The old lady started coughing violently, instantly enraged.
In everyone's memory, Lan Miao had always been as gentle as water, with a calm and serene smile. Although her expression was still gentle today, there was an inexplicable coldness at the corner of her mouth. She even contradicted the old lady one after another. Wen Yuanning stole glances at her, feeling both shocked and uncertain. She seemed so strange and distant.
At this moment, Lan Miao spoke again, her voice calm.
"Mrs. You, please follow Yan Bo's example and take your own life. I won't expose what you've done to harm me. I'll just say you died suddenly. The Marquis Mansion and Qing Zhi won't be shamed because of your deeds."
Lan Miao no longer addressed her with respect.
Those who heard this were all stunned. Nanny Li, who had been patting the old lady on the back to help her catch her breath, almost hit the old lady on the head. The old lady coughed even more violently.
Only then did Wen Hongxin, the head of the family, finally speak up reluctantly.
Was Lan Miao really going to force Mrs. You to death?
"Why are you so relentless? Why must you force her to die? She was wrong, but Qing Zhi did save you. If she hadn't rushed to the palace to report the incident, the princess and the empress dowager wouldn't have known about it. If Mrs. You dies without a clear explanation, the You family won't let it go easily. If the news that you were almost kidnapped spreads, it won't do any good to your reputation either."
Although Wen Hongxin's words were a bit harsh, they made sense.
Seeing Lan Miao's increasingly cold eyes, Wen Hongxin's heart sank. He softened his tone and said seriously, "Sister-in-law, think carefully."
Mrs. You was almost fuming with rage. "Who do you think you are to force me to death?"
"Don't you think about your little troublemaker? She's your daughter. You spent a night outside. Who knows if you're still innocent? What if the coachman did something to you?"
Wen Hongxin had unconsciously let go of his hold. Mrs. You, who was already crazy, became even more hysterical after hearing Lan Miao's words. She opened her mouth and shouted wildly.
"You stay in that lousy jade workshop all day long. Who knows if you've hidden a man in there? Can you explain yourself?"
Lan Miao raised her eyes and said nothing. Her gaze on Mrs. You was as cold and piercing as ice and snow.
Before she could react, Wen Yuanning couldn't stand it anymore. His face flushed red and he shouted in a rough voice, "Second sister-in-law, don't talk nonsense without evidence."
"Do I need evidence? Humph, don't you just like her? You've been guarding her for so long, but you haven't even gotten a thing. Don't think I don't know about what happened back then. I know everything. You begged the old lady for her..."
Hearing this, the old lady almost fainted. She shouted hoarsely, "Quick, cover her mouth."
There were still palace maids here.
Everyone had gone mad.
Wen Hongxin immediately did as she said. He pressed Mrs. You's mouth tightly, not daring to let her move. She had already embarrassed the whole family.
If it weren't for the fear of the You family causing trouble, he would rather let her die directly.
Han Bi blushed when she heard this and lowered her head, pretending not to hear anything. As for whether to report these words to the emperor in detail, well, she'd think about it later.
It was really amazing how Lady Lan could live in such a family full of strange people.
Wen Yuanning was so angry that he gritted his teeth. His eyes wandered restlessly, and his mind was in turmoil. But he didn't dare to look at Lan Miao at all. He felt as if he had been stripped naked and paraded in public.
Everything had gone out of control.
Lan Miao, however, remained very calm.
She had long known that they would use such words to threaten her, so she didn't want the emperor to intervene. Otherwise, the rumors and gossips would crush her and Xue'er.
As for the words about forcing Mrs. You to take her own life, it was just to provoke them and watch them make fools of themselves. Once Mrs. You said those words, even if Lan Miao was kind enough to spare her, Wen Hongxin wouldn't let this troublemaker go.
Amid the chaos, Lan Miao supported herself on the chair and stood up.
Her white dress hugged her slender waist, and she seemed on the verge of collapse.
Han Bi and Shuang Le quickly supported her.
She quietly walked up to Mrs. You. Mrs. You was lying on the ground, her hair in disarray and her clothes in a mess. She no longer had the dignity and nobility of the past. She was no different from a madwoman.
"I didn't really want you to die. What I said just now was out of anger," Lan Miao said calmly.
Mrs. You couldn't speak with her mouth covered, but her eyes were filled with hatred.
"You should be grateful that you gave birth to Qing Zhi. Otherwise, who would spare you?"
Mrs. You was so shocked that her eyes almost popped out.
Would Lan Miao really spare her?
After being toyed with by Lan Miao several times, she no longer believed a word she said.
"Qing Zhi can't lose her mother now. I hope the marquis can send Mrs. You away from Luojing and have her strictly guarded. If the You family comes to cause trouble, tell them that Mrs. You tried to hire a killer but failed, and the emperor and the empress dowager already know about it. Don't say anything else. I'm sure they won't dare to ask more," Lan Miao said as she looked at Wen Hongxin.
It was a reasonable and considerate suggestion that saved the face of the Marquis Mansion.
Her previous stubbornness didn't seem so hateful anymore. Wen Hongxin nodded.
"This method is feasible."
Mrs. You looked terrified. After all these years of marriage, he didn't even try to protect her? Even if she didn't die now, after being imprisoned for a few years, would she still be alive?
Seeing that these people were about to decide her fate, she was extremely anxious. She opened her mouth and bit Wen Hongxin's finger that was covering her mouth.
Wen Hongxin let out a cry of pain and quickly withdrew his hand.
Finally, Mrs. You got the chance to speak. She spat at Wen Hongxin's face and said, "You heartless man. I gave birth to a son and a daughter for you, and this is how you treat me. You let Lan Miao bully me. You're so cruel. Have you been wanting to replace me for a long time?"
"Our You family won't let it go easily. My mother loves me the most..."
She gritted her teeth with every word. Wen Hongxin was stunned by her scolding and forgot to cover her mouth.
Mrs. You continued to vent her anger.
"And that Qing Zhi, that little devil. Why did I give birth to her? I should have strangled her as soon as she was born. Now she's even ruining my and my son's lives..."
"Slap."
Lan Miao walked over and slapped Mrs. You across the face.
Everyone present was shocked. Who would have thought that the gentle and delicate Lan Miao would ever strike someone?
The slap was especially crisp. There wasn't much anger on Lan Miao's face. Instead, there was an indescribable sadness.
She knew the pain of losing a mother. She had lost her own mother and had been fostered under the name of her stepmother since childhood. So she spared Mrs. You's life for Qing Zhi's sake.
As for Mrs. You, she had brought this upon herself.
Lan Miao didn't hate her deeply. She just hoped that she would never harm anyone again in this lifetime.
"Qing Zhi doesn't want a mother like you," Lan Miao said.
"Marquis, please never let her out in this lifetime."
The meaning of "never let her out in this lifetime" was that once Mrs. You was imprisoned and the You family stopped causing trouble after a while, Wen Hongxin could send her a letter of divorce. After that, whether she lived or died would depend on fate.
"Okay, okay, okay."
Wen Hongxin repeated. Reacting quickly, he immediately ordered someone to come in and tie up Mrs. You and drag her out. He dragged Mrs. You out of the inner chamber. When Mrs. You was being dragged out, Lan Miao saw the extreme hatred in her eyes. She calmly met her gaze and remained unmoved.
As soon as they left, the inner chamber became much quieter.
The old lady felt that she could finally catch her breath.
Today had really been a nightmare for her.
Nanny Li also noticed that Lan Miao was different from before. She didn't even dare to breathe loudly and just focused on helping the old lady catch her breath.
The atmosphere suddenly became quiet.
Wen Yuanning didn't know whether to leave or stay.
Lan Miao took a few steps towards Wen Yuanning. The matter of Mrs. You was finally resolved, and now she wanted to talk to Wen Yuanning about Yan Bo.
"How did Yan Bo die?"