Rui Yuhuan's face turned pale, and she stammered, "Miss... please give me another chance. I still have a way to control the General's Mansion. I still have a way."
Pink Butterfly sat against the headboard, wearing only a thin undergarment that couldn't hide her exquisite figure. This was exactly what Rui Yuhuan had been jealous of back then—a mere maidservant with a better figure than her. When negotiating with the men in black, she had no intention of bringing Pink Butterfly along, but now their identities had truly been reversed.
"Oh, what other ideas do you have? Tell me. You should know that if this doesn't work, you'll be punished, and then I won't be able to help you anymore." Pink Butterfly smiled faintly, but a cold sneer clung to her lips. If it weren't for the fact that Rui Yuhuan hadn't completely lost her usefulness, she would have killed this bitch long ago.
Rui Yuhuan's expression changed, and she immediately said in fright, "Yes, this servant has a way, but I still need your help, Miss."
"Hmm..." Hearing the displeasure in Pink Butterfly's voice, Rui Yuhuan immediately said, "Miss, I am currently confined to this courtyard and cannot leave without Ouyang Zhide's permission. We also don't know much about the General's Mansion. The only way now is for us to re-enter the General's Mansion so that we can follow up with other plans. However, I have no skills and no way to break out of this courtyard, so I can only rely on Miss's superior martial arts. I have no other choice but to help you, Miss. If this matter is handled well, it will all be Miss's credit."
Pink Butterfly paused for a moment, then smiled faintly at Rui Yuhuan, who was looking at her eagerly: "Alright, what you said makes some sense, so let's do it that way."
The next day, Pink Butterfly went to the General's Mansion early in the morning.
"This is a restricted area of the General's Mansion. All unauthorized personnel must leave immediately." However, the gatekeeper immediately shouted when he saw Fen Die. Back then, Rui Yu Huan and Fen Die's departure was quite dishonorable, and everyone in the General's Mansion knew them. Moreover, recently, rumors about Rui Yu Huan, Old Madam Ning, and Ouyang Yue had been circulating in the capital. As a result, passersby often pointed and gossiped about the mansion. They had no respect for the maid who was the culprit. If they hadn't had some reason to control themselves, they would have already smashed her with the stick.
Seeing this, Pink Butterfly simply smiled and said, "Please forgive me, gatekeeper, but I would like to enter the mansion to see the old lady and greet her."
The gatekeeper sneered, "What are you? Just a lowly maidservant of a lowly woman. You dare to try and see the old lady of the manor? If anyone could just walk into the old lady's house whenever they wanted, the threshold of this general's manor would have been worn down by the crowds. Get out! Get out now! Or don't blame me for being impolite!"
A cold glint appeared in Pink Butterfly's eyes. If it weren't inappropriate to start a massacre outside the General's Mansion, would she still be talking to these two lackeys here? Her tone became even softer: "Don't be angry, brothers guards. I don't have any bad intentions. It's just that there are some things I need to discuss with the old lady in person. This is a very important matter that can help the old lady restore her reputation. It's something that can't be delayed. The old lady will definitely see me once she finds out."
The other person sneered even more, "Major matter? How ridiculous! Our old lady has been completely ruined by your shameless young lady. Now you want to come here and be scolded? Get out of here right now, or don't blame me for being impolite." As he spoke, he took out a stick and made a hitting motion.
Seeing that the two were unresponsive, Pink Butterfly's suppressed anger finally flared up, her face turning cold: "You two watchdogs, how dare you be so arrogant in front of me! No matter what my young lady is like, she's a treasure in the old lady's heart. How dare you watchdogs slander her? Let me tell you, if you don't obediently go and report today, hmph, don't even know how you died. If the old lady finds out that you're deliberately making things difficult for me, her wrath will be enough to destroy you, and even your families. Think it over carefully, don't be so shameless and end up incurring the master's hatred."
The stubborn man was about to speak when the other stopped him, saying, "You stay here first, I'll go in and report." But as he spoke, his gaze towards Pink Butterfly was clearly filled with anger, while the latter sneered. However, not long after, the gatekeeper came out and raised his stick, striking Pink Butterfly hard. Pink Butterfly was shocked and angrily said, "You dare to hit me? I will definitely make the young lady punish you severely!"
The gatekeeper then raised his stick to strike again: "Tell your wretched young lady to get as far away as possible. If she dares to come near the General's Mansion again, I'll break her legs!"
Pink Butterfly clenched her fists, knowing she couldn't resort to violence outside the General's Mansion, or she'd have no place in the capital. She glared hatefully at the mansion before turning and leaving. Back in her courtyard, she saw Rui Yuhuan craning her neck to look around. She leaped forward and kicked Rui Yuhuan in the chest. Rui Yuhuan was sent flying, landing heavily on the ground, even bouncing once more before falling again. She screamed in pain, spitting out several white things—the replacement teeth from when she'd been beaten and knocked out by Pink Butterfly's kick. Rui Yuhuan's face was deathly pale, but she dared not say a word. She immediately knelt and cried, "Miss, I don't know what I've done wrong to make you so angry. Please punish me as you see fit; I promise I won't do it again."
Pink Butterfly retorted angrily, "You shameless woman! Tell me, did you deliberately devise that plan to get revenge on me, making me lose face outside the General's Mansion? Are you happy now? You shameless woman, how dare you scheme against me!" Pink Butterfly was about to kick her again when Rui Yuhuan immediately exclaimed in surprise, "Miss, how could I dare? I absolutely didn't mean that! I just wanted to finish my master's orders as soon as possible so that Miss and I could go back together. I absolutely had no ill intentions!"
"Hmph!" Pink Butterfly was naturally somewhat confident about this. Regardless of whether Rui Yuhuan truly submitted to her, given Pink Butterfly's previous methods, Rui Yuhuan would absolutely not dare to deliberately cause trouble if she couldn't get rid of her, as that would only bring her pain. Pink Butterfly immediately turned and went back into the house. Rui Yuhuan endured the pain and followed her in, asking softly, "I wonder who made Miss so angry?"
"Hmph! Those gatekeepers at the General's Mansion actually won't let me in."
Rui Yuhuan hesitated for a moment, but then said, "Then why don't you go see the old lady directly, Miss?"
Pink Butterfly was taken aback: "You mean..."
“Like this…” Rui Yuhuan immediately whispered in Pink Butterfly’s ear. Pink Butterfly narrowed her eyes and gave a sly smile.
"Cough cough cough." Old Madam Ning tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep, and coughed a few times. Mama Xi immediately came over: "Madam, you are not feeling well again. Let me fetch a doctor for you."
Old Madam Ning shook her head: "Hmph! No matter how bad my health is, who will pity me? They are all so disrespectful to their ancestor, it's heartbreaking. You can leave now."
Madam Xi hesitated, wanting to offer some advice, but then she saw Old Madam Ning giving her a cold look. She immediately walked out. These days, Old Madam Ning had become increasingly irritable, and of course, this was directed at Ouyang Yue. If Ouyang Yue hadn't secretly left the capital and escaped Old Madam Ning's clutches, would those baseless rumors have spread throughout the capital? That damned little beast! If she dares to come back, she will never let her off easily!
"Whoosh!" Suddenly a strange sound came from inside the room, followed by someone calling her: "Madam."
Old Ning was taken aback, then said angrily, "Didn't I tell you to leave? What do you want to bother me with now?"
The man paused noticeably, then there was a "plop" sound, followed by a sobbing voice: "Madam, please save my young lady!"
When Old Madam Ning heard something was wrong, she immediately sat up and saw Pinkie kneeling on the ground with her face covered in tears: "You...you're not Yu Huan's maid?"
A hint of displeasure flashed in Pink Butterfly's eyes, but she immediately nodded and said, "It is the Old Madam, it is Pink Butterfly. Pink Butterfly has come to beg you, please save my young lady. Ever since the young lady left the General's Mansion, she has been unable to eat or sleep, constantly lamenting that she cannot serve the Old Madam and fulfill her filial duties. She also says that she caused the Old Madam to be criticized, and that she should not have done so. Because of this, the young lady has attempted suicide several times. If it weren't for me staying up all night to watch over her, I don't know what state the young lady would be in now. This time, it's because the young lady is too weak and bedridden..." "It's because of the bed that I was able to find time to see you." With that, Fen Die kowtowed deeply to Old Madam Ning. "Old Madam, I beg you to grant me this favor, considering how filial and kind my young lady is. If you don't see her, she will keep trying to kill herself until she dies. Old Madam, I truly feel sorry for my young lady, but she only trusts and listens to you. I have no other choice but to risk my life to break into the General's Mansion. If you can see my young lady just once, I will immediately atone for my crime of trespassing."
Pink Butterfly spoke sorrowfully, while Old Madam Ning, already in tears, trembled as she said, "How could Yu Huan be so foolish? She's so foolish, and so filial! How can she compare to that wretched girl Ouyang Yue? That scoundrel De'er must be possessed by some evil spirit; he can't see such a good girl as Yu Huan and even drove her away! What a sin! What a sin! Quickly bring your young lady here, quickly bring her back to the manor, we mustn't let her do anything foolish."
Pink Butterfly hesitated and said, "But Madam, it's not that I don't want to bring Miss here, it's just that the guards at the General's Mansion are too principled. Last time I came, they chased me away. I'm afraid that if I bring Miss here, she'll be beaten again, and she might not even be able to see Madam before she's gone..."
"What! There are such despicable servants? Who in my General's Mansion has the final say? They don't even listen to me anymore! You bring your people here, let's see who dares to stop you. Mama Xi, come in." Mama Xi walked in lightly, and when she saw Fen Die in the room, her eyes did not show much surprise, but a hint of coldness flashed: "Old Madam."
"Go and bring Yu Huan into the manor. If anyone dares to stop them, have them beaten to death." Old Madam Ning's face turned red with anger. Mama Xi knew Old Madam Ning's temper well. At this time, no one could say anything more, so she walked towards Pinkie and said, "Please come, Miss Pinkie."
Pink Butterfly immediately followed him out with gratitude. As they left, Madam Xi smiled faintly and said, "Miss Rui and Pink Butterfly are truly cunning. They were driven out of the manor by the General, but they managed to return with the help of the Old Madam. It's truly a cause for celebration."
Pink Butterfly looked at Mother Xi with a puzzled expression and said, "Mother Xi, this servant does not understand what you mean."
Madam Xi simply looked ahead and said calmly, "Our General's Mansion is quite heavily guarded. For Miss Pink Butterfly to be able to fly through the air and enter the inner hall of Anhe Hall without anyone noticing, such skill is probably unmatched even by the generals under the General's command."
Pink Butterfly's expression changed. Seeing that Mama Xi's face was unchanged, she simply lowered her head and said, "Mama Xi, you flatter me. For my young lady's safety, I naturally used some tricks. As for the ability to fly and shield the ground, isn't that something only female knights in the opera can do? Pink Butterfly is just a mere maid. If I really had that ability, I wouldn't be a maid."
Mama Xi remained silent, simply walking briskly forward. Pink Butterfly looked at Mama happy, her eyes flickering slightly, before finally turning gloomy and carrying a hint of murderous intent.
Not long after, Madam Xi and Pink Butterfly brought Rui Yuhuan back. Although Ouyang Zhide had previously ordered that Rui Yuhuan not enter the General's Mansion, as the saying goes, "orders from above are followed by policies from below," and with Old Madam Ning speaking up, everyone had to give her some face. It was fortunate that Old Madam Ning was only concerned with catching up with Rui Yuhuan and didn't cause trouble for the gatekeepers.
Looking at Rui Yuhuan's noticeably thin and weak face, Old Madam Ning rose and hugged her tightly, calling her her "my darling" repeatedly, tears streaming down her face. Rui Yuhuan, naturally, also cried bitterly. The two of them reminisced in each other's arms, and Rui Yuhuan naturally settled in. This time, Old Madam Ning directly kept her in Anhe Hall, showing how much she valued and cared for her. Anyone who wanted to cause trouble for Rui Yuhuan under her nose would find it difficult.
That night, several figures flashed into the general's mansion. These figures moved swiftly and soon stopped in a small garden.
"There are eight people in this general's mansion. We can't touch Aunt Liu and the young master. So who do we start with for the other six?"
“I’ve investigated. The most important person in the mansion is the old lady, the madam, and then there are three concubines. One of them has a daughter, and the other is very much loved by General Ouyang. We’d better not make a move, otherwise we’ll really attract General Ouyang’s attention, and it will be a loss.”
Another said, "Then there's only one concubine surnamed Ming left. She's the daughter of the Minister's family, but she's an illegitimate daughter. Moreover, the records say that she's been punished for making mistakes one after another, and her legs have long been broken. She's the least favored in the mansion. Killing her will avenge that woman, and we'll have completed our mission. Let's go back and get the antidote."
"Yes, it's her!"
"Let's go, her residence is in that direction." After discussing it, the four shadowy figures immediately dashed towards Aunt Ming's Xiangning Courtyard.
Xiangning Courtyard is now the most deserted courtyard in the General's Mansion. With Consort Ming's fall from favor, the servants of Xiangning Courtyard have also sought their own way out, and many have left Xiangning Courtyard. Now, Consort Ming only has one maid, Qi Mama, two personal maids, and a few rough maids left. Four dark figures easily sneaked into Consort Ming's bedroom. Consort Ming's room gradually returned to its original state, but there were still no mirrors left in the room. There was no curtain on Consort Ming's bed, and she was not sleeping soundly, tossing and turning with cold sweat dripping from her head.
"Ah! Don't kill me!" Aunt Ming suddenly screamed and opened her eyes, as if she had a nightmare. However, as soon as she opened her eyes, there were four heads covered with black cloth on the bed. She immediately screamed in fright, and her mouth was immediately covered. Aunt Ming struggled and shook her head, and she was so scared that she was covered in cold sweat. However, when she saw a red mark on the black clothes of the four men, her eyes widened even more.
"The Bloodthirsty Alliance? They've already completed their mission and killed Ouyang Yue?" Before Aunt Ming could think further, the four assassins coldly swept their eyes over her. One of them stuffed a cloth into Aunt Ming's mouth, while two others grabbed her by the hands, and the third drew a dagger. Aunt Ming's eyes widened, and she screamed "Ahhh!" but the sounds that came out were just whimpering. The four men in black completely ignored her.
"Let's do it. If we can't kill her, let's leave something behind!"
"This woman is incredibly ugly, yet she can't die, and she's lost her legs, so all she has left are her hands!"
Aunt Ming's heart pounded with fear, and she struggled angrily.
"Smack! Bang!"
"Behave yourself, or I'll kill you, you ugly wretch!" The man in black who was covering Aunt Ming's mouth immediately slapped her across the face. The force of the slap caused blood to seep from the corner of Aunt Ming's mouth, and she felt a wave of dizziness.
But then, two flashes of silver light streaked across the air. The speed was so fast that Aunt Ming had no time to react. The next moment, she screamed, as if trying to unleash all the strength in her chest. The excruciating pain in her arm caused her to tremble and convulse uncontrollably. Sweat poured down her body like water, soaking her completely in no time. Unfortunately, her mouth was gagged, silencing all her screams. Aunt Ming stared blankly, finally fainting from the pain.
The four men in black looked at Aunt Ming without any pity: "You can only say she's unlucky!"
"Let's hurry up and go. If we go back too late, we won't get the antidote. I don't want to suffer that pain again. My head has already been poisoned to death. I don't want to die."
"Okay, once we've taken care of things here, we'll head back."
The next morning.
"ah!"
A piercing scream immediately rang out outside the General's Mansion, attracting a large crowd to rush over and watch. When everyone saw the scene outside the General's Mansion, they were all terrified and screamed incoherently.
A pair of human hands were hanging outside the gate of the general's mansion, which terrified everyone who saw them!
With Rui Yuhuan's help, Old Madam Ning got up. The two were having a meal in the mansion when a servant rushed in, terrified. The servant, pale with fright, said, "Old... Old Madam... something terrible has happened! There's a pair of bloody human hands hanging outside the mansion! The area outside is blocked by a huge crowd! What... what should we do?"
The bowl in Old Ning's hand fell to the table and then to the floor with a thud: "What did you say!"
"Ah! Auntie, your hand!"
At the same time, another earth-shattering scream came from Xiangning Courtyard, startling Old Madam Ning so much that she trembled and sat down in a chair!
☆, 102, Infiltrating the Scum! (Seeking monthly votes!)
Old Madam Ning's heart skipped a beat; she had a bad feeling. But she still mustered her strength and said, "Mama Xi, go quickly and see which courtyard has been hit! Hurry!"
"Yes, Madam." Mama Xi's expression also changed slightly, and she immediately turned around to go out and investigate. Rui Yuhuan, however, sat beside her, smiling as she served Old Madam Ning. But she was also a little uneasy. Didn't that servant say there was a pair of bloody hands hanging outside the door? Could it be that someone was causing trouble for the General's Mansion? If possible, she could use this to find someone to take the blame and then regain the trust of everyone in the General's Mansion.
In no time, Mama Xi brought Yang'er, who was serving Concubine Ming, into Anhe Hall. It turned out that Mama Xi had just left Anhe Hall when Yang'er stumbled over, her lips trembling as she tried to speak for a long time but couldn't. Seeing this, Mama Xi naturally didn't delay any longer and took Yang'er directly into Anhe Hall. When Old Madam Ning saw Yang'er, her expression changed slightly: "Why are you running to Anhe Hall instead of serving your mistress properly in Xiangning Courtyard?"
Yang'er's lips trembled. When she looked up, she found herself deathly pale. Her lips quivered as she stared at Old Madam Ning, her mouth opening and closing but no sound coming out for a long time. Yang'er had seen a lot while serving Consort Ming, and had even done many shameful and secret things for her in the past. However, doing and seeing are completely different things. She hadn't noticed anything amiss before, but the shocking scene she saw when she opened the bed curtains—this unexpected visual shock had already terrified Yang'er to the point of losing her soul.
"You...you say what you have to say, look at the state you're in now." Old Madam Ning said angrily, seeing Yang'er so frightened that he was speechless.
Yang'er kept shaking her head, and finally bit her lip, saying in a trembling voice, "Old...Old Madam, Aunt Ming...she's lying in so much red blood, the whole bed is red, she...she's gone, she's gone!" Yang'er screamed, her face filled with fear, and everyone could imagine how she looked when she saw Aunt Ming.
Old Madam Ning and Rui Yuhuan gasped. Although Consort Ming had made a mistake and was punished by Ouyang Zhide with amputation, Consort Ming wasn't entirely innocent. However, Old Madam Ning had worried for a long time that the Ministry of Revenue would blame them. In the end, the Ministry of Revenue didn't interfere, so the most likely explanation wasn't that they had completely abandoned Consort Ming, but rather that she simply hadn't revealed what had happened in the household. Even if Consort Ming's mistake was unforgivable, she had still caused the General's Mansion less trouble. Besides, Consort Ming was blind, disfigured, had a broken leg, and was frightened by Ouyang Yue's attack on the courtyard; she was truly pitiful. Old Madam Ning still felt some pity for her and would occasionally send things to Xiangning Courtyard. Even so, she didn't care. She had brought Consort Ming in herself and had previously doted on her. She wanted to ensure Consort Ming received proper etiquette, but she hadn't expected Consort Ming to suddenly suffer the punishment of having her hand cut off, which was both unexpected and frightening.
Rui Yuhuan's relationship with Consort Ming was merely one of mutual exploitation. However, even though Consort Ming was crippled, the household would still lose one of its helpers. Therefore, Rui Yuhuan's feelings were a mixture of shock and heartache.
"What are you saying? How could Aunt Ming lose both hands? What happened? Wasn't anyone on night watch yesterday? Didn't you hear a single sound? Haha, it's impossible that Aunt Ming went crazy and cut off her own hands in the middle of the night. Do you think that's possible?" Old Madam Ning stared coldly at Yang'er, her voice very stern, though it seemed to tremble slightly.
Yang'er trembled as she said, "This servant doesn't know... There wasn't a sound at all last night. Aunt Ming was very tired and went to bed early. The Old Madam... Aunt Ming keeps having nightmares and waking up in fright at night, so she doesn't rest well and is easily startled. Therefore, she ordered us servants to keep watch at night, but not to wake her. I was extra careful on watch, and I really didn't hear a sound. However, this morning, no matter how I called her, I couldn't wake her. That's when I lifted the curtain, and I saw, I saw... Aunt Ming seemed to have died again, lying in a pool of blood. It was so frightening..."
Old Madam Ning's heart suddenly pounded wildly. According to Yang'er's words, could it be that a ghost was behind yesterday's events? Ouyang Yue was no longer in the manor; otherwise, given the Taoist priest's prediction that she was a jinx, it would have been plausible. But she had been gone for almost two months, and Consort Ming had been perfectly fine. This matter couldn't possibly be attributed to Ouyang Yue. However, Old Madam Ning still harbored deep hatred for Ouyang Yue. If that little wretch hadn't secretly left the capital and been gone for so long, perhaps there wouldn't have been so much trouble in the manor. Things had finally become a bit peaceful recently, was it about to stir up another storm?
Upon thinking this, Old Madam Ning suddenly exclaimed in alarm: "Guards, immediately seal off the news! No one is allowed to spread what is happening in the manor. Anyone who dares to spread it will be severely punished!"
Madam Xi hesitated for a moment and said, "But Madam, a group of people have gathered outside the General's Mansion. They can't be easily dealt with."
Old Madam Ning's face darkened. Madam Xi was right. Someone daring to leave a bloody hand outside the General's Mansion was undoubtedly a provocation. Moreover, the hand belonged to a concubine, adding to the threat. The General's Mansion was, after all, a renowned military family residence. Martial artists were most averse to bloodshed at their gates. This person had so brazenly hung up a bloody hand, silently making it seem like a ghost was at work. If word got out, wouldn't it imply that the General's Mansion had done something wrong and was now being punished? What if it incurred the wrath of ghosts?
None of these points are beneficial to the General's Mansion. If a reasonable explanation isn't given now, the people outside the General's Mansion probably won't leave easily.
Old Madam Ning gritted her teeth, her fists clenched in anger: "If I knew who did this, I would make him cut into pieces! How hateful, how utterly hateful!" Then she looked at Mama Xi and said, "Mama Xi, take some people and send them away. Tell them it was some prankster, and that the situation in the manor must not be revealed."
Knowing that this matter couldn't wait, Madam Xi immediately took a few of her servants and rushed out to deal with it. A short while later, a rough-looking maid rushed in, saying anxiously, "Madam, you must go and see! It's too chaotic outside. Madam Xi and I can't stop them at all. Those people are so crazy that they're trying to break into the General's Mansion to see what's going on. Someone in the crowd has already gone to fetch the Prefect of the Capital. If you don't go out and take charge, this matter is likely to escalate further."
"Smack!"
Old Madam Ning slammed her hand on the table, her face cold and grim: "We always see Madam Xi getting so much benefit, but now she's having so much trouble getting things done. She's utterly useless. Come on, let's see who dares to cause trouble in front of me. Let's go to the main gate." With that, she was helped out by Rui Yuhuan. However, once they reached the General's Mansion, she realized that she had completely misunderstood Madam Xi. It wasn't that Madam Xi was inactive; it was that she was simply incapable of doing anything.
The general's mansion was surrounded by layers of people, and the noise from everyone talking was so loud that it had already thrown everyone into a state of confusion. Madam Xi, her face flushed, was rendered speechless by the questions asked; clearly, the questions were quite sharp. Old Madam Ning's expression changed as she tried to think of a solution, but someone in the crowd had already noticed her presence.
"Look, the old lady of the General's Mansion has come out. Ask her if you have anything to say."
"Madam, what exactly happened at the General's Mansion? We just heard screams, what were those hands? What's going on?"
"These bloody hands are hanging outside the General's Mansion. Could they be related to the screams that came from inside the mansion earlier? Who lost both hands so badly?"
Old Madam Ning shook her head with a sullen face and said, "Those are all rumors, they are not true at all. This thing was just a prank that was hung here. Don't take it seriously. Stop making wild guesses and leave quickly."
But this group of people weren't so easily fooled. The scream was quite loud, and although it was quite far away, some people with good hearing still heard it. Judging from Old Ning's appearance, she was clearly trying to make excuses, and they knew that perfectly well.
It should be noted that the more Old Madam Ning tried to get these people to leave using this method and stop them from interfering, the more curious they became. Everyone in the manor was present except for the legitimate daughter, Ouyang Yue, and the general. Aside from the deceased Ouyang Hua, Old Madam Ning was still standing there unharmed. So who could have been in trouble? The crowd stared in horror at the bloodied hand hanging in front of the door. That person must have suffered the loss of their hand, right?
Old Ning ignored these people: "Quickly take this off! Who is making such a fuss? It's outrageous!" Old Ning still believed that someone was just being silly and that's why they committed this crime.
Just then, the crowd parted, and the Prefect of the Capital Prefecture, accompanied by several constables, approached. He was about to speak with Old Madam Ning, but upon glancing up, he immediately saw a pair of blood-red hands on the door. Startled, he took two steps back, his eyes widening in shock. He roared, "What on earth is going on, Old Madam Ning? You must give me an explanation! Otherwise, if everyone in the capital follows suit, it will definitely affect the security of the capital. I demand a reasonable explanation!" The Prefect of the Capital Prefecture, upon hearing of this unusual incident involving the General's Mansion, had initially thought it was a prank. However, the constables who returned seemed suspicious, so he decided to investigate. He hadn't expected it to be real. If this wasn't someone deliberately causing trouble for the General's Mansion, then the General's Mansion had thoroughly offended someone. With careful consideration, there were many possible explanations for these blood-red hands.
It's possible someone deliberately placed this thing to annoy the General's Mansion, or perhaps someone in the General's Mansion offended someone, and that person took the opportunity to retaliate. Of course, it's also possible someone hostile to the General's Mansion intentionally created this blunder to cause trouble and invite gossip about the General's Mansion—a prank. More likely, this thing represents a person; one hand can kill one person, or two hands can kill two people, or even ten fingers on one hand can kill ten people, or perhaps something even more terrifying.
With this in mind, the Prefect of Jingzhao Prefecture had no choice but to take it seriously.