Union

Chapter 167 Injured
At that moment, Yunying was terrified.

She feared that Lin Shuqing would treat her like a runaway slave, and even more so that Lin Shuqing would resell her to some filthy place.

She hated it even more.

She hated that her fate had always been controlled by others, and even now, she still couldn't escape Lin Shuqing's clutches.

Was Lin Shuqing wronged?

She must have felt wronged.

After all, the maid she sent away, someone who was treated like a plaything, had slapped her in the face.

She must have hated her to the core, wishing she could devour her alive and grind her bones to dust.

But isn't she innocent?
She was bought and sold at will, treated as a plaything and passed around, with no say in her own fate.

While it is true that her feelings for Chen Yanzhou infringed upon Lin Shuqing's interests and territory, shouldn't Lin Shuqing have considered this when she sent her away?

She sent her to Chen Yanzhou's side, but she wouldn't allow her to develop feelings for Chen Yanzhou, and she wouldn't allow any romantic love between them. Is that realistic?
At that moment, Yunying's last bit of guilt towards Lin Shuqing vanished.

She developed feelings for Chen Yanzhou and tolerated his advances, thus infringing upon the rights of a wife. But was the most fundamental reason for Lin Shuqing and Chen Yanzhou's eventual divorce also because of her?
No, not her!
It was Lin Shuqing who cheated on her husband and was unfaithful; it was she who was promiscuous and always looking for something better. Ultimately, it was because of her flawed character that she ended up in this predicament.

Instead of reflecting on her own actions, she only thought about manipulating her, venting her resentment, malice, and anger on this helpless and powerless maid. Her despicable character became even more apparent at this moment.

For someone of such low character, the Second Master's decision to divorce her was the wisest one.

The nightingale ran with all its might.

Even without a howling wind on a cold winter night, the sheer amount of cold air hitting your face is enough to cause lung pain.

Yunying inhaled a large amount of cold air in a short period of time, and her breathing was accompanied by a deep pain. She wanted to cough, to cough loudly, but she gritted her teeth and tried her best to endure it.

Suddenly, her long, loose hair was grabbed tightly, and the person yanked her back. It felt as if Yunying's scalp had been ripped off, and her limbs trembled with pain. "Ah!"

She screamed and painfully raised her head. Her body arched like a bow as she tried to avoid being hurt, but she was still pulled back violently, staggering and crashing hard into a large tree beside her.

Crimson blood gushed from her forehead, splattering Yunying's face. She bit her lip, her whole body convulsing in pain.

"Damn, third brother, take it easy. This chick's got a good skin; she'll definitely make a fortune working as a prostitute. What if she gets disfigured..."

"Is this my fault? Isn't it because this little wench is too fast? Damn it, she looks so frail, but she runs faster than a rabbit. If I hadn't caught up with her quickly, she would have jumped over the wall and run away."

"Hehehe, eldest brother and third brother, stop arguing. As long as she's alive, that's all that matters. Quick, quick, carry this little wench into the room. While she's still warm, let me relieve my pent-up desire..."

At this moment, a barrage of foul language poured into Yunying's ears.

Yunying struggled in vain, and because she struggled too hard, she was pinched hard on her back.

That's pinching, it's twisting.

Yunying felt as if her skin and flesh were about to detach from her bones, and she trembled all over in pain, breaking out in a cold sweat.

However, she still struggled; she didn't want to become a fish on a chopping board, at the mercy of others.

No matter how much Yunying struggled and resisted, she was eventually slammed onto the bed amidst the lewd laughter of these men.

At the same time, a foul-smelling figure pressed down on her.

"No! Chen Yanzhou, save me! Please save me!"

"Little wench, keep screaming! Keep screaming! I love that kind of thing, so keep screaming... Ugh, bang!"

Yunying didn't know when the weight on her body disappeared.

She didn't know when the screams and roars started inside the house.

All she knew was that she seemed to have had a real nightmare. But when she woke up, Chen Yanzhou was standing in front of her.

He was handsome and refined, like a gentle breeze under the bright moon. He held her in his arms, comforting her and kissing her forehead and cheeks.

Yunying burst into tears, crying so hard she nearly fainted.

She looked extremely disheveled; there was a hole in her forehead, and blood was smeared all over her face and head. She was crying so hard that tears and snot were streaming down her face, and she looked like a complete mess.

But Chen Yanzhou couldn't see any of this; at this moment, his heart ached as if it were bleeding.

If he hadn't been so restless and insisted on coming to see her, it's unimaginable what might have happened to her.

But he came, yet he was too late. She was still harmed, nearly violated, and suffered immense shock and pain.

Chen Yanzhou held Yunying in his arms, comforting and patting her. "Good Yunying, stop crying, it's alright now, it's all over."

"It's all my fault, it's my fault for not insisting on staying. I'm so sorry, you can hit me or scold me, just don't cry anymore. Good Yingying, please stop crying, open your eyes and look at me, I'm here, I've come to be with you..."

Yunying eventually fell asleep, whether from exhaustion from crying or from the head injury and excessive bleeding, causing her to feel dizzy and lightheaded.

Even though she was asleep, her body was still twitching. In her dreams, she kept sobbing and crying, her whole body curled up into a small ball, convulsing and trembling from time to time.

The doctor was summoned, and Mo Xue announced his arrival from the doorway.

Chen Yanzhou didn't respond. Mo Xue waited for a while before leading the old doctor inside.

The room had long since quieted down, with only pools of blood remaining, a testament to what had transpired there.

The old doctor, whether accustomed to such scenes or adept at self-preservation, remained remarkably calm throughout, pretending not to see anything.

However, when he saw the wound on Yunying's forehead, the old doctor couldn't help but frown.

After examining Yunying's pulse, the old doctor's expression became even more grave.

Finally, the senior doctor said, "This young lady bumped her head, and the injury is quite serious. Being asleep now isn't a good sign; when she wakes up, she'll definitely feel dizzy, nauseous, and vomit..."

The old doctor sighed as he spoke.

This girl is undeniably beautiful; perhaps her striking beauty is what attracted attention. Judging by her injuries alone, she seems to be a woman of strong character, otherwise she wouldn't have been injured so badly.

Although her innocence was preserved, the girl's injury needed proper care. She was lucky; although the fall was quite severe, it didn't injure any vital organs. Otherwise, if she had become mentally disabled, that would have been truly tragic.

The old doctor gave many instructions, solemnly prescribed a formula, and finally, trembling, was led away by Mo Xue.

Now that a curfew has been imposed, Mo Xue only managed to invite the people over by presenting the Rongguo Duke's mansion's token. After visiting Yun Ying, Mo Xue took the old doctor to see the uncle and aunt who had been newly purchased that day.

The older woman was in a better position; she had only been kicked in the stomach and her hands and feet were tied, but she didn't have any major injuries.

That uncle's condition was rather serious.

He was an honest and kind man, and knew how to be loyal to his master. When Yunying was being chased, he rushed to her aid. But two fists can't fight four hands, and he was eventually beaten badly, spitting out a lot of blood. His cheeks and hair were also maliciously burned with torches, which would definitely leave scars...

The old doctor took the pulses of the two men, prescribed medicine, and even gave the uncle acupuncture.

After all three patients had been seen, the second watch gong sounded outside.

Finally, Mo Xue escorted the old doctor back and then quickly returned.

At this moment, Chen Yanzhou was in the room washing and changing Yunying's clothes.

He wouldn't normally do these things, and even if he did, he would specifically ask a female relative to do them to protect Yunying's reputation.

But for a moment, he personally attended to her. He washed her, applied medicine, and changed her into brand new, clean clothes.

It was only after removing Yunying's undergarments that Chen Yanzhou suddenly noticed that her body was covered in bruises, not a single patch of unblemished skin. Especially her lower back and buttocks, which were swollen and bluish-purple with streaks of crimson blood, looked even more horrifying against her snow-white skin.

Chen Yanzhou's hands trembled; at this moment, all he wanted was to pull those people back and tear them to pieces.

Mo Xue asked to see him from outside the door, and Chen Yanzhou took a long time to call her in.

"Go and interrogate those two survivors, and see who's behind them."

"Subordinate, go right away."

Not long after Mo Xue left, Sui Yu also arrived.

The Second Master's figure appeared in the main house. Sui Yu didn't dare to go closer, so he could only sneak to the backyard and find Mo Xue.

Mo Xue had a knack for interrogating people. He gagged them and covered their faces with parchment one piece at a time. Soon, those stubborn men began to struggle and kick violently.

Finally, all the questions I wanted to ask were asked.

As expected, the person behind the scenes was Lin Shuqing.

Mo Xue and Sui Yu were not surprised to hear this name, but they were also immediately troubled.

Although Lin Shuqing had divorced the Second Prince, she was pregnant, and the illegitimate child was still the Second Prince's offspring, barely qualifying as His Majesty's grandchild...

The two exchanged a glance and decided that this matter was still a concern for the Second Master. They were his subordinates and only needed to follow orders.

As they walked toward the main house, Sui Yu muttered, "Yun Ying is really pitiful. She didn't provoke Lin Shuqing, but this mad dog bites anyone she sees. Yun Ying has suffered a lot this time."

"You should keep this to yourself and not dwell on it. Second Master is already feeling bad, and if he hears you say this, I'm afraid he might do something rash in the heat of the moment."

"It's not like I think Second Master won't act impulsively if I don't say anything. Didn't you just say that Yunying was almost... Her head was broken and she bled so much. After this incident, she might suffer long-term effects... Even if I don't say anything, Second Master hates the Marquis of Chang'an's mansion to the core. Just you wait and see, Second Master won't let them get away with it."

Their second master has plenty of tricks up his sleeve.

In the past, it was just about upholding the gentlemanly conduct and swallowing one's anger for the sake of the royal family's reputation.

But some people are just so ungrateful, taking Second Master's forbearance for granted. This has only emboldened their ruthlessness; they've even dared to stab Second Master in the heart. Just you wait, this time Second Master won't be able to swallow this insult if he doesn't teach them a lesson.

The two whispered among themselves and soon returned to the front yard.

Mo Xue told the Second Master what she had learned during the interrogation.

As for how Lin Shuqing knew Yunying was there and how she harbored ill intentions towards Yunying, no one can say for sure.

Although the Second Master brought Yunying to Linghui Temple and the capital, he only formally introduced Yunying to Gu Yuanxi and two other people with whom he had a good relationship.

Those three people are of noble character and background; they would never be the kind of people who gossip and criticize others.

That's why the Second Master solemnly introduced them. This showed great respect to both sides.

If they didn't spread it, then who did?
It's hard to say for sure, but there are definitely people stirring up trouble. Of course, it's also possible that Lin Shuqing is exceptionally astute and harbors resentment towards the Rongguo Duke's mansion's ruthless actions. In that case, regardless of who the woman beside the Second Master really is, she'll try to eliminate her and embarrass him. It's also possible that it was during this process that she learned Yunying's name and remembered that she was the maid she sent to the Second Master…

It's a bit late to talk about these things now. What's most important right now is Yunying's indenture.

Sui Yu said worriedly, "The indenture is in Lin Shuqing's hands. By holding Yun Ying's indenture, she holds Yun Ying's life in her hands."

That's the situation right now.

Yunying was a slave, and her indenture was in Lin Shuqing's hands. Therefore, her future and fate were entirely in Lin Shuqing's hands.

Although Yunying suffered a great injustice today, if word gets out, Lin Shuqing wouldn't be entirely wrong.

After all, the maid was hers; she could beat her or kill her as she pleased. Although sending thugs to wantonly humiliate a maid might invite criticism if word got out, she was in the right, and no matter what others said, they couldn't harm her in the slightest.

Sui Yu said, "Second Master, we need to think of a way to get Yunying's indenture back. If we can help Yunying get rid of her slave status, that would be the best."

But this is not a good thing.

Both of them knew that after returning to the capital, the Second Master had made a deal with Lin Shuqing using Yunying's indenture. At the time, Lin Shuqing insisted on going to the Tingchan Temple to pray to Buddha, but the Madam disagreed. Lin Shuqing then sought out the Second Master to plead on her behalf, and the Second Master took the opportunity to retrieve Yunying and Qiu Ning's indenture.

For some reason, Lin Shuqing refused outright.

At that time, Lin Shuqing didn't know that Yunying had returned to the capital, so the matter was left unresolved. But now that Lin Shuqing has divorced the Second Master, she knows that Yunying is in the capital.

What happened tonight is probably just the beginning.

Afterwards, Lin Shuqing realized that the plan had failed and was afraid that she would have to take Yunying back.

What should we do then?
After all, legally speaking, Yunying's master is Lin Shuqing. If Lin Shuqing divorces the Second Master and wants to take her private property with her, no one can say no to her.

Sui Yu wanted to scratch her head.

This is truly a case of oversight, no matter how meticulous the plan.

Why didn't we think of Yunying's indenture back then?

Sui Yu scratched his head anxiously, "Second Master, please give me an answer. What should we do about this? If all else fails, I'll go to the Marquis of Chang'an's residence and steal Yun Ying's indenture."