With just four words, Ouyang Rou spoke through gritted teeth. While Hong Yicheng's face was ashen, hers was a mixture of red and blue, making her look even more ferocious and terrifying.
To say you don't know her in front of so many people would be to push her into endless shame!
Sure enough, the young men and women present began to gossip: "A concubine's daughter is a concubine's daughter; she can never be respectable."
"Not only is it disgraceful, it's also despicable and shameless!"
"Sigh, my parents were extremely strict with our upbringing. We would never do something like this, talking so much about men. And to have so many people hear it, if it were me, I would have killed myself to protect my innocence. Some people are even angry, but what right does she have to be angry!"
"Young Master Hong is a renowned scholar in the capital. How could he possibly take a fancy to a plain-looking illegitimate daughter? Doesn't he even look in the mirror and examine his own character?"
Among the crowd were many who admired Hong Yicheng, and they naturally all spoke up to belittle Ouyang Rou. Ouyang Rou was so angry that she couldn't speak. Her face kept changing, and she had never felt such hatred before!
Hong Yicheng actually denied her identity. She had given him her virginity, and he dared to deny it!
Ouyang Rou's eyes flashed with anger as she stared intently at Hong Yicheng, who felt a pang of guilt in his eyes.
Under other circumstances, he might have admitted it, but how could he admit it now? He knew all about Ouyang Rou's actions while they were hiding behind the rockery. If he admitted it, he would lose his reputation as a talented scholar and might even be disliked by the Crown Prince!
A woman is nothing compared to my future!
"Oh dear, so this person isn't Young Master Hong's fiancée? Wow, what audacity! To dare deceive the princess is utterly disrespectful!" Leng Caiwen slammed her fan handle against her palm in surprise.
Ouyang Yue immediately turned to look at Leng Caiwen, only to see that the latter's eyes, full of charm, were gleaming with schadenfreude, and his eyes were fixed on Hong Yicheng, clearly watching him make a fool of himself!
Hong Yicheng coldly returned the latter's gaze, but for a moment he could only purse his lips, his expression somewhat aggrieved. Ouyang Yue immediately chuckled; this person was just her type!
Leng Caiwen also sensed something, and suddenly turned her head, blinked, and gave a mischievous smile, which surprised Ouyang Yue. Did she know this person?
Upon Leng Caiwen's reminder, Baili Jing sneered, "You two, slap this bitch's mouth until it's rotten!" She was referring to the two male guards.
Upon hearing this, Ouyang Rou leaped up and charged towards Hong Yicheng. The two guards, skilled in martial arts, were no match for a weak woman like her. They quickly caught up and grabbed her. The latter kept shaking her head, crying, "Yicheng, save me! Please save me! Hong Yicheng... Pfft!"
Ouyang Rou struggled and screamed, but the male guard's heavy slap came down hard, and Ouyang Rou's head was immediately slapped to the side. Then, the crisp sound of slapping rang out in the imperial garden. Ouyang Rou struggled and screamed twice at first, but in the end, her originally fair face was swollen layer by layer.
From white to red, the color deepened, showing that the two guards showed no mercy to her because she was a woman.
The other young ladies from various families watched in utter fear, shrinking back. Ouyang Rou was unforgivable, but it was truly excessive for Baili Jing to allow a male guard to humiliate a noble lady like this, relying on the princess's status. However, no one dared to speak up now, for the consequences of being implicated were unbearable for anyone.
Of course, Ouyang Rou's original status in the noble ladies' circle was also completely destroyed. Who would dare to befriend someone so morally corrupt, malicious, and disliked by the princess!
Ning Xishan's face turned pale and then flushed, and she knelt trembling to one side, too afraid to get up. She had also offended the princess just now, but fortunately no one had seen her...
Ouyang Yue suddenly knelt down in grief and indignation: "Your Highness, please have mercy on my sister and the others. They have already been punished. I beg you..."
Ouyang Hua was taken aback, feeling very hesitant, because there were indeed few opportunities to bring down Ouyang Rou. She had already lost one opportunity at home, and she was too unwilling to lose another one!
But considering that Ouyang Yue had pleaded for her time and time again, it would be unreasonable for her not to plead as well. Finally, she gritted her teeth and was about to kneel down to beg for mercy when Baili Jing walked towards them. Ouyang Hua was startled and shrank back.
Ouyang Yue only saw a pair of exquisitely embroidered phoenix shoes walking over. After a while, Baili Jing's cold voice rang out above her head: "This princess hates it when people question my decisions. Do you know how angry I am right now!"
Ouyang Yue shrugged, not looking up, but only saying worriedly, "But Second Sister... I..."
Baili Jing suddenly interrupted her: "What? Your sister couldn't get close to Young Master Hong, so now it's your turn? I know you're his fiancée."
Ouyang Yue suddenly raised her head and saw Baili Jing's ambiguous smile. She asked in confusion, "Princess, Young Master Hong has already broken off the engagement. I have no relation to him whatsoever. I am only pleading for my second sister out of pity."
All eyes immediately turned to her. Seeing the honest look on Ouyang Yue's face, they felt a sudden tightness in their hearts. This kind of topic was a disgrace for both men and women, yet she spoke of it so frankly, without any concern on her face. She knelt there quietly, like a solitary lotus flower, aloof and elegant, with a temperament that outshone all the women in the garden!
Dai Yu, who had been indifferently looking at the unknown place since she came out, also turned to look at Ouyang Yue. Leng Caiwen's smiling eyes narrowed, and Hong Yicheng's face darkened even more.
He was annoyed by Ouyang Yue, but hearing it so casually made him feel like a useless, discarded burden, which made him very depressed!
Baili Jing suddenly sneered, "What this princess says cannot be taken back. You beg for mercy, but this princess will punish you anyway!" As she spoke, she turned her head and said, "Is your mouth rotten?"
The two guards who were carrying out the execution immediately stopped. Ouyang Rou was so dizzy from the beating that she collapsed to the ground, spitting out a mouthful of blood. Her cheeks were swollen and red, and even her beautiful appearance was no longer visible.
Baili Jing's eyes flashed with malice: "What about the caning I mentioned before? For the sake of the Third Miss of the General's Mansion, there's no need to kill them. Thirty strokes each for the two of them, start now!"
Ning Xishan, who had initially held onto a sliver of hope, was immediately taken aback: "Princess, please have mercy! I am the eldest daughter of the Ning family! You must consider my father's feelings..."
"Good, as expected of someone from the Ning family, quite imposing! I'll spare you for your father's sake. Guards, give this princess another twenty!"
Ning Xishan was dumbfounded. The princess's guards acted quickly and soon came over with sticks. Ning Xishan cried and begged, but no one paid any attention to her. As for Ouyang Rou, her face and mouth were already swollen from being beaten, and she couldn't speak or even cry. The dull sound of sticks hitting flesh echoed in the Imperial Garden.
Baili Jing's expression was very unpleasant. She had only punished two people, yet she had been interrupted time and time again. How could she be in a good mood? She turned around leisurely and came to Hong Yicheng's side, smiling meaningfully, "Young Master Hong, don't you feel sorry for me?"
Hong Yicheng's expression changed instantly. He thought about it several times, but he still couldn't figure out what the princess was thinking.
On the other side, Ouyang Yue was stopped by Ouyang Hua: "Third sister, let's quickly ask Mother to come over. If this continues, Second sister and cousin will not survive, and we will definitely be scolded by Mother."
Ouyang Yue noticed a flicker of something in Ouyang Hua's eyes, and a smile played on her lips: "Alright, let's go quickly."
Ouyang Hua immediately pulled Ouyang Yue away, but after taking two steps, he suddenly exclaimed, "Oh no! My handkerchief is gone! There are so many men in the Imperial Garden. What if someone picks it up?"
Ouyang Hua looked very worried, while Ouyang Yue's eyes flashed with a cold light: "This concerns your reputation and cannot be taken lightly. Eldest sister, go and take a look first. I will go to find Mother."
Ouyang Hua hesitated for a moment, but then thought that was the only way: "Then I'll trouble you, Third Sister. I'll pick up the handkerchief and go back to you immediately. Second Sister is in such a state today, we sisters can't afford to have any more accidents happen to us. I remember there's a pavilion ahead of this road, where Mother used to like to chat with people. Go quickly, Sister."
Ouyang Yue nodded, turned and left. Ouyang Hua took a few quick steps and suddenly stopped. Looking at Ouyang Yue's back, a vicious smile appeared on his lips. Everything was going according to plan, and even more smoothly than expected!
In a little while, Ouyang Rou and Ouyang Yue's reputations will be completely ruined, and the General's Mansion will become hers alone!
☆、025, Design was penalized!
Following the path Ouyang Hua had indicated, Ouyang Yue finally came to a pavilion. The pavilion was built among a group of artificial hills and green willows, creating a very quiet and secluded environment, making it a nice place to cool off and chat.
However, Ouyang Yue immediately smiled. As soon as she arrived at this place, she could feel several soft breaths.
She stopped moving, her mind racing. Ouyang Hua had remained calm and collected until she found a breakthrough with Ouyang Rou, at which point her ambition was revealed. Clearly, she was more adept at scheming.
She could have ignored Ouyang Hua's request to come over, but she knew that if she didn't comply, Ouyang Hua would come up with even more insidious methods, so she decided to see what tricks he was up to.
Seeing that she had lingered for a long time, and that her breathing had become noticeably heavier and more rapid, Ouyang Yue slowly took a step. Each step felt like stepping on someone's heart, making people very nervous.
So when Ouyang Yue stepped into the pavilion, the people hidden in the shadows had no patience left and suddenly appeared from all sides.
When Ouyang Yue looked up, she saw Ning Xihai and several other notorious playboys from the capital. They quickly surrounded the pavilion. Ouyang Yue, who had been smiling, suddenly turned cold and her aura flared up. Ning Xihai was stunned, but Ouyang Yue was even angrier!
Ouyang Hua had a good plan; she immediately understood it after these people came out.
This is the imperial palace. If anyone is caught having sex here, not only will their reputation be damaged, but they will also be guilty of committing a serious crime of debauchery in the imperial palace. Even if she is deeply loved by General Ouyang and the emperor and empress give her some face, Ouyang Yue's reputation will never be able to be cleared in this lifetime. She is really insidious!
"Why is my cousin not happy to see her cousin?" Ning Xihai was infatuated with Ouyang Hua and would do whatever she said. But when he looked at the girl standing quietly in the pavilion, his heart skipped a beat. This Ouyang Yue seemed different from before, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
"What are my cousin and these young masters doing here? Are they deliberately waiting for me?" Ouyang Yue glanced indifferently at the people around her. There were ten of them in total, surrounding her from all sides. It seemed that Ouyang Hua had indeed gone to find Ning Shi, but not to rescue Ouyang Rou. He was there to catch her cheating, and he would probably appear soon.
Ouyang Yue's heart tightened, but at that moment the bracelet on her wrist shook. Startled, Ouyang Yue immediately reached out and grabbed it, but she could still feel the strong trembling under her hand, which made Ouyang Yue even more nervous.
She knew Su'er wanted to help her, but this was the imperial palace, the place with the strongest yang energy. If she let Su'er out, she was afraid that he might be harmed. She had to solve this problem herself!
She hesitated to act, waiting for an opportunity. She didn't want to use her skills without any warning, as she didn't know if there were people lurking in the shadows. But right now, she had to deal with Ning Xihai first!
No longer having any reservations, Ouyang Yue lowered her eyes and moved her feet slightly. The playboy Ning Xihai brought saw Ouyang Yue and his eyes lit up. Ouyang Yue was dressed in green today and looked pretty and cute. These people had been to brothels many times, but they rarely encountered such a fresh and beautiful woman. They were immediately itching to get closer.
Ouyang Hua originally intended for these people to scare Ouyang Yue and get her arrested for having an affair with a man. However, these people have actually become lustful. Ning Xihai did not stop them. Instead, he curled his lips and looked Ouyang Yue up and down, clearly also a little tempted.
He hadn't really looked at his cousin closely before, but now that he saw her, she was just as beautiful as Ouyang Hua, though she seemed even purer, like a pure white flower, making his heart itch with desire.
"Since my cousin is here, why don't you have a good chat with your cousin and strengthen your relationship?" As he spoke, he reached out and tried to lift Ouyang Yue's chin.
Ouyang Yue suddenly raised her head, her right leg already aimed at Ning Xihai's kneecap, but at that moment her ears twitched slightly, and she heard a rapid whistling sound in the air. Sure enough, there was someone in the shadows! Ouyang Yue immediately withdrew her foot, and then heard several screams.
"ah!"
"Bang!"
"Bang!"
Ouyang Yue was taken aback. The newcomer was quite skilled, taking down ten people in an instant. Ouyang Yue took two quick steps back, and when she looked up again, she saw two men dressed in black, with cold expressions and murderous intent in their eyes, walking towards her.
Ouyang Yue's mind raced. To dare to injure someone so casually in the palace, especially a noble young master from the capital... this person...
"Miss Ouyang, the prince requests your presence!"
As soon as the man in black finished speaking, not only Ouyang Yue, but also the young masters who had been knocked to the ground and were about to get angry immediately fell silent and stared at him with wide eyes. Ouyang Yue's expression changed, and she nodded and followed one of them toward the artificial hills opposite. The other black-clad guards who remained behind looked at the young masters who had been knocked to the ground and gave them a cold smile.
The sight immediately made everyone's hearts clench, a bad premonition rising within them. Upon seeing this, Ning Xihai immediately cried out, "Cousin, save me!"
Ouyang Yue's lips curled into a cold smile. She didn't turn around, but screams of surprise rose from behind her. Just then, a commotion erupted outside: "Hua'er, is what you're saying true? Your third sister and... and..."
“Mother, I originally intended to go with my third sister to find you and rescue my second sister, but halfway there my third sister said she had lost her handkerchief and needed to go look for it. I then thought that if something happened to my third sister after my second sister's accident, things would be terrible, so I followed her. But I saw her talking to a man in a pavilion…”
"You bastard!"
Ouyang Yue recognized Ning's voice. Her eyes narrowed, and her expression grew increasingly cold. Ouyang Hua had indeed brought people to catch them in the act of adultery, but now…
The group quickened their pace and rushed toward the pavilion, but upon arriving, screams erupted one after another!
"Ah! What's going on!" Another noblewoman dressed in embroidered floral patterns covered her mouth with a handkerchief and exclaimed in surprise. Ouyang Yue recognized her as Madam Shang, the wife of Ning Baichuan, the eldest son of the Ning family, who held the rank of third grade official. She was also Ning Xihai's biological mother.
The scene in the pavilion was indeed shocking. Ning Xihai and his ten companions, dressed in disheveled clothes, were either lying down, sprawled out, or entangled together. Because the pavilion was small, the ten people were even closer together, and their behavior was somewhat indecent and erotic!
Ouyang Hua's previously smug expression changed, and Shang Shi raised her hand and slapped her hard: "You wretch! Is this what you want us to see? You're so proud of making Ning Shi lose face!" As she spoke, she coldly looked at Ning Shi, "My sister-in-law has really raised a good daughter, she actually schemed against her own family. You, the general's wife, are truly quite imposing!"
Ning's initial anger turned into horror. She had no time to pay attention to Ouyang Hua, who was covering his face in shock. She immediately said, "Quick, help the young masters up first."
Ning's face darkened. Although those who had come with her were all acquaintances and relatives, they were all ashamed at the sight. She couldn't help but ask immediately, "Hai'er, what exactly happened? How could you all..."
Ning Xihai was seething with hatred. The guard had just beaten him so badly he felt like his body was falling apart. He was about to curse, but suddenly stopped himself. The guard had called him "Prince," and if he said that, he would offend a member of the royal family. Moreover, if he were to say that the guard was bullying Ouyang Yue, he would offend the General's Mansion and ruin his own reputation.
Although these playboys loved to have fun, they weren't fools. Not only him, but the other nine young masters also immediately shut up. Madam Shang said coldly, "Hai'er, tell your mother what happened. Who tried to scheme against you!"
"Yes, yes, Young Master Ning, please speak quickly. If you weren't tricked, then it's because you..." Before he could finish speaking, Ning Xihai was startled, because he understood what he meant. If they weren't tricked, then it was because they were attracted to men!
Shang's face darkened, and she demanded sharply, "Hai'er, tell me, who exactly harmed you!"
The look in Ning Xihai's eyes clearly said, "Even if there's no one else, we must point someone out now!"
Ning Xihai was startled and immediately reflexively looked up at Ouyang Hua. Ouyang Hua was stunned by the stare and took several steps back in fright. When Shang Shi saw this, she rushed over and slapped Ouyang Hua twice!
"Aunt, what do you suggest we do about this illegitimate daughter who has ruined our family's reputation?" Shang Shi's expression clearly indicated that she was about to interrogate someone. Ning Shi pursed her lips and clenched her fists, clearly also angry. After marrying into the General's Mansion, she had always held a high position in the Ning family, but this was the first time she had been questioned like this.
But the reality is that she was wrong!
Ouyang Yue sneered, then suddenly heard a very faint voice behind her: "So happy?"
After being brought here, she felt no one was there and was busy checking the outside, so she didn't notice when someone had joined her. She suddenly turned her head and was immediately drawn to a pair of deep, dark, and bright eyes...
☆、026, it's pointless to fight!