“The young lady is truly prescient. When Mother He went to Youranju, she came out with a money bag in her hand.”
The incident happened so suddenly that Rouge had lost her composure and looked at Cao Lingyun blankly, “Miss, what should we do?”
“How about we go to the madam and expose this old servant’s crimes, so that she won’t be deceived without even realizing it?”
Rouge was indignant, but she did remind Cao Lingyun.
Instantly, the panic in her heart dissipated, she sighed softly, picked up the teacup on the table, and drank it all in one gulp.
“Miss, have you made up your mind?” Rouge stamped her feet anxiously, wishing she could read the girl’s mind and help her solve her problems.
“Don’t panic.” Cao Lingyun’s lips curled into a meaningful smile. “You Ran Ju suffered a great loss a few days ago, so I don’t think they’ll let it go easily.”
Under Rouge’s gaze, she said, word by word, “If they want revenge, what would be the most opportune time?”
Rouge suddenly clapped her hands, realizing, “The mosque tomorrow.”
“How clever,” Cao Lingyun said with a half-smile. “Let’s just go with the flow and fulfill their wishes.”
This time, she will make that wicked mother and daughter reap what they sow.
“Rouge, go find your elder brother and tell him to lead his elite troops to the mosque at 2:45 pm tomorrow.”
Seeing Cao Lingyun’s confident demeanor, Yanzhi remained silent and turned to look for someone….
From a long-abandoned house on the outskirts of Beijing, the sound of whips cracking could be heard, accompanied by cries of pain.
It looked especially eerie in the darkness.
Cao Lingtang, tired of beating him, threw the whip to a servant beside him, pointed at the man covered in wounds on the ground, and said angrily.
“Keep hitting him as long as you don’t kill him.”
While not fatal, whips dipped in salt water doubly intensify the pain.
“Good sir, please forgive me. I’ll give you whatever money you want.” Zhang Yachu hurriedly knelt down and begged for mercy.
Cao Lingtang was in a rage and wouldn’t listen to anything anyone said, but he gave the servant a meaningful look.
Moments later, the sounds of whipping and screams echoed throughout the courtyard.
With a creak.
Zhou Hongbo pushed open the door and entered. Seeing the disheveled Zhang Yachu, he frowned and scrutinized Cao Lingtang, who was pretending to be innocent.
Why did you tie him up here?
“Of course I have to vent my anger.” Mentioning Zhang Yachu, Cao Lingtang was furious. He stepped forward and kicked Zhang Yachu in the groin, cursing under his breath.
“Why don’t you take a piss and look at yourself in the mirror? What kind of status and position do you have that you dare to covet my sister? You’re really courting death.”
He grabbed Zhang Yachu’s hair, forced Zhang Yachu to look him in the eye, and spat on Zhang Yachu’s face without hesitation.
“In the Tang family, you barged into the inner quarters, ruined my sister’s reputation, and even spread rumors everywhere. You are truly courting death.”
Upon hearing this, Zhou Hongbai was taken aback and instantly realized that Cao Lingtang was just putting on an act for him, afraid that he and Cao Lingyun would develop a rift.
He crossed his arms and leisurely observed everything before him. “Let’s continue.”
Without the slightest hesitation, Cao Lingtang ordered his servant, “Beat him.”
As long as Zhou Hongbo can calm down, it would be worth it to take it out on Zhang Yachu, even if it meant beating him to death.
He approached Zhou Hongbai and hesitated before speaking, “Brother Hongbai, the rumors circulating in the capital are horrifying. This person has nothing to do with Yun’er. In fact, Yun’er is also a victim.”
Upon hearing this, Zhou Hongbai’s gaze sharpened. It seemed that Cao Lingyun had not yet revealed the matter of announcing the engagement, so he still had a chance. His previously lifeless heart instantly became active again.
Upon hearing the identities of the two men, Zhang Yachu was terrified and hurriedly said…
“Young Master Cao, I am very sorry about your sister’s matter. I did indeed rudely to Yun’er that day. I am not a rogue or scoundrel from the streets. I only resorted to this tactic because I admire Yun’er. It was just a means to win the favor of a beauty.”
“You’re supposed to be a scholar, so let me give you a piece of advice: don’t mess with people you shouldn’t. My sister is already engaged; if you continue to be so stubborn, you’ll only die faster.”
Cao Lingtang thought Zhang Yachu would give up, but unexpectedly, he angered him.
“If we both want the marriage, then the engagement is just a piece of paper.”
Zhang Yachu, oblivious to the danger, continued to spout off, “As long as Yun’er remains unmarried, I will not give up. Unless you kill me, I will definitely compete with that person.”
Each word has a distinct rhyme, which is really jarring to listen to.
Zhou Hongbo’s hawk-like eyes were sharp, and his cold voice was intimidating, “You dare to compete with me!”
Zhang Yachu was clearly taken aback. He knew that Cao Lingyun was engaged, but he never expected that it would be Young Master Zhou!
In an instant, he panicked and instinctively moved his feet toward the door, wishing he could escape this hellish scene immediately.
The thought of the immense wealth he would gain by marrying Cao Lingyun forced him to calm down, and he looked up to meet Zhou Hongbai’s gaze.
“Young Master, matters of love have always been beyond our control. You may have power, influence, and a marriage contract, but in matters of love, these are all just fleeting bubbles.”
He firmly stated, “I firmly believe that my feelings for Yun’er will overcome all obstacles.”
“They have ambition, but not many. They have the energy to shout, but they should think about how to get out of here.”
Zhou Hongbo sneered, his deep eyes cold and terrifying, “If I find out you’ve used her, I’ll make you wish you were dead.”
“Tang-ge’er, Bai-ge’er.”
A low, humble voice rang out. Upon seeing who it was, the two walked out of the room one after the other in tacit agreement.
The servant bowed respectfully and, in a few words, recounted everything that Rouge had instructed him to do.
The two men listened, their expressions growing increasingly grim, their brows furrowed, realizing that things were not as simple as they seemed.
They exchanged a smile, and a plan formed in their minds.
The next morning, Cao Lingyun helped Liu Ruoyan into the carriage and left the Cao residence.
Shortly after, the gatekeeper reported the news to Peng Xue.
Upon hearing this, Cao Linglan was overjoyed. “Mother, our chance has come! This time, we’ll make sure that mother and daughter never have a chance to turn things around. From now on, we’ll be the ones who call the shots in the Cao family.”
“Don’t worry, with Mom and me here, they can’t escape.” Peng Xue’s eyes were filled with venom as she anxiously awaited good news.
…
On the official road leading to the mosque.
Cao Lingyun lifted the curtain and saw that there was no one outside, so she called for the carriage to stop. Rouge and Bao Yan got off from another carriage.
“Yun’er, why did you stop? Is something wrong?”
With He’s mother’s help, Liu Ruoyan got off the carriage. Not knowing when another carriage had appeared behind her, she looked at her daughter in confusion.
“Mother, the main road has been unruly lately. Let’s take a side road to enter the mosque.”
Cao Lingyun took the initiative to help Liu Ruoyan, subtly separating herself from He’s mother.
Madam He glanced at Bao Yan and Yanzhi as they got into the front carriage and realized that this was a diversionary tactic.
Could it be that Cao Lingyun has figured something out?
Just as she was lost in thought, Cao Lingyun’s urging voice rang in her ears.
“Mother He, hurry up and come up. It would be bad luck if we missed the appointed time to worship the immortal.”
“Okay,” Mrs. He replied, dropping the handkerchief as she stepped forward when he wasn’t looking.