Shang was shocked. Wasn't her son dead? But Baili Chen's words rekindled her hope. You see, although Shang was the eldest daughter-in-law of the Ning family, she only had one son and one daughter, Ning Xihai and Ning Xishan. If her son really died, it would directly affect her status as the eldest daughter-in-law of the main branch. Therefore, Ning Xihai's survival was more important than anything else: "Yes, yes, quickly call a doctor, quickly call a doctor, you must save my Hai'er, you must save him!"
At this moment, on the path, a woman dressed as a maid helped a young woman in a green gauze dress approach. The young woman was surprised to see a crowd of people at the intersection and hurried closer, only to find that there was a sea of people and she couldn't squeeze forward at all. She couldn't help but pat a young lady from an official family behind her, who was also unable to squeeze forward and was talking to someone: "Miss, what's going on inside? Why are there so many people here?"
The young lady from the official family was chatting excitedly with someone when she was interrupted. Her face immediately darkened, and she said in a very unfriendly tone, "What else could it be? You also know that a wild man was caught having an affair with a young lady from the official family up ahead...!" When the person saw the newcomer, he was stunned for a moment, and then exclaimed in surprise, "Ah, Miss Ouyang, you... you really weren't inside!"
Her shout made the already chaotic scene even more chaotic.
So everyone who heard her voice turned around and looked over. The place where she couldn't squeeze in suddenly became crowded with people. When they saw who it was, they couldn't help but exclaim, "Miss Ouyang, it really is her!"
“Miss Ouyang, you…you’ve come. Then you know what’s going on inside…”
These people had all come looking for Ouyang Yue after hearing the commotion. Some had seen the scene unfold, while others hadn't, but having heard rumors circulating, they also assumed Ouyang Yue was having an affair with another man. Although the misunderstanding had just been cleared up, seeing Ouyang Yue brought not only surprise but also a sense of guilt. How could the Third Miss Ouyang be standing so casually inside, unlike the Second Miss Ouyang, who was known for her multiple affairs?
Ouyang Yue was covering her head with her hands. She frowned and asked, "Huh? What happened inside? Why are you all so surprised to see me?"
Baili Jing, who had heard the commotion, turned back with Mu Cuiwei and Baili Cai. When she saw Ouyang Yue standing there, her expression changed drastically, and Mu Cuiwei even gritted her teeth.
Rui Yuhuan felt a little disappointed, but then she thought of something else that was very concerning: "Third Miss, didn't you suddenly faint in the back garden and were helped to rest by Second Miss Ouyang? How come Second Miss was inside... but you came out from behind? Don't you know about Second Miss's matter?"
As soon as Rui Yuhuan said this, everyone had the same thought in their hearts.
Yes, many people witnessed Ouyang Rou helping Ouyang Yue leave earlier. The shock of seeing Ouyang Rou, her maid, and ten men having an affair was so intense that many were stunned and didn't have time to process the subsequent bombshell news. Rui Yuhuan's reminder now makes things even more suspicious.
Ouyang Rou kindly helped Ouyang Yue leave to rest, but how could Ouyang Rou suddenly do such a shameless thing with the ten men again! They all thought it was Ouyang Yue, but now it's Ouyang Rou. Where did Ouyang Yue go?
Those attending Huang's birthday banquet at the Ning residence today were all sons of noble families. Which family didn't have its share of infighting and power struggles? Moreover, among the ladies and young women present, there was a distinction between legitimate and illegitimate daughters, making them even more acutely aware of the power struggles within these households. They immediately sensed something amiss in this whole affair. Why was Ouyang Rou the only one left after helping the unconscious Ouyang Yue away, and why was she acting so shamelessly? Why did it take her so long to arrive after Ouyang Yue had fainted? What had happened before?
Could it be that Ouyang Yue deliberately plotted to harm Ouyang Rou? When Ouyang Rou woke up, her dazed and bewildered expression was indeed somewhat strange. Now, thinking about it carefully, it seems increasingly suspicious. So, all things considered, it seems Ouyang Yue intentionally framed her half-sister. If that's the case, Ouyang Yue is far too ruthless!
Previously, Ouyang Yue had forced the Huaiyuan Earl's family to annul the engagement. Although the Huaiyuan Earl's family wasn't considered a perfect match by these noble ladies, they were more than qualified for Ouyang Rou, a concubine's daughter—it was an excellent marriage. Ouyang Yue had ruined it, wasn't she destroying her own half-sister's happiness? Although there was a small rumor in the capital later that Ouyang Rou's character was also questionable, and that she had an ambiguous relationship with her cousin, Ouyang Yue was present at the time. Thinking about it now, they all felt that perhaps this was also Ouyang Yue's deliberate act to frame their half-sister's reputation?
Compared to what happened today, all of that is insignificant and incomparable. Today, Ouyang Rou has been completely ruined by Ouyang Yue, and she will have no chance of recovery.
Thinking this, they couldn't help but feel a chill run down their spines. This third young lady of the General's Mansion, Ouyang Yuexin, was far too ruthless and cunning. She could actually do such a cruel and vicious thing. She was far too insidious and cruel!
Upon seeing Ouyang Yue, everyone instinctively took a step back. Rui Yuhuan sneered, and Sen Cuiwei also looked coldly at Ouyang Yue. Baili Jing looked disdainful. Such petty tricks were simply too weak. Only someone like Ouyang Yue, who lacked intelligence and was prone to making mistakes due to impulsiveness, could pull off such a scheme that could be exposed so easily.
Dongxue, who had been supporting Ouyang Yue, snorted coldly in dissatisfaction: "Hmph! I'd like to ask you something. Second Miss said she would help Miss down to rest, but where did she go? She left our Miss alone by the pond in front. It's so secluded there. What if she encountered bad people? What if something happened and she was swept into the pond? This is so irresponsible!" Dongxue's questioning was genuine, her eyes full of dissatisfaction. "This is my first time entering the Ning Mansion with Miss. I'm unfamiliar with this place and only focused on finding Miss. I got lost without realizing it. It's just that our Miss is lucky, and that's how I found her. Otherwise, I wouldn't even know if Miss is in any danger. Where is Second Miss? Even if it means defying authority, I have to ask Second Miss today. Is this how an elder sister should act?!"
Seeing Dongxue's angry expression, the others were somewhat unsure of what to do. However, when they looked at Ouyang Yue, they noticed that she had been covering her head with her hands since she appeared, her face extremely pale, and she looked so frail that she needed Dongxue's support. It seemed as if she would faint immediately without Dongxue. It didn't seem like she was faking it at all.
Now, everyone was even more surprised and uncertain.
Mu Cuiwei, however, could not let Ouyang Yue off the hook: "Oh, you were alone somewhere else, but did you have any evidence or witnesses? The words of a mere maid, who was one of your people, are not enough to prove your innocence."
Ouyang Yue raised her head, looking somewhat weak, and spoke softly without any strength: "What do you mean by that, Miss Mu? I woke up on the ground by myself, and I was just surprised and scared. What evidence do I need? Why are you bringing up my innocence again?" Ouyang Yue said helplessly, "Although I had some conflicts with Miss Mu before, I am currently weak and do not have the strength to argue with Miss Mu."
"Hmph! I think you're just feeling guilty!"
"Miss Mu, don't go too far, cough cough cough..." Ouyang Yue said angrily, but then she started coughing violently. Her pale face turned red from coughing, and she looked extremely painful. It was definitely not an act.
Li Rushuang walked over at this moment, took Ouyang Yue's other arm, and said involuntarily, "Miss Ouyang, your second sister... she's had an accident..."
Ouyang Yue exclaimed in surprise, "Something happened? What happened? I didn't see my second sister when I woke up, and I was wondering what was going on. Cough cough cough..."
Ouyang Yue's expression was so surprised that no one could find anything unusual about it. Some people couldn't help but believe her to a large extent. Li Rushuang, however, blushed and didn't know what to say. "This...this, this...is...is..." she stammered for a long time without being able to utter a complete sentence.
Mu Cuiwei sneered: "The Second Miss of the General's Mansion was just discovered having an affair with ten men in the pavilion at the right fork of this road, and the eldest son of the Ning family, Ning Xihai, died suddenly because of this! Ouyang Yue, it was Ouyang Rou who helped you leave when you fainted. Now that something like this has happened to her, you can't possibly not know! Tell me! Did you plot to frame your own sister? You deserve to be torn to pieces for doing such a dirty and vicious thing!"
After observing for a long time, Baili Jing finally spoke coldly: "I really didn't expect that Miss Ouyang would be so vicious. If the young ladies of the Great Zhou Dynasty were to follow your example and commit such acts of fratricide, what would become of them? Miss Ouyang, even this princess can't help you with this matter!"
Help? When did you help me?
Ouyang Yue sneered inwardly, but her face was filled with shock: "This...how is this possible? How could Second Sister be with a man...how could this be?" She then shook her head repeatedly, looking dazed and uneasy. "No, Second Sister wouldn't do such a thing. I don't know, I really don't know. I only remember performing my talent in the back garden. After I won, everything suddenly went black and I fainted. I don't remember anything after that. Dongxue found me and woke me up. We were lost and were trying to find our way out when we saw voices here, so we came to ask. I really don't know."
Ouyang Yue held Dongxue's hand tightly, as if only in this way could she calm down and not let herself be afraid: "You can go and see, it's right ahead, right there. I lay there until Dongxue came to find me. I'm telling the truth, you have to believe me!"
“What Miss Ouyang means is that you suddenly fainted and then knew nothing about what happened. And this Miss Ouyang and so many people… well, that happened. After she woke up, she said she didn’t know what happened, and you knew nothing about how this led to the death of the eldest young master of the Ning family.” Baili Chen’s voice suddenly came out. Leng Caiwen and Dai Yu were standing on either side of her, and just in front of them, a terrifying, ghostly howl rang out again.
They had gone to call Daifu to come and examine her, but it had already been determined that Ning Xihai had indeed died. Even a miracle couldn't save him. Shang cried out and then fainted. Huang was also stunned and was being supported by others.
Ouyang Yue's face was pale as she nodded repeatedly.
Leng Caiwen exclaimed "Oh!" and frowned, saying, "This matter is truly bizarre. Miss Ouyang was full of energy just moments before, then suddenly fainted. Miss Ouyang's second daughter helped her down to rest, but instead, she was caught having an affair with several men. Even after regaining consciousness, she seemed completely unaware of what had happened. And then, Young Master Ning died. Everything about this is suspicious." Leng Caiwen's words elicited nods of agreement from most of the people present. Suddenly, Leng Caiwen cried out, "This is bad! I have a feeling this was deliberately orchestrated, someone is intentionally framing the General's Mansion and the Ning Mansion. Otherwise, how could it be such a coincidence that the eldest son of the Ning Mansion died, and one of the two young ladies from the General's Mansion fainted, while the other was violated? And all this evidence points directly to Miss Ouyang's third daughter. Although she doesn't seem very bright, even a fool wouldn't take the blame for something like this. This flawed scheme is clearly someone targeting the General's Mansion and the Ning Mansion!"
As soon as Leng Caiwen finished speaking, the people around fell silent. Ouyang Yue, who was leaning weakly against Dong Xue, turned her eyes slightly, glancing at Bai Shichen and Leng Caiwen, before finally fixing her piercing gaze on Bai Shichen.
Baili Chen seemed to favor simple, understated clothing like white and silver. Only such garments could accentuate his figure and highlight his usual frail appearance. His complexion was always so pale, and just standing there, he seemed as if he might be blown away by the wind. Yet, his tall, slender figure and inexplicably noble bearing combined to create an aura that was both strange and peculiar, possessing an undeniable allure. Seeing this, Ouyang Yue lowered her eyes, her head still resting slightly on Dongxue's shoulder.
"What Young Master Leng means is..."
At this moment, Ning Baichuan, the eldest son of the Ning family, and Ning Baishi, the second son, who were entertaining ministers such as Ouyang Zhide in the front courtyard, also rushed over upon hearing the news. Ning Baichuan, having just arrived, immediately waved to his men, saying, "Go! Gather all the servants in the mansion immediately and interrogate them one by one. Search the place thoroughly! Anyone who dares to commit wrongdoing in the Ning mansion will have to get past me, Ning Baichuan! Also, fetch the imperial physician. We must find out the cause of Hai'er's death. I will absolutely not let the murderer escape justice!" He then gave Ouyang Yue a cold look, clearly indicating that he also suspected her in this matter.
Ning Baichuan, a third-rank Imperial Censor, naturally possessed an air of officialdom. At this moment, his anger was still burning. His son, his future hope! Although Ning Xihai was sometimes mischievous and lecherous, that didn't stop him from grooming him as his heir. Moreover, Ning Xihai had died in his own home, and in such a disgraceful state by so many people—this only fueled Ning Baichuan's rage!
Ouyang Zhide strode over, grabbed Ouyang Yue's arm, and asked, "Yue'er, how are you? You look so pale. Are you feeling unwell?"
Seeing the situation turn around, Mu Cuiwei was anxious. Seeing Ouyang Zhide's concern for Ouyang Yue, she became even angrier and couldn't help but sneer, "Hmph, this matter hasn't been investigated yet. Who knows if Miss Ouyang is scared because she feels guilty? She has the most motivation to do this, and she also has the time and means!"
Ouyang Zhide suddenly looked up, his tiger-like eyes wide open, and shouted, "Shut up! I'm speaking to my daughter here. Who do you think you are, interrupting so rudely? Get out of here!"
"You!" Mu Cuiwei was so angry that her head was spinning. No one had ever dared to tell her to get out of the way. She was about to retort when Baili Jing glared at her. Mu Cuiwei's heart clenched and she stopped in her tracks.
She clenched her fists, feeling resentful. Although she was the daughter of a third-rank Minister of Justice and had a powerful father, she was no match for a general like Ouyang Zhide. She had indeed been rude just now. If she continued to press her advantage and angered Ouyang Zhide, no one could save her!
Knowing the consequences, Mu Cuiwei had no choice but to shut her mouth, but her eyes remained fixed on Ouyang Yue with a cold stare!
At this moment, Ning Baichuan ordered the servants in the mansion to send the unconscious Shang Shi back home. On the other hand, he sent someone to invite the imperial physician to the mansion to examine Ning Xihai's injuries. He also sent people to search the mansion. Today is Huang Shi's birthday. If someone really does something against the General's Mansion and Ning Mansion, and there are too many people talking, it is easy for trouble to happen.
A short while later, the imperial physician arrived and conducted a thorough examination of Ning Xihai. He examined him repeatedly, seemingly finding something, before finally reporting with a slightly somber expression: "Lord Ning, your son is dead, and died of a heart ailment. However, this heart ailment seems rather strange to me. It appears as if a master had directly shattered his internal organs. Of course, this is merely my speculation; the possibility is extremely low. Only a highly skilled martial artist could accomplish this with such swift and precise movements, something no ordinary person could do. If we rule that out, then your son suffered excessive trauma, causing his heart to be overwhelmed, leading to his sudden death." The imperial physician always liked to leave some room for interpretation, and given the significant impact of today's events, he dared not speak definitively.
Everyone present was shocked when they heard the imperial physician say this!
To have one's heart shattered by a master is something no ordinary person can do. At least it's impossible for someone like Ouyang Yue, who's only half-baked. Could it really not be a setup by her?
Just then, a servant from the Ning family hurriedly reported: "Master, I found a couple having an affair in the bamboo house at the fork in the road!"
"What!"
The onlookers couldn't help but exclaim in unison, "What kind of day is this? The affair between the second young lady of the Ouyang family is still going on, and now this has happened again!"
Oh my god!
Ning Baichuan's face darkened: "Take me to see this. How dare someone be so bold as to do such a filthy thing in my Ning residence, damaging the reputation of my family? I will not let this go lightly today! Let's go!"
☆、056, Shocking the entire audience!
Ning Baichuan roared and led the servants of the Ning family out of the alley and rushed towards the small path on the left side of the fork. Huang was so angry that she was trembling all over, but she still kept pulling Tian Mama and helping her to see. Today's events were a great disgrace to the Ning family. They had to find out the truth today, otherwise her grandson would have died in vain!
The other guests, however, had a different perspective. They were purely there for the spectacle. The fact that Ouyang Rou and Ning Xihai and the other men had engaged in illicit relations today had truly shocked them. What shocked them, of course, was how shameless Ouyang Rou and her companions could be. Now that the servants of the Ning household had discovered other illicit affairs, they were incredibly curious. Could there be someone even more shameless than Ouyang Rou?
Shang Shi fainted from exhaustion and was taken away by the servants. Ouyang Rou came to her rescue, and Aunt Hong helped her. Both of them were a bit disheveled. At this moment, Old Madam Ning and Madam Ning came over. Madam Ning didn't say a word, but stepped forward and personally slapped Ouyang Rou twice: "Shameless slut! You have disgraced the General's Mansion. I will settle accounts with you when we get back."
Ouyang Rou cried in grievance! She felt even more wronged; how could she have known this would happen? She was innocent too!
It's all that bitch Ouyang Yue's fault! If it weren't for her father's favor, and Hong Yicheng's interest in La Long, and his setup of this scheme, she wouldn't have suffered this humiliation. But now, even if she tries to explain, no one will listen. Old Madam Ning has already been helped away and continues walking with the crowd, wanting to see who else is so audacious. Ouyang Rou has already lost enough face; if they can discover something even more sordid, it will make people look at Ouyang Rou with indifference. The key now is to avoid implicating the General's Mansion.
After recovering from her initial shock, Madam Ning kept thinking about how to save face for the General's Mansion. If the person's situation was worse, she wouldn't mind making a big fuss to erase the scandal from the General's Mansion!
Ouyang Zhide followed behind, letting Dongxue support Ouyang Yue, but asked worriedly, "Yue'er, if you're not feeling well, let me find a place for you to rest."
Ouyang Yue shook her head: "It's alright, Father. With something like this happening, I can't calm down. Let's go see what's going on. If someone deliberately plots against the General's Mansion, that's my problem too."
Ouyang Zhide nodded. Upon hearing Ouyang Yue's words, his eyes darkened, and he followed the group to the left. However, Ouyang Yue turned her gaze slightly, watching Ouyang Zhide's retreating figure, and couldn't help but feel suspicious.
Ouyang Zhide seemed completely unconcerned about what had happened to Ouyang Rou.
No, it's not that he didn't care at all; at least this reputation was extremely bad for the General's Mansion. He only showed relative anger, but this concern... made Ouyang Yue feel that he was somewhat cold-hearted. Yet, Ouyang Zhide was very concerned about her, which made her somewhat unsure about him.
When the group arrived at the bamboo house mentioned on the left side of the fork in the road, there was another round of noise.
As the group approached, the loud groans made them stop in their tracks. Even if it wasn't something the guard had reported earlier, the screams alone were enough to convince them of its authenticity. This place was a rather secluded and tranquil spot in the Ning Manor, and someone was actually here… at least someone familiar with the manor; they certainly had some nerve.
Ning Baichuan was furious, his eyebrows standing straight up. He roared, "Go! Drag the people inside out! I want to see who dares to be so audacious as to climb over the Ning family's head and commit evil!"
Several guards rushed into the room immediately, and the door was kicked open with a loud bang.
"Ah..." A seductive moan rang out, startling everyone. They all looked over curiously. Having already witnessed several scenes of men and women having affairs with their bare bodies exposed, they shouldn't have been surprised by what they saw next.
But the two of them stood there in the room, their arms embracing each other, the woman wrapped around the man's waist, their private parts exposed to everyone's eyes!
Everyone stared wide-eyed. This scene was not as chaotic as Ouyang Rou's before, but in terms of shock, it was even more insane.
A series of gasps were heard as many young ladies stared wide-eyed, forgetting to cover their eyes with their handkerchiefs in embarrassment. They just stared blankly. After an unknown amount of time, screams began to rise one after another.
"Ugh! That's so shameless!"
"My God, how despicable!"
"Oh my god! I'm going to have my eyes bulge when I get back! How can there be such a shameless person? I'm so angry! Drag them out and beat them!"
"Shameless, despicable, shameless, lowly..."
This time, some of the wealthy ladies were even more furious than before. Although their eyes remained fixed on the people inside, and they were curious to see more, they also felt that the scene was too vulgar and offensive to their eyes. So the more curious they were, the louder they cursed, seemingly trying to cover up the embarrassment that arose from their curiosity.
As for the officials and their sons, they couldn't help but stare wide-eyed, secretly admiring the sight.
Good heavens, that's quite a skill; the woman's screams speak volumes about the man's prowess. Some of the more lecherous ones were even thinking of trying it out with their concubines when they got back, so compared to the noble ladies, these people remained quite calm, even appearing to be observing and learning. However, since anything can be observed and studied, treating this as an object of study, especially in broad daylight, shows that they also had absolutely no respect for the man and woman in the room.
This indifference can sometimes be even more cruel!
Ning Baichuan was furious. He felt his eyes glaze over and his body sway. This scene was completely unexpected. Hearing the curses of the young ladies and noblewomen only fueled his anger: "Arrest them! Beat them! Beat them to death with sticks!"
Upon hearing their master's outburst, the servants of the Ning family, recovering from their initial shock at opening the door, quickly separated the two people who were locked in a fierce struggle. They threw them to the ground and then struck them hard with the hilts of their swords.
The two people who were embracing were suddenly pulled apart. Their expressions of enjoyment changed, and they both shouted angrily. The man even cursed, "You audacious dog slave, how dare you ruin my good time! You're asking for death!"
The woman looked dissatisfied: "No..."
The next moment, both women were simultaneously struck by sword hilts, screaming in pain as they clutched their wounds. The man seemed to be jolted awake, kicking and pushing, and actually began fighting with the guards of the Ning residence. His resistance only emboldened the Ning servants to strike harder. The powerless woman, after being brutally struck several times, immediately cried out in alarm, "Help! Help!... How dare you! Ahh, stop hitting me..."
As soon as the screams and curses of the man and woman rang out, a commotion arose in the crowd, and someone exclaimed, "Ah, that, that... isn't that Young Master Hong Yicheng, one of the three great talents of the capital!"
"Am I seeing things? How could this be!"
"It's him! It really is him! My God, I never imagined that his gentle and refined demeanor, like a gentleman, was all a facade. He's actually such a lecherous and despicable person in private!"
"Hey, isn't that the eldest daughter of General Ouyang's mansion? Isn't she one of the three beauties and a talented woman? How could she be here!"
Upon seeing the other woman, everyone was even more astonished!