The maid, Cuiguo, could only nod weakly and get up to leave.
Before long, Liu Hong and the others returned and stood outside the door, respectfully saying, "Sir, those men in black should be assassins."
Lu Tu came outside: "Are there any survivors?"
Liu Yang shook his head: "No, just like the group that attacked us last time, they committed suicide by poison after being captured alive, and we can't get any information about them."
Lu Tu nodded: "Have we suffered any casualties?"
"A few of my brothers sustained minor injuries, and I've sent people to bandage them."
Lu Tu filled a ceramic bowl with garlic extract and handed it to Liu Hong: "Give some to the injured brothers to prevent infection."
Moved, Liu Hong was also taken aback: "Sir, what is infection?"
"The weapon is poisoned."
Liu Hong said sternly, "Thank you, sir. We'll be leaving now."
"Go."
Back in the house, Song Yuxi and Nangong Huiyu were whispering about something, their expressions so animated that Lu Tu didn't even need to listen to know they were gossiping.
That's just how women are; they love to hear gossip, no matter the time or place.
At this moment, Nangong Huiyu spoke up: "Husband, what a great opportunity!"
Lu Tu rubbed her cheeks, puzzled: "What good opportunity?"
"Husband, stop fooling around. Listen to me first. This Wang Miaoling coming to us is a great opportunity!"
"You're not going to make me marry her again, are you?" Lu Tu asked in surprise.
Both women shook their heads in unison: "Of course not! Husband, think about how Wang Miaoling's mother was killed by the black-clad men of the White Lotus Sect, and she herself fled here. Explain it to us."
Lu Tu said calmly, "This shows that Xu Jing's pursuit of her failed, and now he's getting serious."
“That’s right! Now, the only person who knows about the Wang family’s treasure is Wang Miaoling. As long as my husband keeps her in the village, are we still worried about not being able to get our hands on that wealth?”
Lu Tu shook his head: "I have no plans to take a concubine for the time being, and besides, I have only had brief contact with Wang Miaoling, and she is very difficult to get along with."
Song Yuxi seemed to see through Lü Tu's contradiction: "Husband, why haven't you ever thought of marrying Wang Miaoling off to someone else in the village?"
Nangong Huiyu slapped her thigh: "That's right, husband, you still say you're not interested in her? Is it because she's pretty, and you're afraid of upsetting my sister and me, but you can't bear to see her marry someone else?"
Upon hearing this, Lu Tu waved his hand righteously and said, "She has just lost her loved ones and has been betrayed. How can I take advantage of her misfortune to seize her family's treasure? Moreover, what right do I have to decide someone else's life-long affairs?"
The dim oil lamp flickered, its light falling directly on Lü Tu's profile, which, combined with his resolute expression, seemed to cast a radiant glow of justice over him.
Upon hearing Lu Tu's resounding words, Song Yuxi and Nangong Huiyu felt a surge of shame.
They were both women, so they naturally understood what Lu Tu was saying. If they put themselves in Wang Miaoling's shoes, what difference would it make if they forced her to marry a stranger? It would be no different from killing her.
"My lord, I'm sorry. We shouldn't have judged you with such petty minds. You are a true gentleman."
Lu Tu feigned a pitiful expression of being wronged: "I hope you two ladies can understand my predicament. Tomorrow I will see this through to the end and send someone to take her to Wuchuan. After that, it's up to her own fate."
"No, my lord! If we send her back to Wuchuan now, Xu Jing will not let her off!"
Lu Tu sighed and said, "Let's see what she plans to do. As you know, I respect women's personal opinions very much."
Song Yuxi came to Lu Tu's side, helped him undress, and said gently, "Husband, we misunderstood you. Let's go to bed."
Her voice grew softer and softer as she spoke, her face turning increasingly flushed. The dim light shone on her blushing face, making her appear exceptionally alluring.
Nangong Huiyu also muttered to herself, "I asked the aunties in the village, and they all said that as long as you are gentle after the first three months, it will be fine and won't affect the baby. I'm afraid my sister will have to make do for a while from now on."
Song Yuxi let out a soft moan and gently wrapped her arms around Lü Tu's neck. Lü Tu picked her up and gently placed her on the bed...
One hour has been omitted here.
Lu Tu lay in the middle, staring at the dark ceiling, pondering whether today's events were good or bad.
If what he suspected was true, Xu Jing had completely laid his cards on the table and was no longer pretending, and had begun to take direct action against Wang Miaoling.
That means he probably doesn't want to stay in Wuchuan anymore. The Wang family is one of the most prominent families in Wuchuan City, with over a hundred maids and servants, not to mention the many servants in charge of various shops.
Now that Old Madam Wang has been murdered, if Wang Miaoling goes to the prefect of Wuchuan to file a complaint, even if Captain Yuntian wants to protect Xu Jing, it will be difficult to succeed.
After all, Wang Miaoling's ancestors were quite prominent; the construction of Wuchuan City was aided by her family, and their foundation was undeniably deep.
There are only two options at the moment. One is to leave Wang Miaoling in the village temporarily, which would force Xu Jing to be hesitant to act rashly and he might very well bring his men to seize Wang Miaoling.
This will inevitably lead to a series of bloodshed. Lu Tu is not afraid of conflict. He already had a battle with Xu Jing, but he has a lot of things to do recently.
Iron smelting, coal mining, trenches not yet secure enough, spring plowing about to begin, and even the problem of villagers urinating and defecating anywhere—in the past, when there were fewer people and heavy snow blocked the mountains, the smell was undetectable.
The number of people has surged recently, and with the rising temperature, the smell is enough to give anyone a headache. If it were just the stench, it would be bearable, but the real concern is the possibility of an epidemic or other similar situation.
No matter how skilled one is in martial arts, one only has one life. If a plague breaks out in one's base, it will be a catastrophic disaster. A person without foresight will have immediate worries. Therefore, Lu Tu is not yet ready to fight Xu Jing in a decisive battle.
Another option is to send Wang Miaoling back to Wuchuan. In that case, Xu Jing would openly harass her. With her family's guards and servants, do you think she can stop the White Lotus Sect members and assassins? Don't even think about it.
Just as Lü Tu was lost in thought, he suddenly heard a scream from the utterly silent outside: "Help!"
Lu Tu gently removed the hands and feet that were on his body, then put on his cotton-padded coat, picked up his knife and bow and arrows, and ran out.
At this moment, Liu Hu, who was guarding the warehouse, also heard the noise. The two looked at each other and said, "Brother, it must be Miss Wang who came today!"
Lu Tu nodded: "Let's go take a look!"
There were many figures in the village. Although Lü Tu couldn't see who they were, he could roughly guess who they were from the houses.
At this moment, a dozen soldiers gathered around him, all of whom were among the villagers who had followed him the longest, including Banwei. He said with a worried expression, "The noise is coming from Yingying's house!"
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