Qiu Ming nodded seriously. "Yes, your subordinates will be careful in the future and will never let this happen again."
"Alright, you can go now!" Jiang Luoxue replied, her tone calm but authoritative.
She watched as Qiu Ming bowed and left, then turned to Zhu Ying, a playful glint in her eyes. "Aren't you itching to do something? Want to stretch your muscles with me?"
"Yes!" Zhu Ying answered immediately, excitement flickering across her face.
That night, cloaked in black, Jiang Luoxue and Zhu Ying lay in wait along Zhou Shiyu's usual route. As soon as he passed below them, Jiang Luoxue gave Zhu Ying a subtle gesture, prompting her to act.
Zhu Ying unfolded the sack quickly, draping it over Zhou Shiyu's head while pressing his speech acupoint to silence him. Jiang Luoxue gave her a thumbs up, then threw a punch and delivered a solid beating to the man.
Zhou Shiyuwen was a weak scholar, and with his head and upper body bound, he was completely unable to resist.
He wanted to scream for help but couldn't make a sound, so he could only curl up and endure the beating.
After they had finished, Jiang Luoxue coldly picked up a large rock and slammed it down heavily on his leg.
Crack!
With a sharp crack, the intense pain from the broken leg became unbearable for Zhou Shiyu, and he immediately fainted.
Once she was sure the man had lost consciousness, Zhu Ying removed the sack, leaving no trace behind.
Before leaving, Jiang Luoxue sprinkled some powder on Zhou Shiyu's face, then allowed Zhu Ying to carry him away.
Back in the courtyard, Zhu Ying noticed the white powder and asked curiously, "Master, what did you just sprinkle on that guy surnamed Zhou?"
Jiang Luoxue replied with a mischievous grin, "Hehe! Of course, it's something that can turn him into a one-hit wonder!"
She had always been vengeful; she would take revenge on the spot if she could, and if she couldn't, she would find a way to do it later.
This Zhou Shiyu had dared to scheme against her.
By only crippling one of his legs and turning him into a virile man, she was already showing mercy.
If he weren't still useful, this day next year would mark his death anniversary.
Zhu Ying: "...!"
Her master is ruthless she liked it!
Feeling satisfied after taking her revenge, Jiang Luoxue returned to her room, changed out of her night clothes, washed up, closed the door, and settled back into her smart bed in her space, as usual.
The next day…
The servants of the Minister's mansion went out early in the morning and discovered Zhou Shiyu, beaten black and blue and unconscious, in an alley not far from the mansion gate.
They hurriedly carried him back to the mansion.
Chu Lianxin was extremely anxious when she heard of her lover's injuries, but due to her status, she dared not approach him herself. She could only instruct her trusted maid to fetch a doctor quickly to treat him.
When Yu Zan returned, she informed her that Zhou Shiyu had three broken ribs and that his right leg was permanently crippled.
Chu Lianxin felt dizzy and weak, and she plopped down into a chair.
"How could this happen? Who did this?!"
Yu Zan spoke from beside her, "Madam, now that Steward Zhou is crippled, it's uncertain whether he can remain in the manor in the future. You… should make other plans!"
Chu Lianxin understood perfectly well that the Minister's mansion could not possibly keep a crippled servant. If Zhou Shiyu's leg could not be healed, he would be dismissed sooner or later.
She had gone to great lengths to hire him as the housekeeper, and he was still fulfilling the role faithfully now.
If he were replaced, the new one wouldn't be as loyal or as cunning as Zhou Shiyu is now.
For her own sake and for her child's, she could not let Zhou Shiyu leave.
Chu Lianxin clenched her fingers, and suddenly, an idea struck her.
"Yu Zan, go down and tell everyone to keep their mouths shut. If the master asks about Steward Zhou's injury, just say he fell and will be fine after some rest."
"But this will only keep things under wraps for a while!" Yu Zan protested, sensing this wasn't a long-term solution.
"Keep it a secret for as long as possible. Have someone discreetly search for a renowned doctor who can cure a broken leg. We absolutely cannot let Steward Zhou be kicked out of the manor."
Zhou Shiyu cannot leave until her son takes the imperial examination.
Seeing that her mind was made up, Yu Zan had no choice but to agree. "Yes, this servant will go right away."
After her trusted maid left, Chu Lianxin sat anxiously in the room, waiting until another trusted maid, Zhiyi, came to report.
"Madam, Butler Zhou has woken up."
Upon hearing this, Chu Lianxin immediately stood and said, "Stay here and guard the courtyard. If anyone comes, just say I'm resting and cannot be disturbed."
After giving her instructions, she went through the small gate of the courtyard and took a secluded path to Zhou Shiyu's house.
"Shi Yu~"
Seeing her lover beaten beyond recognition and lying on the bed on the verge of death, Chu Lianxin felt so heartbroken that tears welled up and spilled before she could even speak.
Zhou Shiyu opened his eyes and saw her, offering a weak smile to comfort her. "Xin'er, I'm fine. Why are you here?"
Chu Lianxin quickly moved to the bedside and sat down, reaching out to hold his hand. "I heard you were badly injured, so I wanted to come see you."
How could Zhou Shiyu not be touched seeing a woman risk being discovered just to check on him?
Despite his discomfort, he smiled and reassured her, "Don't worry, I'm really fine."
Chu Lianxin looked up and glared at him resentfully. "Don't try to comfort me. I heard you broke three ribs and a leg. How could you be alright?"
Zhou Shiyu reached out and gently wiped the tears from her face. "I was just afraid you would worry."
"What an idiot!"
Chu Lianxin, tears welling in her eyes, carefully touched his bruised and purple face, her gaze full of heartache. "Does it hurt?"
After the two had poured out their hearts for a while, Chu Lianxin asked about what had happened the previous night.
"What exactly happened last night? How did you end up beaten like this?"
"I don't know either," Zhou Shiyu replied, shaking his head as he began to recount the events.
"Last night, I came back from running errands outside and was beaten as soon as I entered Qingyun Hutong. Someone put a sack over my head and attacked me."
Chu Lianxin's tone carried a hint of reproach. "Then why didn't you call for help? Qingyun Alley isn't far from our mansion. If you had shouted a few times, someone from the mansion would have come to rescue you."
Zhou Shiyu's anger flared as he recalled the scene. "Don't even mention it. I originally wanted to call for help, but those people knew kung fu and were very cunning. They directly silenced me by pressing my speech acupoint, making it impossible to make a sound or call for help."
"Then I felt a piercing pain, and I lost consciousness."
Even now, Zhou Shiyu felt lingering fear when recalling that moment; the pain of that punch was unforgettable.
The assailants knew kung fu, and there was more than one of them.
Chu Lianxin thought for a moment, then frowned and asked, "Have you offended anyone recently?"
"No. You know my personality—I never offend people openly." Zhou Shiyu shook his head. His public image had always been that of a gentle and refined man.
Even when he schemed against someone, he did so in secret, leaving no evidence behind.
It was through this careful disguise that he had been able to maintain his position as steward in the Jiang family for so many years.