Xi Ying hadn't expected them to expose her. She forcefully pulled her foot away, her face shifting from embarrassment to composure. "You old women are truly foolish! Your mistress is sitting there perfectly fine. Why did you drag me into this mess for no reason, making me take the blame? Hurry up and beg your mistress to plead for you! Perhaps the general will show leniency." The two old women were instantly enlightened, rushing towards Yan Ning, crying and pleading, "Madam, spare us! It was our fault! Please, Madam, forgive us!"
Yan Ning had never encountered such a situation before, and looked at Fukang'an with a troubled expression. Fukang'an angrily shouted at the two servants, "Take them away!" Zhao Xing, who had prepared the instruments of torture, came in and, together with the two servants, dragged the two old women out.
Ouch!
"ah······"
"Madam, spare my life! General, spare my life!"
"Madam, you can't just stand by and watch someone die!"
With each shout from the two old women, Yan Ning trembled; she knew all too well the pain of being beaten. "Fukang'an, let it go! They had no choice! It wasn't their intention in the first place!" Yan Ning couldn't bear their cries any longer, and with each "Madam," she didn't know if they were referring to Xi Ying or herself. Yan Ning had just secretly glanced at Xi Ying's expression; it was calm and undisturbed.
Upon hearing this, a hint of displeasure flashed in the old lady's eyes. Yan Ning's words were clearly blaming her, since it was she who had given the order in the first place.
"You can't be so weak anymore! Otherwise, they'll really think they're higher than you!" Fukang'an turned his gaze from the courtyard to Yan Ning and said seriously, clearly addressing Li Mama, who was standing next to the old lady. Li Mama lowered her head upon hearing this.
Yan Ning wasn't the type to be overly kind. When she was beaten, she had imagined the scene unfolding before her, but when it actually happened, she realized she didn't care about any of that. All she cared about was Fukang'an.
As the two whips fell, the screams of the two old women ceased.
Zhao Xing came in to report that the beatings and whippings had been finished, and the two old women had fainted and been taken to the woodshed.
"The beating is over! If you have any more complaints, take them out on me! Don't take it out on these servants!" The old lady's voice was slightly angry.
"I wouldn't dare! But this arrogant attitude of servants bullying their masters must not be allowed to continue! Otherwise, what will become of the rules of my Fucha family!" Fukang'an said, bowing his head slightly, without getting up.
"I think you have a bias in your heart!" The old lady revealed Fukang'an's true intentions with a single sentence.
Seeing the mother and son talking back and forth, feeling extremely uncomfortable, Yan Ning tugged at Fu Kang'an's hand, signaling him to hurry back to the Fu residence. The old lady, seeing Yan Ning's continued disrespect in front of her, became even angrier. "After your marriage, immediately welcome E'lan into the manor. As a princess, she has already willingly become your concubine, what more do you want?"
"I already told Hailancha yesterday that I have always regarded E'lan as my younger sister and have no romantic feelings for her. I don't want to waste her youth! Mother's birthday is in three days. I have things to attend to and will take my leave now!" Before the old lady could reply, Fukang'an knelt down to pay his respects, and Yan Ning also knelt down to pay her respects.
Seeing Fukang'an stand up, Xi Ying also stood up, curtsied, and said, "General, please wait!"
The old lady was still upset after what had just happened, and waved for Xi Ying to leave. After Xi Ying left, Granny Li spoke up, "Did you notice what the two nannies said?" The old lady looked at Granny Li and parted her rosy lips, "You mean those few sentences related to Xi Ying?" Granny Li nodded.
The old lady rose, took Li Mama's hand, and walked to the potted plants in the courtyard, asking, "Have all the flowers in the garden bloomed?" Li Mama replied, "Many have bloomed, but not all of them!"
The old lady picked up a handkerchief from her waist, plucked a few begonias and orchids, and placed them on the handkerchief. "Now that the General favors Yan Ning exclusively, I cannot let her stand out alone! I'll just turn a blind eye to this! And we should start training the eligible maids in the manor as soon as possible!" With that, she squeezed the handkerchief, and the sap seeped out, staining the white handkerchief a vibrant array of colors. A satisfied smile appeared on the old lady's face. "This is the most beautiful way!"
After Xi Ying left, she didn't return to Changting Garden, but went straight to the woodshed. Qiu'er scooped cold water from the water vat and splashed it on the two old women. The two old women shuddered and woke up with groans. When they saw Xi Ying in front of them, their anger made them not even look at her.
Xi Ying didn't care about the way they looked at her. She had suffered a lot of mistreatment from them because she was the old nanny by the old lady's side.
"Ouch!" Xi Ying's two flowerpot-soled shoes stepped on the hands of the two nannies, and the nannies' sharp voices rang out again.
Xi Ying increased the pressure on her foot, her eyes filled with ruthless determination. "Now that you've offended the General and Yan Ning, if you dare drag me down with you, I'll kick you out of the Fucha Manor! I doubt any place would dare to take in a servant kicked out of the Fucha Manor!"
The two maids knew that Xi Ying was still in charge of the household and dared not offend her, so they quickly begged for forgiveness, "We would never dare to betray our mistress! Please protect us, mistress!"
Fukang'an and Yan Ning left the Peony Hall and walked into the garden. Yan Ning remembered what the two old women had said and stopped.
"What's wrong?" Fukang'an asked. "Do you remember what those two old women said just now?" Yan Ning hesitated for a moment before speaking.
Fukang'an thought for a while and said, "Those two are old nannies in the mansion. They've been with Mother for a long time and are full of hostility. Xi Ying has suffered a lot from their temper! They won't obey Xi Ying!" After hearing what Fukang'an said, Yan Ning comforted herself that she was overthinking things. After all, Xi Ying had always been very good to her.
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