However, Lu Wanning couldn't leave first. After all, the carriage was hers, and the truth of the matter hadn't been found out yet. She had to get off and check the situation. As she turned back on her pony, she could understand why Shi Aohan and He Chan had followed, but why was Princess Qin coming too?
She and Princess Qin weren't that close, for sure.
On the halfway up the mountain, the Lu and Lu families, along with several other families that hadn't gone up yet, were all there. A imperial physician had just finished examining Lu Yingshuang and was waiting by her side. The magistrate of the capital had also arrived and was inspecting the frightened horses and the carriage.
When Lu Wanning came over, she saw her coachman leaning against a nearby object, covered in wounds from head to toe and almost dying.
She immediately walked over and took a closer look. The wounds on his face were probably abrasions when he fell off the carriage. The injuries were quite serious, but the whip marks on his body definitely weren't caused by the fall.
Lu Wanning was furious. Pointing at the coachman, she asked, "Who did this?"
Everyone present fell silent.
"Who beat him?"
The coachman flinched and quickly knelt down to plead guilty. "Your Highness, it's my fault. I failed to protect the young lady well and am willing to be punished."
Lu Wanning glared. "I'll ask one more time. Who beat my man? Come on, you're brave enough to beat him but not brave enough to admit it?"
Hearing this, He Wenbo beside her immediately said, "I did it!"
Lu Wanning didn't even look at the maid but stared directly at He Wenbo. "My man, and you dared to beat him?"
Lu Yingshuang's maid couldn't help but speak up. "It was indeed his incompetence in protecting the master. Why can't he be punished?"
Lu Wanning drew out her scimitar and threw it. The scimitar whistled past the maid's ear and was embedded in the tree behind, scaring the maid so much that she lost control of her bladder and collapsed on the ground.
Shi Aohan rushed over and hugged Lu Yingshuang. "Your Highness, are you crazy? Yingshuang was just frightened..."
Lu Wanning walked over, pulled out the scimitar, pointed it at the maid and said to Jiyue, "This woman has overstepped her place. Beat her for me, hard!"
Jiyue was originally a bit timid, but seeing Lu Wanning's red - eyed anger and the coachman's wounded body, she gritted her teeth and walked over, slapping the maid several times.
The scene was in chaos. Lady Lu, the eldest mistress of the Lu family, shrieked, "Is this how your prince's mansion bullies people? My daughter was injured and disfigured because of you, and you're still beating her maid here. Is there any justice?"
The magistrate of the capital wanted to dissuade them, but Lu Hannian stepped forward and stood in front of Lu Wanning. His eyes were as big as copper bells, scaring the magistrate back two steps. He then walked in the direction of Lu Hongxi.
Jiyue didn't stop, while Lu Wanning walked up to the coachman, took out a handkerchief and wiped his face, but she just couldn't bring herself to be harsh.
Her eyes were completely red. Choking with sobs, she asked, "Does it hurt?"
The coachman stared blankly at Lu Wanning, instinctively nodded, and then quickly shook his head. "Your Highness, I don't hurt. Your Highness, I'm willing to be punished. Your Highness, please don't... "
Lu Wanning gave a cold laugh. "You're my man. If there's to be punishment, it's up to me. Whoever dares to touch a single hair on you, I..."
Her gaze shifted to He Wenbo, and there was a vicious glint in her eyes.
He Wenbo frowned and felt a chill down his back.
Lu Hongxi asked his personal doctor to come and examine the coachman. Only then did the princess come over and persuade Lu Wanning to one side.
"Let Doctor Jiang take a look at him. Don't worry. They're just skin injuries."
The magistrate of the capital coughed to get everyone's attention and continued, "Today's incident was an accident. It should be that the catkins floating by got into the horse's eyes, which made the horse frightened..."
"Should?" Lu Wanning raised her eyebrows. "Is this how the magistrate of the capital handles cases?"
The magistrate's face flushed red. In fact, this matter was, in essence, a dispute within the inner chambers. It should have been resolved privately. If it was brought to the yamen, it wouldn't look good for anyone. Couldn't the truth just be covered up? Moreover, it was the Lu family's young lady who was injured, and the princess had only lost a servant. Why was she being so unrelenting?
Lady Lu, the eldest mistress, was already shouting, "My daughter is injured. You'd better find out the truth. I'll take her home first."
But Lu Wanning wouldn't let them. "The matter hasn't been investigated yet, and you want to leave? Are you planning to go back and cover up the truth?"
Lady Lu stared in disbelief. "What did you say? My daughter is injured. I haven't come after you, and you're even shifting the blame?"
Lu Wanning sneered and turned to Lu Hongxi. "Father, the magistrate of the capital is useless. Daughter thinks that people from the Supreme Court should be involved."
The Supreme Court was under the jurisdiction of Prince Yu. No matter what kind of person Prince Yu was, he at least had the title of an impartial judge, which showed that he would never act impartially.
Lady Lu was extremely angry and argued with the princess. "My daughter is already injured. If she doesn't go back for treatment as soon as possible, there may be scars left. Princess, are you really going to let the princess act willfully?"
The princess glanced at Lu Yingshuang, who was still crying behind the curtain, and simply said, "Since things have come to this, no matter what the truth is, the prince's mansion will surely find the best medicine for Miss Lu. It's useless to travel back and forth now. Someone, go and cordon off that area and help Miss Lu over there to rest."
The servants of the Prince of Zhennan's Mansion immediately took action. They found firewood, set up a boiler, and went to decoct medicine for Lu Yingshuang.
Lady Lu was extremely angry, but she couldn't afford to offend the Lu family. She had no choice but to brace herself and send her daughter to the place where the princess had arranged for her to rest.
Lu Wanning glanced at Shi Aohan, who followed them over, and sneered inwardly. She simply didn't believe that this matter had nothing to do with Shi Aohan.
She turned back, squatted in front of the coachman, and watched as the military doctor finished bandaging him. Naturally, the coachman couldn't go and squeeze with Miss Lu. He could only sit on the ground. Although it was already spring, the morning dew hadn't dried yet, and his clothes were already half - soaked.
Seeing his daughter's concerned look, Lu Hongxi knew that she felt sorry for the coachman. He asked his attendant to spread the furs from the carriage on the ground, hang curtains around it, and then asked someone to help the coachman in.
The coachman was so excited that tears welled up in his eyes. He kept saying, "Your Highness, Your Highness, I'm not worthy. I'm not worthy."
With something to block the wind, even though there were still draughts, it was much better than before. The military doctor untied the coachman's clothes and found that he was really covered in wounds. For a military general, such injuries might not be a big deal, but for a fifty - year - old man who had been raising horses and driving carriages all year round, it was different.
Outside, Lu Wanning asked gently, "Tell me honestly. What exactly happened? The horses were checked in advance. Why did they suddenly get frightened and out of control?"
The coachman had been in great pain, but hearing Lu Wanning's voice, he calmed down a bit and answered honestly. "Everything was fine at first. On the way, Miss Lu saw another young lady injured and insisted on sending her to the medical hall. When I drove the carriage back as she asked, I don't know why, but the horse suddenly got frightened. I've thought about it for a long time and can't figure it out. I just think it might be the catkins by the roadside..."
At this time of the year, the willow branches were just budding. Where did the catkins come from? But they really couldn't think of any other reason. Why would the horses get frightened for no reason?