Wu Zhong knelt on the ground, looking at the woman opposite him, who was earnestly reading a medical book in her hands.
It had been an hour since Wu You was dragged away. She had been completely focused, not moving an inch.
"Ahem!" Wu Zhong could not help himself any longer.
Zhong Li raised her eyes lazily and glanced at him. Just as she was about to continue reading, Ah Wang entered from outside.
"My lady!" Ah Wang murmured a few words in her ear before placing a piece of Xuan paper in his hand onto the table.
Zhong Li glanced at it, then held the Xuan paper up with her backhand and said to Wu Zhong, "Wu You has confessed. What about you? How are you?"
Wu Zhong looked at the large palm print on the paper and sneered, "Lord Zhong's tactic was indeed effective on Wu You.
He is naturally afraid of death and not very bright. He cannot withstand your scare tactics."
"Wu Zhong," Zhong Li closed the medical book in her hand. "You should know the current situation of the Wu family's silver house. You are already prey on a mouse trap. Why are you still struggling?
By the way, Wu You confessed something even more surprising in order to save his own life. Do you want to know?"
Wu Zhong remained silent, only swallowing hard.
"Wu Xingyan's lineage is your main family. You and Wu You are from a side branch. The Wu family's ancestral training has always been that side branches must protect the main family unconditionally. I heard that the main family is now sparsely populated, and the only bloodline is in Fu Chong's hands. Now that Fu Chong has lost his official position, what do you think the Crown Prince will do when he knows about this?"
"You..." Wu Zhong became agitated, his body beginning to tremble.
Zhong Li did not rush. She spoke slowly, "It takes two days by fast horse from Jinzhou to Jincheng, and four days by carriage. The message has just been sent. I think you still have time to consider.
This way, the Crown Prince and I can decide whether your bloodline will be kept or not."
"My lady!" Wu Zhong was completely panicked. He kowtowed to Zhong Li, saying, "My lady, my Wu family has been in Jinzhou for a hundred years, doing only small businesses. Although we are not wealthy, at least we are well-provided for.
Our head of the main family, Wu Laoda, followed Lord Fu only to revitalize the family. He never expected to go astray. We each bear our own actions. Wu You and I are ruined, and our descendants naturally cannot be expected to continue the family line. My nephew is still young, and the Wu family's incense must not be cut off, my lady."
Wu Zhong spoke with emotion and began to wail.
Zhong Li's face was like ice. She understood Wu Zhong's nature from Ren Wen Shu.
This man was very cunning. Such a plea of suffering would not work on her.
"After saying so much, you are still unwilling to confess? If that's the case..." Zhong Li stood up and prepared to walk outside.
"My lady, my lady!" Wu Zhong reacted, taking a few steps forward and throwing himself at Zhong Li's feet, clutching her embroidered shoes. "My lady, please spare my nephew. Regarding Tian Lian Xue, and the mastermind behind Chat Grass... I..."
"What about you?" Zhong Li squinted and asked.
Wu Zhong glanced at Ah Wang and lowered his voice, "I fear the walls have ears. Please lower your body, and I will tell you."
Zhong Li followed his gaze and looked at Ah Wang. While contemplating, she slowly crouched down.
Seeing the woman getting closer, Wu Zhong's fingertips slid to his boot. He secretly took out a small blade from inside.
"Die..."
Wu Zhong raised his hand and slashed towards Zhong Li's neck.
Zhong Li reacted quickly, kicking Wu Zhong in the chest. At the same time, a mouthful of blood spurted from his mouth.
"Ugh! Pfft..." Wu Zhong clutched his chest, looking at Zhong Li in disbelief. He never expected this woman to react so quickly.
Zhong Li saw the doubt in his eyes and said, "Wu Zhong, you still don't understand me well enough."
Wu Zhong lowered his eyes and said nothing.
Zhong Li did not want to waste any more words. She said to Ah Wang, "Ah Wang, deal with him according to the laws of the Southern Yue Kingdom."
"Yes!" Ah Wang nodded and walked to Wu Zhong, then lifted him up.
Just as Zhong Li opened the door to the disciplinary room, she suddenly remembered something and turned to look at Wu Zhong. "Although what I said contained a bit of coercion and inducement, there is one thing I did not lie to you about."
Wu Zhong raised his eyes and looked at the woman opposite him with confusion.
"The Crown Prince has already sent someone to search Fu Chong's residence."
Wu Zhong narrowed his eyes upon hearing this.
Zhong Li slightly raised her eyebrows and took out Wu You's signed and thumb-printed paper. "Don't you believe me? This, the Crown Prince and I will send to the Emperor.
The Emperor himself is subject to the law, just like commoners. Fu Chong will never be able to rise again. As for Shen Ying, who killed Tian Lian Xue, do you think the Empress can protect her?"
"Why not?" Wu Zhong retorted.
Zhong Li was stunned. She felt that Wu Zhong knew something.
Wu Zhong slowly lifted his head and looked at Zhong Li defiantly, saying, "Lord Shao Qing, do you really think you and the Crown Prince have won?"
"What do you mean?"
Wu Zhong suddenly burst into laughter, his expression contorted. "Not to mention whether you and the Crown Prince can safely return to Jincheng, but within Jincheng itself... it's very likely that things will change after you return.
Haha!"
Zhong Li knitted her brows, looking at Wu Zhong with disheveled hair, a vague sense of unease rising in her heart.
It was the twelfth lunar month.
Jinzhou was close to the coast. Although it was not as cold as Jincheng, it was significantly colder than when Zhong Li first arrived. Moreover, ancient houses did not have the modern insulation.
Zhong Li, wearing a thin jacket, sat on a small stool, looking at the person on the bed.
Ren Zhong, who had been standing beside her, stepped forward and asked, "My lady, how is my Shu'er?"
Zhong Li tucked the quilt over Ren Wen Shu and walked to another table. She wrote a prescription and handed it to a servant beside Ren Zhong, then said unhurriedly, "The wound has begun to heal, but the severed finger will take longer to recover. As for the injuries on his body, most are external. There is no danger to his life."
"Good, good. The physicians in Jinzhou said so, and my lady also says so. Then I can be at ease." Ren Zhong let out a long sigh and wiped the sweat from his forehead.
Zhong Li picked up the small medicine box on the table, not intending to linger any longer, and quickly walked out of the side room.
A figure stood at the doorway. He was as beautiful as jade and possessed an elegant demeanor. Without a doubt, it was him.
"You've waited long." Zhong Li walked to Lu Wu Xie's side, her voice gentle.
Lu Wu Xie turned his head to look at Ren Zhong, who was standing at the door, nodded, then withdrew his gaze. He put his arm around Zhong Li's waist and said, "Not long. I'm just a little angry."
"Angry?" Zhong Li said with a smile, "It seems the Crown Prince's heart is as small as a needle."
"Yes. I am always small-hearted when it comes to matters concerning Li'er."
The two bantered and quickly entered the carriage.
As the carriage moved, Lu Wu Xie massaged Zhong Li's shoulder blades, saying, "How is he?"
"You mean Ren Wen Shu? His body is fine. It's just that according to the servants of the Ren Mansion, his mood is not very good. It's understandable. After what happened, a normal person would not be able to accept it so quickly," Zhong Li said.
Lu Wu Xie remained silent, only looking out the gap in the carriage curtain at the scenery.
After a while, seeing that he was not speaking, Zhong Li turned around and hugged his waist. "Are you thinking about your past life?"
Lu Wu Xie buried his head in her hair. "Yes, I remember that all of my hands were crippled then."
Zhong Li's heart ached upon hearing this. She tightened her arm around him.
She didn't know how to comfort people, she only wanted to convey through this gesture that she was always by his side.
Lu Wu Xie buried his head in her hair. As they approached Jincheng, for some reason, he felt a sense of fear.