Those eyes were as cold as a deep pool, sending a chill down Hong Yicheng's spine. Startled, he immediately pulled out the marriage certificate and handed it over. Ouyang Yue glanced at it, then put it away. Suddenly, she smiled at Hong Yicheng and said, "Now that you've broken off the engagement, it has nothing to do with me. You're just a wicked man who ruined my reputation. I don't like you anymore. Get out of here right now!"
Madam Ning immediately scolded, "Yue'er, you mustn't be rude! Look at yourself..."
Ouyang Yue coldly stared at Hong Yicheng, then suddenly grabbed a chair next to her and slammed it hard at Hong Yicheng. Hong Yicheng was shocked and quickly dodged, but the chair hit his shoulder instead, causing him to stagger in pain!
Hong Yicheng angrily said, "You..."
"Get out!" Without giving Hong Yicheng a chance to speak, Ouyang Yue immediately grabbed another chair and threw it at him!
Hong Yicheng knew she was going all out, so he retreated repeatedly to dodge the chair attack. Then, Ouyang Yue went berserk and grabbed a chair, throwing it at Hong Yicheng repeatedly. Hong Yicheng was furious and wanted to tear Ouyang Yue apart, but this was the General's Mansion, and he hadn't lost his last bit of reason. He was the one who was being dishonest, and if he hit Ouyang Yue, things would definitely not end well!
But seeing Ouyang Yue's crazed state, she didn't even have time to greet Ning Shi before turning around and rushing outside. Ouyang Yue grabbed a chair and slammed it down, hitting Hong Yicheng's leg. Hong Yicheng was caught off guard and fell to the ground. Filled with humiliation, he thought bitterly that he would take revenge in the future. He quickly got up and ran out of the General's Mansion in a disheveled state.
His figure fled as if escaping, looking utterly pathetic; he was a far cry from his former noble young master image. And this time, everyone in the mansion witnessed it.
As for the hall, ever since Ouyang Yue went crazy grabbing chairs and throwing them out, the women in the hall, who were all powerless, were immediately terrified and scattered in panic, afraid of being accidentally injured by Ouyang Yue.
Ning was furious. She pointed at Ouyang Yue with a trembling hand, but after Ouyang Yue hit Hong Yicheng and left, she suddenly burst into tears. Her voice was very aggrieved and shrill. Ning's face was very ugly, but she couldn't utter a single word of accusation!
If she hadn't agreed, the engagement couldn't have been called off. Even if Ouyang Yue acted up, she would have had to coax her at this point: "Yue'er, I know you're wronged, and I'm heartbroken too, but we can't afford to offend His Highness the Crown Prince. Don't worry, Yue'er, I'll definitely find you a better husband in the future!"
"Yes, yes, Miss, please stop crying. It hurts my heart to see you crying," Aunt Hua said insincerely.
"Third Miss is destined for great wealth and honor, and will surely find a better marriage in the future. It seems that you and Young Master Hong are not meant to be. Such things cannot be forced, otherwise it will be a tragic fate. It is time to end it!" Although Aunt Hong suffered a loss today, Hong Yicheng did break off the engagement and made a promise to Ning Shi to exchange marriages. Her Rou'er will definitely enter the Crown Prince's Grand Tutor's Mansion. She was happy, but she was also worried that Ouyang Yue would regret it, so she advised Ouyang Yue to give up on Hong Yicheng.
Ouyang Hua said calmly, "If it's not yours, it's not yours. Sister, try to think more positively."
Seeing this, the others, though inwardly mocking Ouyang Yue, had no choice but to try and comfort her. Ouyang Yue kept covering her face and crying, and these people kept trying to persuade her for an hour, until their mouths were dry and they even felt a little dizzy. Only then did Ouyang Yue wipe her face, which didn't have many tears, and leave reluctantly with a pout.
Ouyang Rou stared coldly at Ouyang Yue's retreating figure. "Ouyang Yue, do you think this is the end of it? I will not let you off the hook!"
As Ouyang Yue and Chuncao walked back to Mingyue Pavilion, Chuncao carefully observed Ouyang Yue's expression; her mistress's smile looked rather eerie...
Looking back now, Chuncao thinks her young mistress is amazing. It turns out that her young mistress is usually bad with words and often suffers when she's with the people in this mansion, being ridiculed and left speechless. But thinking about everything that happened today, even after the engagement was called off, her young mistress didn't suffer any loss at all!
Ouyang Yue clenched her fists slightly. The engagement was called off, but she couldn't let Ouyang Rou gain a reputation for being kind and understanding by marrying in place of her sister. Ouyang Rou would definitely pay the price for this!
Ouyang Yue suddenly stopped: "Chuncao, how's the matter of keeping an eye on Chan'er going?"
☆、009、Miss Leaves the Mansion!
Chuncao paused for a moment, then said seriously, "I have already sent capable people to keep an eye on Chan'er. These past few days, Chan'er has been staying in her room to recover from her injuries. I will definitely not let her cause any more trouble."
Ouyang Yue smiled, her expression somewhat enigmatic: "It's just that she wants to stay put, but no one else will allow it, so I will naturally do her a favor."
After saying this, Ouyang Yue walked towards Mingyue Pavilion. Although Chuncao wanted to ask her what she meant, she ultimately followed her and kept her mouth shut without asking. Ouyang Yue raised an eyebrow at Chuncao and finally nodded in satisfaction. Now was the time when she needed people, and Chuncao truly met her requirements.
Upon entering Mingyue Pavilion, Ouyang Yue waved for Chuncao to go ahead and do her work. As soon as she returned to her room, Ouyang Su emerged, pouting and looking at Ouyang Yue with a displeased expression. The latter chuckled and said, "What's wrong? Who bullied my darling?"
Ouyang Su rolled his eyes, his big eyes clearly accusing, "If it wasn't you, who else could it be?!"
Ouyang Yue shrugged innocently. Ouyang Su floated over, hummed twice, and couldn't help but say, "Mom, are you just going to let those two go like that? You're not really influenced by your predecessor and still have feelings for that scumbag, are you?" As she spoke, she gave him a look of disappointment.
Ouyang Yue also rolled her eyes, the two of them remarkably similar in their actions: "How could that be? I'm just paving the way for the future by making this scene today."
"Really?" Ouyang Su looked unconvinced.
Ouyang Yue chuckled: "Baby, when have I ever suffered a loss?"
Ouyang Su frowned. That's true. Back in modern times, his mother was a nationally protected figure. Although she didn't fare as well as him in the underworld, no one could bully her. How could that Ouyang Rou possibly be a match for his mother?
Ouyang Yue twisted her neck: "Perfect. With this annulment of the engagement, I can go on a wild spree for a while, take you out to find a host, and then we'll start putting on a big show when we get back."
“Okay~” Ouyang Su drew out the tone to match, but his little eyes clearly said, “Let’s talk about it when we actually start singing.” Ouyang Yue felt a bit annoyed by her son’s distrust.
The next morning, Ouyang Yue went to Ning Shi's place to ask to leave the mansion, citing her troubled state of mind. Ning Shi naturally offered a few words of comfort and then let her go.
Even the most unruly women in ancient times couldn't completely disregard their reputation. Entering and leaving the mansion required the mistress's permission. This could be considered a side benefit of being jilted. At least for a while, no one would say anything if Ouyang wanted to come and go as she pleased; on the contrary, they would feel some sympathy for her.
As soon as Ouyang Yue left the mansion, Ouyang Rou arrived at Mingyue Pavilion with the help of her maid. Upon being told that Ouyang Yue had left, Ouyang Rou's expression was as if the sky was about to fall: "Is my sister avoiding me? She won't forgive me, but I didn't want to either..." Her eyes were already filled with tears, making the servants of Mingyue Pavilion very embarrassed and uneasy.
If the second young lady cried in Mingyue Pavilion while the third young lady wasn't there, wouldn't people blame them, the servants, for their mistake? They're really sick in the head!
"Second Miss, please don't worry. Third Miss just went out to clear her head because she was in a bad mood. She didn't know Second Miss would be coming today. If she had known, Third Miss would never have left the manor. She would have been looking forward to Second Miss's arrival." Everyone in the manor knew how good the relationship between Ouyang Rou and Ouyang Yue used to be. At that time, only a few close servants of the masters saw it in the main hall. Mingyue Pavilion had no idea about the details. However, the news of Ouyang Yue's annulment of her engagement was deliberately spread by some people.
Ouyang Rou's expression softened a bit: "So that's how it is. I'll head back now." After taking a few steps, she said casually, "I heard that Chan'er was injured. She's my sister's most trusted servant. Since I'm already here, I might as well go and visit her."
The servant was immediately stunned, his eyes filled with undisguised envy. It was rare for his master to look at his servants like this. The second young lady was indeed kind-hearted. However, he couldn't help but feel a little jealous. Wasn't Chan'er just a silver tongue? Yet the second and third young ladies both valued her!
Ouyang Rou didn't notice what this person was thinking, because she only came to see Chan'er today because she knew that Ouyang Yue had left the mansion.
Huacaiyuan
Aunt Ming, dressed in a colorful dress with fluttering butterflies and flowers, walked in with light and graceful steps. The servants bowed to her, and Aunt Ming nodded before entering the inner room. Inside, Ouyang Hua was looking at a musical score. Aunt Ming chuckled, "The eldest young lady is still so diligent."
Ouyang Hua nodded reservedly, then waved for the servants to leave before getting up and helping Aunt Ming to sit down: "Mother, what brings you here now?"
Aunt Ming smiled and said, "I heard that Ouyang Yue was in a bad mood and went out. Ouyang Rou went to Mingyue Pavilion for a while and then left."
Ouyang Hua sneered: "Only a fool like Ouyang Yue could believe that cunning little man Ouyang Rou!"
Aunt Ming smiled along. Aunt Ming was the illegitimate daughter of the Minister of Revenue. Although her status was much lower than that of Madam Ning, there were no legitimate daughters in the Minister of Revenue’s household. As an illegitimate daughter, she received a good education and was pampered from a young age. Naturally, her vision was better than that of Aunt Hong, who was not presentable!
Ouyang Rou and Ouyang Yue thought that Hong Yicheng was a hot commodity. In their eyes, what did Hong Yicheng amount to? The Crown Prince had not yet ascended the throne, and everything was still unknown. The Hong family looked prosperous now, but that was not necessarily the case inside.
Ouyang Hua suddenly said, "But Ning's reaction was really beyond my expectations. She cares most about her reputation, so why is she ignoring her own daughter? Has she really given up on Ouyang Yue?"
Aunt Ming's expression changed visibly, and Ouyang Hua asked in surprise, "Does Mother know the reason?"
Aunt Ming pursed her lips and shook her head: "I'm just as strange as you."
And back then... could there really be something she didn't know? Aunt Ming narrowed her eyes, her heart sinking. Seeing this, Ouyang Hua didn't press further.
Ouyang Yue and Chuncao rode in the General's Mansion's carriage to Chenghua Street, the commercial street in the capital. Chenghua Street catered to middle and upper-middle-class consumers and was bustling with people. The men and women traveling there were all dressed quite elegantly and had an extraordinary air about them. Ouyang Yue wanted to find a place for her son to stay today, so she had Chuncao stop the carriage in front of the jade shop.
The two had barely stepped off the carriage and hadn't even entered when a gasp came from the crowd ahead. Ouyang Yue looked up and saw two raggedly dressed women being chased by a group of burly men, their faces contorted with rage: "Grab those two bitches! Damn it, grab them and have your way with them!"
Ouyang Yue narrowed her eyes slightly as she looked at the two women rushing straight toward her. What a coincidence.
A magnificent carriage was parked on the other side of the street. At that moment, the curtain was lifted, and a man dressed in white brocade with pink clouds jumped into the carriage: "Let's go."
However, after speaking for a while without seeing the carriage move, he turned his head and saw that there was another person inside. The man was slightly lifting the curtain, his eyes sparkling as he looked outside. The man wondered when this person had become so curious, so he couldn't help but lift the other curtain and look outside as well. Then he was stunned: "It's her?"
"You know her." The man, who had been very quiet, suddenly spoke. When people saw his face clearly, they couldn't help but sigh at the cruel tricks of fate. Was this really the face a man should have?!
☆、010, the first shot!
The man was handsome and refined, with delicate, flowing eyebrows that framed deep, dark eyes that were like black whirlpools. His eyes were captivating and hard to look away from. He had a high nose and pale lips that were slightly white, giving him a sickly appearance. Yet, all of this made him exceptionally good-looking.
The man was dressed in a white shirt, which looked very ordinary. But anyone who knew his stuff would be surprised to see that he had made such an understated outfit with top-quality silkworm silk. In the Great Zhou Dynasty, very few people could afford to wear silkworm silk, as it was a tribute item!
The man's legs were slightly crossed, his hand casually resting on the carriage wall behind him. Yet, his relaxed demeanor seemed to blend seamlessly with the carriage, so natural, leisurely, and serene, exuding an indescribable elegance and refinement!
Leng Caiwen had seen countless men before, but when she turned her head this time, she was stunned. She then muttered, "Men shouldn't be too good-looking, too dazzling."
The man didn't speak, but merely raised an eyebrow and glanced outwards as if unintentionally. Leng Caiwen, however, became genuinely interested. This was probably the first time this man had ever cared so much about something. Then, she lifted the carriage curtain and said, "You haven't seen this person before, but you must have heard of her name."
Before the man could speak, Leng Caiwen continued, "There are three famous talents, three beauties, and three ugliest people in the capital, and she is the ugliest of the three, Ouyang Yue, the eldest daughter of General Ouyang Zhide." The man was genuinely surprised and paused for a moment. Leng Caiwen then scoffed, "What three talents, three beauties, and three uglies? It's just something people say to embellish themselves. At least I wouldn't dare to boast in front of you."
Leng Caiwen is the head of the three talents in Jingcheng and the second of the five great families of Dazhou. He is a family with a thousand-year-old cultural heritage. He is the second son of the current patriarch. Although he is a romantic and unrestrained person and has not entered the court as an official, his reputation as the eldest son of the Leng family can be traced back to Jingcheng. Compared with Leng Caiwen, a true eldest son of a noble family, Hong Yicheng is really not in a league.
The man lowered his brows, deep in thought, before slowly saying, "Hong Yicheng went to the General's Mansion yesterday to break off the engagement."
"Huh? Really!" Leng Caiwen frowned upon hearing this, then sneered, "Hong Yicheng is truly a scoundrel. I know how his father rose to power. Now he's used him and then discarded him. That's exactly the kind of thing a man like him would do." Leng Caiwen's face was full of sarcasm, showing no surprise or doubt at all about how the man knew about the General's Mansion.
There's a reason why Leng Caiwen has such a low opinion of Hong Yicheng: Hong Yicheng's father's rise to power was due to Ouyang Zhide's influence and his dog-like flattery.
Hong Yicheng was able to obtain the three positions in the capital only because he was close to the Crown Prince. Hong Yicheng had no family background and climbed up to the Crown Prince. He was just a nouveau riche, as the saying goes. He couldn't compare with the Leng family, which had been noble for thousands of years. However, Hong Yicheng always wanted to compete with Leng Caiwen for the title of the number one talent. Leng Caiwen was very annoyed by this. In addition, since Hong Yicheng was the Crown Prince's man, the two could only be enemies!
Leng Caiwen was somewhat puzzled: "How dare someone as petty as Hong Yicheng offend the General's Mansion like this?"
The man's lips curled slightly: "Of course I wouldn't dare, so I'm opting for a marriage exchange."
"A marriage exchange?" Leng Caiwen was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized: "These two scoundrels are inhuman! You're amazing! When I asked you what you thought about this, you said someone must be stirring things up, and it turns out that's true!"
The Ningyuan Marquis's mansion isn't a place where just anyone can cause trouble. Even if Ouyang Yue is an idiot, she should have her limits. If she's trying to ruin her sister's marriage, she shouldn't be risking her own reputation. So Leng Caiwen has always felt something was amiss here, and now he's starting to figure it out. But what's even more mysterious is the man beside him.
"But Ouyang Yue is too stupid. She's been taken advantage of so much. It'll be hard for her to get married in the future," Leng Caiwen sighed.
The man beside her smiled and said, "Stupid? She's the smartest one!"
Leng Caiwen was puzzled, but the man clearly didn't want to say anything more, so he looked out the window, and what he saw there stunned him.
The two women rushed out of the crowd and rammed into Ouyang Yue. Ouyang Yue could have dodged them, but when she saw the face of the man behind her, she smiled faintly, a cold glint flashing in her eyes. She grabbed one of them and threw her behind her. Several burly men with ferocious expressions rushed over from the front, and Ouyang Yue kicked them hard.
"Thump!" The leader who had been shouting earlier immediately fell flat on his face, groaning and causing the passersby on the street to burst into laughter. Those behind him immediately helped him up. The leader's face darkened at the embarrassment, and he stood up angrily, saying, "Where did this little bitch come from, daring to block my way? What, you saved them, do you want to come into the kiln with me too!"
Ouyang Yue looked at the man coldly. She remembered him. The family of Concubine Hong was just a minor official of the seventh rank. Concubine Hong had no one to take care of her in the capital, so she asked a distant relative to look after her. This man was also a complete scoundrel who acted arrogantly outside the General's Mansion because of Concubine Hong. That was why Ouyang Yue had made a scene when Ouyang Rou broke off the engagement. The next day, Ouyang Yue's bad reputation spread throughout the capital. It was probably related to this man.
Ming Dawu, is that it? Isn't this just handing her over to play with? The moment he appeared, Ouyang Yue thought it would be perfect to use him to break down Ouyang Rou's mask! Let Ming Dawu be the first shot in Ouyang Rou's infamous reputation for being promiscuous.
Ouyang Yue didn't reply. She took a light step forward, looking delicate and frail, but her eyes held an indescribable coldness and sharpness. Ming Dawu's heart skipped a beat, and he instinctively withdrew his foot. But then he thought that a little girl had scared him. How could he ever face anyone again? So he puffed out his chest and lewdly grinned, "What's wrong? Little girl, you really have a taste for this? You're quite pretty, though. I'll definitely like you for a couple more days!"
As she approached, Ouyang Yue suddenly stopped, her lips curling slightly. With lightning speed, she slapped Ming Dawu twice across the face.
Ming Dawu felt as if his face had been slapped twice by an iron fan. His body lurched and he fell heavily to the ground. He screamed "Ah!" His body twisted and fell to the ground. His waist could not bear the weight. He was in so much pain that he broke out in a cold sweat. He couldn't even muster the strength to get up. He could only gasp for breath. The pain did not subside!
Those around initially thought that Ouyang Yue, being a woman, was bound to be bullied by Ming Dawu, but in the blink of an eye, the situation changed drastically, leaving them somewhat bewildered!
Ouyang Yue's sneer deepened, and she kicked Ming Dawu hard in the waist. Ming Dawu yelled and rolled to the side. At the same time, her cold voice rang out: "What kind of thing are you to dare to insult the young lady of the General's Mansion? You're asking for death!"
"What! Miss from the General's Mansion?" The onlookers were stunned. Ming Dawu, who had been crying out in pain, forgot to cry out. He looked up at Ouyang Yue, then his eyes widened and he gasped!
☆、011, This is a counterattack!
Ouyang Yue stared coldly at Ming Dawu, who immediately shrank back, instinctively feeling guilty.
Ming Dawu had never met Ouyang Yue, but the things he had done were closely related to her. He was very careful when he entered the mansion twice, but Ouyang Yue still accidentally bumped into him. After inquiring, he found out that she was a distant relative of Ouyang Rou, so he didn't take it to heart. He didn't expect to let the tiger return to the mountain.
The surrounding crowd erupted into chaos, whispering amongst themselves: "Ah? The General's daughter... could she be Ouyang Yue, the one known as the most ugly of the three!"
"It's her, it's her! I've seen her before, it's definitely her!"
"No wonder! Look how fiercely she kicked that person! She's nothing like a lady from a wealthy family; she's incredibly rude!"
"And she's the legitimate daughter of the General's Mansion? Compared to her two older sisters, she's like heaven and earth!"