"Charge!"
Smash it!
Someone shouted, and the servants of Mingyue Pavilion rushed into Xiangning Courtyard like a tidal wave, carrying their weapons. They smashed and broke everything they could find.
"What are you doing? Stop right now! This is Concubine Ming's courtyard! How dare you! I will definitely report you to Old Madam Gao and have you punished!" Madam Qi, who had been in her room, jumped up and rushed out upon hearing Dongxue kick the door. She was startled to see a group of servants wielding weapons and glaring menacingly. Having served Concubine Ming for many years, she naturally possessed a certain composure and shouted at the newcomers.
However, it is clear that this time is completely different from the previous situation.
Ouyang Yue walked in surrounded by servants, looked at Qi Mama with a sneer, and said to Dongxue, "I said smash it, and anyone who dares to stop me will be smashed too!"
Dongxue immediately nodded: "Yes, Miss!" Then she kicked out, and with a "bang", Qi Mama's body flew up and crashed to the ground. In that instant, she felt like she saw stars and felt as if her body had shattered into many pieces.
Madam Qi's collapse seemed to ignite a newfound ferocity in the servants of Mingyue Pavilion. Their rampage through Xiangning Courtyard intensified, and any servant who dared to intervene was mercilessly beaten to the ground. In the end, the servants of Xiangning Courtyard huddled together, trembling, watching the servants of Mingyue Pavilion sweep through like bandits. Fortunately, no one stopped them, and the servants didn't harm any innocent bystanders, much to the relief of the servants of Xiangning Courtyard. Meanwhile, the servants of Mingyue Pavilion seemed to find themselves increasingly addicted to the destruction!
This was the courtyard of a concubine in the mansion! These mistresses used to be so high and mighty, punishing their masters at the slightest displeasure. And now these women were able to come and vandalize their mistress's courtyard, and no one dared to stop them. The more they smashed and vandalized, the more excited they became, until their eyes practically gleamed with greed.
One of them excitedly said, "Miss, the outside has been almost completely smashed, but Aunt Ming's room is still untouched."
Seeing the man's face flushed with excitement, Ouyang Yue smiled and said, "Oh, there's still one more room. How can we let that go? Let's rush in!"
"Yes, charge!" the servant shouted immediately upon receiving the order.
Ouyang Yue watched this unfold and suddenly imagined it. She felt that if another bugle call were to be sounded a few times, it would be like sweeping away the Japanese invaders. It seemed quite similar to her current situation!
Ouyang Yue smiled knowingly as she strolled in.
Inside the room, Yang'er and Xiao'er protected the awakened Aunt Ming, while several servants huddled in the corner, trembling with fear. Meanwhile, the servants from Mingyue Pavilion were smashing everything in sight—vases, porcelain, tables, chairs—with boards and other objects, as if they wouldn't be satisfied until they had smashed several pieces.
Aunt Ming trembled with rage. It was truly a case of a tiger fallen into a trap, bullied even by dogs. She had just lost her eyes and broken her leg, and these vile women dared to come and vandalize her Xiangning Courtyard! They were utterly disrespectful! It was outrageous! Who gave them the audacity to shout, "Stop! Stop! Anyone who dares to move again, I'll kill her, I'll kill you all!"
Aunt Ming roared in anger, then coughed heavily, her face turning purplish-red, her eyes bulging with hatred. However, she now only had her left eye left, and her other eye was covered up, so her intimidating power was too weak, to the point of being laughable.
Ouyang Yue walked over with a smile, still wearing the same yellow dress she wore that morning, which made her look very charming and cute. Her eyes crinkled into crescent moons as she smiled, her expression incredibly beautiful and adorable. However, to Aunt Ming and the others, it looked utterly wicked. Ouyang Yue's voice was gentle, but her words were extremely ruthless: "You all really don't know any better. How could you frighten Aunt Ming like that? Besides, you're all so stupid. How could you leave this piece intact after smashing it? This place should naturally be smashed too. You've really disappointed me."
It turned out that the servants of Mingyue Pavilion weren't entirely fearless. Although they were busy smashing things in Concubine Ming's room, none dared approach her bed, clearly still intimidated by her status. When Ouyang Yue spoke, the servants hesitated, but as Ouyang Yue's cold gaze swept over them, they all trembled, their faces hardening, and they rushed forward with their weapons. At the same time, they heard Ouyang Yue's gentle voice say, "That's right, just a little bit is enough. Concubine Ming is injured; we can't frighten or touch her. That would be very detrimental to her recovery. You can't be too rough."
The servants murmured to themselves, "Didn't you say you wanted to smash this place up, Miss? How can you not be rude when you're doing it?"
Aunt Ming was furious and trembled, unable to speak. At this moment, the servants from Mingyue Pavilion rushed over with their belongings and smashed them against the bed frame.
Yang'er and Xiao'er were so frightened that they clung tightly to Aunt Ming, feeling a pang of regret. Why hadn't they run away earlier? Now they couldn't escape even if they wanted to.
The bed frame couldn't withstand the violent knocking and began to sway, causing the bed to shake. Aunt Ming, Yang'er, and Xiao'er screamed in terror. However, Lord Mingyue was quite skilled; several knocks failed to knock the thing down, only making it shake more violently. With each sway, Aunt Ming, Yang'er, and Xiao'er felt their hearts leap into their throats. Every time the thing shook, they felt it was about to fall and hit them, but each time it stopped shaking. Before they could even breathe a sigh of relief, the thing was knocked and started shaking again.
So their hearts were pounding and they were trembling. At this moment, Aunt Ming wished she had a knife so she could stab herself in the heart and die. This kind of torment was much more painful than that.
"Crack!" Just as they were filled with resentment, they suddenly heard this sound, which made them gasp in their throats. They saw the bed frame suddenly tilt and break into several pieces, which then came crashing down on their heads.
"Ahhhhhh!" Aunt Ming and the other two immediately screamed in fright.
However, just a hand's width away from their faces, the object was about to strike when it was suddenly deflected by the winter snow. But their screams didn't stop, because servants were already throwing things at the bed they were on.
Aunt Ming turned pale with fright. The wooden scissors and kitchen knives were constantly being swung around them, the wind from them chillingly sharp. She felt as if even the slightest movement would cause them to strike her. She could imagine how horrific the scene would be. Eventually, Aunt Ming didn't even dare to scream anymore. She just kept opening her mouth wide, staring, her chest heaving, her lips trembling, her face filled with terror and horror.
She felt that the mental torment she was experiencing was more cruel than Ouyang Zhide cutting off her legs. She felt her head throbbing and she was dizzy. She had never felt such fear before. It was terrifying!
"Snap!"
Suddenly, another sound came from the bed. Aunt Ming's eyes widened. At that moment, her originally large and exquisite bed could not withstand the repeated chopping and smashing by Ming's servants. With a few "thump, crack, crack" sounds, it suddenly split in the middle.
Aunt Ming felt as if she had fallen from a great height, landing on the ground with a thud. She didn't even have a chance to cry out before her eyes rolled back and she fainted. Not only her, but Yang'er and Xiao'er beside her also finally succumbed to fear and terror, their eyes rolling back as they collapsed onto the rotten bed amidst the broken pieces of wood scattered on the floor.
As they fainted, the people of the Bright Moon Pavilion also stopped and, upon seeing the scene inside the room, they too gasped in shock.
Aunt Ming's room is in such a terrible state now. There's practically nothing intact left; everything has been smashed beyond recognition. It's like an abandoned ruin, utterly wretched!
Ouyang Yue strolled around the room with satisfaction, smiling as she said, "Not bad, not bad. I will reward you handsomely when we get back. Today, I will reward you according to your merits. Each of you will receive five hundred coins. As for those who rushed ahead, I have seen it all. Each of you will receive one tael."
"Wow, thank you, Miss!" A thousand coins equals one tael of silver. Even those who did little work could get half a tael. Today, they not only enjoyed a sumptuous dinner arranged by Miss, but also wrecked Aunt Ming's courtyard, which made them feel great. They didn't expect to get silver afterwards. However, those who got half a tael of silver were somewhat depressed. They should have rushed to the front too; half a tael of silver makes a huge difference!
Ouyang Yue smiled and waved her hand, "Alright, everyone go back now. Aunt Ming needs to rest too." Then Ouyang Yue turned around leisurely and walked out of the messy room with extremely elegant steps.
Not only the servants of Mingyue Pavilion, but even those servants of Xiangning Courtyard who had been cowering in fear, twitched their lips, trembled, and their faces darkened. What? Aunt Ming needed rest? She must have fainted from fright! And look at the state of this room, how could Aunt Ming possibly rest? This Third Miss… this Third Miss…
These people wanted to talk about Ouyang Yue, but they found that they didn't know any words to describe her. This person was simply shameless and evil to the extreme, so much so that they didn't know what words could express their feelings at this moment. So they could only twitch their lips, their eyes tremble, and their expressions were very strange.
Another point they both agreed on was that the person they absolutely could not afford to offend in this mansion was this third young lady.
Although the master is a bit strict and he can be ruthless when someone makes a mistake, he is nothing compared to the third young lady, who can scare you to the point of fainting without actually killing you!
Ouyang Yue led the servants of Mingyue Pavilion back leisurely. The servants who passed by all stepped back, some even turning away as soon as they saw them, while many others hid and peeked out. They looked as if they had seen some kind of tyrannical landlord, and had been endlessly oppressed but dared not resist.
Ouyang Yue remained indifferent, seemingly oblivious, while the servants of Mingyue Pavilion stood tall, their chests puffed out, looking smug and proud! Although Mingyue Pavilion had a prestigious reputation, serving the legitimate daughters of the household, those assigned there were usually lowly and unfavored servants. Ouyang Yue's bad reputation in the capital had led to her being looked down upon in the household, so the servants of Mingyue Pavilion were often ridiculed for their lack of prospects, even when interacting with servants from other courtyards. But today, they had enjoyed a truly glorious moment; how could they not be smug!
On their way back to Mingyue Pavilion, they were met with countless stares, making them feel that today's trip was truly worthwhile!
Inside Anhe Hall, Old Madam Ning had just finished her dinner when she suddenly saw Green Robe rushing in. Old Madam Ning immediately frowned: "What's the matter that you're running in such a hurry? You're not steady at all. Is this how Mama Xi taught you manners? Go and ask for your punishment yourself!"
The woman in green knelt on the ground: "Please forgive me, Madam. It's just... this matter has become too big of a fuss, and I was too anxious."
Old Madam Ning's face darkened, naturally thinking of what had happened during the day: "What trouble has arisen again? Has the matter in the manor spread outside? Who is so bold as to do this? Could it be Physician Liu!" Old Madam Ning's eyes turned cold; if such a family scandal were to spread, the impact would be enormous.
Green Robe shook her head anxiously: "Madam, I just heard that the Third Miss led the servants of Mingyue Pavilion to Concubine Ming's Xiangning Courtyard and smashed it up. Concubine Ming and some of her servants fainted from fright. All the furnishings in Concubine Ming's room were destroyed, resulting in a significant loss of money."
"What!" Old Madam Ning slammed her teacup on the table in anger. "What did you say! Ouyang Yue sent people to smash up Xiangning Courtyard!"
Seeing Old Madam Ning's anger, the woman in green dared not say anything, only nodding repeatedly. Old Madam Ning's face was dark and gloomy, extremely ugly: "Good! This is utterly lawless! I'm not dead yet! This is because she's dissatisfied with my treatment, so she sent people to smash up Xiangning Courtyard. Is she just smashing up Xiangning Courtyard? This is clearly aimed at me! This is an insult to my reputation! She's an absolute scoundrel, outrageous!" Old Madam Ning's chest trembled with rage, her eyes were cold and dark, her teeth were clenched, and her anger was impossible to suppress!
"Very well! She's really gotten too bold! How dare she disrespect her grandmother, how dare she object to my punishment, how dare she climb over me! Let's see how long she can be so arrogant! Guards! Go to Mingyue Pavilion and bring Ouyang Yue to me immediately. I want to see how arrogant she can be in front of me now. If she doesn't come, break her legs and drag her here!" Old Madam Ning's face was contorted with malice, revealing a sinister look!
The people in green hesitated, but Old Madam Ning shouted angrily, "Hurry up and go!"
"Halt!" Before the servants of Anhe Hall could move, Ouyang Zhide walked in. His face was frosty, and wherever his eyes swept, people immediately froze, not daring to move, and lowered their heads, not daring to make any further moves. Ouyang Zhide glanced at the servants of Anhe Hall, and finally fixed his gaze on Old Madam Ning's face, and said slowly but without any room for doubt, "No one is allowed to go to Mingyue Pavilion to cause trouble!"
Old Madam Ning was furious beyond belief. She swept the teacup off the table and said angrily, "You actually stood up for this wretched child! Look what she's done! This matter absolutely cannot be left like this, or who in this mansion will respect me in the future!"
Ouyang Zhide's resolute face darkened further, and his eyes, fixed on Old Madam Ning, turned cold—an expression he had never shown before. Old Madam Ning was so frightened that she leaned back, almost falling over, but then she heard Ouyang Zhide's cold voice say…
☆、079、Protecting one's own!
"Does Mother think Yue'er was wrong to smash it?" Ouyang Zhide's voice was somewhat cold, and his tone was very flat, making it unclear whether he was happy or angry, or which was more likely.
Old Madam Ning snorted coldly, her face still flushed with rage from the news she had just heard: "Of course it's wrong! Should I praise her for causing such a ruckus in the mansion, leading Lady Mingyue and her people to smash up the elders' courtyard? When did the General's Mansion become so unruly? I've never disciplined them like that!" Old Madam Ning was also deeply resentful that her son had repeatedly protected Ouyang Yue and seemed to have an intention to oppose her. She was unhappy and naturally had nothing nice to say.
A glint flashed in Ouyang Zhide's eyes, which he quickly concealed: "Yue'er shouldn't have gone to smash up Aunt Ming's courtyard, and I agree with that." Old Madam Ning found it somewhat strange, but then she heard Ouyang Zhide's voice turn colder as he said, "Yue'er shouldn't have gone to smash up the elders' courtyard, but does Mother think Aunt Ming's behavior was right?"
"My son has always wanted more children in the family, which is why my mother loves Concubine Hua so much. Could it all be a lie?"
Old Madam Ning naturally shook her head: "Of course it's not fake. You only have one son, Ouyang Tong, and that child has always been very weak. How could he possibly inherit your mantle? The General's Mansion naturally needs a healthier offspring. Caiyue's belly hasn't shown any signs of pregnancy, and Aunt Hua finally got pregnant. We should be the most anxious."
Ouyang Zhide's face couldn't help but show a hint of mockery: "So, not only did Aunt Ming plot to harm the children in the manor and kill my son, but she also framed Yue'er as the murderer, and Mother thinks she did the right thing?!" Ouyang Zhide's face couldn't help but show a hint of sternness.
Old Madam Ning was stunned. How could she not have thought of this? While Concubine Ming was certainly wrong, she was someone she had personally promoted. How could she be compared to Ouyang Yue, with whom she had never been close? She could be at odds with Ouyang Yue, but not with Concubine Ming. Punishing Concubine Ming would be telling others that this concubine, whom she had so carefully cared for, was actually as venomous as a snake, implying that she was blind and unable to judge character! Old Madam Ning had never been accused like this in her entire life. She could not agree to it, and she absolutely would not allow it!
Besides, Ouyang Yue is her granddaughter. Out of filial piety, she should listen to her grandmother in everything. Her attitude was so clear, yet Ouyang Yue brought people to cause such a ruckus, completely disregarding her. Her intervention was for Ouyang Yue's own good; at least someone in the manor would forgive her, but outside, no one would protect her! So what did she do wrong?
"Although Aunt Ming was wrong, Ouyang Yue went to smash up Xiangning Courtyard when she was crippled and sick, causing Aunt Ming to faint from anger. Is that the proper etiquette for a junior? If word gets out, outsiders will say that the General's Mansion doesn't know how to raise children, and that I, the old lady, don't know how to manage the household!" Old Madam Ning spoke sternly, but she didn't notice that Ouyang Zhide's face had become even more frosty. Mama Xi saw this and wanted to dissuade her, but Ouyang Zhide's cold gaze had already swept over her, so Mama Xi had no choice but to shut up!
"It is true that Yue'er smashing Xiangning Courtyard is not the proper etiquette for a junior. But has Mother forgotten what kind of status Aunt Ming has?"
Old Madam Ning's voice was cold and tinged with anger: "Naturally, she is the noble concubine in the manor!"
Ouyang Zhide finally let out a cold laugh: "Mother, do you still remember that she was just a concubine? Mother seems to only remember that she was brought in by your own decision and has always been favored by you. Mother has forgotten that Yue'er is the legitimate daughter of the household. In terms of status and position, how can a mere concubine compare? Let alone that Yue'er only led people to smash up Xiangning Courtyard today, even if Yue'er led people to kill Concubine Ming, what's wrong with that? In my opinion, killing Concubine Ming is not enough to absolve her of the great crime of harming the children of the household! Losing an eye and breaking both legs is too lenient on her! I think Yue'er did a very good job." She was establishing her authority; otherwise, it would be a laughingstock if word got out that the legitimate daughter of a general's mansion was framed by a concubine and forced to cower in her own quarters! She is my daughter, Ouyang Zhide's daughter, not some lowly civil official's daughter. What's wrong with a military daughter being a little arrogant? Ouyang Zhide said to Granny Xi, "Now that the Old Madam is in charge of the household affairs, Granny Xi will inevitably be her assistant. Pass down the word: don't allow Concubine Ming to collect bribes from Xiangning Courtyard. If she breaks anything, make her pay for it herself. If she has no money and is dissatisfied, she can go live in the cold courtyard on the west side of the General's mansion. This is my order!"
Madam Xi lowered her head. The general rarely interfered in the affairs of the household, but this time he actually ordered the punishment of Concubine Ming. Clearly, he was extremely angry!
Old Ning was furious: "Fine! None of you take this old woman seriously at all, daring to speak to me like that. You clearly resent me, you think I'm wrong!"
Ouyang Zhide's lips curled into a sneer. He swallowed what he was about to say, thought for a moment, and then continued, "Mother, when you were furious over Aunt Hua's miscarriage and hit Yue'er, what were you thinking? When you learned the truth, when you knew that it was all Aunt Ming's doing, what were you thinking then? No one knows better than you! To be honest, my heart aches for Yue'er; that slap was utterly innocent. Although I haven't been in the manor these past years, I know Yue'er's character. She is impulsive, but she is also pure and kind in every way. It is precisely because of her straightforwardness that she is different from those hypocritical and despicable young ladies in the capital. Although her reputation is not good, I have always felt that this is something to be thankful for, because no one needs to guess what she thinks or does, and she doesn't scheme against people, which is so rare. Moreover, Yue'er has always been very filial, but few people have noticed it. And Mother, have you ever given her a chance?"
"What do you mean? You feel sorry for her? That stingy nature of hers, and you're criticizing me because you feel sorry for her? You're being filial now?" Old Madam Ning had raised Ouyang Zhide from childhood, putting in a lot of effort, and Ouyang Zhide had always respected her greatly. Because Ouyang Zhide had been away leading troops for many years, he was often away from home, and Old Madam Ning had been taking care of all the affairs of the household. Ouyang Zhide felt very sorry for her and guilty about this, and had always respected Old Madam Ning. He had never liked to interfere in the affairs of the household because he knew Old Madam Ning's strong personality; even when he felt she had gone too far, he had never criticized her in the slightest.
Something unprecedented had suddenly happened, and it even seemed to stem from a hint of hostility. This made Old Madam Ning feel extremely unbalanced. All this was for a disobedient girl, yet her son, who had always been respectful and filial to her, was now criticizing her?! And blaming her for treating Ouyang Yue badly? That girl's behavior was forgiven, and she even begged and manipulated her son to oppose her. There was definitely a difference between the grandchildren and the children. Old Madam Ning valued her son more, and the more she thought about it, the more sour she felt, and she became extremely jealous of Ouyang Yue!
Old Madam Ning's expression darkened even more: "It's true what they say, a son grows up and no longer listens to his mother. You actually blame your old mother for Ouyang Yue's sake! Well, well! He's truly my son, cough cough... good son!" Old Madam Ning's face turned red with anger, and she coughed violently, choking on her own words.
Ouyang Zhide's expression changed drastically. He hurriedly stepped forward to help Old Ning, but Old Ning pushed him away violently: "I don't need your fake kindness. Are you hoping I'll die sooner so no one will control you anymore? Fine, I'll die right now!" With that, Old Ning rushed towards a pillar to the side.
Ouyang Zhide was startled and immediately rushed over to hug Old Ning Shi tightly, pressing down on her shoulders to stop her from struggling. Only then did he breathe a sigh of relief and frowned, saying, "Mother, what are you doing? Are you threatening to kill yourself to put your son in an unjust position?" Ouyang Zhide's voice was filled with unspeakable hurt.
Old Madam Ning's body trembled. Seeing the disappointed and hurt expression on Ouyang Zhide's face, her heart skipped a beat. If Old Madam Ning were to die in the General's mansion in this state, outsiders would naturally not know the details and would only think that Ouyang Zhide was an unfilial son, forcing his own mother into this situation! Not only would he suffer endless verbal attacks, but he would probably lose his position as general and might even be punished by the Emperor. She suddenly realized how impulsive she had been: "De'er, Mother..."
Ouyang Zhide shook his head, opened his mouth as if to say something, but then swallowed it back. Finally, he said helplessly, "Mother, you and Yue'er are both people I care about and want to be close to. We are family, why make things like this? In the end, Aunt Ming is just an outsider. Is it worth it for her?" Even though Aunt Ming was a concubine in the General's Mansion and Ouyang Zhide's aunt, she had no blood relation to them. Ouyang Zhide's words about being an outsider, though seemingly heartless, were the truth.
Old Madam Ning was startled by her own actions and was still feeling a lingering fear. Her hands were trembling with fright, and she was helped back to her seat by Mama Xi. Fortunately, no one had been left in Old Madam Ning's room beforehand, and Mama Xi was trustworthy, so they weren't worried about word getting out about what had just happened. Old Madam Ning sighed deeply, "De'er, although Consort Ming is only a concubine, she has the Ministry of Revenue behind her." Seeing Ouyang Zhide's indifference, Old Madam Ning sighed again, "The Minister of Revenue is a third-rank official. Although the position seems low, he wields real power. The Minister of Revenue is in charge of the nation's land, taxes, household registration, military supplies, salaries, grain rations, and fiscal revenue and expenditure. Which aspect is not important to the court and the Emperor? Among the six ministries, the Ministry of Revenue is the most important. Consort Ming is the only daughter of the Minister of Revenue's household. She was favored even before her marriage. You haven't forgotten that I brought her into the household, have you? Apart from lacking the wedding ceremony that a principal wife should have, what did she lack? These were naturally required by the Ministry of Revenue's household, but they broke the rules. At that time, your foundation was not stable. I brought her in firstly to ensure you could have offspring, and secondly to give you more support. Can you deny that you have been so successful in the court all these years without benefiting from the Ministry of Revenue's household?"
Ouyang Zhide fell silent. Old Madam Ning continued, "Not only that, in recent years, the Minister of Revenue has become quite close to the Crown Prince, seemingly intending to pledge allegiance to him. Previously, Yue'er's engagement to Hong Yicheng was a perfect complement to this relationship, but afterwards, Yue'er, Rou'er, and Hua'er became entangled with Hong Yicheng, ultimately leading to Hua'er's suicide. Our relationship with the Hong family has broken down, and we've also severed ties with the Crown Prince. Who is the Crown Prince? Heir apparent, the future emperor. His family is incredibly powerful; over the years, many ministers have openly and secretly pledged allegiance to them. How can we confront them head-on? If we kill Concubine Ming now and antagonize the Minister of Revenue's household, have you considered the consequences?"
Old Lady Ning's words, though seemingly unfounded, were not without merit. This was the nature of the imperial court; a single action could have far-reaching consequences. What might seem like a trivial matter could ultimately become the fatal cause of an official's death. Therefore, officials in the court were often preoccupied with their own ambitions, and as such, countless innocent people were implicated in these schemes throughout history. Old Lady Ning's considerations stemmed from a genuine desire to help Ouyang Zhide. But how much self-interest lay behind this pretext?
Ouyang Zhide could say nothing more at this point. Putting aside Ouyang Yue's matter, her mother would not do anything to harm him.
Ouyang Zhide's expression softened slightly, and he sighed, "I understand, Mother. However, I feel that Consort Ming went too far in this matter. It's not a bad thing for Yue'er to make a scene when she's been wronged. It's detrimental to the household if she just swallows her anger like this. You can imagine how serious Consort Ming's mistake is! Mother is thinking long-term for the General's Mansion, but the masters and servants don't seem to think of these things. Yue'er's actions have actually served as a warning to those troublemakers in the household. It's just that I'm used to being rude and don't know how to speak properly, which has angered Mother. Please forgive me."
Old Mrs. Ning waved her hand: "I know you are filial, how could I blame you?"
Ouyang Zhide smiled and chatted with Old Madam Ning for a while before taking his leave.
As soon as Ouyang Zhide left, Madam Xi couldn't help but say softly, "Madam, the master has always been filial, sensible, and sensible. You just now..."
"You also think I'm wrong? If you have anything to say, feel free to say it!" After Ouyang Zhide left, Old Madam Ning became much calmer.
Looking at Old Madam Ning's expression, Madam Xi pondered for a moment before saying, "Old Madam's threat of suicide has likely hurt Master's feelings. Furthermore, I believe it's not worth causing conflict between you and your son over Concubine Ming. With so many people witnessing Concubine Ming's actions, even if Master wanted to protect her, he probably couldn't. To put it bluntly, even if Concubine Ming dies, no one can say we're at fault. She only lost her leg and was beaten by the Third Miss and her men to vent her anger, which actually resolved the matter satisfactorily. From now on, it won't be mentioned again, and Concubine Ming can finally have some peace and quiet, which is not bad at all."
Old Madam Ning suddenly frowned: "What's so good about it? Didn't Aunt Ming still break her leg? When the people from the Ministry of Revenue investigate, will De'er still be as calm as he is now? Humph! Ever since I came back, Ouyang Yuezhi has been causing trouble non-stop. I don't know if I owed her something in my past life. She's really hateful!"
Well, it seems that Old Ning didn't take Ouyang Zhide and happy Mama's advice to heart at all, and is still fixated on the original issue.
Madam Xi opened her mouth, about to speak, but Old Madam Ning sighed deeply: "Compared to Yu Huan, Ouyang Yue is like heaven and earth, there's no comparison at all. Look at Yu Huan, she's so sensible, thoughtful, and understanding, why wasn't she born as my granddaughter, and instead Ouyang Yue took this place, it's really infuriating!"
Madam Xi paused for a moment, then heard Old Madam Ning continue her complaints: "Although Concubine Ming is hateful, Concubine Hua's child is gone after all. Do you think I favor concubines over wives and favor illegitimate children over legitimate ones? No, of course not! Caiyue is infertile, and she can't give birth to a legitimate son. I even considered divorcing her, but the Ning family would never agree. I can only focus my attention on the illegitimate son, but only if everything in the household is peaceful. Am I wrong? What have I done wrong!"
Madam Xi shut her mouth tightly, saying nothing more, but her heart was filled with even more strangeness. Although Old Madam Ning's idea wasn't wrong—without male heirs in the mansion, the General's Mansion was bound to decline after a hundred years—Madam Ning, born into the Ning family, had the Ning family's backing. Although she hadn't given birth to a legitimate eldest son, she wasn't without offspring. Moreover, the General's Mansion and the Ning family had countless intricate connections; a single move could affect the whole situation. Even if Old Madam Ning wanted to divorce Madam Ning, she wouldn't dare to actually do it. The matter of offspring naturally fell to the concubines in the mansion. However, Concubine Liu's son, Ouyang Tong, was too weak to shoulder such a responsibility. Concubine Hua originally had a good chance, but realistically, her background was too low. Even if she had a son, he might be suppressed for various reasons. The future was still uncertain, which made the peace in the mansion extremely important. The Ministry of Revenue's mansion, backed by the Crown Prince, was indeed daunting, and even Concubine Ming couldn't be touched lightly.
However, if this were a grandmother who loved her younger generation, she would never have spoken of such matters in terms of worldly interests. Mama Xi had served Old Madam Ning for many years, and back when they were still in the Ning family, she had been Old Madam Ning's personal maid. Naturally, she understood Old Madam Ning's temperament. But she had never imagined that Old Madam Ning, in this way, would actually have someone she cared for so deeply.
Even if Old Madam Ning loved Ouyang Hua back then, it was only because Concubine Ming came from the Ministry of Revenue. Concubine Ming knew how to behave, and Ouyang Hua knew how to please her. Moreover, with Ouyang Hua's talent and beauty, even if she couldn't become the principal wife of a wealthy family, it would be easy for her to become a favored concubine. Old Madam Ning's love for Ouyang Hua was not without reason.
Therefore, Old Madam Ning's sudden, inexplicable fondness for Rui Yuhuan puzzled Madam Xi greatly. In the past, even if Old Madam Ning disliked Ouyang Yue, she wouldn't have been so obvious. No matter how much Rui Yuhuan flattered her, she was ultimately an outsider. Originally, Rui Yuhuan's loyalty to the master could have been a significant asset to Old Madam Ning. But recently, Rui Yuhuan's intentions had clearly diminished, and her identity was merely that of an orphan whose father had been kind to Ouyang Zhide. Coming from a family like the Ning Manor, Old Madam Ning's humanity hadn't been completely worn down, but her self-serving nature meant she had no reason to like Rui Yuhuan so much.
She could forget her blood relation to Ouyang Yue, forget Ouyang Zhide's affection for Ouyang Yue, and forget that clear-cut punishment was necessary to manage the household. Madam Xi's eyes flickered, but based on her recent observations, she couldn't find anything wrong with Rui Yuhuan, which was what puzzled and baffled her most!