Chapter 10: 010 资格，除恶惩狗

As the matter escalated, the Old Madam arrived shortly after. Wang Er’s wife, Cuihua, also came over to make a scene, wailing incessantly on the ground. She even produced a letter, claiming that Mu Qi had not only seduced her husband but had also coerced him into divorcing her. She caused a massive ruckus, shouting that if the Marquis of Anding’s Manor did not give her an explanation, she would go to the yamen to file a formal complaint.

Seeing that her unloved granddaughter had committed such a disgraceful act, the Old Madam was already fuming with rage. To her, the reputation of the Marquis's Manor was of paramount importance. Rather than ruining the future of her sons and grandsons for the sake of a dispensable granddaughter, she chose to follow her daughter-in-law's suggestion: to act for the sake of righteousness by eliminating kin. She ordered people to place Mu Qi, who was accused of adultery, into a pig cage and sink her into the river.

The implicated Wang Er had already been drowned along with her. If Mu Qi wanted to find evidence, she could only start with his wife, Cuihua; however, given Leng Ruimei's viciousness, Cuihua was likely already facing a grim fate.

This was the reason Mu Qi was drowned. Even with such a loophole-ridden conspiracy, the Old Madam actually believed it, which showed just how unimportant Mu Qi's life or death was in her eyes. The Old Madam was not a participant in the conspiracy, but she was the final judge; one could say she was just as loathsome as those who framed Mu Qi.

As the dignified eldest young lady of the Marquis of Anding's Manor, she could have married any man she desired, yet she chose to commit adultery with a mere servant. Only a heartless person like the Old Madam would believe such a clumsy pretext.

Mu Sang felt guilty that the Young Lady had nearly lost her life, and he had already investigated the entire matter. He had already arranged for people to search for Cuihua, but he hadn't expected the Young Lady to have the same idea as him. "This old servant sent people to look for her last night; please rest assured, Young Lady. How should we handle that Leng Shaocai?"

Hearing the name, a cold glint flashed in Mu Qi's eyes. Since she intended to deal with the main culprit slowly, she naturally had to teach this running dog a lesson. "Bring him to the front courtyard and notify everyone to witness the execution together." Leng Shaocai naturally had to die, but his death also had utility. Mu Qi wanted to use his death to tell everyone that in this Marquis of Anding's Manor, she, Mu Qi, was the master—the only master.

Mu Qi and her servant walked toward the front courtyard with Mu Sang. Soon, Leng Shaocai was brought up, his body covered in bloodstains and his hair disheveled; he must have suffered greatly during the night.

Upon seeing Mu Qi, Leng Shaocai fell to his knees before her with a thud. "Eldest Young Lady, spare my life! This lowly one is guilty of death ten thousand times over for framing you. But I have elderly parents and young children at home. Please, Young Lady, have mercy on my helpless family and spare my life!" Leng Shaocai wailed most sorrowfully, tears and snot streaming down his face, making Mu Qi feel nothing but nausea.

She took a large step back before speaking from her height, "How pitiful your family is. When you were framing this Young Lady, did you ever think about how pitiful I was? It is not that I insist on your death today; if you survive a hundred strokes of the board, I certainly won't drive you to an absolute end."

As Mu Qi's voice fell, a collective gasp rose from the crowd. A hundred strokes of the board—even a physically strong martial artist would not be able to endure it.

Hearing this, Leng Shaocai felt utter despair; he did not want to die. "Young Lady, spare my life! As long as you leave this lowly one alive, I will surely work like an ox or a horse to repay you!" As he spoke, he kowtowed violently. Soon, spots of blood were left on the bluestone floor that had just been swept clean of snow.

"You dog relying on your master's power, you don't even have the qualification to work like an ox or a horse. Seize him and beat him mercilessly!" Mu Qi did not want to waste any more words with him. She walked to the main seat on the high platform and sat down, sipping steaming green tea, feeling its fragrance smooth her throat.

Soon, the "slap-slap" sound of the boards, accompanied by Leng Shaocai's wails, echoed through the front courtyard. Had it been before, Mu Qi would have looked down upon such a torturous way to die, but now she felt that the rhythmic slapping was quite cathartic.

"Eldest Young Lady, stop! I'll talk, I'll talk! I'll tell you who the real mastermind behind framing the Young Lady is!" Leng Shaocai begged for mercy in agony, having long since abandoned any thought of the benefits Leng Ruimei had promised him. When a man is dead, money and wealth are all bullshit.

Mu Qi had no intention of extracting anything from Leng Shaocai. In the absence of absolute evidence, she believed Leng Ruimei and her daughter would have plenty of ways to exonerate themselves. However, since the man was willing to speak, she was willing to listen: "Speak when you have thought it through."

Thinking he had grasped the secret to survival, Leng Shaocai demanded, "Eldest Young Lady, stop the boards and I will speak immediately."

Mu Qi sneered, "You are in no position to bargain with me. Either speak, or take your secrets to hell."

Leng Shaocai completely wilted. He hadn't expected that the thing he thought was important meant nothing to Mu Qi. Though he felt a sense of loss, the pain from the boards drove him to take a gamble. "I'll say it, I'll say it! It was all the hus—"

"Qi-jie'er, how can you be so heartless? Shaocai is your uncle! How can a junior like you bring yourself to do this?" Before Leng Shaocai could finish the word "husband" or "family," his voice was interrupted by Leng Ruimei. Having heard that Leng Shaocai was being beaten, Leng Ruimei had rushed over in a hurry, ignoring the pain in her own hands.

She pushed Leng Shaocai aside, knowing Mu Qi would punish him, but she hadn't expected Mu Qi to take his life. Although he wasn't her biological brother, if he died at her hands, the Leng family would certainly cause trouble for her. Thinking of this, Leng Ruimei rushed to the front courtyard, intent on saving Leng Shaocai's life, only to arrive just as he began to confess.

She was so close—just a little bit closer—and her scheme to frame Mu Qi would have been exposed. Leng Ruimei's heart pounded wildly, and she shot a murderous glare at Leng Shaocai.

Mu Qi looked at Leng Ruimei, laughing inwardly at how quickly she had arrived. "My uncle? My mother was an orphan; where would I get an uncle? As the dignified eldest young lady of the Marquis of Anding, does someone surnamed Leng qualify to be my uncle?"

Hearing Mu Qi's words, Leng Ruimei nearly spat out a mouthful of blood. Although her Leng family was not a high-ranking noble house, her father was, after all, a sixth-rank official. Mu Qi's belittling of the Leng family made it sound as if they were lowly merchants or tenant farmers. "Mu Qi, do not go too far!"

"Haha, I go too far? Aunt, I would actually like to ask: how is it 'going too far' when I discipline the servants in my own manor? How is it 'going too far' when I refuse to recognize a running dog from who-knows-where? Beat him! Beat him mercilessly!" Mu Qi felt her mercenary bloodlust being completely provoked; however, in her past life she used action, while in this life, she used her tongue.

"Ouch! Ouch! Sister, sister, sister, save me!" Leng Shaocai could not endure the pain of the boards; he felt as if his lower body had been broken.

Listening to the continuous wails, Leng Ruimei felt the pain in her very soul. She shouted loudly, "Stop! Stop! You dogs, all of you, stop!"

The people doing the beating were arranged by Mu Sang; how could they listen to Leng Ruimei? Not only did they ignore her, but they swung the boards even higher before bringing them down heavily.

Leng Ruimei was so enraged that she spat out a mouthful of blood. "Someone! Come quickly! Seize all these thieves!"