Rui Yuhuan smiled and stood up, bowing to Ouyang Yue. Ouyang Yue returned the bow. Rui Yuhuan looked at the table full of dishes and sighed, "I've heard of the Eight Treasure Duck from Babaozhai. I've always wanted to find an opportunity to try it. However, the old lady is getting old, and too much oil is not good for her health."
Ouyang Yue smiled and said, "Miss Rui is not from the capital, so you may not know this, but the Eight Treasure Duck at Babaozhai is the best choice. It is said that this Eight Treasure Duck is a secret recipe left by our ancestors, never to be passed on to outsiders. Moreover, because the process is complicated, only one hundred are sold a day. And customers are given priority. My grandmother is of noble status, so naturally she cannot go to Babaozhai just to wait for a duck. I will do it for her. Besides, it is fine to eat this Eight Treasure Duck occasionally. Furthermore, the Eight Treasure Duck is made with great care, and it is not an ordinary roast duck. Miss Rui can rest assured."
Rui Yuhuan smiled slightly, "I see. I was quite ignorant."
Ouyang Yue nodded: "That's understandable. But Miss Rui, there's no need to rush to leave the manor to taste them. I'm afraid they'll be sold out by the time you get there. I brought two back today, intending to give one to my grandmother and the other to my parents. Since Miss Rui is a guest from afar, I'll give you this one first. Anyway, I'm usually free, so I can buy another one tomorrow."
Rui Yuhuan's expression changed. She really wanted to try the Eight Treasure Duck, and she had indeed intended to say something sarcastic to Ouyang Yue earlier. However, these two Eight Treasure Ducks didn't look expensive, but they were all presented as gifts to elders. What would it look like if she accepted them? Would she be rushing to acknowledge Ouyang Yue as an elder, lowering her status to become a concubine? Or would she be so greedy as to compete with the General's Mansion for food? That would be a huge joke!
"Miss Ouyang is joking. Yu Huan never said she wanted to buy this Eight Treasure Duck."
Old Madam Ning glanced at Rui Yuhuan, then nodded slightly at Ouyang Yue: "It's rare to see such filial piety from you, so let it be." Then she turned to her head and said, "You all go down and have your meal. You don't need to stay here. Yuhuan is fine here."
Aunt Ming and the others' expressions changed, and they all bowed and left one after another. Ouyang Yue, however, looked at Old Madam Ning with some strangeness.
At this moment, Rui Yuhuan had already placed a bamboo shoot on her plate, which Old Madam Ning ate with a gentle expression. Rui Yuhuan had only been in the household for a short time. Although the gift she gave Old Madam Ning when she first arrived was very pleasing, Old Madam Ning had grown somewhat disgusted by her because of Rui Yuhuan's scheme against Ouyang Yue, which resulted in Ouyang Yue's counterattack. Recently, however, she had often seen Rui Yuhuan serving Old Madam Ning, and Old Madam Ning was increasingly trusting her. What methods had Rui Yuhuan used to achieve this?
Although Ouyang Yue disliked Old Madam Ning, the original owner of this body was, after all, her granddaughter, and had lived with her for over ten years. She understood Old Madam Ning quite well; this old lady, having endured hardship, was extremely distrustful. Her kindness towards Concubine Ming didn't equate to trust; it was merely a pawn she used to manipulate and balance Old Madam Ning, a result of Concubine Ming's years of effort. How could Rui Yuhuan have gained Old Madam Ning's trust so quickly? Something felt off.
However, Old Madam Ning did not keep Ouyang Yue. She was not hungry, so she put down the Eight Treasure Duck and left with Chuncao. She had Chuncao deliver the other duck directly to Ouyang Zhide. As for whether he was willing to transfer it to Madam Ning's place, that was not Ouyang Yue's concern.
As soon as Ouyang Yue turned off the path leading to Anhetang, she heard voices ahead.
"I don't know how Rui Yuhuan caught the old lady's eye, but now her status in the mansion is getting higher and higher," Aunt Hua said with some dissatisfaction.
Aunt Liu and Aunt Ming remained silent, but Aunt Hong couldn't help but chime in: "Look at her slutty manner. I sensed something was wrong the moment she walked in. Do you think I didn't know the way she looked at Master? She's clearly a lowlife, and the Old Madam just lets her run wild. She's almost as old as the eldest young lady. If Master brings in another one like her, wouldn't that be a joke!"
Aunt Ming suddenly paused: "These matters are naturally to be decided by the Old Madam. What's the use of you two gossiping here? Aunt Hong, instead of wasting your time, you should think about how to get the Master to forgive you." Aunt Ming said coldly, and then left with her servants.
Aunt Hong spat at her back and continued, "What is she? She's just temporarily in charge of the household affairs, yet she thinks she can control me? I thought she was so powerful, but in the end, she still taught the young lady to do something foolish and commit suicide. If you have nothing to hide, what are you afraid of saying!"
"Aunt Hua, Aunt Hong, I'm going back now." Aunt Liu walked to the fork in the road, flicked her wrist, and left with her maid.
The two women ignored Aunt Liu and only glanced at her indifferently. Aunt Hong, however, smiled and said to Aunt Hua, "I heard that you've come up with a new design, and I was just thinking of making one myself. Would that be convenient for you, sister?"
“Of course it’s convenient. My sister has prepared tea. You can go over and choose some flowers while you chat,” Aunt Hua replied with a smile, and the two of them left together.
Originally, the two were rivals in the household, but now they're as close as brothers. This shows that in the inner quarters of the house, there are no eternal enemies or eternal friends. Now that Consort Hong has lost power, she naturally needs an ally. Consort Hua, who comes from a brothel, although she assists Consort Liu in managing the household affairs, is weak on her own. Having someone to support her will make things easier for her.
After they left, Ouyang Yue came out, glanced indifferently in the direction Aunt Hua and Aunt Hong had gone, and then returned to Mingyue Pavilion.
Xiangningyuan
As soon as Aunt Ming returned, Granny Qi immediately came to greet her. Aunt Ming dismissed the servants and asked, "How did the investigation go?"
Madam Qi smiled and said, "Auntie is incredibly insightful. This old servant had someone check the records of the servants' movements in the mansion, and sure enough, we found some problems."
Aunt Ming's eyes lit up: "Tell me quickly!"
"Aunt, what happened back then was indeed very strange. Madam only caught a cold and was resting, but Master returned at that time. Hearing that Madam had caught a cold, he was very concerned and had the doctor take very good care of her. But not long after, news came that Madam was pregnant. Master said that Madam's body was not yet fully recovered, her constitution was weak, and she was prone to miscarriage in the early stages of pregnancy. So he issued an order that no one was allowed to enter Shanyu Pavilion to disturb Madam without his permission. During that time, Master was practically living in Shanyu Pavilion, taking meticulous care of Madam."
Aunt Ming's expression turned slightly cold: "I know about this matter too. Aunt Hong even caused a scene back then, and was ordered by the master to stay at home and reflect on her actions. She was also not allowed to go to the old lady's place at first, because she was afraid of bringing bad luck to the old lady. But since this was the madam's first pregnancy, the old lady was worried and eventually went to visit her. It is said that the madam's complexion was very bad at the time, and she was indeed very weak. The old lady left a lot of tonics before leaving. Since then, she has not dared to disturb her again."
Madam Qi nodded and said, "This is not a big deal, but the lady's three-month critical period has passed, yet she is still being kept in Shanyu Pavilion by the master. This is strange. Later, she was only allowed to see people after giving birth and finishing her postpartum confinement. At that time, the third young lady was also celebrating her one-month birthday."
Aunt Ming nodded: "Looking at it this way, although it's strange, it's also quite reasonable."
Madam Qi disagreed, saying, "Auntie, this old servant finds this very strange. You see, this lady has been married for so many years, and her belly has never shown any signs of pregnancy. How come she became pregnant not long after the general returned? The timing didn't seem quite right at the time, but because the general refused to let us see, we didn't know the specifics and naturally didn't suspect anything."
Aunt Ming thought for a moment and said, "It is indeed strange. According to our previous thinking, if Ouyang Yue is not the master's child, would he love her so much? Do you believe it?"
Madam Qi frowned and continued, "But Aunt, neither you nor I know the true date of the Third Miss's birth. Whether it was early or late, it was all said by Master. Our Master is a man who cares a lot about his reputation. If Madam cheated on him, given Madam's status and the Old Madam's influence, this matter would be very complicated. Furthermore, over the years, have you seen Master's attitude towards Madam, and the way he scolded her before? He has no affection for her at all, and it seems like he still harbors resentment." Aunt Ming nodded, and Madam Qi added, "And that's not all. After the Third Miss's full moon celebration, most of the servants in the mansion, especially those from Shanyu Pavilion, left after being disciplined and punished. Two months later, even Madam's personal maid made a mistake and was sold. After hearing Aunt's instructions, I had someone look for the matchmaker from back then, but I heard that she went to live with relatives in her hometown and is no longer in the capital. It's too much of a coincidence that those who might have known the truth back then are now hard to find."
Aunt Ming sneered, "It's really strange. There's obviously something going on here. You really didn't find a single one?"
Madam Qi smiled and took out a book from her bosom: "Auntie, please take a look. There was a mute woman named Madam Huang who served at Shanyu Pavilion back then. She is still alive, but she was later sent to the countryside to look after the estate because of her illness."
Aunt Ming frowned, her hand pausing as she examined the document: "What use is a mute? And what is this person's background?"
"This old servant thinks this is truly a blessing from heaven for you, Auntie. The son of this Huang Mama, who is now the husband of Liu Mama, the second-class old maid in the Second Miss's courtyard, is long dead!"
Aunt Ming's eyes suddenly lit up: "Isn't Liu Mama Chan'er's mother?!"
Madam Qi nodded, and Aunt Ming laughed heartily: "Good, good, good! It really is heaven's help. This time, even if I don't drag Ning down, I will make sure she never has a moment's peace again. Madam Qi, come closer."
Aunt Ming muttered a few words, which made Mama Qi's eyes light up with admiration: "Auntie, you are incredibly wise! What a brilliant plan! This old servant is truly impressed. Now the young lady's revenge can be avenged!"
Aunt Ming's eyes were extremely cold: "How can it be as simple as just revenge!"
A few days later, a rumor suddenly spread among the servants of the General's Mansion...
Are you telling the truth?
"I didn't believe it at first either, but after looking at it carefully these past few days, it really doesn't seem like it!"
"Yes, yes! I've always felt they didn't look alike, and now that you mention it, it seems there's absolutely nothing in common."
After paying their respects at Anhe Hall, Ouyang Yue, Chuncao, and Dongxue returned home and walked along the road. They could see many servants from the mansion gathered in twos and threes, whispering among themselves.
"Alright, Miss San is here, hurry up and go!" A sharp-eyed maid saw Ouyang Yue approaching and immediately said. The people bowed to Ouyang Yue from a distance, and without waiting for Ouyang Yue to call for help, they ran away quickly, clearly not wanting Ouyang Yue to catch them for questioning.
Ouyang Yue frowned: "Why have the servants in the manor been behaving so strangely these past few days? Chuncao, do you know what's going on?"
Chuncao said with a sullen face: "This servant also finds it strange. These past few days, I've felt that someone is looking towards Mingyue Pavilion. When this servant goes to check, they immediately disperse. Even when the servants of Mingyue Pavilion come out, they immediately disperse as well. I don't know what they are talking about."
Ouyang Yue narrowed her eyes slightly: "Dongxue, go and secretly find out what's going on."
"Yes, Miss."
Ouyang Yue left with Chuncao and had only been back at Mingyue Pavilion for a short while when Leng Xue rushed back with a cold face: "Miss!"
"What happened?"
Dongxue's face was gloomy: "Miss, the servants in the manor are all saying... saying that you are not the general's daughter." She looked at Ouyang Yue with some nervousness.
Ouyang Yue listened calmly, without even blinking. Dongxue couldn't help but ask in surprise, "Miss, aren't you angry?"
Ouyang Yue simply said, "Tell me whatever other news you've found out."
Dongxue's face darkened further: "These servants are really gossiping, aren't they afraid of their mouths rotting? They're saying that the more they look at the General and Miss, the less alike they seem. Even the Miss and Madam, and the Old Madam, don't look alike at all. They don't look like the General and Madam's children at all. Not only that, the servants are bringing up the old story of how Miss led people to cause trouble at the Huaiyuan Earl's mansion, causing the Second Miss to be jilted in her engagement. They're also saying that the Ning family's affair with Hong Yicheng is related to Miss. If Miss hadn't ruined the Second Miss's marriage, the Second Miss would have had a hard time finding a good husband, wouldn't have followed Young Master Hong, and wouldn't have suffered such a fate at the Ning family. They're also blaming Miss for beating Chan'er, for beating and scolding servants, for the deaths of many servants in the mansion, and for the General and Madam's quarrels. They're saying Miss is a reincarnation of a jinx, naturally shameless and arrogant, a jinx who brings misfortune to her family!"
"Outrageous! Absolutely outrageous! These disgusting creatures with sores on their mouths, I'll skin them alive today!" Chuncao shouted angrily. She had never been so angry before. After cursing, she turned around and was about to rush out to demand justice.
"Chuncao, don't be impulsive, stop!" Ouyang Yue immediately shouted to stop her.
Chuncao blushed and said, "Miss, these people are too audacious. They even dare to slander you like this. They don't respect you at all. If you don't deal with them, who knows what kind of crazy things they will say!"
Ouyang Yue only looked at Dong Xue: "What else did you say?"
“Recently, Madam has been feeling unwell since her argument with the General and has been bedridden ever since. These people have even dared to say that you don’t resemble the General and Madam, but rather some other wild man, claiming that you are Madam’s illegitimate child with another man, and that the General has been raising an illegitimate child for nothing!” Dongxue said in a cold, low voice.
"Miss! You can't let this go on! These people are utterly lawless! They even dare to spread rumors about the master and mistress's private affairs, and they dare to slander you like this! Miss, you should arrest them and punish them to deter these gossipy people!" Chuncao said urgently. As a servant born into the household, she had witnessed many struggles in the inner quarters since childhood. Even if she hadn't seen them, she had heard servants and elders talk about things that happened in the inner quarters. It wasn't unheard of for the mistress of this household to have committed adultery. As for whether it was true or not, outsiders had no way of knowing, but the results were mostly bad.
Not only the female master, but also the children she gave birth to, most of them died or became mentally disabled, and none of them would have a good outcome. How could Chuncao not be worried for Ouyang Yue!
"Miss, Madam Xi from Anhetang has arrived. She says the old lady requests your presence at Anhetang." Just then, Xique relayed the message from outside.
"Oh no, Miss! This must be something to cause you trouble! The old lady rarely calls you." Chuncao became even more anxious, gritting her teeth, stamping her feet, and pacing around.
Ouyang Yue stood up, a bright smile on her face: "Chuncao and Dongxue, help me change. Xique, tell Mother Xi to wait a moment, I'll be there shortly."
"Miss!" Chuncao exclaimed anxiously. Why wasn't Miss worried at all? Was she really going to walk right into the line of fire?
Ouyang Yue glanced at Chuncao indifferently, her voice carrying an air of authority: "What, does your young lady's word no longer carry weight? Even you dare to disobey my orders!"
Chuncao was startled and immediately lowered her head: "No, this servant would never dare to disobey Miss's orders."
"Change your clothes!"
A moment later, Ouyang Yue led Chuncao and Dongxue out and saw happy Mama waiting outside. She smiled and said, "I'm sorry to have kept Xi Mama waiting. Let's go to Anhe Hall now."
Madam Xi's gaze shifted to Ouyang Yue's face, only to find Ouyang Yue smiling broadly, showing no sign of panic, as if she were completely unaware of the rumors circulating in the manor. Madam Xi couldn't help but ask, "Third Miss, do you know why the Old Madam invited you to come?"
Ouyang Yue smiled nonchalantly: "Grandmother sent Yue'er there because she misses Yue'er, or perhaps Grandmother has something new to share and wants Yue'er to see it. Yue'er remembers all of Grandmother's thoughts."
Madam Xi looked at Ouyang Yue with suspicion: "Does the Third Miss really think that way? This journey is fraught with peril!"
Ouyang Yue smiled gratefully: "Mother Xi, I understand perfectly. Please lead the way!"
Upon seeing this, Madam Xi's face flashed with a strange expression, but her gaze towards Ouyang Yue was much gentler. This Third Miss had indeed changed a lot; even Madam couldn't compare to her composure! She remembered when Madam went to Anhe Hall, she first gave her a scolding, which made her seem rather unruly. The Third Miss's calm and collected demeanor, on the other hand, suggested she was able to handle the situation with composure.
However, Madam Xi also had her doubts: could this third young lady really be so calm about her body? She knew that if things were to come to light, then…
Madam Xi sighed and said nothing more. She then led Ouyang Yue to Anhe Hall shortly afterward.
Upon entering the main hall of Anhe Hall, it was found to be packed with people. Old Madam Ning and Ouyang Zhide were seated in the seats of honor. Madam Ning's face was pale, and her eyes were bloodshot. She glared fiercely at Ouyang Yue as she entered. The other concubines looked at her with strange expressions. Except for Concubine Liu, who kept her head down and remained silent, the others all looked gloating and expectant.
In the main hall, several maids and old women were kneeling. When they saw Ouyang Yue arrive, their expressions changed.
Aunt Ming suddenly stood up, pointed at several maids and old women, and scolded them: "You disrespectful wretches, how dare you spread such words in the mansion, how dare you question the Third Miss's background and the Madam's reputation, you deserve to die!"
The words were directed at the old woman and maid on the ground, but the eyes that were fixed on Ouyang Yue were like those of a cold, venomous snake, sending chills down one's spine!
☆、067、Kill two birds with one stone!
Hearing Aunt Ming's suggestive words, Ouyang Yue's expression remained unchanged. She simply stepped forward with a smile and politely bowed to Old Madam Ning, saying, "Yue'er greets Grandmother, Father, and Mother." As she spoke, her gaze slightly shifted to Rui Yuhuan behind Old Madam Ning.
Rui Yuhuan was, in truth, just a guest in the mansion. How could she possibly be involved in matters concerning the reputation of the lady of the house and the background of the young lady? Wasn't Old Madam Ning trusting Rui Yuhuan far too much? This wasn't like Old Madam Ning's character. However, these emotions only flashed in Ouyang Yue's eyes for a moment before disappearing without anyone noticing.
Ouyang Zhide's gaze deepened as he looked at Ouyang Yue, showing no anger at the rumors, but rather a complex expression. Old Madam Ning, on the other hand, had a noticeably colder look in her eyes. She couldn't help but give Ouyang Yue a deeper look, noticing her ethereal, cloud-like gauze robe that draped her in a delicate, graceful manner. Her features were exquisite and beautiful, but upon closer inspection, she resembled neither Ouyang Zhide nor Old Madam Ning. Thinking of the recent rumors circulating in the manor, she felt a slight annoyance and remained silent, so Ouyang Yue simply maintained her bowing posture.
Seeing this, Ouyang Zhide smiled kindly and said, "You stand aside for now. There are some lowly servants in the manor who are spreading rumors. I will deal with them after I have dealt with them. Then I will go to your Mingyue Pavilion. Last time, your braised eggplant strips and steamed grass carp made my mouth water. I must show off your culinary skills again today."
Ouyang Yue's eyes softened. At a time like this, Ouyang Zhide could still joke with her, which showed that he truly loved her and did not believe the rumors in the mansion at all.
"Whenever you want to eat it, just say the word, and Yue'er will always have time to make it for you."
The two of them actually started chatting and laughing, the atmosphere was very warm and harmonious, which made everyone's expressions change, especially Aunt Ming, whose resentment intensified! The rumors about Ouyang Yue and Ning Shi were so rampant in the mansion, Ouyang Zhide couldn't possibly be unaware of them, yet he seemed so indifferent? Aunt Ming couldn't understand. Let alone the fact that it was common for a man to have three wives and four concubines, even if another woman were brought into the mansion, regardless of her background, she could only be favored by Ouyang Zhide. Anyone, no matter how tolerant, would feel extremely uncomfortable in that situation. Moreover, this was in a man-dominated society; if a woman committed adultery, she would be punished with public humiliation or being drowned in a pig cage. She couldn't believe that Ouyang Zhide was truly indifferent!
That means he doesn't believe Ning would do anything outrageous, or he's so convinced that Ouyang Yue is irreplaceable as his daughter!
Hmph! Now it's not up to Ouyang Zhide to believe it or not. Even if it's fake, she's going to make it real today! Besides, her evidence is irrefutable, leaving them no choice but to believe her!
Ouyang Yue stepped aside and calmly observed Aunt Ming. Aunt Ming paused, her face filled with regret and anger. She said, "Madam, Master, Madam. Since I temporarily took charge of the household affairs, I have been working diligently and conscientiously, never daring to slack off, for fear of doing anything inappropriate. I just didn't expect that the servants in this household would be so incorrigible. Master just punished a few people for their gossip, but before this wave subsided, another one arose. I was unable to stop it in time due to my limited abilities, so I have come to apologize."
Aunt Ming immediately knelt on the ground, her face full of regret and guilt. Old Madam Ning did not blame her at all: "Get up. How could you stop this? This is not your fault in the first place."
Madam Ning's face darkened. Although Consort Ming's words were meant to be self-reproach, they were in fact a heavy blow to her. What did she mean by "the servants in the household are incorrigible"? Didn't that mean that she had been negligent in her duties when she was in charge of the household affairs, allowing the servants to develop a habit of gossiping? And even after Consort Ming took over, she couldn't change that. It was truly a case of feigning retreat to advance, subtly undermining her with her words!
Before Ning could speak, Concubine Ming angrily exclaimed, "Those crazy rumors were baseless and not to be taken seriously at all. I originally intended to give them a warning, but several people in the household have just died or been injured because of this. If more incidents were to occur, it would likely lead to gossip. That's why I was lenient with them for now, hoping they would realize their mistakes soon. Who knew that these servants not only didn't realize their mistakes, but the rumors became more and more absurd. This morning, I was just about to come and pay my respects to the Old Madam when I saw these few not doing any work, but huddled together chatting idly. What they were talking about was simply unbearable. I was so angry that I brought them all here to be dealt with by the Old Madam!"
Old Madam Ning's face was cold as she looked at the servants kneeling on the ground. She said irritably, "The General's Mansion pays you all, and you've produced a bunch of lazy, irresponsible servants who love to spread rumors and cause trouble! Guards, give each of you fifty strokes of the cane and throw them out of the General's Mansion!" Old Madam Ning knew exactly what these people were talking about. She had heard rumors about this matter before, but such gossip had been circulating for years, and she hadn't taken it seriously. This time, however, it had spread far and wide, and seemed unlikely to be concealed any longer. Old Madam Ning was just as suspicious, but she couldn't expose this now. She would find out the truth later; now was not the time to reveal it. She naturally wanted to punish these servants first, as a punishment for their reckless words!