After all, she was nominally just a servant; if she really made a mistake, there wouldn't be another Ouyang Zhide to plead for her. During this time, Mama Xi had been living on thin ice in the General's Mansion, feeling extremely frustrated. Now that Rui Yuhuan had delivered herself into her lap, she naturally wouldn't let her go; that would be too unfair to her.
Rui Yuhuan is really incredibly stupid; she was just looking for a reason to deal with her.
"No, how could you frame me like this? I won't accept it! When the old lady wakes up, she'll seek revenge!" Rui Yuhuan gritted her teeth and glared fiercely at Madam Xi. How could she not know that Madam Xi was clearly settling a personal score? What was hateful was that Old Madam Ning had fainted from shock earlier; otherwise, who would dare to do this? Rui Yuhuan's eyes turned cold, and she suddenly cried out, "Old Madam, wake up! If you don't wake up, Yuhuan will never see you again... Ugh." Rui Yuhuan wanted to wake Old Madam Ning to stand up for her, but as soon as she uttered the words, her mouth was covered. Rui Yuhuan glared at Madam Xi with wide eyes, but the latter slapped her hard across the face. Madam Xi's grip was very strong, and Rui Yuhuan fell to the ground, immediately vomiting blood. Her head spun for a moment.
Rui Yuhuan quickly snapped herself out of it, but she heard the cold, ruthless voice of Madam Xi: "Guards, Miss Rui is far too clever. To prevent her from escaping during the interrogation, nail her!"
Before Rui Yuhuan could figure out what these hidden nails were, four rough-looking maids walked in from outside, followed by two burly guards. Rui Yuhuan sensed something was wrong and instinctively tried to get up and escape, but someone had already held her down tightly, making it impossible for her to leave.
The four rough-looking maids stepped forward, and even the burly guards slowly approached Rui Yuhuan. Rui Yuhuan's heart trembled for no reason: "Xi Mama, you insolent servant, how dare you treat me like this? The old lady will stand up for me. Do you want to die? How dare you treat me like this!" Rui Yuhuan struggled and shouted, but Xi Mama looked at her coldly, not worried about her threat at all.
Ouyang Zhide was already seated on the high platform. He had long intended to deal with Rui Yuhuan, but Rui Yuhuan was quite cunning, and his mother doted on her, which prevented Ouyang Zhide from acting. He was simply waiting for an opportunity. It seemed that Madam Xi harbored some resentment towards Rui Yuhuan, so he didn't care what they did. He only cared about the final result; Rui Yuhuan's fate was not in his consideration.
Four rough-looking old women and two male guards approached Rui Yuhuan in groups of three. Two of the rough-looking old women held down one of Rui Yuhuan's legs. Rui Yuhuan tried to struggle, but one of the old women punched her, making her see stars and leaving her powerless to resist. At this moment, she was filled with resentment. Where was that bitch, Pink Butterfly? She was in danger, and Pink Butterfly hadn't come to her rescue. Where was she?
Suddenly, the two guards pulled out iron nails about an inch long. The nails weren't particularly sharp or thin, but Rui Yuhuan inexplicably gasped and cried out, "No...uh...uh!" The servants in Anhe Hall had already covered her mouth. Rui Yuhuan's eyes widened, and she kept shaking her head, trying to dodge. But with five or six people holding her down, and her being a weak woman who didn't know martial arts, breaking free under these circumstances was practically impossible.
The two guards stared at the long iron nails and slowly moved them toward Rui Yuhuan's legs. Rui Yuhuan was screaming in her heart, frantically shouting for them to stop, but her mouth was tightly covered, and the only sounds that came out were sobs.
"Pfft, pfft."
Suddenly, two strange voices rang out in the hall. Rui Yuhuan was stunned for a moment, then struggled frantically, even the six people holding her down had some difficulty.
Rui Yuhuan was drenched in sweat, which rolled down her forehead like raindrops. Her eyes were bloodshot, wide open, and terrifyingly large, even larger than a bull's eyes. Despite being held down by six people, her body continued to tremble and convulse, making it difficult for them to hold her down. Rui Yuhuan trembled for a long time before her strength gradually subsided. However, she lay there like a fish out of water, powerless, gasping for breath, her face a mixture of red and ashen, clearly in excruciating pain.
The two long iron nails were now firmly embedded in Rui Yuhuan's foot bones. Just as Mama Xi had said, even if Rui Yuhuan possessed extraordinary abilities, she couldn't escape unless her arms were stronger than her legs, allowing her to use her strength to move away. However, with these two long iron nails driven into Rui Yuhuan's foot bones, both of her legs were completely crippled, and she would never walk again. The two guards were extremely skilled and their methods were unique. Actually, it's not entirely accurate to say that this punishment was invented by Old Madam Ning for the women in the backyard of the mansion.
This method originated in the military, originally designed to deal with prisoners of higher rank. It was invented to prevent their escape or to avoid the ease with which someone could rescue them. The two iron nails were driven into the foot bones with a clever technique that prevented bleeding. To the average person, their legs appeared intact, but only those experiencing the pain truly understood the agony, as both legs were rendered useless.
Rui Yuhuan trembled all over in pain, her face as white as a ghost, devoid of any human color.
At this moment, Madam Xi waved her hand, and everyone stepped aside. Now that Rui Yuhuan possessed extraordinary abilities, there was absolutely no way she could escape on her own.
On the path outside Anhe Hall, Ouyang Yue suddenly said, "Alright, I feel much better. You can go back now. I can return to Mingyue Pavilion by myself." The two servants dared not, after all, this was Ouyang Zhide's personal order. Ouyang Yue looked at them coldly and said, "What, is my word, as the legitimate daughter, so powerless? I can't even give you orders?"
"This servant wouldn't dare. This servant will escort you this far, Miss." The two servants immediately said. Ouyang Yue waved her hand, and the two men glanced at Ouyang Yue with some concern before heading back towards Anhe Hall.
"It seems Rui Yuhuan is in trouble this time." At this moment, a voice came from the other side. Ouyang Yue raised her eyebrows and looked over, and saw Aunt Liu and her two personal maids, Lü'er and Lüye, walking slowly over. She smiled and said, "Oh, Aunt Liu, are you so sure? This Rui Yuhuan is quite capable. You can't predict anything."
Aunt Liu smiled faintly. Perhaps no one knew better than them how miserable Rui Yuhuan would be. From the very beginning, when Rui Yuhuan approached Ouyang Yue, Ouyang Yue had gone against the grain, preparing to turn the tables on her. Everything that had happened before was simply part of Ouyang Yue's scheme. Aunt Liu could hardly believe that Ouyang Yue, at such a young age, could have such a far-sighted plan.
Rui Yuhuan had previously planned to use Ouyang Yue's visit to Anhe Hall to establish rules as a pretext to lure Ouyang Yue into making a public display of poisoning Old Ning Shi. This plan was actually extremely vicious and meticulous. If Aunt Liu hadn't feigned being bribed by Rui Yuhuan, Ouyang Yue would likely have truly fallen for it. However, even this feigned bribery was orchestrated by Ouyang Yue. Ouyang Yue not only anticipated Rui Yuhuan's initial failure but also her subsequent reaction. Given Rui Yuhuan's competitive nature and self-confidence, she would likely use a second scheme that most people wouldn't repeat. Logically, after Ouyang Yue and her group thwarted Rui Yuhuan's plan the first time, they would indeed be at their most relaxed and elated, making it easy for them to lower their guard. Rui Yuhuan was right.
However, this only applies to ordinary people, not Ouyang Yue, because she had already thought it all out and calculated everything. If Rui Yuhuan wanted to succeed, it would be as difficult as ascending to heaven.
However, Aunt Liu had some doubts in her heart and said, "But I still have a question. Didn't the Third Miss have a way to deal with Rui Yuhuan the first time? Why did she give her so many more days to cause trouble?" Yes, the last time Rui Yuhuan tried to poison Ouyang Yue, since Ouyang Yue guessed Rui Yuhuan's plan, she naturally had a countermeasure. However, she didn't investigate it further at the time, letting Rui Yuhuan cause more trouble, which really puzzled Aunt Liu. After all, if we're talking about wanting to kill Rui Yuhuan, she was one of them. Rui Yuhuan's attempt to use Ouyang Tong to lure Ouyang Yue into lowering her guard was what Aunt Liu hated the most. Given the chance, she naturally didn't want to keep Rui Yuhuan alive.
"Back then?" Ouyang Yue said with a slight smile, "Oh, Aunt Liu, did you think it was a good time back then?"
Aunt Liu paused slightly, and Ouyang Yue said directly, "When Rui Yuhuan first plotted, she acted with extreme caution. You should know very well that Aunt Liu's package was switched with great effort. Rui Yuhuan had already devised a foolproof plan to escape, and she considered every possibility. However, she was too confident in herself and didn't think enough about the possibility of the plan failing, which allowed us to take advantage of the situation. At that time, firstly, we had no evidence to accuse Rui Yuhuan of poisoning Grandmother, and secondly, since we switched the medicine, how could there be any poisoning? If we had investigated further then, Rui Yuhuan would have definitely turned the tables on us. Even if we hadn't been caught in her trap then, we would still have been branded as cursing Grandmother or intentionally poisoning her. But this second time, turning the tables on her is different."
Ouyang Yue squinted at the direction of Anhe Hall: "Rui Yuhuan is convinced that we escaped the first time, and now is the time to be happy, so we must not let our guard down. But she forgot that she thought we would be complacent after our victory, and when she thought that, she was also complacent about us. Rui Yuhuan's idea is indeed correct. When people are complacent, they will make many mistakes. For example, this second time, I just used a trick again. In fact, there was no skill involved in this matter. It's just that she was complacent."
Ouyang Yue's explanation was simple, but Aunt Liu didn't see it that way. After hearing Ouyang Yue's explanation, she realized that Rui Yuhuan's defeat stemmed from her carelessness. But wasn't Ouyang Yue, who saw through the essence of things, even more terrifying? Aunt Liu felt a sudden tightness in her chest. At this moment, she was incredibly grateful that she had chosen Ouyang Yue. Now, thinking back, if she had made a single mistake, she would have lost everything. And with Ouyang Tong by her side, she couldn't afford to lose.
"Then... does Miss San want to go back to Mingyue Pavilion now?" Aunt Liu's voice softened noticeably.
Ouyang Yue smiled and looked in the direction of Anhe Hall: "What are we going to do? I'm sure Father will send someone to invite us over soon, so we won't have to walk so far. Aunt Liu, just pretend we just met and stroll around together."
Aunt Liu nodded. At this moment, she couldn't muster the courage to refute, and her heart was still somewhat unsettled.
Just as Ouyang Yue had expected, a few people soon came out of Anhe Hall. They were clearly there to invite Ning Shi, Ouyang Yue, Aunt Liu, Aunt Ming, Aunt Hua, and Ouyang Rou. All the influential people in the mansion had gathered in Anhe Hall.
Upon entering Anhe Hall, several gasps rose and fell. In the open space of Anhe Hall, Rui Yuhuan lay on the ground like a dead fish, her legs curled up in an extremely strange position, her whole body twitching uncontrollably, her face deathly pale. Everyone was shocked.
Ouyang Zhide waved his hand and said, "Sit down, everyone."
Ning and the others looked pale. Ouyang Zhide's expression was very cold, but having lived with him for so many years, they could sense that he was actually angry. They immediately sat down without daring to breathe and looked up at Rui Yuhuan, wondering how she had offended Ouyang Zhide.
Ouyang Zhide slowly began to speak: "This woman is vicious. When I came to see my mother today, I happened to see her choking my mother and pouring poisoned tea into her mouth."
"What!" Ning Shi and the others were all stunned. The events of the past few days had actually made them quite suspicious, because they hadn't expected Rui Yuhuan to harm Old Ning Shi. If Old Ning Shi, their powerful backer, fell, she would be in serious trouble. In fact, they believed that because Old Ning Shi had tormented Ouyang Yue, Ouyang Yue, in a fit of anger, had done something foolish and tried to poison Old Ning Shi. Of course, in the end, it turned out that Ouyang Yue hadn't poisoned her at all, and they hadn't taken it seriously.
Is this even possible? No one would do this. However, the Ning family and others also knew very well that Ouyang Yue had entered Anhe Hall with them before, which meant that Ouyang Yue was indeed not present when the incident occurred. If Ouyang Zhide said that about Rui Yuhuan, he certainly wouldn't be falsely accusing someone, so it must be true.
Ning and the others had strange expressions. Had Rui Yuhuan gone mad? How could she do such a thing? Did she want to dig her own grave? What good would it do her? Rui Yuhuan lay on the ground whimpering. She was in excruciating pain, her whole body convulsing. Ouyang Zhide had not only driven iron nails into her feet, but had also used every form of torture imaginable in the manor on her. Her hands, for example, felt as if they were about to break. With each jolt of pain, her heart ached. Not only were her feet ruined, but her ten hands were probably crippled as well.
Rui Yuhuan was filled with anger, but she was so weak at this moment. Even she, who was always full of self-confidence, knew that it would be extremely difficult for her to escape this time.
Ouyang Zhide added, "Go and find a doctor to test whether the tea is poisoned."
Rui Yuhuan, who was already grieving, suddenly widened her eyes and stared at Ouyang Zhide in disbelief: "You... Waaaaah..." Then Rui Yuhuan collapsed to the ground and burst into tears.
Judging from Ouyang Zhide's words, he had no idea whether the tea she brought was poisoned or not. Even so, he tortured her first before testing it—wasn't that deliberately tormenting her? What a vicious heart! Rui Yuhuan was furious, yet her heart was ice-cold. The tea was certainly poisoned. This time, she was overjoyed at the thought of Ouyang Yue escaping, and hadn't taken any precautions. So, when she poisoned her at this moment, Ouyang Yue was bound to fall for the trap. Moreover, she had a fairly thorough understanding of human nature. Some clever people knew that even the best plan becomes stale after a while. The struggles within the inner quarters were incredibly varied, but she rarely heard of women doing the same thing to the same person. She was very confident in this. She hadn't even thought about how to dispose of the poison afterward.
She just hadn't expected Ouyang Zhide to suddenly come to Anhe Hall and into the inner hall. After all, Old Ning and Ouyang Zhide were mother and son, but out of respect, there was no reason for a son to directly enter his mother's bedroom. Ouyang Zhide had never made such a mistake before. If Ouyang Zhide hadn't suddenly appeared, Rui Yuhuan's plan would have succeeded.
When Ouyang Zhide saw the scene, he immediately hit Rui Yuhuan. In reality, there was still no more accurate evidence to prove Rui Yuhuan's guilt, but he ordered her to be beaten and tortured despite the lack of evidence. After all that, he finally went to find evidence. Wasn't that intentional?
Ouyang Zhide did it on purpose, but so what? This general's mansion was all his. He could say he saw Rui Yuhuan trying to assassinate Old Ning Shi, let alone that he saw Rui Yuhuan strangling Old Ning Shi in a ferocious manner. Just because of that, no one would dare to say anything no matter how Ouyang Zhide wanted to torture or kill Rui Yuhuan.
A doctor was soon summoned, but not directly to the main hall. Instead, he was taken to a side room. After a thorough examination, the doctor withdrew. Madam Xi came out and reported, "Reporting to Master, the doctor's findings indicate that Rui Yuhuan has put a highly poisonous substance in the old lady's tea. If she drinks it, she will be poisoned in less than half an hour. Moreover, this poison is very difficult to prepare, and there is rarely an antidote readily available. Therefore, half an hour is enough time for the old lady to die."
Ouyang Zhide stared at Rui Yuhuan with a gloomy expression, a cold smile on his lips: "Rui Yuhuan, what else do you have to say?"
Rui Yuhuan coldly returned Ouyang Zhide's gaze. She had already been tortured so badly, what could be more painful than this? What did she have to be afraid of? "I still have a lot to say, but is the general willing to listen? If you want to convict me, why worry about not having evidence? I didn't do it, and that's it. You've wronged me so much, what else do you want me to say?"
"How dare you speak to the master like that! The evidence is conclusive, and you still want to argue? It seems you haven't had enough of the suffering you just endured!" Madam Xi immediately shouted.
Rui Yuhuan sneered at her: "What right do you, a mere lackey, have to yell at me?"
Madam Xi looked at Rui Yuhuan with a sneer. Ouyang Zhide said, "Since Miss Rui is not convinced and refuses to tell the truth, then let's continue to torture her until she is ready to tell the truth."
Rui Yuhuan, who had initially maintained a tough demeanor, showed a change in expression. She gritted her teeth, maintaining a cold smile, but her eyes betrayed undisguised fear. At that moment, someone brought over two wooden planks studded with iron nails. The planks were placed directly on the ground, and Rui Yuhuan's face twitched rapidly. She had a premonition that these things were intended for something—to place her on the nails, clamping her body between them. How many bloody holes would she be riddled with? Even if she didn't bleed to death, she would surely die from the excruciating pain.
Rui Yuhuan trembled violently. She didn't want to die, she really didn't want to die. Her forehead twitched uncontrollably. What should she do? Was she going to die here today? But if she confessed, wouldn't she still face certain death anyway? What should she do?
Ouyang Zhide looked at Rui Yuhuan with a flickering gaze and said, "Yuhuan, I didn't want to do these things to you, but you should know how I felt when I saw you strangling your mother, whom you treated like your own daughter. Yuhuan, you were originally a pure and kind girl. I never thought you could be such a ruthless person. I don't believe it. Can you tell me why all this happened? Why did you hurt your mother?"
Rui Yuhuan looked up at Ouyang Zhide, whose expression was somewhat helpless. A glimmer of hope rose in Rui Yuhuan's heart. Right, Ouyang Zhide was her father's superior officer. Back then, he and her father were two of the closest generals in the army, which was why Ouyang Zhide had taken her in and adopted her. Ouyang Zhide always felt indebted to her father. She… she might still have a chance. But she couldn't tell the truth. If she revealed that poisoning Old Ning was to harm Ouyang Yue, Ouyang Zhide's remaining guilt would likely vanish. Rui Yuhuan wasn't that foolish. Her mind raced, trying to figure out what she could say to persuade Ouyang Zhide to release her.
She had lived her entire life with her father in the chaotic and impoverished borderlands. She had finally come to the capital and was living a life of luxury and extravagance. She hadn't lived enough; why was she dying here? Rui Yuhuan's eyes flickered slightly as she said, "This…this was instigated by someone."
Ouyang Zhide looked at her and said, "Oh, someone instructed you to harm the old lady. Tell me quickly who this person is. If you can tell me, I can punish you according to the law, or I might even let you go."
Rui Yuhuan felt a sense of relief, her eyes scanning the hall. Ning Shi and the others immediately felt a chill run down their spines. They hadn't actually participated in the matter, but they all secretly hoped that Old Ning Shi would die. So even though they hadn't done anything, they felt guilty. Rui Yuhuan's gaze made them break out in a cold sweat.
All of them coldly returned Rui Yuhuan's gazes. Rui Yuhuan, however, was pondering who to point out. Although Ouyang Yue was ruthless, she dared not implicate her at this moment, for that would surely mean Ouyang Yue's death. As for Ning Shi, although she was out of favor, she was the legitimate daughter of the Ning family and related to Old Madam Ning as aunt and niece. Even if their relationship within the household was poor, no one would believe it if it were said, and she would only bring trouble upon herself.
As for Consort Hua, she hadn't had much contact with her, so few people would believe her. Consort Ming? She really wanted to talk to her, but Consort Ming was currently powerless in the household; could she really command her? That left only Consort Liu and Ouyang Rou. Both of them had betrayed her before, making them her sworn enemies. Besides, Ouyang Zhide hadn't shown them much favor. If it were them... well, let's just say it wasn't a good match.
Rui Yuhuan turned her head, about to speak, when Ouyang Zhide suddenly interrupted her, saying, "The person who instigated this is definitely not from the manor. Yuhuan, from the moment I brought you into the manor, I suspected that you had someone powerful behind you, someone who wanted to manipulate the General's Mansion. As long as you tell me who this person is, I will spare you. Not only will I let you go, but I will also heal your injuries. You should know that although the iron nail in your foot bone is in place, it hasn't been there for long, and it came from the army, so I naturally have a way to heal you. Do you want to be tortured to death, or do you want to live a life of wealth and honor? As long as you explain clearly, I guarantee you a worry-free and wealthy life in the future. You are a smart child, so you should think it over carefully."
Rui Yuhuan was startled and instinctively looked at Ouyang Zhide. Ouyang Zhide glanced at her and said, "You want to know how I knew?" Ouyang Zhide's eyes were cold as he said, "To tell you the truth, your father was not my savior at all. On the last battlefield, he was indeed very brave, but not to kill the enemy, nor to save me, but to kill me. Strictly speaking, he was my enemy, and you are the daughter of my enemy!"
Rui Yuhuan was shocked, her mind went blank for a moment. What enemy's daughter? How could that be? When the man in black gave her the powder and told her to put it in her father's bowl, he told her it was a drug that could instantly unleash a person's fighting power, something that could help her father rise to prominence.
So when news of Rui Huaicheng's battlefield exploits broke and Ouyang Zhide's identity as a rescued individual resurfaced, Rui Yuhuan had no doubts whatsoever, because she was the one who orchestrated it all. This… how could things turn out this way? Was it some kind of poison? Why would her father suddenly want to kill Ouyang Zhide?
At this moment, Rui Yuhuan's mind suddenly became chaotic. However, she was increasingly angry and resentful. It was impossible for her to deny anything anymore. She knew very well that those people were not human. They did not treat her as a human being. Judging from the black-clad messenger throwing her into the brothel and Pink Butterfly's torment of her, they did not treat her as a human being.
So, back then, they were the ones who deceived her, deliberately poisoning her father to assassinate Ouyang Zhide. They've been deceiving and using her all along. No wonder Pink Butterfly disappeared after her accident; how dare they treat her like this? An overwhelming rage surged within Rui Yuhuan. She gritted her teeth, her face contorted with rage.
"I'll tell you everything I know—those men in black, and their organization. General, you must kill them yourself!" Rui Yuhuan said with a look of resentment. "Back when we were at the border, I was kidnapped during a trip. I tried to struggle, but they subdued me. I had no way to resist. They blindfolded me and took me to a very dark room. Then a very alluring-looking man came in, dressed in..."
"puff!"
A strange noise suddenly echoed through the hall. Rui Yuhuan, who had been talking incessantly, abruptly stopped, her mouth agape, her eyes wide as bull's. She turned around with difficulty, staring furiously at a rooftop outside Anhe Hall, but only caught a fleeting glimpse of a pink hem: "Pink... Pink Butterfly... You actually... Ugh..."
Rui Yuhuan's eyes widened as she began to vomit blood uncontrollably. At that moment, an arrow was lodged deep in her chest, protruding directly from her chest. Even someone who had never practiced martial arts knew that Rui Yuhuan would surely die if she were hit by this arrow.
Just as Ouyang Zhide was about to hear Rui Yuhuan reveal the truth, she was suddenly stabbed to death. He was furious and shouted, "Men, hurry and chase after that Pink Butterfly! She must know who's behind her. We must capture her alive!"
"Thump."
Rui Yuhuan crashed heavily to the ground, and blood immediately flowed from her body...
"Ahhh!"
Just then, a scream suddenly rang out from Anhe Hall, followed by a person rushing out from the inner hall. That person, as if possessed, hurriedly ran towards Rui Yuhuan...
☆、123、Crying with regret (Monthly votes)
"Yu Huan, Yu Huan, what's wrong with you? Wake up!" The man, dressed in brown with messy, unkempt hair, roared, seemingly oblivious to the blood streaming down Rui Yu Huan's body.
Upon seeing the newcomer, Ouyang Zhide frowned and said, "Mother, Rui Yuhuan is dead."
The person who came was none other than Old Ning, who had fainted when Rui Yuhuan had choked her. At this moment, her face was strange, and her eyes were dark red: "You're talking nonsense. How could Yuhuan die? She can't die. You're lying to me."
Ouyang Zhide silently looked at Old Madam Ning. Everyone in the General's Mansion knew that Old Madam Ning doted on Rui Yuhuan, but she didn't know that her mother doted on her so much? Hadn't she just personally experienced the viciousness of Rui Yuhuan's methods? Even at this time, she was still pleading for Rui Yuhuan? Did she really not care about what had just happened? Based on his understanding of his mother, she wasn't such a magnanimous person.
"You all lied to me like this! Yu Huan, wake up! Wake up!" Old Madam Ning shook Rui Yu Huan's body frantically, but Rui Yu Huan was dead beyond dead, how could she wake up? Old Madam Ning suddenly threw Rui Yu Huan to the ground with a "bang", and rushed towards Ouyang Yue with a fierce look on her face, reaching out to throw Ouyang Yue.
Ouyang Yue was also stunned. Since she had witnessed Rui Yuhuan's attempt to harm Old Madam Ning, she knew best what was going on. Old Madam Ning inexplicably doted on someone like Rui Yuhuan; no one expected that at this crucial moment, Old Madam Ning would turn against Ouyang Yue for Rui Yuhuan's sake. Ouyang Yue was caught off guard and reacted a beat too slowly. However, she quickly dodged, and Old Madam Ning's merciless palm struck the table beside her.
"Bang!"
The table seemed unable to withstand Old Madam Ning's rage, and was shattered by a single blow, collapsing instantly. Old Madam Ning's hand immediately turned red, but she didn't care at all, glaring at Ouyang Yue and shouting, "You vile woman! It was you! You're the one who killed Yu Huan! It was you! Guards! Drag this person who has been causing trouble in the mansion away and beat her to death! Beat her to death immediately!" Old Madam Ning's face was ferocious, looking at Ouyang Yue as if she were a thousand-year-old enemy, wishing she could crush Ouyang Yue with one hand to vent her anger.
Everyone in the hall was stunned. Ouyang Zhide had a gloomy face and didn't speak for a moment, while Ning Shi and the others were shocked.
They hadn't witnessed what happened, so they didn't know the truth. By the time Ouyang Zhide summoned them, he was already using a facade of righteousness to coax Rui Yuhuan into revealing the truth. Naturally, they assumed Rui Yuhuan had tried to harm Old Madam Ning and had been caught red-handed by Ouyang Zhide, hence his punishment. They felt nothing for Rui Yuhuan until her death, and they disliked her nonetheless. But looking at Old Madam Ning now, it didn't seem like Rui Yuhuan had done it. Anyone present who had truly wanted to kill themselves wouldn't have acted like Old Madam Ning.
A slight unease stirred in everyone's hearts, their eyes sweeping over Ouyang Zhide and Ouyang Yue. Could it be that Rui Yuhuan and Ouyang Yue had some kind of conflict, and then Ouyang Zhide appeared and used the pretext of Rui Yuhuan harming Old Ning Shi to cruelly attack her? Old Ning Shi was trapped at the time and couldn't come out, so it's no wonder she's angry and furious to see Rui Yuhuan like this. Is that it?
Ouyang Yue lowered her brows and gazed calmly at Old Madam Ning. Old Madam Ning was furious, but everyone was just watching her, no one making a move. Ouyang Zhide was now seated high in the hall, the true pillar of the General's Mansion. Many of the servants in Anhe Hall had witnessed how Ouyang Zhide punished Rui Yuhuan, and they were already too afraid to utter a sound. How could they dare to move now? The Third Miss was the Master's most beloved daughter; even if what Old Madam Ning said was true, they wouldn't dare offend her at this time. Moreover, few in Anhe Hall liked Rui Yuhuan; many were secretly pleased that she was dead. Now, with her eyes closed, head bowed, and ears shut, she was pretending to be dead.
Old Madam Ning was furious: "How dare you disrespect me like this? I am the matriarch of this General's Mansion! How dare you disobey me!" Old Madam Ning felt her head was spinning, the images from before flashing through her mind, but her heart was even more chaotic. Her heart kept telling her that she must help Rui Yuhuan, and that Ouyang Yue, who caused Rui Yuhuan's death, must be killed. This voice seemed to pierce her mind like a demonic chant, and her eyes grew colder as she looked at Ouyang Yue. "It's all because of you, Ouyang Yue! Ever since I came back, this General's Mansion has never had a moment's peace. This time it's all your fault, you jinx!"
Ouyang Yue stood quietly to one side, coldly watching Old Madam Ning without arguing with her. However, her indifference was more shameful than any argument. Her detached gaze made it seem as if Old Madam Ning was nothing more than a clown in her eyes, and the gloating expressions of Madam Ning and the others were also seen as utterly ridiculous. Everyone froze, and Old Madam Ning, enraged, grabbed a table and chair from the hall and smashed them violently at Ouyang Yue.
Ouyang Yue's lips curled into a mocking smile as she dodged left and right. Old Ning had never practiced martial arts; how could she possibly hit her? Old Ning's face flushed with rage, her eyes blazing with fury: "You dare to dodge? Men! Quickly, subdue her! Don't let her! Anyone who dares to disobey, believe me, I can kill you all right now!"
Upon hearing this, the servants of Anhe Hall stirred with fear. It was true that Ouyang Zhide was in charge of the household, and that he doted on the Third Miss, but within Anhe Hall, it was still the Old Madam who directly controlled them, holding their lives in her hands. Who dared say they weren't afraid? Immediately, some moved, but in a flash, a person stood before them. That person's face was cold and indifferent; with just a slight glance, for some reason, they froze, not daring to move.
Dongxue gave a cold snort, her eyes filled with mockery as she looked at Old Madam Ning, a sharp and murderous intent emanating from her. A chilling aura surrounded her, and anyone with eyes could see that Dongxue could kill Old Madam Ning at any moment, given Ouyang Yue's order. Madam Ning and the others remembered that Dongxue wasn't exactly a servant of the General's Mansion; she only obeyed Ouyang Yue. In this mansion, no one but Ouyang Yue could control her. Seeing Dongxue's expression, they were all startled, a flicker of fear in their eyes.
"Ah! What's that?!"
The atmosphere in the hall was tense. Seeing that her orders were not working, Old Madam Ning took matters into her own hands and tried to rush to Ouyang Yue's side to hit her. Unfortunately, Ouyang Yue was fast, and Old Madam Ning could not catch up with her. Ouyang Rou was watching all this with a cold smile, but when she saw a certain spot in the hall, she suddenly screamed.
Everyone looked in the direction she pointed, and what they saw made them gasp. Even Ouyang Zhide, the border general, felt a chill run down his spine when he saw this.
But then they saw white things moving about on the blood that was slowly flowing out of Rui Yuhuan's body. At first, they looked like white dots, but upon closer inspection, these dots were moving, and moving very quickly, swimming on the blood like fish swimming freely in water. However, upon closer inspection, you would find that they were not swimming freely, but wriggling. Later, a few white dots jumped out and everyone realized that they were white worms, different from caterpillars. They were hairless, with only white bodies and red eyes, and their wriggling movements were nauseating. Especially since there were so many of these white worms. They hadn't been noticed before, but now they had filled the blood that had flowed from Rui Yuhuan's body, and some had even crawled onto her body. They were a dense swarm, and the feeling of nausea and disgust was beyond words.