Chapter 145 - Dog Bite Dog
145 Dog Bite Dog
“No, no!” An yiniang begged with terror. If she was drowned, then she won’t have anything. She still had many things she didn’t do yet. She was not willing to accept defeat.
“Doing such a thing, yet you still have no shame to plead for mercy? This junzhu thinks she should be directly drowned!” Hua Mu Qing said. Although usually, she was a kind person, she was only kind towards those she approved of. How many children in the capital grow up to be kind?
“Junzhu is correct. From how I see it, if the upper beam isn’t straight, then the lower ones will go aslant. Last time it was An yiniang’s daughter, this time it’s herself. If she’s not drowned, I’m afraid many people will ignore propriety!” a matron who is usually in disagreement with An yiniang approved.
“No, you don’t have the right to do this!” An yiniang was sprawled over the floor with her clothes in disarray, exposing the red dudou inside, “I want to see master! I am wrongly accused!”
An yiniang knew that at this moment, no one can save her. Father wasn’t a reliable person. For something like this to happen, she’s afraid the first to kill her will be her own father. Although mother had the heart to protect her, mother didn’t have this ability. Now, she can only return to Lan manor to ask for master’s mercy. Right! Go to master!! Last time it was found out that her son wasn’t master’s own flesh and blood, master didn’t dispose of her then now master will definitely let her go. As long as she still lived, it was good!
Lan Mo Xian almost laughed from An yiniang’s shameless behavior. He wanted to kill this old hag a long time ago, but An yiniang had the Prime minister manor and an empress backing her so she can’t be easily touched. Now An yiniang did such a thing in public, it’s understandable if he killed her!
Lan Mo Xian’s eyes filled with killing intent as he prepared to kill An yiniang but Lan You Nian’s voice interrupted…
“Can everyone listen to this girl’s words?” Lan You Nian’s voice was melodic as if the music of the heavens, stirring people’s hearts and souls. She was in the position to offer her opinion on this matter.
Lan You Nian curtsied to everyone, her etiquette was elegant without any place to pick any faults, making the matrons present want to marry this girl into their home for their son.
“An yiniang did such a shameless act, according to common practice, she should she drowned, but no matter what An yiniang does, she is my Lan manor’s concubine. This girl hopes to bring An yiniang and this man back to Lan manor to let General Lan decide for himself. What does everyone think?” Lan You Nian said softly, even the smile on her lips was just right. If they were familiar with Lan You Nian, they would know that smile was merely a mask.
When An yiniang heard Lan You Nian’s words, she felt that there was a ray of hope in her life. As long as she returns to Lan manor, she will beg for master to let her go.
When everyone heard Lan You Nian’s words, they felt Lan You Nian was a sensible girl. No matter how many unscrupulous things An yiniang has done, An yiniang was still Lan manor’s concubine. Therefore, An yiniang’s matters will be dealt with by Lan manor. What An yiniang did was having an affair, the one to lose face is General Lan. If this made General Lan kill An yiniang, it wasn’t impossible.
“Miss Lan is right!” Everyone nodded but spat at An yiniang, such a woman made men and women feel disgusted.
“En, I think sister said it well!” Lan Mo Xian nodded. Although he didn’t understand what his little sister wanted to do, no matter what she did, he as her older brother will unconditionally support her. Little sister didn’t want An yiniang to die right now, then he will let her live one more day.
“What does Old Madame An think?” Lan Mo Xian asked purposely.
Old Madame An felt if her daughter went back to Lan manor, she is really done for. She can be killed off in all justification. Old Madame An trembled as she said, “It’s An manor’s teachings that aren’t strict, let her stay in An manor to accept punishment!”
Old Madame An had a good idea. She wasn’t willing to let her little daughter die, so she said these words but An yiniang panicked.
“No, I want to return to Lan manor, I want to return to Lan manor!” An yiniang didn’t understand her mother’s intentions. She thought mother wanted her to stay in An manor to wait for father to return to deal with her.
Old Madame An looked at the little daughter who can’t see the situation and felt a burst of anger and didn’t speak anymore. If she said anymore, she’s afraid how the capital will talk about her An manor tomorrow. The reputation An manor has built up for so many years will probably be destroyed.
“In this case, then this junior will leave!” Lan Mo Xian waved his hand, and there was someone to drag An yiniang and the steward, departing with him from An manor.
Old Madame An watched as her own daughter was dragged away like a rag, knowing her daughter won’t have a good ending and fainted.
“Old Madame!” The servant girls panicked, the entire An manor was a mess…
When Lan Jian Jun received the news and came back from the military camp, he headed over to You Nian Pavilion. As soon as he stepped into You Nian Pavilion’s courtyard, he saw his own daughter sitting on a high soft stool while his son sat beside his daughter. In the courtyard on the cold stone ground laid An yiniang and the steward.
“Father!” Lan Mo Xian greeted Lan Jian Jun and let Lan Jian Jun sit down. He was feeling unfair for his father. There was no peace with such a woman living in the manor, though he knew this was designed by his sister.
Lan Jian Jun nodded sitting down without a glance at An yiniang or the steward. Maybe others thought he wore a green hat (idiom: cheated on), but he didn’t consider An yiniang to be his woman nor has he ever touched An yiniang, so he didn’t care for how An yiniang was. Now that things have developed into this, Lan Jian Jun knew that this matter was his daughter’s doing.
“Nian’er?” Lan Jian Jun looked at Lan You Nian who was silent, not knowing what Lan You Nian wanted to do.
Lan You Nian’s smile was clean and childlike, but it was like the cub waving its claws in the dark forest, quietly revealing its fangs, “Let you see the truth…”
The truth? What truth? Lan Jian Jun was puzzled but knew this wasn’t the time to ask. Since daughter said to let him see the truth, then he’ll quietly watch.
“Master!” An yiniang crawled over to Lan Jian Jun crying, “Master, this concubine is wrongly accused. This concubine was just resting in the room but didn’t expect to wake up to such a thing. Master, you must believe this concubine!”
“Wrongly accused?” Lan You Nian kicked An yiniang far away, the disgust in her eyes was evident, “If you are wrongly accused, why are An yiniang’s children not General Lan’s? Now that you have been caught in bed, you still plead your innocence?”
An yiniang hurt from Lan You Nian’s kick but she ignored her own physical pain, quickly explaining, “This concubine doesn’t know! This concubine only has master in her heart!”
Lan Jian Jun watched An yiniang kneeling on the ground knocking her head on the ground, but there wasn’t any change in his countenance. Even if his daughter doesn’t do anything, he will take care of An yiniang. He will never forget it was because of this woman that his daughter will suffer so much.
“Oh? An yiniang is quite strange. While having your husband in your heart, you still do such shameless things, hehe!” Lan You Nian sipped the tea handed to her by Lan Qu while saying sarcastically.
An yiniang looked at Lan You Nian who was sitting there like a princess while she was kneeling in front of her like a stray dog. She can clearly see the disdain and mockery in Lan You Nian’s eyes. Mockery? An yiniang suddenly understand something.
“It’s you! You did it right? You framed me, didn’t you!?” An yiniang wanted to crawl over to Lan You Nian to tear at Lan You Nian. Would Lan Jian Jun give her this chance? Of course not. The one to kick An yiniang this time was Lan Jian Jun.
“A concubine dares to not know the rules?” Lan You Nian said to Lan Wu beside her. Lan Wu instantly understand what her young miss meant. Walking over to An yiniang, she gave a flew slaps to her face. A few slaps later, she still didn’t enjoy it enough.
“An yiniang you say you are wrongly accused, it is not impossible. But I am puzzled at why the steward appeared in An manor and in your bed?” Lan You Nian looked at the steward who kept shaking over there.
An yiniang didn’t expect for Lan You Nian to say this, those words are in favor of her, but An yiniang didn’t have extra thoughts to try to figure out why Lan You Nian was doing this. She only wanted to live, so the steward…
“This concubine doesn’t know, it must be the steward!” An yiniang said to Lan Jian Jun, “It must be the steward’s evil plan! It’s planned by the steward!”
An yiniang has moved with ease through Lan manor for so many years. The steward was her most powerful minion. But in the face of life and death, An yiniang didn’t hesitate to push the steward out. An yiniang knew that this matter was already final, then she can only find someone scapegoat and this scapegoat can only be the steward.
The steward didn’t expect An yiniang to break the bridge after crossing. He didn’t even figure out what was going on. He was in the manor, but after waking up, he was entangled with An yiniang. Although he was afraid, he didn’t expect An yiniang will let him take all the blame.
“Oh? It turns out this sly slave caused all this?” Lan You Nian nodded, seemingly believing An yiniang’s words, “Zhang Lin, drag the steward out to be executed!”
Zhang Lin immediately stood up and dragged the steward to prepare for execution.
“No!” The steward crawled over to An yiniang, “An yiniang it has nothing to do with this old slave! An yiniang save me!” The steward only wanted An yiniang to save her. All these years, he’s done so much for An yiniang, how can An yiniang not save him!
Lan You Nian’s lips curled with a cold smile watching the farce in front of her, slowly saying, “An yiniang wants to save this unscrupulous slave? Or does An yiniang have an opinion of how I handled this?”
An yiniang ignored the steward’s pleading and said to Lan You Nian, “Third miss handled this well, this must be done by this slave!”
The steward was scared by An yiniang’s cold-blooded look. He knew An yiniang won’t save him today. An yiniang was heartless first, so don’t blame him for being disloyal!
The steward’s expression was glimpsed by Lan You Nian. She wanted this effect, watching dog biting dog, watching their own people tearing the matters of the past apart.
“Young miss, this old slave has something to say!” The steward pleaded to Lan You Nian. He can see that An yiniang isn’t reliable. She is probably hoping for his death while General Lan and eldest master both listen to young miss so the steward can only plead with young miss.
Lan You Nian waved her hand, Zhang Lin let go of the steward. The steward knelt on the ground, “Young miss, this old slave knows a lot, asking young miss for mercy!”
Lan Qu glanced at the steward. A slave dares to negotiate conditions with young miss? Really has a lot of guts!
“Okay!” Lan You Nian stood up, “If you say something this young miss doesn’t know, this young miss won’t kill you! This young miss keeps to her word!”
Having Lan You Nian’s assurance, the steward sighed in relief, but An yiniang started to shake. She now knows what Lan You Nian wanted to do. She forced her to abandon the steward. The steward knows many things about her, once it’s revealed, the result…
“What truth can a slave say?” An yiniang screamed crazily, “Drag him out!”
But You Nian Pavilion’s guards didn’t drag out the steward. Instead, they suppressed An yiniang on the ground, preventing her from moving and stuffed An yiniang’s mouth, to save her from dirtying their young miss’s ears.
“Speak!” Lan You Nian said to the steward. Lan Jian Jun and Lan Mo Xian now knew what Lan You Nian wanted to do. The things of the past were too long ago, it was difficult to investigate, but it was easy to get the answer from An yiniang’s minion.
“In the past, An yiniang told this old slave to send young miss to a brothel and to deliberately ruin young miss!” The steward had yet to finish, the stone table beside Lan Jian Jun cracked open. How old was Lan You Nian that year? An yiniang dared to so filthy!
Lan You Nian appeasingly patted Lan Jian Jun’s hand and said to the steward, “Continue! Say something this young miss doesn’t know otherwise you don’t need to live!”
“That year Madame’s premature birth was caused by An yiniang. If it weren’t because of An yiniang, then Madame wouldn’t die!”