The originally messy courtyard became quiet, and the surrounding servants hurriedly opened a path for Mu Guiyi. Occasionally, a few maidservants with red eyes would let out a few sobs.
Mu Guiyi was afraid that something had happened to Old Lady Yun, so she didn't care about her manners. She directly picked up her skirt and ran into the main room. Bai Suyan, who was following behind her, also had a bad feeling. She followed behind her, but unfortunately, she was stopped by the two maidservants beside Old Lady Yun at the door.
Jing Jing was originally quite happy when she went out today, but after coming back, she was scared out of her wits. At this time, looking at the situation in front of her, she finally couldn't hold it in anymore. She hugged Bai Suyan's arm and cried softly.
Bai Suyan hugged her sideways and gently patted her shoulder. Looking at the messy Nanshan courtyard, she gradually frowned. She didn't think that Old Lady Yun's life was in danger. She was afraid that the person behind the scenes, in order to better control Mu Province, simply made Old Lady Yun "sick" and unable to intervene in the fu's affairs.
After half an hour, Mu Guiyi came out with a straight face, followed by Nanny Yue. She stood on the steps and looked down at the people in the courtyard, "Where's Xiao?"
Xiao, who was hiding behind the crowd, hurriedly took a few steps forward and bowed, "Greetings to Eldest Miss." Her voice was as alluring as the first time she heard it. It was like a thin thread that made one's heart itch and unable to stop.
Mu Guiyi narrowed her eyes, "Nanny Yue, beat her. You don't have to beat her to death. Break her limbs, scratch her face, and cripple her. Give her a bag of silver and throw it on the street. Our Mu Province won't treat you unfairly."
Nanny Yue trembled in fright when she heard this order. Xiao looked up at the young girl on the steps in disbelief. The gaze that looked over was emotionless, like a god in the clouds looking down at the ants on the ground.
"Oh, by the way," Mu Guiyi turned to look at Granny Yue, "Bring that ginseng cake over. Treat it as her last meal."
Granny Yue calmed herself down and replied, "Young Miss, the plate of desserts is gone. It might have been chaotic just now … or it might have been taken away by someone else."
"Yes." Mu Guiyi's smile did not reach his eyes. "I happen to have a bunch of fresh oleanders. The effect is definitely better than that ginseng cake, Yan Yan!"
Even though Bai Suyan wasn't calling her name, Jing Jing still trembled subconsciously and grasped Bai Suyan's hand even more tightly. Bai Suyan held her hand and bowed to Mu Guiyi before hurrying her back to the courtyard to get the oleander that should have been disposed of.
The oleander that Zhaozhao brought that day was not thrown away in the end. Mu Guiyi suddenly instructed before he left to put the oleander in a vase.
After walking some distance away from Nanshan Courtyard and reaching an empty veranda, Jing Jing finally cried out, "Young Miss, Young Miss is so scary!"
Bai Suyan walked in front and pursed her lips without saying a word. When they returned to Luminous Flower Courtyard where Mu Guiyi lived, she first brought Jing Jing back to their room to settle her down. Before she left, she reminded her, "Don't run around. You don't have to serve Young Miss today. I'm here. You should rest early."
She hurried to Mu Guiyi's room to get the oleander. Unexpectedly, when she went downstairs, Jing Jing was waiting there with tears in her eyes, "Sister Yan Yan, I'm scared alone."
Bai Suyan was silent. She sighed and pulled her across more than half of Mu Province. By the time they arrived at Nanshan Courtyard, it was already full of people. The faint sound of rods hitting meat could be heard from the front. It was the sound of smashed meat. It took a bit of effort to push through the crowd. In the middle of it, she was pulled back by Dong Jin, who gave her a reassuring look before they walked to the front.
There was a circle in the center. Xiao was stripped of her clothes and pressed down on a bench. The skin on her back and buttocks, which should have been white and delicate, had been split open. Her clear voice had also become hoarse and unpleasant to the ears from howling for so long.
The beatings did not stop because of their arrival. Every time the rods hit, there would be a spray of blood. Jing Jing was so frightened by the scene in front of her that she shrank even further behind Bai Suyan.
There were three people standing on the stage. In the middle, Mu Guiyi's aura was cold and unstoppable. The people on both sides did not even dare to look at her.
Lady Mu shrank behind Nanny Yue. Her eyes were filled with shock. Perhaps it was because she had never seen her daughter so fierce, so she was a little frightened.
The other person was Mu Jiahua, who had rushed over after hearing the news. Just as he was about to speak, he was stopped by Mu Guiyi's gaze. Bai Suyan held Jing Jing's hand before letting go. She handed Jing Jing over to Dong Jin and went forward with the flowers. "Miss, the flowers are here."
Mu Guiyi raised her hand to signal for them to stop. She lifted her skirt and walked down the steps to Xiao's side. She circled around her as if she was admiring a rare object. However, when she opened her mouth, she said, "Your voice is the best I've ever heard. If you enter the palace, you will definitely be outstanding and unforgettable."
Bai Suyan held the flowers and followed behind her step by step. The two executioners were young and strong men. Their clothes were soaked in sweat. It was unclear whether it was cold sweat or just sweat dripping down their faces. From the looks of it, even if Xiao recovered, she would be half crippled.
Mu Guiyi picked up a strand of Xiao's hair and played with it. "You gave birth to an unforgettable child. Unfortunately, you didn't give birth to a good child either. You gave birth to too big a heart."
Mu Guiyi slowly squatted down beside her and looked at her at the same level. He softly persuaded her with a bit of bewitchment, "The more you think, the easier you are to be deceived by others. Look at you now, it's so distressing. If you didn't think about those illusory things, you wouldn't have ended up like this. Take the oleander for example. You could have not put it out, or even cut it a little, but you wouldn't have ended up like this. Why don't you know how to leave a way out for others?"
Mu Guiyi stood up and clapped her hands. "Feed me!"
At her order, the two male servants opened Xiao's mouth, and the other grabbed the oleanders in Bai Suyan's hand. They broke off a few flowers and stuffed them into her mouth. It was a pity that she was exhaling more than she was inhaling. Her eyes were rolling back and she was about to faint.
Mu Guiyi stood aside and looked at Xiao with pity in her eyes, as if she wasn't the one who gave the order coldly. "You see, if you were more narrow-minded and not so scheming, and left yourself a way out, maybe before the New Year or next year, you would have a husband who loves you dearly. When you return home, you would be the mistress of the family behind closed doors. You gave birth to such a good child, and your parents-in-law would definitely love and dote on you. In a few years, you would have two lovely children who would surround you and call you mother."
Mu Guiyi raised his head and looked coldly at the crowd in the courtyard. "These words are not only for her, but also for all of you. I'm not as good-tempered as your madam who doesn't care about trivial matters. I'm narrow-minded and can't tolerate sand in my eyes. Don't think about those useless things. Silly, don't use your own life to pave the way for others. It's not worth it. Look carefully at Xiao Yin's fate. Don't you know whether you can afford such a price?"
Don't you think you can afford to pay for it? "After stuffing a branch of oleander into her mouth, the two servants let go. Xiao fell off the bench, foaming at the mouth and trembling all over. Bai Suyan looked at the smooth branch and suddenly felt a chill down her spine. But she still asked softly," Miss, what about Xiao? "
Mu Guiyi no longer looked at the person on the ground. "If she's still breathing, drag her away and sell her to any brothel. If she dies halfway, there will be many nameless corpses in the mass grave."
At this point, the night finally came to an end. No one knew who started crying first, but it was sparse and scattered, one after another. Mu Guiyi waved her hand and dismissed them all.
Bai Suyan followed Mu Guiyi back to the Mu couple. Jing Jing was already out of breath from crying, but she didn't dare to leave. She lay in Dong Jin's arms and cried until she hiccuped.
"Father, you've worked hard tonight. There's an early morning court tomorrow, so you should go to bed early."
Mu Jiahua seemed to be startled and unconsciously took a few steps back. When he came to his senses, he felt like he had lost face. He snorted weakly and left with a flick of his sleeve. His footsteps were like the wind, and it looked like he was running away.
Lady Mu was also limp and was supported by Wan Lan. As Mu Guiyi approached, both master and servant unconsciously trembled. Facing her mother, Mu Guiyi's expression softened. "Mother is also tired. Nanny Yue, go make the arrangements and let Mother sleep in the side room." Nanny Yue responded and supported Lady Mu, who was still in a daze, to the side room.
After everyone left in twos and threes, Mu Guiyi let out a long sigh. Her nerves had been tense for half the night, and as soon as she moved, she felt weak in her feet. Her steps were unsteady, and her entire body felt empty.
"Miss!" It wasn't until she was held by two people, one in front and one behind her, that Mu Guiyi realized how useless she had been and almost fell to the ground.
Jingjing had been frightened by Mu Guiyi earlier. Now that she saw her lose her soul, she quickly went up to support her. She held the young girl's slender arm, and sympathy rose in her heart. She was only thirteen or fourteen years old, and tonight was the first time she had seen such a scene. She couldn't show any signs of being shaken and held on for half the night.
Mu Guiyi recovered a bit and broke free from the two people's hands. She straightened her back and adjusted her appearance before walking into Old Lady Yun's room. She said dryly, "Grandmother, did granddaughter disturb you?"
Old Lady Yun was paralyzed on the bed, unable to speak. She only looked at Mu Guiyi with a pair of eyes that were still gentle and full of love. Under this kind of gaze, Mu Guiyi didn't dare to take a step forward. She said goodnight in a choked voice and ordered the servants to serve her well before returning to her courtyard.
It was already midnight, but the lights in the small building of Luminous Magnificence Courtyard were still lit. In front of the dressing table, her hair bun and makeup were removed. Under the flickering candlelight, Mu Guiyi's pale face had two orange-red blobs.
As Jingjing combed her hair, she asked in a small voice, "Miss, how about nubi and Sister Yan Yan stay here tonight to keep you company?"
"No need," Mu Guiyi gathered her outer clothes, "You are tired today. Leave and rest early."
Bai Suyan silently arranged the makeup on the table, bowed, and left. But Jingjing worriedly peeked at Mu Guiyi. She felt that Miss seemed to be very cold, cold to the heart and bones.
When Bai Suyan pulled her away, Jingjing didn't know if she was seeing things through the screen, but the young girl's slender figure gradually shrank. In a blur, she seemed to see tears fall from the corners of her eyes.
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