"Aunt Hua and Aunt Hong are right. I think this matter is indeed quite strange. Miss Rui used to live on the border, where people and swindlers mingled. She came into contact with far more people than the young ladies in the capital. The fact that she could make the white jade Buddha's light flash back then was probably some kind of trickery from the martial arts world. She really has a good skill. Miss Rui's scheming is truly admirable. I admit that I am not as good as her..." Madam Ning shook her head and sighed. She spoke very modestly, but she dismantled Rui Yuhuan's efforts over this period. Madam Ning believed that the reason why Old Madam Ning liked Rui Yuhuan was because of the things she did when she first entered the mansion.
She knew Old Madam Ning better than anyone else. Old Madam Ning came from a noble family and was proud and serious; it was extremely difficult to win her favor. At the same time, Old Madam Ning was also extremely hypocritical. As long as you grasped her psychology and flattered her, she naturally wouldn't make things too difficult for you. Moreover, Old Madam Ning herself hadn't been entirely clean since marrying into the General's Mansion. The women in the General's Mansion had all disappeared after she established herself, demonstrating her cunning. Such a tainted person, once things were settled, would try to cleanse herself even more thoroughly. She was very attached to Buddhist and Taoist teachings, yet instinctively didn't want to believe in them. Therefore, even the slightest rumor could sway her. Rui Yuhuan could gain advantage by exploiting this, and at the same time, she could also drag her down to hell.
This is what happens when you dare to mess with her husband; Rui Yuhuan is clearly too naive.
Ning's face was cold, and her gaze at Rui Yuhuan was even more sinister and intriguing.
Rui Yuhuan felt a chill run through her body, trembling uncontrollably. She shook her head and said, "No, I'm not, and I'm certainly not a jinx. You're all making baseless accusations. I don't even know this person. How could I possibly have any connection with him to frame the Third Miss? This has nothing to do with me. Besides, at the border, my father... I..." Rui Yuhuan was eager to defend herself, but when she mentioned the border and her father, she suddenly shut her mouth. She couldn't very well say that her feelings for Ouyang Zhide weren't simply about wanting to submit to him, but that she harbored ill intentions towards the entire General's Mansion from the very beginning. If she said that, even Old Madam Ning would turn against her. She wouldn't do something so self-destructive.
However, her silence only intensified Ouyang Zhide and Ouyang Yue's colder gazes towards Rui Yuhuan. When Rui Yuhuan first arrived, Ouyang Zhide had already shared his suspicions with her. At the time, Rui Yuhuan's father, Rui Huaicheng, was not Ouyang Zhide's savior at all, but a villain who wanted to kill him, and Rui Huaicheng's behavior was also somewhat strange. However, Rui Huaicheng died on the battlefield, and all information was cut off. Ouyang Zhide could only investigate who harmed him through Rui Yuhuan, the only possible suspect. But during their covert observation, they hadn't discovered anything unusual, and Ouyang Zhide was even starting to wonder if he had wrongly accused Rui Yuhuan. Now, she had let it slip herself.
It seemed that Rui Yuhuan clearly knew the inside story, and not only did she know it, but she also seemed to have some unspeakable secrets. When Ouyang Zhide thought of the ferocious look on Rui Huaicheng's face when he regarded him as the enemy who killed his father, his heart skipped a beat. He absolutely did not want to keep such a troublemaker around. He had to find the murderer from Rui Yuhuan.
Ning's expression had turned cold as she asked, "Miss Rui, you really don't recognize these two people?"
Rui Yuhuan shook her head repeatedly, looking anxiously at Ouyang Rou: "No, no, I don't know him at all. I can't possibly frame the Third Miss. I'm so grateful to the General for bringing me to the capital. I would never do anything harmful to the General's Mansion. I swear to God." Rui Yuhuan stared coldly at Ouyang Rou. What was going on? Ouyang Rou actually wanted her to be a scapegoat? No way! It was Ouyang Rou who had mentioned this matter to her; she had only played a supporting role. She knew nothing about the most crucial part of the whole affair. She was innocent. Ouyang Rou would have to ask her if she wanted to get through this peacefully. Rui Yuhuan stared coldly at Ouyang Rou, about to speak, when Aunt Hong immediately interjected.
"If Miss Rui doesn't know him, that doesn't make sense. Why did the master and the third young lady point the finger at you, not anyone else, after they discovered something was wrong? You really don't know him? It doesn't seem like it. Fine, even if Miss Rui really doesn't know these two, that means the 'jinx' he mentioned is indeed true. How do you explain that, Miss Rui? Even if you really didn't conspire with him to frame the third young lady, then there really is a jinx living in the mansion who has brought trouble to the General's Mansion. It's just that that person isn't the third young lady, but you, Rui Yuhuan!" Aunt Hong's accusations were stern and harsh, making Rui Yuhuan's face turn pale and then red.
Rui Yuhuan shook her head, gently nudging Old Madam Ning, and hurriedly explained, "No, Madam, this really has nothing to do with me. You should ask the Second Miss about this; she knows better than I do. This was all her scheme. I was just used by her. It has nothing to do with me. I know absolutely nothing!" Old Madam Ning felt her head was throbbing, her brain buzzing. After a while, she suddenly glared at Ouyang Rou, "So it was you who did it! You actually framed your own sister, and even tried to deceive us with the name of some jinx, playing with everyone in my General's Mansion like monkeys. I never thought you were so vicious; you're utterly despicable!" Old Madam Ning's eyes burned with fury, her gaze towards Ouyang Rou chillingly cold.
Ouyang Rou's heart skipped a beat, and she clenched her fists in secret. Yes, she was not innocent in this matter. From beginning to end, it was all a scheme she and her aunt had devised. He Yun and Jing Yun knew each other, and not only did they know each other, they were old acquaintances of many years.
Back then, Ming Dawu was a notorious scoundrel in the capital, and his acquaintances were naturally a mixed bag. He Yun was someone Ming Dawu met through others; they weren't exactly known for shady dealings, but they were quite capable. At the time, Aunt Hong was short of money, so after hearing about this group from Ming Dawu, she became a middleman, facilitating their transactions. Of course, Aunt Hong also profited from this; otherwise, she wouldn't have enjoyed the best treatment as the legal wife, nor would she have remained so powerful if she weren't from a wealthy family. She needed capital. Therefore, when Ouyang Rou suffered repeated losses at Ouyang Yue's hands, she thought of these people. Compared to them, these people were far more insidious. They had only explained the situation in the household, yet these people devised this vicious scheme. If Ouyang Yue hadn't suddenly said something inexplicable, tricking He Yun into revealing his true colors, Ouyang Yue would surely be dead today!
Ouyang Rou was filled with resentment, but now was not the time for resentment; clearing herself of suspicion was the most important thing. She had no experience in this area, and a chill ran through her, a cold shiver running down her spine. What should she do? Was she really going to be exposed by He Yun? What should she do…?
Aunt Hong's eyes darted around, then she looked at He Yun, gritting her teeth as she said, "Miss Rui, what are you saying? You first tried to frame the Third Miss with a poisonous scheme, and now that you can't do that to her, you're trying to harm the Second Miss too? You say you're not a jinx, but you're vicious. The Eldest Miss died so mysteriously; you're probably involved too. Otherwise, why would you harm the Second Miss after harming the Third? What, you think that just because you've gained the Old Madam's favor, your ridiculous status can truly surpass that of the legitimate and illegitimate daughters in this mansion? You're utterly idiotic and laughable. I advise Miss Rui to stop with these useless thoughts; they'll only make you look more ridiculous and pathetic. You're not only delusional but also brainless. I advise Miss Rui to confess quickly, and everything will be fine today. Otherwise, we'll ask these two who ordered them today." As she spoke, Aunt Hong pointed at He Yun and Jing Yun, who were being restrained by Ouyang Zhide and Dong Xue.
He Yun was startled, his body twitching slightly. He saw Aunt Hong blink, and his heart sank. His gaze towards Rui Yuhuan held a hint of malice. He pointed a trembling finger at Rui Yuhuan: "It was her, she ordered me to do it! Everything was her doing! I have no grudge against the Third Miss of the General's Mansion. Knowing that General Ouyang dotes on her, why would I deliberately seek trouble to frame her? Someone paid me to do it, and it was this woman. I met her at the border, and she recently sent me the news that I had been secretly contacting. She came up with this evil plan to frame the Third Miss Ouyang. Otherwise, I wouldn't know so much about the affairs of the manor. It was all her doing. I… I only took a small amount of money. You can't kill me! I'm a law-abiding citizen; you have no right to kill me!" He Yun's eyes suddenly changed, a flicker of panic crossing them. He looked like a typical thug, cowardly and without any particularly malicious intentions.
A cold glint flashed in his eyes as he lowered his head. If it weren't for the sake of the rest of the team, he might have let Aunt Hong and Ouyang Rou off the hook. Aunt Hong's intentions were clear: she wanted them to confess their crimes and then absolve herself of responsibility. However, he did have reasons for not exposing Ouyang Rou and Aunt Hong. They still needed them, and besides, he had come prepared for this; how could he possibly escape unscathed?
Ouyang Yue's eyes darkened slightly. She clearly felt that something was wrong. Judging from Ouyang Rou's behavior in the courtroom, she clearly had some unspeakable secret with Rui Yuhuan. Now that He Yun had turned against Rui Yuhuan, was it the truth or was it intentional?
Ouyang Yue, after all, wasn't so divinely gifted as to be able to predict the future. Naturally, she couldn't know the intricacies of this situation. On the contrary, given Rui Yuhuan's constant scheming and malicious intent, it's highly likely she intended to use Ouyang Rou to frame her, but the person she ultimately chose was unsuitable for significant use. Ouyang Rou, residing in the General's Mansion, wouldn't easily have access to the real江湖 (jianghu, the martial arts world) underworld. He Yun's explanation was extremely convincing. They knew nothing of Rui Yuhuan's past life on the border, nor of the people she had associated with. The fact that she knew about Rui Huaicheng meant she had a grudge against Ouyang Zhide. Therefore, it was plausible that she came to the General's Mansion to stir up trouble for some unknown reason.
only……
Ouyang Yue narrowed her eyes and stared intently at Ouyang Rou. The latter felt a deep gaze and couldn't help but look up. When she saw Ouyang Rou's sharp eyes, her heart skipped a beat, and a hint of panic flashed across her face. She clenched her fists tightly, forcing herself to calm down, but her eyes still instinctively looked to Aunt Hong for help, and then stared intently at He Yun on the ground.
On the surface, Aunt Hong was furious at Rui Yuhuan's actions, but inwardly she was terrified. She didn't really understand people like He Yun; previously, she had only acted as an intermediary behind Ming Dawu, without direct contact with them. However, Ming Dawu's tragic death and the inability to find the murderer, coupled with the considerable money Ouyang Yue had swindled her from, left her short of cash. She had to use the contact methods Ming Dawu had given her to reach these people, naturally seeking personal gain while working for them—this was one such instance. But she hadn't expected so many troubles to arise. She was still very afraid of those people, but she believed she could still protect these two. If a scapegoat could be found today, there was still room for maneuver. Therefore, as long as Rui Yuhuan was convicted, things wouldn't escalate to the worst possible state.
Aunt Hong's heart immediately calmed down. She calmly looked back at Ouyang Yue, but her eyes narrowed slightly behind her, her doubts growing stronger.
Ning's eyes flashed with murderous intent: "Your husband, Rui Yuhuan, has been incredibly kind to you. He took pity on you and brought you into the General's Mansion, providing you with food and drink. The old lady has treated you like her own daughter. How dare you do something like harming the General's Mansion's offspring? You are simply unforgivable."
Aunt Hua nodded in agreement, saying, "That's right. Looking at Miss Rui, who used to be so quiet and gentle, it turns out she has such a vicious heart. Old Madam, you never expected you to have misjudged her, mistaking a scorpion for a rabbit, almost harming the entire General's Mansion." Aunt Hua was also extremely pleased. Although Ouyang Yue didn't get into trouble today, she had long disliked Rui Yuhuan. If she could just kill her, she would be just as happy. It would just be someone else, and it wouldn't make a difference to her.
Aunt Hong also said indignantly, "The general's good intentions have been met with such a result. I truly feel sorry for the general."
"I didn't! He's lying! He's clearly lying!" Rui Yuhuan never expected that her mere assistance to Ouyang Rou would bring her so much trouble. She could only look hopefully at Old Madam Ning, whose expression was clearly bewildered, blank, and somewhat wooden. She seemed surprised that Rui Yuhuan would do such a thing, yet her face showed a struggle; her expression was quite strange. Rui Yuhuan broke down in tears, her eyes shimmering with grievance as she looked deeply at Ouyang Zhide, hoping he would be smart enough not to be fooled by this facade.
However, the moment she looked up, Ouyang Zhide's expression turned noticeably colder. Just as Rui Yuhuan was wondering what was happening, Ouyang Yue suddenly grabbed a cup of tea from the nearby table, opened the lid, and quickly splashed the tea on her face. Rui Yuhuan was startled and immediately reached out to block it, but it was too late. Fortunately, the tea was a little cold, so Rui Yuhuan wasn't burned. But she felt an indescribable rage. That bitch Ouyang Yue, was she going to kick her while she was down like this? What did this bitch have that she didn't? The Seventh Prince favored her so much; was that brute Ouyang Zhide blind? He doted on her so much, causing her previous schemes to fail repeatedly. This bitch was so hateful!
She looked up angrily, but several gasps rang out in the hall. Ouyang Yue sneered, "So Miss Rui's facial injury has already healed. All my worries about Miss Rui's injury have been in vain. It seems I was just worrying for nothing."
"Where is this injury? You can't even tell. Miss Rui is quite the actress. She complained to the old lady when she was clearly not injured, and even claimed that you were innocent. With your deep mind, how could you not have found someone to give the Third Miss a bad reputation?" Aunt Hong was stunned for a moment, a glint of light flashing in her eyes, and immediately began to accuse her angrily.
Aunt Hua mocked, "What kind of rouge is Miss Rui wearing? It looks so much like her. I'll have to learn from Miss Rui in the future, but I'm afraid I won't have that chance again."
Rui Yuhuan was stunned for a moment, then suddenly reached out to touch her face. When she took her hand down, she saw that her fair hand was stained with a lot of red stuff. This was not blood, but the red rouge from the carriage. Rui Yuhuan's face turned pale instantly. Then she felt a gust of wind suddenly blow in front of her, making her shiver.
"Slap!" When she looked up again, she saw Ouyang Zhide's angry face and his raised hand. She felt her face twist in a strange way, "Pfft!" "Bang!" The next moment, she felt an indescribable pain in her cheek, and her body fell heavily to the ground. "Ah!" Rui Yuhuan cried out in pain. Ouyang Zhide, filled with hatred, raised his leg and kicked her in the face again.
"Pfft!" Rui Yuhuan felt a violent churning inside her body, a tightness and sweetness in her throat, and she spat out a mouthful of blood. That wasn't the worst of it; mixed with the blood was something white. Then, Rui Yuhuan felt a gust of wind in her mouth—teeth, her teeth! Rui Yuhuan froze, then burst into tears: "You...you actually did this to me! You've forgotten your father's life-saving grace! You ungrateful...ungrateful wretch...ah!" Rui Yuhuan accused him with every word, but Ouyang Zhide's reaction was to stomp his foot heavily on her stomach.
Ouyang Zhide was a military general, and his first reaction to anger was to take action. He could tolerate the women in the manor as family, but who was Rui Yuhuan? The woman of his enemy! How dare she cause trouble in the general's manor? It was utterly outrageous! Ouyang Zhide narrowed his eyes and coldly shouted at the dark road, "Drag this bitch away and beat her! Beat her hard!"
Hei Da had been waiting on the sidelines. As soon as Ouyang Zhide finished speaking, he immediately grabbed Rui Yuhuan and ran out, then threw her to the ground. Two servants from the mansion immediately went over and held Rui Yuhuan down. Hei Da didn't even wait for the cane; he directly took the hilt of his knife and slammed it hard on Rui Yuhuan's body.
"Ah, hold on, ahhh!" After only two blows, Rui Yuhuan's buttocks were already red. This wasn't just a simple matter of Fu Meier, Mu Cuiwei, and the maids pinching and pulling her; these were all military men, and Ouyang Zhide was so furious that none of them would show mercy. Moreover, Hei Da was strong, and his weapon was a heavy weapon suited to him, heavier than the canes used in the manor. Rui Yuhuan felt as if two large iron blocks had slammed heavily onto her back, the pain making her bones tremble. She gripped the ground with both hands, letting the dust and grime cover her, desperately wanting to crawl away and escape. But two men held her down, and no matter how much she struggled, the iron blocks remained firmly in her body. Her screams of extreme pain were so loud they made everyone's eardrums ache. Aunt Hong and Ouyang Rou watched with fear on their faces.
Fortunately... they had a quick wit and shifted all the blame onto Rui Yuhuan, otherwise they would be the ones suffering now. They had been punished with caning before for their mistakes, which had caused them considerable pain, but this was nothing compared to this. They were now feeling waves of pain in their buttocks and were constantly sweating profusely.
Old Madam Ning was jolted awake by Rui Yuhuan's screams of pain, nearly falling off her chair in shock. "What are you doing? Stop it! Release Yuhuan! Yuhuan is kind and gentle, how could she do such a thing? This is all a misunderstanding! Stop it! I won't allow you to do this! Ouyang Zhide!" Old Madam Ning shouted angrily.
Ouyang Zhide stared coldly at Old Madam Ning. Even at this point, she was still making excuses for Rui Yuhuan. He felt a chill run down his spine as he looked into her eyes, as if she were a stranger. Old Madam Ning was startled by his gaze and trembled slightly. But then Rui Yuhuan's scream rang out again at the courtyard entrance, and Old Madam Ning's body stiffened. She couldn't care less about anything else. She shouted, "How dare you disobey me! I told you to release Yuhuan! Release her immediately! Mama Xi, go! Stop it quickly!"
Madam Xi's expression changed strangely, but she lowered her head and said, "Madam... Hei Da only listens to the General's Mansion, this servant... has no choice."
Old Madam Ning roared angrily and slapped Xi Mama hard across the face: "You useless thing!" She pointed at Ouyang Zhide, "I'm ordering you to tell Hei Da to stop! I'm your mother! Are you going to disobey me in front of so many people and become an unfilial person who deserves to be despised and scorned? Order him to stop right now!"
Ouyang Zhide waved his hand, and two more attendants rushed in. Ouyang Zhide had returned to the capital with a small troop, but most of them hadn't gone into the capital; they were waiting outside to return to the border with him. However, he only brought ten men with him, including Hei Da. These ten men only obeyed his orders; they were soldiers and didn't need to listen to Old Madam Ning or the other women in the inner quarters. Ouyang Zhide said, "The old lady is overwhelmed with grief and is somewhat delirious. Please take her to her room to rest."
"Yes, General!" The two attendants immediately responded and rushed to Old Madam Ning, each taking one arm and carrying her towards the inner hall. Old Madam Ning angrily turned to Ouyang Zhide and shouted, "You unfilial son! How could you treat me like this? I've raised you for nothing! How dare you do such a rebellious thing! You are utterly disobedient! Heavens above, how could I have given birth to such an unfilial son? Open your eyes and see! You unfilial son! Have you forgotten how I raised you? You unfilial son... unfilial son..." Old Madam Ning's angry roar gradually faded, but Rui Yuhuan's screams outside grew louder and louder.
She felt as if her entire skeleton was about to be shattered. She thought in terror that the next blow might break her body. She screamed in terror, "General, Uncle Ouyang, I'm dead, I'm dead! Please spare me! I'll never dare to do it again! Ahhh!"
The only response she received was a series of painful blows: "Ah!" Suddenly, Rui Yuhuan's eyes widened, then rolled back, and she collapsed to the ground unconscious. Hei Da reached out a finger to check her condition and said, "Back to the General's Mansion, she just fainted from the pain."
Ouyang Zhide stared at Rui Yuhuan, who was lying on the ground like a dead dog, his eyes extremely cold: "Take her to the outer courtyard and have people guard her closely, don't let her come out." If he didn't want to get information about Rui Huaicheng from Rui Yuhuan, he would have executed her right now. Turning back to He Yun and Jing Qu, his face was cold, "As for these two, break their legs and send them to the Prefect of Jingzhao. Tell them how these two swindlers cheated. I want the Prefect of Jingzhao to give my General's Mansion justice."
Hei Da responded, and He Yun and Jing Yun were startled, about to scream, when Hei Da suddenly struck them on the head from somewhere, and they immediately fainted. Although they were law-abiding citizens, entering the Jingzhao Prefectural Governor's mansion was something Ouyang Zhide had specifically ordered them to be severely punished. Going there wouldn't just be a matter of being skinned alive; they might not even survive.
Ouyang Rou gripped the back of the chair tightly with both hands, her whole body trembling uncontrollably, and cold sweat dripping down her face. Then she saw Hei Da swing his knife and sever He Yun and Jing Yun's legs with a series of "thuds". Her heart trembled violently, and she could no longer hold on and knelt on the ground with a "thud", her whole body trembling uncontrollably.
Ouyang Zhide looked at her, a cold light flashing in his eyes: "Why is Rou'er so afraid?"
"Father...I...I..."
Aunt Hong was also quite frightened, but she forced herself to remain calm. However, she almost bit her tongue raw, and her mouth was filled with a bloody, rusty taste, which was the only thing that kept her sober: "Master, how could the Second Miss have ever seen such a scene before? She was terrified. That... that scene was so frightening."
Not only Aunt Hong, but also Madam Ning, Aunt Ming, Aunt Hua, and Aunt Liu were all deathly pale. Though the women of the inner quarters were often wicked, who wouldn't be terrified upon witnessing such a bloody scene? Ouyang Zhide snorted coldly, ignoring everyone else. Ouyang Rou breathed a sigh of relief, but her chest still felt tight, and she trembled, unable to rise. Two maids helped her up, but her legs remained weak, and she kept trying to kneel on the ground.
Thank goodness...it was Rui Yuhuan who became the scapegoat, thank goodness...beads of sweat rolled down her face, and Ouyang Rou was already deathly pale.
Ouyang Yue paid no attention to what was happening outside. Her gaze was coldly fixed on Ouyang Rou and Aunt Hong. Ouyang Rou was definitely not acting normally; it seemed she had indeed been involved in this matter. However, before He Yun and Jing Yun were dealt with, they made no attempt to mention Ouyang Rou and Aunt Hong, which only fueled Ouyang Yue's suspicions. There must be a reason why they were willing to die to protect these two. Could these two be hiding some shocking secret?
Rui Yuhuan, He Yun, and Jing Yun were sent out one after another. Hei Da then sent several men to guard Rui Yuhuan's courtyard. As instructed by Ouyang Zhide, Rui Yuhuan was not allowed to go out without his order.
With this incident occurring in the manor, Ning Shi and the others witnessed firsthand Ouyang Zhide's true rage—a rage so intense it was unflinching, capable of killing without batting an eye. Their previous heated arguments with Ning Shi palpable in comparison. Even Ning Shi felt a chill run down her spine, secretly relieved. Ouyang Zhide waved his hand, and everyone hurriedly returned to their respective courtyards.
"Moon, I have something to tell you later." Ouyang Zhide said to Ouyang Yue before leaving, and the latter nodded and returned to Mingyue Pavilion.
As soon as she entered the room, Ouyang Yue let out a heavy sigh of relief. Even she felt that today had been somewhat dangerous. Without letting Chuncao and Dongxue follow her into the room, Ouyang Yue sat down in a chair and said to Jinzhu, "Su'er, come out quickly." Earlier, during the critical moment of fighting with Heyun, it was Ouyang Su who made Heyun lose his hand. Ouyang Yue was filled with joy, but the next second, her smile froze on her face.
"Su'er, come out quickly, Su'er!" Ouyang Yue was shocked. What was going on? Why couldn't she sense Su'er's presence at all? Even the feeling of blood connection had disappeared. She couldn't contact Su'er at all, as if... Su'er had vanished into thin air. What happened?!
Could it be...?
"Su'er, stop playing with me and come out now!" Ouyang Yue's voice rose involuntarily, her eyes fixed intently on the bracelet. However, the gold bracelet lay quietly on her fair wrist, motionless and unchanged!
How could this be!
Su'er has disappeared!
☆、094, She is my woman!
Ouyang Yue was surprised, but she didn't give up and said, "Su'er!"
"Su'er!"
"Su'er!"
"..."
She called out to him at least ten times, but there was no response. Ouyang Yue immediately examined the gold bracelet on her wrist. The bracelet was about half a finger's thickness and looked like a pure gold bracelet, but it felt weightless on her wrist. The surrounding carvings were simply intertwined vine patterns, making it look quite ordinary. However, Ouyang Yue knew that this bracelet held a secret. At least after studying it so far, she couldn't be sure what was so special about it. Ever since she put it on, she had never been able to take it off. But Su'er was extremely fond of this thing. She had been fostered here for some time now, and everything had been peaceful and even fine. Why she suddenly couldn't get out, Ouyang Yue didn't know.
Clenching her fists slightly, Ouyang Yuexin felt a trembling worry. For the first time, she was at a loss. Her fists were tightly clenched, but she forced herself to calm down. Su'er should have been there before, but she had blocked He Yun's stab for her. At the time, she had other things to deal with in the hall, so she hadn't noticed. Now, thinking back, could Su'er have disappeared in the hall? Why?
Ouyang Yue couldn't calm down. She paced back and forth around the table, her mind a jumble. She didn't really know why Su'er had appeared beside her in spirit form. She only thought Su'er was cute, clever, and knew how to win attention, so he was an exception. No matter how much she asked, Su'er wouldn't know, and he couldn't possibly know those things. Now, however, she needed to know these things, otherwise how would she find Su'er? The crucial question remained: where had Su'er gone? Was he inside the bracelet, back underground, or was he struck by that compass…?
Won't!
Ouyang Yue clenched her fists so tightly that her nails dug deep into her palms, yet she felt no pain whatsoever, only anxiety filling her heart. Suddenly, Ouyang Yue pushed open the door, revealing spring grass and winter snow outside. Seeing Ouyang Yue emerge with a slightly flustered expression, the two were startled. They had never seen their young mistress with such an expression before. What had happened?
"Dongxue, go out and immediately intercept Heyun and Jingyun. No matter what method you use, you must find them and bring them to me alive." Ouyang Yue's face was serious and her tone was stern. Although Dongxue was full of doubts, she dared not delay for a moment and immediately turned around and ran out.
Chuncao asked softly, "Miss... what's wrong?"
Ouyang Yue, her face tense, didn't reply, but instead said to her, "Go and bring me all the books from Mingyue Pavilion." Although Miss now had a habit of reading, bringing all the books? Chuncao also sensed that Ouyang Yue was acting strangely today, but seeing Ouyang Yue's urgency, she dared not delay any longer. Ouyang Yue suddenly stopped her, "Chuncao, also bring me the inventory list of Mingyue Pavilion; I need to check it."
"Yes, Miss." Chuncao responded, and soon after, she led several of her favored maids, carrying two large boxes of books and a small brocade box to Ouyang Yue. These things were in the small storeroom and did not need to go through the large storeroom. Ouyang Yue kept Chuncao and sent the others away.
Ouyang Yue first opened the small brocade box, looked through some of the more valuable items in Mingyue Pavilion, then put it down, opened the box, and began to look through the books one by one. Chuncao, not understanding what was going on, asked softly, "Miss, what are you looking for? This servant can help you."
Just then, Dongxue pushed open the door and entered. Ouyang Yue immediately looked at her. Dongxue's expression changed slightly, and she said with a tightening in her heart, "Miss, Heyun and Jingyun are dead. They were on their way to the Jingzhao Prefectural Government. It is said that they were caught in the crossfire of a gang fight with some local thugs and died. We haven't even seen their bodies."
Ouyang Yue narrowed her eyes: "Oh, did you go to check it out?"
Dongxue narrowed her eyes slightly and said, "Miss, when I went to investigate, I only found two corpses. Judging from the wounds on the corpses, there are two reasons for Heyun and Jingyun's deaths. The general had someone cut their legs before, and then they encountered some thugs on the road and got into a fight, which resulted in multiple wounds on their bodies, causing them to bleed excessively. But the most fatal point is that I found a bruise on their throats, which should have been caused by fatal compression that prevented them from breathing."
Ouyang Yue's expression turned serious: "So the thugs' fight was just a minor incident. They died from murder to cover their tracks. What happened to their belongings, like that compass?"
Dongxue shook her head and said, "Nothing was left behind."
Ouyang Yue's eyes were deep and unfathomable, her face expressionless. Dongxue and Chuncao held their breath. Earlier outside, they seemed to have heard their young lady calling out something, but the voice was urgent and hoarse, so they couldn't be sure. However, the urgency she showed afterward was unprecedented, indicating that something must have happened, and it involved Heyun and Jingyun. The chaotic killing intent emanating from Ouyang Yue could not be concealed. In an instant, she sat back down in her chair, thought for a moment, and said, "Dongxue, go out and find Leng Can. Tell him to do everything he can to investigate Heyun and Jingyun's records, as well as their relationship with Ouyang Rou and Aunt Hong. Although Ming Dawu of the former Feicai Courtyard is dead, there should still be clues to be found by starting with him. Go and do it quickly."
Dongxue immediately nodded in agreement and turned to leave.
Ouyang Yue sat quietly in the chair, remaining motionless for a while. The deaths of He Yun and Jing Yun were clearly a cover-up. She had initially thought that Aunt Hong and Ouyang Rou would definitely participate, but judging from the current situation, Aunt Hong and the others probably didn't have the ability to handle so many things in such a short time. She had originally planned to use a trick to force the two to confess, but she had already lost the initiative. Moreover, it wasn't about investigating these matters now. Ouyang Yue looked at Chuncao and said, "First, take out these ancient books. On the first page of each one, I need to find even a single passage related to Buddhism or Taoism. I'm afraid the two of them can't do that. Instruct all the servants of Mingyue Pavilion to come here, and let me examine each one they find."
Chuncao paused for a moment, then immediately agreed and went out to find someone to come in.
Soon, Ouyang Yue's room was crowded with people, each holding a book and searching. These servants harbored resentment, but dared not utter a word, for Ouyang Yue sat in the inner room, searching alongside them, her expression utterly cold. A mere glance from her sent chills down their spines. Long before Ouyang Yue led them in vandalizing Xiangning Courtyard, Mingyue Pavilion had developed a deep trust and fear of her; when their young lady was ruthless, she was capable of anything.
The whole day went on, and even late into the night, Ouyang Yue showed no sign of letting them go. The servants were filled with resentment but dared not speak. It wasn't until Dongxue returned to Mingyue Pavilion that Ouyang Yue stood up, looked at the small stack of books on the ground that she hadn't yet seen, and waved her hand, saying, "Chuncao, take them down to rest." Chuncao responded, and immediately there was a thud as they plopped down in the room. They were all too tired; their eyes were blurry from reading, but they were all refreshed and went back to their rooms to fall asleep immediately.
Inside the room, Ouyang Yue frowned and asked, "How is it?"
"Leng Can has sent people to investigate, but those people are very meticulous in their actions, and it may not be easy to find out their origins in a short time."
Ouyang Yue flipped through the book in her hand. She had read quite a few Buddhist and Taoist stories before, but they weren't really related to what she was looking for. Ouyang's eyes darkened slightly: "Dongxue, pick up that inventory list and send some valuables from my room and Mingyue Pavilion to Leng Can for safekeeping. Also, get 500,000 taels from Baohao Money Shop. If there's any resistance, give him this life-and-death contract and tell him that if I don't pay it off within the validity period, my life belongs to his master. The money must be given to me."
When Dongxue received the form from Ouyang Yue, her hand trembled: "Miss, a life-and-death contract, how can this be!" A life-and-death contract is even more cruel than a contract of servitude. This is the kind of document that assassin organizations use. In fact, with the hidden weapon design blueprints that Miss provided to Iron Mask, she had already earned a large sum of money. She really couldn't understand why Miss would suddenly borrow an extra 500,000 taels.
"Go and do it." Dongxue's face showed struggle, but in the end she only glanced at Ouyang Yue for a moment before rushing off, probably because what her young lady wanted to do was anything but ordinary.
After instructing Chuncao, Ouyang Yue changed into dark clothes and quickly climbed over the wall of the General's Mansion, heading towards the blacksmith shop on Juyuan Street. The night on Juyuan Street was even more chaotic, but no one dared to stop Ouyang Yue along the way. Her steps were incredibly fast, like a gust of wind passing by. If one did not have a strong will, one would think they had seen a ghost.
"Bang bang bang!"