Ning Shi seemed to have been stunned, and didn't move at all...
"Madam, Master has arrived!" Just then, a servant's voice came from outside Mingyue Pavilion. Soon after, Old Madam Ning and Ouyang Zhide arrived side by side, followed by a large group of servants from the mansion. The two of them walked quietly, and when they came to the door, they were stunned when they saw the five people that they could not ignore.
Old Madam Ning was astonished: "Who is that!" Having lived to such an old age, Old Madam Ning had never seen such a bizarre scene. Especially since her usually arrogant niece and daughter-in-law was burying her face in Aunt Hua's ample bosom, seemingly reluctant to lift it. Aunt Hua's face was flushed, her eyes filled with tears that were hard to tell whether from pain or pleasure. Lin Mama, having regained her senses, kept calling out, "Madam, Madam, are you alright!"
As she moved, Ning Shi's head swung up again, and with a "whoosh," it slammed down on Aunt Hua.
"Ahhh!"
This time, the situation changed drastically. It was very likely that Ning's actions were too big. With this smash, Aunt Hua was actually knocked away. The situation of being piled up immediately changed, and all five of them fell to the ground one after another, screaming in pain. It could be described as ghosts wailing and wolves howling!
Aunt Hua felt a sharp pain in her chest from Ning's impact, and she couldn't help but rub it. Suddenly, she remembered that Ouyang Zhide and Old Ning were also there. Her face turned as red as if it were bleeding, and her helpless appearance only added to the fact that Old Ning had been quite lewd earlier.
Ouyang Zhide was dumbfounded: "What...what's going on here! You...you're simply outrageous!"
When Ning came to her senses, she saw Ouyang Zhide looking at her with eyes full of disgust, and she was so angry that her chest heaved. She rolled her eyes and fell to the ground. Seeing this, Lin's mother immediately cried out and rushed to help her up.
The others were also in bad shape, but they were all helped up by their personal maids who had just come to their senses. Including Ning Shi, every single one of them had disheveled clothes and messy hair, looking like a crazy woman.
Old Madam Ning's face hardened: "What kind of talk is this! What kind of talk is this! You are all proper masters of the General's Mansion, look at the way you just behaved, if word gets out, it will be utterly shameful, utterly shameful!"
Ning and the others felt a mixture of shame and resentment. They were also unlucky, especially Concubine Ming, Concubine Hong, and Concubine Hua, who were all implicated by Ning. What had they done wrong? Concubine Hua was even more nauseous, having been hit in the lower chest several times. If she hadn't known that she and Ning were irreconcilable enemies, and hadn't assumed that Ning had long harbored lustful thoughts towards her and was taking advantage of her, what would have happened? But thinking about it, Ning hadn't been favored much over the years, and she must have been incredibly lonely and miserable, so… so…
Aunt Hua's suspicious look nearly made Ning Shi vomit blood. How could she know that Ouyang Yue was to be punished? She had made herself look so foolish. Of all people to see, the General had to see her! She trembled with shame and indignation, her face flushed red and pale, and her lips twitched incessantly, making her look extremely strange.
"What exactly happened here!" Ouyang Zhide asked coldly.
Ouyang Yue smiled and said, "It was a few gossipy maids in the manor who said that the servants in my courtyard stole things from the manor."
"Such a thing has happened! This kind of dishonest maid should be severely punished!" Old Madam Ning said in a deep voice upon hearing this!
Ouyang Yue looked at Ning Shi, who was sitting on the ground with a face full of grief and indignation: "Grandmother, but the servants in my courtyard have not sold themselves to my General's Mansion. Strictly speaking, they are not even servants of my mansion. If they are punished too severely, it will be said that our General's Mansion has become a villain who disregards human life!"
"What!"
"What!"
Old Madam Ning, along with Madam Ning, Aunt Ming, and others, all exclaimed in surprise. The former was angry, while the latter were incredulous. Ouyang Yue had clearly shown Madam Ning the indenture, there was no mistake about it. What was going on now?
If it were true, wouldn't the Ning family and others coming to question him be a baseless accusation, a malicious frame-up, and then accuse him of disregarding human life? That would be outrageous!
Ouyang Yue smiled faintly. Ning wanted to establish her authority, so she would let her do so, as long as she didn't cry in the end!
☆、063、The Ning family has gone mad!
Old Madam Ning and Ouyang Zhide both wore slightly somber expressions. Hadn't the General's Mansion been plagued by scandals lately?!
Although the General's Mansion's reputation has been damaged by Ouyang Rou's affair and Ouyang Hua's death, the Emperor's grace still remains, and the princes have no choice but to observe. The General's Mansion has fewer troubles, but that doesn't mean they can give up their reputation for less trouble!
The other matters at the General's Mansion have not yet settled down. If another incident of disregarding human life occurs, it will be a major incident!
Old Madam Ning glanced at everyone in the courtyard of Mingyue Pavilion. At this moment, Madam Ning, Concubine Ming, Concubine Hong, and Concubine Hua had already gotten up and started to tidy their clothes, with their own maids helping them. The servants of Mingyue Pavilion moved to one side, while the others were people brought by Madam Ning and her group. Old Madam Ning also noticed that there were several strong-looking rough-looking old women among them. With this scene, it was clear that Madam Ning and her group had come to Mingyue Pavilion to cause trouble.
However, Old Madam Ning looked at Ouyang Yue, then turned to look at the four members of the Ning family, and frowned, saying, "Explain clearly what exactly happened!"
Madam Ning was still blushing with shame from her earlier embarrassment when Old Madam Ning arrived, her tone already unpleasant. This only fueled her resentment: "It's all because of those wretched maids! They said they saw Qiuyue, a maid from Mingyue Pavilion, stealing things from the manor and giving them to outsiders, and they thought it was theft. I happened to overhear this, so naturally I had to deal with it. If I punish them lightly, the servants in this manor will follow suit, and the General's Mansion will become a den of thieves! Then I, as the head of the household, won't be able to continue!" Madam Ning said angrily, her eyes, filled with resentment and shame, fixed on Ouyang Zhide.
However, after Ouyang Zhide entered, his eyes seemed fixed on Ouyang Yue. Seeing that she was unharmed, he looked away. But the moment his gaze met Ning Shi's, he turned away again. This difference in treatment infuriated Ning Shi even more. That little slut Ouyang Yue! Ever since she came into his life, her husband has become even more indifferent to her. How hateful! What's so good about Ouyang Yue? She's nothing but a brainless fool. She's Ouyang Zhide's woman, yet he treats her so disregarded!
"Mother, according to the rules of this household, any servant who steals property should have their hands cut off and be handed over to the authorities for investigation. I only showed leniency because she was from Yue'er's courtyard, and only cut off her hands and kicked her out of the General's Mansion. Mother, you are also a mother, and you know that this child has grown up and is no longer under her mother's control. I originally wanted to discipline Yue'er properly, but who knew that this girl would become so stubborn and talk back to me, even looking indignant. That's why I wanted to teach her a lesson myself, but I slipped and fell..." Ning Shi said, still looking at Ouyang Zhide.
She was talking to Old Madam Ning about how children grow up and are no longer under their mother's control—wasn't she referring to Ouyang Zhide? Her words were full of resentment, but the latter only frowned, glanced at Madam Ning, and turned to sit down in the chair brought by the servants, clearly showing that Old Madam Ning was in charge of everything. Madam Ning gritted her teeth, but her eyes swept coldly over Ouyang Yue.
"How could there be such a lowly servant? Who is Qiuyue?!" Upon hearing this, Old Madam Ning immediately spoke coldly to Ouyang Yue.
Even if Old Madam Ning was dissatisfied with Madam Ning, she was still family and the wife of a general, so she had to give Madam Ning face. If it were Ouyang Yue, Old Madam Ning would choose to side with Madam Ning, let alone this matter involving just a servant. Old Madam Ning immediately began to plan to punish Qiu Yue.
At this moment, Aunt Hua immediately said, "Madam, you don't know, Qiu Yue came from a brothel. She seems to have settled down in our household, but she has long harbored selfish intentions. How can we not get rid of such a person? She will surely cause trouble in the future!" Because Aunt Hua came from a brothel and was a virgin, and was brought back by Ouyang Zhide when she first started out, she could be considered one of the more respectable women in the brothel.
However, having come from a brothel, she had no status in the household. Yet, she believed herself to be the best and most chaste among those who came from the brothel, and to demonstrate her difference, she harbored even greater hatred and rejection of brothel women than most. Coupled with Ouyang Yue's previous mockery and the beating she had ordered, Aunt Hua was determined to punish Qiu Yue and enrage Ouyang Yue!
"Guards, drag this wretched maid away! Cut off her hand, then beat her to death with sticks!" Compared to Ning Shi, Old Ning Shi's methods were even more cruel.
Ouyang Zhide stood quietly to the side, without any objection. He only doted on Ouyang Yue, but that didn't mean he would be equally lenient with the maids around Ouyang Yue. On the contrary, he would punish those around Ouyang Yue severely if they made mistakes.
Ouyang Yue smiled and bowed to Old Madam Ning: "Grandmother, you don't know this, but Qiuyue can't be completely considered a servant of my General's Mansion."
Old Madam Ning looked at Ouyang Yue coldly: "Yue'er, I know you have a kind heart, but don't let a maid who made a mistake deceive everyone, including your grandmother and your parents. If I find out the truth, you'll be in for a world of hurt!"
Ouyang Yue tilted her head back, her eyes shining like stars: "Yue'er knows that Grandmother feels sorry for Yue'er, but what Yue'er said is true. Why don't you ask these three maids first, Grandmother, who Qiuyue gave the things to and what it was for?"
Li'er, still seething with anger after being kicked hard by Dongxue, retorted indignantly, "Reporting to Madam and Master, I happened to be out of the manor with Ye'er and Tanxiang to buy some things. We saw Qiuyue being pulled by a woman who seemed to be crying. From what we heard, Qiuyue has a gambling-addicted father, and now the family is broke. This woman has come with Qiuyue to collect money." Li'er sneered at Qiuyue, "With a father like that, what kind of good daughter could she raise? Sold to a brothel, what kind of good stuff could she be? It's not surprising that she's stealing things from the manor now."
"Yes, yes! We servants saw it with our own eyes. Qiuyue gave that woman a bag of silver and a cloth bag, which should be worth quite a bit of money. She's just a maid who sold herself into this household, and she hasn't been here long. Where would she get the money? She must have stolen it from her mistress. Third Miss, you protect your servants, and we all think you're kind-hearted and a good mistress. But if you're deceived by a servant because of your kindness, and then you still plead for her afterward, we're terrified..." Ye'er, Hong's personal maid, chimed in, her words full of flattery and goodwill, but there was a hint of mockery in her words, implying that Ouyang Yue was foolish and couldn't judge people!
Another person was Tanxiang, a second-class maid in Aunt Ming's courtyard, who also nodded in agreement, as these were the things they had seen.
"Oh? So, the person who accepted Qiuyue's things was her mother." Ouyang Yue's eyes curved slightly, and her pupils seemed to brighten even more.
“It is her mother, but the General’s Mansion has been kind to us, like giving us a second life. We sold ourselves to the General’s Mansion, so we are now part of the General’s Mansion. We should draw a clear line between ourselves and our relatives outside. Besides, Qiuyue still managed to steal something, which is a truly heinous crime!” Li’er nodded.
“Qiuyue works as a servant in the General’s Mansion, so she should cut ties with her family. You think she’s wrong, which means that in this respect, Li’er, you’ve done very well. You’re now completely cut off from your family, and you can walk on the street like strangers to them? When your family encounters difficulties, you’ll stand by and watch like a stranger, without offering any help! Is that right!” Ouyang Yue’s tone gradually became more forceful, and Li’er’s face, which was originally filled with contempt and smugness, turned pale.
As Ouyang Yue finished speaking, everyone in the courtyard turned their gaze to Li'er. Although in this era, selling oneself into a prestigious family often involved signing a death contract—meaning one was born and died in the household, truly having no parents or relatives left—humans aren't cold-blooded. While the rules were such, no powerful family would explicitly forbid contact with parents and relatives, otherwise it would be considered treason. Which powerful family would dare do that? Unless they weren't afraid of being impeached by civil officials. Since one had sold oneself into the family, they were still raised by their own parents; how could they sever ties?
What Li'er said is correct in principle, but it is essentially cold-blooded and ruthless. If Li'er could do that, then she would be someone who forgets the kindness of her parents. Such a person may seem loyal to her master, but in reality, no household would want such a servant who doesn't recognize her own family. She can abandon her own parents; if something really happens to her master, Li'er might run away to protect herself first, which could actually make things worse at a crucial moment.
Aunt Hua looked at Li'er coldly, clearly also very dissatisfied with her.
Li'er shook her head, her face pale and filled with panic: "No, no, that's not what I meant. The kindness of my parents in giving me life is as great as the heavens. How could I forget that? That's not what I meant!"
Ouyang Yue sneered, pressing her aggressively, "Oh? And what do you mean then? If you say that the kindness of parents cannot be abandoned, then what's wrong with Qiuyue meeting her mother and helping her father in his time of need? Since that's right, why do you insist that she's a servant in the household and should sever ties with her family? You're such a strange maid, your words are contradictory and upside down. What exactly are you trying to say!"
Cold sweat beaded on Li'er's forehead. If she said Qiu Yue was right, wouldn't that mean their accusations against Qiu Yue for stealing were malicious and ill-intentioned? If she said Qiu Yue was wrong, it meant that a servant who sold herself into the household should sever ties with her family, yet she was accused of being ungrateful. Li'er suddenly realized that she could have dealt a heavy blow to Qiu Yue, causing Ouyang Yue to lose another ally, but in the end, she had gotten herself into a mess!
"You two, is that what you mean too?" Ouyang Yue then turned to Ye'er and Tanxiang, who both looked hesitant, their mouths agape, unsure of what to say. Ouyang Yue smiled faintly, "So you actually agree with Qiuyue's approach, is that right?"
Li'er and the other two shuddered and looked up at the same time. Qiu Yue had already been helped up by Ouyang Yue and was standing to the side, but her clothes had been pulled badly by the two rough maids, and her hair was disheveled. She had been crying with teary eyes, but now she looked up and glared angrily at them.
Li'er immediately shrieked, "No matter what, she stole things from the manor and should be punished. We servants were only thinking of the manor's rules, and our intentions were good!"
"Yes, yes, I'm only thinking of Qiuyue's best interests. We can't let her make the same mistake again."
"Yes," Ye'er Tanxiang quickly explained.
"'Stealing'? You three lowly maids, even at a time like this, you're still gossiping and framing innocent people! I've said more than once before that Qiuyue isn't a servant in this manor. It's only right that she brings some emergency supplies to her family. As for 'stealing,' that's even less likely. Those were all given to her by me, so how could it be 'stealing'?" Ouyang Yue sneered, her gaze on Li'er and the other two sending chills down their spines.
Ning Shi's face darkened, and she suddenly interrupted, "When you bought Qiuyue and Dongxue, you showed me their indentures. How could they not be from the General's Mansion? Yue'er, it's one thing for you to act recklessly, but now you can't control your servants and they're making mistakes. Not only are they unrepentant, but you even went so far as to maliciously deceive your elders to exonerate them. You're really going back to your old ways. Tell me, what else wouldn't you dare to do? Is this what you call filial piety?"
Ouyang Yue looked at Old Madam Ning: "Grandmother, please forgive me. It's true that Yue'er rescued Qiuyue and Dongxue on the street; everyone in the manor knows that. However, few people know what happened in Yue'er's courtyard after that. Qiuyue was also of impeccable character. She was sold into the brothel entirely because her gambling father couldn't pay his gambling debts. But when Qiuyue escaped from the brothel, she was still a virgin. Yue'er felt sorry for her and took her in, redeeming her indenture at the same time. I did show it to Mother at the time. However, after buying Qiuyue..." Yue'er discovered that Qiu Yue also possessed exceptional hands; her knitting and embroidery skills were superb, and Yue'er admired them greatly. Several of the clothes Yue'er wore were made by Qiu Yue. Yue'er was truly happy. Sometimes, when Qiu Yue finished something and brought it to her, Yue'er would reward her with a small gift. It was precisely because Yue'er liked Qiu Yue and sympathized with her plight that she felt this way. Not long ago, Yue'er had returned Qiu Yue and Dong Xue's indentures to themselves; they were now truly free, but out of gratitude to Yue'er, they wanted to stay by her side forever.
Ouyang Zhide was somewhat surprised. As a grown man, he naturally wouldn't concern himself with the many trivial matters of the household. He hadn't expected Qiuyue to possess such skillful hands. Cutting off the hands of such a talented woman truly shattered her will to live and her hopes. Ning Shi's decision to cut off her hands was indeed excessive!
Madam Ning frowned, disbelievingly saying, "Yue'er, is this really true? You never told me any of this. Do you even consider me your mother? Or are you deliberately hiding it from me? That's unfilial! Have you thought this through?"
A hint of sarcasm flashed in Ouyang Yue's eyes. This Ning Shi really dared to speak so boldly. She had tried to control her and punish her many times, but she had never shown any mercy. Was this something a mother would do? Now she called her "mother" all the time. What else could it be but sarcasm!
“Mother, please don’t be angry. You manage such important matters as the household affairs. I thought it was just a maid’s job, so I took care of it myself. Grandmother once gave indentures to servants who had performed meritorious service in the household, and the old steward has been even more dedicated to the household ever since. I’ve always thought that Grandmother’s actions back then were incredibly magnanimous, something not everyone can do. I know I can’t compare to Grandmother’s magnanimity, but I’m just following her example. I genuinely like Qiuyue and want to set her free. I’m not trying to hide it from you, Mother. I just feel that this is a matter in my own courtyard, and I can handle it myself. It would be against my filial duty to trouble you.” Ouyang Yue was very respectful, and when she looked at Old Madam Ning, her eyes showed admiration and respect.
Ouyang Yue was still somewhat young, with delicate and refined features, though not exceptionally beautiful. However, her eyes were round, clear, large, and bright, like the purest river water, illuminating all darkness. The emotions expressed in those eyes were always undeniable. Moreover, Ouyang Yue's actions were out of flattery and respect, which immediately made Old Madam Ning feel her heart surge with joy; she felt greatly elevated and valued. Although she had lived for so many years and was used to such flattery and compliments, Ouyang Yue always made her feel more comfortable.
Old Madam Ning's expression softened a bit, and Ouyang Yue immediately pressed her advantage, saying, "Grandmother, Qiuyue did tell Yue'er that once she sold herself to the General's Mansion, she would become a member of the General's Mansion. Although Yue'er returned the indenture to her at the time, as far as Yue'er knows, she still keeps it safe. Grandmother, you only need to have someone search it to find out everything."
"Mama Xi, bring someone to take a look. Also, Yue'er, bring all the indentures in your courtyard for us to see. If you're really just making excuses to exonerate the servants, I won't let you off the hook!"
"The moon knows!"
Ouyang Yue glanced at Dongxue and saw Dongxue nodding earnestly at her. It turned out that when Ouyang Yue returned to the manor and heard the reason for the incident, she asked Dongxue to secretly place her and Qiuyue's indentures in their room.
Madam Xi was ordered to search, but of course she only checked the indenture. She was very careful in her actions. After a while, she brought out two packages. One package was from the storage place of the indenture that Ouyang Yue had designated for Lord Mingyue. The other package was from Qiuyue and Dongxue's room.
With a wave of her hand, Madam Xi immediately opened the bundle. Inside the bundle, which was decorated with autumn moon and winter snow, lay the neatly folded indenture, proving that Ouyang Yue's words were indeed true.
Ning's face immediately darkened, and her hands clenched tightly. She had only intended to bring people here to establish her authority, starting with Ouyang Yue. Ouyang Yue was the eldest daughter of the household and deeply favored by Ouyang Zhide; if she could even handle Ouyang Yue, it would be proof of her authority as the matriarch. She hadn't expected to encounter such a rebuff upon arriving here!
She had not only embarrassed herself in front of Old Madam Ning, Ouyang Zhide, and the masters and servants in the mansion, but she had also done so in an extremely embarrassing and shameful manner. That was bad enough, but she never expected that what she originally wanted to do to establish her authority would become the most shameful thing she had done today!
She had been so determined to punish Qiuyue, but it turned out the servants' word was wrong. Qiuyue hadn't stolen anything from the manor; in fact, she had done it out of filial piety. This should have been praised—a good mistress, perhaps even deserving a small reward. Now that all this was out in the open, her intention to punish Qiuyue was a slap in the face!
The only good thing was that Ouyang Yue had stopped her earlier and hadn't actually had Qiu Yue's hands chopped off. Otherwise, she would have been guilty of harming innocent people and committing the crime of murder. Qiu Yue held her indenture in her own hands, making her a free person. If the indenture were destroyed, she would no longer be a servant, but just another ordinary citizen of the capital. Servants in the mansion could be beaten, scolded, or even killed at will, but in the Great Zhou Dynasty, killing innocent people was a criminal offense!
Ning was terrified, because she could imagine that if Shi Ju punished Qiu Yue, the punishment would be too lenient. If it caused a scene, it would be a real disaster!
Just thinking about it, Ning Shi no longer felt any hatred or resentment towards Ouyang Yue, and her eyes as she looked at Ouyang Yue were as sharp as knives.
Since Ouyang Yue already knew all this, why didn't she explain it more clearly before? If she had made it clear from the beginning, would she have been angry because of Ouyang Yue's disrespect? Would all these subsequent events have happened? In the end, it's all because Ouyang Yue was too stupid. She could have resolved it immediately, but she dragged it out until Old Madam Ning and Ouyang Zhide arrived to clarify things.
No! What if Ouyang Yue wasn't truly stupid, but did it on purpose?!
Ning looked at Ouyang Yue with a cold gaze, but saw that her eyes were still pure. Ning could not see any change in her eyes. She was just as stupid and naive as before. How could she be deliberately trying to embarrass her?
Ning couldn't believe it! But her anger only grew stronger!
So Ouyang Yue, that idiot, was her nemesis from birth! It's all her fault!
Madam Ning was furious, but also worried. Looking at Old Madam Ning, she suddenly softened her voice and said, "So that's what happened. They actually wronged Qiuyue, that maid. It's all because of those three wretched maids who spread rumors. When I saw how confident they were and how solid their evidence seemed, I couldn't help but believe them. It turned out to be a misunderstanding. Those three wretched maids have completely fooled me and caused chaos in the General's Mansion. They must be punished properly!"
Li'er, Ye'er, and Tanxiang's expressions all changed, and they all begged for mercy: "Please forgive us, Madam. We didn't know that Qiuyue was no longer a servant in the manor. We were only thinking of the peace and tranquility of the manor and had absolutely no ulterior motives. Please forgive us this time, Madam."
Ning's eyes grew even colder: "What kind of place is the General's Mansion? Does it need servants like you who make wild guesses and wild assumptions without even investigating the matter? With lowly maids like you around, won't everyone in the mansion be jumping on the bandwagon and imitating you? If I don't punish you today, how can I manage the General's Mansion? Guards, drag these three lowly maids away, give them thirty lashes, and then send them away with a matchmaker!"
"Madam, please forgive me! I dare not do it again! I will never do it again! Please forgive me this time!" Li'er cried out immediately. Although there was constant infighting in the General's Mansion, it was still much quieter than many other inner quarters, and the work was relatively easy. Now that she had made a mistake and was being sold off, not to the most disreputable families, but worse, like Qiuyue, to a brothel, how could Li'er possibly want to go!
"Please forgive us, Madam! Please forgive us, Madam!" No matter how much Li'er, Ye'er, and Tanxiang cried out, it was no use. The rough maid dragged the three of them, brought out the torture bench, and the heavy board was brought down hard. The courtyard was filled with howling and screaming, a miserable and chaotic scene.
Although Li'er, Ye'er, and Tanxiang were punished, the matter did not end as simply as Ning Shi had imagined. Ouyang Zhide said with a stern face, "What was the rattan cane used for? Was it to beat these three troublemaking servants, or was it to punish Qiuyue?" After punishing Li'er, Ye'er, and Tanxiang, Ouyang Zhide recalled the scene at Mingyue Pavilion when they arrived. At that time, Ning Shi was holding this rattan cane. Ning Shi would never condescend to punish Qiuyue, a servant, so there was only one possibility.
Upon realizing this, Ouyang Zhide's expression immediately darkened.
Upon seeing this, Ning knew she was in trouble; she knew Ouyang Zhide was angry. She pressed her lips together, trying to think of an excuse, when Ouyang Zhide suddenly shouted, "Speak!"
Ning was startled, but the more she thought about it, the angrier she became: "I'm going to discipline Yue'er! She's my daughter, and there's an old saying that she can't be taught a lesson without being beaten. She's unruly and disrespectful to me. As her mother, can't I discipline her?"
Madam Ning was truly enraged. In the past, Ouyang Zhide doted on Ouyang Yue, but he had never directly reprimanded her for anything related to Ouyang Yue. Now, with so many servants and mistresses in Mingyue Pavilion, and Madam Ning being reprimanded by Ouyang Zhide here, what kind of mistress was she? How could she possibly manage the household?
Ouyang Zhide's thick eyebrows immediately furrowed: "Wrong! What did Yue'er do wrong! It's just three ignorant servants gossiping, and you want to punish the eldest daughter of the household for that? What kind of talk is that? Does my daughter, Ouyang Zhide's daughter, not deserve the respect of three ignorant lowly maids? You, the mistress of the house, didn't even ask what happened before you almost beat Yue'er. If you hadn't fallen down, wouldn't Yue'er be injured now?" Ouyang Zhide suddenly stood up and scolded.
Madam Ning's face flushed red with anger, and Old Madam Ning's expression also changed. Ouyang Zhide had been away from home for many years and rarely returned, so he wasn't strict with his children's upbringing. Naturally, he hadn't argued with Madam Ning about these matters. However, seeing Madam Ning physically punish Ouyang Yue was unbearable for him. Ouyang Zhide wasn't a civil official; he didn't offer a string of high-sounding words and simply spoke his mind. But the more he did this, the more the situation would spiral out of control. Old Madam Ning knew Madam Ning's temper well.
Before Old Madam Ning could even try to mediate, Madam Ning angrily shouted, "She's my daughter! I have every right to punish her. Over the years, has she ever fulfilled her filial duties? Her rotten reputation makes me feel ashamed every time it's mentioned. I've tolerated her so much, yet she keeps making mistakes. Even if she did nothing wrong today, what's wrong with me disciplining her for being so ignorant!" As she spoke, Madam Ning suddenly burst into tears. "I am your lawfully wedded wife, the lady of the General's mansion, the mistress of the house. I manage this household, I control the household affairs. I've done my best all these years, and I only made a small mistake. How dare you openly criticize me like this? Do you even respect me?! How am I supposed to manage this General's mansion in the future? How am I supposed to establish my authority?!" Madam Ning even yelled at the top of her lungs.
She was furious, incredibly furious!
"Very well! As expected of everyone, truly virtuous and kind! You're struggling to establish authority, aren't you? This general will help you today!" Ouyang Zhide had been guarding the border for years, a commander whose word was law. Ning felt wronged and lacked authority. Ouyang Zhide was a grown man, the head of the household! Yet Ning had lost her composure and roared at him in front of everyone, which was also a slap in the face to Ouyang Zhide, severely shaking his masculine pride!