Concubine Wang had gone mad. Her only daughter, her sole hope, was supposed to marry into a wealthy family and gain support so that she could be taken away from this place and live a life of luxury. But now, her daughter was in deep trouble. Her innocence was ruined by Liu's useless nephew, and it all happened in broad daylight!
Concubine Wang wept. Then, she burst into laughter. Her once-pretty face was now distorted. Her eyes were filled with hatred as she stared at Liu. "Trying to scheme against the Zhou family? Hahaha."
"I'm not as bold as you! You even dared to plot against the Princess!" Concubine Wang cried. She threw herself on her disheveled daughter, glaring venomously at Liu and then glancing at General Xie.
General Xie was shocked by her look. Before this, Concubine Wang had always been gentle and harmless. But this look was completely different. She was like a defeated lone wolf.
"Hahaha—" Concubine Wang was still laughing, but her face was full of sorrow.
Liu subconsciously winked at the servants, hoping they would gag Concubine Wang. But none of them dared to step forward. They were all intimidated by Concubine Wang's madness.
Shen Mingzhu looked at her. She felt that the woman in front of her was both pitiful and hateful. And the root of all this hatred was the frowning man standing not far away.
"What!"
General Xie took a while to understand what was going on. He couldn't figure out why his once-virtuous wife Liu and the gentle Concubine Wang had suddenly changed. "Who dared to plot against the Princess!"
This was a serious offense against the royal family!
Shen Mingzhu and Xie Lang exchanged a meaningful look.
[It seems that Concubine Wang and Liu will surely come to a showdown today. This is really...]
"Hahaha. Who? " Concubine Wang looked at General Xie sorrowfully. "Of course, it's your virtuous wife, your second wife Liu!"
"Today, I admit that I plotted first. I wanted Fangfei to marry into a noble family and become the legitimate wife of the Zhou family with the support of the Princess. She wouldn't have to suffer with me anymore." Concubine Wang said. Her tears finally stopped, and her voice trembled.
Liu tried to rush forward but was stopped by Shen Mingzhu's men. She was gagged and could only struggle clumsily.
"Almost... I was so close! How could that stupid man ruin Fangfei's innocence! Liu, you're so cruel! So cruel!" Concubine Wang said. She wiped the tears from her daughter's face, staggered to her feet, and stumbled towards Liu. She slapped her hard.
"My Fangfei will never marry that stupid Liu Zhiyu! Never!"
She looked at General Xie, but he was still staring at her in shock. So, her heart was filled with sorrow.
Concubine Wang walked up to Shen Mingzhu and said firmly, "I have something to say."
The guards beside her watched her warily, afraid that Concubine Wang might suddenly attack. Everyone was afraid of this crazy woman.
"Okay." Shen Mingzhu nodded. "Go ahead."
Xie Lang subconsciously stepped in front of Shen Mingzhu. But he saw that Concubine Wang didn't even look at him. She walked up to Shen Mingzhu, lowered her voice, and said, "Your Highness can ask Fangfei what you want to know."
Shen Mingzhu didn't like being plotted against. But seeing the determined look in Concubine Wang's eyes, she just nodded.
Seeing Shen Mingzhu nod, Concubine Wang laughed.
There were many guards around Shen Mingzhu, and they were far from Liu and the others. Except for her, Xie Lang, and a few guards nearby, no one knew what Concubine Wang had said. So, when they saw her laughing, General Xie frowned, and Liu struggled even harder, afraid that she would get Shen Mingzhu's support.
"You..."
Shen Mingzhu was silent for a moment. Before she could speak, Concubine Wang interrupted her.
"Your Highness is so noble. Naturally, you don't know my hardships." Concubine Wang laughed, but her expression was uglier than crying. "I was sold into this mansion when I was just a teenager. I have no relatives. And in the future..."
Hearing this, Shen Mingzhu sighed. She quietly motioned for the guards behind her to watch Concubine Wang closely.
She had already made up her mind to die. Shen Mingzhu saw her love for her daughter and felt a bit of pity. Thinking of her own mother, she wanted to give Concubine Wang, who was not deeply involved, a way out.
"Forget it, forget it!" Concubine Wang sighed deeply. She turned to General Xie and said, "Today, Liu ruined Fangfei's innocence. I will never forget this hatred. If the General really cares about Fangfei as his daughter, please don't let that stupid Liu Zhiyu go!"
"And you." Concubine Wang looked at Liu and smiled. "Over the years, every time the General said you were magnanimous, I wanted to laugh."
Liu struggled even more violently. Her eyes were like a wild animal ready to pounce.
"On the surface, you didn't dare to do anything to Xie Lang because you were afraid of what happened before. You were afraid that the Empress Dowager had taken care of Xie Lang. So, you could only spread bad rumors about Xie Lang secretly."
General Xie was shocked. He stepped forward and said angrily, "What!"
He grabbed Liu's shoulder tightly and stared at her with blazing eyes. "What did you do?"
"Otherwise?"
Concubine Wang laughed and continued, "She got a good reputation and planned to let that stupid Xie Yun inherit the General's Mansion."
"She doesn't even know what Xie Yun is." Concubine Wang seemed to be spitting out all the grievances from the first half of her life. Her words made Liu furious. "You deserve to die. You were the one who caused trouble from the very beginning, but you always pretended to be magnanimous."
Saying that, Concubine Wang looked at Xie Fangfei reluctantly. After a moment of silence, she stepped forward and touched Xie Fangfei. Looking at General Xie, she asked, "General, we've been husband and wife for so long. You won't marry Fangfei to that stupid Liu Zhiyu, right?"
General Xie took his disgusted look away from Liu. He didn't answer Concubine Wang but just looked at her and said, "How many things did you get involved in?"
A flash of sadness passed through Concubine Wang's eyes. She bent down to straighten her daughter's collar and then slowly stood up. "Not as many as Liu, but still quite a few."
"Otherwise, how could I have survived, and how could Fangfei have survived?" Concubine Wang looked at General Xie's expression. Her heart suddenly calmed down.
"The General is busy with important matters outside every day. Naturally, you can't focus on the family affairs in the mansion." She looked at her daughter again. Her eyes softened for a moment and then turned cold. Looking at him, she asked, "General, you won't marry Fangfei to that useless man to settle this matter, right?"
Seeing her ask again, Shen Mingzhu and Xie Lang exchanged a look.
[Although Concubine Wang is not a good person, she really loves her daughter.]
Xie Lang didn't care about the farce in front of him. No matter how they quarreled or fought, they couldn't really hurt him. He wasn't the useless Xie Lang in the rumors, so he didn't need to be afraid of the tricks of the women in the back house.
Concubine Wang looked back at Shen Mingzhu. She let out a bitter laugh and rushed towards the rockery where Xie Fangfei had almost hit herself just now. She screamed, "Liu! I will never forgive you!"
The guards behind Shen Mingzhu immediately stepped forward.