Just then, a commotion broke out in the crowd, and the scene immediately descended into chaos. After a short while, several dark-faced men dressed in old gray clothes rushed out from the crowd, each carrying a bucket of yellowish, smelly, and disgusting stuff in one hand and the other in the other.
"Enough with the nonsense, just throw it at this filthy thing!"
"Stop!" someone shouted from the crowd. The dark-faced men carrying buckets immediately threw one of their buckets at Hong Wantang and Hong Yicheng outside the Hong residence. Even the Prefect of Jingzhao who had just arrived could not escape the attack.
"Splash, splash, splash!" Bucket after bucket of yellowish stuff mixed with all sorts of filth was poured onto the group of people from the Hong family and the Jingzhao Prefecture, led by the three men.
"Wow!"
"What is that? It's dung!"
"It stinks! It stinks so bad!"
"Ugh, so disgusting! Get away from me! It's impossible to wash it off!"
"Run!"
As soon as the gray-clad, black-faced men finished spraying, the people around them screamed and ran away. In the chaos of the crowd, the gray-clad, black-faced men came and went in a hurry, disappearing in the blink of an eye.
Hong Wantang, Hong Yicheng, the Prefect of Jingzhao, and others, who were originally standing in front of the Hong residence with a bewildered expression, were now covered in yellowish excrement! Hong Wantang and the Prefect of Jingzhao were about to shout to stop them when the gray-clad, black-faced man sprayed some excrement into their mouths.
The crowd erupted into chaos in an instant, with most of the people fleeing. Hong Wantang, Hong Yicheng, and the Prefect of Jingzhao, who had been standing frozen in shock, finally came to their senses and roared angrily.
"How dare someone spew excrement at me... Pfft, ouch ouch ouch..." The Prefect of the Capital was about to roar, but as soon as he spoke, something seemed to go down his throat, and the Prefect of the Capital immediately vomited.
Hong Wantang trembled with rage. He had held a high position for so many years, and when had he ever suffered such humiliation? He shouted angrily, then coughed violently a few times, and something suddenly slid down his throat in a big gulp!
"Ugh! Ugh! Ugh!" Hong Wantang immediately bent over and vomited violently, occasionally spewing out filthy yellow stuff. Tears welled up in Hong Wantang's eyes as he vomited. However, the gray-clad, black-faced men who had been spraying excrement from buckets earlier were very skilled; with a flick of their wrists, the excrement was poured from top to bottom.
Hong Wantang kept vomiting, and the yellowish stuff kept dripping from his hair, even blurring his vision. Hong Wantang vomited even louder.
Although Hong Yicheng had kept his mouth shut and hadn't eaten anything, he was the one vomiting the most. The more they vomited, the more foul the surroundings became, and the more foul the smell, the more they vomited. Adding to the stench were the servants and constables from the Jingzhao Prefecture who were also suffering unjustly, dry heaving in disgust. Suddenly, the area outside the Hong residence was filled with a stench, and several people were vomiting wildly, as if they were about to throw up their intestines. In the end, only bile remained, but they still felt a lingering stench in their mouths, finding it utterly repulsive and unbearable!
Ouyang Zhide and the others, who were originally preparing to continue their verbal sparring, were dumbfounded by the scene before them. In the ensuing chaos, the people from the General's Mansion had only managed to dodge in time; it seemed like only a blink of an eye, and everyone in front of the Hong Mansion had been thoroughly sprayed. Moreover, those people ran away extremely fast, as if they were professionals at this, running off immediately after spraying, and they hadn't even gotten a clear look at their faces. It was truly a waste of time and effort to spray them!
The women of the General's Mansion, seeing the group vomiting in front of the Hong residence and the pile of filth on the ground, pinched their noses and frowned deeply. Just watching Hong Yicheng and the others vomit, let alone being splashed on themselves, made them feel extremely disgusted. Some, like Ning Shi, covered their mouths with handkerchiefs, making muffled noises, clearly trying to hold it in. The other women weren't much better off; their faces were pale, and they retreated to avoid the mess.
Ouyang Zhide burst into laughter: "Hahaha! Good, good, good! You filthy bastard, spewing filth from your mouth and filled with filth in your belly, good, good, good! Excellent! Karma! See? The people of the capital can't stand it anymore. Hong Wantang, Hong Yicheng, this is just a small interest. This isn't over! Let's go!" Ouyang Zhide laughed loudly, his laughter extremely enjoyable. "That was satisfying, satisfying, so satisfying, hahaha!"
Ouyang Yue walked to the back and saw Hong Yicheng and the others in their disheveled state, a cold, sarcastic smile curling at the corner of her lips!
Ouyang Zhide led the people from the General's Mansion back to the General's Mansion amidst such arrogant laughter. Hong Wantang and Hong Yicheng were trembling with anger, their eyes rolling back, but they couldn't bother to look for Ouyang Zhide. They could only huddle to the side and vomit wildly, not stopping even when they couldn't vomit anything!
The Prefect of Jingzhao was furious. What had he done to deserve this? He had only come to smooth things over and calm things down before resolving the issue. Yet, he, an innocent man, had been splashed with excrement. The stench made him so disgusted that he rolled his eyes and wished he could vomit his entire stomach out.
He was filled with such hatred! He hated Ouyang Zhide, and even more so Hong Wantang. If it weren't for those two, would he have suffered this undeserved calamity? He was utterly wronged, truly utterly wronged!
With Ouyang Zhide's departure, the remaining onlookers immediately scattered. They had initially dared to watch the spectacle because of Ouyang Zhide, but now that he was gone, they feared the Hong family might come looking for them. However, the show they'd witnessed today was enough to make them laugh for days. They'd never seen anyone so unlucky, so utterly despicable; it was truly gratifying!
Among ordinary people, some harbor resentment towards the rich, and in their eyes, the Hong family is a lofty and unapproachable entity. They are happier to see the Hong family suffer than to gain an extra tael of silver themselves. If they encounter one of them on the street, they must tell him the joke they witnessed that day. They will not rest until the whole capital knows about it!
Hong Wantang and Hong Yicheng were unaware of all this. At that moment, all they knew was to vomit, vomit, vomit, vomit until their insides were churning! Eventually, Hong Wantang and Hong Yicheng coughed up blood, their bodies going limp, before finally stopping. In front of the Hong residence, some servants hesitated. Their masters and young masters were truly unsightly, covered in excrement. What should they do? They should at least be changed and cleaned. But who would change their clothes, who would clean them? That was the problem.
Who would put up with the stench and give them a bath? Just thinking about it makes me sick!
The head maids who originally served the two men now wielded their power, ordering the younger maids in the mansion to bathe them, which caused some of the younger maids in the Hong mansion to feel resentful.
In the end, the Prefect of Jingzhao was escorted away by a sedan chair from the yamen. When he got back, he naturally had to be thoroughly cleaned. He rinsed his mouth for ten days before the smell seemed to have subsided a little. For the next two months, he couldn't see any meat or potatoes or any yellow things. He ate only vegetables for two months, and his mouth was so bland that he had no taste at all. He was more pitiful than a rabbit, but there was nothing he could do!
Of course, neither Hong Yicheng nor Hong Wantang were any better than him.
The day after returning, the Prefect of Jingzhao began ordering an investigation into Ouyang Hua's suicide. This incident had cost him dearly, and even if the Prefect hadn't wanted to deal with it before, he was now determined to punish him severely to vent his anger!
However, the investigation into Ouyang Hua's suicide brought up the scandal at the Ning family residence, and Ning Xihai's death was brought up again. The nine scoundrels insisted they knew nothing and said nothing, while Fang Shi, unable to withstand the dampness of the cell, caught a cold and developed a high fever that wouldn't subside, dying in her cell a day later. Therefore, the matter ultimately fell to the nine scoundrels again. Ouyang Rou's side claimed she only saw a shadowy figure and had no idea what happened. The Ning Xihai lead was completely dead, so Ning Xihai's case could only be treated as an unsolved case. The Prefect of the Capital Prefecture, after all, gave the Ning family some face and didn't rely on the surface evidence to claim Ning Xihai died a miserable death from pleasure-seeking.
The Ning family then buried Ning Xihai's body, but did not set up a mourning hall for the public, clearly not wanting this matter to become a laughing stock in the capital again!
As for Ouyang Hua's death, thanks to Hong Wantang's efforts and the Crown Prince's covert assistance, it was ultimately established that Ouyang Hua was murdered by a shadowy figure, thus closing the case. The Crown Prince intervened to prevent the Hong family from suffering further humiliation. This was the Crown Prince's tutor; he had just been spat on at his doorstep, and the perpetrator hadn't even been found yet. If Hong Yicheng's affair were to be exposed again, the Crown Prince himself would be the first to lose face. The Emperor showed some leniency towards the Crown Prince, even personally closing the case to prevent anyone from overturning it!
Ouyang Yue had already foreseen this outcome. Hong Wantang's rise to his current position was largely due to his recommendation to Ouyang Zhide. However, Hong Wantang wasn't a fool; he possessed considerable ability as an official. Ouyang Hua was, after all, a woman who had lost her virginity, and also the daughter of a concubine in a general's household. From the Emperor's perspective, for the sake of his son's reputation, Ouyang Hua's death was meaningless!
Because of this incident, the General's Mansion and the Hong Mansion were completely estranged. Although the Emperor did not pursue the Hong Mansion's crimes, they suffered a great loss of face. Hong Yicheng's defiling of a woman's innocence was repeatedly brought up, and the humiliation of having excrement thrown at their gates became the biggest joke in the entire capital. Even when Hong Wantang attended court, officials would often use words like "excrement" on their lips; since it was a homophone, it sounded like mockery!
This is the first time in the history of the Great Zhou Dynasty that a minister has been blocked at his door and had excrement thrown at him. It is truly a strange story in the world!
Although the Crown Prince helped Hong Wantang, it was for his own face. He then deliberately found a fault in Hong Wantang's residence, forcing him to reflect on his actions and preventing him from leaving to avoid further embarrassment. Hong Wantang and Hong Yicheng stayed in their residence for several days, smashing many things. Every day, angry roars could be heard from the Hong residence; they were like madmen!
Of course, all of this is just a story for later.
After Ouyang Zhide returned to the General's Mansion with Ouyang Yue and others, the mansion immediately held a small funeral for Ouyang Hua. Ouyang Hua was a junior and unmarried, so the mansion had no public reason for holding a funeral for her. Aunt Ming, dressed in white, stood guard in front of Ouyang Hua's mourning hall, her face hidden in the shadows.
Madam Qi looked at Aunt Ming with concern: "Aunt, please accept my condolences. The eldest young lady has passed away, so please take care of yourself! If the eldest young lady knew how sad you were, she wouldn't be at peace in the afterlife."
Aunt Ming raised her head and saw Ouyang Hua's memorial tablet on the altar. Her voice was extremely cold as she said, "Sad? No, why should I be sad!"
Madam Qi was stunned for a moment, looking at Aunt Ming with a puzzled expression, only to see a cold, dark vortex in Aunt Ming's eyes, a deep, dark gaze gradually gathering: "Aunt, what's wrong...?"
Aunt Ming narrowed her eyes, her expression extremely cold: "Mother Qi, don't you think our Third Miss is a little different?"
Mother Qi was taken aback: "Aren't the three children different?"
Aunt Ming said calmly, "Yes, it seems that things have been different ever since she woke up from her injury. Things have started to get out of control every time!"
Madam Qi was startled: "What do you mean, Aunt? This... how is this possible? How could the Third Miss have hidden her true nature so well?"
Aunt Ming's lips curled into a cold smile: "What a coincidence! Every time we've made a move, we haven't gained even the slightest advantage. In the end, we're always the ones who suffer. I can't help but suspect that this Third Miss is different..."
Mother Qi's expression changed: "Then what does Auntie mean..."
Aunt Ming's face was cold and sinister, and her eyes were icy.
Back in her room, Ouyang Yue waved Chuncao and the others away. Just as she was about to lie down on the bed, she suddenly sensed a dark shadow flash across her. Ouyang Yue jumped up and said in a deep voice, "Who!"
☆、061, Make a transaction!
Ouyang Yue's eyes were sharp as knives, and she immediately swept them away!
But standing in front of the feng shui screen opposite Ouyang Yue's bed was a tall, black figure. Judging from his figure, the person was clearly a man. He was dressed in all black, and even his head was completely covered by a black cloak. Hearing Ouyang Yue's cold shout, the person slowly turned his head, which made Ouyang Yue's heart tremble!
The man had extremely dark eyes, deep and unfathomable, like a piece of pure black jade. His dark pupils seemed to hold nothing, yet also seemed capable of encompassing all things. Ouyang Yue couldn't quite describe the feeling she had at that moment. This man was dressed entirely in black, revealing only his eyes, and those single eyes alone gave her a unique kind of shock. At the same time, she was also deeply alarmed. While she couldn't claim to be unparalleled in martial arts, she was confident in her close-combat skills. Moreover, she was quite alert, and she had never neglected her internal cultivation techniques, practicing for half an hour every night before bed. Yet, she hadn't noticed this man when she entered!
"Who are you? Why are you in my room? Don't you know how impolite it is to sneak into a woman's boudoir at night?" Calming herself down, Ouyang Yue immediately asked in a deep voice.
The man in black turned his gaze to Ouyang Yue, his voice soft and ghostly: "Ouyang Yue."
"I am you. Who are you? If you don't explain your purpose, I'm going to call for help!" Ouyang Yue said, frowning.
The man in black changed his tone: "Don't be nervous. I'm here today to discuss a deal with you."
"A deal?" Ouyang Yue raised an eyebrow. After searching through her memories, along with those left behind by the original owner, she was 100% certain that she had never met this person before. Why would he ask her to make a deal? "What do I have to talk to you about?"
The man in black could clearly sense Ouyang Yue's nervousness. The woman opposite him was dressed in a light pink and lotus-colored dress, looking very youthful and pretty. She was still young, and her features hadn't fully developed yet, but they were very delicate, especially her eyes, which were particularly striking. At this moment, she was looking at him with wary eyes, her pupils extremely bright and alert. Her hands were clenched at her sides, her upper body slightly turned to the side, and even though her lower body was hidden under the hem of her skirt, he could feel her legs slightly bent, her nervousness as if she were preparing to attack him.
The man in black's eyes curved slightly, his gaze deepening as he looked at Ouyang Yue: "A few days ago, Miss Ouyang went to the blacksmith's shop to have a weapon made, and that's exactly what I was discussing with you about."
Ouyang Yue's lips curled into a smile: "Oh? So you're here to discuss arms deals with me. But you're far too insincere. You know my name, where I live, and what my background is. You even know that I secretly visited a few days ago and had a weapon made. You're quite impressive. It's a pity that you've only shown me your black eyes so far. I know nothing else about you. Shouldn't transactions and cooperation be based on mutual trust and benefit? Do you think I would casually cooperate with a despicable person like you who trespasses into a woman's boudoir?!"
Despite Ouyang Yue's rebuke, the man in black's expression remained unchanged: "I heard Miss Ouyang is still looking for shops in the capital. If you're willing, I can give you two shops. Money is also negotiable!"
Ouyang Yue turned around, sat on the headboard with her legs crossed, gently rested her chin on her hand, and smiled broadly. She even waved to the man in black, saying, "Want to come and sit down? It's inconvenient to talk standing up." He actually patted the bed next to Ouyang Yue.
A glint finally flashed in the black-clad man's eyes, but he said nothing. Ouyang Yue's mocking expression deepened: "What, are you afraid I have ulterior motives towards you? Don't worry, all you've got are those dark, piercing eyes. I wouldn't be interested in someone like you. But let me see your face. If you're really pleasing to my eye, I'll have to consider my mood before deciding whether I have ulterior motives towards you. As you are now, I have absolutely no interest in you." She shook her head and spread her hands, looking helpless.
Then Ouyang Yue waved her hand again: "Come over here quickly. It's not like we're discussing a deal. We're so far apart, it's inconvenient for one of us to stand and the other to sit. Come sit next to me." Ouyang Yue's smile deepened, and her gesture, like beckoning a puppy, made the man in black's eyes flicker slightly.
"Miss Ouyang seemed to disagree just now, but now she has changed her mind so much, which is quite unexpected." The man in black's voice sounded somewhat muffled.
Ouyang Yue's smile remained unchanged: "How can that be the same? You said you'd give me a shop and money, this is a real money god, of course I'll treat you well, don't you think!" Ouyang Yue's expression changed, and she pursed her lips somewhat aggrievedly, "Sigh, I know that I've always thought I was well-known, and you probably know that too, but I didn't expect that I'd be such a failure as a person, even someone like you who's eagerly seeking a deal with me wouldn't want to approach me, so why did you come to me! To laugh at me?!" Ouyang glared angrily.
The man in black visibly paused. What the other person said was right. You asked them to make a deal, and now that they've agreed, you're acting coy. Doesn't that make you look like you're playing games with people?
The man in black hesitated for a moment, but finally stepped forward. At that moment, Ouyang Yue suddenly moved. She stomped her feet on the ground like a motor, leaping towards the man in black, her hands flashing through the air as she struck directly at his face. Seeing Ouyang Yue's rapid attack, the man in black showed no panic. He shifted his stance, dodging her attack, and then swiftly grabbed at Ouyang Yue's shoulder as she landed. Ouyang Yue bent her arms and kicked out with lightning speed.
The man in black was very fast and reached out to block, but Ouyang Yue did not give up. She kicked out with her other leg, this time aiming straight for the man's crotch. The man was startled and immediately reached out to block. She seemed to be pushed to her limit by Ouyang Yue and quickly grabbed at Ouyang Yue's chest!
"Clap clap clap!" The two exchanged several blows in close combat, and then stopped simultaneously in an instant.
"master!"
At that moment, another man in black leaped through the window. He had rushed over after hearing the fighting inside, but was stunned by what he saw and stood frozen in place.
The scene inside the room was extremely bizarre. The black-clad leader and Ouyang Yue, who had been fighting, were now locked in a stalemate. Ouyang Yue's slender legs were poised, her toes pointing upwards, poised to kick the man's groin. A very fair hand timely intervened, blocking Ouyang Yue's leg. The owner of that fair hand then used her other hand, its claws flying, to reach for Ouyang Yue's already prominent breasts, just a hair's breadth away from grabbing them. Ouyang Yue crossed her arms in front of her chest, just managing to block it.
Ouyang Yue raised her leg and kicked forward, her hands protecting her chest and her back slightly arched. The black-clad leader blocked with one hand and grabbed forward with the other, leaning forward as if to pounce. The two remained locked in mid-air, their actions both somewhat despicable and vulgar...
The man in black who had just entered widened his eyes, seemingly unable to believe that his master would commit such lewd acts; it was simply unimaginable. And not just any lewd acts, but those of a pair—a male lewd and a female lewd, in short, hooligans…
At this moment, Ouyang Yue turned her head and smiled at the man in black who had just entered, "Hey, better late than never! Quickly pull your master away. What kind of man is so rude to a woman? It's outrageous!" Ouyang Yue complained, but the leader of the men in black frowned, suddenly withdrew his hand, took a step back, and coldly stared at Ouyang Yue. This woman was even accusing him of being rude first. If he had been a little slower, he would have lost his manhood. She hadn't held back at all when she kicked him; if he had been kicked, he would definitely have been injured, perhaps even unable to have sex. And she dared to call him rude!
Ouyang Yue stood up, rubbing her lower back, her face full of grievance: "You were really rough! You have no sense of chivalry!" Her accusing gaze made the man in black look at his master with even more suspicion. Had something happened that he didn't know about? Was it not that the two of them were being lewd, but that his master had been overcome with lust? The man in black couldn't help but take a deeper look at Ouyang Yue. Although this woman didn't have a good reputation in the capital, he knew a few reasons why. If that were disregarded, Ouyang Yue was a beautiful and charming young woman; in a few years, she would probably be a sensation in the capital.
It's not surprising that the master would take a liking to it, is it?
The black-clad leader's eyes grew even colder: "You're the one who's accusing me first!"
“Ask your men, they clearly saw you lunging at me when he came in, how can I be the one accusing you first!” Ouyang Yue felt even more aggrieved.
"You! Humph! Women and petty men are hard to deal with!" The leader in black was extremely annoyed. After saying that, he turned around and was about to leave.
Ouyang Yue chuckled, "Oh, you're leaving already? You weren't here to make a deal with me, so you've given up?" But her eyes were unfathomable...
The leader in black paused, then finally turned around: "What price do you want to sell it to me for?"
Ouyang Yue sat down and poured herself a cup of tea: "I understand Old Tie's rules. Unless I, the buyer, agree, he will never hand over the item to you, unless he dies. However, I cannot sell that item to you. It is something I am protecting. If there are too many of these things, they will become worthless."
"You're playing me!" The leader in black was getting angry.
Ouyang Yue shook her head: "I can't give you that thing, but I can sell you other things. The world is so big, and there are so many strange and wonderful things. If I can draw a weapon manufacturing diagram, I can naturally draw one or two more, or even more! It depends on what price you can afford."
"Ten thousand taels for one drawing!"
Ouyang Yue smiled faintly, a hint of amusement flashing in her eyes: "The weapons I designed can be used for assassination, self-defense, or distributed to the army. Killing one less enemy in battle will save you far more than ten thousand taels of silver, but hundreds of thousands or even millions of taels. You are underestimating me too much!"
"Oh, you think it's too little?" The leader in black's voice was slightly cold. "Do you know that if you sell this to me, all I need to do is leak some information and let it circulate in a neighboring country, and you will become a traitor who betrays the country. At that time, no matter how much money you have, you won't have the life to spend it!"
Ouyang Yue laughed coldly, a mad light flashing in her eyes: "Treason? Who can prove that I leaked that thing? If I am guilty, will you be able to escape? The court is investigating this serious crime, and they should find out who sold it. Your crime will be even worse than mine. With you and your organization to take the fall for me, I won't be alone in hell. What do I have to fear!"
The leader in black's eyes widened in shock as he stared at Ouyang Yue in disbelief. Ouyang Yue, still somewhat immature, wore a faint smile, but her eyes held a resolute glint, even a hint of mockery in her gaze. He believed what Ouyang Yue said was true; this woman was the type who would rather die than surrender.
But Ouyang Yue's expression changed again the next moment: "But you have to let me see your face. I'm not sure I can make a deal with someone who can't even show their face!"
"How dare you say my master is ashamed to face anyone!" The man in black who had just entered suddenly shouted!
"That's right. As long as he takes off the cloth, I can take a look and know who to hold accountable later!"