Chapter 26 ROTNDOAHRF

FlamingoBees

Translating Chinese Historical Dramas for your enjoyment... and mine! :)

Rebirth of the Noble Daughter of a High Ranking Family

Chapter 26:

There is No Good End to Betraying a Master

Madam Lin was almost beside herself with rage. At this point, Ouyang Nuan had managed to turn the tables completely! The only explanation she could think of was that Xiao Tao had betrayed her, not bringing out the items belonging to Ouyang Nuan! But... how could it have turned into her daughter's hairpin?!

She never could have imagined that Ouyang Nuan would have instructed her maid to purposely bump into Ouyang Ke, take off her hairpin, and then, in the chaos, switch it with another one! Nor could she have fathomed that Ouyang Nuan had deliberately chosen trusted individuals tonight, keeping everything under wraps from her! With each piece falling into place, she couldn't possibly unravel what had truly occurred!

Ouyang Nuan's eyes shimmered as she glanced at the dumbfounded Madam Lin beside her, gently saying, "Father, Mother, you mustn't allow this person to tarnish my sister's innocence any longer!"

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Madam Lin's face turned green in an instant. How could her daughter, at such a young age, possibly engage in clandestine meetings with others? But as the saying goes, boys and girls shouldn't sit together after the age of seven. Ouyang Nuan's actions weren't aimed at making others believe that Ouyang Ke had some illicit affair with an outsider; it was clearly an attempt to drag Ke down and muddy the waters!

At this point, the situation seemed to have little to do with Ouyang Nuan. Even if Zhang Wendin was invited by someone, it would appear to outsiders that he was invited by Ouyang Ke. Moreover, he was caught and beaten before even entering the courtyard. It was just that Eldest Miss Ouyang was innocently implicated in the whole affair. How innocent she was!

Madam Lin glanced at the golden hairpin, realizing that Ouyang Nuan had already shifted the focus onto her own biological daughter. At this point, the most important thing was to ensure that Ouyang Ke didn't get into trouble. As for Zhang Wendin... she didn't even care about him. In a flash, she had grasped the stakes of the situation and immediately exclaimed, "You, Zhang Wendin, dared to harbor such thieving intentions! Stealing things is one thing, but repeatedly smearing the reputation of our Ouyang family's daughter!"

Zhang Wendin paled in shock, "Madam, it was clearly you—"

Madam Lin wouldn't allow him to speak another word: "Shut his mouth and drag him away for a severe beating! After that, deliver him to the authorities for investigation!"

Before Zhang Wendin could say anything, his mouth was swiftly covered, muffling his attempts to speak. Ouyang Jue, who had calmed down by now, rushed forward to push the person gagging him away and angrily demanded, "Speak! Who instructed you to do this?"

Unable to hold back any longer, Zhang Wendin screamed out, "It was Madam who instructed me! Madam told me to come tonight, promising that she would marry Eldest Miss Ouyang to me in the future, and she even gave me silver..."

Ouyang Nuan watched the scene unfold with a cold smirk, feeling a sense of bitter irony. At this point, even a discerning eye could see the puppeteer behind the scenes, yet Ouyang Zhi still went to great lengths to defend Madam Lin. It was truly baffling how someone so muddle-headed could hold the title of a father and act as an official!

Wang Mama jumped up and quickly summoned two sturdy male servants. Together, they gagged Zhang Wendin's mouth and bound his hands and feet. Zhang Wendin struggled like a wild beast gone mad, but he was forcibly carried away nonetheless.

The room fell into a deep silence, uninterrupted save for the rustling of leaves outside, stirred by the cold wind.

"Mother, thank you for upholding justice. Otherwise, my sister's innocence would have been tarnished by this scoundrel..." Ouyang Nuan's tears seemed on the verge of falling again.

Li Yiniang, who had been observing the situation, quickly stepped forward to comfort her: "Miss, you're too kind. It was that scoundrel who stole Second Miss' belongings and, fearing capture, resorted to such slander. Rest assured, the master will not let him off lightly!"

Upon hearing these words, Madam Lin felt a fiery rage surging within her, but she managed to suppress it with three parts of reason. She glanced at Ouyang Ke, who was nearly collapsed in fear, then turned to the maidservants around her with a stern gaze: "If even a whisper of today's events reaches the outside, I'll make sure none of you escape with your lives!"

"Yes," all the maidservants responded in unison, kneeling on the ground, creating an atmosphere of solemnity in the room.

Sitting aloft, Madam Li couldn't help but smirk inwardly. Although she couldn't fathom how Ouyang Ke got implicated, it was evident that Madam Lin was nothing but trouble, always finding ways to create problems for herself. Well, this daughter-in-law of hers was indeed filial...

Ouyang Nuan cast a glance at the infuriated Madam Lin and thought to herself, 'This is all your own doing. From today onwards, to protect Ouyang Ke's reputation and conceal your malicious schemes, you're going to be very busy!'

Exiting the main hall, Hongyu's legs felt like jelly, and she almost stumbled when crossing the threshold. Ouyang Nuan noticed and gave her a faint smile. Hongyu had a kind heart and unwavering loyalty, but she lacked the ruthlessness needed in such situations. When dealing with villains, kindness was always surplus. To defeat Madam Lin, one had to be ruthless. If she wanted to outdo her, she had to be a hundred or even a thousand times more ruthless, ensuring Madam Lin never rose again.

The first thing Ouyang Nuan did upon returning was promote Changpu to the position of head maidservant. Hongyu glanced at the smiling Changpu and cautiously asked, "Miss, what about Xiao Tao?"

Ouyang Nuan gazed at the plum blossoms blooming outside the window and replied calmly, "She won't be coming back." Yesterday's success would have led to Xiao Tao being silenced by Madam Lin, and had it been a failure, she would have faced the same fate. Betraying her mistress meant bearing such consequences.

Hongyu pondered for a moment and then understood, but having spent a considerable amount of time with Xiao Tao, she couldn't help but show a subtle shade of sadness on her face.

Seeing this, Fang Mama sneered and remarked, "Don't you dare pity that maid. If last night's affair had succeeded in framing her, leaving aside what would happen to the Miss, just being the maidservant who attends to her would have earned you the accusation of encouraging your mistress to have secret liaisons with others. Whether you'd be beaten to death or sold off, who can say for sure!"

Hongyu shivered involuntarily at the words and quickly nodded, refraining from further thoughts.

Fang Mama, observing Ouyang Nuan's graceful profile, felt greatly relieved. She was already pleased that Miss hadn't been deceived by Madam Lin, but she never imagined there would be such a beautiful countermeasure. After pondering for a moment, she subtly hinted, "Miss, this incident could be an opportunity to bring down Madam Lin..."

Ouyang Nuan glanced at Fang Mama, who was wholeheartedly considering her welfare, her gaze softening. She replied, "No, Mama Fang. We must choose the right time to act. Strike only when we are sure to hit the mark. If we miss, we retreat. Haven't you seen Father's stance tonight? If he doesn't turn against her, it won't be easy for us to succeed."

"... but Father's affection for Madam Lin has its limits, I believe," Ouyang Nuan replied with a hint of mystery in her smile. "As much as he favors her, it won't surpass his love for his own power and status. Just wait and see."

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