The news that the eldest daughter of the Hua family was assassinated outside the city and her life or death was unknown spread quickly. No matter whether they had old ties with the Hua family or grudges against them, they all felt that this was not a good thing to do. Taking action right under the imperial city, where would the emperor and the court be placed? Even if Hua Zhi had done something, every one of them benefited everyone. How could it come to the point of taking someone's life? This was too ugly.
Needless to say, those who were familiar with the Hua family rushed to the Hua family as soon as they got the news.
The whole play was done. Even when Hua Zhi returned home, she was carried in. After she was placed on the bed, she dismissed all the strangers and told Chen Qing who was standing by the door, "Send a message to Shaoyao, and ask her to come back quickly."
"Yes, someone has already gone there."
"Also, make the wind and waves even bigger."
Chen Qing accepted the order and left.
Hua Zhi found an excuse to send away several of the older maids. She undressed and took off her soft armor. Then she picked up the arrow and pierced it through the hole in her outer shirt, passing through the layers of clothes until it hit her chest.
She moved the arrow to the side, closed her eyes, and exerted force on her hand. The arrowhead pierced her flesh, and the severe pain made her hand tremble. She was extremely resistant to this behavior that was close to self-mutilation. After a slight pause, she pushed her hand deeper with force. Even if it was just a show, she had to do it properly.
Blood flowed out, and she gently pressed down her clothes, allowing the blood to soak through the clothes layer by layer. Then she pulled out the arrow and threw it aside.
During this time, her already fair face became even paler, almost transparent, and her hair on her forehead was wet and stranded.
Yingchun came in with hot water and was so scared when she saw this scene that she threw the basin away. "Miss, isn't it okay? You're not hurt, right? How, how... "
"It's just a flesh wound, nothing serious." Hua Zhi lay back, "Close the second door, don't let people from the backyard come out, and don't let the news pass to the front."
"Miss!"
"I know what's going on."
Yingchun bit her lip, her eyes red as she pulled the quilt over the young lady and carefully covered her with it. She walked out the door and called Baoxia and Nianqiu over, "Are you sure the young lady wasn't hurt before?"
The two looked at each other and nodded, "Sure, we saw it with our own eyes."
How could Yingchun not know that this was a self-torture trick played by the young lady? She took a deep breath, asked the two men to go in and serve her well, and asked the maid to go in and clean up the water in the room. Only then did she go to carry out the young lady's arrangements.
Baoxia and Nianqiu only understood why Yingchun asked that after they went in. Looking at the glaring red bloodstains on the young lady's chest, they didn't even need to ask why.
They were only four or five years old when they came to the young lady's side and were brought up by her. They didn't think they were any different from other servants before, but after a year, they clearly felt the difference. When other sisters were panicking and didn't know what to do, they knew that those complicated account books, those transactions, those things that were difficult for others were easy for them...
So how could they not know why the young lady did this, but it was precisely because they knew that they felt more distressed. Nian Qiu even wanted to cry for the young lady. Why? Why did their young lady have to suffer so much harm? She had to make up for the injuries that others did not suffer and make the other party pay the price.
"Use water mixed with wine to wipe my body. It's okay if you go slowly." Hua Zhi ordered with her eyes closed. Her voice trembled slightly. It was too painful. Before, she only knew that her ten fingers hurt because they were connected to her heart, but she didn't know that it would hurt so much when the injury was near the heart.
Nianqiu wiped her tears and immediately went to prepare. Baoxia came over with a pair of scissors and cut the clothes open with shaking hands. Looking at the wound that was still oozing blood, she was extremely panicked. It was just the clothes that rubbed the wound, but the young lady was shaking. What should she do when she was going to treat the wound later? The young lady was so patient, but she felt so painful. How painful must it be...
There was a noise outside the door. Baoxia hurriedly lowered the curtain, stood up and looked at the door, hoping that it was Miss Shaoyao who came.
But the one who came was Old Madam Zhu.
Zhu Shan supported her and walked in quickly. Her usually amiable face was clouded with gloom. After entering the room, she pushed Zhu Shan aside and walked towards him quickly. Ignoring Bao Xia's greeting, she lifted the curtain and looked at the exposed wound, unable to speak for a long time.
She knew that Zhi'er had been injured, and that her in-laws had been in contact with the master, but hearing and seeing with one's own eyes were two different things!
"Grandma, are you scared? Don't worry, the injury just looks scary, it's not serious." As she spoke, Hua Zhi propped herself up and tried to sit up as if she didn't feel any pain.
"Lie down." Old Madam Zhu stopped him in a harsh voice, turned around and asked coldly, "Where's the doctor? Have you called for him?"
"I have sent someone to invite Miss Shaoyao." Knowing that the old lady was angry with them for not protecting the young lady well, Baoxia did not complain at all. That was the fact: they were incompetent and failed to protect the young lady.
Hua Zhi held her grandmother's hand and shook it. Old Madam Zhu looked at her and felt extremely upset.
She's just a girl. Although she's more sensible, filial, capable, and better than all the other girls, this can't change the fact that she's just a seventeen-year-old girl. Why does she have to live such a hard life
My body is already in such bad shape. If I continue to suffer from this injury, my life span will be shortened!
Old Madam Zhu's eyes were red. She sat on the edge of the bed and wanted to scold her, but she couldn't say anything. What had happened to her Zhi'er? The ones who were wrong were those who couldn't tolerate her!
"You don't need to force a smile in front of me. If it hurts, just groan a few times. How can your grandma laugh at you?" Old Madam Zhu pulled the quilt up, stopping just at the wound. She obviously couldn't bear to look at it any longer, but her eyes couldn't help but look there. How painful it must be to have so much blood flowing.
"Your mother..."
"The second door is locked." Hua Zhi was in so much pain that she was a little dazed, but her expression showed no sign of change. "Yingchun and the others can handle the family affairs, but if there are guests, I'll have to trouble you to help deal with them. After all, they are of low status, and people don't take them seriously..."
"Just stop worrying about it. I can't ignore it."
Hua Zhi smiled and said, "Yes, you never abandoned us."
Madam Zhu suddenly turned her head away, tears falling like beads from a broken string. She pounded her chest a few times, wiped her tears and turned her head back, "Is there anything I need to pay attention to?"
"If anyone asks about my injury, you can say that it's on my chest, only half an inch away from my heart. Don't worry, it's not that serious." Seeing her grandmother's face suddenly change, Hua Zhi comforted her: "I just feel pain, but the wound is not deep."
The old lady stared at the wound, took a deep breath and nodded: "I know what to do."
"Believe me, the wound is not deep, it's just that the location is a little special and it hurts more than any other wound." Hua Zhi did not say that the wound was caused by herself. It was not because she did not trust her grandmother, but it was better not to say it out loud, and... she was also afraid of being scolded.