Chapter 43: Husband and Wife - Rebirth of the Noble Daughter
Chapter 43: Husband and Wife
Qiu Yue had enjoyed favor by Aunt Linlang's side for a long time. When the paddle struck for the forty-second time, she breathed her last, blood flowing down the stool. Madam Wen felt somewhat reluctant in her heart, but since she had made up her mind, there was no turning back.
Thinking of this, the slight reluctance in her heart was erased by the rightful authority of the mistress.
"Give ten taels of silver to her family, and since she's dead, send the body back to them."
"Madam is merciful." Zhu Jin exclaimed, and all the maids and servants in the courtyard knelt down and echoed her words.
After this incident, no one in the courtyard dared to mistreat the legitimate mistress and her legitimate son again, unless they didn't want to live.
After Feng Jinxu returned to the mansion and heard about this incident, he felt somewhat dissatisfied with Madam Wen's harsh methods. However, when he saw Huanhuan beaten black and blue, unconscious, his opinion gradually shifted towards Madam Wen.
As the Deputy Minister of Justice, he had seen many case files and coupled with his naturally impartial character, after the maids and servants who had been detained for half a day heard that Qiu Yue had been beaten to death, they madly confessed, shifting all blame onto Aunt Linlang.
No one knew who started it, but one by one, they revealed Aunt Linlang's past acts of arrogance and abuse of power.
With each revelation, Feng Jinxu's expression grew more serious. By the end, his face was as dark as the bottom of a pot and veins bulged on his forehead.
He had previously favored Aunt Linlang out of spite against Madam Wen. Later, she had become gentle and obedient, and even bore him a son, which had earned her some genuine affection from him.
He never expected to give her such great authority, only for her to become so unruly in the backyard.
Even the servants under her command had dared not speak out against her and had even helped her.
He had thought the household to be disciplined, but he had not expected such a woman to emerge under his nose.
There was a hint of complexity in his gaze as he looked at Madam Wen.
Had she endured all these years like this?
He pulled her to sit beside him, furrowing his brows and looking at her. Although he didn't speak, Madam Wen already understood his thoughts.
She comforted him softly, "Master, I'm fine. It's just a pity for those under her. They followed their mistress, endured grievances, and almost lost their lives."
After saying this, she sighed deeply, recalling many past events.
Fu Yi clenched his fists tightly on the side. If that woman wasn't the master's concubine, he would have killed her long ago.
How could he bear to see his sister, whom he had cared for for many years, beaten to the point of being bedridden?
But this was in the backyard, and neither the master nor the mistress had spoken. As a subordinate, he couldn't act on his own. So, he had to ask the master to punish Aunt Linlang to ease his hatred.
He immediately knelt down and begged the master to intervene for his sister.
"Master, Huanhuan ended up in the mansion as a slave because our stepmother arranged a marriage for her arbitrarily. We lost our mother when we were young and our father remarried. We thought we had a family, but we didn't expect her to harbor evil intentions and use my sister's lifelong happiness in exchange for wealth and status. My sister refused, so she sought refuge with the Feng family."
When he reached the heartbreaking part, even his eyes turned red.
"It's also my fault for being careless as an elder brother. I almost caused her harm. If... if my sister can survive this ordeal and wake up, may I ask Master and Madam to be merciful and release her from slavery? I will take good care of her and ensure she doesn't cause any trouble to Master and Madam."
After finishing his plea, he fiercely knocked his head three times, and when he rose again, his forehead was swollen and red.
Madam Wen, seeing his protective attitude towards his sister, was reminded of her own siblings. She was the eldest daughter of the family and had been staying in the Eastern Capital with Feng Jinxu after getting married and she hadn't returned to Shu Province for many years.
Feeling sorrowful for a moment, she expressed sympathy, "Today was originally an unjust disaster. Don't worry, once Huanhuan recovers, I will release her from slavery."
Moved by Madam Wen's assurance, Fu Yi felt a deep respect for the unremarkable Madam Wen.
Feng Jinxu's face darkened as he thought of Aunt Linlang, feeling increasingly disgusted.
"Summon Linlang here. I want to hear what she has to say!"
Soon, the two matrons from the Lin family brought Aunt Linlang over. In the hall, the master and mistress sat high above, while the maids and servants knelt below, their faces ashen. When the maid by the door saw Aunt Linlang enter, she immediately started pleading.
"Mistress, save me, please! I've always followed your orders. Please save me!"
The other maids rushed forward like drowning people grabbing at straws, frantically begging for help. Aunt Linlang's hair bun was disheveled, her clothes wrinkled, and she exuded an air of destitution.
"Master, please save me, please."
She appeared teary-eyed and aggrieved, completely different from her arrogant demeanor in the courtyard just moments ago.
Feng Jinxu watched expressionlessly, while Fu Yi beside him wished he could devour her bones and drink her blood.
Zhu Jin and the other senior maids wore mocking expressions. Finally, justice had caught up with Aunt Linlang after so many years of arrogance!
"Separate the people, give these maids and servants ten lashes each, and find someone to sell them off early tomorrow morning."
His tone was stern and uncompromising, and with Aunt Linlang's own safety in question, there was no way she could save them.
The crying maids and servants now realized they had been blinded by greed and had chosen the wrong mistress.
"Master, Mistress, Mistress, I was bewitched by that maid, Qiu Yue. She said Huanhuan was opposing me everywhere and even claimed she was bought by Mistress to seduce you. So, I acted out of impulse. It's all because I care about you, Master, that I did this. Please, Master..."
She cried as if her heart was breaking, shifting all her faults onto the deceased Qiu Yue, and putting on a pitiful act.
This time, Feng Jinxu was thoroughly disappointed in her.
There was no trace of the pity he once felt for her in his eyes. He looked at her as if she were a street performer, completely unmoved.
Seeing this, Aunt Linlang panicked and crawled towards Feng Jinxu.
"Master, Mistress, I was deceived into causing such trouble. Please, even if you won't look at me, please forgive me this once, for the sake of our son, Yunli."
Thinking of his son, Feng Jinxu's usually impassive expression finally softened slightly.
"Enough. You should be grateful that Yunli is protecting you. From today onwards, stay in your courtyard and don't leave. If there's another incident, I'll send you to the farm and you won't be allowed to see Yunli anymore."
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