"What? There are soldiers outside?" The man suddenly narrowed his eyes and looked at Cao'er, his face growing even colder: "It's you. You actually dared to betray us."
Cao'er was also startled and shook her head repeatedly: "No, I didn't bring the soldiers. We are all in the same boat. How could I do such a thing? Miss only asked me to come and ask when you will help. I have absolutely no other intentions."
The burly man leading the group had an even colder expression: "No? This place is so secluded, who else could it be if not you? Why did they only follow you when you appeared? Even if it wasn't you, they probably came with you. Clearly, someone already suspected you."
Cao'er trembled slightly and asked anxiously, "Then... what should we do now?"
Zhuang squinted at Cao'er and said, "Someone, take care of her."
"No, you can't do this! Aunt, Miss, we've been cooperating and caring for each other. I... I was just a messenger, how can you kill me?" Cao'er exclaimed in shock. She had been following Ouyang Rou for years, doing many shameful things. After being violated by Ning Xihai and his gang at the Ning residence, Cao'er harbored deep resentment and bitterness for a time, but no one cared about her life or death. If she hadn't struggled to survive, she might not even be able to stay in the General's Mansion now.
Since Ouyang Rou lost her virginity, she was still a young lady of the General's Mansion, but it was she who suffered the most. She could only be subservient and humble, and try to please everyone. If she could get some money from Ouyang Rou, she could live a worry-free life for the rest of her days. But now she was also implicated by Ouyang Rou. How hateful!
The burly man didn't care about any of that. Regardless of whether Cao'er was innocent or not, the soldiers who had come with her were almost certainly guilty. Since she hadn't meant to, if they caused their whereabouts to be exposed, they would deserve to die. They usually kept their movements very secret and were terrified of this day. The burly man said with a grim face, "Kill her." If Cao'er died, there would be no one to testify, and they would have something to say to deny it.
Immediately, someone pulled out a dagger and stabbed at Cao'er. Cao'er was so frightened that her heart felt like it was going to jump out of her chest. She suddenly dodged backward and shouted, "Help! Murder! Murder! They're trying to kill me to silence me!"
"Bang!"
At the same time, the outer door was kicked open from the outside, and the courtyard was immediately filled with palace soldiers. The burly man saw that things were not good and hurriedly said, "Quick, leave through the secret passage." He couldn't care less about Cao'er now; escaping was the key. As long as they survived, they wouldn't have to worry about not finding this rendezvous place. If they were caught, everything would be over.
The burly man led more than ten men and rushed into the inner room. Cao'er was startled and tried to follow, but when she thought of the burly man's previous behavior, she stopped in her tracks. In that moment of hesitation, the soldiers outside rushed in with their men and arrested everyone they saw.
"Captain, those people are gone."
"There's a secret passage in here, search!" The squad leader coldly scanned the room with a grim face, finally stopping at Cao'er, whose legs were being held and who was pale with fright: "Where are they? Tell me quickly."
Grass was so frightened that her legs trembled, and she kept shaking her head: "I...I don't know..."
“You don’t know? You’re here and you don’t know where they are? These people are clever enough to abandon this clueless woman and try to escape. Now that I’ve caught them, none of them can get away. Tell me, where are they? If we don’t catch them today, I’ll tear you to pieces.” The squad leader was definitely not joking; his eyes were extremely cold, making Cao’er’s heart pound even harder.
"I...I...they ran into the inner room. There's a secret passage inside. The rest...I don't know...I really don't know..." Cao'er was utterly speechless. Caught in this situation, no one would believe her innocence, but Cao'er was truly innocent. She genuinely knew nothing about this. She had only sent her to deliver a message because Aunt Hong and Ouyang Rou were both unable to come out. As for who these people were, she truly didn't know. If she had known from the beginning that she was merely delivering a message for Ouyang Rou and would be threatened repeatedly, she would never have come.
"Smack!"
"You bitch, are you going to talk or not? Hmph, if you don't reveal the whereabouts of your accomplices, don't blame us! Beat them up!" The squad leader didn't hesitate and immediately gave the order.
Cao'er screamed in surprise. Several people surrounded her, and then the hall was filled with the sounds of crisp slaps, heavy thuds of objects hitting bodies, and Cao'er's cries of pain. The sounds rose and fell, creating a chilling atmosphere.
"Captain, we've found a secret passage!" someone shouted at that moment.
The squad leader's face lit up with joy, and he immediately said, "Quickly, take men to search for her. Detain this woman for now, and interrogate her severely when we get back."
Cao'er collapsed to the ground, feeling a burning sensation on her cheeks, waist, and hips, as if they were about to break. These people showed no tenderness or compassion towards a woman.
The General's Mansion, Caiyun Courtyard.
"What did you say? Cao'er is missing. She hasn't come back yet." Ouyang Rou's heart skipped a beat when she heard her other personal maid, Xiang'er, report this.
Xiang'er said, "Yes, Miss, Cao'er said this morning that she was going out to buy some things and would be back, but an hour has passed and she still hasn't returned. I'm worried that something has happened to her."
Ouyang Rou's expression changed, and she looked at Aunt Hong with some tension. Aunt Hong said to Xiang'er, "You can go down first. Send someone to keep an eye on things. Report back immediately if there is any news about Cao'er."
Xiang'er looked at Aunt Hong and Ouyang Rou with suspicion, especially the latter, but still obediently went down. As soon as she left, Ouyang Rou said nervously, "Aunt, what should we do now? I just sent Cao'er to find out what happened, and she has disappeared. What should we do?"
Aunt Hong advised, "She's not missing. She just hasn't returned yet. It doesn't mean she's been caught. I know those people's skills; they're first-rate at escaping. The chances of them being caught are slim. Don't worry." As she spoke, Aunt Hong gave her personal maid, Fang'er, a wink. Fang'er immediately and quietly slipped out, then carefully left the General's Mansion, heading towards the alley where the soldiers had previously searched Juwu Street.
As soon as she turned around, she was startled to find that the place was already surrounded by soldiers. Her instinct was to turn around and leave, but she suppressed her fear and asked someone. She was told that the soldiers were arresting someone. Fang'er dared not delay any longer and immediately returned to Caiyun Courtyard to report.
"What? You...you said the soldiers went to search for them? Where are they? Have they caught them?" Aunt Hong turned pale with fright upon hearing this.
Fang'er immediately replied, "I don't know about that. I dare not go forward. I only heard people mention that they heard screams inside, and that some people must have been captured. I can't find out the specifics."
Aunt Hong slumped back into her chair with a thud, her face filled with terror: "These... these useless fellows, didn't they say they were the best at escaping, and no one dared to say they were second to none? Now they've been caught."
Ouyang Rou said nervously, "Auntie, what should we do now? What if they betray us?"
Aunt Hong still held a sliver of hope: "That shouldn't be the case. They don't have any goods right now, and even if those soldiers catch them, they won't have any evidence. Don't worry, if they don't want to die too miserably and still want us to rescue them, they won't be so stupid as to expose us so early. But we have to find a way to rescue your grandfather and them."
Ouyang Rou said anxiously, "What...is there any way to save them now?"
Aunt Hong's face was pale, because she was helpless; not only helpless, but her mind was completely blank. She had been in contact with these people for ten years, and in those ten years, she had made a considerable amount of money through them. Using her location in the capital, she could easily gather information and provided them with a great deal of intelligence, which enabled them to be so successful. Their relationship was extremely close; if one of them was ambushed, it would be difficult for the others to escape.
Aunt Hong clenched her hands tightly and said anxiously, "Fang'er, go and send someone to keep an eye on them, find out what's going on, and report back immediately."
"Yes, Auntie." Fang'er left immediately, but soon brought them good news: "I heard there was a lot of arguing inside, but the soldiers didn't catch anyone. They made quite a fuss, but it was all for nothing. They're furious and are pretending to continue the search."
Ouyang Rou's face lit up with joy: "You're telling the truth, we really didn't catch anyone."
Fang'er nodded vigorously: "Yes, Second Miss, that's what all the common people are saying. I went up with them and there was no one there when they came out. They clearly didn't catch anyone."
Aunt Hong and Ouyang Rou both breathed a sigh of relief. If that was the case, then all the better. It was just a false alarm.
However, early the next morning, a group of soldiers suddenly rushed into the general's mansion. Ouyang Zhide had not yet attended court, and he was startled and rushed out to see what was going on. When he saw the leader, he was also stunned: "Captain Li, what do you mean by this?"
This Captain Li, named Li Guang, was the captain of a patrol team in the palace. His official rank was low, but because he frequently appeared in the palace before his master, even high-ranking officials wouldn't easily offend him. Upon seeing Ouyang Yue, Li Guang clasped his hands in a fist salute and said, "General Ouyang, please forgive me. Yesterday we received a report that someone was privately selling items from the previous dynasty, so we sent men to arrest them. They've now tracked them down to your residence."
Ouyang Zhide frowned: "It is only right that I, Captain Li, should do my best to help you with official business. However, why did you come to my General's Mansion to find this person who sells and collects items from the previous dynasty? I have not been familiar with you, Captain Li, over the years, but I have never offended you. Captain Li, you are deliberately targeting me."
Li Guang's expression changed slightly, but he still said, "General Ouyang, please forgive me. I have no intention of opposing General Ouyang's mansion. However, yesterday, during the arrest, I caught a person who confessed that someone in the mansion was also involved."
"What? How could there be such a person in the General's Mansion?" Soldiers suddenly rushed into the mansion. People from all the courtyards of the General's Mansion came to see what was going on as soon as they heard Li Guang's words. They immediately exclaimed, "This is impossible! How could these women in the General's Mansion, who are so weak, be involved? Has this official arrested the wrong person?"
Li Guang, facing accusations, waved his hand, and two soldiers immediately dragged over a man dressed in disheveled clothes and covered in blood. Another soldier lifted the man's face, revealing that while the man had been badly beaten, his face, aside from some redness and swelling, had no other injuries. When the people from the general's mansion saw the man's face, they all gasped: "Cao'er!" Ouyang Rou's eyes widened in shock. She had been worried yesterday when she heard that Cao'er was missing, but later, hearing that none of the soldiers had caught her, she breathed a sigh of relief. However, Cao'er hadn't returned, and Ouyang Rou's heart was in her throat again. Now, seeing her being dragged over, Ouyang Rou's face flickered, her heart pounding, clearly showing her fear.
Li Guang looked at Ouyang Rou and sneered, "So you know this woman. That makes things easier. She says she's the personal maid of the second young lady of the General's Mansion. Yesterday, she was ordered by the second young lady to meet someone. This person is the very person we're looking for. He's a tomb raider who participated in robbing tombs from the previous dynasty and selling them for huge profits. How could the family members of the General's Mansion know such a heinous person? General Ouyang, you'd better explain."
When the ancestors of the Great Zhou Dynasty overthrew the previous dynasty, the court was facing severe financial difficulties due to strategic needs and years of mutinies. In contrast, the previous dynasty was extremely wealthy, practically rolling in money. It was precisely because of their wealth and complacency, coupled with their weak military, that the Great Zhou Dynasty was able to exploit their weakness. Upon ascending the throne, the ancestors discovered that the previous dynasty had indulged in daily extravagance and debauchery, and the national treasury was actually quite empty. Furthermore, the various departments had been short of funds due to their excessive spending on entertainment and pleasure in recent years. Although the Great Zhou Dynasty had used this as a pretext to change dynasties, it essentially inherited a mess, and the issue of finances caused the founding emperor considerable headaches.
But by chance, a governor discovered the tomb of a high-ranking official from the previous dynasty while hunting. He found that the tomb contained a great deal of gold, silver, jewels, antiques, and paintings, the wealth of which far surpassed that of many high-ranking officials and wealthy merchants in the Great Zhou Dynasty. Because of the large quantity, he dared not keep it for himself and reported it to the court. The ancestral emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty had a brilliant idea. If all the high-ranking officials, wealthy people, and even royal tombs of the previous dynasty were excavated, wouldn't that solve the Great Zhou Dynasty's national crisis? After all, these things were free, and the ancestors of the previous dynasty had passed away. As the saying goes, the victor is king and the loser is villain. Everything would belong to the Great Zhou Dynasty.
At that time, the emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty ordered the opening of tombs to retrieve treasures. More than ten large tombs were destroyed and a lot of wealth was seized. However, this may have violated some taboos, because the ancestral emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty soon fell seriously ill, abdicated early, and died not long after.
Although many speculated that the Great Zhou emperor's actions were so immoral and disrespectful to his ancestors that he was punished, the common people were unaware of this. Only a few high-ranking officials in the court knew, and these officials, for the sake of the Great Zhou's stability, had to do everything in their power to keep this secret. Outwardly, they used the guise of respecting the previous dynasty's royal family, secretly assigning guards to protect every discovered tomb from the previous dynasty, all while secretly carrying out their own illicit activities. Even though the Great Zhou's ancestral emperors were dead, who wouldn't want something for free? Even with the possibility of retribution, they couldn't resist the temptation of wealth.
The Great Zhou Dynasty is now prosperous and powerful, but if this becomes a habit, it won't change. Even now, the Great Zhou court occasionally sends people to search for the tombs of previous dynasties, but they don't directly excavate them to find treasures. Instead, they control them as Great Zhou property, just in case. Under these circumstances, tomb raiding by commoners is absolutely forbidden in the Great Zhou Dynasty. To try and steal from the royal family is a death sentence. The Great Zhou court has a written rule: if a commoner is caught tomb raiding, they will be severely punished for theft, first having their hands and legs cut off, then being beheaded. The common people, unaware of this, think the Great Zhou court is acting righteously. Although they overthrew the previous dynasty, their kindness towards their ancestors played a significant role in winning back popular support at the time.
After the Great Zhou Dynasty punished five cases of tomb raiding, each one handled with severe penalties, it became increasingly difficult to find anyone daring to raid tombs privately. However, recent laxity allowed some opportunists to emerge. But once discovered, these activities were severely punished. Those cunning foxes in the court, almost shrewd as they were, strictly forbade their households from participating in tomb raiding. While among commoners it might only result in arrest and execution, in the court it was a different story. They could be charged with embezzlement, disloyalty, treason, or even treason.
Ouyang Zhide's expression changed, but Old Madam Ning said in a shrill voice, "No, no, no, how could the General's Mansion get involved in these things? There must be a misunderstanding."
Li Guang sneered, "Whether it's a misunderstanding or not is not for you to decide. You, speak up."
After Cao'er was captured yesterday, she was subjected to severe torture. She usually stayed by Ouyang Rou's side and didn't live a particularly good life, but to put it bluntly, she was even better off than the young ladies from other small families. Her delicate skin couldn't withstand the beating, and she confessed everything in no time: "It was...it was Miss who asked me to make contact with those tomb raiders. Miss and Aunt were also involved. Miss and Aunt were accomplices with them."
Aunt Hong immediately shrank back, taking two steps backward, her face pale with fear, yet she cried out in a mixture of terror and rage, "You wretched servant! Second Miss and I have always treated you well, yet you dare to plot against us like this! Who did you receive to betray us like this and pin such a huge accusation on us? You wretched servant, you deserve to die! Beat her to death! This wretched servant has betrayed her mistress so much, her words cannot be trusted!"
Li Guang sneered at Hong Yiniang's appearance: "I am here on orders to arrest people. It is not up to a concubine of a general's mansion to speak here. Guards, take them all away." These people naturally referred to everyone in the general's mansion. Now that there are witnesses accusing Hong Yiniang and Ouyang Rou of being involved in the tomb robbers' affair, no one in the entire general's mansion can escape.
Old Madam Ning's heart skipped a beat, and her hands trembled uncontrollably. Even Madam Ning had never imagined that such a thing would happen to her, and she was completely flustered. Not to mention the other family members of the General's Mansion who had never seen such a grand occasion.
Ouyang Zhide stared coldly at Aunt Hong and Ouyang Rou. At this moment, it wouldn't be easy for him to exonerate himself. Moreover, he didn't even know if anyone was deliberately using this to suppress him. Ouyang Zhide remained silent with a grim face.
Just then, a young girl dressed in white with peach blossom embroidery slowly emerged from the crowd. She was pretty and delicate, her smiling eyes like two crescent moons, making her incredibly adorable and endearing. Ouyang Yue slowly bowed to Li Guang: "Greetings, Lord Li."
"Who are you……"
"Reporting to Lord Li, I am the third young lady of the General's Mansion."
Li Guang suddenly understood, but a look of surprise flashed in his eyes. Almost everyone knew about the Third Miss of the General's Mansion now. She used to be infamous, one of the three ugliest women in the capital. Now, her fame stemmed from the grievances she suffered and her affair with Old Madam Ning and Rui Yuhuan, making her a pitiful figure in many people's eyes. Because the previous incident had caused such a stir, Ouyang Yue's reputation was now quite high. However, Li Guang hadn't expected that this General's Mansion's young lady, with so many unsavory rumors, now appeared to be just a gentle and beautiful young woman, so different from the legends.
"Miss Ouyang, what is this...?"
Ouyang Yue looked at Li Guang and said, "Lord Li, please forgive me. I know that you are here on orders, but it is a bit far-fetched to convict the entire General's Mansion based on just one maid. Father is waiting to go to the palace for court, and it would be bad to delay important matters. Why don't you take all the women of the General's Mansion with you first, and then release us innocently after the investigation is completed?"
Li Guang looked at Ouyang Yue in surprise. He had thought that the Third Miss Ouyang had come out to plead for him, but who knew that she would willingly leave with him? No one wants to go to jail for no reason; it's such an ominous sign. But the girl's face was calm, neither sad nor sorrowful, just serene. It was as if she were calmly telling him, "I am innocent, and even if I go with you, I will return safely."
Ouyang Zhide's expression shifted: "Yue'er, don't be silly." He turned to Li Guang and said, "Lord Li, I think it would be better if I left with you first and then asked the Emperor to make a decision after we met."
Li Guang's expression changed slightly. Ouyang Zhide was now a favorite of the Emperor. Although he had performed meritorious service several times without any major reward, the Emperor had suppressed all the offenses he had committed. Even several princes in the palace wanted to win him over, and Li Guang, who moved in the palace, was well aware of this. He turned to look at Ouyang Zhide and Ouyang Yue, his expression suddenly softening. He said, "General Ouyang, you misunderstand. I have only come to take away Concubine Hong and the Second Miss from your household. I have never liked to involve the innocent. Once the matter is investigated, if the two are truly innocent, I will naturally release them safely."
This matter, while potentially far-reaching, could also be suppressed. After all, those arrested were merely maids of Ouyang Rou, not people close to Ouyang Zhide. If they were Ouyang Zhide's people, Li Guang could have easily taken away the entire general's mansion. However, this concubine and her illegitimate daughter held a position of half-mistress, half-servant within the household. Without concrete evidence of Ouyang Zhide's guilt, Li Guang dared not implicate the entire mansion.
Ouyang Yue raised her eyebrows slightly: "Won't this cause trouble for Lord Li?"
Li Guang glanced at Ouyang Yue and asked, "Third Miss, were you involved in this matter? Are you innocent?"
Ouyang Yue smiled brightly: "Lord Li is too kind. My daughter has always been dutiful and proper. How could she be involved in such a matter?"
"If you are innocent, why are you causing me any trouble?"
Ouyang Yue feigned surprise and said, "My daughter was being nosy. Please don't take offense, Lord Li."
Li Guang smiled and glanced at Ouyang Zhide, saying, "General Ouyang has indeed raised a good daughter." Then, his eyes swept over the women of the General's Mansion who were breathing a sigh of relief, thinking to himself that the General's Mansion was upside down. The unmarried young lady in the mansion seemed to be more resilient than the grandmother and the madam. "Guards, take this Aunt Hong, the second young lady of the Ouyang family, away."
Aunt Hong and Ouyang Rou were shocked. They hurriedly said, "We didn't participate! You've arrested the wrong people. This wretched maid is framing us. We are innocent."
Ouyang Rou cried and tried to run to grab Ouyang Zhide to beg for mercy, but she was stopped by the men Li Guang brought. She looked up desperately and cried, "Father, I'm innocent! Father, please save me! I'm innocent!" The thought of losing her limbs and being beheaded terrified Ouyang Rou. She couldn't go to prison, absolutely not! Could she possibly survive there? Absolutely not!
Ouyang Zhide's expression shifted slightly, and he stepped forward to speak, but Li Guang said, "General Ouyang, I have come here today on orders and have offended you in any way. Please forgive me. General Ouyang, please rest assured that even if the people in your household are innocent, I will not make things difficult for them because of your great contributions to the Great Zhou."
Ouyang Zhide immediately shut his mouth. Cao'er was Ouyang Rou's maid, and she and Aunt Hong couldn't be said to be entirely innocent. They would inevitably be implicated and interrogated. Li Guang's decision not to take the general's men away directly was already a favor to him. If he pleaded again now, he would be ungrateful. "Thank you, Lord Li," he said, taking out several silver notes from his sleeve and quietly handing them to Li Guang. "They are indeed people from my household, so please take good care of them, Lord Li."
Li Guang didn't hesitate and waved to his men, "Let's go." But before leaving, he couldn't help but take another deep look at Ouyang Yue. The Seventh Prince had sent someone to secretly remind him to show mercy, but he didn't know if it was for the sake of the Third Miss of the General's Mansion or for General Ouyang.
The men brought by Li Guang immediately took away the incessantly arguing and innocent Aunt Hong and Ouyang Rou. Ouyang Yue watched indifferently, and couldn't help but smooth her sleeves, hiding the slight smile on her lips.
Old Madam Ning sighed, "These two, Aunt Hong and Rou'er, are really reckless in their actions, and even more so incompetent in their use of people. How could their subordinates have gotten involved with tomb raiders? They deserve to go to jail and learn a lesson." Old Madam Ning was implying that Aunt Hong and Ouyang Rou were innocent and would be sent back sooner or later.
Ouyang Yue raised an eyebrow slightly, realizing she was about to disappoint Old Madam Ning.
The events unfolded extremely quickly. That very afternoon, Li Guang's men apprehended the two tomb raiders and transferred them to the Ministry of Justice for severe interrogation. Even those who initially refused to speak eventually confessed to their crimes. The investigation implicated not only Consort Hong and Ouyang Rou from the General's Mansion, but also Consort Hong's maternal relatives, including Hong Dabao, and several other families from the capital and other prefectures—a total of four, five, or six families of high-ranking officials and nobles. However, the other families were not as clean as the General's Mansion. Investigations of the General's Mansion only led to Consort Hong's involvement; there was no evidence of other members of the General's Mansion being involved. As for the other high-ranking officials and nobles, it was the heads of their households who had committed offenses, implicating the entire mansion.
Ouyang Zhide sat in his study, his brows furrowed tightly. He was clearly in a bad mood. Aunt Hong had been with him for over a decade, and Ouyang Rou was his daughter. Now that they were involved in this case, the outcome was definitely not good. This tomb-robbing case had gone unnoticed after several previous investigations, but years later, someone had dared to risk everything for money. As an official in the court, how could he not know this? This time, he would certainly handle it more severely, and it was even uncertain whether he himself would be implicated.
"Father." Just then, a melodious voice suddenly came from outside. Ouyang Zhide was startled, and immediately recognized it as Ouyang Yue. He said, "It's Yue'er. Come in."
The door was gently opened, and Ouyang Yue, dressed in a light green dress, walked in gracefully. Ouyang Zhide looked at her, but his expression froze for a moment. Ouyang Yue had already spoken: "Father, you have a headache right now."
Ouyang Zhide sighed: "You have no idea how much our dynasty hates tomb raiding among the common people. This time, we will definitely not let these people off easily."
Ouyang Yue knew perfectly well that the common people trying to compete with the royal family for business were dreaming. She had always been suspicious of the charlatan Ouyang Rou had hired—why their compass could so easily trap Ouyang Su inside the bracelet. If it weren't for this incident, Ouyang Yue wouldn't have known Ouyang Su couldn't stay by her side for long, and he wouldn't have suffered such a severe injury. The only explanation was that the compass must have some special significance. If it was an item consecrated or passed down in a Taoist temple, it certainly possessed the power to keep evil spirits away.
However, after she left the capital and met Hong Dabao, her doubts grew even stronger. Hong Dabao was rich and cruel, oppressing the people in Shanbian County, which naturally allowed him to make a lot of money. But when he was escorted to the capital, the treasures in the county government office far exceeded Ouyang Yue's imagination. No matter how badly Hong Dabao oppressed the people, these things could not have been obtained in a small place like Shanbian County. It was clear that Hong Dabao definitely had other ways to make money.
Upon returning to the capital, Ouyang Rou directly explained to her why.
Ouyang Yue felt that since she left and returned, Ouyang Rou and Aunt Hong's attire had become significantly more extravagant. Before, Ouyang Rou probably wanted to appear simple and elegant, so her attire was quite limited. But this time, she found that Ouyang Rou had become very flamboyant. Moreover, when Aunt Hong and Ouyang Rou came to ask her to plead for Hong Dabao, the gold hairpin on Ouyang Rou's head was definitely not something Ouyang Rou would be willing to buy. And if she remembered correctly, the design of that snake-patterned gold hairpin was definitely not the kind of carving pattern commonly used in the Great Zhou Dynasty. Although this gold hairpin was a bit restrained and lacked some of the special features of the previous dynasty's carving, this habit was hard to change.
It remembered that the markings on the dog's tail were facing left, while the custom in the Great Zhou Dynasty was to face right. At that moment, Ouyang Rou resolved all of Ouyang Yue's doubts. She immediately devised a plan, forcing Aunt Hong and her daughter to jump over the wall in desperation. Things progressed unexpectedly smoothly.
“Alas, Aunt Hong and Second Sister are really foolish. We have no worries about food and clothing in our General’s Mansion. How could they get involved in such things?” Ouyang Yue sighed and quietly watched Ouyang Zhide’s reaction. Seeing that the latter also had a hint of helplessness on his face, she said, “Father, don’t you plan to plead for Aunt Hong and Second Sister?”
"Plead for mercy?" Ouyang Zhide was taken aback.
Ouyang Yue immediately said, "Yes, Father, Aunt Hong has been with you for so many years, and there must be some affection between you. Also, Second Sister's household is currently small. If something happens to Second Sister, it would be really... No matter what the reason, if something happens to Aunt Hong and Second Sister, the household cannot just ignore it."
Ouyang Zhide was suddenly stunned and stared intently at Ouyang Yue. Ouyang Yue, however, was not afraid of his gaze and said, "Father, there is no time to lose. You should go to the palace and beg the Emperor for mercy. Only the Emperor can save Aunt Hong and Second Sister now. Otherwise, it will be too late. I don't want to see them die."