One hundred strokes of the cane, how many men can withstand that? That's enough to kill someone!
Dongxue straightened her back and said defiantly, "If you have the guts, come up here. I'd rather die than let you hurt Miss." As she spoke, she looked at Old Madam Ning and Madam Ning, who were seated above her, with a hint of mockery, "General Ouyang is renowned, but I never expected that the people in his household would be so muddle-headed. They treat worthless things as treasures and treasures as worthless things. This is the first time I've ever seen anything like it!"
"Madam, I have always respected you because you are Miss's mother, and Miss is my mother incarnate. Even if I die, I will not let Miss suffer any injustice. Madam, are you going to wrong our Third Miss's innocence for the sake of the Second Miss who has been having an affair with a man? If it weren't for the Third Miss, the Second Miss would have made a huge joke of herself when she married into the Huaiyuan Marquis's mansion. Old Madam, are you aware of all this?"
"Dongxue, shut up! Don't speak ill of Second Sister!" Ouyang Yue, who had been dragged to the door, suddenly shouted, "What are you standing there for, you damned servant? Hurry up and help me to get a beating!" As she spoke, Ouyang Yue twisted her body and tried to run out, her reaction making her seem like she was trying to cover up her true intentions.
How did Old Madam Ning manage to survive until now? She sensed something was wrong when Ouyang Yue didn't plead for her, so why would she carry out such a reckless punishment now? "Nonsense! Bring the Third Miss in!"
"Yue'er, tell me what happened!" Ouyang Yue returned to the hall, but lowered her head and remained silent. Dongxue, upon hearing this, was filled with resentment and anger. "Madam, I know you are a sensible person. Third Miss is innocent! Third Miss acted out of kindness for Second Miss, but who knew that in the end... Humph, Second Miss herself wasn't a good girl either, so how could Third Miss be at fault!"
"How dare you! How dare you, a servant, make up stories about the young lady of the General's Mansion!" Old Madam Ning immediately shouted!
Dongxue sneered disdainfully: "If it weren't for the Second Miss's cousin, I wouldn't have been forced to sell myself into prostitution. She is my enemy, and even if she kills me, I will still tell!"
Upon hearing this, Old Madam Ning's face darkened. The most taboo thing for a noble family is to be associated with prostitutes. If it weren't for the fact that Concubine Hua was brought back by her son and was still a virgin, and the family had few heirs, Concubine Hua would never have been allowed to enter the household.
"What exactly happened, Caiyue, tell me." It was Ning Shi's maiden name that was being called. Ning Shi's expression was not good either, but a hint of a smile flashed in her eyes.
She wouldn't gain anything by directly revealing Ouyang Rou's matter, and might even annoy Old Madam Ning. Naturally, she thought of Ouyang Yue's impulsive nature. As long as she started with her, the matter would naturally come to light, and she wouldn't have made any mistakes.
Aunt Ouyang Huaming embellished the story of what happened in the mansion, and if the facts were different, they would be in deep trouble. Ning Shi was quite good at using this situation against Ning Shi, but she didn't notice the cold smile on Ouyang Yue's face as she looked down.
Was she just scheming randomly? Ning Shi has been living too comfortably in this general's mansion; it's time to add fuel to the fire!
☆、036, Go hungry for two days!
"Oh dear, Rou'er actually kept this from us..." Ning Shi recounted everything from Ouyang Yue's annulment of the engagement to Ouyang Rou's loss of virginity and her affairs in the palace. Naturally, Ning Shi also brought up Ouyang Hua's offense against Shang Shi.
Upon hearing this, Old Madam Ning's face immediately darkened, and her eyes flashed with malice as she looked at Ouyang Hua. Madam Ning's words, spoken without embellishment, made it seem as if Aunt Ming's letter from Ouyang Hua was highly targeted, not only deceiving her but also attempting to use her to eliminate a rival. This was something Old Madam Ning absolutely could not allow!
It's true that Aunt Ming was brought up by her, but Ning is her niece after all. She went too far, and her family will surely complain about her. They even want to take this opportunity to get rid of her own granddaughter and niece!
Hmph! I'll just assume she's senile!
Old Madam Ning was angry, but she had already lost face earlier, and now this was a direct insult to her. As an elder, it was impossible for her to apologize to Ouyang Yue. But she couldn't let this go unpunished. "Oh, Rou'er is in the Buddhist hall? As the eldest sister, she is like a mother. It's one thing for you all to fool around on ordinary days, but when you go out, Hua'er, you, as the older sister, didn't even look after her. That's really irresponsible. Go and keep Rou'er company for a few days."
Despite the resentment in her heart, Ouyang Hua bowed respectfully and said, "This matter is Hua'er's fault. Hua'er will definitely reflect on it and live up to Grandmother's expectations."
Old Madam Ning looked at Ouyang Hua with a half-smile, then glanced at Concubine Ming, who immediately lowered her head in fright. Over the years, Concubine Ming and Ouyang Hua had not shown their true colors, but their ambitions had grown day by day. How could she not know this? This was exactly the kind of balance she wanted!
With a wave of her hand, someone immediately led Ouyang Hua to the Buddhist hall. However, as soon as she took a step, Old Madam Hua said indifferently, "The most important thing in worshipping Buddha is sincerity. Come out when you have finished copying the Thousand Character Sutra three times. Hua'er and Rou'er have been busy making sutras these past two days, which is also a meritorious deed. There is no need to deliver meals."
Ouyang Hua's leg suddenly trembled. She looked back with some fear and grievance, but when she saw Old Ning's indifferent eyes, she was startled and quickly left, afraid that Old Ning would punish her even more severely.
But the look in his eyes when he left Ouyang Yue was extremely vicious!
Aunt Ming's face turned pale. Old Madam Ning's actions were telling her that no one in the General's Mansion could surpass her. How dare they scheme against her? Even Ouyang Hua, the eldest granddaughter, could be easily killed if she said so!
This time she'll only starve for two days, but the next day she could starve someone to death!
Madam Ning looked at Aunt Ming with a cold smile. Old Madam Ning raised her eyes and her eyes flashed: "Caiyue, it's not that your aunt is criticizing you, but you come from the Ning family. Every member of the Ning family is talented and beautiful, and famous for managing their households. Yet, under your care, Rou'er had an affair, and she even displeased the Second Princess in the palace. You usually treat this kind of person like a precious treasure. You really disappoint your aunt!"
Ning paused, a surge of resentment rising in her heart, her face showing great fear. She had already considered what was going on today, and naturally had an excuse: "Aunt is right, it was Caiyue's oversight. But Rou'er is usually very sensible, and has always liked to take care of Yue'er since she was little. Yue'er misses her terribly, and misses her even more than I, her mother, do if she doesn't see her for a day. Besides, my husband has always been Yue'er's favorite, and Caiyue was afraid that if she was too strict, Yue'er would suffer. Who knew that I would be so lenient... Alas, Caiyue will definitely be more careful in the future, please rest assured, Aunt."
This is shifting all the blame onto Ouyang Yue. If Ouyang Yue hadn't been so stupid and easily manipulated, would she have ended up like this? Ouyang Rou's foolish actions are also inextricably linked to Ouyang Yue's shrewdness.
Furthermore, in this general's mansion, Old Madam Ning's favorite person is her son who lives away from home. No matter who else is compared to her son, they are naturally no match. Her son has always doted on Ouyang Yue, and for her son's sake, Old Madam Ning cannot punish her. So naturally, it has nothing to do with Madam Ning.
Ning's words were quite subtle and to the point.
Ouyang Yue sneered, her bright eyes wide open, and pleaded, "Grandmother, it's all Yue'er's fault. Second Sister and Young Master Hong are in love, but Yue'er never realized it. Young Master Hong has already broken off the engagement, and Mother has agreed. Why not let Young Master Hong and Second Sister be together? Young Master Hong is the Crown Prince's man."
The old Ouyang Yue was known for her impulsive and thoughtless actions. She would never have been able to discern the power struggles within the court, the possibility of the sun rising in the west, or the fact that Hong Yicheng was a member of the Crown Prince's faction. Ouyang Yue's plea for leniency, however, disrupted Ning Shi's plans. Old Ning Shi, in her mind, had no intention of punishing Ning Shi, as she still had to consider the family's reputation. But Ning Shi's decision to annul the engagement with Ouyang Yue without her consent was a serious matter; she wouldn't be able to explain it to her son!
This plea only made her seem harsh towards Ning Shi, and if word got out, she would lose even more face. The events of that year had already strained her relationship with the main family. In her eyes, Ning Shi was just trying to use this to pressure her; what storms hadn't she weathered? How dare she treat her like this!
“Yue’er, you are a good child. Grandmother misunderstood you before, but you are still young and there are some things you don’t understand. To be a mistress of the household, you must learn not only to be tolerant, but also to manage the household strictly. Your mother is too kind-hearted. This cannot continue, or the servants will take advantage of you. Nixiang.”
When her name was called, Aunt Ming's eyes lit up instantly: "Madam."
“You also come from a wealthy family, and your family taught you things before you got married. I think you should be the lady’s assistant and take care of things, so that I don’t have to ask this old woman about everything in the house!”
"Yes, Madam. Nixiang will certainly live up to your expectations." With that, she turned gracefully to Ning Shi and bowed. "Then I hope you will be kind enough to teach me in the future."
Ning's face was more gloomy than ever before. She glared at Consort Ming, wishing she could tear her to pieces, and said unwillingly, "Mother, this time it was Caiyue's oversight, but..."
"Caiyue, your mother is doing this for your own good, finding someone to help you. Are you ungrateful?" Old Madam Ning's expression was calm, but her words made Ning's heart tremble. Her husband always respected his aunt the most. He was about to return, and if his aunt complained a few words to him, he probably wouldn't come to her room for months!
"Yes... Caiyue will never do it again." Ning Shi gritted her teeth in hatred, but had no choice but to back down. She glared fiercely at Ouyang Yue, thinking, "That wretched girl, she's always ruining my plans!"
If she hadn't pleaded for leniency, this matter would have been over. How hateful!
And that wretched Aunt Ming, she actually let her gain the right to be treated like an equal in the General's Mansion. This time she really shot herself in the foot.
In her eyes, what did it matter if Ouyang Hua starved to death? It was Aunt Ming's interference in the household affairs that was dangerous to her!
Old Madam Ning was also tired and had someone help her back to rest. Madam Ning was very resentful, but she still politely saw the person off. She originally wanted to punish Ouyang Yue, but thought that if Ouyang Yue caused any more trouble, it would give Aunt Ming something to say, so she held back.
On the other side, Xiang'er, Ouyang Rou's maid, was reporting, "Miss, Young Master has already taken a liking to someone." Then she whispered in her ear.
Upon hearing this, Ouyang Rou immediately chuckled and turned to look at Ouyang Hua, who had just arrived with a gloomy expression: "Big sister, I've found this person. As for the next plan, I'll need your help. If this is done well, it will be Ouyang Yue's death day!"
A vicious glint flashed in Ouyang Hua's eyes: "I must kill her!"
☆、037、The Man in Black
Back at Mingyue Pavilion, Ouyang Yue waved her hand, and the maids, including Dongxue, withdrew.
As soon as they entered the house, Ouyang Su's small figure appeared. His big eyes kept rolling, and he pursed his lips. Finally, when he saw that Ouyang Yue was ignoring him, he glared at her.
Ouyang Yue poured herself a cup of tea, took a sip, and Ouyang Su couldn't help but float over, muttering, "If it were me, I'd just break their arms and legs and see if they could still cause trouble, hmph!"
Ouyang Yue sighed: "Su'er, a man's ambition lies in all directions. You can't use your mind on things like the inner quarters. Of course, you need to understand the ways of the world, otherwise you'll end up being played by women. That would be unlike my son, you know?"
Ouyang Su is a soul, so some things are much easier for him to handle, such as the hidden losses that Chan'er and Ouyang Rou suffered back then. But that's about it. As for the matter of breaking someone's hands and feet, as he said, it would be difficult to cover it up if it really happened.
Furthermore, Ouyang Yue was capable of handling matters within the household and did not want her son to get involved. Her son was too clever; she preferred him to have more of a childlike innocence.
"Understood." Although still somewhat dissatisfied, Ouyang Su obediently nodded, but his eyes flickered.
Ouyang Yue shook her head: "You've been nurturing yourself well inside the bracelet during this time. If you don't have anything else to do, just stay inside. It will be good for you in the future."
Ouyang Su sat at the table and looked at Ouyang Yue: "Mom, why don't I go and check the origin of this bracelet?"
"No! Don't be ridiculous! Let things take their course. Do you think your mother is that incompetent? I was a special agent captain back then. Do you think I'm just a useless coward here? Don't do anything unnecessary!" This is different from going down to the treasure trove to check cultural information. Finding out who used this bracelet in his previous life and their grudges through it is taboo.
Because such matters are recorded in the Book of Life and Death, even if Ouyang Su is popular, he will still be punished if he manages to peek at it.
That's no small matter; it could very well result in the soul being scattered!
Ouyang Su pouted, but knowing that his mother meant well, he nodded anyway.
Ouyang Yue sat on the bed and began to cultivate the mental technique. This technique was for cultivating soul power, which was different from the fictional immortal techniques in the novel. It was just a way to train spiritual power.
If it's repaired, Ouyang Yue will have a stronger sixth sense than others. It may seem useless, but it's extremely useful in practice. If she had obtained this cultivation method in her previous life, she would have been much more efficient in taking on missions, and she probably wouldn't have died.
She's only just begun...
In the blacksmith's shop hall, Old Tie still looked disheveled, his bare feet exposed, constantly picking at and scratching at their filth.
Today, Lao Tie didn't take the seat of honor. Instead, he sat in the lower seat, facing a man opposite him. The man was dressed entirely in black, with a long robe that reached his feet, and wore a black mask of unknown material. The two sat facing each other for a long time without speaking.
"What is it?" The question was strange, but the old man paused and shook his head. "I promised that girl that I must not tell anyone about this without her permission. You know the rules of the Tie family: keeping your word is more important than life itself."
The man in the men's clothes fell silent again. He didn't say anything, but the two burly guards behind him looked grim when they saw that Lao Tie wasn't giving them face. Lao Tie didn't care and just sneered.
After a long pause, the man in black asked again, "Senior Tie, could you tell me how effective this thing is?"
Old Tie immediately smiled: "If this thing is successfully crafted, it will be the king of hidden weapons, capable of killing without leaving a trace!"
The man in black looked up immediately, a look of surprise in his eyes: "How could Ouyang Yue have such a thing? Isn't Elder Tie surprised?"
Old Tie laughed: "There are many strange things about this girl. I originally thought she only knew some fancy moves, but after exchanging three blows with her, although I was defeated, her moves hit the vital points every time. She can actually hold her own against the two behind you."
"Hmph!" The two guards disagreed with this statement. In their opinion, Ouyang Yue's skills were all show and no substance. Even Ouyang Zhide might not be a match for them. How could a sheltered young lady like Ouyang Yue be any more formidable?
"Oh?" The man was even more puzzled, because he thought the same thing as the two guards, and even more so. As far as he knew, Ouyang Yue did not seem to have learned martial arts from a martial arts master. She only learned from Ouyang Zhide for a very short time when she was young. She was considered quite skilled among young ladies who were weak and powerless. She could not even exchange a single blow with a martial arts practitioner. Was there something he had not found out?
The man narrowed his eyes; there were indeed a few things about the Ouyang family that had bothered him back then.
"In that case, I'll trouble you, Elder Tie. Just tell me what materials you need for refining." After saying that, the man left with his men. Elder Tie muttered to himself, "He acts like he's got it all figured out. Let's see if he can get that maid first!"
The man in black and two guards boarded the carriage outside. One of the guards asked, "Sir, should we inform Third Master about this? I have a feeling that Lao Tie is unreliable."
The man in black closed his eyes and did not answer. The two guards immediately shut up, and the carriage slowly drove towards Chenggan Street, the wealthy residential area of the capital.
The next morning, Ouyang Yue quickly ate some simple food and then took Chuncao and Qiuyue to Anhe Hall, where Old Ning lived. Along the way, people greeted her, and Ouyang Yue smiled and nodded in response, neither too friendly nor too arrogant, which made people feel a little curious.
In the past, the third young lady would never have given them such face. Strange as it may be, who wouldn't be happy to be so proud?
As soon as Ouyang Yue entered the front courtyard, a plump woman stepped out from behind the curtain. It was none other than Xi Mama, who was standing in front of Old Ning Shi. Xi Mama immediately smiled and said, "I heard magpies chirping this morning. I wondered what happy occasion it was. But I ran into the Third Miss as soon as I came out. I would like to pay my respects to the Third Miss."
Ouyang Yue smiled and said, "Mama Xi has been serving Grandmother outside lately, and she must be exhausted. I can't accept that. Your contribution is greater than anyone else's. Oh, I didn't bring anything with me. Please accept this." As she spoke, she took a jade hairpin from her hair and put it in Mama Xi's hair.
Madam Xi was immediately alarmed: "Third Miss, this is absolutely not allowed."
Ouyang Yue smiled: "Mother Xi, why are you being so polite? I only do this because I see how well you serve Grandmother. We, as your juniors, have also benefited from your kindness, so please don't stand on ceremony with me."
Madam Xi immediately smiled and said, "Third Miss, what are you saying? The old lady is up now, and all the ladies and concubines are here. If you don't go in soon, I'm afraid I'll start nagging." In her heart, however, she looked at Ouyang Yue with newfound respect.
Ouyang Yue walked in with a smile.
Inside the room, the old lady sat in the seat of honor, Ning stood to one side, and Aunt Ming was holding an account book and talking about something. When they saw Ouyang Yue leave, everyone fell silent for a moment.
Ouyang Yue bowed to Old Madam Ning and Madam Ning, then sat quietly to one side. After reporting the expenses, Aunt Ming glanced at Ouyang Yue, exchanged a look with Aunt Hong, and couldn't help but ask, "Old Madam, the young ladies in the manor are all getting on in years. Do you think we should hire a tutor?"
Ouyang Yue raised an eyebrow and gave Aunt Ming a strange look.
☆、038, The visitor is up to no good! (Add it to your favorites~)