Chapter 119 The traitor

On the veranda of the main house, Madam Lin and Li Rong stood facing each other.

As soon as Madam Lin gave the order, two burly old women immediately went up to the corridor to arrest the person.

Madam Lin turned and walked away.

Qiu Hui hurried up to the corridor and shouted, "What are your orders, young master?"

"Any servant in this manor who dares to lay a finger on the Second Young Lady, regardless of who gave the order, shall be executed on the spot by Qiu Feng!"

Standing at the back of the crowd, Qiu Feng drew his longsword with a swift movement: "Yes!"

Upon hearing this, the old woman who was arresting people on the upper porch immediately stopped and stood on the steps, unsure whether to go forward or backward.

Upon hearing this, Madam Lin paused, turned to the side, and looked up at Qiu Hui, who had spoken.

Qiu Hui lowered her head, not daring to breathe loudly.

Madam Lin chuckled softly and casually ordered, "Execute Qiu Feng first."

Immediately, the maidservants she brought with her drew their swords and attacked Qiu Feng.

The two fought to the side.

Then Madam Lin turned to Qiu Hui and asked, "What else did your young master say?"

Qiu Hui bowed and said, "Please reconsider, Madam."

Madam Lin sneered, slowly walked up to Qiu Hui, grabbed Qiu Hui's head, and slammed it against a pillar in the corridor.

With a loud bang, everyone present was startled and their hearts skipped a beat.

Once, twice, three times.

"You've been rambling on and on at the gate of the courtyard for quite some time now."

"Such loyalty, you should be happy to serve your young master to the death."

Just when Qiu Hui thought she was going to die today, a loud bang rang out and the First Madam screamed.

Then came the servant's horrified scream of seeing a ghost.

Li Rong imitated Madam Lin, grabbing Madam Lin's head and slamming it against the pillar with all her might.

Once, twice, three times.

Qiu Hui dared not resist and let Madam Lin bump into her.

Madam Lin was only bumped once during Li Rong's sneak attack.

The others raised their hands to desperately protect their heads.

Granny Heng and her maids and servants rushed forward in panic, screaming.

Shouts of "Protect the lady!", "How dare you!", and "Stop!" rose and fell in quick succession.

When Qiuju arrived with Granny Yue and others from Rong'an Hall, they saw Li Rong being pulled away by her maids and servants.

Only her legs were still stubbornly kicking.

Whoever gets kicked is fine.

It seemed as if he had fallen into a state of mania.

*

The matriarch of the forest spent her days hunting geese, but one of them pecked her eye and injured her eye.

The entire household of the Marquis was in an uproar.

Madam Lin was furious.

"A woman who uses her looks to please men, she climbed into the bed of a young master and became arrogant and ignorant!"

"Even my legitimate wife, whom I married into the Marquis's mansion, wouldn't dare to be so disobedient and defiant!"

Ouch!

The doctor was bandaging her wound, but because she was swaying as she spoke, he accidentally hurt the wound, and she gasped for breath.

After her wound was bandaged, she drank a dose of herbal medicine and, once she had recovered, picked up her whip and went to Rong'an Hall.

"Today, I will make her wish she were dead."

As they arrived at Rong'an Hall, the servants and maids kept their distance, fearing that they might incur the wrath of the hostile party.

Inside Rong'an Hall.

Old Mrs. Lin sat on the couch, while Li Rong knelt calmly before her.

Grandma Lin looked at Li Rong with mixed feelings: "You're not afraid at all."

"She started it."

"She is the Lady of the Marquis."

"If Lady Hou is so capable, why doesn't she take care of her son?"

Grandma Lin was rebuked.

"I can't control my son, but I can't control you, a shameless concubine with no status who sleeps with young masters!"

Madam Lin entered the house carrying a whip.

"They make a ruckus until the wee hours of the morning, constantly asking for water, and during the day they fuss over the young master and refuse to get out of bed!"

"All he ever thinks about is indulging in pleasure!"

"Does your mother even know how shameless and dissolute you are?!"

"Do your sisters even know that you've degraded yourself to climb the social ladder?"

Li Rong slowly clenched her hands, which were resting on her knees: "I didn't!"

With a crack of the whip, Madam Lin raised her hand to strike someone, but was stopped by Granny Yue.

When Madam Lin saw that the whip had been taken away by Granny Yue, she stepped forward and kicked Li Rong.

"No?"

Qiuju nimbly pounced on Li Rong's back, shielding her in her arms.

Granny Yue and Granny Heng were only half-heartedly present, letting Madam Lin kick them and lose her temper.

"How could I attend Lin's Girls' School without your sister?"

"Wanting the benefits but not wanting to follow the rules? There's no such thing as a free lunch."

Madam Lin kicked several times, all of which landed on Qiuju's back.

She suppressed her anger and looked at Old Madam Lin: "Mother, now that this girl has entered my Marquis's mansion, she must abide by the rules of my Marquis's mansion!"

"She has defied her superiors today and should be punished according to family rules!"

"If this is not dealt with, everyone in the inner quarters will follow suit, and what will become of the Marquis's mansion's dignity?"

She was in the right, and her arguments were well-founded.

Grandma Lin nodded: "Rongrong, no matter what your status is, you have to be punished for just assaulting the mistress of my Marquis's mansion. Do you accept that?"

Li Rong was helped up from the ground by Qiu Ju, and she knelt up straight.

"I hit her because she failed to raise her son properly."

"You're so old, I can't possibly hit you."

Grandma Lin stared in disbelief.

Madam Lin looked shocked, as if she had heard something.

"As for the rules of your Marquis's mansion, I am not a member of the Marquis's mansion, so why should I abide by them?"

Madam Lin: "You live in my Marquis's mansion, eat in my Marquis's mansion, and everything you wear and wear belongs to my Marquis's mansion!"

"Having entered the gates of my Marquis's residence, you still claim not to be a member of the Marquis's household?"

Li Rong: "It's because Young Master Lin doesn't want to let me go!"

"Who cares about your Marquis's mansion!"

Madam Lin said as if she had heard a joke: "You don't care if you send your fourth sister to my Lin Family Girls' School?"

"You can't control Young Master Lin, so I can't just let him get away with it!"

"Since I've submitted to him, I'm now a lowly concubine with no status or title!"

"Who would want to serve him! If he doesn't threaten me with my family, I'd rather die than betray my principles!"

"Since you didn't die, you're now a lowly concubine!" Madam Lin declared definitively. "You don't accept that?"

"Then go out and ask around, all over the country, in government offices and brothels."

"I'm asking you, you have no status or title, yet you slept with this young master and were kept in his courtyard. Aren't you a lowly concubine?"

Li Rong's face was as white as paper.

According to current views, she was a concubine of low social status.

Without a word, he lost his momentum.

"Today you first engaged in debauchery by seducing the young master and then committed adultery in broad daylight. You also disobeyed orders and defied your superiors. You have violated the family rules of my Marquis's mansion!"

As she spoke, Madam Lin lifted her skirt and sat down in the honored seat on the right.

"Guards, administer the family punishment! This shamelessness is outrageous! Strip him naked and beat him!"

How dare you fight her in the Marquis's mansion!

She has plenty of legitimate ways to punish her!

I'll beat her to death!

Ouch, my head hurts so much~

*

Li Rong naturally refused to take off her clothes.

The maids and servants rushed forward.

Those who dragged Qiuju away dragged her away, and those who dragged her outside dragged her outside.

No matter how much she resisted, biting and scratching, she was no match for the many hands, and her clothes were ripped off with a tearing sound.

In an instant, she lost all strength to resist.

The maid was startled when she saw the numerous ambiguous marks of varying degrees of intensity on her body.

They all withdrew their hands and unconsciously took two steps back.

She sat on the ground, frantically pulling her clothes over herself.

This scene, when witnessed by Lady Hou, filled her with utter disgust.

"What a wanton whore!"

"What are you all standing there for? Drag him away and beat him!"

Li Rong, clutching her tattered clothes, was dragged into the courtyard.

To prevent her from getting up, two maids held her shoulders, one on each side.

Granny Heng stood on the porch and called out, "By order of the First Madam, this lowly concubine, Li, has been accused of seducing the master and committing adultery. According to the family law, she shall be stripped and whipped!"

The tattered cloth covering Li Rong's body was ripped off by the maid.

She was only wearing a bra.

Tears of humiliation fell drop by drop.

Her mind went blank.

She hunched over, raised her arms to her chest, and clung tightly to her bra, as if afraid it would be taken off.

Granny Heng shouted, "This lowly concubine, Li, has committed insubordination. She is to be punished with eighty lashes for multiple offenses. Execute her!"

A maidservant flicked her slender whip, looking disdainfully at the delicate, pale body kneeling on the ground, and raised the whip high in her hand.

Inside the house, Madam Lin leaned back in her chair, her brows relaxed, finally feeling relieved.

Grandma Lin sat in the main seat, twirling the tourmaline bracelet in her hand one bead at a time.

The Marquis's poor treatment of Li Rong today will serve as evidence for the Marquis's rebuttal of the claim that the Marquis's residence is in cahoots with the Zhou dynasty in the future.

With a scream of pain, Madam Lin, who was leaning back in her chair, jumped up and walked outside.

"What's the matter that you're in such a panic!"

*

The sun is shining brightly.

Lin Xiaocong fiddled with the crossbow in his hand and stepped into the hanging flower gate.

The maid who had just raised her whip high as if to strike was now hunched over on the ground, pale and in pain.

A sharp crossbow bolt, the length of a palm, was embedded in her wrist, piercing her wrist bone.

Fresh blood soaked the whip that lay on the ground.

The whip, soaked with the blood of countless women in the inner quarters, gleamed even more brightly in the sunlight.

"It's only been a short time getting a little gadget, and the house is already so lively."

He smiled and walked closer to her step by step. When he reached her side, he slowly took off his outer robe, draped it over her body, and half-lifted her up from the ground.

She buried her face in his chest and cried in humiliation.

He patted her on the back.

A voice rang out above her head: "My dear Rong'er, I told you long ago that the Marquis's mansion was no good, but you didn't believe me."

"Now you're tasting the bitterness, aren't you?"

Madam Lin frowned as she watched this scene: "Mingxu!"

"She seduced you into doing reckless things, disrespected her superiors, and even laid a hand on her mother. Everyone witnessed it, and her punishment of her is justified!"

“She didn’t hook up with the boy; it was the boy who was clinging to her.”

He took a step back, creating some distance between himself and Li Rong, and helped her put on his outer robe.

Then he rolled up her sleeves, took her hand, and slipped the crossbow onto her wrist.

Custom-made, just right.

He wiped away the tears of grievance on her face with his fingertips.

"I'm sorry, my dear Rong'er, it's my fault for leaving at the wrong time, causing you to be humiliated."

He walked behind her, embraced her, kissed her earlobe, lifted her left wrist (which was fitted with a crossbow), and aimed it at Madam Lin, who was standing on the veranda.

"Don't be afraid. From now on, if anyone touches you, kill them!"

Madam Lin took a step back, her eyes widened, and she exclaimed, "Lin Xiaocong, how dare you!"

In response to her was Lin Xiaocong's smile.

The next second, Heng Madam, who was standing next to Madam Lin, had half a crossbow bolt driven into her forehead.

Fresh blood flowed from between Granny Heng's eyebrows.

Granny Heng opened her eyes and fell straight backward.

"Ah!" Madam Lin screamed in disbelief.

The sound was so shrill and shocking that it startled Old Mrs. Lin inside the house.

The screams of servants and maids followed one after another, startling the crows into flight.

The maids in the courtyard reacted and all of them prostrated themselves on the ground in terror, not daring to breathe.

*

Li Rong witnessed the way Granny Heng died and, terrified, tried to shake off the crossbow bolt from her wrist, shrinking back in fear.

She reached him, which made him laugh.

He nuzzled the back of her ear with his face: "Don't be afraid, your swan meat is right here."

Li Rong kills chickens and fish, how could she dare to kill a person?

The shame in my heart had long been replaced by fear.

Seeing that she was frightened, he quickly turned her around and pulled her into his arms, then looked up at Madam Lin.

"Mother, this is Rongrong's first time killing someone. She's clumsy and missed."

"Next time might be different."

"Lin Xiaocong!!!" Madam Lin screamed in a frenzy.

"She broke the family rules, so it's only right for Mother to punish her!"

"You stood up for a lowly concubine and actually took Heng Mama's life!"

"To my mother, Granny Heng is like a second mother!"

"How dare you!!"

Lin Xiaocong said calmly and gently, "Mother, Rongrong is my guest, not my concubine."

"Your family rules have absolutely nothing to do with her!"

“You offended her, and she attacked you. You suffered a loss because you were not as skilled as her.”

“You insulted her, so it’s understandable that she accidentally killed the nanny next to you.”

The matriarch of the Lin family was furious.

"What kind of guest sleeps with you!"

"Lin Xiaocong, you're calling a deer a horse!"

Lin Xiaocong picked up the timid woman in his arms: "Mother, you are the mistress of the Marquis's mansion, don't do things that damage people's reputation."

"My son and she are completely innocent."

Madam Lin was so angry she nearly died.

Lin Xiaocong instructed Qiuju to identify the person who attacked Li Rong, and then ordered, "Qiufeng, don't let it bleed."

Madam Lin shouted, "How dare you!"

Qiu Feng walked up behind the person in question, reached out, and snapped the person's neck with a snap.

Lin Xiaocong stood there waiting: "I dare, Mother."

"Lin Xiaocong!"

“Hey! Mother, these lowly servants are disrespectful to the guests and have disrespected the dignity of the Marquis’s mansion. I will clean them up for you.”

After finishing, he instructed, "Qiu Chan, bring me my crossbow bolts and wash them clean."

"We only have ten for now, and we need to reuse them."

After saying this, he glanced at Madam Lin, then took a step back while holding Li Rong.

He did not go inside to greet Grandma Lin.

Then he turned around and walked away.

Madam Lin clutched her heart in fury: "You are lawless!"

"He actually threatened his own mother!"

She was furious.

"Rebellious son!"

*

Lin Xiaocong didn't care about what was happening with Madam Lin.

Before and after meals, they would curse him as a rebellious son and insult his ancestors for eighteen generations.

He cares more about the person in his arms.

After being humiliated and shocked, coupled with the pent-up frustration in her heart, Li Rong broke out in a cold sweat as soon as she returned.

He started to have a high fever in the afternoon.

Lin Xiaocong gave her acupuncture and coaxed her to sleep.

When Li Rong woke up, it was already dusk.

Sounds came from the corridor.

"This young master is quite talented."

Li Rong got off the bed and walked around barefoot.

Upon reaching the door, one sees Lin Xiaocong sitting on the porch, a basket on her lap and an embroidery hoop in her hand.

Qiuju is teaching him embroidery.

He noticed her and looked up.

Her smile was gentle, and her eyes sparkled.

It was as if the bloodshed that morning was just a dream she had during her hysteria.

She turned to go back into the house.

He said, "Rongrong, come and see, I embroidered a flower."

He noticed that Li Rong wasn't wearing shoes, and gestured to Qiu Ju to get her some.

Li Rong hesitated for a moment, then slowly moved to his side.

She looked down at the ugly, haphazardly embroidered flower in his hand, and a mocking smile involuntarily crept into her eyes.

It's as if to say: Even Young Master Lin has things he's not good at.

He looked up at her, tugged at her sleeve, and shook it gently: "Rongrong, Qiuju is too clumsy, I can't teach her well, you teach me~"

Li Rong pulled her sleeve back: "Why are you learning this?"

"Rongrong gave me a purse, and I embroidered a corset for Rongrong."

She found him unserious and turned to leave.

He tossed the basket aside, scooped up the person with his long arm, and pulled them into his embrace.

"My dear Rong'er, how are you feeling now?"

Qiuju brought the shoes over and squatted down to put Li Rong's shoes on.

"I feel much better, but I'm a little hungry."

Qiuju bowed and went to serve the meal.

Li Rong asked, "How is Qiu Hui?"

"She needs to rest for a while. I've prescribed her some medicine, so don't worry."

He took both her hands and played with her fingers.

"Rongrong, you saw it."

“The Marquis’s mansion has many rules, and my mother is domineering and likes to use the rules as an excuse.”

Li Rong noticed it.

"She is the mistress of this mansion, and no one dares to stop her from committing murder and arson."

“You might say that Grandmother can stop her, but Grandmother can’t watch over her every second.”

He rested his chin on the crook of her neck.

“My sister-in-law is the daughter of Zhang, the Earl of Fanyang. Her father was the Vice Minister of the Ministry of War.”

"When I first married into the Marquis's mansion, my mother set rules for me."

“He would regularly check on her morning and evening until the day before giving birth.”

"My mother set rules for me again right after I finished my postpartum confinement."

"Unable to bear my mother's harsh criticism, he simply used the excuse of studying Buddhism to ignore the affairs of the household."

"My second sister-in-law is the daughter of Xu, a lieutenant general under my father. She is skilled at riding a horse and wielding a spear."

"After marrying into the Marquis's mansion, my mother also set rules for me."

"She was impatient and complained that my mother was being harsh, so my mother cornered her in the courtyard and disciplined her according to family rules."

"She naturally resisted, beating the servants and maids until they were trembling with fear, and then my mother took over herself."

"The day after she fought with my mother, my mother went to the Xu family's door with her injuries to reprimand Xu for not teaching her daughter properly."

"After that, she went to her post to look for her second brother, and has not returned to this day."

“My third sister-in-law comes from a lower social class. Her father is a fourth-rank official, the Vice Minister of the Court of State Affairs. Her marriage into the Marquis’s household is considered a high-status marriage.”

"My mother also imposed rules on me every day."

"One day, she scalded my mother while serving her soup. She was punished by my mother and, in a fit of anger, left the mansion to live elsewhere and never returned."

His gaze fell on her profile.

“Rongrong, once you are entangled in the identity of daughter-in-law, you will definitely be bullied by my mother.”

"Even taking a concubine is not allowed."

"We cannot have any connection with the Marquis's mansion."

"Only then will she be afraid if you point the crossbow at her."

Li Rong didn't respond to him for a long time.

"Rongrong?"

"I see."

She turned to the side and glanced at him out of the corner of her eye: "Teach me how to use the crossbow."

Aren't you afraid?

"I don't kill people, but I can use it to hurt people."

"Then will you allow me to take a bath with you tonight?"

She got up to leave, but he held her even tighter and pressed his head against her back.

He pleaded with her, "Rongrong, just once, okay?"

"Then, just once."

He was pleasantly surprised, and moved his head away from her back, wanting to change his position to hug her.

Seeing him let go, she immediately ran away, coldly saying, "Not even once!"

She finally succeeded in fooling him once.

Even her back view seemed a bit more lively.

He smiled and got up to find her: "Rongrong, let's go back to Chuntang Garden."

"good."

He became increasingly happy.

Today was very fruitful.

As for the little cutie who was smug about thinking she could surpass him, he allowed her to be excited for a while longer.

After the meal, she embroidered on the couch, reluctant to wash up.

He then went to wash up.

She waited until he finished washing before she went to do so.

The poor beauty was undressing behind the screen when she was suddenly startled by a sound behind her.

"I'll help you."

"ah!"

"Shh~"

He opened his undergarment and approached her: "My dear Rong'er, don't hide from me."

She looked at him angrily, "How can I, how can I bear it if you keep going like this day and night?"

"How can it be every day? It was just last night and this morning. Before that, it was all Gui water that dominated you."

She was cornered with nowhere to escape, and pleaded with him, "Go to bed and wait for me."

His breath enveloped her forcefully as he caught her: "Rongrong, I can't control myself."

She struggled and struggled, but she could never break free from him.

He eventually tricked her into the water.

*

Unlike the enchanting atmosphere of Kyoto, the rain in Hezhou lasted all day.

Li Qu fell asleep while watching a play at the theater in the afternoon, which delayed her return home.

By the time they returned to the mansion, it was already dark.

Upon arriving at Fanghua Garden, the courtyard was quiet and still.

Li Qu had not felt this cold and oppressive atmosphere in the courtyard for a long time.

She stepped up the stairs, and Chengguo, who was guarding the house on the veranda, came to her side and whispered, "Third Master is in the west study."

Li Qu recalled the events of the morning's discussion meeting, and couldn't help but feel uneasy.

Stepping into the house, into the west study, she saw Zhou Jin sitting in a chair, his elbows resting on the armrests, his hands crossed, looking at her with drooping eyes.

They had clearly been waiting for quite some time.

She herself didn't realize that she was being a little more cautious than usual: "Husband~"