"How can it not be clear? Your Majesty, I have witnesses who can prove that I've never laid a hand on the second young lady of the General's Mansion!" Ning Shouzhang glanced at Mo Qinghuan. He knew this woman was going to shield her own today.
Then he looked at Mu Yanming, who seemed to be saying, "I'll leave it all to the princess. Whatever she decides is fine with me."
"Witnesses? Hmph. Everyone in the General's Mansion is on your side. Their testimonies are hardly trustworthy," Mo Qinghuan said, unconsciously clenching her fists. If it weren't for the General's Mansion's reputation, she probably wouldn't even bother to glance at Mo Yao, even if she were dying.
Zhao Yiyi didn't expect Mo Qinghuan to speak up for Mo Yao. In a fit of rage, she rushed up to Mo Qinghuan, sneering, "Your Highness, do you really think your sister is still innocent?"
Mo Qinghuan looked at her with disdain. "Miss Zhao, are you saying that just because Mo Yao lost her virginity before, General Ning can just abuse her at will?"
"You!" Zhao Yiyi was rendered speechless by Mo Qinghuan's words and realized she had said the wrong thing.
Just as she was wondering how to save face, Ning Shouzhang pulled her behind him.
"About today's matter..."
"I think there's no need to judge today's matter. I'll take her away. But, General Ning Yuan, I must remind you not to always mention the General's Mansion. Since you let those people in today, I can very well claim that you had ill intentions towards Yaoyao!"
She said coldly and left with Mo Yao by the collar.
Ning Shouzhang clenched his fists in anger. When he looked at Zhao Yiyi, his expression changed.
"Yiyi, do you believe me?" he asked, looking at her expectantly. Zhao Yiyi didn't say a word and walked past him. He quickly chased after her.
But by the time he got there, she had already boarded the carriage, and all he saw was the fluttering hem of her dress.
Mo Qinghuan took Mo Yao back to the General's Mansion. As soon as they stepped through the main gate, she slapped Mo Yao across the face. Mo Yao staggered a few steps and would have fallen if not for Lan's support.
Mo Yao covered her face and shouted angrily at Mo Qinghuan, "Mo Qinghuan, are you crazy?"
Mo Qinghuan sneered, clasping her hands together. Her eyes were filled with a dangerous glint. "Me, crazy? I think you're the one who's crazy! I just gave you the antidote, and you go out and cause trouble! Can't you live a single day without a man?"
Mo Yao gritted her teeth and stared at Mo Qinghuan. She never expected Mo Qinghuan to be so blunt and say such things in front of so many people. In a fit of rage, she shouted, "Don't push me too far!"
Mo Qinghuan walked up to her, pointing at her. "Push you too far? Hmph! Guards, arrest Mo Yao and give her fifty severe floggings!"
"You dare! You dare to beat me!"
Qing Heng glanced at Mu Yanming. Mu Yanming blinked, and immediately two guards stepped forward to arrest Mo Yao.
She struggled desperately, pushing, scratching, and kicking, but she was still held down.
Lan tried to stop them but was pushed to the ground. She immediately started wailing, slapping the ground. "My lord, open your eyes and see! Look at the life we, a widow and an orphan, are living! Look at how your precious daughter is treating us!"
Mo Yao also struggled and shouted, "Mo Qinghuan, what are you doing? Let me go! If you dare to use torture on me, Father won't forgive you!"
Hearing her mention General Mo, Mo Qinghuan stepped forward and slapped her again.
"I'm warning you. Every time you mention my father, I'll slap you. I'll keep slapping you until you're dead!" she said coldly, looking at Mo Yao.
Mo Yao felt a shiver run down her spine. At this moment, Mo Qinghuan was so terrifying. Was she really the weak and useless girl she used to be?
"Beat her!" she said, dropping her hand and turning around.
"Ah! Father, save me, Father!" As soon as the whip landed on Mo Yao's body, she felt as if her bones were being broken. In pain, she shouted hysterically.
Lan rushed over and covered Mo Yao with her body. "Stop beating her, Your Highness. I beg you, stop! Fifty floggings will kill her!"
"Don't worry. I won't let her die."
Qing Heng gave a signal, and several people went over to pull Lan aside. Mu Yanming walked up to Mo Qinghuan, put his arms around her, and pressed her head against his chest.
The air was filled with Mo Yao's screams and Lan's cries. Mo Qinghuan couldn't help but frown. Suddenly, Mo Yao went silent.
"Your Highnesses, the young lady has fainted!"
Mo Qinghuan turned around and saw that Mo Yao's lower body was a bloody mess. Seeing her daughter's miserable state, Lan managed to break free and rushed to Mo Yao's side.
She grabbed Mo Yao's hand and sobbed uncontrollably. Suddenly, she turned around and stared at Mo Qinghuan with hatred.
Then she looked at Mu Yanming. "Your Highness, have you seen? Mo Qinghuan is a venomous woman. She doesn't want to leave any way out for me and my daughter. If Yaoyao dies today because of this, I'll even appeal to the emperor for justice!"
After hearing this, Mo Qinghuan shook her head with a sneer, full of disdain and contempt. She slowly walked up to Lan, bent down, and whispered in her ear.
"I know Mo Yao's real identity. The reason I haven't exposed you is that I don't want my father to be gossiped about even after his death for so many years. But I'm warning you, if Mo Yao continues to use the title of the second young lady of the General's Mansion and does things that disgrace the General's Mansion, I won't mind making her identity public and kicking you out of the General's Mansion, so that you'll become like rats scurrying in the street, despised by everyone!"
Hearing this, Lan collapsed to the ground. How did that bitch Mo Qinghuan know such a confidential matter...
No, she couldn't leave the General's Mansion, and she couldn't let Mo Yao's identity be exposed. If that happened, she might as well die!
"Also, I think your father, the prime minister, would be very unhappy about the disgrace you've brought to his family after you've done such a scandalous thing..." she said coldly, feeling a sense of satisfaction seeing Lan trembling like a leaf.
Thinking of this and her father, Lan knew that if such a scandal were exposed, her father would probably be the first to send someone to kill her.
She silently got up and knelt at Mo Qinghuan's feet. "Your Highness, please rest assured. I'll definitely teach Yaoyao well in the future and won't let her do anything that's bad for the General's Mansion again."
Mo Qinghuan smiled and helped her up, holding Lan's hand. "That's right. After all, we're family. It hurts me to see my sister being beaten, but if I don't teach her a lesson today, she won't know her place. So, madam, please make sure such things never happen again."
Lan shivered and pulled her hand back. She called for Cuier and Hongguo and helped Mo Yao into the house.
By now, Mo Yao had moved into the small courtyard where Mo Qinghuan used to live.
Mo Qinghuan sighed and looked up at the sky. A thin mist had covered the night sky, and a few stars were hidden behind the clouds. After a whole night of commotion, dawn was almost breaking.
"Let's go back," Mu Yanming said, taking off his cloak and putting it on Mo Qinghuan.