“Crash!”
In a fit of rage, Old Madam, who was drinking her medicine, smashed the bowl in her hand.
The floor was a mess.
Instantly, maids and elderly servants knelt all around.
“This is truly outrageous! Don’t think that just because Ci’er is protecting her, she can act lawlessly. Go, have her dragged here immediately!”
This time, the matron did not go herself but pointed to a few maids and elderly servants. “First, be polite; if Concubine Jiang refuses to cooperate, you need not be courteous with her.”
After sending them off, she poured another bowl of medicine for Old Madam.
“Please don’t harm your own health. This poison is potent, so you must take your medicine properly.”
“If I don’t deal with her, I’ve suffered this poisoning for nothing.”
As Jiang Wan had guessed, Old Madam had poisoned herself.
Knowing Jiang Wan’s importance in Fu Ci’s heart, she realized that without drastic measures, he would never agree to marry.
The Fu family had only one heir in this generation.
Old Madam was deeply anxious.
Coincidentally, she had also found a granddaughter-in-law who satisfied her in every way, which solidified her resolve to give them a push.
The matron warned cautiously, “You mustn’t say such things again. Be careful of eavesdroppers.”
Old Madam nodded repeatedly. “You’re right.”
Ci’er hated being deceived the most. If he found out about this, the consequences would be unimaginable.
“Send someone to the Yun family to inform them and finalize the date as soon as possible. Have them marry right after the autumn hunt.”
If this dragged on any longer, her health would recover fully.
Then, she would have no way to handle Ci’er.
When the people from the East Courtyard returned, Jiang Wan knew she had no choice but to go.
The elderly servant leading the group was the same one who had been disrespectful to Jiang Wan last time.
“Concubine Jiang, will you walk on your own, or shall we make you?”
Jiang Wan set down the brush in her hand. “Lead the way.”
Qiu Yue was frantic. Given the situation, Old Madam was surely going to punish the concubine.
If anything happened to the concubine, everyone in the West Courtyard would suffer.
In the vast Fu residence, aside from Fu Ci, only Old Madam was the true master in every sense.
Now that Old Madam had issued a strict order and sent so many people, clearly unwilling to let the matter rest, what else could they do but hope for the master to return early?
Jiang Wan arrived at the East Courtyard.
Old Madam was reclining on the couch, wearing a headband. Her complexion seemed to have improved somewhat.
Perhaps due to her age, her body was recovering slowly, and she still lacked the strength to get out of bed.
Seeing Jiang Wan, Old Madam said sternly, “Kneel!”
Since Old Madam was determined to summon her to the East Courtyard, it was clear that punishment was unavoidable.
Jiang Wan could bend without breaking, so she knelt without resistance.
As she knelt, Qiu Yue behind her followed suit.
In her heart, she kept praying: I hope the master returns soon.
“Do you know why I called you here?”
Jiang Wan replied respectfully, “This concubine is naturally dull-witted. Please enlighten me, Old Madam.”
“Hmph! I think you’re refusing to admit your mistake! In that case, kneel for half an hour first and think carefully about what you’ve done wrong.”
Jiang Wan was not surprised.
Old Madam was determined to punish her. Even if she argued until she was blue in the face or spun the most eloquent tale, it would be useless.
She knelt quietly, neither begging for mercy nor offering explanations.
The sight of Jiang Wan only fueled Old Madam’s anger.
Especially after half an hour, when sweat had beaded on Jiang Wan’s forehead, yet she still refused to bow her head and admit her mistake.
Old Madam’s anger only grew.
Such pretense!
She was probably planning to play the victim in front of Ci’er!
Her turbid eyes shifted.
After all, when Ci’er returns to the estate, he will surely be angry with me.
Since that’s the case, why not thoroughly discipline Jiang Wan in one go, letting her understand what it means to properly fulfill her role as a concubine.
Let’s see if she dares to provoke Yanran in the future?
Or if she dares to lead Ci’er into a life of debauchery?
Her knees ached terribly, the pain eventually numbing her entire leg, yet Jiang Wan remained kneeling upright.
The matron whispered a reminder to the Old Madam, “If we delay any longer, the master may return to the estate.”
“Do you admit your wrongdoing?”
Jiang Wan understood the Old Madam’s intentions perfectly.
Just as she had told Fu Ci, no matter what happened, if someone was displeased, the one to be punished would always be her.
A chill settled in Jiang Wan’s heart. What had she been clinging to in this place in her past life?
“Please instruct me, Old Madam.”
The Old Madam had never intended to let Jiang Wan off.
If she admitted her mistake, it would be a natural progression—wrongdoing deserved punishment, and it would also serve as an explanation to Ci’er.
Originally, she had only planned to give her two lashes to teach her a lesson, but now the Old Madam changed her mind.
At least five lashes, to see if her bones were still as unyielding!
“Someone! Bring the family discipline!”
Qiu Yue was horrified, kowtowing repeatedly. “The concubine is frail. I beg the Old Madam for mercy!”
“A nation has its laws, and a family has its rules. Since you have entered the Fu family, you must abide by the Fu family’s discipline.”
The Old Madam showed no mercy. “Originally, you should have been disciplined before the ancestral hall, in the presence of our ancestors, but what you have done is too disgraceful and would taint the ears of our forebears. You shall be punished here instead.”
Jiang Wan felt like laughing. What right did she have to enter the Fu family’s ancestral hall?
She was merely a concubine. To punish her, there was no need to choose a day or a place.
The whip swung through the air with a sharp crack.
Excruciating pain exploded across her back. Her already cold heart froze completely at that moment, leaving no room for warmth.
What was so good about being a concubine?
It was no different from being a servant or a slave.
Others could beat her whenever they pleased.
“Stop! It’s already five lashes. Any more, and the concubine will lose her life!”
Qiu Yue threw herself forward, blocking one of the lashes.
She was pulled aside by a nearby matron, forbidden from approaching again.
She could only continue kowtowing. “I beg the Old Madam for mercy!”
The Old Madam, half-reclining on the couch, half-closed her eyes, her expression unmoved.
The more unyielding Jiang Wan was, the more the Old Madam wanted to break her.
If she wasn’t subdued now, once Yanran entered the estate, she might still be bullied by her.
Watching another lash fall on Jiang Wan, the Old Madam said calmly, “Since you have become a concubine, you must recognize your place. Yanran is the carefully chosen wife I have selected for Ci’er. The humiliation you inflicted upon her is enough to have you expelled from the Fu family or even sold off. That you are still allowed to remain in the estate and enjoy its comforts is a testament to the Fu family’s mercy.”
“After today, you will voluntarily move out of the western courtyard. If you dare to lure Ci’er into your bed again, next time it won’t be as simple as a whipping.”
The scent of blood filled the air, and a dull ache spread from her heart.
Jiang Wan was on the verge of fainting.
Within the same estate, she once again realized how human life could be as worthless as grass.
In the eyes of the Fu family, she was nothing.
If she died, she died.
She was merely one less idle mouth to feed!