In fact, Ming Dawu was still quite upset. His brother had bumped into someone who had fainted on the roadside, dumped him in an alley, and taken some money. He wanted to extort some more money, but instead, his brother hit him on the head with a stick. This made him want to kill Ning Zhuangxue!
"Ouch!" Ning Zhuangxue immediately saw stars after being hit. Then he felt something cool and sticky slide down his head. His vision blurred and turned blood red. He screamed in terror, "Robbery! People are being assaulted! Murder! Help! Help!"
"Gag him and beat him!" Ming Dawu swung the stick and calmed down a bit, but when he touched his face, he felt that his hand was wet and slippery, and he angrily ordered again.
Upon hearing this, Ning Zhuangxue was terrified. He thought to himself, if he were really caught, would he even survive? The blow to the head had already instilled in him a strong sense of fear of death. At that moment, he didn't know where the strength came from, but he suddenly yelled and shook off the two men holding his arms, rushing out like a madman.
"Damn it, he got away! Useless piece of trash, hurry up and chase after him!" Ming Dawu grabbed a stick from the ground and was about to rush forward when he saw this. But after only two steps, he suddenly felt a chill on his back. He stopped and touched it, finding it to be a bright red stain in the water.
"Pfft!" He suddenly opened his eyes wide in disbelief, then fell heavily to the ground, blood immediately seeping out around him. His thugs, seeing this, were terrified and stood frozen in place, trembling. "Who...who is it? Which gangster are you from? I...we have no grudges against each other recently, nothing in the past..."
"puff!"
Before they could finish speaking, a spray of blood erupted before their eyes. Their eyes remained wide open in death, and in their dying moments, they saw only a dark shadow before their lives ebbed away, and they finally died.
Ning Zhuangxue's ears were ringing with fear. He ran wildly without any direction, covered in blood and acting crazy. Passersby were terrified and had to give way. Finally, Ning Zhuangxue ran to a street corner and looked around blankly. His stupid look made people even more frightened.
"Run! This man is insane! Don't let anyone get hurt!"
"Mother, mother..."
"Kid, come here quickly! Don't go near the madman!"
Ning Zhuangxue turned and rushed off again, accidentally stumbling upon Qunying Street, the residence of most of the middle class in the capital. Ning Zhuangxue ran like a madman to the middle street, then turned and entered an alley. This alley was more upscale than the Ping Tong District behind it, with three to five households in each alley, their doors painted red, exuding a sense of nobility. After running to the second house, Ning Zhuangxue could run no more. He knelt on the ground and pounded on the door with all his might.
"Hey, who is it? In such a hurry to knock on the door?" The door opened and a middle-aged woman dressed in light chrysanthemum-colored clothes embroidered with silver flowers came out. She looked around and saw that there was no one in the alley. She thought some rascal was playing around and was about to close the door when she heard a faint voice from below.
"Mother, mother..."
The woman was startled. Looking down, she saw a blood-soaked figure and stumbled back several steps, stammering, "You...you...Zhuang Xue, what happened to you? You..."
Ning Zhuangxue's eyes rolled back, his face drained of color, and he trembled as he raised his head: "General...manor, Aunt...cough...murder...to silence...a witness...pfft!"
"Bang!" Ning Zhuangxue felt as if his bones were about to shatter. It was as if he had been kicked hard from behind. He lunged forward and slid towards the threshold, vomiting a mouthful of blood before dying.
Ning Zhuangxue's mother only felt a sudden gust of evil wind blowing in front of her. By the time she realized what was happening, Ning Zhuangxue had already grabbed her skirt and died!
"Ah! My son, wake up! My son, don't leave your mother! Son, wake up!" Ning Zhuangxue's mother paused for a moment as if in a daze, then began to cry out in heart-wrenching sobs. Her cries attracted many people from Qunying Street who came looking for her. When they saw Ning Zhuangxue dead in front of his house, covered in blood, they all sighed in sorrow. Some onlookers kept asking about the cause of Ning Zhuangxue's death, but Ning Zhuangxue's mother just held her son and cried, ignoring everyone. After some time, seeing that there was no more excitement to be had, most of the onlookers left.
Fang suddenly muttered to herself, "General's Mansion, Aunt? Murder to silence a witness? Who, who! Who is so cruel as to take my son's life! That's right, the old lady of the General's Mansion, it was her! She's the one who invited Zhuang Xue into the mansion, it was her! It must be related to her, I will never let you go, General's Mansion, General's Mansion! Ahhhhhh!"
It turned out that Ning Zhuangxue had been bribed by Aunt Hong and others that day. Because Aunt Hong and her group were afraid the news would leak, they forbade Ning Zhuangxue from telling anyone. Fang Shi only knew that Ning Zhuangxue had finally gotten his chance to teach at the General's Mansion, and that if the young lady of the General's Mansion became famous in the capital, it would all be thanks to her son. She was hoping that her son would rise to prominence through this incident, but who knew that the next time she saw him was a corpse? Fang Shi immediately hated everyone in the General's Mansion!
On the other side, seeing that the matter was over, Granny Ai didn't even ask for leave. She packed up her things and hurriedly left the General's Mansion for the city outskirts. She thought that she could no longer live in the capital for a while and needed to avoid the storm.
However, after she escaped outside the city, before she could even catch her breath, a dark shadow suddenly flashed before her eyes, and someone stopped in her tracks.
When Granny Ai saw the person who came, she trembled all over with fright: "Young...Young Master, I have done as you...you ordered, what...what else do you want to do?"
The man in black narrowed his eyes, then suddenly pointed a finger. Granny Ai screamed, and a spray of blood gushed from her neck. Terrified, she clutched her neck, trembling as she stammered, "I...I did what I asked for, why...why...kill me..."
The man in black didn't say a word. He turned around and disappeared like the wind in a few flashes.
"Bang!" Granny Ai clutched her neck, her eyes wide open like copper bells, dying with unseeing eyes. She regretted it. She shouldn't have taken the General's Mansion's job for money, she shouldn't have framed Ouyang Yue for money, and she shouldn't have accepted the money from the man in black. She should have known better. These people were ruthless killers. She should have run away back then. She should have run away!
I hate it! I hate that she ran too slowly!
Just then, a gust of wind blew, causing the surrounding weeds to sway wildly. Blood continued to gush out of Granny Ai's body as if it would never stop flowing. At that moment, another dark figure rushed over. Smelling the blood in the air, he quickly reached Granny Ai. When he saw Granny Ai's dead body, the man in black's eyes widened, and he took two steps back.
"How could it be? How could it be one of their people!" The newcomer hurriedly glanced around, then suddenly vanished and ran away. A while later, the woman in black returned and saw that Granny Ai had bled to death and her body was rapidly decaying. Her eyes widened in horror. She immediately took out a tinderbox and burned everything Granny Ai owned except for the silver until it turned to ashes. Only then did she disappear.
Inside Mingyue Pavilion, Ouyang Yue looked at Dongxue, whose breathing had been rapid and uneasy since her return, and her heart sank slightly: "What happened?"
Dongxue, still dressed in black, revealed a flicker of fear on her usually cold and composed face: "Miss, there's no problem with Ningzhuang Academy. However, when I went to chase after Granny Ai, she was already dead. She was murdered, and the one who killed her was... a member of the First Killing Alliance. I know that method; there's no mistake! It was the First Killing Alliance!" Dongxue's expression was tense and agitated. "Miss, do you think they've found me...?"
The coincidence was too striking. She had just received her mistress's orders to kill Granny Ai on the way, and Granny Ai was dead. No one knew better than her that the First Assassin Alliance would never work for someone who couldn't pay the money. Besides, Granny Ai was just a retired palace tutor; what deep-seated hatred could she possibly have that would justify hiring the First Assassin Alliance to kill her? It was utterly illogical!
As someone who escaped for her life, Dongxue was most afraid of seeing the people from the First Killing Alliance, because it was very likely that the organization had sent someone to take her life!
Ouyang Yue's expression was serious: "Are you sure it's someone from the First Killing Alliance?"
“Absolutely true!” Dongxue nodded repeatedly, expressing her emotions. “The First Killing Alliance has a unique method for killing, which is to kill with a single sword strike, causing rivers of blood to flow until they run dry. This method is something that ordinary people simply cannot do. I recognize it, it’s absolutely true!”
Ouyang Yuejue fell silent: "Dongxue, calm down. In my opinion, the First Killing Alliance isn't after you. If they were, why would they go through all this trouble? Why don't they fight you? Besides, I sent you to kill Granny Ai. By doing this, they've actually helped us out of trouble."
Ouyang Yue had been puzzled by Ai Mama's sudden change of tone and her speaking up for her today. Ouyang Yue had absolutely no intention of bribing Ai Mama, not even thinking of doing so. But if Ai Mama hadn't spoken up, while she was confident of escaping danger, it would have been much more difficult. It was as if Ai Mama knew she was in danger and came to her rescue, which made her suspicious. Ai Mama's opportunistic nature…
"Miss, this is the silver from Granny Ai's bundle. I've brought it all back." Only then did Dongxue remember the silver she had brought back.
When Ouyang Yue opened the package, she was surprised to find that Granny Ai was quite wealthy. Eight bills of one thousand taels of silver were neatly folded together, twenty bills of one hundred taels each, some loose silver of about forty or fifty taels, and several well-made pieces, clearly gifts from noble people. At a glance, she estimated it to be at least eleven or twelve thousand taels of silver. This was enough for Granny Ai to open a shop and support herself for the rest of her life. The fact that the First Killing Alliance members hadn't taken the silver with them after killing someone was even more suspicious.
"Dongxue, try to sell these pieces of jewelry over the next couple of days. Remember not to sell them all together. It's better to spend more time, walk more distances, and visit more pawnshops than to arouse suspicion."
Dongxue nodded: "Miss, I understand. But what about the First Killing Alliance..."
Ouyang Yue picked up a silver coin with her handkerchief, glanced at it, and said, "Check these silver notes again to see if they're poisoned. Be careful."
"Yes, Miss." Ouyang Yue didn't mention the First Killing Alliance again. Although Dongxue was a little nervous, she didn't ask any more questions.
Ouyang Yue took out a handkerchief and wiped her hands, muttering to herself, "Is the First Killing Alliance friend or foe?"
"Whether you're friend or foe, I will definitely protect your mother." The bracelet in Ouyang Yue's hand trembled, and Ouyang Su floated out, wrapped his arms around Ouyang Yue's neck, and said in a coquettish and cute manner.
Ouyang Yue chuckled lightly: "It seems to have been well nourished by the bracelet these past few days; your face looks even more radiant."
Ouyang Su rolled his eyes: "Water descriptions are for girls, okay? Boys are described as brave and strong!"
"Huh? Brave? Strong?" Ouyang Yue's eyes darted up and down, her brows furrowed, and the corners of her mouth curved into a strange, half-smile. Ouyang Su pouted in annoyance, her cheeks puffing up like a frog's mouth. Ouyang Yue finally couldn't help but laugh.
Ouyang Su was furious: "I'm angry! I'm really angry!"
Seeing Ouyang Yue's nonchalant attitude, Ouyang Su floated up and opened his mouth to bite her nose, his teeth grinding loudly. But after biting for a while, she didn't react. Frustrated, Ouyang Su floated onto the bed, turning his back to her and ignoring her. He was just a spirit, so it wasn't easy for him to hurt her. Besides, who was Ouyang Yue? She couldn't bear such a small pain. So, Ouyang Su was left alone to sulk.
Ouyang Yue suppressed a laugh and slowly walked over, only to hear Ouyang Su snort coldly without turning around, then purse his lips and smiled again, until he finally suppressed it and said, "What's wrong? Are you really angry? I was just joking. Mom was wrong."
"Hmph!" He turned his back to people and ignored them.
Ouyang Yue sighed again: "Alright, what can I do? Our Su'er is so cute, Mom just couldn't resist. You know Mom loves you the most."
The little body shifted slightly, seemingly hesitant about whether to turn around. Ouyang Yue pressed on, "Mom won't joke like that with Su'er next time. Please forgive your good mom this time, okay?"
Ouyang Su's small body jerked violently, paused for a moment, then rolled over and lay on his back, seeing Ouyang Yue leaning against the bedside. He wrinkled his nose and said, "Seeing that you're so good at admitting it, I'll forgive you this time. You must watch what you say next time. I'm a very respectable person down there. Everyone bows and scrapes before me. If they know I'm being ridiculed like this, it will damage my noble image. Image is something that can disappear in an instant."
"Okay, okay, you're right, I won't do it again next time." But her tightly pursed lips betrayed an obvious attempt to suppress a laugh...
Ouyang Su then smiled broadly again, floated down and sat on Ouyang Yue's shoulder, his two short legs swinging back and forth. Fortunately, he was a spirit and his body didn't have much weight, otherwise Ouyang Yue would have had a hard time with this.
"That First Killing Alliance seems pretty powerful. Should I go down there and check it out for you?"
Ouyang Yue shook her head: "This First Killing Alliance is very mysterious. Although there is a lot of information in the treasure vault below, in order not to reveal the secrets of heaven, most of it is about the deeds of the deceased and the origins of some families. I'm afraid we won't be able to find anything. Moreover, the First Killing Alliance has not shown any hostility so far. It's better to observe it for a while. Right now, the most important thing is not the First Killing Alliance. I need to find an opportunity to go to the blacksmith shop."
The First Killing Alliance incident made Ouyang Yue more wary. It was similar to the mercenaries she encountered. She hated running into enemy mercenaries during missions; while she wasn't afraid, it would cause problems. She preferred to nip any unknown danger in the bud. However, her influence in this world was too weak, making her feel constrained and unable to act freely. Her mind raced. Granny Ai's ill-gotten gains of over ten thousand taels of silver might be useful…
Inside the Buddhist hall, Aunt Ming and Ouyang Hua huddled together, shivering on the ground. This time, Old Madam Ning was truly enraged. Half a day had passed, and no one had come to visit them. Even before that, some of the bedding in the Buddhist hall had been taken away, and each of them had been given forty strokes of the cane, leaving their buttocks raw and bleeding. Even the slightest touch caused them to cry out in pain, leaving them only able to lie there. Although it was already summer, the floor of the Buddhist hall was just ordinary bluestone. Lying there, coupled with their weak constitution, they naturally shivered from the cold, feeling their injuries worsen.
Aunt Hong, lying alone on the other side, was also shivering from the cold, her lips purple and her face pale. She hugged her chest, trembling, but her mouth wouldn't stop: "Serves you right! You bitches! You thought you were so powerful? Now you're just like me, punished and locked up here. Humph, you really thought you were above everyone else just because you caught the old lady's eye? You even seduced me into joining your ranks, and now I'm in this miserable state! And what about you? You're all being abandoned at a time like this. Haha! A concubine is still a concubine. Compared to the principal wife, it's like heaven and earth. A concubine's daughter is a concubine's daughter, forever half a servant, just a money-losing commodity to marry into a third-rate family!"
Aunt Hong thought that Ouyang Rou had committed adultery and miscarried, and her health was failing. The news had probably spread throughout the household. How would Ouyang Rou survive in the future? It was impossible for her to marry into a higher social class. Even if she did marry, it would only be to a humble family. But Ouyang Rou was a woman who had lost her virginity. Even if she married into a general's family, she would surely be disliked. If she were to marry into a rigid, traditional family, she might very well be divorced.
As Ouyang Rou's biological mother, Aunt Hong was naturally guilty and implicated as well. Moreover, they now bore the stigma of framing Ouyang Yue. With the general's imminent return, Aunt Hong couldn't even imagine what would happen next. She couldn't see a future for herself and Ouyang Rou, and a wave of fear washed over her. Only such insults could bring her some relief.
At first, Ouyang Hua and Aunt Ming were both heartbroken and cold, and they were unwilling to pay any attention to Aunt Hong's unreasonable accusations. However, the more Aunt Hong talked, the more outrageous it became, and Ouyang Hua couldn't help but say, "So what? If Aunt Hong hadn't been used, she wouldn't have had to suffer punishment with us. In the end, Grandmother still prefers me. Look at what happened to my second sister now. Besides, there was no evidence in Anhe Hall to prove that Aunt Ming and I were involved in this matter. It was all caused by Aunt Hong and my second sister out of jealousy. When Father comes back, I will say the same thing. Aunt Hong, get ready to bear the second wave of anger!"
"You little bitch, I knew you were up to no good from the start! You're truly wicked! I will never let you get away with this today!" This was exactly what Aunt Hong was worried about. Hearing Ouyang Hua's words, she jumped up in anger and rushed towards Aunt Ming and Ouyang Hua, swinging her fists at them. Her vicious appearance startled Ouyang Hua, who was naturally stunned for a few seconds before the fist slammed into her face.
"Ah!" Ouyang Hua covered her face. This was her most important face, the face that could rival Ouyang Yue's. How dare this bitch hit her!
"You dare slap me in the face? I'll kill you!" Ouyang Hua went berserk and shoved Aunt Hong. Aunt Hong staggered back two steps, but still couldn't keep her balance and fell to the ground. This aggravated her wounds, and Aunt Hong screamed. Ouyang Hua hurriedly covered his ears, but his foot was already kicking Aunt Hong to vent his anger.
Aunt Hong was no pushover either. With a wave of her hand, she immediately pushed Ouyang Hua to the ground, and the two of them were entangled on the ground. Aunt Ming got up and tried to break up the fight: "Stop, stop! How long do you want to be locked up? How dare you make a scene here? If the old lady finds out, neither of you will be able to leave."
While trying to break up the fight, she accidentally stomped on Aunt Hong's waist and legs twice. Aunt Hong was furious and started fighting with the two of them, grabbing and scratching each other like shrewish women. The maidservant guarding outside heard the noise and immediately opened the door to check. She saw the three once high and mighty masters wrestling on the ground, their clothes disheveled, their hair messy, and their clothes covered in dust. They looked extremely disheveled and were dumbfounded.
Suddenly, Aunt Hong screamed and flailed her arms wildly. With a thud, Aunt Ming, who was next to her, suddenly collapsed to the ground and then closed her eyes, losing consciousness.
Ouyang Hua cried out in alarm, "Auntie, Auntie, what's wrong? Wake up! Auntie... quick... quick, go get the doctor! Hurry!"
The maidservant didn't dare to delay. Although the three mistresses had made mistakes, the old lady hadn't gone so far as to execute them. If something really happened, they would be the ones to suffer. The two maidservants immediately sent one to Anhe Hall to ask for a doctor, while the other busied herself helping up Aunt Ming.
A short while later, the head maid returned and said that the old lady had spoken, and that they should return to their respective courtyards first, and that the priority should be to revive Concubine Ming. As for the punishment, that would be discussed later.
Ouyang Hua immediately helped Consort Ming back to her Xiangning Courtyard. Along the way, Ouyang Hua cried incessantly in fear. As soon as they arrived at Xiangning Courtyard, she ordered the servants to help them prepare and serve Consort Ming. Soon after, the doctor also came to examine her and said that Consort Ming was weak and had some wounds that were inflamed, so she needed to rest. After Ouyang Hua had the servants send her away, she sat on the bed and finally breathed a long sigh of relief.
"Auntie, the doctor has left, and there's no one in the room. Please wake up quickly."
Ming, who had been lying unconscious in bed, suddenly opened her eyes. It turned out that during the argument earlier, Ming had given Ouyang Hua a wink, and the two of them had used this trick to leave the Buddhist hall.
“Auntie, what are we going to do now? Grandmother must be angry with us. If you hadn’t pretended to faint, we wouldn’t have been able to get out for three to five days. What are we going to do? All the years I’ve been so subservient to Grandmother have been for nothing. What are we going to do?”
Aunt Ming was much calmer than Ouyang Hua: "Don't worry, Miss, we're not at our wits' end yet. The one who suffered the most this time is Aunt Hong. When Master returns, he will naturally dislike her. Ning Shi won't get away with it either. As for Aunt Liu, she's never been able to compete with me. Now, only Aunt Hua and I are left in the mansion. That little bitch is the most brainless. As long as Master returns and I win him over, the Old Madam will naturally still like you. In her heart, no one is more important than the General. I know that very well."
Ouyang Hua's eyes lit up: "Auntie is really resourceful, but what if Auntie Hong continues to drag us into this?"
Aunt Ming sneered: "She has no evidence!"
"But I'm not reconciled! This scheme failed. Look at Ouyang Yue's face when she left, her smug look. I wanted to eat her flesh and drink her blood. Mother, you've been telling me to endure, to endure, for over ten years, and I still haven't become the legitimate daughter, nor have you made me the principal wife. How much longer must we wait, Mother? I'm already fifteen. If I can't become the legitimate daughter soon, I'll only be able to marry into a powerless family as their principal wife. How can I accept that! I've studied music, chess, calligraphy, and painting since I was little. I absolutely must marry into a prestigious family as their principal wife!"
Aunt Ming patted Ouyang Hua's hand: "What's so difficult about this? We've waited for over ten years, what's a little longer?"
"What if it still doesn't work out in the end? I won't accept it. Even someone as brainless as Ouyang Yue can be the legitimate daughter and enjoy my father's favor. What am I lacking? I've always been better than her in both looks and talent since I was a child. I don't want to be suppressed by her all the time! I wish she were dead. I wish I could tear her to pieces. She stole my immense wealth and status. It was her!"
Ouyang Hua sobbed, nestled in Aunt Ming's arms. A cold glint flashed in Aunt Ming's eyes. Yes, these were all things she had instilled in Ouyang Hua from a young age. She intended to raise Ouyang Hua as a legitimate daughter. Whatever Ouyang Yue possessed in this household, Ouyang Hua would possess the same. It didn't matter if the General doted on Ouyang Yue, or if the Old Madam favored Ouyang Hua. In terms of social standing, they were evenly matched, but Hua'er was more outstanding. She had also worked diligently since childhood. Ouyang Yue was ridiculed as the ugliest of the three in the capital, while Ouyang Hua was praised as one of the three most beautiful women. No one knew better than them how much effort she had put in.
Ouyang Hua is superior to Ouyang Yue in every way, except for the position of legitimate daughter. How could they possibly accept that? No, of course they would not be willing! Everything of that belongs to them!
Aunt Ming was raised as a legitimate daughter in her maternal family, but in the end, because she was not a legitimate daughter and was not as noble as Ning Shi, she could only be relegated to the position of a concubine. She hated it even more than Aunt Hong when people said she was just a concubine, because the position of the general's wife should have belonged to her!
Aunt Ming gave a cold smile and patted Ouyang Hua's head: "Hua'er, don't worry. The old lady of the Ning family's birthday is coming soon. Most of the noble families in the capital will be there. If something happens there, it will be a laughing stock for the whole capital. It would be even better if we could do it after the general returns to the capital."
Ouyang Hua raised her tear-stained face, but her eyes sparkled: "Auntie, what idea have you come up with this time?"
"Isn't that young master from the Ning family very infatuated with you?"
Ouyang Hua's face paled: "Auntie, could it be that you intend to..."
Aunt Ming scolded, "What nonsense are you thinking? You are my daughter. How could I let you seduce him to do things for you? You will marry someone of higher status and greater dignity in the future. How could Ning Xihai be worthy of you? He is not even worthy of touching you!"
Ouyang Hua breathed a sigh of relief: "So, what does Auntie mean..."
Aunt Ming said calmly, "Ever since Ouyang Yue was injured, I've felt something is off about her, and she often makes me uneasy. Especially since she's managed to escape danger so easily these past few times, she seems increasingly threatening. I absolutely cannot let her live. I understand men well. No matter how much the General dotes on her, there are limits. If Ouyang Yue does something to humiliate him, especially since he's just returned victorious and has been dealt a blow to the head, the General will definitely be angry and resentful! The General's mansion has more than just Ouyang Yue as a young lady, and the General has more than just her as a child. This time, we must make the General completely disgusted with Ouyang Yue. Once she's gone, getting rid of her will be as easy as a palm strike!"
"What does Auntie want to do!" Ouyang Hua's eyes widened with excitement. Yes, once her father's love was gone, what was Ouyang Yue? No one would care about her. With her mother's abilities, she could win over all of her father's favor and seize the position of Ning's principal wife. Becoming the legitimate daughter would be just around the corner!
"Come closer."
Ouyang Hua immediately leaned over, and Aunt Ming whispered, her face growing more and more excited as she listened, until finally her fists trembled: "Good, good! This time, Ouyang Yue is doomed, she's doomed!" In that instant, all the pent-up feelings from today vanished. Yes, get rid of Ouyang Yue, get rid of her directly, and in the most filthy way, the way that would make everyone despise and weep.