Ye Zhen’s skirt was stained with blood, appearing severely injured. If the wounds were not treated promptly, they could lead to a high fever or even leave scars.
The physician summoned to the estate was a middle-aged man, making it inappropriate for him to treat the injuries on her leg.
There were no female physicians in the county town either.
Wan Xing’s eyes were swollen from crying anxiously. “Shaofuren, let this servant tend to your wounds,” she pleaded.
She knew some basic bandaging techniques.
With no physician available, her efforts were better than leaving the injuries untreated.
But Ye Zhen stopped her.
When they were alone in the room, Ye Zhen omitted the details of her rebirth and explained to Wan Xing about the wild cat’s scratches and the conspiracy orchestrated by the Marquise and the others.
She reassured her, “Don’t cry. I only pretended to fall and didn’t actually hurt myself. These are just scratches from a wild cat—superficial wounds that look worse than they are.”
Wan Xing was so furious she wished she could dig up the corpses of Granny Feng and Xie Yunzhou and kill them all over again.
“They deceived you into this marriage first. You’ve dutifully observed widowhood for three years and treated them with utmost respect. How dare they do this to you?”
But wicked people seldom need reasons for their actions.
She also felt heartache for Ye Zhen. “You were covering the injuries on your leg, but how did you end up hurting your face as well?”
Yet she understood that Ye Zhen had done it to make the act more convincing.
After all, who would believe that someone could tumble down a slope and only injure their legs?
It was all her fault for not staying by her mistress’s side.
She slapped herself hard, tears streaming down her face. “Shaofuren, I’m sorry.”
She shouldn’t have trusted Granny Feng’s lies, thinking that gathering more dew would allow her young lady to rest longer.
Ye Zhen sighed helplessly. “Even I didn’t expect them to harm me like this. Don’t punish yourself for others’ wrongdoings.”
“Besides, my face was only lightly scratched. If you keep crying, it’ll heal before your tears dry.”
She wasn’t foolish enough to truly injure herself.
“There won’t be a next time for self-harm. And you must promise me: no matter what happens or what situation we’re in, prioritize your own safety first.”
Wan Xing had grown up with her, and their bond was as close as sisters.
In this life, Ye Zhen refused to let Wan Xing sacrifice herself for her again.
After a pause, Ye Zhen added, “From now on, just call me ‘young lady’.”
As for being Xie Yunzhou’s Shaofuren—let whoever wanted the title take it.
Wan Xing nodded instinctively, then gasped in surprise and excitement. “Young lady, are you planning to leave the Marquis estate?”
Ye Zhen had been raised away from the capital since childhood and never intended to return to marry. It was only under the threat of her parents’ suicide that she had agreed.
Originally, she had resolved to fulfill her duties as a wife of the Xie family, planning to fake her death in five years and leave with them, thus repaying her debt of life to her parents.
But now, it seemed her young lady’s heart had been utterly broken—was she planning to leave early?
Perhaps leaving was for the best.
Her young lady was like a swallow soaring among clouds or a fish swimming freely in water. Seeing her confined to the inner quarters pained Wan Xing deeply.
But Ye Zhen shook her head. “I will leave, but not now.”
She had yet to avenge the blood-deep grudges and reclaim her true identity. Leaving now would only let those people off too easily.
But these were matters she could explain to Wan Xing in detail later.
“Right now, what you need to do is find me a physician.”
“Wang Yushi’s estate isn’t far from here. His family’s Old Madam Wang is in poor health and often recuperates at their estate. She should have maidservants skilled in medicine by her side.”
“Young lady, are you hoping Old Madam Wang will testify about your injuries?”
Ye Zhen nodded.
The Marquis Zhongyong had married twice. His first wife died in childbirth, and the current Marquise, Liu Shi, was his second wife.
Old Madam Wang was the maternal aunt of the first wife. Though the first wife had passed away many years ago, the Marquis Zhongyong still held deep respect for this aunt.
Moreover, Ye Zhen had other plans in mind.
But Wan Xing hesitated. “I’ve heard that Old Madam Wang strongly dislikes the Marquise and her children.”
Xie Yunzhou was born to the Marquise. As the daughter-in-law of the Marquise, she worried that Old Madam Wang might vent her anger on the young lady and refuse to lend the medical maid.
Ye Zhen whispered softly to her.
Moments later, Wan Xing found the Head of the Village and anxiously described Ye Zhen’s injuries.
The Head of the Village was already distressed.
He never expected that the person Granny Feng had settled in the backyard would be Xie Yunzhou.
Now that the man was dead and such a scandal had erupted, he had no idea how to face the Marquise’s wrath.
Having witnessed Ye Zhen’s fall right before his eyes, he was well aware of the severity of her injuries—several bamboo stakes were stained with blood.
Yet, none of the women in the estate knew medicine, and he dared not let a male physician treat the thigh wound of the Shaofuren of Zhongyong Hou Estate.
Wan Xing’s urgency only amplified the Village Head’s anxiety, making him as frantic as a headless fly, to the point where he sought help from the County Magistrate.
The Magistrate had come hoping to curry favor with Zhongyong Hou Estate, but instead, he had stirred up a major disaster, leaving him deeply uneasy.
He wished to make amends regarding Ye Zhen’s situation but found himself powerless.
He could only approach Ye Zhen to apologize.
From behind the screen, Ye Zhen consoled him, “Your Honor, there’s no need for guilt. It’s only natural to be shocked upon suddenly seeing someone who has passed away. Even I can hardly believe it to this day—my husband, he…”
She sounded both grief-stricken and as if in unbearable pain.
After a pause, she continued, “When my father returns to the capital, I will do my best to explain everything clearly, though I fear my words may carry little weight. If you are truly concerned, Your Honor, perhaps you could seek help from Old Madam Wang of Wang Yushi’s family. I’ve heard that Old Madam Wang is upright and principled, and my father has always held her in high regard…”
The Magistrate slapped his forehead in realization. He had been so panicked over Xie Yunzhou’s matter that he had completely forgotten about Old Madam Wang.
This area fell under his jurisdiction, and he was well-acquainted with the residents of the nearby estates.
In his efforts to win favor with Wang Yushi, he had even visited the Wang estate to pay his respects to Old Madam Wang, who kept a medical maid by her side.
Moreover, as Ye Zhen had said, Old Madam Wang had influence with Marquis Zhongyong.
After expressing his gratitude, the Magistrate hastily departed with Wan Xing.
Unbeknownst to him, behind the screen, Ye Zhen curled her lips into a cold smile.
In her past life, this wretched Magistrate, following the orders of the Marquise and her son, had spread vivid lies about her having affairs in the estate and even produced two sturdy men to confess to the crime.
As an official of the court, he had forsaken truth for power, disregarded the law, and abetted evil.
In this life, let him taste the Marquise’s methods—let the dogs fight among themselves.
Meanwhile, after hearing Wan Xing’s plea and seeing the Magistrate accompany her, Old Madam Wang was unwilling to gain a reputation for refusing to save a life.
She did not make things difficult.
Wan Xing knelt outside the door and gratefully kowtowed three times.
The maid beside Old Madam Wang remarked, “A servant with such manners surely reflects well on her mistress.”
Often, servants emulate their masters’ behavior.
Old Madam Wang sighed, “With hundreds of servants in Zhongyong Hou Estate, if they truly needed to gather dew at night, why would the Shaofuren herself have to do it? That Liu Shi is tormenting her. Now that her son is gone, she’ll likely take it out on her daughter-in-law even more. Go and keep an eye on things. Don’t let Liu Shi do anything foolish that might implicate the Marquis and Ting Ge’er.”
The old maid acknowledged the order.
Though she thought the Marquise, grieving the loss of her son, would hardly have the energy to trouble her daughter-in-law.
To her surprise, as soon as the medical maid finished treating Ye Zhen, the Marquise stormed in.
She brought no physician for Ye Zhen, nor did she go to see her son’s body. Instead, she raised her hand and struck at Ye Zhen’s face—aiming precisely at the injured side.
Ye Zhen dodged the blow.
In the past, she had endured for the sake of the Ye family, for the scarce yet longed-for familial affection. But now…
She scoffed inwardly, yet wore a wounded expression. “What wrong have I committed, Mother, that you would strike me?”
Previously, although the Marquise had tormented Ye Zhen, it had always been through underhanded means.
This was the first time she had laid hands on Ye Zhen.
According to her schemes, it should have been Ye Zhen who faced public scorn, yet instead, it was her own Yunzhou who suffered, even losing his life.
Her right-hand woman, Granny Feng, had also been lost.
Yet Ye Zhen sat there, perfectly unharmed.
Consumed by hatred, she could no longer maintain her facade.
But what infuriated her even more was that Ye Zhen dared to evade her.
The Marquise’s eyes gleamed with venom as she spewed slander without hesitation.
“You’ve always been unruly in the manor, and now, at the estate, you’ve even conspired with outsiders to harm my son. Today, I will make sure everyone sees exactly what kind of vile creature you are.”
Her son must never bear the stigma.
Then let Ye Zhen shoulder all of it.
She barked sharply toward the door, “Guards! Strip her pants and examine her!”