The more Shen thought about it, the more tempted she became. Considering Qiu Niang's words, she felt that there was no time to lose. With her two sons by her side and Fu Yu out on business, she could make careful arrangements and give it a try. However, getting Wei Shi out without arousing suspicion was not an easy task. Just as she was pondering a solution, someone unexpectedly brought her an opportunity that afternoon.
Chapter 68 Saving His Wife
After half a month of sweltering heat, the weather was unusually cool for a few days. Following the Fu family's centennial celebration, other places were also preparing banquets with great interest. Some were watching plays and admiring flowers at the mansion, while others were hunting and going on outings in groups of three or five, or staying at a villa to cool off. Invitations were frequently delivered to the door, inviting Madam Shen to join them.
Madam Shen was used to being cooped up in the mansion, so she wasn't particularly enthusiastic about these things; normally, she probably wouldn't go at all.
This time, however, he had a real idea.
When visiting Shou'an Hall in the evening to inquire about the old lady's health, Madam Shen asked about her well-being. Since the old lady mentioned that the weather had been cool these past few days and her appetite was quite good, she took the opportunity to say, "It's indeed been cool these past few days, unlike the previous period when it was so hot that people dared not go out. Yesterday, my daughter-in-law was sitting idly in the house, but she received a pile of invitations. Everyone outside is busy escaping the heat, going hunting in the countryside to relax. There are a few people inside, and I've already greeted them to my daughter-in-law several times."
"Which companies are they? You seem quite interested."
Madam Shen then casually mentioned a few places in a conversational manner, and added, "Madam Yan was ill recently and rarely went out. Tomorrow she's hosting a banquet at Shili Peak and invited me to come back. I was thinking that since the weather is cool and we haven't gone out of the city to relax this summer, we might as well go and join in the fun. Her family has an estate over there, and they could make some fresh wild game, which would be quite nice."
The Yan family were Fu Deming's deputies, assisting him in managing internal affairs, and they were very diligent.
The old lady thought about it for a moment, and felt that it wouldn't be good to go against her wishes, so she nodded in agreement.
Madam Shen then said that it would be boring to go alone, so it would be better to bring the daughters-in-law along, and the old lady would have no objection.
The matter was settled, and that evening Madam Shen informed her daughters-in-law and sent a message to the South Tower.
You Tong had attended several banquets with Madam Shen before, but they were mostly in the city and she rarely went out. Upon hearing the news, she didn't think much of it and simply asked someone to prepare her attire for the banquet the next day.
The next morning, when I went to Shou'an Hall, I found that the eldest son's mother and daughters-in-law were all dressed up. After leaving Shou'an Hall, they went to take a carriage together.
The Fu family had ample carriages and sedan chairs. Today, Madam Shen brought two daughters-in-law, along with You Tong and Fu Lanyin. There weren't many people, so each of them rode in a light carriage. Not long after leaving the mansion, a maidservant from Madam Shen's side came over and followed You Tong's carriage, smiling as she said, "Madam said that the Yan family has done a lot for the affairs of Qizhou and would like to pick up some things along the way. She would like to invite the young mistress to come along."
You Tong agreed and told the coachman to follow Shen's carriage.
When the carriage came to a stop on Jewelry Street, the curtain was lifted and people stepped out. They saw Madam Shen with her servants in front, but not their sisters-in-law or Fu Lanyin.
She was puzzled for a moment, then casually asked with a smile, "Where are my two sisters-in-law?"
“They’ve gone ahead to join the fun, we still have important business to attend to.” Madam Shen, who was usually amiable in public, affectionately patted You Tong’s shoulder and explained, “Master Yan is a renowned scholar in Qizhou. Over the years, he has helped your uncle a lot. Some of his children and grandchildren are also skilled in martial arts and have followed Xiu Ping through thick and thin, remaining loyal to the end. A while ago, Madam Yan was unwell, and I was busy with her 100th birthday celebration, so I didn’t get to visit her. I just remembered her and thought I’d bring a few gifts to express your uncle and Xiu Ping’s goodwill.”
This matter was naturally not to be neglected. Although the Fu family was strict in managing their subordinates, they also used both kindness and severity. It was only natural for the female relatives to exchange gifts.
The eldest son's affairs were handled by Madam Shen, but the second son's affairs had no mother-in-law or sister-in-law, so the responsibility fell on her shoulders.
You Tong nodded and said, "It was my oversight. Thank you for reminding me, Auntie."
So he went in with Madam Shen and picked out a few things.
After this delay, the sun was high in the sky, and more and more people were leaving the city as the weather cooled down, making the city gate quite crowded.
The carriages and pedestrians were bustling about when a horse, seemingly startled, began to paw wildly, ignoring the driver's commands and causing the carriage to lurch about. You Tong, who had been sitting peacefully inside, looked out at the commotion. Before she could see clearly, she heard a muffled thud, and her carriage shook violently as if it had been hit.
Immediately, the coachman's complaints rang out from outside, "What's wrong with you... Ugh, look at the state of the carriage!"
The people on the other end kept apologizing. You Tong sat up straight, lifted the curtain and looked outside, her brows furrowing slightly. "What's going on?"
"Oh dear, it was that family's horse that got spooked and ran off. Look, our carriage is all wrecked." Uncle Zheng, the driver, was a mild-mannered and honest man. Knowing the Fu family's strict rules and forbidding servants from bullying the weak, he didn't argue with the man, only saying with feigned difficulty, "Young Madam, please forgive me, the back of this carriage is damaged. It'll probably need repairs, otherwise..."
"I understand." You Tong nodded, got out of the carriage, went over to take a look, and sure enough, it was damaged.
The carriages used by the women of the Fu family were all exquisitely decorated, with canopies, copper bells, green curtains, and incense, all for the sake of making a good impression.
Now that it's been crashed like this, it's no longer advisable for it to wander around aimlessly.
Because the commotion was quite loud, many people around looked on curiously. You Tong knew that with so many carriages and horses, minor collisions were common, and pursuing the matter would be pointless, so she explained the situation to Madam Shen. She had thought that Madam Shen's carriage was spacious enough for the two of them to ride together, but to her surprise, Madam Shen didn't mention it at all. She looked outside and said, "With so many people, bumps and scrapes are inevitable. It's nothing serious. We can just send someone back to fix it. There's a carriage rental shop over there; we can rent one."
"Is renting a car... convenient?" You Tong hesitated.
"It's easy. The road to Shili Peak is a bit of a walk, so renting a car will make it easier to rest."
This means she doesn't want to squeeze in with her.
Although You Tong felt that renting a carriage was not in line with the Fu family's style, she did not want to force her way into her aunt's carriage, so she ordered someone to rent one.
The carriage shop was located right at the city gate, and it had all kinds of carriages, from simple to luxurious. The accompanying maid quickly rented one, called someone to come over, and You Tong got in and left the city as usual.
Who knew that when misfortune strikes, even drinking water can cause problems?
The car she rented looked sturdy, but it broke down halfway through the journey.
...
Shili Peak isn't too far from Qizhou City, yet few idlers venture there. The area boasts stunning scenery, and long ago, wealthy and powerful families enclosed land there to build their own villas and estates, attracting only officials and the rich. Ordinary people who went there found no inns or restaurants to rest and eat, and when they wanted to enjoy the scenery, they were often met with wooden fences surrounding the area, so gradually, no one went anymore.
Nowadays, it has become a place exclusively for the wealthy and powerful to escape the summer heat.
Not far after leaving the city, the carriage turned onto the road leading to Shili Peak, where the surroundings gradually became quieter.
It seemed like You Tong was having a run of bad luck today. Her carriage had just been damaged in an accident, and after traveling along the secluded mountain road for a while, it started creaking and groaning again. A moment later, a sharp cracking sound came from near the axle, and it broke down again. Uncle Zheng, the driver, hadn't expected such bad luck either. He was sweating profusely, and after looking at the creaking noises, he quickly wiped his brow and explained, "Something's stuck in the axle. Young Madam, please don't worry, this old servant will go fix it right away. It won't take too much trouble."
In the midst of this chaos, Shen, who had walked two steps ahead, noticed the commotion and peered back.
Seeing that they were busy repairing the carriage, he frowned and gave a few instructions to the servants.
The maidservant came forward as instructed, bowed respectfully to You Tong, and said, “Madam said that the Yan family is hosting a banquet, and it would be bad if we arrived too late. We were delayed on the way, so Madam should go ahead first. Young Madam can come slowly, there’s no need to rush. The scenery around here is quite nice. Young Madam is a romantic person and loves to enjoy sightseeing and playing in the mansion. You can take this opportunity to relax. Don’t worry about things over there, Madam is taking care of everything.”
Having said that, he left with a smile.
When Madam Shen and her servants arrived, she ordered the carriage to set off, and they left in no time.
You Tong remained seated in the broken carriage, watching helplessly as Shen Shi walked away, her face slowly darkening.
—It's not that I'm angry and taking it out on others, but I feel that today's events are really strange.
Last night, when she heard the news that Madam Shen was taking everyone out of the city for a banquet, she thought it was a common occurrence and even looked forward to it. This morning, the two of them went to pick out things alone, which was also a matter of courtesy and there was nothing wrong with it. Even when her carriage was damaged at the city gate, and Madam Shen refused to ride with her and wanted to rent a carriage, You Tong felt it was inappropriate, but she was only puzzled. After all, although Madam Shen was kind and approachable, she always acted like the lady of the Fu family when she went out, riding alone in a magnificent carriage and not riding with her daughter-in-law or niece.
But now that she has fallen into such a miserable state, Shen Shi remains unmoved.
The car was spacious and comfortable, and she and Fu Yu could ride together without any problem. How much space could Shen Shi take up? If it were anyone else, even someone they didn't know well, seeing this situation, they would most likely invite her to ride with them to make things convenient for her. But Shen Shi didn't even ask, as if she had guessed that her car could be repaired on the spot, and left after saying a few words.
Compared to his usual friendly demeanor, this attitude was truly strange.
You Tong's eyes darkened as she recalled the events of this morning, finding them even more peculiar.
She remained impassive, glancing out of the carriage—Uncle Zheng was sweating profusely as he repaired the car, clearly unprepared for such a difficult day and afraid of her scolding. Chuncao and the maids accompanying her were also anxiously gathered around; since it wasn't appropriate to have a large entourage at a banquet, she hadn't brought anyone else. Her sister-in-law and Lanyin had taken some of the accompanying guards, leaving only two who were taken away by Madam Shen.
Aside from that, while the surrounding environment is indeed quiet and pleasant, there are few pedestrians and the mountains and fields are secluded.
You Tong sensed something was amiss and carefully surveyed her surroundings. Suddenly, she saw a dark figure wriggle in the low bushes by the roadside. Her breath hitched, and she stared intently. Through the intertwined branches and leaves, she could indeed see several people lying in ambush there.
A warning bell rang in her mind, and she immediately called out, "Chuncao!"
"Young Madam, don't worry, it'll be fixed soon." Chuncao was helping Uncle Zheng, looking anxious. She glanced in the direction Shen had left, probably thinking that Shen had acted unfairly this time.
You Tong didn't care about that anymore. She reached into her sleeve and whispered, "Come here, all of you."
The three were surprised, but still obeyed and got up.
Almost simultaneously, the shadowy figures that had been hiding in the bushes by the roadside suddenly rose up. Besides the ones You Tong had seen, there were three or four burly men. Dressed like idle street urchins, they grinned and rubbed their hands together, wriggling through the bushes and heading straight towards them.
Uncle Zheng's expression changed drastically. He immediately stood in front of the carriage and shouted sternly, "How dare you!"
"Heh, quite arrogant." The leader had a sneer on his face, his gaze sweeping over Chuncao and the maid before landing on Youtong's cheek.
A young woman in the prime of her life, with her hair adorned with gold hairpins, her face as white as jade and her teeth as white as pearls, her eyes revealing a hint of anger, her beauty radiant.
He was stunned, not expecting that the boss would cause trouble for such a stunningly beautiful woman.
Then Liu Shu shouted, "This is the young mistress of the military governor Fu's family. Who dares to be disrespectful!"
"Bullshit!" someone behind immediately burst into laughter. "The people from the Jiedushi's mansion need to rent a carriage? The Fu family's carriages all have insignia, who in the whole of Qizhou doesn't recognize them? Do you think we're three-year-olds? Brothers, look at this carriage, isn't it from that carriage shop at the city gate? Who are you trying to fool!" The words were met with a burst of laughter.
When the leader first saw You Tong's face, he thought she was exceptionally beautiful and feared she might have some kind of background.
Hearing the teasing behind his back, he felt relieved—if she really had connections, why would she need to rent a carriage? She was probably just some concubine, destitute and relying on her beauty to maintain this ostentatious display; nothing to fear. Besides, the boss had given him a hefty sum; after this job, he could go off to live a carefree life far from the emperor's reach. Who could possibly chase after him?
Thinking this, he chuckled twice and moved closer to the carriage.
Inside the car, You Tong was already worried about a trap. Seeing this group of people, she felt even more that they were up to no good and that they had probably planned this all along.
In the desolate wilderness, she and the three people around her were no match for their opponent.
Without changing her expression, she touched a cold, hard object with her fingertips, immediately took it out, put it in her mouth, and blew on it forcefully.
This is a bronze whistle, given to her by Fu Yu when she returned to the capital. He had said that if she encountered danger on the journey, sounding this whistle would bring someone to her aid. However, with him by her side, nothing went wrong, and the whistle was never used. After returning to Qizhou, You Tong didn't lose it and carried it with her every time she went out—at this time of year, there was no pepper spray, and she was alone and vulnerable. If she encountered trouble, signaling for help was the most important thing.
No matter which deity is summoned, they are all under Fu Yu's command, enough to deal with these thugs.
The whistle sounded high-pitched and clear, with a unique timbre, soaring upwards through the clouds.
The men seemed to be stunned for a moment, then looked at each other in bewilderment.
In the far distance, the masked man hiding behind the bushes was also taken aback, not expecting that this woman would be carrying the copper whistle used by Fu Yu's men for warning. The Fu family had laid an inescapable net in Qizhou; even in the most desolate mountains and wilderness, the sound of this whistle could pierce through the clouds, and within the time it takes for two incense sticks to burn, someone would surely arrive to rescue them.
If he wanted to wait until those thugs hijacked the carriage before making his move, it might be too late.
The moment a thought crossed his mind, a murderous intent flashed in his eyes.
He subtly gestured behind him, drew his crossbow to its full draw, aimed at the beautiful woman in the carriage, and the iron arrow shot out from the clouds.
The sky was overcast and the wind was cool; the treetops swayed gently in the mountains, and the wind rustled softly.
The iron arrow shot out with a clang, silently hurtling towards You Tong's face. Just before it reached the carriage, an iron pellet flew swiftly from the side, striking the arrowhead squarely. Sparks flew, and the sound of metal clashing rang out. The iron arrow was deflected and, almost instantly, pierced the horse's forehead with a soft thud.
The iron arrow flew swiftly, as if carrying the force of thunder. The horse let out a mournful cry, and in its agony, it immediately went berserk, its four hooves leaving the air for half a step before being brought crashing to the ground by the force. The carriage also veered sharply and overturned.
The man opposite him didn't see the iron bullet, nor did he hear the sound from a distance. When he saw the iron arrow miss its mark, he was shocked.
Just as he was about to bend the bow again, the overturned carriage's underside blocked the people inside.
Inside the carriage, You Tong heard the clanging of weapons and then realized that an iron arrow was hurtling towards her. Her heart almost stopped for a moment. Just when she thought she was going to die on the spot, the iron arrow killed the horse. In a dizzying moment, the carriage overturned, and her head hit the side of the carriage wall, throbbing slightly.
The mountain wind whipped up the carriage curtain, and before she could recover from her shock and disorientation, she saw a dark figure rushing toward her.
He was tall and strong, and his body moved as fast as the wind.
Chapter 69 Tenderness
Through the dense thicket, a sharp arrow pierced the air and landed firmly under the carriage, its tail feathers trembling violently.
You Tong was terrified. When she caught sight of that familiar dark figure, her heart nearly leaped out of her chest. She was unarmored and dared not rush out to catch the powerful crossbow bolts. She quickly crouched down to hide, her gaze fixed on the fierce man who had seemingly appeared out of nowhere, filled with disbelief.
The mountain wind whipped at his robes, and Fu Yu pounced like a swooping eagle.