Another peasant woman, who was a little slower, interrupted anxiously, "I have clean pig cages at home! Girl, I'm willing to provide two for one tael of silver!"
"No need, I'm going to use the dirtiest and smelliest one."
Xia Zhiyu's maid thought that Liao had dared to offend their lady, so even if she had to be punished, she couldn't have it easy.
She threw the silver to the aunt and then instructed: "Put the pig cage aside."
At the same time, the servants dragged Liao to the scene and threw her roughly next to the pig cage.
"Stuff her in!"
Although Xia Zhiyu was also disgusted by the filthiness of the pig cage, she felt an indescribable pleasure in her heart when she saw Liao vomiting violently beside the pig cage.
The surrounding villagers started talking about it.
"Didn't the Duke of Huguo's mansion want to take Liao as a concubine? Why is she being carried in a pig cage?"
"That's not taking a concubine, it's basically drowning her in a pond!"
Those who were wary of the Liao family were now filled with emotion, like surging waves. "Sinking into the pond! Such a withered and corrupt widow truly deserves this fate!"
"That's right. In the past, a widow committing adultery was punishable by death. Giving her a light punishment and letting the matter go was really too easy for her!"
"It's a disgrace for Mr. Liao to have such a mother! In my opinion, Liao, you should have jumped into the water and committed suicide when you returned to your homeland, so as not to bring shame to your son's reputation!"
The elders in Xinghua Village echoed the sentiment with sharp words.
Liao Qianqian felt as if she was pushed to the helpless shore by an invisible wave, and was rudely stuffed into a narrow and filthy pig cage, her dignity being trampled upon.
"Xia Zhiyu, even if I turn into a ghost, I will not let you go!"
Liao Qianqian's hair was disheveled, her face was distorted, and she let out a shrill roar like a wounded beast.
Xia Zhiyu's face was as cold as ice, and he stared at her with a stern gaze. He ordered the servants to lock her up tightly, tie heavy stones to her, and push her into the deep end of the pond.
At this tense moment, a burst of hurried footsteps came from a distance——
"stop!"
Everyone's eyes turned to the direction of the sound as quickly as lightning, only to see Liao Lingxi rushing over in a panic.
"Xia Zhiyu, how arrogant are you? Who gave you the right to touch my mother?"
Liao Lingxi hurried forward, struggling to push the servants away.
"Ling Xi!"
When Liao Qianqian saw her son running towards her in the pig cage, she couldn't help but burst into tears.
After dispersing the servants, Liao Lingxi immediately set out to rescue Liao Qianqian, but the stench from the pig cage almost made him retreat. He couldn't help but bend down and retched.
While vomiting, he gritted his teeth and struggled to untie the pig cage. "Mother, don't be afraid. I'll take you away right away."
Xia Zhiyu stood at a distance, his brow furrowed as he shouted at the servants Liao Lingxi had pushed aside, "What are you still standing there for? How could so many of us be no match for a poor, frail scholar? Liao Qianqian behaved inappropriately and arrogantly refused to join the Duke's mansion as a concubine. A woman with such bad behavior deserves to be drowned in a pond!"
"Who dares to try?"
Liao Lingxi roared angrily, "I am the disciple of the Duke of Protector of the State, and even a scholar of the imperial court. I don't need to kneel before officials. How dare you servants lay hands on me?"
The servants in the mansion knew nothing about Liao Qianqian's identity, and how dare they, under the orders of the Duke's wife, Xia Zhiyu, touch her. However, they were quite familiar with Liao Lingxi, having often seen him in and out of the Duke's mansion, following closely behind the Duke of Huguo, and so they felt a little uneasy.
However, Xia Zhiyu sneered, "Your mother is clinging to the rich and powerful, and you are exactly what the Minister of Personnel, Wei Lao, calls a person of bad character. My cousin has already expelled you, a traitor!"
Liao Lingxi was furious and retorted loudly: "You are slandering me!"
Xia Zhiyu's tone was icy: "What are you still hesitating about? Quickly pull this person away and sink the Liao family members into the pond! All consequences will be borne solely by me, the wife of the Duke!"
If Liao Lingxi hadn't been a scholar, she would have really wanted to get rid of this evil creature as well!
However, since we can't take his life, then crippling him is also feasible!
If he loses his right hand and can no longer take the imperial examinations in the future, he will be a useless person and will no longer be of any use to my cousin.
A ruthless light flashed in Xia Zhiyu's eyes, "If anyone dares to stop me, I will break his hands and feet!"
After receiving Xia Zhiyu's order, the servants in the mansion suddenly became fearless and started beating Liao Lingxi. After a while, they knocked him to the ground with blood flowing from the corner of his mouth.
Xia Zhiyu stared at Liao Lingxi with a sinister look, lifted up her embroidered shoes with delicate patterns, and was about to step hard on his right hand.
At this moment, Liao Qianqian pushed her away like a madman.
"lady!"
The maids rushed forward to support Xia Zhiyu, but Xia Zhiyu felt a sharp pain in his abdomen and could not help but panic: "Child, my child..."
Liao Qianqian watched this scene and laughed crazily, "Hahaha! Xia Zhiyu, you are so cruel and want to ruin my son's future. Now you are getting your retribution, right?"
However, in the next moment, Hao Ren, who had hurried over, kicked her away.
"How dare you, a wicked woman, plot against the descendants of my country's dukedom!"
Hao Ren galloped all the way to the outskirts of the city, exhausted and dusty, with the intention of preventing Xia Zhiyu from marrying Liao as a concubine. However, upon arriving at Xinghua Village, he was slightly relieved to learn that the wedding procession had not yet departed.
He really didn't want to become a laughing stock in the capital because of taking a concubine, especially during this sensitive period when he and Jiang Shu had just divorced.
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