No Regrets

Wang Er was thrown to the ground. At this moment, fear struck him. His mouth was gagged, and he kept making muffled sounds. He struggled, twisting his body like a worm, and his slender eyes were filled with fear.

Butler Du replied respectfully, ignoring Wang Er's struggles. He raised his hand and summoned a few guards from the manor to take him away.

Lu Xiang looked at the terrified Wang Er and smiled coldly. She doesn't feel any sympathy for this man who had been used by Madam Liu and Lu Mingzhu to slander her innocence in her previous life.

No matter what role Wang Er played in this matter, the outcome was destined from the moment he chose to slander a daughter of the Lu family.

No matter how much the Old Madam disliked Lu Mingzhu, she would never joke about the innocence of all the young ladies in the Lu Manor. Letting go of Wang Er would be akin to putting the Lu family in danger. Moreover, if she allowed Wang Er to live, wouldn't that be the same as allowing Madam Liu and her daughter to make a comeback? With Wang Er's death, even when her son returned to the manor, Madam Liu and Lu Mingzhu would not be able to explain themselves no matter what.

Hmph, since they dared to plot against her darling, don't blame her for being ruthless.

You want proof?

Her sixth sense as an old woman was the proof. Her dislike of Madam Liu was the evidence.

If it weren't for the fact that she didn't want to hurt her mother-son relationship with Youping, she would have beaten Madam Liu and Lu Mingzhu to death.

Madam Liu's ruthless methods made Madam Liu and Lu Mingzhu's hair stand on end.

"Old Madam, are you trying to force me to confess? Even if you want to punish me, you have to wait for the Master to come back before convicting me… Ah…"

Nanny Wen slapped Madam Liu suddenly. "Who do you think you are? How dare you be so arrogant in front of the Old Madam." It would have been fine if Madam Liu had not mentioned the Master. However, by mentioning the Master, her words were in essence, filled with a veiled warning that "I'm the Master's true love. Not even the Old Madam can touch me."

Pfft, no way I would give in to you like this.

Nanny Wen shot a look at the rest of the servants and someone immediately came up to escort the stunned Madam Liu out.

The punishment was not to be carried out quietly. Instead, they were openly punished in the front yard in front of everyone in the Lu Manor.

Lu Mingzhu was dragged out of the house by three old servants. She cried and begged for mercy, her face covered in tears and snot. She was in a sorry state. "Grandmother, don't. Grandmother, I'm innocent. I'm innocent…"

When the cane fell onto her, she let out an ear-piercing scream instantly.

Lu Xiang listened to the screams of the two people coming from outside, and her eyes were filled with smiles. She was like an Asura in the dark night, filled with a dangerous aura.

"You asked for it by digging your own grave. You can't blame anyone else for it," she thought.

"This is just the beginning. Are you and your daughter ready for the long days ahead?"

By the time the servants were done, Lu Mingzhu's back was soaked in blood. Her neatly combed hair was also in a mess. Her exquisite face was covered in tears and sweat. There was no trace of blood on her lips and she looked like she was on her last breath.

Madam Liu received more strokes of the cane in comparison to Lu Mingzhu.

The Old Madam glanced at them coldly and waved her hand, sending Madam Liu and Lu Mingzhu back to their Lotus Hall.

"I didn't call you here just to watch the show…" The Old Madam suddenly looked at the servants standing in front of her and stood up from her chair. Her gaze was cold and solemn. Under such a dignified gaze, the servants remained silent and tense.

After looking around, the Old Madam continued, "Although Lu Mingzhu's entanglement with an outsider did not have any consequences, her words and actions were lacking of a dignified daughter of the family. This is a family disgrace. As servants of the Lu family, you should remember the family rules and regulations. Don't do anything to smear the Lu family's reputation. You know what happened today. I don't care how the news spreads in the manor, but if I hear any rumors outside, I don't mind killing to make a statement and I will make you suffer a fate worse than death."

"Those who want to betray the Lu family for benefits should consider whether they have the life to enjoy it before accepting the benefits."

"Don't take it as a fluke. As the Magistrate of Yangning, the Master has handled countless cases every year and has never wronged anyone. The Lu family is simple, so it's too easy to investigate a person and what they did."

"Is that clear?"

The old lady's voice was like muffled thunder that smashed into everyone's hearts. It was like a huge hand had gripped their hearts tightly, making them feel suffocated.

"Yes, Old Madam!"

Everyone quickly expressed their loyalty.

"You may disperse," the old lady said.

These servants had worked in the Lu family for many years. All these years, the disloyal servants or servants with ill intentions had been driven or sold away by her and Madam Bai. The ones who stayed behind may not be pure-hearted, but the first requirement of them was definitely loyalty.

Since Lu Mingzhu's incident had already happened and she did not manage to keep it under wraps at Hua'an Temple, the Old Madam did not intend to hide it anymore.

The warning was to let them know that they shouldn't let their guard down.

As for the maidservants that Madam Liu and Lu Mingzhu brought back to the manor, it was Lu Mingzhu who was in trouble. The mother and daughter would want to protect their reputation more than anyone else, so they would only pay more attention to the people around them.

"Xiangxiang, come with Grandmother," Old Madam said to Lu Xiang.

Lu Xiang responded and asked Yun Zhe and Wu Yue to return to her hall first while she followed the old madam to Fuyuan Hall.

As soon as they entered the house, Old Madam asked Nanny Wen and the servants to stay far away. It was obvious that she could not let a third person know what she was about to say.

After the door was closed, the Old Madam finally asked Lu Xiang, "Tell me honestly. Did Madam Liu and her daughter shoot themselves in the foot because they wanted to ruin your innocence initially? How did you see through it?"

Although Lu Xiang was mentally prepared that her grandmother would guess that she had something to do with it, she could not help but be shocked when she heard her say it out loud.

"Yes." She bit her lip and suddenly knelt down in front of the Old Madam. Her peach blossom-like face was filled with tenacity. "I'm guilty. After discovering Lu Mingzhu's scheme, I didn't report it to Grandmother in time. Instead, I blew up the matter and hurt the Lu family's reputation. I'm willing to be punished, but I have no regrets doing it. Even if I have a chance to do it again, I will still give Lu Mingzhu's hairpin to Wang Er."

"The mother and daughter of the Liu family failed to scheme against my reputation once. They will definitely do it again. Instead of being on my guard every day, it's better to teach her a lesson once and for all."

"Lu Mingzhu said that she liked my jade pendant. I couldn't bear to give it to her because it was my late mother's belongings, but I couldn't bear to disappoint her, so I made an identical one and engraved her name on it. In the temple, Lu Mingzhu gave me a pearl hairpin. Seeing that the hairpin was worth quite a bit, I gave her the jade pendant in return. However, Lu Mingzhu has never given me anything since she entered the manor. Moreover, I was rude to Madam Liu not long ago. Hence for Lu Mingzhu to give me the one precious thing she got from father at this time, it felt strange to me. As such, I didn't tell her that her name was engraved on the jade pendant. I also asked Wu Yue to follow Hua Mei just to be on the safe side. Unexpectedly, I heard Hua Mei ask Wang Er to take my jade pendant and frame me for having an affair early in the morning, all to ruin my innocence."

Lu Xiang did not want to lie to the old lady, but her story of being reborn was too ridiculous. She could only keep this secret for the rest of her life.