It wasn't that Cao Zheng suddenly became better; it was mainly because he had lost too many people recently, and if he were to take action against them again, he would have no one left to use.
Now, Cao Zheng's headaches are not only about these assassins, but also about how to face Lu Baichuan and the others after their return.
Lu Baichuan and his group aren't stupid. They wouldn't bother investigating an assassination attempt, knowing the investigation would soon trace it back to them.
I need to find a way to shift the blame to Dongting!
He continued pacing around the study, unable to come up with any reliable solution.
"Father, Father! Are you in the study, Father?"
Just then, Cao Shulan arrived, her clumsy and impulsive manner causing quite a headache.
Although I was very annoyed, I still loved this daughter very much, so I let her in to talk.
"What's wrong?"
Cao Zheng patiently looked at her, and Cao Shulan immediately asked, "Father, did you send someone to kill Qin Jian? Why did you do that? Knowing that your daughter likes him, how could you lay a hand on him?"
Cao Shulan was furious. She was not young anymore, and she had finally found someone she liked. How could her father be so heartless!
Cao Zheng was really surprised that his daughter came to question him. Now that things were so urgent, she was still acting all lovey-dovey and making a scene.
"It's not what you think. I have things to do. You should go back now."
Cao Zheng felt exhausted and didn't want to say anything more, so he told them to leave.
Cao Shulan clearly hadn't realized the seriousness of the situation. Not only did she refuse to leave, but she also said, "Father! Send someone back quickly! Don't let them hurt Qin Jian! If anything happens to him, I won't live either!"
"Smack!"
Cao Zheng, unable to bear it any longer, raised his hand and slapped Cao Shulan, who finally quieted down.
"He's not in trouble now, it's your old man, me! You idiot, get out!"
He roared in fury and ordered the servants outside to drag Cao Shulan out.
Cao Shulan was still reeling from the slap and had no time to process the meaning behind her father's words before she was dragged out by the servants.
"Miss, the master is troubled by something, you should go back quickly."
The servant gave her a reminder, then ignored her and hurriedly left.
Cao Shulan stood there stunned for a long time, still unable to figure out what was going on.
After a while, the maid rushed to her and said, "Miss, those assassins have already returned. Master's plan has failed, and now we're afraid of their retaliation!"
Cao Shulan then realized what a foolish thing she had just done—coming to provoke her father before even fully understanding the situation.
She was initially quite aggrieved after being slapped, but now it seems her father was relatively lenient.
However, how will Qin Jian and his men retaliate against her father?
Could she go to Qin Jian and plead with him to treat it as a misunderstanding and drop the matter?
However, she only thought about it, because she knew in her heart just how serious this matter was.
She hurriedly returned to her courtyard with her maid, feeling as if she couldn't get anything done.
After that, she made no move, wanting to pretend she didn't know, as if that way the things she feared wouldn't happen.
As soon as Lu Baichuan and the others returned to the villa, they immediately arranged for someone to go to the military camp to find the child that Qin Jian had arranged to stay there. Everything then proceeded smoothly.
Cao Zheng knew that they had sent people out of the city to investigate what was going on, but they couldn't find anything. As a result, he became increasingly uneasy, feeling that this time a great disaster was truly about to befall them.
Unfortunately, he couldn't think of any good solutions and could only sit and wait for his death.
Just then, a servant announced from outside, "Master, Madam has arrived."
Not long ago, Cao Zheng had experienced the Cao Shulan incident, and he was somewhat reluctant to see his wife, fearing that another brainless woman would come and drive him crazy.
But after thinking about it, he felt that his wife was not the kind of person who would act without thinking, so he let her in anyway.
Madam Ma quickly entered, looking very nervous. Upon seeing Cao Zheng, she immediately said, "How could things have turned out like this? You were far too impulsive, sir."
Cao Zheng knew he was indeed anxious and worried, which was why he thought of sending assassins to eliminate future troubles. But he never expected things to turn out this way; he tried to steal a chicken but lost the rice instead.
"Instead of nagging me, why don't we think together about what to do?"
Cao Zheng was already annoyed and didn't want to argue with her at all. After all, they were family, and if something happened to him, she wouldn't be able to escape either.
Madam Ma was very angry at his attitude, but she knew that now was not the time to argue, so she directly stated her purpose: "I have come to offer advice to the master."
"Please speak, Madam!"
Cao Zheng immediately made his stance clear, but Madam Ma was in no hurry to speak. After sitting down, she poured herself a cup of tea before saying, "Originally, I was reluctant to let Shulan become a concubine, but now the situation forces me to do so, so please send her there, sir."
"What Madam means is..."
Cao Zheng's eyes lit up instantly. Was he planning to send his daughter over to ensure their safety?
Thinking about it that way, it makes sense. Anyway, my daughter likes Qin Jian, so it's not like I forced her.
Moreover, since all of this started because of her, it's time for her to put an end to this farce.
"Madam, you're truly brilliant! You've killed two birds with one stone!"
Cao Zheng smiled, his eyes crinkling. He could resolve the crisis and fulfill his daughter's dream at the same time. Wasn't this killing two birds with one stone?
Madam Ma smiled slightly, put down her teacup, and got up to leave. Before leaving, she added, "But sir, don't leave any trouble behind. Don't lose sight of the bigger picture for the sake of small gains."
She left after saying that, leaving Cao Zheng stunned on the spot.
It took him a long time to realize that the trouble his wife was referring to was the half of the assassins he had previously hesitated to leave behind.
In truth, his wife was far more ruthless than him.
However, those people have already left the city to seek refuge, and they cannot be contacted for a while. If Shulan behaves well and calms down Qin Jian and the others' anger, perhaps these people will not have to die.
And he can also reduce some of his losses.
After figuring it out, Cao Zheng immediately went to take a bath and change his clothes. He even specially sent someone to dress up Cao Shulan. Remembering that he had slapped her before, he specifically instructed someone to cover up the slap mark on her face.
Cao Shulan was troubled by this matter when she was told that her father had sent someone to help her dress up. She was initially reluctant, but when she learned that she was to be given to Qin Jian, she immediately changed her attitude and cooperated very actively.
In the evening, Cao Zheng personally brought Cao Shulan to Qin Jian's house to request an audience.
Qin Jian didn't want to meet the guest, but Jiang Jiuniang wanted to watch the drama unfold and persuaded him to feel involved, so she let him go to meet the guest. Meanwhile, Jiang Jiuniang pulled Peng Yuan aside to watch the show from the shadows.
"Cao Zheng sent Cao Shulan here at this time in an attempt to cover up the truth. This move can only be described as ruthless."
Jiang Jiuniang analyzed in a low voice.
Peng Yuan asked in confusion, "Sister Jiu Niang, what do you mean? Cao Shulan already had her eye on you, isn't this just what she wanted?"
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