It wasn’t a big deal; after all, the Ministry of Works supervised various projects, and problems were bound to arise, big or small.

However, this bridge was located on the outskirts of the capital, and this road was the only way to the royal Yunling Temple. The Emperor, deeply devoted to filial piety, would visit Yunling Temple every Double Ninth Festival to burn incense and pray for the Empress Dowager, setting an example of filial piety for the world.

If the bridge had a serious flaw and something happened to the Emperor while he was passing by, he would surely lose his official position. He still needed to hold his head high and prove to the world that he was far superior to He Yanxiu; at this critical juncture, he absolutely could not afford any mistakes.

Considering this, He Yande dared not be negligent. Even though it was drizzling, he could only send someone to drive a carriage and take his men to see what was going on.

Going out in this weather was hardly a pleasant task, and the men were naturally displeased, though their displeasure was written all over their faces.

He Yande, already annoyed by his recent situation, became even more displeased upon seeing his men’s expressions. “Drive the carriage faster!” he shouted.

Since they were dissatisfied, he’d show them the consequences!

The drivers’ hearts skipped a beat. The roads were slippery from the rain, and the horses were restless from the soaking wet; driving faster might not be appropriate.

But they knew He Yande’s temper, and seeing his livid face, they dared not provoke him further, only cracking their whips to urge the horses on.

The horses, feeling the pain in their backs, lifted their muddy hooves and walked faster than before.

And they ran faster and faster.

Seeing his companions, who had been walking under umbrellas, falling far behind and forced to jog to catch up, their clothes soaked through and some stumbling and falling, covered in mud and looking utterly disheveled, He Yande couldn’t help but sneer. Serves them right!

This was the consequence of giving him attitude!

The horse quickened its pace, and the carriage became increasingly bumpy.

He Yande was getting uncomfortable from the jolting. “Slow down.” The driver quickly pulled on the reins.

But the horse continued running headlong, faster and faster.

“Whoa!”

The driver half-stood up, pulling on the reins with all his might, but to no avail.

The carriage showed no sign of stopping, accelerating even faster.

The driver was terrified, and the servant stammered, “Master, Master, the horse is spooked; it won’t stop…”

The carriage wouldn’t stop?

He Yande’s face turned ashen.

At this point, even beasts dared to disobey him and defy him!

Reaching out, He Yande stepped out of the carriage, grabbed the reins from the driver, and yanked hard!

The horse neighed, its forelegs rearing up, but after landing, it continued galloping wildly without stopping!

Damn beast!

A nameless rage surged to his head. He Yande gritted his teeth, stomped his foot, and pounced on the horse, mounting it.

The horse became even more frightened, charging wildly and leaping repeatedly, trying to throw He Yande off.

The rain and the splashes from the horse’s hooves stung He Yande’s eyes, and the injuries he had sustained in his fight with He Yanxiu were now throbbing, making him increasingly powerless.

After a brief standoff, the horse galloped towards the roadside.

The roadside was originally a water channel used for irrigating farmland and storing water.

After a horse neighed, He Yande lost his grip and fell straight off its back into the ditch.

The water soaked his clothes almost instantly, and He Yande felt cold all over, his teeth chattering. The mud under his feet made it impossible for him to stand up.

“Master!”

Before the servant could finish speaking, a loud crash followed as the carriage, tilted too sharply, overturned into the ditch, landing squarely on He Yande.

His heart-wrenching screams echoed through the drizzling rain, lingering for a long time.

The rain completely stopped by the next morning, and at midday the sun peeked through the clouds, its warm rays bathing the earth. On this rare sunny day after the rain, all the vegetables in the courtyard and the lotus leaves in the large vat were lush and vibrant. Su Yujin used what was available, picking some lotus leaves and fresh bok choy to make lunch.

She mixed chicken pieces, shrimp, glutinous rice, and mushrooms together; wrapped them in lotus leaves; and steamed them to make fragrant lotus leaf glutinous rice chicken. She simply stir-fried bok choy with chili peppers and Sichuan peppercorns and added sliced ​​green eggplants, perfectly grown for the season, steamed them, and tossed them with minced garlic to make garlic eggplant. The meal consisted of a few simple dishes, but each one was exceptionally delicious.

Afterwards, a bowl of pear soup was served, light and slightly sweet, soothing and nourishing to the lungs.

After two cups of pear soup, Xing’an hurried over and whispered something in He Yanxiu’s ear.

“Oh?” He Yanxiu raised an eyebrow. “How are the injuries?”

“The imperial physicians have been summoned to examine him. They say his life is not in danger, but both his legs are broken, and he will probably never be able to walk again. In addition…”

Xing’an paused. “The imperial physicians also said that since the eldest young master was injured there, he will probably have no hope of having children in the future.”

After a moment of silence, He Yanxiu put down the small bowl of pear juice in his hand. “The imperial physicians are highly skilled and will do their best to treat him. There is no need for others to worry about it.”

“What about the matter I asked you to inquire about?”

“The person has already arrived in Yong’an City, but the people there say that they were also bought from human traffickers. They know nothing else. The human traffickers from that time have not yet been found… As for the merchant named Su Huaiyi who stayed in Yong’an at that time, finding out where he is now is like looking for a needle in a haystack…”

After all, it was more than ten years ago. It is really too difficult to find him.

Furthermore, Su Yujin was young at the time, and the hardships and fears she endured during her displacement meant she had completely forgotten what happened when she was separated from her family, and she didn’t know where her family was originally moving to.

Human trafficking usually involves traveling across the country to prevent the sold woman from maintaining too much contact with her family and disrupting the normal use of the property.

It was safe to say that it was uncertain whether she was even separated from her family in Yong’an.

Before being sold to the Wan Hua Lou brothel, Su Yujin may have already moved to several different places.

Finding Su Yujin’s family…

The difficulty was comparable to plucking stars from the sky.

But how will they know if they don’t try?

At least knowing the names of Su Yujin’s family was much better than knowing nothing at all.

He Yanxiu said in a deep voice, “Send more people, and make sure to inquire carefully everywhere. A generous reward will be given for any clues found.”

He had to do his utmost!

(End of Chapter)

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