Chan'er's expression changed. Ouyang Rou's words implied that if she told the truth, her family's lives would be in danger!
Chan'er's family were all homeless, and her hard work was only for the sake of her family's better livelihood. She suddenly hesitated.
Ouyang Yue glanced at her and said indifferently, "Sigh, people these days are sometimes really pathetic. They have to bear the good and the bad themselves in the end. It's really pitiful."
Chan'er's expression changed even more. Not only her, but all the servants who came with the masters of the various courtyards today changed their expressions and looked at Ouyang Rou with indifference.
Chan'er is considered a clever and worldly maid in the manor. How could she be so easily frightened by a few old women that she spilled everything? And after all that talk about how Chan'er committed suicide and framed the Third Miss, Chan'er is still alive! And how did the Second Miss find out? It's obvious that Chan'er was bribed and abandoned when things went wrong. This completely reveals the Second Miss's true character!
It turns out that many servants in the manor thought the Second Miss was gentle and easy to get along with, but now it seems that a dog that bites doesn't bark after all!
Ouyang Rou acted according to Ouyang Yue's personality. Ouyang Yue was not a meticulous person; the more perfect someone was, the more suspicious they became. So she deliberately overlooked many things, but when the incident occurred, they were all connected to Ouyang Yue. However, she did not expect that Chan'er was so afraid of death. Ouyang Yue only had to say a few words to deceive her before she revealed her identity.
Once the words were spoken, they couldn't be taken back. Of course, Chan'er had wronged Ouyang Yue and then dragged her into it. No matter what Chan'er said next, it wouldn't be believable. Moreover, she was confident that if she made the threat earlier, Chan'er would definitely not dare to drag her into it again. However, her carefully planned scheme to frame Ouyang Yue failed!
Chan'er, her face ashen, bowed her head and kowtowed repeatedly to Madam Ning, tears streaming down her face. "Madam, it was because the Third Miss was injured a few days ago and then beat me after she woke up that I held a grudge and deliberately framed her. The Second and Third Misses are both innocent. I was afraid of being implicated in the end, so I used the Second Miss as a shield. Madam, all of this was because I was blinded by greed and actually wanted to harm the young ladies of the manor. I deserve to die!"
After saying this, Chan'er burst into tears, her face filled with unconcealed regret. The hall fell silent. Chan'er was a servant born into a family; her father had died early. Her mother was a second-class maid in Ouyang Rou's courtyard, a position that was neither high nor low, but she depended on Ouyang Rou. Chan'er also had a younger brother and sister who were still young, so the family was supported by the two of them. They were really easy to control.
Ouyang Yue's eyes flickered. It seemed that Chan'er wasn't entirely without merit. At least she was filial and knew how to protect her younger siblings. However, she was too self-righteous. She thought that once she had done something for Ouyang Rou, she could go to Ouyang Rou's courtyard without any worries. In fact, Ouyang Rou was not one to keep her promises. She would not allow the servants in her courtyard to form cliques and become too powerful. Even though Chan'er had done a good job, she wouldn't get any credit for it!
Aunt Hong rushed over: "It's all my fault, I didn't understand the situation. Second Miss is too young, how could she see that this maid was harboring evil intentions? She was deceived and wronged Third Miss. When I found out, I was only saddened and didn't think things through, and it has come to this. Fortunately, this maid knows that Madam and Third Miss are wise and saw through her scheme long ago, so she confessed. Otherwise, wouldn't it have ruined the sisterly relationship because of her? That would have been a great loss."
Aunt Hong spoke with deep emotion, but she didn't notice that every servant in the hall was looking at her with strange expressions. For the sake of her daughter, she was putting the blame on others. It was truly unbelievable that Aunt Hong could say such a thing. But in terms of making false accusations after things went wrong, this mother and daughter were remarkably similar.
They are vicious and callous; anyone who serves them is doomed!
Ouyang Yue saw Chan'er tremble, her face ashen, before collapsing to the ground. Regardless of the truth, Chan'er now insisted it was her fault, and no one could do anything to Ouyang Rou. However, she had twice falsely accused her master; she would face certain death. Whatever Chan'er's reasons, her fate was sealed the moment she betrayed her predecessor. Ouyang Yue felt no pity for her; this was what she deserved. Her predecessor was dead and could not be brought back to life!
Thinking of this, Ouyang Yue narrowed her eyes, stood up, and with a flick of her arm, showed an item to Ouyang Rou, who had just breathed a sigh of relief and hadn't had time to catch her breath: "Second sister, do you recognize this item!"
Ouyang Rou felt her heart was pounding the whole time, never able to relax for a moment. When she saw what Ouyang Yue was holding, she immediately took a step back. This thing wasn't in her cousin's hands; she was just about to ask Xiang'er to get it. How did Ouyang Yue take it out?
“Mother, I only intended to take a stroll when I left the manor this time. Who knew that I would encounter a rogue on the street who claimed to be my second sister’s cousin? That man was a thug from a brothel. The things he did and the words he used were so vulgar that I couldn’t bear to say them. I was so angry that I wanted to drag him to the authorities, but he produced this General’s Mansion token.”
"What!" Ouyang Hua, Aunt Ming, Aunt Hua, and Aunt Liu all stood up in surprise. Only five tokens were issued by the General's Mansion. The General himself, his wife, and the three young ladies in the mansion were not qualified to have them. How could such a thing be given away casually!
"Originally, I found these things very strange and wanted to explain them to my mother later. But now that everyone is here, we might as well keep an eye on things together. If that wicked man is intentionally slandering my second sister's reputation, our General's Mansion will definitely investigate and seek justice for my second sister!"
Ouyang Yue's words were very clear: if Ouyang Rou gave this thing to Ming Dawu, it would be a secret transaction, ruining his life!
Upon seeing the sign, Ning's face immediately darkened. For the first time, she was so angry that she shouted at Ouyang Rou, "Shameless wretch! Ouyang Rou, how dare you have an affair with a man outside the household! You have disgraced the General's Mansion! Guards, drag her away and beat her to death along with this vile maid!"
☆、017, already lost her virginity! (Please save this for later)
Ouyang Rou turned pale with fright and rushed over to hug Ning Shi's leg, crying and begging, "Mother, spare me! Mother, please listen to me! What my sister said isn't true! That token isn't mine! No, I have no relationship with that man! How could I have an affair with another man? Mother, please believe me!"
At this moment, Ouyang Hua quickly picked up the token from Ouyang Yue's hand, examined it carefully, and exclaimed in surprise, "It really is the token of the General's Mansion! This hanging rope is also something Second Sister likes to decorate with. Second Sister, how dare you give such an important token to a stranger!"
Aunt Hua interjected at this moment, "Miss, have you forgotten? The Third Miss just said that the person holding the token claimed to be the Second Miss's cousin. As far as I know, the Second Miss does have a distant relative in the capital. Could it be this one?"
Aunt Ming couldn't help but say, "So Aunt Hong had already planned to arrange a marriage between the Second Miss and her relatives. Congratulations, sister!"
"How could this happen? Aunt Hong has kept this a secret for so long! This is a joyous occasion, and I, the mistress of the house, was completely unaware of it. How could I be so presumptuous!" Madam Ning looked coldly at Aunt Hong. Faced with the sarcasm of the crowd, Aunt Hong and Ouyang Rou felt as if they were being roasted over a fire, and cold sweat poured down their faces.
They wanted to refute it, but how?!
Do you think they don't know Ming Dawu? As long as the Ning family sends someone to look for him, they'll definitely find out their relationship. Then they'll be contradicting themselves and won't be able to explain themselves!
But if we admit it, wouldn't that mean admitting to the reputation of exchanging tokens privately? These five tokens from the General's Mansion were distributed by General Ouyang, who instructed everyone to keep them safe. With these tokens, one can freely enter and exit the General's Mansion. They are no ordinary items!
Because this item is very important to the General's Mansion, the possibility of it being lost or given away is extremely low. Besides, how could it be so coincidental that Ming Dawu found it if it were lost?
They were caught in a dilemma, unable to admit it or deny it. Their expressions kept changing, like a color palette, and they suddenly felt flustered. To others, this made Ouyang Rou seem even more guilty.
Just as Ouyang Yue was about to speak, she saw a cold glint flash in Ouyang Hua's eyes. She pursed her lips and sat back down. This General's Mansion looked peaceful on the surface, but the internal struggles never stopped. It seemed that she didn't need to take action. She preferred to watch them fight amongst themselves from the sidelines!
“Mother, I also think that my second sister is not the kind of woman who does not uphold virtue. However, my second sister cannot explain where this token came from. I don’t want my second sister to be burdened with a bad reputation. But there are many people in the hall. It will not be easy to silence everyone. I have thought of a way to resolve everyone’s confusion and my second sister’s predicament!”
Ning Shi, Ouyang Rou, and the others all looked at Ouyang Hua. Ouyang Hua was the most talented young lady in the mansion. She was always very opinionated and convincing, so her ideas were naturally worth listening to.
“As long as Second Sister is still a virgin, all the speculations will naturally fall apart. Mother, are you right? So all we need to do is send someone to check Second Sister’s body!” Ouyang Hua said softly, but it was like a thunderbolt striking Ouyang Rou’s head.
"Ouyang Hua, how cruel you are! I have always treated you with the utmost respect, yet you have harmed me and humiliated me like this!" Ouyang Rou shouted angrily, her usual gentle and dignified demeanor completely gone. Her face turned purple, her eyes widened, her fists clenched, and her whole body trembled, like a hen that was about to go berserk and rush out to bite people at any moment!
Aunt Hong was also trembling with anger, and Madam Ning's expression changed as well. In this era, women who needed to conceal their identities were either palace maids selected for the imperial concubine selection or those who were caught in adultery or suspected of having illicit affairs.
Although every household has a few elders who know how to examine a woman's body, young ladies in this era rarely leave their homes and it is very difficult and unlikely for them to have affairs. No one would have someone check their chastity just to protect the young ladies in the household. When you do check, it means that you already suspect that they are not virgins.
This would be an extreme insult to anyone!
Ouyang Hua's face showed no sign of taking advantage of someone's misfortune, but she continued relentlessly, "Second sister, I'm doing this for your own good. There are so many people in the hall; if everyone says something, even if you really didn't do it, it will be assumed that you did. This is a good way to prevent future trouble. Why are you so agitated and uncooperative, second sister? Are you... feeling guilty?"
Aunt Hong almost rushed out and tore Ouyang Hua's eloquent mouth apart. Aunt Hong was of low birth, but she was good at being humble and subservient. From a young age, she taught Ouyang Rou to be gentle and ingratiating in front of others. Although Ouyang Rou was not outstanding in the mansion, she was the most popular one.
Ouyang Yue is impulsive and easily angered, Ouyang Hua is arrogant and looks down on others, and even Ning Shi values Ouyang Rou more. In such an environment, apart from the occasional underhanded fighting among the concubines, they have never suffered a loss. This time, however, Ouyang Hua took the opportunity to ride on their heads. How could they not be angry!
Ouyang Hua usually doesn't show it, but in fact she dislikes Ouyang Rou's actions the most. She didn't easily deal with Ouyang Rou in the past because she was afraid of falling into her trap. Besides, she and Ouyang Rou have different pursuits and no conflict of interest. But if she has the opportunity to strike Ouyang Rou hard, why wouldn't she want to!
Aunt Hong's gentle and considerate nature won General Ouyang's favor. With one less person vying for his affections, it would only benefit Aunt Ming and the others! Naturally, she couldn't let this opportunity pass her by!
Ouyang Rou trembled all over, tears streaming down her face. This time she was really crying, her heart filled with frustration: "Mother, I really didn't. I grew up under your care. You know my character best. How could I do anything that would damage the reputation of the General's Mansion? I didn't!"
Aunt Hong also cried out. At this point, no matter what others said, it was Ning who finally gave the order: "Madam, the Second Miss is pure and innocent. How could she do something to ruin her reputation? But if she is taken away for investigation, the Second Miss will be truly ruined! If this gets out, how can the Second Miss live with her face? Madam, please have pity on the Second Miss!"
Ouyang Yue squinted at Ouyang Rou, because she saw a hint of panic flash in the latter's eyes. Although Ouyang Rou had met Hong Yicheng in the back garden, it didn't mean she had lost her virginity. But Ouyang Rou kept refusing to have her body examined. Besides feeling humiliated, wasn't she also feeling guilty? If so, that would be even more interesting!
Aunt Hua, who loved to join in the fun, couldn't be left out. She said sarcastically, "Second Miss, what are you doing, sisters? When it comes to this matter, the Second Miss's token's origin is still unclear, so you can't blame anyone else. Why are you talking as if Madam forced and persecuted you? Besides, you can only know a person's face, not their heart. No matter how wise Madam is, it's hard to see through some people who are two-faced!"
Madam Ning's face immediately darkened. She thought to herself, "Isn't that how it is?" and immediately said to Mama Lin, "Take the Second Miss down to find out her true identity!"
"No, I won't go!" Ouyang Rou ran out like a madwoman. Lin Mama quickly stopped her, and Aunt Hong also tried to stop her, but was held back by two other rough-looking maids.
Lin Mama pulled the sobbing Ouyang Rou away. After a while, Lin Mama returned with a flicker of emotion: "Madam, the Second Miss is not a virgin!"
"Crack!" The teacup in Ning's hand suddenly fell to the ground!
☆、018, drag him away and beat him!
"Impossible! It's a mistake, it must be a mistake, this can't be!" Aunt Hong shouted in a fit of rage, no longer caring about anything else. Pointing at Mama Lin, she angrily rebuked, "Mama Lin, I've always treated you well, how dare you slander and defame the Second Miss! You're asking for death!"
As she spoke, Aunt Hong even tried to rush up and grab Lin Mama. Lin Mama, angered by the accusation, flung her hand away and turned to dodge. Aunt Hong couldn't stop herself and ended up crashing straight into Ning Shi. Ning Shi was caught off guard and was pinned to the chair by Aunt Hong, letting out a muffled groan.
Upon seeing this, Madam Lin grabbed Aunt Hong by the collar and threw her to the ground: "Aunt Hong, how dare you be so disrespectful to Madam! I think you don't want to live anymore!"
Aunt Hong was startled by her own impulsiveness, but it was too late to deny it now. Her eyes flashed, and she sat on the ground, wailing, "Yes, I don't want to live anymore! You all conspired to harm the Second Miss! What hope do I have left? I might as well die! Please, Madam, grant me death! I don't want to live anymore!"
Ning's face was extremely ugly. Hearing Aunt Hong say such things, she was so angry that her chest heaved, but she did not lash out on the spot.
Ouyang Yue's eyes flickered; Aunt Hong was using a feigned retreat as a tactic to advance.
She knew perfectly well that Lin Mama was investigating on Ning Shi's orders and would certainly not dare to make a false report. Ouyang Rou had indeed lost her virginity. Ning Shi always valued propriety and etiquette the most. What good would it do for Ouyang Rou to be so shameless? Moreover, Aunt Hong might also be implicated. So, by taking a step back, she managed to calm Ning Shi down a bit.
Upon hearing this, Ouyang Hua's face also showed surprise. She had originally thought that since Ouyang Yue had found this leverage, she would take the opportunity to deepen the conflict between the two of them, but she did not expect that Ouyang Rou would actually stoop so low as to have an affair with someone! This was an unexpected gain for them.
Not only her, but also Aunt Ming and Aunt Hua showed a hint of joy on their faces. However, Aunt Liu's eyes flickered, but she did not show any reaction.
There was a moment of silence in the hall, but Aunt Ming couldn't hold back any longer.
Although she held the title of a noble concubine in the General's Mansion all these years, she was not as noble as the principal wife, Ning, nor could she be as well-born as Concubine Hong or Concubine Hua. They used every trick in the book to win the master's favor. She never showed it, but she never once thought of getting rid of Concubine Hong and Concubine Hua.
"Madam, now is not the time to watch Aunt Hong make a scene. This second young lady has actually committed adultery and done such a despicable thing, she has utterly disgraced the General's Mansion!" Aunt Hong glared fiercely at Aunt Ming, wishing she could bite her.
Ning Shi had already picked up Ouyang Rou's token, her face dark and filled with barely suppressed anger: "Utterly despicable! Shameless! Yue'er, tell me about that man!"
Ning Shi cares most about her reputation. Is she planning to marry Ouyang Rou off to Ming Dawu? Ouyang Yue's eyes flickered: "Mother, I'm not very familiar with this Ming Dawu. I just happened to see him chasing two women in the street, trying to force them to become prostitutes. I couldn't stand it and said a few words. Oh, he's a pimp at Fei Cai Courtyard. That's all I know."
"What? A pimp from a brothel? How could the Second Miss stoop to such a lowlife? Has she forgotten her place? How utterly despicable!" Aunt Hua spat, her face filled with disgust.
Aunt Hong immediately retorted, "Aunt Hua also came from that kind of place, aren't you two the same!"
Aunt Hua sneered, "Oh, you only said one thing because you couldn't stand it, and you feel sorry for me? It seems you really dote on this cousin. Well then, congratulations on your good news." Aunt Hua hated people saying she came from a brothel, but everyone in the General's Mansion knew that. Now that there were people even lower than her, she didn't care anymore.
"No, I have absolutely no relation to my cousin! That person... that person is Young Master Hong!" Ouyang Rou suddenly rushed out, her face pale, and cried out in a shrill voice!
Unable to withstand the tugging and pulling of Lin's mother and several other old women, Ouyang Rou was examined. She knew that her secret could no longer be hidden. She was sad and worried, but suddenly she jumped up.
Something's not right! Now that Ming Dawu's affair has been discovered and she has lost her virginity, it's easy for people to think that it was Ming Dawu who took her virginity. That cousin is just a lowlife, how could he be worthy of her? She was just using him to do things for her. If Ning Shi gets angry and betroths her to Ming Dawu, her life will be ruined!
However, Ouyang Rou's words just now made Ning Shi's eyes turn even colder. Ning Shi came from a prominent family and was the general's legal wife. She had always been very authoritative. If Ouyang Rou said this, wouldn't it be that she had deliberately deceived Ning Shi by disavowing her relationship with Hong Yicheng in front of her before? How could Ning Shi bear it!
Ouyang Rou's heart pounded, but she bit her lip tightly. Even if Ning Shi angered her, she couldn't marry Ming Dawu: "Mother, what I said is true, it really is Young Master Hong..."
"Shut up!" Madam Ning slammed her hand on the table and shouted, "Drag this shameless man away and beat him!"
"Madam, the Second Miss is so delicate! If you beat her with the rod, won't that kill her?" Aunt Hong rushed over to plead, but Madam Ning stood up and slapped her hard across the face. "You lowly servant! How dare you disobey my orders! Drag her away!"
"Mother, spare me, Mother..." Ouyang Rou begged in terror. Then the sound of the wooden board hitting flesh echoed throughout the hall and the outer courtyard. As for the neglected Chan'er, she was naturally dragged away and beaten as well.
Chan'er was about to be beaten to death with sticks. The sticks were much heavier than those used by Ouyang Rou. After only a couple of blows, Chan'er could no longer make a sound and kept rolling her eyes back.
The once dignified and gentle Ouyang Rou was no longer gentle. She lay on the torture bench, grimacing and begging for mercy in pain, but no one in the hall pleaded for her. Aunt Hong was stunned by Ning Shi's slap and stood to one side, gritting her teeth and unable to hide the hatred in her eyes, but dared not say a word!
A woman like Ouyang Rou, who has lost her virginity, deserves to be beaten to death. However, as a young lady of the General's Mansion, beating her to death would be too harsh. General Ouyang dotes on his children. Although Ning Shi is angry and wants to beat her, she doesn't necessarily want to kill Ouyang Rou. Looking at Ouyang Hua, whose eyes are filled with undisguised excitement, Ouyang Yue curled her lips.
She didn't want to be someone else's scapegoat and get herself into trouble. She wouldn't let Ouyang Rou off the hook, but she still had value in Ning's eyes. Ning would never want Ouyang Rou to die, and Ning was the mistress of the General's Mansion. She couldn't afford to offend anyone!
Ouyang Hua was unaware that her actions had already displeased Ning Shi, as evidenced by the gloomy look in her eyes. However, this was not a bad thing for her.
Ouyang Yue suddenly knelt down in front of Ning Shi, crying, "Mother, Yue'er is guilty!"
Everyone in the hall looked at her in surprise. What crime had the Third Miss asked for? Only Aunt Liu noticed that Ning Shi's eyes had lost some of their coldness when she looked at Ouyang Yue...
☆、019, hatched a wicked plan!
"Yue'er, you have done a good job exposing Rou'er this time. What crime have you committed? Get up quickly." Ning Shi said gently.
Ouyang Yue shook her head repeatedly: "Mother, Yue'er didn't know that Ming Dawu was really Second Sister's cousin. When Yue'er saw Ming Dawu, he seemed quite... Yue'er wondered if Second Sister had lost her token, or if there was something else going on. Daughter just wanted Mother to witness it, so that if Second Sister suffered a loss, we could avenge her. Daughter didn't know things would turn out this way..."
Ouyang Yue pursed her lips, looking at the board outside that kept slapping, and fear flashed across her face: "Mother, Yue'er did not mean to cause trouble in the manor and make you worry. So the root cause is that Yue'er acted too impulsively. Yue'er is guilty."
“Since Young Master Hong wants to arrange a marriage, it’s clear that he cares about Second Sister. Mother also advised Yue’er yesterday, and Yue’er listened to her advice. Young Master Hong is the Crown Prince’s man, and we can’t afford to offend him. Besides, Father and Mother love Yue’er so much, so Yue’er’s future husband won’t be bad either. Although Yue’er can’t understand it for a while, she doesn’t blame Second Sister.”
"Mother, please spare Second Sister. Second Sister loved Yue'er the most when she was little. Yue'er doesn't want anything to happen to her!" As she spoke, Ouyang Yue hugged Ning's arm and shook it repeatedly. Ning's lips pursed, but she slightly curled them up.
Ouyang Yue was speaking out Ning Shi's true feelings. Ning Shi didn't care about Ouyang Rou's life or death, but this also involved the Crown Prince's Grand Tutor's Mansion. If word got out that Ouyang Rou was having an affair with a man outside the marriage, Ning Shi would not escape suspicion of misbehaving. If it was spread by someone with ulterior motives, she might even be accused of being jealous and intolerant of concubines and illegitimate daughters.