"Are you sure it worked?"
Yang'er replied, "Auntie, it's absolutely true."
Aunt Ming's smile deepened: "Alright, I understand." Then Aunt Ming said softly to Madam Ning, "Madam, Ling'er just came back with a message saying that the Third Miss suddenly suffered from heatstroke in the garden and was helped down to find a place to rest by the Second Miss. Do you think we should send someone over to check on her?"
As she approached, Mu Cuiwei, who had come with Baili Jing and was sitting in the back watching the show, heard Aunt Ming's words. Her eyes turned cold, and she couldn't help but say, "Ugly people love to act strangely!"
The stage was only temporary, so the seats were quite close together. Although a play was being performed on stage, people below could still hear each other clearly if they listened carefully. Old Madam Ning immediately frowned and looked at Mu Cuiwei. Although she disliked Ouyang Yue, her granddaughter who had brought shame to the General's Mansion, she was still a member of the General's Mansion. Being reprimanded like this and having it overheard by Mu Cuiwei made her lose face. She couldn't help but say, "Miss Mu, could it be that you have some misunderstanding with Yue'er? It seems that your relationship with her is not harmonious."
Qi Zi was not harmonious at all; he was extremely disharmonious. He had just opened his mouth to say something when he remembered that the slap mark on his face had not yet faded, so he swallowed it back, gave a cold snort, and turned his head away.
As the hostess today, Madam Huang naturally had to take care of the guests. She didn't want to be criticized for not being well taken care of when she was competing with Old Madam Ning again: "Mama Tian, send someone to look for Yue'er. If she's not feeling well, find a doctor to take a look. The weather has been so unpredictable these past few days, no wonder she can't stand it."
Mother Tian responded and immediately sent people down to look for Ouyang Yue.
A moment later, a young maidservant, her face showing a mixture of surprise and uncertainty, walked unsteadily into the central courtyard, looking bewildered and at a loss, almost bumping into a guest. Madam Tian immediately pulled her aside and scolded, "What's the rush? Didn't I tell you to find the Third Miss? Why are you back in such a hurry? What happened?"
The young maidservant's face flickered with a strange expression: "Mama Tian, something terrible has happened! The Third Miss...she..."
The maid's uncertain expression caught Mu Cuiwei's eye as she turned around. Mu Cuiwei glanced over and overheard the maid mentioning Ouyang Yue. She immediately exclaimed, "Third Miss, something bad has happened? What's wrong? What happened to Third Miss Ouyang?"
Her scream immediately drew the attention of everyone present. The little maid suddenly blushed and didn't know how to answer. Mu Cuiwei looked even more puzzled: "What do you mean? Is Miss Ouyang's illness too serious? We need to find a doctor quickly. We have to go and see her too. What should we do?"
The maidservant immediately exclaimed in alarm, "You can't go! You can't call a doctor! None of you can go!"
Mu Cuiwei, who had only been looking for trouble, couldn't help but wonder if Ouyang Yue had really encountered an accident, judging from the little maid's reaction.
At this moment, Aunt Ming also said, "It seems that the Third Miss is really not feeling well. Why don't I take someone to see her?"
At this moment, Aunt Hong, who had been quietly standing to the side, exclaimed in surprise, "No, we can't go!"
Aunt Ming asked suspiciously, "What does Aunt Hong mean? Why can't we go? The Third Miss is the only legitimate daughter in our household, and she is the most precious. If she is not feeling well, we should naturally go to see her. We absolutely cannot let a minor illness turn into a major one. What does Aunt Hong mean by saying this?"
Aunt Hong's expression changed slightly, her fists clenching slightly. That person was helped away by Ouyang Rou, and she knew about Ouyang Rou and Hong Yicheng's plan. They simply wanted to take advantage of today's chaotic birthday banquet, when no one was paying attention, to make Ouyang Yue and Hong Yicheng consummate their relationship, so that Ouyang Yue wouldn't be able to deny it later.
When Hong Yicheng then proposes marriage again, claiming mutual affection with Ouyang Yue, Ouyang Zhide will have no reason to refuse. He agreed to the marriage years ago, so there's no reason for him to refuse again. Besides, Ouyang Yue has already lost her virginity, making remarriage difficult. On one hand, they've won over Ouyang Zhide for the Crown Prince; they'll at least remember her and Ouyang Rou's contributions. If Ouyang Rou and Ouyang Yue are brought into the Hong residence together, then the Crown Prince's tutor will be their domain. And if the Crown Prince ascends the throne, their wealth and glory won't be far behind!
However, all of this had to be done secretly. After all, if it were exposed in public, revealing that Hong Yicheng and Ouyang Yue had an affair would ruin both of their reputations. Hong Yicheng wouldn't risk his reputation for the sake of his future. This matter was different from when Ouyang Rou plotted to frame Ouyang Yue; the starting point and purpose were completely different. This time, they had to proceed secretly and protect their reputations.
But Aunt Ming's words left her speechless. She bit her lip and could only say, "Today is Madam Huang's birthday banquet. It's not good to go to such lengths. How about I send a few maids to go and take a look? The Second Miss is in poor health, and these maids know very well about this heatstroke. They can solve it if they go."
Aunt Ming disagreed, saying, "That won't do. What if it's not heatstroke but some other symptom? If it develops into a serious illness, no one can bear the responsibility. Besides, this is at Old Madam Huang's birthday banquet. If we handle it so hastily and something goes wrong, it won't look good for Old Madam Huang."
Upon hearing this, Huang's expression immediately changed.
On the other side, Leng Caiwen suddenly tugged at Baili Chen's clothes. Baili Chen looked up, and at that moment, an attendant came over and whispered something in his ear. His expression suddenly turned cold, and then he clenched his fist and put it to his lips, suddenly coughing violently. The sound was like his heart was breaking, immediately attracting everyone's attention.
Madam Huang was extremely apprehensive and hurriedly said, "Is the Seventh Prince feeling unwell? Please allow me to send a doctor to take a look."
Baili Chen shook his head: "It's nothing, just an old ailment. I'm used to it. I was quite concerned when the Third Miss suddenly fainted. It seems that the Third Miss's condition is quite serious. Why don't I go and take a look? I'm just getting tired of watching the show and I was thinking of having the Third Miss perform another magic trick. I'll go along with her."
"Ah, this..." Old Madam Huang hesitated. It was really beneath Baili Chen's status to visit Ouyang Yue, and it was not in accordance with the rules.
Aunt Ming's eyes lit up. With someone of Baili Chen's status going to testify, the effect would be even better, and it would surely ruin Ouyang Yue's reputation.
Before Huang could answer, Baili Chen asked the little maid, "Go, lead the way!"
The little maid looked terrified, but dared not disobey orders. She led the way with slightly unsteady steps. Baili Chen, Leng Caiwen, and Dai Yu followed behind. When the others saw Baili Chen leave, they naturally wanted to follow. Mu Cuiwei, however, wanted to see Ouyang Yue make a scene, so she had no reason not to follow.
Finally, Baili Chen, Baili Jing, and others led a group of people, following the little maid. The group marched on in a grand procession, with curious people constantly joining along the way, and the number of people in the group kept increasing.
The more they walked, the more strange the maid's expression became. When they reached the fork in the road, the maid suddenly fell to the ground in fright. Just as everyone was about to scold her, they suddenly heard a woman's scream: "Ah... Ahh!"
The sound was extremely strange, like excitement, pain, and groaning all at once. Everyone was stunned when they heard it!
Immediately, some people ignored the maid's strange behavior and ran to the right side of the fork in the road. When everyone arrived at the pavilion and saw the scene there, they all gasped in shock!
☆、055、Shocking Scandal!
Most of the people who followed had wide eyes and mouths agape, their faces showing disbelief and utter shock.
No wonder everyone looked astonished. The scenery here was quite nice, with willow trees standing tall and a quiet, secluded spot, making it a good place to relax. The pavilion not far away was also a place to rest when one was tired from walking. However, the people in the pavilion had completely ruined this peaceful and beautiful scenery.
All that could be seen in the pavilion were nine men and two women, all completely naked, entangled together in a chaotic scene that was unlike anything ever seen before, and the filthy language they used was utterly unbearable to hear!
The man, with a lecherous expression, began to hurl insults, causing the many young ladies who had accompanied him, and even the married noblewomen, to frown. These women, from prominent families, were known for their roundabout way of speaking, preferring to break down sentences into three or five parts for others to decipher. Even their insults were rarely so direct, making them extremely unpleasant to hear.
However, compared to the men's foul language, the two women's expressions showed a sense of pleasure. The group surrounded everyone, and although no one could see what they were doing, they could easily guess that the situation inside was chaotic and that state of affairs completely stunned and dumbfounded the people who rushed over!
Such matters of the bedroom were considered taboo in the Great Zhou Dynasty, a nation renowned for its etiquette and propriety. Even young ladies from respectable families dared not discuss men in private, as it would be a disgrace. To openly engage in illicit sexual relations was utterly shocking. Moreover, it wasn't just one man and one woman, but a group of them! This was unheard of. Even the women considered lowly by the noblewomen of the capital would at least have their own private rooms when entertaining clients. These people were so audacious—were they even less than the lowest prostitutes in brothels?
Isn't this enough to leave them speechless with astonishment?!
"Ah!" At this moment, one of the women suddenly shouted, immediately bringing the people who were still in shock back to their senses, and they all began to discuss with contempt and disgust.
"My God, how could someone do such a filthy thing in broad daylight? It's a disgrace to women!"
"Yes, I never knew that some women could be so despicable, even worse than prostitutes in brothels. It's simply... I don't know what to say about such people!"
"I found it strange that Miss Ouyang suddenly fainted in the back garden. Turns out she was here to have an affair with a man. Naturally, she had to keep it a secret. But in broad daylight, all schemes and plots are exposed. Look at her shameful state now, everyone's seen!" Mu Cuiwei thought herself bold, but she was genuinely stunned by the scene. However, remembering the little maid's expression and Ouyang Yue's fainting spell, she laughed. Fine! She had originally planned to take revenge on Ouyang Yue, but this bitch jumped into the fire herself. She wouldn't blame her for kicking her while she was down!
"Oh, this Miss Ouyang is utterly shameless! A while ago, she led a group to the Marquis of Huaiyuan's residence to force them to annul their engagement, ruining her own sister's happiness and becoming the biggest laughingstock in the capital. Turns out, she's always been this promiscuous. No wonder she doesn't care and dares to run around like this. It turns out she's done even worse things! She's utterly shameless, so shameless!" A young lady who was in cahoots with Mu Cuiwei immediately chimed in.
Li Rushuang, having heard the news of Ouyang Yue's disappearance, rushed over to see what was happening. She was stunned by the scene before her, but also terrified. As a woman, she knew all too well what it meant to be surrounded by so many people in this situation. She trembled all over. Was Ouyang Yue doomed? How could this be? The confident, radiant woman who stood before her, her eyes clear as a lake, so composed and composed—how could she do such a thing? No way! She refused to believe it!
“No, Miss Ouyang is not that kind of person, she is not!” Li Rushuang couldn’t help but retort.
But her voice was so pale at this moment, while Mu Cuiwei and the others mocked her: "Li Rushuang, even at a time like this, you're still siding with Ouyang Yue? You want to be friends with her? Can you afford to be friends with her? You're just a little ugly and a little impulsive, but do you want to become a promiscuous woman like her?!"
Li Rushuang kept shaking her head, but didn't know what to say.
Baili Chen, who had led the way, looked at the scene in the pavilion. His slightly pale face wore a faint smile, which, combined with his striking and exquisite features, was extremely dazzling, yet it exuded danger. Leng Caiwen, who was standing beside him and felt the most acutely, even trembled in shock. But as he turned to look in the direction of the pavilion, his heart grew colder, and his eyes gradually darkened, becoming deeper and darker.
Dai Yu's eyebrows stood straight up, and her lips, which were already sharp as if carved by a knife, were pressed into an extremely thin and sharp line.
Seeing this, Rui Yuhuan, who was following behind, brightened up and sneered, but said in surprise, "No way, how could the Third Miss do this..." After all, she came with Ouyang Yue and the others, so her words had a better effect than the others.
Aunt Ming frowned, a look of panic flashing across her face: "How could this be? This is impossible! This can't be the Third Miss! It can't be!"
Aunt Hong, initially filled with anxiety, glanced around. Seeing everyone's attention focused on the pavilion, she thought, "At least no one's noticed the left side." Though shocked—hadn't Rou'er taken Ouyang Yue to see Hong Yicheng?—why was Ouyang Yue here? But then a thought struck her: Ouyang Rou had harbored resentment towards Ouyang Yue for years, and her previous plan had included framing Ouyang Yue's innocence. Who knew if she'd try again? Was this the same goal she had in the manor? If Ouyang Yue lost her virginity, her dignity, and was abandoned, wouldn't Ouyang Rou naturally be allowed to rise to power in the manor?
Thinking this, Aunt Hong's voice became a little shrill: "You're talking nonsense, this can't be the Third Miss, the Third Miss... Waaah, how did she become like this?" She had been vehemently denying it, but now that she was crying like this, wouldn't it make her believe that the person in the pavilion having an affair with a wild man was Ouyang Yue?
Old Madam Ning was so angry that the veins on her forehead were throbbing. She was so angry that she felt dizzy and her body kept swaying. If it weren't for Mama Xi supporting her, she would have fainted. She roared angrily, "Shameless thing, stop right now!"
However, no one in the pavilion paid her any attention. They continued as before, and things even seemed to be getting worse. Old Madam Ning was so angry that she pushed Xi Mama hard, saying, "Go! Go and wake this shameless thing up! Go now!"
Having no other choice, Madam Xi rushed into the pavilion. Although it was outside, the pungent, obscene smell was still overwhelming as soon as she got close. She paused for a moment, then quickened her pace, pulled one of the men who was riding on one of the women away, and threw him to the ground.
On the other side, Huang also came to her senses and pushed Tian Mama beside her, angrily shouting, "Go, go quickly, go and get it done!" Her meaning was obviously to stop her from making such a fool of herself, but she was too angry to speak a complete sentence. Tian Mama also rushed up quickly, directly pulled up the woman that Xi Mama had pulled up, and slapped her hard across the face.
"Ugh!" The woman was slapped and fell to the ground, her chest hitting the ground directly. She cried out in pain and lay there stunned for a moment. However, at this moment, Tian's mother had already pulled up another woman and slapped her hard again. Xi's mother, who was about to strike, saw the person and her eyes quickly turned around.
"Bang!"
The woman was flung away by the angry slap and fell heavily to the ground. She cried out in pain, spat out a mouthful of blood, and lay on the ground for a while before suddenly raising her head, her face full of surprise. The crowd was even more surprised than she was when they saw her!
Aunt Hong's eyes widened in shock, and she sat down on the ground with a thud: "Second...Second Miss...How...What happened!" Aunt Hong's cry startled those who thought they were seeing things and were still in shock.
That's right!
The people in the pavilion were neither Ouyang Yue nor her maid, but Ouyang Rou, Ouyang Yue's half-sister. Those who had been accusing Ouyang Yue earlier showed a slight change in expression. They were disgusted by Ouyang Rou's despicable behavior and ashamed of their slander, as it concerned a woman's reputation and had a significant impact on her. However, they also harbored resentment. If someone hadn't sworn that the person in the pavilion was Ouyang Yue, they wouldn't have believed it or joined in the condemnation.
The situation on Mu Cuiwei's face suddenly changed. It wasn't Ouyang Yue at all. What a lucky break for her!
Ouyang Rou's eyes gradually cleared from their lustful glint. Seeing a large crowd gathered at the pavilion entrance, she became even more confused. Then, noticing Aunt Hong collapsed to the ground in terror, she asked, "Aunt, what's wrong? Why are there so many people...?"
However, as soon as she stood up, she felt something sticky flowing down her body. She looked down blankly and saw that she was completely naked, covered in various marks. Her brain constricted, and she screamed, instinctively throwing herself heavily to the ground, not wanting anyone to see her like this. She couldn't think of a better solution than screaming. But then, under Huang's orders, Granny Tian pulled her up and slapped her hard across the face.
"Quickly, quickly dress them! What kind of behavior is this!" Madam Ning was also shocked, but she still retained a shred of rationality. She knew that if this continued, their General's Mansion would be even more disgraced. So she had a maid take some clothes from who-knows-where and quickly dressed Ouyang Rou.
At this moment, Ouyang Rou looked like a rag doll, her face blank, completely unsure of what expression to make.
She didn't understand, she really didn't understand, how things had developed to this point. She was clearly helping Ouyang Yue, whom she had drugged, to see Hong Yicheng, and things were about to succeed, so how did she end up here, completely naked and like that? No, that dark figure, it was a dark figure! The moment that dark figure appeared, she lost consciousness. She had been set up, she had been set up! She was innocent!
However, just as Ouyang Rou was about to cry out in surprise, Mama Tian suddenly shouted, "Ah, young master, it's the young master!"
Her shout caused a huge stir. The only person who could make Granny Tian call out like that was the master of the Ning family. Although the Ning family was large and had many branches, the main family only had two sons and two grandsons. Considering the rumors of Ning Xihai's lecherous nature, everyone instinctively knew who Granny Tian was calling out to.
So when Tian's mother pulled the person up and saw that face, everyone exclaimed "Ah!" in understanding tone, "It really is Ning Xihai!"
When Madam Huang saw this man, her face turned ashen. She never expected that her search for Ouyang Yue would ultimately uncover Ouyang Rou's affair with a maid and a stranger, and she never imagined that her beloved grandson was among those strangers!
At this moment, Madam Tian gently shook Ning Xihai, hoping to wake him up: "Young Master, wake up, Young Master, please wake up." Madam Tian had been by Huang's side for many years and had seen a lot of things, but at this moment she was also very scared and had no idea what to do. She could only hope that the young master would wake up soon, because the situation was already too bad!
However, Ning Xihai hadn't woken up yet. With Tian Ma's shaking, blood began to trickle from the corner of Ning Xihai's mouth. Tian Ma was horrified: "Ah! Young Master, what's wrong? Wake up!" Only then did she notice that Ning Xihai's face was completely pale, his eyes were closed, and his body seemed stiff. Tian Ma trembled as she held her finger to Ning Xihai's nose, her voice shaking, "Young...Young Master has stopped breathing! Young Master...he's...he's not breathing anymore!"
Huang shouted, "What!"
Meanwhile, Ning Xihai's mother, Shang, who had followed from the crowd as if nothing had happened, pushed people aside and rushed over. She hugged Ning Xihai and gestured to him for a while. When she realized that Ning Xihai was not breathing and his body was cold, she collapsed to the ground and cried out in anguish, "Ah, my son, how could you leave like this? You wretched woman, it's all your fault, it's all your fault! You'll stay with my Hai'er!"
Shang jumped up, grabbed Ouyang Rou's hair, and swung her hand hard. Ouyang Rou had no chance to react and was thrown to the ground, spitting out a mouthful of blood. But Shang didn't stop there. She took another step forward and started punching and kicking Ouyang Rou.
Seeing this, Aunt Hong disregarded everything else and rushed forward to pull at Madam Shang: "This has nothing to do with the Second Miss. It's your eldest son who acted improperly and seduced the Second Miss. You're ruining the Second Miss's reputation. You wicked people are the ones who falsely accuse others!"
"You wretch! My Hai'er has been murdered, and you still dare to blame him? I'll beat you to death!" As soon as Shang was pushed, she viciously lashed out at Aunt Hong.
Aunt Hong's mind was in turmoil. Not only had Ouyang Rou's plan failed, but she had also been caught in public having affairs with several men. This was nothing like what happened in the General's Mansion. Since the entire household had heard and seen it, Old Madam Ning and Madam Ning, for the sake of the mansion's reputation, would certainly not tell anyone outside. The servants had naturally been severely reprimanded. Even if they were looked down upon within the mansion, it wouldn't matter to them outside. Therefore, if they tried their best, it might not harm their future prospects.
But now that Ouyang Rou has been seen in such a disgraceful state in public, and Ning Xihai is dead, Ouyang Rou's reputation is completely ruined, and she is also burdened with the crime of murder. How can she and her mother live? Aunt Hong said that even if it means death, Ouyang Rou cannot be made to admit to this crime.
At this moment, Baili Chen waved his hand, and immediately a guard who was accompanying him stepped forward to check Ning Xihai's injuries. After examining him, the guard clasped his hands and respectfully said to Baili Chen, "Reporting to the Seventh Prince, Young Master Ning's heart pulse is weak and he is not breathing through his nose. Upon investigation, it is possible that he died suddenly due to being too engrossed in his previous activities!"
The guard's words clearly told those around him that Ning Xihai's death was entirely due to his excessive indulgence in pleasure, which led to his heart failing him from the overwhelming excitement. Such cases had occurred throughout history, so no one doubted the veracity of this statement. Furthermore, Ning Xihai had fallen to the ground without anyone noticing; including him, there were ten men and two women—such behavior was far too reckless. It was only natural that Ning Xihai would die suddenly from excessive excitement!
Upon hearing this, Madam Shang became even more determined to capture Ouyang Rou and kill her.
Ouyang Rou finally snapped out of her shock. Seeing Shang Shi lunging at her fiercely, she immediately cried out, "It wasn't me! It wasn't me! I don't know! I don't know anything! It's not my business! It has nothing to do with me!"
Shang ignored her excuses and pounced on her fiercely. Her son, whom she had talked about for more than ten years, was dead just like that. Anyone would go crazy at this moment.
Madam Huang was in a terrible predicament. Her grandson had died in such an absurd way, witnessed by so many noble ladies and gentlemen of the capital. Her Ning family's century-old reputation was ruined in an instant! Moreover, he was with Ouyang Rou, a lowly concubine's daughter who was not worthy of being presented in public. Madam Huang was so angry that she could not speak.
Needless to say, Old Madam Ning was furious. Although it wasn't Ouyang Yue here, it still didn't appease her. Ouyang Rou wasn't even her granddaughter, and it involved the life of her grandson-in-law. She was even more troubled than Madam Huang. This matter was simply too difficult to resolve peacefully. Even after all these years of fighting and living peacefully, she had never experienced anything like this before.
The others also started talking amongst themselves upon seeing this.
"I really didn't expect it to be the second young lady of the General's Mansion. Her behavior is really outrageous. I have wronged the third young lady of Ouyang before."
"Absolutely! She's utterly despicable! She should be dragged out and drowned in a pig cage so that everyone in the capital can see her shameful state. She's utterly despicable!"
Mu Cuiwei remained silent with a cold expression, while Li Rushuang breathed a sigh of relief.
At this moment, Baili Chen waved his hand and said, "Alright, stop arguing. I think the most important thing is to find a doctor to see if there is any hope for the eldest son of the Ning family."