Granny Ai shook her head: "I am strict because the Second Miss is learning too slowly... As for the money, if the Old Madam doesn't believe me, she can have someone in the mansion check. I kept the money after I took it back, and I haven't touched a single coin. The money was indeed bribed by Concubine Hong to make me criticize and punish the Third Miss!"
The woman in green immediately opened the cloth bundle and counted out exactly two hundred taels of silver inside. When Zhang Mama saw the cloth, she was stunned for a moment: "Madam, this cloth seems to be the kind you sent to the masters when you returned to the capital. I remember that the cloth I gave to Concubine Hong that day was this kind of snowflake satin..."
Old Madam Ning glanced at it and exclaimed, "Isn't that right!" Aunt Hong's face paled upon hearing this. Aunt Ming had learned that Granny Ai was greedy; as long as they took the money, she was sure the matter would be settled. Aunt Hong hadn't thought much of it and had simply grabbed a scrap of cloth to wrap the silver. This snow-white fabric was indeed a rare and fine material, but the color was too plain. Aunt Hong and Aunt Hua both preferred brightly colored fabrics, so the snow-white fabric was ultimately used to cut a dress for Ouyang Rou. She had originally intended to use the remaining fabric to cut a handkerchief, but since it didn't match the dress and was useless to keep, she casually wrapped the silver. Now, she had given herself away!
"No, this snow-white forging is something our General's Mansion can't afford, so how can it be sure it's mine!" However, her words were so pale and powerless at this moment. Old Madam Ning stared at Aunt Hong with a sinister look, her lips tightly pursed, and she didn't speak for a long time, but she made people lower their heads imperceptibly. She was obviously extremely angry!
"Madam, I am innocent! I did nothing wrong! This must be the Third Miss bribing Granny Ai to frame me. She even bribed Zhang Mama, who works under you. How dare she plot against someone close to you! Madam, you cannot forgive such a wolf in sheep's clothing as the Third Miss!" Aunt Hong cried out, kneeling on the ground.
Madam Zhang could no longer contain herself. She raised her head and loudly proclaimed to Old Madam Ning, "Old Madam, what I say alone may be false, but what about the three people? At the time, there was also a maid in blue and a second-class maid from Anhe Hall beside me. They both saw the Second Miss push the Third Miss into the pond and were shouting that the Third Miss should die. They also saw Mr. Ning arrive shortly afterward. Could it be that we were also bribed by the Third Miss? Old Madam, I swear to heaven that what I said is absolutely true, and I have never deceived you!"
As soon as Zhang Mama finished speaking, two more maids came over. They had been standing at the back, but now that they were coming over, everyone noticed that one of the pretty maids in blue was none other than Lan Yi, one of the four first-class maids by Old Ning's side. The other was a rather thin girl in a light yellow belted dress, kneeling beside Zhang Mama.
Lan Yi was the most diligent of the four maids, but unfortunately she was a bit clumsy with words and not as quick-witted as the others, so she wasn't very favored by Old Madam Ning. However, Old Madam Ning trusted her more. Lan Yi bowed and said, "Old Madam, what Zhang Mama said is true. I saw it with my own eyes."
"This servant...this servant saw it too..."
“No way…” Aunt Hong was stunned on the spot. After hearing this, Old Madam Ning understood everything!
It was Aunt Hong who bribed Granny Ai to complain to her, and then set up the water pit scheme to make Granny Ai's words take precedence in her mind. After the incident, she naturally thought that Ouyang Yue had behaved improperly. In addition, she was so angry that Ouyang Yue had killed her sister that she would definitely punish Ouyang Yue.
They're making a fool of her, treating her like an idiot!
Old Madam Ning grabbed a teacup beside her and, in a fit of rage, smashed it over Aunt Hong's head. Aunt Hong was stunned when she saw the evidence pointing to her and Ouyang Rou. By the time she reacted, she had already been knocked to the ground by the teacup, and bright red blood immediately flowed from her forehead. Aunt Hong screamed in fright.
Just then, a doctor carrying a rosewood medicine box came out from the inner room. He was startled by the scene and immediately ordered people to bandage Aunt Hong. Old Madam Ning was furious and asked first, "Doctor, how is the Second Miss's condition? Why is she bleeding so much!"
The doctor paused, his expression hesitant, and after opening and closing his mouth for a long time, he finally said, "Well, I wonder if it would be possible to have the servants step aside."
Old Madam Ning frowned: "Is the injury that serious? Doctor, you might as well tell me directly."
The doctor frowned, and Ouyang Yue wondered what could make the doctor hesitate so much. Recalling the scene at that time, Ouyang Yue seemed to be deep in thought.
"Well... the second young lady of the manor has miscarried." Seeing that Old Madam Ning wouldn't listen to advice, the doctor thought that this wasn't a disgrace to him, and he had done his duty, so he finally spoke up.
"..."
The hall fell silent, even breathing seemed to stop. Everyone stared wide-eyed at the doctor, whose hair stood on end under their gaze. Nevertheless, the doctor nodded firmly: "The second young lady is more than a month pregnant, but due to falling into the pool and catching a chill and being frightened, the baby is probably not going to survive!"
Old Madam Ning's face twisted in anger, and she gritted her teeth as she said to the man in green, "Send the doctor out of the mansion."
The woman in green dared not delay and immediately escorted the doctor out of the mansion. Before leaving, she slipped the doctor a hundred taels of silver, naturally to keep him quiet. However, once the doctor left the general's mansion, he couldn't help but spit out his drink, thinking to himself, "This general's mansion looks so prestigious, but it turns out the young lady is so shameless. She actually had an affair before marriage and is pregnant. Judging from the expressions of the people in the hall, it's clear she's not. Her audacity is simply too great!"
As soon as the doctor was out of sight, Old Madam Ning could no longer contain herself. She slammed her hand on the low table beside her, seemingly impervious to pain, and cried out, "Outrageous! Outrageous! Outrageous! That shameless woman, that shameless woman! How could she be so shameless as to do such a despicable and vile thing? Shameless, shameless!"
Old Mrs. Ning was so angry that her eyes rolled back, her head throbbed, her face flushed, and her chest heaved rapidly, her emotions running high. Zhang Mama immediately led people to comfort Old Mrs. Ning, patting her chest and offering her water, but Old Mrs. Ning's anger did not subside at all.
Ouyang Yue is now cleared of all charges, and she never expected that Ouyang Rou's pregnancy would also be involved. This was truly unexpected. However, judging from the timing, Ouyang Rou became pregnant around the same time that Hong Yicheng returned to Beijing. It seems that the two of them had a passionate reunion after a short separation.
Ouyang Rou might not know she was pregnant, or she might know and be waiting for things to stabilize before settling scores with Hong Yicheng and forcing him to marry her—that's typical of Ouyang Rou. However, Ouyang Yue not only thwarted Ouyang Rou's schemes but also shattered her dream of marrying into the Hong family. Ouyang Yue knew perfectly well that Ouyang Rou's miscarriage was inextricably linked to her several clashes with Ning Zhuangxue, but Ouyang Yue felt no remorse.
She was a former special agent; how much blood had she spilled? It's just that she only killed those who deserved it, while Ouyang Rou had schemed against her multiple times. This time, she reaped what she sowed—it was too good for her! Besides, she was unaware of the truth. If she had known, she probably would have used a different method…
"You slut, you slut! Drag this slut Ouyang Rou out here! She's not allowed to lie in the inner hall, she's not allowed to defile my place, drag her out!" Old Madam Ning shouted angrily. Zhang Mama waved her hand, and several rough maids immediately went in to grab her.
Old Madam Ning came from the Ning family, a century-old and truly distinguished family. Although there were many unsavory things in the clan, very few matters concerning reputation had been exposed in recent years, showing how much the Ning family cared about their reputation. Old Madam Ning naturally hoped that her descendants would all be children of distinguished families, praised when their names were mentioned, and even if they couldn't achieve that, they should at least contribute to the glory of the General's Mansion in the future.
Ouyang Rou had an affair and was pregnant. Her value had long since vanished because of this, and she had brought shame to the General's Mansion. People would say that she, as the grandmother, did not know how to educate her granddaughter, and that Ning Shi, as the mother, did not know how to educate her daughter. With further speculation, people might even think that Old Ning Shi was from the same clan as Ning Shi and that she was deliberately suppressing the concubine's daughters in the mansion, ruining the concubine's daughters and elevating the legitimate daughters. No one in the Ning family would bear the reputation of Old Ning Shi for mistreating the concubine's daughters.
So they were furious, incredibly furious!
"This...this must be a mistake by the doctor. How could the Second Miss...no, no..." Aunt Hong sat on the ground, muttering to herself in a daze.
"Don't pull me...don't...it hurts...it hurts so much..." Ouyang Rou's cries of pain came from the inner room. Soon, two rough-looking maids each supported one side of Ouyang Rou's body, dragging her along the ground towards the main hall. Ouyang Rou had changed into a white dress, which made her face look even more pale, her lips white, and her body so weak that even her cries of pain sounded weak.
As soon as Ouyang Rou was pulled out, Ning Shi couldn't sit still. She rushed forward and slapped Ouyang Rou twice. The two rough maids were shocked to see Ning Shi's face turn red and her eyes wide open like copper bells. They immediately let go of her. Ouyang Rou was hit by the slaps and fell to the ground. "Pfft!" Ouyang Rou immediately spat out blood and lay on the ground, seemingly without even the strength to cry out in pain.
Seeing this, Aunt Hong rushed over in alarm: "No, no, the matter hasn't been investigated yet, you can't, you can't! You'll beat the Second Miss to death, you can't!"
"No?!" Old Madam Ning looked coldly at Ouyang Rou, who was lying limply on the ground, her eyes filled with undisguised disgust. "I say yes, who can say no! Guards, drag this shameless slut out and beat her!"
"No! Second Miss is so weak right now. She was just rescued from the pool. If she is beaten with a board again, she really won't be able to take it!" Aunt Hong grabbed Ouyang Rou and wouldn't let anyone go over.
Old Madam Ning's eyebrows shot up, and she shouted sternly, "Why haven't you dragged Aunt Hong away yet? Anyone who dares to plead for her or anyone who dares to obstruct us, drag them all away and beat them!"
Old Madam Ning was furious. Who would dare to provoke such a tiger? Zhang Mama immediately ordered her men to drag Ouyang Rou away. Ouyang Rou, already weak and powerless, could no longer feign weakness. She knew it was futile to continue pretending. She cried out, "No! Grandmother, I'm your granddaughter! You're going to kill me! I've always respected you utmost, please have mercy! Rou'er knows she was wrong, Rou'er will never do it again! Please forgive Rou'er, Grandmother... Grandmother, spare me... Ah! Ah! It hurts! I'm going to die, I'm going to die, spare me... spare me..."
Ouyang Rou was dragged away crying and screaming. Then, the sound of heavy blows from the board hitting her body echoed from the outer courtyard, along with Ouyang Rou's wailing cries.
Aunt Hong had never felt so powerless. Although she came from a humble background, she still had Ouyang Rou as her future. She always believed that as long as Ouyang Rou married well, she would naturally be more valued and live a better life in the General's Mansion. She even thought that if Ouyang Rou became a first-rank noblewoman through Hong Yicheng, she would have the status to compete with Aunt Ming and Madam Ning, and it wasn't impossible for her to be promoted to the position of official wife in the future. All her hopes were pinned on Ouyang Rou. Because of her dream of rising to prominence, even though she knew that Ouyang Rou had met Hong Yicheng through Ouyang Yue and had the idea of stealing her brother-in-law, Aunt Hong not only didn't stop her, but instead did everything she could to teach Ouyang Rou how to win a man's heart. Furthermore, Ouyang Yue was always naive and had no one to teach her how to win men's hearts, so Ouyang Rou getting Hong Yicheng was a piece of cake.
However, Aunt Hong never expected Ouyang Rou to be so audacious. Not only did she thoroughly understand her teachings, but she also secretly had an affair with Hong Yicheng and even became pregnant. All of this was completely unexpected by Aunt Hong, and when it came to light, she was utterly unprepared. At this moment, she could only passively watch as the paddle struck Ouyang Rou again and again, each blow feeling like a blow to her heart. With each strike, her heart trembled and shook.
Outside, Ouyang Rou kept screaming, her cries of pain heart-wrenching and agonizing. She had just miscarried and hadn't even started taking any medicine yet. Now, with each slap on her buttocks, thick blood began to seep out again. Clearly, the slaps had aggravated Ouyang Rou's miscarriage. If she continued to be beaten like this, even if it was just a minor illness, combined with the miscarriage, she would definitely suffer some kind of long-term health problems, if not die.
At this moment, Ouyang Rou had no regard for her image. She kept calling for help, from Old Ning to Ouyang Yue, and even her maid. But no one moved. Ouyang Rou was not giving up. In the end, she even cried out until her voice was hoarse and she could no longer make a sound. She tilted her head back as if someone was choking her, her face contorted and even ugly.
Seeing this, Aunt Hong panicked even more. But she noticed that Aunt Ming and Ouyang Hua were just standing quietly to one side, as if this matter had nothing to do with them. Aunt Hong felt a mix of hatred and resentment.
No! We can't let those two bastards get away with this!
From the very beginning, Aunt Ming and Ouyang Hua kept a low profile, leaving everything to Ouyang Rou and Aunt Hong. Aunt Hong wasn't unaware of the problem, but they couldn't do much in terms of either resources or manpower. Naturally, in the end, they had to rely on Aunt Hong to get things done. Now, thinking back, perhaps Aunt Ming's plan was this: to have the two of them stick together, and whether it succeeded or not, it would benefit them both!
Dream on!
"Aunt Ming, Eldest Miss, please plead for Second Miss! If it weren't for Eldest Miss going to the Buddhist hall to offer Second Miss a plan, and if you two hadn't come to us to discuss your scheme to frame Madam and Third Miss, we wouldn't have dared to do such a thing. Second Miss and I are powerless and vulnerable in the manor, always weak and easily bullied. You promised us great benefits afterward. Now that Second Miss is in trouble, you're turning a blind eye! How cruel you are, how cunning your schemes! We've all been fooled by you! Aunt Ming, you're so vicious! I know you've wanted to get rid of me for a long time, and now you have the chance, hahaha! You two vile wretches will die a horrible death! Second Miss has been beaten beyond recognition, will you be alright? No, you'll suffer a hundred times worse than her!" Aunt Hong didn't care about what she should or shouldn't say now. The more she made Aunt Ming seem scheming, the better. The more she stirred up the waters, the worse Aunt Ming would be, and perhaps Ouyang Rou could be saved!
"What nonsense are you spouting! When did I ask Second Sister for advice? Aunt Hong, I know you feel sorry for Second Sister being tortured, but you can't just make up stories and frame an innocent person!" Ouyang Hua immediately retorted in fear.
Aunt Hong sneered, "Innocent? Nobody's as innocent as you! You just think you're the only noble lady in the mansion because of the old lady's favor. Bah! If you're so confident, why did you get rid of the third young lady? Because you're just a concubine's daughter. No matter how popular you are, you're still born of a concubine. You're nothing compared to the third young lady! That's why you're jealous of the third young lady, that's why you plotted to use me and the second young lady. Now you're turning your back on us. Dream on! If you don't admit it, then tell me why Mr. Ning framed the third young lady. Isn't it because you've been by the old lady's side for a long time and know a lot about the Ning family? You also know that Ning Zhuangxue has some connection with the old lady, so you used us to find Ning Zhuangxue and coerced him into working for you!"
“You’re talking nonsense, Mr. Ning. When did I ever talk to you? We’ve never met before you came to the General’s Mansion. How could I be the kind of person Aunt Hong described?” Ouyang Hua’s eyes reddened with grievance. Ning Zhuangxue’s eyes flickered, and he lowered his head and fell silent.
Ning Zhuangxue, having overheard everything, now realized just how terrifying the power struggles within the inner quarters truly were! Although Ning Zhuangxue was a frail scholar with a somewhat pedantic air, he lacked ambition and spent his time indulging in frivolous pursuits, frequently visiting brothels with his cronies. Being from a collateral branch of the Ning family, he was not highly regarded, and coupled with his skillful pretense in public, no one knew about his private affairs. However, one day, Ouyang Rou's cousin, Ming Dawu, suddenly caught him at a brothel and threatened him, demanding he perform a play at the General's Mansion to ruin Ouyang Yue's reputation.
Ning Zhuangxue was terrified. The legitimate daughter of the General's Mansion—how could someone like him be worthy of her? But under Ming Dawu's coercion and enticement, he gradually became tempted. Who said he couldn't marry into a higher social class? Who said he couldn't rise through the ranks? As long as she married Ouyang Yue, she would be the legitimate son-in-law of the General's Mansion. Would her father-in-law just let him do nothing? Wouldn't he pave the way for him in the officialdom? Besides, she had also given money to Ouyang Hua. With more money to be made and a beautiful woman in her arms, how could a hypocritical and depraved scoundrel like Ning Zhuangxue not be tempted!
Now that things have come to light, he certainly can no longer teach at the General's Mansion, and Old Madam Ning is completely fed up with him. Even if he returns to his clan, he probably won't fare well. The conflict between Concubine Ming and Concubine Hong has escalated. If he testifies for Concubine Hong, he'll offend Concubine Ming, whose family is more powerful than Concubine Hong's. However, Concubine Hong's cousin works in a brothel. If he goes out and faces retaliation, will he even survive?
Thinking about it this way, Ning Zhuangxue broke out in a cold sweat. He really couldn't afford to offend either side!
"I……"
“Look at yourself, Aunt Hong. You come from a humble background, but once you’re in the General’s Mansion, you’re a member of the General’s Mansion. Do you still want to learn from your nephew who works as a pimp in a brothel? You’re really clueless!” Aunt Ming replied coldly.
Ning Zhuangxue's body jolted, as if he had been startled awake.
Yes, Ming Dawu is just a pimp in a brothel. Who would believe what that kind of person says? But this Aunt Ming is the daughter of the Minister of Revenue. Just say a few words to her and you can get him a sinecure. Doing Aunt Ming a favor is much better than doing Aunt Hong a favor.
Ning Zhuangxue's eyes darted around as he immediately considered the pros and cons involved.
Ouyang Yue watched coldly from the sidelines. She knew all four of them were involved in this matter. However, Aunt Ming was smarter and had Aunt Hong rush to the front. Now that something had happened, Aunt Hong and Ouyang Rou would naturally take the blame. In addition, Ouyang Rou was morally corrupt. Even if Old Ning suspected them, she would not punish them at this time.
But to think you can escape unscathed? No way!
Suddenly, Ouyang Yue burst into tears, silencing Ning Zhuangxue who was about to speak. Everyone turned around in surprise to see Ouyang Yue covering her face with a handkerchief, emitting deafening cries. Her crying elicited various expressions from everyone in the hall.
Old Madam Ning, who had previously wanted to punish Ouyang Yue to get rid of the matter, trembled, her face showing guilt and embarrassment. Aunt Ming, Ouyang Hua, however, had a dark face. Their righteous accusations against Ouyang Yue, even if they were unaware of the truth, were tantamount to aiding and abetting wrongdoing. Moreover, they were not innocent to begin with, which only made them appear more aggressive and guilty.
As for the servants who had been following their masters or secretly sneaking in to watch the commotion, they all felt a pang of sympathy for Ouyang Yue. Although the Third Miss had a bad reputation and was somewhat arrogant in the mansion, looking back, she hadn't actually punished them. In fact, she was just a bit haughty towards the servants, rarely scolding anyone. After all, she was the legitimate daughter of the General's Mansion; wasn't it normal for her to be a little haughty? The Third Miss was simply too naive; she was framed by her elder sister and concubines. It was truly pitiful. This grand mansion was so filthy. Thank goodness the Third Miss's innocence was restored; otherwise, how much hatred would she have felt for being unjustly accused!
Old Madam Ning's lips trembled: "Yue'er, you've been wronged. Tell your grandmother what's wrong, grandmother... um..." Old Madam Ning was also embarrassed at this moment. Her words about sending Ouyang Yue to the mountain were still ringing in her ears. Sending her to the mountain would mean shaving her head and making her a nun. Ouyang Yue's life would be ruined. She felt that anything she said now was pale and powerless.
Ning's expression was somewhat complicated as she glanced at Ouyang Yue with a furtive look in her eyes.
"Waaaaah, Yue'er is alright, Yue'er is just too sad, Yue'er never expected... Waaaaah, before the fire in the inner courtyard, my eldest sister took my second sister's and my two maids, saying they were going to investigate the situation, so it turns out... Waaaaah." Ouyang Yue seemed to say nothing, but in fact she said everything.
If Aunt Hong's previous claims were baseless, and Aunt Ming and Ouyang Hua vehemently denied them, leaving Aunt Hong with no choice but to admit defeat, then Ouyang Yue's current statement makes it seem unlikely that things would turn out so coincidentally. Ouyang Hua left with the servants immediately after the incident, leaving only Ouyang Yue and Ouyang Rou. Moreover, Ouyang Hua was the first to arrive with people afterward. Considering his expression in the hall earlier, and the way he seemed to want to drive Ouyang Hua to his death, none of these things suggest that Ouyang Hua is innocent!
Ultimately, this was something without evidence, so Ning Zhuangxue kept his mouth shut. At most, Aunt Hong's words were just a fabrication!
"Oh, I'm not convinced! Ouyang Hua, you're the one who used me! It's you! I'm not convinced..." Ouyang Rou cried out in anguish. Old Madam Ning turned to look at her, and Aunt Ming, Ouyang Hua, felt her heart pounding.
"Aunt Ming, Aunt Hong, Hua'er doesn't know the rules and is making a scene in front of me without any respect for elders. Please follow the family rules. Twenty strokes of the cane each, to teach her a lesson!" Old Madam Ning's punishment greatly displeased Ouyang Yue, but since Aunt Ming and Ouyang Hua didn't have any clear evidence, if things really escalated, it would be uncontrollable and no one would be in a good position. Now, by punishing each of them with twenty strokes, they would be bedridden for at least ten days. At least she could get some slaps from them every day, so it wasn't a waste of time.
"Grandmother, I was only thinking of my third sister before. I was deceived. Grandmother, please..."
"Shut up! Drag her away! Anyone who dares to speak again will receive ten more strokes of the cane!" Old Madam Ning glared at Ouyang Hua to death. This eldest granddaughter usually seemed quite shrewd, but she was so muddle-headed at this moment. She was just trying to calm things down by giving her this cane, but if she continued to make trouble, things would only get out of control!
Aunt Ming's face darkened, but she secretly tugged at Ouyang Hua, who pursed his lips and reluctantly let himself be dragged away to be beaten with a board!
Meanwhile, Ouyang Rou in the courtyard had already been beaten thirty times, her entire body covered in a layer of blood. As soon as Ouyang Hua approached, he was overwhelmed by the pungent smell of blood and almost collapsed. Ouyang Rou had already slumped onto the torture bench, barely breathing.
Old Madam Ning originally intended to kill Ouyang Rou to settle the matter. Ouyang Rou's affair with Hong Yicheng had already made the General's Mansion a laughingstock. If news of her pregnancy were to spread, the Hong family, for the sake of their future, would certainly refuse to acknowledge her. At that point, not only the General's Mansion, but the entire Ning family would lose face. This scandal was even worse than Ouyang Yue's. It would be better to kill Ouyang Rou once and for all to prevent future troubles. After all, this granddaughter wasn't close to her and had no use to her. But now, Consort Ming, Ouyang Hua, was involved. If Ouyang Rou were really killed, Consort Ming would face far more severe consequences than just twenty strokes of the cane.
"Alright, take the Second Miss down to rest." Old Madam Ning said in a flat tone. Ouyang Rou was dragged away with her head down. Blood splattered all over the ground as they went, which was a shocking sight. Ouyang Yue finally saw the ruthlessness of Old Madam Ning. As expected of someone from a big family, her methods were even more insidious and vicious than those of Madam Ning.
Having just suffered a miscarriage and then been severely injured, Ouyang Yue had a premonition that Ouyang Rou would likely be infertile for the rest of her life…
At this moment, Ouyang Hua, Aunt Ming, and Aunt Hong had been dragged away and were being beaten with sticks. Ouyang Yue was still covering her face with a handkerchief. Then, she lowered the handkerchief, revealing half of her tear-filled face. Old Madam Ning was stunned. She had previously thought Ouyang Yue was faking her tears to gain sympathy, but she hadn't expected her to actually cry. She couldn't help but reflect on whether she had gone too far before. However, given Ouyang Yue's previous bad reputation, it was normal for her to be misunderstood.
Old Madam Ning opened her mouth, but as Ouyang Yue's grandmother, she was an elder and a role model for the entire household, and it was impossible for her to apologize to Ouyang Yue. She couldn't help but turn to look at Madam Ning and sigh, "Caiyue, as the mistress of the General's Mansion, you manage all the affairs of the mansion, big and small. I know you're busy and work hard, but you can't neglect Yue'er's education. Just now you scolded her without even knowing the facts; you really should reflect on your actions."
"Yes, Mother, I will definitely be more careful in the future." Ning scoffed inwardly, feeling humiliated that someone wanted to get something from her—what a shameless old woman! Had she forgotten to mention Ouyang Yue earlier?!
Ouyang Yue bowed slightly: "Grandmother and Mother have gone to great lengths. Yue'er has also made mistakes, and I will correct them in the future."
Ouyang Yue's eyes were very bright, with a dazzling light that made Old Ning and Ning feel ashamed. However, when Ning looked at Ouyang Yue, her eyes flashed with a cold light, but that light was fleeting and Ouyang Yue did not notice it.
"Yue'er fell into the water earlier. Quickly have the servants help you back to rest. Also, make some deep soup and find a doctor to check your pulse. It wouldn't be good if you developed any health problems later."
"Yes, Grandmother, Yue'er will go back first." Ouyang Yue's eyes flickered, as if she was moved by Old Ning's concern, but her eyes were full of mockery. If she really cared, why didn't she take her pulse when she saw that doctor off? Why did she have to ask for another one? It's really hindsight!
She wouldn't be grateful for such behavior at all; on the contrary, she would feel even more disgusted by it!
Ouyang Yue, with Chuncao's hand in hand, walked out of the hall and into the outer courtyard. In the outer courtyard, Aunt Hong, Aunt Ming, and Ouyang Hua were still carrying out their punishments. These three were usually dressed in fine clothes and jade in the General's Mansion, but when they were being beaten, their howling and screaming were no less than Ouyang Rou's. As soon as Ouyang Yue came out, the three of them looked at her as if their eyes were glowing green. Ouyang Yue couldn't help but laugh.
With her back to the hall, only the three of them could see Ouyang Yue's expression. She had a gloating look on her face, an expression that said, "You deserve it, why didn't we beat you to death?" This made the three of them even more agitated, until Ouyang Yue opened her mouth and said four words: "Defeated opponents!"
The three of them were absolutely furious!
"Ouyang Yue!"
"Ouyang Yue!"
"Ouyang Yue!"
It was a scream from someone whose body was being tortured and whose mind was being mocked, causing them to lose their reason. But then Old Ning shouted, "You're still not quiet after being beaten! Give each of you twenty more strokes. Then throw you in the Buddhist hall for two days. You can be released only after you've shown remorse!"
"yes!"
"The twenty-first..."
Another round of slapping sounds rang out, followed by Ouyang Hua, Aunt Ming, and Aunt Hong's grief-stricken screams. Ouyang Yue smiled slightly and, amidst the screams, strolled leisurely back to Mingyue Pavilion.
Is it over? Obviously not!
"Dongxue, what do you think martial arts are for?"