As soon as they stepped onto the street, two men rushed toward them from the roadside.
“Ah, miss…” Chunhong, caught off guard, was grabbed from behind, her bundle snatched away. The sudden lightness on her shoulder left her wide-eyed with shock as she cried out to Wanqing beside her.
“Trying to run, you little thief? Daring to steal my money—you’re asking for death!”
Seeing the man actually approach, Wanqing smirked coldly and swiftly stepped forward, delivering a sharp kick that sent him tumbling to the ground. She could have easily snatched the bundle back, but instead, she raised her voice, calling for help from the crowd.
“Someone, help! Thieves are stealing my silver! Quickly, someone!”
The man who had stolen her bundle, now sprawled on the ground from her kick, paled at her shouts. As bystanders began to approach, he gritted his teeth against the pain in his abdomen, scrambled up, and bolted with the bundle in hand.
“Miss, our money’s been stolen! What do we do?”
Chunhong hurried to Wanqing’s side, her face distraught with worry and frustration.
“What do we do? We chase them, of course.”
Wanqing had already deduced who was behind this. She had also left a little “surprise” on the thief who had taken her bundle. Seeing Chunhong’s tearful, furious, and heartbroken expression, she grabbed her hand and dashed after the fleeing thieves.
“Stop! Stop right there, you two thieves!”
And so, the scene unfolded—Chunhong and Wanqing shouting as they pursued, while the two thieves sprinted ahead with their stolen bundles.
“Master, there’s a robbery.”
Just as they were chasing the thieves, a figure emerged from a street corner.
A strikingly handsome young man, dressed in moon-white brocade with a jade belt and high boots, sat gracefully in a wheelchair. Behind him stood two attendants—one in white and one in green—pushing the chair respectfully.
The green-clad attendant, noticing the commotion ahead—two petite figures chasing after two fleeing men—instinctively spoke to the nobleman in the wheelchair.
“Qingfeng, go help those two girls,” the nobleman said calmly, his dark eyes lifting slightly.
“As you command, Master.” The green-clad attendant, Qingfeng, bowed and swiftly darted forward, heading straight for the two panicked thieves in the crowd.
“Thief! You can’t run anymore! Keep running if you dare! Go on, run!”
Wanqing and Chunhong chased relentlessly until they reached another street corner. One of the thieves, lagging behind, collapsed against a wall, gasping for breath, while the other clutched the bundle and fled.
The exhausted thief, seeing them approach, scrambled to his feet in panic, only to collapse again, his legs giving way.
Wanqing knew her earlier “preparation” had taken effect. With a cold glare, she strode forward and began kicking him mercilessly.
“You—damn you—”
The other thief, intending to escape with his companion, had grabbed the bundle and run. But he hadn’t gotten far before someone blocked his path. In a daze, he was subdued, and the bundle was wrested from his grasp.
“Thief! Daring to steal my bundle? I’ll beat you to death! Tell me—who sent you to rob me? If you don’t talk, I swear I’ll kill you!”
Wanqing, furious, aimed every kick at the man’s face, leaving it bruised and bloody within moments. She showed no mercy, continuing to stomp on him while yanking his collar and snarling her questions.
“Ugh—spare me, miss! Please, stop! It was—it was the First Madam of the Marquis’s household! She ordered us to steal your silver!”
The man hadn’t expected this seemingly delicate girl to be so vicious. Each kick struck a vital spot, leaving him in unbearable pain, barely able to scream.
Now, as she interrogated him mid-beating, he regretted everything. Had he known she was this ruthless, he would never have taken the job.
But now, the agony forced him to curl into a ball, clutching his head and begging for mercy.
“The First Madam of the Marquis’s household? Which Marquis? Speak clearly!”
His words only confirmed Wanqing’s suspicions. Noticing the onlookers—who had initially come to her aid—now backing away and whispering among themselves, she intensified her kicks, demanding answers.
“Agh—the Marquis of Jichang! The First Madam of Jichang Marquis’s household! Please, miss, spare me!”
The man howled, shielding his head from her relentless strikes.
“Wait—what did you say? The First Madam of Jichang Marquis’s household? You’re lying! I’m the Second Miss of Jichang Marquis’s household! This money was given to me by the First Madam herself to seek a doctor for my illness! Why would she send you to steal it? Tell me the truth, or I swear I’ll beat you to death!”
Wanqing feigned disbelief, pausing her assault. The man before her was already battered—his face swollen, lips split, and blood trickling from his nose and mouth.
Her loud, incredulous questions ensured the surrounding crowd heard every word.
Everyone knew the Second Miss of the Mu household—gentle, timid, and never one to raise her voice, let alone beat someone in public. This sudden ferocity left the onlookers murmuring in shock.
“You dare steal my money for medicine? I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you!”
As the whispers spread, Wanqing—her face veiled, eyes blazing with fury—resumed her brutal kicks and curses.
“Miss, I swear it wasn’t my idea! It was your First Madam! She promised me half the silver if I stole it from you! Had I known it was for your treatment, I’d never have dared! Please, spare me!”
The man, now utterly regretful, could only beg for mercy.
“The First Madam? You’re certain it was her? If you’re lying, I’ll make sure you never live as a man again! Since I’m sick and robbed anyway, I might as well take it out on you!”
Listening to his stammered confession and the growing murmurs around her, Wanqing nodded in satisfaction. She stopped her assault but pressed a newly bought dagger against his thigh, threatening castration if he lied.
“No, miss! I swear on my life it was the First Madam! Why else would I rob you in broad daylight?”
Trembling under the blade, the man sobbed and swore his honesty.
As his pleas continued, the crowd’s whispers grew louder. Though some criticized Wanqing’s brutality, most now speculated about the First Madam’s schemes.
Wanqing was pleased. Even if the man was lying, the public would blame the First Madam. After all, who else would know she carried silver? And who would dare rob the Second Miss of Jichang Marquis’s household—especially money meant for her treatment—without orders from above?
[Note: The final line appears to be a promotional message unrelated to the story, so it has been omitted from the translation.]
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