Chapter 499 - 481: Delivering a Message
When Fengyu woke up again, it was already three days later.
Nanny Liu had sealed off the manor and placed guards around it. During the past three days, no one had left the manor. This place was originally filled with Su Yuejiao’s people. Ever since the incident in the Capital City three years ago, no member of the Feng Family had come to the manor for winter. The manor had never been bustling with people, but those who remained were loyal and devoted. Fengyu didn’t allow anyone to leave, mainly because she was wary of alarming the enemy and feared the loose tongues and chaos within the Feng Mansion.
While Fengyu was unconscious, Nanny Liu helped clean her up. Seeing her injuries, the older woman cried bitterly. Fengyu’s entire body was covered in wounds, with the most severe injuries being on her shoulder and abdomen. The wounds were festering, inflamed, and slightly rotten. Nanny Liu had sent someone to the stables to fetch a doctor, and even the doctor couldn’t help but marvel at Fengyu’s endurance—Third Miss had endured such grievous wounds and yet made it back here. Her willpower was extraordinary.
Apart from these major injuries, Fengyu’s legs, feet, and hands were also covered in wounds. In particular, the soles of her feet were rubbed raw, forming countless blisters, all of which had burst and festered. Walking even a single step brought excruciating pain, as though she were treading on knife edges. To make it back to the Capital City, she had alternated between riding a merchant caravan’s cart and walking on foot. For someone like Third Miss, who had always traveled by carriage and enjoyed sleeping in, enduring such hardships was unimaginable. Now, with her severe injuries, she had to rely on a crutch, and her palms were filled with blisters that Nanny Liu carefully lanced and treated with ointment one by one.
If the Old Madam and the Mistress knew the young lady had suffered so much, they would surely be heartbroken.
Fengyu herself, however, was unconcerned about her wounds. Being able to return safely to Yiling Village meant that she was already out of immediate danger. Chen Mo would never have imagined that she could make her way back to the Capital City. Perhaps he believed that a mere woman like her had already perished at the bottom of the cliff. Even if she had survived the fall, he likely thought it impossible for her to reach either West State or the Capital City on her own.
The most pressing problem now was figuring out how to get a message to West State and Ningzhou to inform them she was still alive.
Nuanyang and the others had been harassed by the Jinyi Guard along the way, and it was unclear where they had ended up. It would be best if he remained in hiding. Should Nuanyang come to Yiling Village, it might arouse Chen Mo’s suspicions.
If she were Chen Mo, she’d keep an eye on Nuanyang in a situation where there was no proof of life or death. If Nuanyang managed to find someone, Chen Mo would lie in wait, like a mantis stalking the cicada, oblivious to the oriole behind.
"Can we trust the doctor?"
"Yes, we can. The doctor from the stables—he usually treats horses. With injuries as severe as yours, we couldn’t find a proper doctor on short notice, but luckily, this one is skilled enough. After three days of treatment, your wounds have improved significantly. We need to figure out how to send a message to the Mistress."
"No rush!" Fengyu exhaled softly, looking at her swollen hands. "There’s no need to hurry. Let’s wait for the storm to pass."
Nanny Liu often visited the Feng Mansion and was acquainted with Su Yuejiao. She was also well-informed about the situation in the Capital City, and Fengyu listened patiently. The Feng Mansion family members were living relatively well now. Though it was no longer as bustling as it was in its heyday, it wasn’t destitute either. After all, Feng Wan was now Princess Duan and had given birth to Prince Duan’s legitimate son this year. With one son and one daughter, her position was secure. Meanwhile, Feng Changlin had risen to become Minister of the Ministry of Official Personnel Affairs.
Most importantly, Feng Shu was Chen Fei, a favorite concubine in the imperial harem. As such, none of the civil and military officials dared to show disrespect to the Feng Family. But while they didn’t dare, Feng Changqing did!
Feng Changqing and Su Yuejiao practically never associated with the civil or military officials and were almost imprisoned within the Marquis Mansion. Thus, even with a Chen Fei and a Princess Duan in the family, the Feng Family’s status was nowhere near what it had been. In the past, when Feng Changqing was still the National General and Feng Shu was engaged to be the future daughter-in-law of the Marquis Zhenbei Mansion, everyone sought to establish a connection with them. Now, however, they were treated with indifference.
"How often do you visit the mansion?"
"Twice a month."
"It’s been so many days without any news from me. Chen Mo will undoubtedly station people to wait for me at the Feng Mansion. Nanny Liu, I need you to take a trip to Mudan Building in the city. I need to meet Lady Thirteen. Have her lead the girls out of the city for a spring outing." Fengyu had originally planned to send a message to Feng Shu and have her Second Brother’s Shadow Guards help deliver news to Ningzhou, but it was far too risky.
Most of Second Brother’s Shadow Guards were currently by her elder sister’s side and could not be exposed.
The only option was to use the Mudan Building network to pass the message.
"Understood, young lady. Rest assured, I’ll handle this without fail."
Fengyu wrote a letter, marked with a special sign, and tasked Nanny Liu with delivering it to Lady Thirteen. Whenever Lady Thirteen took the girls out for a spring outing, they often went horseback riding, which wouldn’t draw suspicion.
Since she had already returned to the Capital, she had no intention of leaving so soon!