Aunt Hua was so frightened that she turned pale and swayed as she sat in the chair, looking as if she might fall at any moment. Her maidservant immediately supported her.
Ouyang Zhide's meaning was clear: today's commotion, the near-unjust punishment of Old Madam Ning, and the fact that Ouyang Yue was almost flogged, were all fabricated by Aunt Hua. She hadn't even used the soup; she simply vomited a couple of times because it wasn't to her taste, yet she made it seem as if Ouyang Yue had caused her miscarriage—her intentions were clearly impure! Of course, if Ouyang Zhide hadn't favored Ouyang Yue today, she would probably be in bed with a beating by now. Without Ouyang Zhide, judging from the previous events, Ouyang Yue would certainly have faced considerable reprimand.
Thinking of how Ouyang Yue had almost suffered an undeserved misfortune, Ouyang Zhide was furious. He wasn't just talking big; he really would kick Concubine Hua, pregnant and all, out of the General's Mansion. Once she left through that door, Concubine Hua, a former courtesan, a concubine in the mansion, and carrying a child, would definitely not have a good time!
Thinking of this, Aunt Hua felt a chill run down her spine. How could she forget how much the master favored that wretched girl, Ouyang Yue? Aunt Hua was now actually glad that Ouyang Yue hadn't been beaten; otherwise, if the truth were discovered, she might already be kicked out of the General's Mansion. She trembled with fear and immediately looked at Ouyang Yue with tears in her eyes: "Third Miss, it's all my fault, all my fault! I judged you with my petty mind, please forgive my wickedness." Aunt Hua's humble posture made it impossible for Ouyang Yue to utter any harsh words; that would make her seem petty and unforgiving.
Even Old Madam Ning, who felt that Ouyang Zhide's reprimand of Aunt Hua was a bit harsh, also looked at Ouyang Yue. To her, Ouyang Yue, this troublesome legitimate daughter, was not as important as Aunt Hua's unborn child. After all, this child might be her grandson, the future heir of the General's Mansion. Old Madam Ning came from a prestigious family, so naturally she could not escape the worldly preference for sons over daughters and for her grandson.
Ouyang Yue chuckled lightly, "Isn't it too formal for Aunt Hua to say that? Yue'er meant well, hoping that Aunt Hua would be healthy and give birth to a healthy little brother. Actually, this matter is not Aunt Hua's fault. This herb looks like safflower to me, so it's normal that you misunderstood. Why are you apologizing to me? On the contrary, it is Yue'er who should have been frightened by Aunt Hua. Grandmother is eagerly anticipating the birth of your little brother, and everyone in the mansion is also looking forward to it. Please don't be so polite; it's as if Yue'er has committed a sin."
Old Madam Ning glared coldly at Ouyang Yue. Although her words had eased Hua Yiniang's worries, they sounded like mockery to her! She was being accused of being a disloyal matriarch, caring only about the illegitimate grandson in Hua Yiniang's womb, and disregarding even the legitimate daughter. She was implying that if word got out that she favored a concubine over her wife and an illegitimate child over the legitimate, not only would Ouyang Zhide be in trouble, but Old Madam Ning's own life would also be in danger!
That Ouyang Yue! She's actually learned so many crooked tricks now, she's truly despicable!
Ouyang Rou had been feeling quite aggrieved by Old Madam Ning's scolding, so she had been secretly observing her. Seeing the fiery look in Old Madam Ning's eyes as she stared at Ouyang Yue, she quickly realized the reason. She immediately retorted, "Third Sister, what do you mean by that? It sounds like you're accusing Grandmother of only remembering the younger brother or sister in Concubine Hua's belly, while forgetting you, her legitimate granddaughter. Grandmother is a woman of noble birth, raised in a wealthy and powerful family like the Ning Mansion. How could she not understand that favoring concubines over wives and illegitimate children over legitimate ones is a disgraceful thing? It's understandable that Grandmother is anxious. It's been so long since we've heard a child cry in the mansion. Sister, you're the older sister; you should be more tolerant. Grandmother is the most fair and kind; she won't discriminate. Third Sister, your words are a bit petty and judgmental. That's unacceptable."
Ouyang Yue looked at Ouyang Rou with a half-smile, her eyes filled with unspoken meaning and sarcasm, which made Ouyang Rou's eyes flash with even more gloom. Although Ouyang Yue escaped blame today, it didn't mean she could live in peace from now on. Judging from her grandmother's attitude towards her just now, her grandmother truly didn't favor Ouyang Yue at all. As for Rui Yuhuan, she was ultimately an outsider. No matter how good she was at being subservient, she was still a step behind. Back then, she had managed to cultivate relationships with Ning Shi and gain Ning Shi's favor, so she naturally had the ability to also win over Old Madam Ning.
Ouyang Hua was dead, and even if Ouyang Yue was disliked, Ouyang Rou still had her day. Thinking this, she ignored Ouyang Yue's expression and continued her accusations, failing to notice Old Madam Ning's increasingly gloomy face. Actually, Ouyang Rou had become somewhat arrogant after the repeated setbacks, her temperament becoming impulsive and easily angered. One by one, things that originally belonged to her, and things that were about to belong to her, were gradually disappearing from her life—no one could accept this!
She was convinced that speaking up for Old Madam Ning would win her favor, but she hadn't thought things through before uttering those words. Originally, Ouyang Yue had only subtly mocked her, saying that Old Madam Ning could think that way or not; even if she was angry, she wouldn't show it openly. But Ouyang Rou's words had brought it all to the surface. Although she intended to speak for Old Madam Ning, the underlying meaning of her words sounded like Old Madam Ning didn't love or care for her granddaughter, and even maliciously suppressed her. This might be understandable within the household, but Physician Liu had already harbored resentment because of Ouyang Rou. If bad news were to spread, Old Madam Ning would be the target of everyone's gossip and slander!
Throughout history, the imperial family has placed the utmost importance on the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate heirs. Otherwise, why would the position of crown prince always be a source of contention, with disputes over whether to choose the eldest son over the legitimate heir or vice versa? This is a matter of legitimacy and legitimacy. Which emperor wouldn't cherish his reputation? Would he admit to favoring a particular concubine or violating the established rules by choosing a different prince? If he didn't want to be seen as acting recklessly and letting beauty cloud the judgment of the court, then it wouldn't matter. Therefore, although the competition for the crown prince position was fierce, the eldest son of the legitimate wife was usually the more undisputed choice. Of course, very few crown princes ultimately seized the throne.
This is a bit of a tangent, but the meaning is still the same.
Old Madam Ning and Madam Ning always considered their lineage from the Ning family to be a matter of great prestige. Years ago, Old Madam Ning clashed with the then-mistress of the Ning family, Madam Huang, over her marriage, and the two fought for decades. However, Madam Ning could never relinquish the honor brought by her family, which was one of the reasons she was able to enter the General's Mansion. This kind of person, who would rather have an unruly daughter-in-law than not ultimately agree to let Madam Ning enter the mansion, is someone who values face above all else!
After hearing what Ouyang Rou said, he felt his face burning, as if he had been slapped hard!
Old Ning glared fiercely at Ouyang Rou!
However, Ouyang Rou wasn't paying attention to Old Madam Ning at the moment. She was already addicted to berating Ouyang Yue. Ever since Ouyang Yue made a mistake, she hadn't had such an opportunity again, nor would she dare to. Now, with Old Madam Ning's name in charge, even her father couldn't say much, so she naturally had to curse her to her heart's content! Only then could she vent her recent anger!
“Sister, you were wrong this time. Filial piety is above all else, you…” Ouyang Rou said accusingly, her words becoming increasingly sharp and sarcastic. Looking at Ouyang Yue, she was even more smug.
However, at that moment, something strange suddenly happened!
"Slap! Slap! Slap!" The crisp sound of slapping suddenly rang in Ouyang Rou's ears. Her eyes widened, completely bewildered as to what had happened!
As everyone in the hall watched, Ouyang Rou spoke, but her head suddenly swayed from side to side, her facial expression constantly changing. The way she frantically shook her head seemed to distort her features, making her look like she had lost her mind. She kept making "waaaa" noises, her tone somewhat terrified, but she was uttering unknown monosyllables.
Everyone stared wide-eyed as Ouyang Rou swung her head back and forth. Before long, the hairpins on her head fell off one after another due to the force of her movements, making a "clattering" sound as they hit the ground. Two of the hairpins even broke in two as soon as they hit the ground because of the force she used.
What... what's wrong with Ouyang Rou? What's she doing all of a sudden?! Everyone stared at Ouyang Rou, their eyes wide with disbelief.
Ouyang Rou shook her head wildly. Just when everyone was very doubtful and worried that she might not be able to shake her head off, she suddenly stopped. However, her head was still half tilted, as if she had just been slapped and was still not recovered. The hall fell into silence.
Ouyang Rou's face flushed red, and she screamed in terror and anger, "Who? Who ambushed me?!" She turned to glare at them, but as soon as she did, a grotesque scream of pain erupted. Ouyang Rou clutched her neck, tears streaming down her face. "It hurts! It hurts so much! Auntie, Auntie, come quick! My neck is twisted! I can't turn it! It hurts so much! Look at me! Someone ambushed me! Someone ambushed me! It was Ouyang Yue! It was her! Catch her!"
Ouyang Rou roared through gritted teeth in anger!
However, not only Aunt Hong, but everyone in the hall stared at Ouyang Rou as if they'd seen a ghost, all wondering to themselves, "Who would have tried to ambush her? Ouyang Yue was sitting right across from her, such a long distance apart, how could anyone have gotten up there to attack her?" Did they think they were all blind? Clearly, she realized she'd said something wrong and was afraid of being scolded by Old Madam Ning, so she suddenly came up with this crazy trick. How incredibly stupid! Look how humiliated she's made herself!
Seeing that no one responded, Ouyang Rou covered her cheek, which was still in pain, with one hand and her neck, which was constantly being pulled and twisted with the other. She turned halfway around before she could turn her face back. She looked around in surprise and was stunned when she saw where Ouyang Yue was sitting!
Not Ouyang Yue? How could that be? She felt that slap so strongly just now, just like the real one. Ouyang Rou couldn't help but have a strange thought in her mind, because she wanted to suspect that Ouyang Zhide had hit her out of favoritism towards Ouyang Yue, but he was sitting next to Old Madam Ning, which was too far away to possibly have hit her!
Could it be that she really did see a ghost just now?! Ouyang Rou's face turned pale and then flushed, changing like a color palette. Her clothes were disheveled and her hair was messy from the violent twisting earlier, and combined with her current expression, she looked somewhat insane. Aunt Hua and Aunt Ming both showed their sarcasm.
Rui Yuhuan sneered. This second young lady of the General's Mansion was truly incredibly stupid. She actually thought of a way to escape Old Madam Ning's reprimand. It was unbelievable that she even came up with such a thing. Old Madam Ning certainly wouldn't pursue the matter any further, but she was utterly disgusted with her. It was truly laughable whether she was genuinely foolish or just pretending to be clever!
Just then, unnoticed by anyone, a shadow suddenly appeared behind Ouyang Rou.
The shadow was short and stocky, like a child, with a mischievous grin on its face, flashing a V-sign at the opposite side. It even winked cutely, its bright red lips parted in a wide, smug grin.
Ouyang Yue couldn't help but chuckle, blinking, "Well done, son!"
Just moments before, as Ouyang Rou was about to continue her sharp and sarcastic criticism, and Ouyang Yue was about to retort, she suddenly felt her bracelet tremble. A thought flashed through Ouyang Yue's mind, and an idea formed in her mind. The day's events had already left Old Madam Ning and Ouyang Zhide quite annoyed, and her words had indeed displeased Old Madam Ning. If she were to entangle herself with Ouyang Rou any further now, it wouldn't do her any good. It would be better to leave it to her obedient son to handle, so that things could be done discreetly.
Everyone thought that Ouyang Rou was using such a stupid method to appease Old Madam Ning. Only Ouyang Rou, who had been slapped and bound, could understand the true frustration and anger she felt! But she couldn't find the culprit at all, and could only grit her teeth in anger!
This feeling of being completely oblivious to the fact that she had clearly harmed him made Ouyang Yue feel incredibly pleased, and her eyes couldn't help but curve into crescent shapes. This infuriated Ouyang Rou, who was about to scold her, but in her anger, she forgot that she had twisted her neck.
"Click!"
"Ouch, I can't take it anymore! My neck is going to break! My neck is going to break! Call a doctor! Call a doctor!" Ouyang Rou cried out in pain, looking disheveled and screaming so fiercely that the servants in the hall stared in disbelief.
This… how could this second young lady be acting like a madwoman? Does she no longer care about the image of a proper young lady? The second young lady used to be meticulous in everything. Could it be that because she ruined her reputation at the Ning Mansion, she's now completely reckless and doesn't care about anything anymore? Thinking about it, it's quite possible. That means the second young lady has always been like this, and it was all an act all along! Many people looked at Ouyang Rou and sighed inwardly. They really couldn't tell from her usual behavior.
Compared to her, Ouyang Yue, sitting calmly and gracefully opposite, appeared much more elegant and dignified. It was like heaven and earth. How could they have thought the Third Miss was so unbearable before? It was indeed a preconceived notion. The Third Miss was not like that at all. She was the most respectable person in the mansion.
As expected, there is a difference between legitimate and illegitimate children. Children born to concubines are always less well-mannered. Although the mistress doesn't usually care much about the third young lady, she has still inherited this behavior and even seems to be surpassing the mistress. It's really strange!
Ouyang Zhide was so angry he could hardly contain himself. He waved his hand angrily and said, "Can't you see that the Second Miss is injured? Hurry up and help her down to call the doctor. What are you standing there for?!" If this continues, all the servants in the manor will see Ouyang Rou's embarrassing state!
Ouyang Rou's maidservant suddenly snapped out of her daze and immediately got up to help Ouyang Rou away. In her heart, she was thinking, "Second Miss really did something today... Sigh, their Rouyu Courtyard will probably be looked down upon even more in the future!"
As soon as Ouyang Rou left, Aunt Hong, out of concern, hastily resigned and followed. Aunt Hua, feeling extremely unlucky that day, having been yelled at by Ouyang Zhide, also didn't want to stay any longer and hurriedly returned home. With so many leaving, Old Madam Ning simply went back to her inner room to rest, out of sight, out of mind, to avoid the burning sensation of seeing Ouyang Yue. She had previously given Ouyang Yue a severe dressing-down, intending to punish her, but it turned out to be a misunderstanding. But asking her to apologize was absolutely out of the question!
Ouyang Zhide encountered this matter as soon as he returned, and he was very troubled. Ouyang Yue chatted with him for a while, and Ouyang Zhide returned to his Yihexuan. Ouyang Yue, on the other hand, took Chuncao, Dongxue, and Li Cuier back to her Mingyuege.
As soon as they returned to Mingyue Pavilion, Ouyang Yue immediately beamed at Li Cuier: "Cuier, you really did a great job! The medicinal herbs were perfectly prepared. Look at how embarrassed Aunt Hua, Aunt Ming, and Ouyang Rou were! Humph! They tried to scheme against me and criticize me, but in the end, Father disliked them all. Let's see if they dare to be so smug in front of me again! They're really courting death!"
Li Cuier lowered her head, but a strange light flashed in her eyes. Her voice was very respectful: "Miss is truly blessed. Actually, this prescription was made by my father using all his knowledge. It's not only rare, but some of the herbs are also unfamiliar to most people. For example, that dried grass that looks like safflower, I didn't pay any attention to it at first. I didn't expect it to cause trouble for you. If it weren't for the knowledgeable Physician Liu, I would have committed suicide to beg for your forgiveness."
Ouyang Yue shook her head, reached out to help Li Cuier up, and said with a look of disapproval, "Cuier, I was also suspicious of you at first, but after spending so many days together, I know what kind of person you are! You can rest assured, although I, Ouyang Yue, am not some kind of heroine, I am a person who clearly distinguishes between gratitude and resentment. This matter is not your fault at all, why do you need to say such things? It's just that Aunt Hua has malicious intentions, she didn't do anything wrong, but she wanted to pin the crime of harming her own siblings on me. Humph! Aunt Ming, Aunt Hong, and Second Sister are all no good either, they're always trying to take advantage of me, do you think I don't know that! Compared to them, can't I see your loyalty? If you say that again, I'll get angry."
“Yes, Cui’er, Miss is the kindest of all. From now on, we’ll live together like a family in Mingyue Pavilion. There’s no need for so much formality. It only makes Miss sad.” Chuncao said with a kind expression.
Li Cuier's eyes immediately welled up with tears: "Miss is so kind to me, I am so touched. Yes, I will definitely listen to you, Miss, and I will never say such things again. I will be loyal to you, Miss, and I am willing to swear on my life!"
Ouyang Yue laughed and scolded, "I just said you'd do it again. Go wash your face, you're all covered in tears, people will laugh at you if they see you like this."
Li Cuier blushed instantly, "Miss, you're making fun of me again." She stomped her mouth and ran out, looking both ashamed and indignant.
As soon as she left, Chuncao immediately said, "Miss, do you really think Cui'er has a problem? After all, nothing bad happened this time. Instead, she escaped danger and even got Aunt Hua scolded by the master. The second young lady was also made to look so embarrassed. I felt a little guilty when I saw the way the old lady looked at you when she left. In the end, we actually got the better deal this time."
Ouyang Yue looked at Dongxue and said, "What do you think?"
Dongxue frowned slightly: "The more it looks like there's no problem, the more likely there is one."
Ouyang Yue nodded: "Dongxue is right. The less problematic something seems, the bigger it actually is. Have you noticed that since Li Cuier entered Mingyue Pavilion, she has been constantly professing her loyalty to me? Do you think I don't have eyes to see that? This constant emphasis only makes her seem guilty."
Chuncao hadn't thought of any of this and exclaimed in surprise, "Then what exactly is she going to do? She's definitely going to harm you, Miss! You'd better prepare yourself!"
Ouyang Yue smiled slyly, beckoned, and Chuncao and Dongxue immediately came close to her ear. Ouyang Yue whispered a few words in their ears, and the two nodded to indicate that they understood, before going out to run errands.
Back at Rouyu Courtyard, Ouyang Rou's pain was relieved after a doctor rushed over and examined her. However, the doctor said that she had twisted her neck and it would take several days to recover. Ouyang Yue was so angry that she smashed many things in the room.
As soon as Aunt Hong entered, she was nearly hit on the head by a teacup that Ouyang Rou had thrown. Startled, she took a few steps back, but tripped on the threshold and almost fell. Fortunately, a maid caught her, but it still gave her a fright. That was too close! Thinking of Aunt Ming's face, which, even though it had healed, still showed scars if you looked closely, she felt lingering fear, and her expression darkened: "Second Miss, what are you doing? Why are you smashing your own things? If the Old Madam finds out, she will definitely scold you again."
Ouyang Rou clutched her neck, yelling angrily, "Let her scold me! I think everyone in this family wishes I were dead. They must be laughing behind my back! I've lost all face today, I'm so angry, so incredibly angry!" As she cursed, Ouyang Rou kicked over the table again.
Aunt Hong couldn't help but snort coldly. This second young lady seemed so clever when she was little, learning everything she was taught instantly. How come she's become increasingly stupid? Lately, not only has she failed to accomplish a single task, but she's botched them all. Today, she's made such a fool of herself trying to evade responsibility, making Aunt Hong lose face and be stared at by the servants in Anhe Hall. Her tone was anything but pleasant: "Second young lady, really! Even if you don't want the old lady to blame you, you shouldn't use such a stupid method! The old lady hasn't blamed you, but look at the state you've become! It's utterly disgraceful!"
Ouyang Rou shouted even louder in anger: "You blame me, you blame me too! You think I wanted to use this method to escape punishment? How could that be! I clearly felt someone slapping me repeatedly, I could even hear the sound of the slaps, just like the real thing! Otherwise, could I have twisted my neck by shaking my head? I'm completely innocent too!"
Aunt Hong was also surprised: "Second Miss, do you mean you..." Then she widened her eyes, "Second Miss, you didn't encounter anything unclean, did you!"
Ouyang Rou gasped, "This...this is impossible, Auntie, don't scare me!"
Aunt Hong's face darkened: "Second Miss, it's hard to say about such things. Have you forgotten what the people we know do? They've said that some things in this world can't be explained by common sense. We can't guarantee that there aren't any in our household like that."
Ouyang Rou's eyes widened. Thinking of those people, she slowly began to believe Aunt Hong's words: "But why is this thing helping Ouyang Yue? Aunt, didn't Ouyang Yue die back then? She suddenly came back to life, which I've always found strange. But after what Madam did, confirming Ouyang Yue's identity, I forgot about it. But now that you mention it, I still feel like something's off about her. Aunt, do you think it might be her..."
Aunt Hong frowned, thought for a moment, and said, "Second Miss, we can't tell anyone about this, but we must investigate carefully. You said that Hong Yicheng personally checked on the Third Miss and confirmed that she wasn't breathing. Thinking about it that way, it is indeed very strange. It seems that our Third Miss has quite a few secrets!"
Ouyang Rou gave a cold laugh: "Yes, there are quite a few secrets!"
At this moment, Aunt Ming suddenly arrived at Green Willow Courtyard. As soon as she sat down, she asked, "Are you confident?"
Rui Yuhuan simply smiled confidently, but did not answer her question.
The matter of Ouyang Yue delivering medicine displeased Ouyang Zhide, and he did not visit her for the next three days. Instead, Ouyang Zhide made a special trip to see Ouyang Yue and tried to curry favor with her.
And Ouyang Yue's herbal soup was indeed a good thing. After trying it for two days, Old Madam Ning felt that her skin seemed to have really improved. With her taking the lead, people from all the courtyards of the General's Mansion naturally came to Ouyang Yue for help. Even those who had previously had a grudge against Ouyang Yue, such as Concubine Ming, Concubine Hong, and even Rui Yuhuan, came to her for help.
Since Ouyang Yue was going to give it to Old Madam Ning that day, she naturally had no intention of keeping it a secret. She generously copied the original recipe and sent it to each courtyard, which made everyone happy. She even gave some of the servants who had benefited from it to her. Ouyang Yue's reputation in the mansion was unparalleled for a time, even overshadowing that of the newly pregnant Concubine Hua.
On this day, Ouyang Yue was reading on the couch. She was getting a little tired and was about to rest by stretching her neck when Dongxue walked in. She leaned down and whispered something in Ouyang Yue's ear. Ouyang Yue's lips curled into a cold smile, and her eyes were devoid of any emotion.
☆、076, A Miracle Turns Around!
When Old Madam Ning arrived at Liucui Courtyard with her entourage, Madam Ning, Aunt Ming, Aunt Hong, Ouyang Rou, Aunt Liu, and Ouyang Yue also heard the news and rushed over. There was no time for them to greet each other; they rushed straight inside.
Old Madam Ning rushed in first, and as soon as she pushed open the door, she was immediately overwhelmed by the pungent smell of blood and staggered, almost falling backward. Mama Xi immediately supported Old Madam Ning: "Madam, are you alright?"
"Never mind me, quickly help me inside to see what's going on." Old Ning was no longer concerned about anything else; judging from the pungent smell of blood, the situation couldn't be good!
However, when Old Ning entered the house, she gasped in shock. She saw blood everywhere on the floor next to the table in the outer room, and it was spreading into the inner room. The situation was not optimistic.
Aunt Hong and Ouyang Rou exchanged a glance and smiled.
Hmph! That wretched woman, Aunt Hua! Taking advantage of her pregnancy, she's always looked down on everyone. With so much bleeding, this pregnancy is definitely doomed. Ouyang Rou is no longer a virgin, and her body has been damaged; she'll likely have difficulty conceiving again. Seeing Aunt Hua's condition now fills her with immense satisfaction!
Serves them right! It would be better if all women in the world couldn't have children!
Following the trail of blood, the group rushed into the inner room. As soon as they turned around, the smell of blood became even stronger. At that moment, Aunt Hua was lying on the bed, clutching her stomach and writhing in pain, howling, "It hurts so much! My stomach hurts so much! Call a doctor! Call a doctor! You must save the baby! You must save the baby!"
Seeing this, Old Madam Ning immediately shouted, "Quickly support Aunt Hua and don't let her move around. It will only make the situation worse. Hurry up!"
The maidservant from Liucui Courtyard, being inexperienced, was already terrified. She only managed to restrain Concubine Hua a beat too late. Old Madam Ning, however, shouted, "Where is the doctor? Concubine Hua is in such a terrible state, why hasn't the doctor arrived yet!"
Aunt Hua's personal maid, Ting'er, was sweating profusely with anxiety: "Madam, I have already sent Tian Niu to fetch a doctor, but she has not returned yet. I don't know what's wrong."
Old Madam Ning said with a stern face: "Useless things, tell me quickly what happened. Aunt Hua has been fine recently, how could she suddenly have a massive hemorrhage and miscarriage? What are you servants doing? Today Aunt Hua is in trouble, none of you can escape!"
Ting'er knelt on the ground in fright, crying, "Madam, Auntie has been doing very well under your care lately. The doctor we called a few days ago even said that Auntie's pregnancy is going very well, and she'll be fine as long as she doesn't bump into anything. I've never dared to neglect her duties. But today, Auntie just woke up and had lunch right away, though she didn't have much of an appetite and only drank the soup that Third Miss brought." At this point, Ting'er suddenly cried out, "That's right, it's about Third Miss's soup! Auntie drank two bowls, and when she got up afterwards, she suddenly complained of a stomachache. When I looked, I saw that Auntie was bleeding from her body. Auntie hadn't moved around much, she only drank the soup, it must be the soup that caused the problem!"
After Ting'er finished speaking, the room fell into a brief silence. Then, Old Madam Ning roared, "What happened? How could your soup have such a big problem? Tell me, did you put something in it?!"
Because Old Madam Ning was leading the way, and there were still a bunch of people in the room, Ouyang Yue didn't rush forward. Old Madam Ning's shout at her made everyone turn to look at her. They saw Ouyang Yue dressed in a light yellow dress, looking very charming and beautiful, but a look of astonishment flashed across her face. She shook her head in surprise, "No, I didn't! How could I possibly add anything? Grandmother, I've sent this prescription to every courtyard! Everyone's been using it for so long without incident, so why did Aunt Hua have this problem? There must be some misunderstanding! I absolutely didn't do it!"
"The doctor is here!" Just then, a maid announced loudly from outside. Then, Tian Niu, exhausted and covered in sweat, led in a doctor with a sallow complexion, white beard, wearing a gray robe and carrying a yellow pearwood medicine chest. Ouyang Yue deliberately glanced at the doctor, noticing that he scanned his surroundings with his eyes as he entered. This was not inherently wrong, but his eyes were very shifty, and his gaze seemed to carry a hint of ill intent. Ouyang Yue gave a cold laugh.
Old Madam Ning immediately said, "Doctor, please take a look at Aunt Hua. You must save the child in her womb!"
The doctor pretended to walk forward, and when he saw the room full of blood, a look of shock flashed in his eyes. Seeing this, he was probably sure that the child was gone, but he still took Aunt Hua's pulse very seriously. Finally, he shook his head and sighed, "I am powerless. This aunt has bled too much. Even if a god came, he couldn't save this child."
Aunt Hua, who had been full of hope, now turned deathly pale, her face already pale from bleeding. "My child! My child! It's all your fault, Ouyang Yue! You've done this to me! You didn't stop hurting me last time, and now you want to hurt me again! Give me back my child! Give me back my child! You're the one who ruined me, you damned thing!"
"Quickly, stop this concubine! She shouldn't be doing strenuous exercise right now! She's bleeding so much, quickly go and brew some medicine to prevent miscarriage!" the doctor shouted immediately. Concubine Hua screamed and tried to lunge at Ouyang Yue, but Ting'er and the other servants held her back, preventing her from moving on the bed. At the same time, servants immediately went to brew the medicine!