The clear voice pierced through the high walls and echoed throughout most of the Prime Minister's residence, startling the three ghosts and attracting the attention of the patrolling guards nearby: "Young Miss!"
"The ghost is there, catch the ghost quickly..." The guards were numerous and gathered together, so they were naturally not afraid of ghosts. Following the direction of Shen Lixue's finger, they indeed saw three floating figures and rushed over with their long swords.
“Ghosts aren’t afraid of swords, so you can use sticks to hit them!” Shen Lixue suggested, her eyes gleaming with cold light.
Upon hearing this, the three female ghosts trembled with fear, turned around, and hurriedly fled. However, they were no match for the well-trained guards. They were caught up after only a few steps, and a barrage of sticks rained down on them. The three of them were knocked to the ground, rolling around in a sorry state.
"Stop hitting us, stop hitting us, we are..." Heavy blows fell mercilessly on their bodies. The three women were in unbearable pain and were about to beg for mercy when a rag was suddenly stuffed into their mouths in the chaos, and they could no longer say anything.
His piercing gaze, sharp as if devouring a person, glared fiercely, and he saw the smile on Shen Lixue's lips, faint yet full of boundless mockery.
After gagging the three men, Shen Lixue stood outside the circle, coldly watching the guards beat the three ghosts with heavy sticks. She already knew that the three ghosts were people in disguise.
Just as she arrived, the old woman's voice suddenly called out in a sinister tone. Coupled with the unusual atmosphere, she was caught off guard and was genuinely startled. Fortunately, she had a lot of experience and was not terrified. If it were anyone else, they would have been scared to death or driven mad.
When Granny Ding called out, she deliberately changed her voice, but Shen Lixue still recognized her from her sinister gaze. As for the two fake ghosts that floated out later, they were Xia Jin and Xia Rou. Shen Lixue couldn't see their faces clearly, but she did see a white patch on the forehead of one of the fake ghosts, which was a white cloth used to bandage a wound.
She had just broken Xia Jin's head with a vase; the one with the white cloth wrapped around her head was naturally Xia Jin.
Since they couldn't break her arm at Xueyuan, Shen Minghui and Lei Shi arranged for people to dress up as ghosts to scare her. Did they want to scare her to death or drive her crazy?
"Young Miss, these three aren't ghosts, they're Granny Ding, Xia Rou, and Xia Jin!" the guards exclaimed, retreating hastily.
Ghosts are something that people are afraid of to some extent. They pinned the three women to the ground and beat them relentlessly until they all passed out. It was their first time fighting a ghost, and they were curious about what it looked like, so they turned them over to take a look. Unexpectedly, they saw three familiar faces.
Shen Lixue coldly glanced at Ding Mama, Xia Rou, and Xia Jin, who were seriously injured and unconscious on the ground, and said indifferently, "They are people from the Madam's and Second Miss's side. It is very strange that they have appeared here as ghosts. Carry them and come with me to Xueyuan!"
Shen Lixue turned around and walked back to Xueyuan along the way she came. Lei Shi and Shen Minghui gave her such a big gift, so of course she should give them a gift in return. That's what it means to reciprocate. Hopefully, they won't be furious when they see this gift!
Witty Remarks 074: Enraging the Scumbag Mother, Battle of Rivals
Snow Garden was brightly lit. The imperial physician had already left, and most of the maids had been dismissed, leaving only a few trusted servants to attend to him in the inner room.
Shen Minghui stood in the outer room, pacing back and forth. Occasionally, he would stop and look anxiously through the semi-transparent beaded curtain at the busy Lei family in the inner room and Shen Yingxue, who was lying on the bed with serious injuries.
A moment later, Lei came out of the inner room wiping the sweat from her brow. Shen Minghui hurried forward and asked, "How is Yingxue?"
"Yingxue's broken arm has been splinted and is fine. She's taken her medicine and is asleep!" Lei replied weakly, her eyes full of exhaustion.
Shen Minghui secretly breathed a sigh of relief. It was good that his arm was alright. With a few months of careful rest, Yingxue would still be the most beautiful woman in Qingyan, capable of excelling in all the arts...
Suddenly, a commotion broke out outside the door. Shen Minghui, who had just relaxed, became irritated again and frowned deeply: "Who is making such a racket outside? Don't they know that the Second Miss's arm is injured and she needs to rest?"
A maid rushed into the room and hurriedly reported, "Your Excellency, Madam, it's the eldest young lady..."
Lei paused abruptly as he wiped away his sweat, a gloomy glint flashing in his narrowed eyes.
Shen Minghui was taken aback, then said coldly, "What is she doing at Xueyuan in the middle of the night?"
"I didn't want to come to Snow Garden either, but something big just happened, so I had to come here to find you!" Shen Lixue stepped into the room, a faint smile playing on her lips, a smile that was faint yet chillingly cold.
"What important matter could possibly warrant you giving up your rest time to come to Xueyuan in the dead of night?" Lei asked casually, taking a sip of tea, her expression hidden in the rising steam.
"After seeing these items, Father and Madam will know what's going on!" Shen Lixue's gaze was cold, and her voice was icy cold, devoid of any warmth.
"What are you trying to pull?" Shen Minghui asked impatiently. What major event could have happened at the Prime Minister's residence in the dead of night? Had she caused trouble again and injured someone?
Shen Lixue waved her hand, and several guards carried in three bodies. They were called bodies because they were all humanoid, but dressed strangely, and all of them were unconscious, their fate unknown.
"What is this?" Shen Minghui quickly took a step back, his eyes filled with deep horror. There were three bodies. One of them was wearing gray clothes, with torn clothes revealing scarred skin. Her face was smeared with sallow smears, and her face was covered with bruises and scars. Her hair was messy and she was unrecognizable.
The other two were dressed in loose white clothes covered in streaks of dust, their hair was dirty and messy, and their faces were deathly pale. A few drops of bright red blood on their pale faces added to the sense of terror...
Three bodies lay side by side, the scene indescribably eerie. Looking at the three miserable figures, Lei Shi remained silent, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"These three are Granny Ding, Xia Rou, and Xia Jin. Didn't Father and Madam recognize them?" Shen Lixue's cold gaze swept back and forth between Shen Minghui and Lei Shi, a slight smile playing on her lips.
The guards stood outside the door, their mouths twitching as they listened. The three women had been beaten beyond recognition, and it had taken them a lot of effort to identify them. Of course, Prime Minister Shen and his wife could not recognize them with just a glance.
"Granny Ding, Xia Rou, Xia Jin!" Shen Minghui enunciated each word with surprise, his gaze sweeping over the three women. Not long ago, they were unharmed and obeying orders at Xueyuan Garden. How could they have changed so drastically in the blink of an eye? Could it be...?
"It's you!" Shen Minghui's sharp gaze shot straight at Shen Lixue. Just now, he ordered Ding Mama, Xia Rou, and Xia Jin to break her arm, but she stubbornly resisted and turned around and caused the three of them to be in this state. Humph, does she hate the three of them, or does she hate herself?
"Li Xue, Ding Mama, Xia Rou, and Xia Jin are my and Ying Xue's maids. Even if they made mistakes, you can't treat them so harshly!" Lei Shi looked at Shen Li Xue and lectured her earnestly, as if to say that she was ignorant and would beat people indiscriminately.
"Father, Madam, you haven't even asked about the truth yet, and you're already blaming me for everything. That's far too arbitrary." Shen Lixue looked at Shen Minghui and Lei Shi, her gaze icy cold. "Or do you know the whole story and are trying to cover it up by blaming me?"
"What outrageous nonsense are you spouting?" Shen Minghui slammed his hand on the table, causing the teacup to bounce and spill tea all over the table. The tea-colored surface reflected Shen Minghui's angry eyes: "I am your father. Would I use such a despicable and shameless method to frame you?"
"Master, please calm down. Li Xue is young and doesn't understand!" Lei Shi gently comforted Shen Minghui, patting his chest.
Shen Lixue smiled coldly: "I'm being unreasonable? You didn't even let me finish speaking before jumping to conclusions and blaming all the mistakes on me. Being wronged and unable to defend myself is something no one could tolerate."
"My attitude just now was merely one of suspicion, not an admission that I wouldn't listen to your explanation!" Shen Minghui's angry gaze flickered slightly as he thought to himself, "This daughter of mine is truly cunning. With just a few words, she's ensnared me and steered the situation onto the path she's set..."
"The matter is very simple. When I left Snow Garden and returned to Bamboo Garden, I passed a pavilion and suddenly three ghosts appeared. I was very scared and lost control of my emotions. I shouted loudly, which attracted the patrolling guards. The guards used wooden sticks to beat the ghosts and knocked them all down. After they looked closely, they saw their faces clearly. They were Ding Mama, Xia Rou, and Xia Jin!"
Shen Lixue spoke calmly, glancing at Shen Minghui and Lei Shi. Ding Mama, Xia Rou, and Xia Jin were all servants. If no one had instructed them, they certainly wouldn't have dared to pretend to be ghosts to scare her. This matter was inextricably linked to the two of them!
"Is what you're saying true?" Shen Minghui didn't quite believe Shen Lixue's words. Why would they pretend to be ghosts to scare Lixue for no reason?
"If Father doesn't believe me, he can ask the guards. When they arrived, Granny Ding, Xia Rou, and Xia Jin were playing tricks on me!" Shen Lixue said calmly.
Shen Minghui looked at the guards, and before he could ask, the head guard said respectfully, "Your Excellency, everything the young lady said is true. When we arrived at the pavilion, these three fake female ghosts were preparing to harm the young lady..."
When the guards arrived at the pavilion, Ding Mama, Xia Rou, and Xia Jin were stunned by Shen Lixue's actions. They stood there in the same position, motionless. From the guards' perspective, it was clear that they were indeed planning to harm Shen Lixue.
"You audacious servant! How dare you plot against the young lady! Throw them all out and wake them up! I will interrogate them myself!" Shen Minghui's eyes were dark as he issued the order in a stern voice.