A kind reader bought me coffees! Thank you very much for your support! Here are the promised chapter parts! ?
Old General Muâs heart pained when he heard his son mention his wife. The veins on his hand that was holding his Longyin Sword were about to burst. It was a lie to say if he wasnât sad. But once he thought of the things that Mu YingRui did, Old General Mu gritted his teeth and hardened his heart. He kicked his son. âScram!â
When Old General Mu came to Yiping Ju, Wang Yipingâs servants and Mu YingRuiâs servants were standing in the courtyard. Old General Muâs kick had made Mu YingRui lose face. His prestige was lost.
But Mu YingRui didnât care about whatever prestige now. Compared to the rest of his wealthy and prosperous life, nothing else was important. He once again sprawled by Old General Muâs legs. He clung to Old General Muâs legs and howled, âFather, father. Son was wrong. Son wonât dare to do it again. Donât kick son out of the house.â
Zi Youâs heart was secretly refreshed. She then looked at those whispering servants. Her gaze deepened and she too knelt in front of her grandfather. She tearfully cried, âGrandfather, please donât be angry. Itâs granddaughterâs fault for not governing the maidservants well and caused this misunderstanding. Grandfather, forgive father. Youâer will take on all of fatherâs punishment. Grandfather, donât be angry. Letâs talk inside, okay?â
The servants from the Generalâs Manor who had listened to Wang Yipingâs servants spread rumors that it was really Zi Youâs fault looked at the current situation. They looked at how angry Old General Mu was and started whispering. âDid you see that? I donât know whatâs going on. If itâs really Xiaojieâs fault, how can Lao TaiYe treat First Laoye like that?â
âYes. If Xiaojie hit First Laoye, then why did she faint?â
âThen what happened to Liu Yanhong? Could she have crawled onto First Laoyeâs bed? First Laoye really is blessed. His number of women are about to catch up to the Emperorâs harem. Why does everyone climb onto his bed and not Second Laoyeâs?â
â......â
The servants did not know the truth. They only knew the rumors that Wang Yipingâs servants had spread:
âXiaojie is unfilial and doesnât want her stepmother to give birth to a child to take away her favor. She instigated her own maidservant to seduce First Laoye and drug him. When things were revealed, she pretended to be a ghost when First Laoye disciplined her. She hit First Laoye until even his face is swollen. She is so malicious.â
But now, it seemed like the rumors werenât true. It was more like First Laoye and First Furen who couldnât tolerate the Xiaojie who was born from first furen. Otherwise, if Xiaojie hit First Laoye, then Lao TaiYe should kick Xiaojie out of the house and not First Laoye.
In fact, this was the real reason why Wang Yiping persuaded Mu YingRui to punish Zi You. Beating Zi You up was a small matter. She really wanted to destroy her reputation. During this time when reputation was very important, letâs not mention an underage girl, but if her reputation was ruined, even someone from the imperial family would have her identity greatly reduced.
Wang Yipingâs real motive was that if Zi Youâs reputation was ruined, then Zi You couldnât establish herself in the capital anymore. Even if Old General Mu was there, she could not find a good family to marry into.
Being unfilial was like being unclean. Everyone disdained it. She originally wanted to find someone to destroy Zi Youâs innocence, but there was no such opportunity. Zi Youâs Hundred Herb Garden and Youran Ju had guards sent by Old General Mu. There were even guards when Zi You walked in and out of the house. Wang Yiping simply had no place to start.
Zi You looked at the spectating servants outside Yiping Ju and immediately guessed Wang Yipingâs true intentions. As such, she begged Old General Mu for mercy for her father. Sure enough, once her words came out, the servants changed their minds.
In her previous life, she and Wang Yipingâs relationship was good, so these things did not happen. Zi You knew that, through her efforts, a lot of things in this lifetime were different from her previous life.
She didnât know what was going to happen next, but she had to take careful steps and protect herself and loved ones from harm.
Zi Youâs last sentence reminded Mu YingRui. He looked at the servantsâ doubtful, contemptuous, ridiculing, and a variety of gazes. He knew then that Zi You was right. He couldnât let the servants know about this matter. This should be kept a secret. Obviously, he did not know that Wang Yiping called servants over to watch.
So, he went over to beg Mu YingYi. âBrother, persuade father to go inside and talk about the misunderstanding. I was anxious before. Please let me say to Youâer...... Say that I am sorry......â
âDaughter dares not.â Zi You rushed over to kowtow to Mu YingRui. âAs long as grandfather and father not argue and as long as grandfather can forgive father and not drive father away, even if you take away Zi Youâs life, Zi You will have no complaints.â
As Zi You was kowtowing, she was black belly. âYou want to pin the charge of being unfilial on me. You really must have hit your head. I will let the whole fuâs servants know that there if there is a stepmother, there is a stepfather and how you and your new wife cannot tolerate your previous wifeâs daughter.â
Zi Youâs Nanny Lou also hurried over. She knelt by Zi You and kowtowed to Mu YingRui. She tearfully begged, âFirst Laoye, please be more tolerant on account that Xiaojieâs birth mother had passed away early. Look at how Xiaojieâs forehead is all swollen. If the buried furen knows this, how can she rest in peace?
âThat yatou Liu Yanhong is obtained from Furenâs yiniang to help Furen vent her anger. Xiaojie lectures her, so she holds a grudge. Thatâs why she spreads rumors in front of First Laoye. Please donât misunderstand, First Laoye.â
Old General Mu heard Nanny Louâs words and looked at the spectating servants. He was even angrier with Mu YingRui and Wang Yiping. He pulled Zi You up in distress and no longer looked at his oldest son. He angrily reprimanded Nee Liu, who had just rushed over, âWhere are the rules of the Generalâs Manor? Do these servants have no work? Why are they standing here?â
Nee Liu looked at the spectating servants and was secretly startled. This was the time of the year to be busy. The servants each had their own duties, so how could they have free time to gossip here? Moreover, although she was usually kind, she had always been very strict towards the discipline of the servants. She would never allow something as undisciplined as servants spying on their masters.
Nee Lin was angry. She curtsied to Old General Mu. Then she looked majestically at the spectating servants and said, âDo you have nothing to do? Why arenât you doing your duties? All the managing stewards, go to the main hall for me.â
This was a strange matter. If no one encouraged them, even if the servants had double the courage, they wouldnât dare to collectively throw down the work in their hands and run to inquire into the personal affairs of their masters.
Nee Liu summoned the stewards to the hall, while Old General Mu pulled Zi You to his study.
Mu YingYi looked coldly at his b*stard brother. He too followed along to his fatherâs study.
Mu YingRui crawled up in a fluster and followed the three people.
He had just entered Old General Muâs study when he heard Old General Mu violently bellow, âKneel, you rebellious son. I, Mu Junyuan, am clean and upright. Why do I have a shameless animal of a son like you?â
Mu YingRui didnât dare to refute this time, but he secretly and fiercely glared at Zi You. He thought, âIf it wasnât for you darned yatou, I wonât be beaten and scolded and lose face in front of the servants. This darned yatou is like her mother and always against me.â
His expression had completely fallen into Old General Muâs and Zi Youâs eyes. Even Mu YingYi noticed. He couldnât help but ask angrily, âBrother, why do you not like Youâer? Youâer is clever, obedient, sensible, and filial. Why canât you tolerate her and must be against her? Now, even.......ân/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
Mu YingYi was afraid of destroying the father and daughter relationship and even more afraid that Zi You would be sad, so he didnât continue speaking. He really did not understand why there was a father who wanted to punish his daughter so much that he coerced and forced his daughterâs maidservant in order to frame his daughter. It was really unheard of.
At this time, Mu YingRui did not know that Liu Yanhong had already betrayed him. He had always been very confident in dealing with women, except for that strange creature Dier. He thought that no women could run from his gentle offense.
Liu Yanhong had already slept with him and became his woman. He also promised her wealth and glory. He really didnât believe that the little yatou would give up a chance to fly onto the branches and become a phoenix and give him up.
So, he looked at Mu YingYi and pretended to be aggrieved. He rebutted in a low voice, âI also want to be good to her, but she always disobeys me. Now, sheâs even more overboard. To prevent her stepmother from getting pregnant, she actually......â
âEnough.â Old General Mu saw that he was still blaming Zi You even at this time. He angrily grabbed the ink slab and threw it over. âEven to death, you still donât repent. That Liu Yanhong had already confessed everything. Yet you still have the face to frame Youâer.
âHow can there be such an inhumane father in this world? Even an evil tiger wonât eat its cubs. For that malicious woman, you harm your daughter again and again. Are you still human? I donât have a son like you. Get the hell out of here now. Take your women and scram.â
Mu YingRuiâs forehead was smashed. Blood âwhooshedâ down along with cold sweat. He had never thought that his charms would fail. He immediately cursed Liu Yanhongâs eighteen generations of ancestors. It was good that she wasnât present or he would have violently beaten up the little woman whom he was calling âdarlingâ and âpreciousâ in his arms last night. Then he would sell her to the lowest-level brothel.
Zi You quietly looked at his colorful face that changed colors several times and immediately and coldly sneered.