Chapter 25
Night fell, and tonight the sky was covered with dark clouds, the moon was obscured by thick black clouds, not a single ray of light could penetrate. However, the moonlit courtyard was brightly lit. Yun Kai sat in an armchair under the porch with a majestic look, listening to the executioner's count.
Ye Nan knelt in the middle of the courtyard as a servant wielded a golden bamboo cane, repeatedly hitting her. The cane, dipped in salt water, pierced her wounds, causing excruciating pain. But with a cloth stuffed in her mouth, she couldn't even cry out in pain; she could only kneel on the ground and sob.
The whistling sound of the golden bamboo sticks cutting through the air and the slapping sounds when they landed on people made the group of people standing behind Ye Nan who were called in to watch the execution silent and trembling.
Beside Yunkai, the Third Wife was also trembling with fear, patting her chest and chanting Buddhist scriptures. Although Yin Tai threatened her with family discipline whenever she angered her, she had never been punished. Normally, she wouldn't be allowed to witness the punishment of a servant, but today was her first time.
When the executioner had counted, Yun Kai waved his hand, and the servant took out the cloth stuffed in Ye Nan's mouth. Although she could speak, Ye Nan did not dare to cry out loud. She suppressed her sobs and the pain in her body, causing her whole body to tremble.
Yun Kai said coldly, "You two are really trying to make a scene. I brought you out of Boguang Village so that you could serve the master well. Do you think that Miss Lan is just a guest with no one to rely on in the mansion, so you can bully her? I'm afraid you all don't want to stay in the Tusi Mansion and want to go to the mines to dig coal."
Upon hearing this, a group of people knelt down and threw themselves on the ground, crying out that they were wronged and that they dared not do anything.
Yunkai gave Feng Xiaosai a look, and Feng Xiaosai understood. He went to the crowd and pulled Sister Yuye out and dragged her in front of Yunkai.
Sister Yuye knelt down in front of the steps, not daring to look up. Yunkai came down the steps and stepped on her hand with his leather flip-flops. He bent down and said angrily, "Are you so bold that you dare to tamper with the young lady's food?"
Although Yun Kai only stepped on the back of her hand and did not take any further action, Sister Yuye was still frightened out of her wits. She said in panic: "It's unfair, Second Young Master. I have been serving Miss Yueming wholeheartedly since she came to the mansion. I prepare whatever the young masters and young ladies eat for her. I dare not neglect her."
"Don't dare to neglect it?!" Yun Kai repeated softly, but gradually exerted force on his foot. Sister Yuye felt the pain but didn't dare to withdraw her hand, gritting her teeth and enduring it.
Yun Kai chuckled softly, "The doctor said Miss Lan wasn't eating enough. Is this because you're so dedicated to her, so careful not to neglect her? If you neglect her, wouldn't your life be in danger? You don't know what a crime it is to murder your master. The Tusi Mansion's water dungeon has never held a woman before. Do you want to try it?"
Hearing that she was going to the dungeon, Yuye couldn't help it. She was just a servant, what could she do? No, she couldn't bear this blame alone.
While begging for mercy, he confessed to the Third Madam: "Second Young Master, you are wronged. I know Miss Lan is not used to our food, so I prepared a separate meal for her according to the Third Madam's instructions. But then the Third Madam said that the new grain has not been harvested yet, and the masters all know how to be frugal. How can Miss Lan, a guest, be so picky? She is not allowed to make a separate meal."
The Third Madam's eyebrows jumped and she was about to deny it, but Yun Kai turned around and smiled at her, "Don't be angry, Third Madam. I won't believe the words of such a cunning servant."
He continued to push harder, and Sister Yuye felt a sharp pain on the back of her hand, causing her to scream. Yun Kai cursed, "Who is the Third Madam? Why would she come to the kitchen and say such narrow-minded things to you? If you defame the master, you'll have your tongue cut off."
Sister Yuye felt like her fingers were about to be stepped on but she didn't dare to struggle. She endured the pain and said, "It was Man'e who was next to the Third Madam who said that. When she came to the kitchen one day, many people heard it."
Man'e, who was standing behind the Third Madam, turned pale when she heard this and gripped the back of the Third Madam's armchair tightly.
Yun Kai loosened his foot and said with a fierce look on his face, "Bring me that dog slave who ruined the master's reputation."
The third wife was terrified and subconsciously wanted to stop them, but she couldn't stop the men who looked so ferocious.
Man'e was thrown in front of Yunkai, kneeling in a row with Yuye's wife. She didn't dare look up, staring at the pair of feet in leather slippers in front of her. These slender, white feet terrified her. It was these same feet that had nearly broken Yuye's fingers. Remembering Yuye's screams, her fingers couldn't help but tremble.
She quickly thought about how to deny the matter. With the Third Madam around, as long as she denied it, the Third Young Master would not do anything to her.
But she never expected that Yun Kai didn't ask any questions and directly asked the executioner to start beating.
Ye Nan had someone gag him. Yun Kai wanted Man'e's screams to warn the Third Madam about the consequences of stirring up trouble in the mansion.
The night air was slightly cool, just when the fragrance of the Burmese osmanthus flowers was at its peak. But Man'e's screams and the crackling of the golden bamboo branches made one suspect that the fragrance was faintly tinged with the smell of blood.
The dark clouds dispersed, and the moonlight shone brightly. It was a beautiful scene, full of flowers and moonlight, but it also gave people a sense of solemnity. Those kneeling in the courtyard believed that the second young master was going to kill tonight.
The Third Wife trembled like a sieve for a while. As Man'e's cries grew weaker and weaker, she finally couldn't help but shout, "Stop, stop it!"
Yun Kai pretended not to hear and just waved his hand. Several strong women stood behind the Third Madam. Just as she was about to stand up, she was pushed back into the chair.
Yun Kai, unlike his previous ferocious demeanor, lazily slumped in his chair and smiled at the Third Madam, "Third Madam is kindhearted. She can't bear to see someone close to her punished. But this wicked servant is using your name to do such vile things. He must be taught a lesson. You should rest well. Let me do the rough work. You can just watch over me."
Man'e was beaten to the ground, and the bluestone tiles were stained with blood because of her struggle. Yunkai asked the servant to stop only when she could no longer cry out in pain.
He ordered Feng Erdao: "Send this servant back to the Mengding Tusi Mansion and tell them that next time you send someone to the Third Madam, send an honest one. The Third Madam can't handle such a cunning servant."
The Third Wife's back was soaked with sweat, and the night wind blew, sending a shiver down her spine. She looked at Man'e, who lay on the ground covered in whip marks, and pleaded with Yunkai, "If we return to Mengding, her life will be in jeopardy. Second Young Master, please have some mercy and just kick her out of the house."
Yun Kai, with a feigned look of worry on his face, sighed to Feng Er, "What can we do if all the women in our family are soft-hearted?"
Feng Er bent his back and flattered Mrs. Yin: "Mrs. Yin is devoted to Buddhism, and the wives below follow her example."
Yun Kai placed his hands on the armrests of his armchair and nonchalantly addressed the servants kneeling in the courtyard, "Look at how kind the mistress of this mansion is. You don't even think about repaying her, and you're even disrespectful to her master. Who are you truly worthy of? Don't think you can act lawlessly and do whatever you want in this mansion just because you have someone backing you up..." At this point, Yun Kai looked at the Third Madam, "This chieftain's family is Han. If you're tired of the good life here and don't want to stay, there's plenty of room for you."
The third young lady was inside the house watching the maid wiping Yueming's body and feeding her medicine. It's not that she couldn't hear the noise outside, but she knew better than the third lady who had the final say in this family.
It was her father, Li Yang, and Yun Kai. Just because they were men, just because they held supreme power, Yin Tai had to retreat in the face of such power.
She had also been the wife of the first wife, so she understood why Yin Tai had never interfered with the clownish behavior of the third wife.
Yintai has never treated her as a toy. They are just fighting for food, clothing and face. What's the point of giving you what slipped through Yintai's fingers?
Even if she had more ambition, she could have won the favor of Tusi Han, but what good would it do? Nothing lasts forever. If Tusi Han were a man of long-lasting affection, would he still have the Eighth Wife and the Third Brother? There hadn't been enough women coming and going in the mansion over the years. But what would that have to do with Yin Tai? Her son would still be Tusi.
If the Third Wife does not learn her lesson today, she will be sent to the temple to accompany the Fourth and Fifth Wife in a few days.
Hearing the crowd outside disperse, she asked Ai Yu to stay and take care of Yueming, and she personally helped the third wife, who was so scared that she couldn't stand up, back to the yard.
Arriving at her own territory, the Third Wife finally let out a sigh of relief. She covered her face with a handkerchief and cried, "The Second Young Master doesn't even give me the slightest bit of dignity. He's trying to force me to death!"
The Third Miss did not try to comfort her when she got upset as usual. She told the little girl to fetch water for the Third Lady to wash her face before she said to her calmly, "I'm not going to force you to death. I might want to send you to a temple to practice."
The Third Madam's crying suddenly stopped. She looked at the Third Miss in surprise, not understanding why her usually gentle daughter would say such terrible words.
The Third Miss handed her a cup of tea and said, "Don't you understand? When you were young, you were so charming and beautiful, but you couldn't compete with Yin Tai. Now that Li Yang and the others have grown up, you should be more humble and behave yourself."
The Third Madam slapped the teacup out of the Third Miss's hand and said sternly, "What are you talking about?"
The little girl guarding the door heard the noise inside and lifted the curtain to come in, but was stopped by the third lady with a stern voice: "Get out."
The little girl was so scared that she quickly shrank back.
The Third Wife was so frightened that she was stunned. After a long while, she said, "What are you crazy about?"
The Third Miss brought her another cup of tea and placed it on the table. "If you really want to do this for my own good, then please be more restrained in the future. Even if you don't care about me, you should still care about Grandpa and the others. Now that Uncle is gone, it's hard for Grandpa to support his cousin. Please don't bring them trouble."
The Third Wife curled her lips in disbelief, "Meng Ding Mansion has relied on me for money and food over the years. What harm could I possibly bring to them?"
The third young lady sighed, "In previous years, Grandpa and his family would come to borrow grain at this time, but I'm afraid they won't be able to borrow any this year."
The Third Wife was puzzled at first, but after thinking it over, she murmured, "No way, he's standing up for a little girl."
"Even if your arm is broken, it's hidden in your sleeve. Think about this principle carefully."
After saying that, he lifted the curtain and went out to tell the little girl: "I'm afraid that the Third Madam will have a nightmare tonight, so you should be careful to stay awake at night."
She had explained everything to her, but her mother was still stubborn and there was nothing she could do.
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