Chapter 19019 Are you still unwilling to be my concubine?
With a clang, Xie Minghao's legs went weak, and the teacup on the table fell to the ground, quickly soaking his clothes.
The bright candlelight illuminated the faces of his father, mother, and his eldest cousin Xie Zhan.
Xie Minghao's mind raced, his body trembling and unable to speak. He saw his mother faint immediately, and his father's face was filled with rage. He had never seen him so angry before.
"father……"
As soon as Xie Minghao opened his mouth, he was kicked in the chest by the Second Master. The Second Master strode forward, grabbed Xie Minghao by the collar, and slapped him hard twice.
"Unfilial son, you are so treacherous and unworthy of being a son. You beast, you even dared to touch your father's woman. How could I have given birth to such a lustful thing like you? I will beat you to death."
The second master never expected that both Yun Sheng and the maid were just decoys. It turned out that the one having an affair with his son was his most beloved concubine Wen.
He was burning with rage, and he tilted his head to look at Aunt Wen, who was shivering and lifeless in the corner of his eyes. He was also so angry that his head was dizzy.
"And you..."
Although the Second Master knew that it was his beastly son who had forced Concubine Wen, he still took out some of his rage on her.
Concubine Wen couldn't cry out loud, she knew she was going to die. She wasn't afraid of death, but she felt sorry for her son Ming Ting, who was going to lose his mother at such a young age, and who knew how he would be tortured by the Second Madam in the future.
Thinking of this, her heart ached.
Xie Minghao was so frightened that he lost control of his genitals. He crawled to the Second Master and begged for mercy, "Father, Dad, it was her, that slut Aunt Wen who seduced me. She was unsatisfied and she disliked my age, so she flirted with me in front of me. How could I, my young and energetic son, hold back?"
The second master's body swayed and he almost fell to the ground.
He didn't believe what his beastly son said, but it was also a fact that he was old, and his face looked extremely ugly.
The second master picked up the boots on his feet and went straight to Xie Minghao.
"You beast, how dare you talk nonsense here?"
The Second Madam had just woken up from being pinched by the old woman. Seeing this, she ran over crying. She hugged Xie Minghao and said, "Master, please stop hitting me. You can't hit me anymore. If you keep hitting me, Minghao will die. Master, you can't hit me anymore."
The second master was breathing heavily and his face was flushed.
He closed his eyes, threw his boots aside, pointed at the Second Madam's nose and cursed, "A loving mother often spoils her son. This is the good son you raised, and you've spoiled him all the time. He dares to touch his father's woman now, so in the future he'll dare to kill his father and mother, commit murder and arson. What else can this beast not do?"
The Second Madam fell silent and glared at her husband: "Minghao is still young, why are you resenting him?"
As she spoke, her eyes fell on the stunned Concubine Wen: "If you hadn't brought this vixen back, coaxed and pampered her, and dressed her up beautifully every day, how could my son have been seduced by her?"
"You..." The second master covered his chest and was so angry that he lost his voice.
Xie Zhan, who had been observing the situation coldly for a long time, stepped inside. He quickly stepped forward to support the Second Master and said calmly, "Second Uncle, the most urgent thing is to think about how to deal with this matter. Grandmother is old, and if such a shameful thing gets to her ears, she will definitely fall seriously ill. We must keep this a secret. As for the Third House, for the sake of Second Uncle's reputation, no news can leak out."
The second master was in tears, and his trembling hands rested on Xie Zhan's shoulders.
"Yes, Xingzhi is very thoughtful. I'm sorry to have embarrassed you tonight."
Such a shameful matter must be dealt with as soon as possible.
Tonight he stayed in his wife's courtyard, and the couple went to bed early. Half asleep and half awake, they heard the servants outside say that there was a thief in Aunt Wen's courtyard. Who of them could still sleep?
He put on his clothes and walked out of the yard, but unexpectedly ran into his nephew Xie Zhan.
The other party just said hurriedly that the matter was urgent and he would explain it to him later.
The second master covered his face silently, fearing that his nephew had already noticed something, so he brought him over to verify.
Acting in the middle of the night saved the face of his second uncle.
Xie Zhan looked coldly at Xie Minghao, who was slumped on the ground like a pile of mud, and reminded the Second Master: "Minghao is already grown up. If he is not properly disciplined, he will inevitably cause great trouble in the future. This time, Second Uncle will punish him severely."
"Yes, yes." The second master muttered to himself, "This beast is worse than an animal. I'll let him stay in his room and reflect on his mistakes since the beginning of the year."
"In my opinion, he shall be punished with fifty strokes of the cane and dealt with according to military law."
Xie Zhan's eyes were as cold as a blade. Xie Minghao fainted. The Second Madam cried and pleaded, "Xingzhi, your second brother is weak. How can he withstand the beating from the military stick? He will die!"
"I have made up my mind, so there is no need to say more, Second Aunt."
Xie Zhan waved his sleeves and left. How could he tolerate Xie Minghao touching his people?
_
The incident at night was not a big deal, and the servants present kept their mouths shut. The matter was forever kept secret in the second house, and Xie Yulan and Xie Mingting, who were soundly asleep, had no idea about it at all.
The next day, Ah Xi was helping Yun Sheng to wash and dress when the maid outside came in hurriedly saying that a message had just come from the second house, saying that Madam Wen had fallen ill last night and had passed away.
In the morning, the maid came in to wake her up, only to find her lying on the couch, cold all over, already dead. The courtyard was in chaos. It was said that the third young master was holding the body of Concubine Wen, crying breathlessly.
I heard that people from several families are now in Old Lady Xie's courtyard asking for news.
Yun Sheng's face suddenly turned pale, and the powder box in her hand fell to the ground.
Did Aunt Wen die of an emergency?
But I hadn't seen her for just one day, and she was a healthy and healthy person, so how could she suddenly develop an acute illness?
When Yun Sheng was walking around with her, he could clearly see that her complexion was rosy and she looked full of energy, not like she was sick at all.
For some reason, she couldn't help but think in other directions. Was it that her affair with Xie Minghao had finally been revealed?
Yun Sheng was still daydreaming when Mrs. Qian dragged him to Wenzhaitang.
She kept muttering bitterly along the way, "What bad luck! How could such a misfortune happen to your family? Stop dawdling and hurry up. Let's go and find out what the emergency is."
No matter how favored Aunt Wen is, she is still just a concubine.
Old Lady Xie sighed and said to her son, "She is unlucky. It's a pity for Ming Ting. You should comfort her more."
Then he looked at the Second Madam and said, "Mingting just lost his biological mother. As his legal mother, you should pay more attention to him in the future."
The couple agreed, their expressions quite stiff.
The Third Lady had never been close to Concubine Wen. She curled her lips, now feeling that Mingting's child was truly pitiful. What good would it be for him to fall into the hands of the Second Sister-in-law?
Old Lady Xie looked around and didn't see Xie Minghao. She asked, "Second Brother, why hasn't Minghao come to pay his respects? With all the noise, is this brat still asleep?"
The Second Master's expression changed, but he managed a forced smile. "Don't worry, Mother. It's just that this rebellious son is truly outrageous. I will punish him by confining him to his own home for three months to reflect on his mistakes and study the sage's books."
In order to cover up the matter, the caning was carried out at night. After fifty blows of the cane, Xie Minghao was carried into the inner room by servants in a bloody mess.
No one thought about his affair with Concubine Wen, and they thought he was having an affair with the maid.
Old Lady Xie sighed softly, "That's fine. Let Minghao learn a lesson so he doesn't do anything stupid again in the future."
Yun Sheng clenched his palms tightly, feeling distraught.
Why didn’t I hear that the second master wanted to confine Xie Minghao yesterday? How come Aunt Wen died of an acute illness and he was punished the next time?
Yun Sheng was convinced that the Second Master had discovered their affair. Concubine Wen didn't die of an acute illness; she was forced to death by the Second Master and his wife.
She suddenly took a few steps back, her hands and feet cold and numb.
What had Aunt Wen done wrong? She was forced by Xie Minghao, but why was she the only one who died? Xie Minghao was only lightly confined for three months, and he was still able to eat and drink well and be served.
Yun Sheng didn't dare to think any further. He simply felt that the prosperity and wealth of Chang'an, the luxurious life of the wealthy families, were all cannibalistic.
As she walked back to Qingtong Courtyard, her ears were buzzing and she felt that the sounds around her had faded. She could only vaguely hear the maid sighing and saying that Aunt Wen's body had been carried out and was only wrapped in a straw mat.
If a concubine is favored by a noble, even if she cannot be buried with the same grand ceremony as the main wife, with a banquet for guests and friends, her body can be kept for three or four days, and then she can be buried peacefully after being placed in the coffin.
Now that Concubine Wen's matter had been quietly handled in the mansion, everyone speculated that she had long since fallen out of favor with the Second Master.
Yun Sheng felt a chill in her heart. The sun shone down on her, but she felt no warmth at all. She looked up in a daze, and she was already a long way behind Mrs. Qian and Xie Qingyuan.
Suddenly, a slender and strong arm crossed over Yun Sheng's waist, and he was taken to the back of a rockery.
She was unusually calm and didn't scream or shout.
The familiar scent of pine trees after the snow enveloped her tightly, and Yun Sheng knew that the person coming was Xie Zhan.
Xie Zhan frowned unhappily at her lifeless appearance. Recalling how close she had been to Aunt Wen a few days ago, he thought for a moment and said, "Did Aunt Wen's death frighten you?"
Yun Sheng finally responded. She raised her eyes and asked with difficulty, "Uncle, you know that Aunt Wen didn't die of an acute illness, right?"
Xie Zhan frowned. He hadn't expected Yun Sheng to be so perceptive. A thought flashed through his mind, and he pursed his lips and asked, "You were so stubborn that day, refusing to tell the truth. Were you trying to cover it up for her?"
Yun Sheng's eyes were red, Xie Zhan really knew it.
Yes, he is the head of the family, and nothing in this house can be hidden from his eyes.
Her lips trembled as she murmured again, "It was you, you forced her to death."
Xie Zhan's face was calm and he remained silent.
"This is my second uncle's family affair, and I have never asked about it. How dare you question me?"
Yun Sheng choked with sobs. Aunt Wen was either forced to death by the Second Master and his wife, or she committed suicide because she could not bear the humiliation and shame.
How could Xie Zhan not guess what would happen to Aunt Wen? He simply didn't want to care, feeling there was no need to intervene. In his eyes, a human life was like an ant.
She suddenly burst into tears and cried uncontrollably, not knowing whether she was crying for Aunt Wen or for herself.
Xie Zhan looked down at Yun Sheng, his heart distraught. Suddenly remembering something, he lifted her chin with his large hand and asked sternly, "Why are you crying? What are you afraid of? Do you think I'm that worthless Xie Minghao? Even now, you still don't want to be my concubine?"
Yun Sheng glared at him fiercely. So what if I became his concubine?
No matter how glorious Concubine Wen used to be, the Second Master was still as heartless as before and cruelly sent her away with just a straw mat.
Xie Zhan sneered repeatedly. It would be better if she could always be so stubborn. It was time to close the net over there.
_
Yun Sheng noticed that Xie Qingyuan came back later and later every day. Not only was he drunk, but he also no longer had his usual cheerful expression, and his face was filled with sadness.
She cooked a pot of light stomach-nourishing porridge and brought a small bowl to him, but Xie Qingyuan, who was in a bad mood, accidentally knocked it to the ground, and the hot porridge splashed all over Yun Sheng's white and tender arms.
Thinking about the recent days, Yun Sheng felt so sad that he wanted to cry.
Xie Qingyuan realized what he had done and hurriedly said, "Shengniang, are you okay? I...I really didn't mean it. Please go out first. I want to be alone."
Yun Sheng had to swallow back the words that were on the tip of his tongue. He didn't want to tell her anything now. Could she still pry open his mouth?
Xie Qingyuan had no time to care about her at this moment. He had a splitting headache all night, and went to the gambling house early the next morning to kneel down and beg Minister Lu.
He hugged the other man's thigh and said, "Minister Lu, I beg you to be kind. I am short of money and cannot afford such a large amount of money."
Even if he wanted to take his life right now, he would not be able to raise several thousand taels of silver.
At first, Minister Lu only asked him to accompany him and did not let him gamble. Xie Qingyuan was also very cautious. In addition, his family was not well-off and he could not afford the capital, so he naturally did not dare to get involved in gambling.
As time went by, when Minister Lu had to go to the toilet after gambling, he asked Xie Qingyuan to take over, and said that if he lost, the money would be his, but if he won, the money would belong to Xie Qingyuan.
Xie Qingyuan couldn't refuse, so he took a couple of gambles. That night, he was lucky, winning the entire night. Afterwards, Minister Lu kept his promise, and all the money belonged to him.
Xie Qingyuan was a sensible man. After receiving the huge sum of money, he turned around and gave the other party a generous gift as a token of his respect.
This kind of thing happened several times after that, and Xie Qingyuan won and lost, until last night when he made a big bet and his luck was extremely bad, and he lost everything.
He had already been embarrassed by Minister Lu, but he didn't expect him to smile and say, "No problem, no problem. I've already paid back the money you owed the gambling house, Brother Yuan. But when can you pay back the money you owe me?"
Xie Qingyuan's face turned pale and he was dumbfounded.
He knelt a few steps forward and said with a bitter face, "You... didn't you say that if you lose, it's yours? How can you go back on your word, Minister Lu, and now come to demand money from me?"
Minister Lu kicked him, and he stood up and paced back and forth, saying, "Xie Qingyuan, Xie Qingyuan, apart from the first time I said this, have I ever said this again?"
Xie Qingyuan's legs went weak and he fell to his knees. Minister Lu's sneer echoed in his ears again: "If you want to blame someone, blame yourself for being too greedy. You only want to reap the benefits but don't want to take the risks. Do you think there is such a good thing in this world? Huh?"
"I...I really can't afford to pay it back."
Minister Lu sneered, "I heard you're staying at the Dingbei Marquis's mansion. If you're a relative of the mansion, how come you can't even offer this little money?"
Xie Qingyuan smiled bitterly. He was only a distant relative, and it was possible that the Marquis' Mansion would kick the three of them out of the house after finding out about such a large sum of money.
Now that he has fallen into such a state, Xie Yulan will definitely not even look at him again, so he is hiding it from even his own mother.
"Since you can't afford it, I'll use your hands and feet to make up for it. This has always been the rule of the gambling house."
Xie Qingyuan stared with wide eyes, terrified.
The servant beside Minister Lu suddenly spoke up, "You've probably heard, Mr. Yuan, that our Minister loves nothing more than beautiful women, apart from money. He regularly searches the land for beauties to bring to the Eastern Palace, where the Crown Prince then presents them to Your Majesty to please Him. If you can't come up with the money, why not offer a beautiful woman instead? Then our Minister won't argue with you any further."
"Yes, that makes sense." Minister Lu nodded. "I heard that Brother Yuan has a fiancée who is quite beautiful."
"No...no, that's Sheng Niang." Xie Qingyuan stepped back tremblingly.
Minister Lu's patience seemed to be exhausted. He coldly ordered his attendants, "If it doesn't work, then what are you still standing there for? Do it for me."
Two shirtless, burly men shouted in agreement, then charged straight at Xie Qingyuan with the broadswords slung over their shoulders.
Xie Qingyuan was so frightened that he fluttered twice like a crucian carp. When the white knife flashed, he hurriedly shouted, "Okay, okay, Sheng Niang."
The blade was stopped in time, and Xie Qingyuan held his forehead, breaking out in a cold sweat.
He closed his eyes and tears streamed down his face.
Shengniang, I am sorry for you.
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