitary reflection, he had long understood the secret of his sister-in-law's soup. What hurt him even more was the suspicion that Zhang Dashan and his two sons were not innocent in this affair.