To be fair, Ouyang Zhide had treated Ouyang Yue quite well. Ouyang Yue's actions were also with him in mind. Now that Ouyang Zhide had just returned to the capital, it was a complex time, a time when he was the target of much criticism. Several princes had shown interest in winning him over at Xiangman Garden that day. Ouyang Zhide might choose one to serve in the future, but not now. Having just returned victorious, if he were to become close to any prince, not only would other ministers object, but even the Emperor himself would have objections. It was hard to guarantee that someone wouldn't impeach him, and the Emperor would suspect Ouyang Zhide of disloyalty. Therefore, Ouyang Zhide shouldn't act ostentatiously at this time. This ostentation, however, did not include any scandals within his household!
No sooner had Ouyang Zhide returned home than a major scandal shocked the capital. Impeachments for his incompetence in managing his household were inevitable, but as a military officer frequently away from home, it was understandable that he neglected his duties. The Emperor was unlikely to be angered and might even offer him some reassurance. With such a significant incident at the General's residence, the princes, concerned with their reputations, would not dare to curry favor or do anything that would damage their own standing. Of course, Ouyang Yue's actions weren't entirely for Ouyang Zhide's sake. She was primarily disgusted by Ouyang Hua's insidious schemes; her actions were partly a form of retaliation, and partly aimed at preventing any further damage to Ouyang Zhide's reputation.
But all this was far from enough. Ouyang Hua and Ouyang Rou's actions had already made Ouyang Yue feel that it was time to take the initiative. Just as she saw through Ouyang Hua's scheme, the plan had already begun! And today's counter-plan was only the beginning; her real revenge was yet to come!
"Alright, this matter has spoiled everyone's enjoyment. Let's start the meal now." Ning Baichuan changed his expression to a smile, which made everyone's faces look a little strange.
It must be said that Lord Ning is incredibly quick to change his tune; he can gloss over that incident in no time, which is quite a skill. Many people ridicule Ning Baichuan for his inability to manage a household. In every generation of large families, there's a rule: the head of the household doesn't hold office. Ning Baichuan is an official in the court, and the household management is supposed to be handled by his younger brother, Ning Baishi. However, Ning Baichuan also holds a significant official position and is the eldest brother; his word is law at home. Although Ning Baishi is the head of the household, in major events, he needs the approval of both Madam Huang and Ning Baichuan, making him essentially a puppet head of the family.
Ning Baichuan may seem glamorous now, but if something really goes wrong, everyone will criticize him for being domineering and power-hungry. Now look what's happened.
That's what they deserve! That's the consequence of showing off!
Ning Baichuan, as the Imperial Censor, was in charge of impeaching officials. Many of those he had impeached harbored resentment towards him and were waiting for him to make a fool of himself. They were just saving face by not speaking out now, but one could imagine the lively scene that would unfold in the capital when he returned today.
The group followed Ning Baichuan, Huang Shi, and others back to continue the birthday celebration. However, the birthday banquet was supposed to last until the evening. After the banquet started, a few people represented the group to toast Huang Shi, ate a couple of bites, and then left the table. The Ning family was too ashamed of what had happened and naturally had no mood for it. Soon, all the guests had left.
The banquet had just ended when Ning Baichuan rushed over like the wind. Ning Xishan had a very unlucky day. Not only did she fail to scheme against Ouyang Yue, but she also had her teeth knocked out by that crazy old woman Fang. Just as she was feeling depressed, she suddenly sensed a dangerous aura beside her. When she looked up, she saw Ning Baichuan staring at her with a livid face.
"Father, I..."
"Slap slap slap!" Before Ning Xishan could finish speaking, Ning Baichuan, furious, slapped her repeatedly, making Ning Xishan's head spin and causing her to spit out a bloody tooth.
"Ah, you hit me! You always love me the most, and you actually hit me! Waaah!" Ning Xishan burst into tears the moment she saw it. Ning Xishan was known for her eccentric behavior and sharp temper, a direct result of Ning Baichuan and Shang Shi's doting. From childhood to adulthood, Ning Xishan could count on one hand the number of times she'd been scolded. Now, Ning Baichuan had hit her without a word, which Ning Xishan simply couldn't accept!
"You brat, you dare cry? I'll beat you to death today!" Ning Baichuan was also extremely anxious. If it weren't for Ning Xishan's matter, things might not have turned out so chaotic and out of control. Now, Fang Shi and those nine people have been taken away, but he still needs to clean up this mess. Even so, this matter is unlikely to end well. How could Ning Baichuan not be angry? A few slaps to Ning Xishan would be too lenient. As he spoke, Ning Baichuan was about to slap her again, but when Ning Xishan saw that Ning Baichuan was not going to stop, she immediately hid behind Huang Shi in fear.
"Alright, it's no use asking who's to blame now. The important thing is to suppress this matter. As for Fang Shi and those nine scoundrels, send someone to deal with them quickly. Make sure they don't say a word. As for tomorrow's court session, submit a memorial of apology first. I think our Ning family, a century-old prominent clan, won't be punished by the Emperor for this. But we've lost face today. Who knows what the rumors will say in the capital tomorrow!" Madam Huang's face was extremely ugly. She turned back and glanced coldly at Ning Xishan. "It's one thing for you to act recklessly, but to actually orchestrate all this? Besides, Ouyang Yue is your cousin after all. You're capable of doing something like this. It seems you've learned nothing of etiquette and literature all these years. Starting today, you're not allowed to leave the courtyard for six months. We'll talk about admitting your mistake later!"
Ning Xishan shrank her neck and mumbled in silence. Madam Huang rarely got angry, but when she did, her words were irrefutable. Besides, if she had known today that this would be the final result, she wouldn't have done it. Now she was filled with regret. Her teeth had been knocked out, and in the end, she was even punished by being confined to her room to reflect on her mistakes. She felt like she was going to vomit!
Ning Baichuan nodded: "Mother is right, but we don't know whose people that man in black is. How dare he attack the Ning family? Are the princes fighting so fiercely now?"
Huang squinted: "If that's the case, it's going to be difficult. Is this man in black trying to force us to take sides? This man in black is elusive. If this is just a warning, he can come again if he can come once. Although Xihai was involved this time, he still died, so we are also the victims. I think he's mainly targeting Ouyang Zhide! Alas, if that's the case, their next target will likely be the Ning family."
Ning Baichuan was shocked: "Mother, do you mean he'll still resort to violence!"
"It's hard to say!" Huang sighed.
Ning Baichuan's expression changed: "Does this mean our Ning family is going to choose a suitable master ahead of schedule?!"
Madam Huang remained silent, but clearly agreed with Ning Baichuan. If this man forced them to acknowledge him as their master, while the Ning family wouldn't be afraid of a few men in black, they were still no match for the Lin and Leng families above them. Furthermore, of the five great families, the Lin family had produced the current Empress's legitimate daughter, so they naturally aligned themselves with the Crown Prince's lineage. The Leng family, though not officially allied, had Leng Caiwen maintaining close ties with the Seventh Prince, Baili Chen, which could be considered a form of friendship. The Sun family was the maternal family of the Imperial Concubine and a powerful backer of the Fifth Prince. As for the last, the Bai family was the maternal family of the late Empress, originally a military family, but their talent had dwindled over the generations. After the late Empress's death, the third branch of the Bai family suddenly split up. Although they still held the titles of the Third and Seventh Princes and remained among the five great families, they were actually less powerful than some newly emerging noble families.
It seems that the Ning family has not yet taken sides, and the position of prince is indeed urgent. They are not seeking a wise ruler, but these people are forcing them to do so. In that case, they will not only be unable to remain unscathed, but they will also fear that the downfall of the Bai family will be their future fate.
Huang and Ning Baichuan exchanged a glance and sighed deeply, while Ning Baishi, who had been standing quietly to the side, simply lowered his head, seemingly lost in thought.
The Imperial Palace, Chenyu Hall.
A guard in black was kneeling before Baili Chen, reporting something in a low voice.
Baili Chen stood up straight, raised an eyebrow slightly after hearing this, and his eyes flashed: "Oh? You mean she was watching you at the time, and calculated that you would clean up the mess."
"Yes, Master!"
Baili Chen smiled faintly: "Get up."
The black-clad guard stood up as ordered, and Baili Chen said again, "Stand still and don't move." The black-clad guard looked at Baili Chen with suspicion.
But then Baili Chen slowly stretched out his hands, his palms constantly twirling. This made the black-clad guard's eyes even more puzzled. Baili Chen muttered to himself, "What I am about to do can turn decay into magic, can turn nothing into something, and can turn something into nothing. You'd better watch closely."
...
The black-clad guard stared wide-eyed at Baili Chen, his eyes bulging. He had been on a mission for Baili Chen and hadn't seen the whole scene unfold in the back garden.
Just then, Baili Chen's hands moved even faster. The black-clad guard felt as if ten fingers were constantly moving in front of his eyes, making his vision blurry. Suddenly, Baili Chen shouted, "Go!"
Then he spread his palms out, and the magic trick was over!
The black-clad guard blinked, pursed his lips, and remained silent. Baili Chen's expression also changed slightly, his lips pressed into a slit, his eyes filled with confusion and a hint of embarrassment.
"Clatter".
Just then, two sounds caught their attention. They looked down and saw two blooming peach blossoms lying at Baili Chen's feet. The blossoms circled once on the ground before remaining still.
"..."
Bai Lichen narrowed his eyes and frowned slightly: "This is called magic, a very magical thing. You must have thought that I would conjure something out of my hand, right? This is called feinting. In fact, I deliberately conjured the thing out from below."
"Yes!" The black-clad guard lowered his head and nodded in response, as always.
"..." Baili Chen frowned even more deeply, squatted down to pick up the peach blossoms, and stuffed them into his sleeves. "If I transform again, I'll surprise you even more."
“Yes…” The black-clad guard’s eyes flickered.
"What I'm about to do will turn the rotten into the miraculous, the nothing into something, and the something into nothing. You'd better watch closely, without blinking an eye." The words were exactly the same as before.
Baili Chen's hands kept moving, and suddenly he shouted: "Go!"
The black-clad guard widened his eyes again, then blinked instinctively. Baili Chen's hands were fair and translucent, like jade carvings, and were completely empty. The black-clad guard could even see the lines on his hands.
"..."
Baili Chen's arm trembled slightly, and "plop." Two peach blossoms fell to the ground. However, this time, it seemed as if the peach blossoms were mocking Baili Chen's failure. Several petals fell as they landed, leaving Baili Chen and the black-clad guards speechless.
Baili Chen blinked again. The black-clad guard couldn't discern his master's feelings, but he felt the situation was far too awkward. Although he hadn't witnessed the entire scene in the back garden, he knew about Ouyang Yue's flower-turning magic trick earlier that day, and naturally understood what Baili Chen was trying to perform. Now, his master had clearly failed. And failed twice in a row! This was surely unacceptable to the always wise and powerful prince.
After a long while, Baili Chen said in a low voice, "This is called being torn apart. I did it on purpose."
The black-clad guard's shoulders twitched, and he bowed his head, replying, "Yes!"
Baili Chen glanced at the black-clad guard: "Leng Sha, you're not telling the truth!"
Leng Sha remained silent, but felt slightly annoyed. How could he tell the truth at a time like this?
Baili Chen sighed, picking up a fallen peach blossom. The withered flower twirled in his hand, making his fair skin appear even more translucent. "I thought it was just a trick, easy enough, but I never imagined there could be anything in this world that could stump me. How interesting." Then, Baili Chen suddenly broke into a radiant smile. "No, I should say Ouyang Yue is very interesting. She has truly exceeded my expectations..."
Seeing Baili Chen's smile, Leng Sha felt a chill run down his spine. His master's smile was so strange. Could it be that he would kill Miss Ouyang in a fit of rage? Although he would never refuse his master's orders.
Baili Chen picked up a flower, brought it to his lips, and gave it a light kiss. His expression was extremely alluring, and his smile deepened: "It's a pity she's only twenty..."
Leng Sha's eyes twitched. What did his master mean by this? Did he intend to cruelly destroy the flower?!
"You can go out now."
"Yes, Master." Leng Sha turned to leave, but the instant he closed the door, he clearly saw Baili Chen stuff the two failed attempts at making flowers back into his sleeve, his hand constantly turning. Leng Sha immediately slammed the door shut, beads of cold sweat dripping from his forehead. His master was indeed his master; he wouldn't stop until everything was perfect. But thinking of Baili Chen's earlier embarrassment, a strange expression appeared on Leng Sha's face—a mixture of wanting to laugh and desperately suppressing it. He then took a deep breath, ran a few steps, and vanished in a few flashes, disappearing to some unknown location to keep watch.
General's Mansion.
As soon as everyone returned, they all went to Old Madam Ning's Anhe Hall. At this time, Old Madam Ning was sitting in the seat of honor, with Madam Ning standing below with her head bowed. Next was Ouyang Yue, and several concubines were standing opposite them. Ouyang Hua and Ouyang Rou were kneeling on the ground, trembling, their faces deathly pale.
Neither Ouyang Zhide nor Old Madam Ning spoke, but they were too angry to utter a word. Although Ouyang Zhide appeared calm outside, he threw a tantrum as soon as he returned. Upon arriving at Anhe Hall, he had already smashed two fine white jade vases, worth over a hundred taels of silver.
Old Madam Ning's face trembled, even her lips quivered, and Madam Ning herself was even more nervous. She had always managed the household affairs of the General's Mansion, and although important matters still fell to Old Madam Ning, she couldn't escape blame for the disgraceful actions of her two illegitimate daughters! Even if Ouyang Hua and Ouyang Rou were truly innocent, it still brought shame upon the General's Mansion. Two illegitimate daughters who openly had affairs with men—which wealthy family in the capital would be willing to marry them in the future? They wouldn't even be qualified to be concubines.
Fortunately, Ouyang Hua and Hong Yicheng were together, and Hong Wantang was willing to marry Ouyang Hua.
Ouyang Zhide said coldly, "I do not agree to the marriage arranged by the Hong family!"
"What!" Aunt Ming and Ouyang Hua were both shocked, and even Old Madam Ning and Madam Ning looked at him in astonishment.
The Hong family is still willing to marry him, but if they are not, Ouyang Hua's life will be over. If Ouyang Zhide disagrees, then he will completely abandon Ouyang Hua's life.
Old Madam Ning said with a dark face, "I know what you're thinking. The Hong family broke off Yue'er's engagement, and now this scandal has happened, directly slapping the General's Mansion in the face. If they marry Hua'er like this, we will become the laughing stock of the capital. But if we just let this matter go, won't outsiders say that you don't care about the life and death of the concubine's daughter in the mansion? Then the General's Mansion will become the target of everyone's criticism! Hua'er was framed after all, so please forgive her this time."
Ouyang Zhide turned his face, glanced coldly at Old Madam Ning, and then looked at Ning again: "Since Mother is willing to take charge, I will naturally not interfere." With that, he stood up and turned to leave. This was clearly a blaming of Old Madam Ning for failing to raise her daughter properly, but out of filial piety, he could not speak, which was considered giving Old Madam Ning enough face.
Old Madam Ning's face darkened. She turned to look at Ouyang Hua and Ouyang Rou, who were kneeling on the ground: "You've done such a thing today. Whether you're innocent or not, you can no longer stay in the manor. Your grandmother will naturally arrange your affairs. Go to the estate tomorrow to lay low for a while. You should also take care of yourselves. If you cause any more trouble, don't come back. Just die there!" After saying that, Old Madam Ning was helped away by Granny Xi. This was to tell everyone that the matter was settled, and no amount of pleading would change anything.
Furthermore, news of Ouyang Hua and Ouyang Rou's affair will spread tomorrow. They're stuck in the capital, and the constant gossip is driving them crazy. But sending them to the villa, if Old Madam Ning is unhappy, they might never return. What chance does Ouyang Hua still have with Hong Yicheng? But what about Ouyang Rou?
Ouyang Rou trembled, her face full of resentment. No, this matter absolutely cannot be left like this. But what can she do now? Should she go to Hong Yicheng? Will he admit it? Ouyang Rou got up shakily, not even knowing how she got back to Rouyu Courtyard. Her mind was in a complete mess.
The atmosphere in the General's Mansion was very strange all day. Even the servants were extremely careful and cautious in their work, not daring to make any mistakes. However, early the next morning, something shocking happened that suddenly broke out in the entire mansion!
A terrified scream echoed throughout the General's mansion: "It's terrible! The young lady has hanged herself! She's dead!"
boom!
This incident struck like a thunderbolt, shaking everyone in the General's Mansion!
☆、059、A Scene at the Hong Mansion!
next day
Summer heat is unbearable, but the morning is a rare treat, with the temperature just right, neither too hot nor too cold.
Ouyang Yue wore a pink dress embroidered with a hundred flowers. With her two maids, Chuncao and Dongxue, dressed in green and dark green respectively, on either side of her, Ouyang Yue looked like a flower fairy as she moved slowly. Along the way, all the servants bowed their heads in greeting, yet they couldn't help but look at Ouyang Yue with a strange feeling in their hearts.
Previously, the most disreputable and morally reprehensible person in the manor was this third young lady. However, after the scandals of the eldest and second young ladies were exposed one after another, they were shocked. Now, this third young lady, although still young, seemed to have a composed demeanor and a refined air. Was there really such a difference between legitimate and illegitimate children? The third young lady was, after all, the lady's own daughter, a legitimate daughter, and was she really any different from the illegitimate daughter born to a concubine? To these servants, no matter how innocent Ouyang Hua and Ouyang Rou were in the Ning manor, they still had to label Ouyang Hua and Ouyang Rou as having low moral character.
This is a tragedy for women of this era. Even though the incident was caused by a man, most people still blamed the women first. Of course, this was also partly due to the snobbishness of those who saw Ouyang Hua and Ouyang Rou lose favor. After all, according to Old Madam Ning's orders, Ouyang Hua and Ouyang Rou would be sent to the estate soon. The estate was like being banished to the cold palace. As long as the old lady didn't give in, the two of them would never be able to return. They were just two disgraced young ladies! Naturally, they couldn't find Ouyang Yue as pleasing to the eye.
The three walked along a narrow path. There were few servants around. Chuncao couldn't help but sneer, "They're all petty people. They all changed their attitude when they saw that the young lady was in power. But it's the eldest and second young ladies' own fault. They used to order them around, but now that they've lost power, these servants have all changed. They're just saying nice things on the surface, but they're not popular at all."
It's no wonder Chuncao was angry. Before, Ouyang Yue was known as one of the three ugliest women in the capital, and even the servants in the mansion secretly disobeyed her. Now that Ouyang Hua and Ouyang Rou had made a fool of themselves, they treated her young mistress like a celestial being. Although her young mistress was indeed a celestial being, this change was still hard to accept.
Ouyang Yue smiled faintly, turned to look at Dongxue, who nodded, but her eyes gleamed with a chilling light. The real show was about to begin!
The three arrived at Anhe Hall. As soon as they stepped into the courtyard, they were warmly welcomed into the hall by the servants. Inside Anhe Hall, Ouyang Zhide had left the mansion early to attend court, so Old Madam Ning and Madam Ning sat at the head of the table and to the left of the head of the table, respectively. Concubine Ming, Concubine Hong, Concubine Hua, and Concubine Liu stood to one side. At this moment, Rui Yuhuan was smiling and telling Old Madam Ning a joke. Old Madam Ning's expression softened, but Ouyang Rou, who was standing below with her head down, did not make Old Madam Ning laugh.
Ouyang Yueying stepped forward and said with a smile, "Yue'er greets Grandmother and Mother."
Old Mrs. Ning nodded slightly: "Yes, you got up a little late today. Are you feeling unwell?"
Ouyang Yue shook her head: "No, Yue'er is in good health. It's just that Grandmother is worried."
Rui Yuhuan sighed, "What happened yesterday must have frightened the Third Miss. Today we have to see the two young ladies off. The Third Miss probably stayed up too late thinking about it and couldn't sleep."
Ouyang Yue looked at Rui Yuhuan with a half-smile. Rui Yuhuan was certainly stirring up trouble. Her words seemed to imply that Ouyang Yue was frightened, but in reality, she was deliberately suggesting that Ouyang Yue was so excited about Ouyang Hua and Ouyang Rou being sent away that she couldn't sleep—she was gloating. Old Ning and the others turned to look at Ouyang Yue. The incident was indeed a scandal, but for Ouyang Yue to only gloat over her own sisters' misfortunes, showing no compassion for her relatives, seemed incredibly cold-hearted.
Ouyang Yue lowered her head, seemingly acquiescing. Old Madam Ning's expression immediately darkened. After all, it was Ouyang Hua and Ouyang Rou who had been involved in the scandal. But they were still young ladies of the General's Mansion; at least they could still be considered innocent in this scandal. If the sisters turned against each other, it would undoubtedly be adding insult to injury. Rui Yuhuan coldly watched Ouyang Yue. Thinking about how Ouyang Hua and Ouyang Rou had been sent away, even she had been so excited she couldn't sleep for a long time. These two had plotted against Ouyang Yue; anyone would be excited and unable to sleep in that situation—it's common sense. However, no one would bring it up openly because it was simply too unpleasant to say! Ouyang Yue, having her thoughts exposed, naturally had nothing to say.
Unexpectedly, Ouyang Yue turned around and walked towards Ouyang Rou, her eyes filled with reluctance: "Second sister, Grandmother sent you and eldest sister to the estate first to avoid trouble. I think you'll be back soon. But the estate is not as good as home. Third sister isn't good at needlework, but she, along with Qiuyue, Chuncao, and Dongxue from the courtyard, worked through the night to make two cloaks for you." At this moment, Dongxue immediately brought over a bundle and opened it, revealing two light pink cloaks made of fine silk.
Ouyang Yue said helplessly, "Second sister knows that third sister's needlework is not good, so I couldn't help much. I just supervised the work on the other side. But this is also a small token of my appreciation. I hope second sister won't mind."
Ouyang Rou, who had been looking down, immediately raised her head and saw Ouyang Yue's eyes darken. She couldn't see through Ouyang Yue. Ouyang Yue used to be so foolish and naive that she couldn't even tell if she was being sincere or not. Of course, she did it on purpose, and even if Ouyang Yue were skilled, she wouldn't be able to detect it. But after the subsequent incidents, even a fool would know that she wasn't truly sincere towards Ouyang Yue. After so many things, could Ouyang Yue still treat her so sincerely? Ouyang Rou couldn't believe it, because if it were her, she would want to slap her hard and then burst into laughter.
Now she's ruined, her future is ruined. Last night, she and her aunt thought for a long time but couldn't come up with a way to escape. In the end, they decided that they could only go to the manor to lay low for a while. If Aunt Hong continued to exert her influence here, she probably wouldn't be locked up for too long. Of course, although Ouyang Rou was puzzled by Ouyang Yue's behavior, she accepted the cloak with a grateful expression: "Second Sister understands Third Sister's kindness. Second Sister thanks you. We are sisters, sisters forever. Second Sister will remember this. If Second Sister has ever done anything wrong in the past, please don't take offense, Third Sister."
Ouyang Yue smiled gently and held Ouyang Rou's hand: "Second sister, what are you saying? Since we are sisters, how can our relationship be ruined by a few words of sowing from others?"
Ouyang Rou nodded repeatedly: "Third Sister is right."