High-class Spring Joy

The Third Young Master's carriage was very spacious. Originally, the Third Young Master rode a horse. Although he couldn't see the road clearly, he was protected by Chen Sha and Zhe Ji. In addition, the horse was a special Akhal-Teke horse that had been with the Third Young Master for several years and was a very intelligent horse.

The carriage was filled with a strong smell of blood. Qingyuan could smell it even before she got inside the carriage, when she reached the door.

The third young master was being laid face down in the carriage, and Sai Huatuo was slowly peeling off his clothes.

The robe, which was originally snow-white, was covered in mud and filth after that incident, and the back of the robe was torn in countless places.

Beside Sai Huatuo were scissors and some other medical supplies, and several medicine boxes were also placed nearby.

When Sai Huatuo looked up and saw that it was Qingyuan who had entered, he immediately breathed a sigh of relief: "Miss Qingyuan, it's you. It's good that you're here. Quickly, come and help me take off the Third Young Master's clothes."

Qingyuan was stunned, but immediately reacted: "How about I call Zheji and Chensha, or someone else, in? That would be more convenient. It doesn't seem appropriate for me to undress the Third Young Master."

After saying that, Qingyuan turned to call for help, but Sai Huatuo stopped her: "Miss Qingyuan, now that you're here, don't stand on ceremony between men and women. I do know Chensha and Zheji, but they are both big, burly men, clumsy in their actions, and naturally not as meticulous as you. I need to treat the Third Young Master's head injury and back injury. The head injury needs to be stabilized first, but if I can treat the back injury at the same time, that would be best. I can't handle it all by myself, so since you're here, please help me."

As Sai Huatuo spoke, Qingyuan, no longer hesitant, walked over and saw several basins of water in front of her. "Please tell me, Mr. Sai, what should I do?"

"Miss, there's no need to be nervous. The injury on the Third Young Master's back is secondary. The most important thing is the injury on the back of his head. I can handle the injury on the back of his head myself. However, it's been raining heavily today, and the rainwater is mixed with mud and dirt. If he wears these clothes for too long, it might cause an infection and worsen the condition. Please take off the clothes on the back of the Third Young Master little by little, and use the basin of water next to me to clean the wound. Then I will apply the medicine to the wound."

As he spoke, Sai Huatuo rummaged through his medicine box, preparing medicine with great speed and efficiency.

Looking at the tangled, bloody flesh on Chu Jingxian's back, Qingyuan felt a wave of red wash over her, and her head throbbed for a moment. She instinctively closed her eyes, almost losing her balance, and only managed to stand by bracing herself against the carriage.

Qingyuan rubbed her temples, and after calming down, she composed herself, bent down, and tried to reach out to remove the clothes from Chu Jingxian's back.

Qingyuan finally understood why Sai Huatuo had said earlier that Chensha and Zheji were a group of burly men, and that he was afraid they would be careless and sloppy in their work.

Only then did Qingyuan fully realize the extent of the Third Young Master's back injury. If it hadn't been raining, it probably would have looked even more serious.

The flesh, large and small, was curled outwards, and the blood had long since stained the back of the clothes bright red. The Third Young Master had rolled off the horse while holding Qingyuan, and there were even many small pebbles stuck in the flesh.

At this moment, his back looked like a complete bloody mess, and it was difficult to tell whether it was fragments of skin and flesh or small stones unless you looked very closely.

It wasn't just the scene itself, but even just seeing that back made Qingyuan's heart pound and her eyes redden.

Even when Qingyuan reached out and touched that slightly cool body, she was already trembling a little.

Because it had been raining heavily, he was soaked to the bone. His clothes were icy cold, and the snow was icy cold too. It seemed that only the slight warmth on his skin reminded him that he was still alive.

Qingyuan calmed herself down and tried her best to steady her hands as she slowly removed the robe from Chu Jingxian's back, revealing the flesh and blood behind him.

Looking at Qingyuan's appearance, Sai Huatuo sighed, "Now you know why I disliked their clumsiness, right? Actually, today's situation is quite lucky. If it hadn't rained so heavily and the Third Young Master hadn't been soaked, it would have been a sunny day. If it had been a bright, sunny day, and the blood had completely congealed on his clothes, the clothes and flesh would have stuck together again. Removing the clothes then would have been much more painful and difficult. Removing the clothes would have torn the flesh, causing a fine, persistent pain that would be unbearable for most people. It's much easier to remove them now. If you hadn't come earlier, by the time I finished treating the Third Young Master's head wound, the clothes would probably have dried on the flesh. That's why I said you came at just the right time."

Just looking at that flesh and blood, tears welled up in Qingyuan's eyes, but she absolutely could not cry at this moment.

Tears would hurt even more if they fell on the Third Young Master's wound, even if he was unconscious and couldn't feel the pain.

Qingyuan quickly wiped her face, cleaned away her tears, soaked the towel in the basin, and then used the wet towel to clean the blood off Chu Jingxian's back little by little after it was half dry.

The stones were so dense, and the pebbles were small and sharp, some even embedded in the flesh. Qingyuan simply wiped the wound with a wet towel, and blood slowly began to seep out again. If Qingyuan wiped too slowly, the speed at which she wiped couldn't keep up with the speed at which the blood was flowing out.

But if Qingyuan wipes faster, the force will inevitably increase, and Qingyuan is reluctant to do so. How can she bear to?

Qingyuan wiped so gently and slowly that the handkerchief turned from white to bright red. Her back wasn't completely clean either. Qingyuan wiped and wiped, and the handkerchief was washed in the water again and again. She changed the water three or four times, and it all turned into bloody water.

"This can't go on."

Sai Huatuo glanced at her and knew that Qingyuan was somewhat reluctant, so he gave her a reminder.

Qingyuan could only turn her face away, avoid looking, and deftly wipe away the blood with a half-dry towel she had just wrung out.

But this was just the beginning. Although the blood and mud had been cleaned up, many small stones were still stuck in the flesh.

Qingyuan couldn't use her fingers to treat it, and she was afraid that doing it for too long would be too troublesome and cause the Third Young Master more pain. At this moment, Sai Huatuo handed her a very delicate little hook. "Miss, use this to treat it. Remember to do it as quickly as possible and in as little time as possible. Otherwise, if it takes too long, the wound will easily worsen. Because the wound area is too large and there are too many wounds, once it worsens, it will be even more difficult to treat. I know that you can't bear to see him in pain, but at this moment, the more determined and faster you are, the more you can help him."

Hearing Sai Huatuo's words, Qingyuan dared not slow down any longer, carefully using the small hook to pick out the tiny stones that were embedded in her flesh.

During this process, Qingyuan only felt somewhat at ease when she touched Chu Jingxian's skin and flesh, which was still warm.

Throughout the entire process, Qingyuan was even more focused, meticulous, and attentive than when she was embroidering herself. It was thanks to Qingyuan's years of embroidery experience that her hands were much steadyer than the average person's.

Even Sai Huatuo, who was standing nearby, clicked his tongue in amazement: "I used to think that you were a gentle and kind person, but in this situation, you were able to pick out these pebbles one by one without your hands trembling. No wonder the Third Young Master..."

Just then, Qing Yuan finished making his selections. He hadn't dared to breathe loudly the entire time, essentially holding his breath. Only now, having finished, did he dare to take a deep breath, feeling completely relaxed. He then noticed what Sai Huatuo had just said, looked up at him, and asked, "Mr. Sai, what did you say?"

Sai Huatuo looked at her, smiled and shook his head: "Next, we may need to ask Miss Qingyuan to leave."

Qingyuan had no problem with it. She stood up and walked out. In such a life-or-death situation, there was no time to speak.

But they hadn't gone far from the carriage when they heard the ladies and young women gathered in a circle, discussing something:

"Madam Dou, you really care about the Third Young Master. Even though you both suffered the same attack by bandits and the Fifth Young Master had an ambiguous relationship with that Miss Jiang, you didn't even go to inquire about it. Instead, you went straight to the Third Young Master's carriage. It's clear how important the Third Young Master is to you. Your previous rumors were indeed true."

"That's more than just a rumor; everyone in Bianjing, young and old, knows it. The old lady of the Zhenguo Marquis's mansion is the most virtuous and kind. Although she's a second wife, she dotes on her stepson, the Third Young Master, even more than her own son. Not long after the old Marquis passed away last year, the Third Young Master committed that capital crime. It was the old lady who tirelessly searched everywhere for him, trying every possible method, but to no avail. The Third Young Master's crime was too serious, so no matter how much the old lady searched, there was nothing she could do, and that's how the matter was resolved. Look around in Bianjing, which other second wife treats her stepson so well?"

"That's true. And the old lady's kindness towards the third young master isn't something that only started today. For over a decade, the whole of Bianjing has been talking about the third young master you see today—his gentle and refined appearance. He's been raised with exceptional grace and elegance. Apart from an accident when he was six years old that injured his eyes, the third young master has grown up so well and is now incredibly wealthy. If the old lady had treated him even slightly badly, he wouldn't have achieved his current success and status. It's clear that the old lady has put a lot of effort into cultivating the third young master, even more time and energy than she has for her own son. Compared to the third young master, the fifth young master is still a commoner, without any official rank or title."

Qingyuan listened to their conversation without showing any change in expression, but she still felt something was off.

But Qingyuan's mind was focused on the Third Young Master's injuries, and she didn't have time to think much about it. She just listened to their conversation and felt that something was wrong, but she couldn't figure out exactly what it was.

At this point, the group of ladies seemed to have changed the subject again:

"But look at the marriage between the Fifth Young Master and the eldest daughter of the Jiang family, isn't it already arranged?"

"For the past ten years or so, Miss Jiang has painstakingly cultivated a reputation for being virtuous and kind. What virtuous and kind person would break off their engagement with their former fiancé, and then, a month later, openly move into his house, even getting involved with his brother in a murky way? She's just using small favors to deceive those clueless maids and servants, thus gaining a reputation for being kind and virtuous."

"Look at this, even though it was an emergency, what kind of behavior is it for a man and a woman to hug and kiss in public? Even if the Fifth Young Master was trying to save the eldest daughter of the Jiang family, it's not right to hug for such a short while and only just let go. There are so many people here. If everyone hadn't been busy repairing the carriage, they would have been drowned in spittle."

Hearing the conversation among the ladies and young women, which turned to Chu Jingyu and Jiang Qingge, Qingyuan quickened her pace. She wasn't curious about the two of them, but something seemed strange to her.

She needs to find someone to ask.

Qingyuan went directly to Princess Jing'an's carriage. Princess Jing'an had already come out of the Empress Dowager's carriage and arrived at her own carriage. When Qingyuan went in, even Cuiwei was not there; only Princess Jing'an was there.

"Princess, I have something I'd like to ask."

Qingyuan didn't say much, and went straight to the point.

Princess Jing'an wanted to ask something more, but seeing Qing Yuan's expression, she realized it was probably no small matter, and her expression became serious: "Ah Yuan, just tell me. We've known each other for a long time, and you know how I've treated you. Whatever you want to ask, I'll tell you everything I can. Or if you feel something is wrong, or if Chu Jingxian needs anything, just say so. If it weren't for you today, my mother and I wouldn't know what to do. My mother also instructed me to treat you well."

Qingyuan shook her head. "Since the princess has said so, then I'll get straight to the point. The princess said that I saved you and the Empress Dowager, but actually... I don't think this matter is that simple. First of all, how much audacity would it take to rob a royal convoy? And I remember three years ago, His Highness the Crown Prince had already led men to wipe out a band of mountain bandits. In recent years, there haven't been any incidents of mountain bandits robbing mountain roads, attacking civilians, burning, killing, and looting around Xiangguo Temple. Could it be that we just happened to stumble upon it?"

"Yes, I noticed that too. When the bandits appeared, I felt something was off. I know my brother’s abilities. If he said he would wipe out the bandits, he would never leave any trouble behind. My brother’s way of doing things is either not to take action at all, or once he takes action, he will make sure to eliminate all future troubles. So when he came to wipe out the bandits three years ago, he must have wiped them all out completely."

As Princess Jing'an spoke, upon hearing Qing Yuan's words, doubts arose in her heart: "But if we're talking about something strange, or anything different about our carriage, it's that our caravan is a royal caravan, and a large one at that, making it particularly conspicuous. Perhaps they're after money?"

Qingyuan shook her head, her eyes growing increasingly resolute: "That makes it even stranger. Since the princess knows our entourage is large and has many carriages, it's clearly not a small group. Even ordinary people, let alone bandits who make a living by robbing in the mountains, would immediately recognize that those inside are of high status and rank. Perhaps they saw the grandeur of the entourage and wanted to rob us, which is plausible. But the problem lies in the fact that a royal entourage, no matter how carefully disguised, is vastly different from the travels of ordinary wealthy families. Let alone the carriages, just the group of royal guards accompanying His Highness the Crown Prince are not ordinary servants or guards. Unless they're desperate and want to risk their lives for some silver, even if they robbed us, wouldn't they worry about having money to burn or being unable to spend it?"

As Qingyuan spoke, she thought back to the commotion that had just occurred, carefully recalling the details: "The most illogical thing is, if they were after money, why did they choose me and Miss Jiang as hostages in the end? If I were truly a desperate person, risking my life and death, and wanted to use this to get some money back, why didn't I just kidnap the Empress Dowager and the Princess? Kidnapping Miss Jiang would be one thing, after all, she is the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, the daughter of Lord Jiang. Kidnapping Miss Jiang might bring back some wealth, but what does kidnapping me mean? To the outside world, I am just an ordinary maid in the Marquis of Zhenguo's mansion. Where would I get any money to give them, or any power to give them? So the only plausible explanation is this."

Qingyuan looked at Princess Jing'an in front of her.

Princess Jing'an paused. "You mean those bandits were after you? But according to you, you used to be a maid in the Zhenguo Marquis's mansion. How could you have offended a group of bandits? Besides, I've long heard that you were very popular in the Zhenguo Marquis's mansion, especially after receiving the Empress Dowager's reward. The maids and servants there treated you like sisters. Perhaps you have some other enemies?"

"If we're talking about someone who would really be worth killing, then there's only one person left."

Qingyuan stared intently at Princess Jing'an in front of her.

Princess Jing'an didn't need to ask any more questions or listen to Qing Yuan's explanation; she naturally knew the answer.

"But does Jiang Qingge really have such audacity?! Even if her target is only you, and not me or the Empress Dowager, she would still be guilty of treason at this time! If it's proven true and traced back to him, the entire Jiang family will be executed—a crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations of their clan. Could it be that Jiang Qingge would risk such a heinous crime as the extermination of nine generations of her clan just to snatch Chu Jingyu from you?"

"I don't understand this either, and I find it strange. That's why I came to discuss it with the princess."

Qingyuan truly couldn't understand this: "So I would like to ask the princess to send someone to investigate this matter secretly."

"Both Mother and my brother will definitely order a thorough investigation into this matter, so why do you still want me to..."

Princess Jing'an was somewhat puzzled, but when she looked at Qing Yuan, their eyes met, and Princess Jing'an seemed to understand something:

"Okay, I'll investigate secretly."

-

Meanwhile, on the other side...

With the ladies and young ladies present, as well as so many servants, Jiang Qingge released Chu Jingyu after realizing what was happening, and the two separated. Jiang Qingge was helped back to the carriage by her head maid, Fanghua.

Back in the carriage, Fanghua took a handkerchief and wiped the water droplets and dirt off Jiang Qingge's face, then helped Jiang Qingge change into a dry set of clothes.

"Miss, isn't this move too risky? Letting so many people see you talking to the Fifth Young Master in public is bad for your reputation. I just heard a group of servants gossiping about you and the Young Master."

Fanghua asked with great concern.

Jiang Qingge remained unperturbed, her expression returning to calm, as if she weren't the one who had just been crying so bitterly and desperately while holding Chu Jingyu.

Jiang Qingge snorted coldly: "I used to care too much, especially about my reputation. That's why, even after being in the Zhenguo Marquis's mansion for so long, I haven't secured this marriage. Reputation is something that will always be praised and criticized. No one can please everyone in the world. Reputation is meaningless; it can't give me anything, nor can it truly benefit me. But if I seize this opportunity to completely win over Chu Jingyu, it will be a completely different story. The entire Zhenguo Marquis's mansion currently only has two sons. The third son, Chu Jingxian, is a merchant. Even if he's incredibly wealthy and highly regarded by the Emperor, what good is it? He has no chance of inheriting the title of Marquis. Therefore, the title is destined to belong to Chu Jingyu. If I seize this opportunity and finalize my engagement with Chu Jingyu, then I will become the Marquis's wife. At that time, even if my reputation isn't good, so what?"

This was a risky move, one I anticipated from the beginning. There would be gossip, but the fact that there was gossip meant that almost every lady, young lady, and even official in Bianjing had seen through Chu Jingyu and me; we were mutually in love. This made the previous rumors seem like fact. Even if the old lady was still dissatisfied with me as her daughter-in-law, if she dared to force Chu Jingyu to break off our engagement or marry someone else, the first person to be drowned in spittle wouldn't be me, but the fifth young master of the Zhenguo Marquis's mansion—ungrateful and fickle.

"I was just overthinking it. I was only worried about you, Miss. What if those people acted recklessly and actually hurt you? Or what if they didn't do their job properly and someone found something on you that led to your arrest?"

Fanghua was very worried.

Jiang Qingge smiled dismissively: "So what if they trace it back to me? I didn't hire those people, and I didn't plan this. I just gave it a little push. If anyone's going to investigate, I'm not the one who started it."