Chapter 1:
Deep autumn was desolate, leaves of the wutong tree in the courtyard yellowed and drifted down, Shao Guang Courtyard was as cold and cheerless as ever, completely at odds with the noisy sounds occasionally coming from the front courtyard, like two different worlds.
Two sweeping maidservants stopped their actions and listened attentively, one of them pursing her lips said: “The continuous feast in the front courtyard has been going on for three days, I heard that yesterday His Majesty even bestowed generous gifts, elevating a concubine’s son so highly, what does this make of our Madam.”
“Hush!” The other one, upon hearing this, hurriedly glared at her companion and whispered: “Don’t discuss front courtyard matters, if Er Qing elder sister hears it, you’ll get the board.”
In her heart, she also sighed that the Young Madam was a jade-like person, who had been a renowned noble daughter of a prominent family in the capital city back then, yet was suppressed like this by such a contemptible concubine from an outer chamber background.
Xie Wanning stood by the window, her plain dress hanging loosely on her body, quietly listening to the maidservants’ conversation, her face calm and unruffled.
Until Er Qing led the doctor in, and upon seeing this scene, her expression changed: “Young Madam is not feeling well, how can you blow the wind like this, quickly go lie down on the couch.”
Xie Wanning turned back, smiling faintly: “I suddenly remembered, it’s been a long time since I went out.”
The Marquis’s Estate she had once yearned to marry into, she seemed to finally have stayed enough of it.
Er Qing’s nose tingled, she helped her sit on the couch, and politely called to the doctor invited from outside: “Doctor Wei, please take a look, my family’s Young Madam has had this wind chill for over two months, why hasn’t it gotten better.”
After the start of autumn, Xie Wanning caught a chill in the First Madam’s courtyard and fell ill, the estate doctor said it was a wind chill, she took the medicine on time, but her always healthy body showed no signs of improvement.
Not wanting to worry her personal maidservant, Xie Wanning extended her hand and obediently let the doctor take her pulse.
When Liu Manrou came in, she happened to hear the last words of the elderly doctor: “Internal stagnation, spiritual injury leading to short life…”
Her eyes flashed slightly, holding the child she stepped through the door, laughing in her mouth: “Internal stagnation? Young Master merely visited younger sister a few more times, elder sister why go to this extent, tonight I will speak to Young Master, have him come accompany elder sister more these days, how about that?”
“Who let you in!” Suddenly hearing that her master had injured her lifespan, and seeing the culprit enter boldly, Er Qing’s hands trembled with anger: “All of you take advantage of Young Madam’s kindness, one by one getting brazen, Young Madam can endure, but I cannot!”
“Slap her mouth!” Liu Manrou’s smile vanished instantly, her expression turning fierce: “Elder sister is unwell and has no time to discipline her maidservant, then younger sister will do it for her.”
She was always favored, with many servants following her when she went out, as soon as her words fell, two strong women came forward.
Xie Wanning stepped forward to block Er Qing, her expression icy cold: “Liu Madam is not in the front courtyard receiving guests’ congratulations, and comes uninvited, can’t others say anything?”
Liu Manrou glanced at her, her expression disdainful, no longer pretending politeness as before, she slightly raised her hand, and immediately someone pulled Xie Wanning away, raising a hand to slap Er Qing several times.
The several maidservants of Shao Guang Courtyard were all restrained, not one could step forward to stop it.
“Stop it.” Xie Wanning’s pale face showed a sickly red from anger, she rushed over to push the people away, but being long ill and weak, how could she have the strength to stop these strong women, instead she was pushed to fall to the ground.
“Young Lady!” Er Qing, who was held down, saw her master pushed to the ground and angrily shouted, actually breaking free from the grip of several servant women, charging straight at Liu Manrou who was holding the child.
You push my master, then I push your master, acting with the desperate fury of mutual destruction.
In the chaos, Xie Wanning saw Liu Manrou unsteady on her feet swaying and falling to the ground, the eldest son of Lu Ziyan in her arms, just over one year old, happened to smash his head on the hard bluestone bricks, blood flowing from the broken scalp.
Amidst cries of alarm, she saw Lu Ziyan hurrying over with an ashen face, picking up the eldest son covered in blood, still gently coaxing the tear-streaked crying Liu Manrou, his angry eyes passing over her, glaring at Er Qing.
She saw his expression icy cold, his mouth opening and closing, ordering those around him: “Drag this wicked slave away and beat her to death with the staff.”
“No!” Xie Wanning anxiously stopped him: “It was Liu Madam’s people who offended me, Er Qing loyally protected her master, what wrong did she commit!”
She wanted to reason, but no one listened to her reasoning.
Lu Ziyan lowered his gaze to the woman sitting on the cold ground, frowning: “Xie Wanning, when did you become such a wicked woman, I said, even if Rou Niang gave birth to the Lu Residence’s eldest son, it won’t affect your position as my main wife, you need not see her as a thorn in your eye.”
Liu Manrou at the side cried: “Elder sister is the main wife you welcomed into the residence with great ceremony, this concubine knows she is far inferior in many ways, usually her maidservants show no good face to this concubine and I endured it, but today she laid hands on Pei Ge’er, if Young Master doesn’t give an explanation, where in this manor will there be a place for me and my child.”
She was delicately charming to the bone, crying like pear blossoms in rain, Lu Ziyan merely glanced and hardened his heart, coldly saying again: “What are you all standing around for, drag her away and beat her to death with the staff.”
Xie Wanning screamed to rush forward, but was pulled aside by servant women who covered her mouth to stop her, she could only watch wide-eyed as Er Qing was dragged by servants to the long bench in the courtyard, her dress untied, trousers pulled down for the staff punishment.
She watched Er Qing spit blood and shake her head at her, watched Er Qing’s buttocks torn open and bloody, watched Er Qing’s breath slowly stop.
When everything stopped and the servant women released their hold on Xie Wanning’s mouth, everyone then discovered she had also vomited blood at some point.
Lu Ziyan without turning his head instructed the servants: “Considering she served Madam for a time, prepare a thin coffin, and have the body properly prepared.”
Xie Wanning’s eardrums rang loudly, unable to hear any sounds, she threw herself onto Er Qing’s body, not allowing anyone to drag her away, tears streaming down as she pulled up Er Qing’s trousers properly, tied her dress, her hand stroking Er Qing’s swollen face, an unprecedented regret surging in her heart.
She finally realized how ridiculously wrong she had been.
“I regret it, I really regret it, Er Qing! Er Qing wake up, I’ll take you home, alright?”
Lu Ziyan, who had his back turned to this side, suddenly turned upon hearing this, his gaze falling on her blood-covered face, he put down the young child in his arms and strode over quickly.
Xie Wanning holding the lifeless Er Qing wanted to call the doctor to save her, but her throat felt stuffed with cotton, unable to make a sound.
It was all her, all her for not heeding advice, stubbornly insisting on marrying Lu Ziyan, not only ruining her own life in the quagmire, but also making Er Qing suffer with her!
She had once sworn she would never regret it, yet in less than two years she regretted it.
It was all her fault, why let Er Qing die!
She had killed Er Qing!
In a daze, Xie Wanning saw Liu Manrou’s lips curve into a mocking smile, amid the pain and regret, her five viscera and six bowels seemed squeezed into a ball, another mouthful of blood spurted from her throat, before losing consciousness she only saw a figure flash to her like lightning.
New book new book~~ Old readers all know Author, then let me explain to new readers, Author is female, loves females, a proper female lead controller, absolutely no abuse of the female lead ha, female lead controllers enter with peace of mind.
Chase wife crematorium, all grievances returned double, iron-hearted never turns back.
New book begging for follow reads, collections, comments ha~~~
