Married to a Villainous Minister - Chapter 194

The maid had never seen her master in such a furious state before. Terrified, her whole body trembled as she stammered, “The young miss is inside.”

Yang Yuancheng’s face was dark as thunder as he strode toward the room.

Hearing the commotion, Huamei rushed into the inner room and warned Yang Jiyan in a panic, “Miss, something’s wrong! The master is here, and he looks absolutely livid!”

Yang Jiyan’s heart skipped a beat. Alarmed, she dropped the flower frame she had been arranging and hurried to the outer room. But before she could say a word, Yang Yuancheng stormed in and slapped her hard across the face.

Yang Yuancheng was no frail scholar, and the blow, thrown in a fit of rage, landed with full force. Caught completely off guard, Yang Jiyan staggered and collapsed to her knees.

The maids in the room were so frightened their faces turned pale, and they all dropped to the ground in fear.

Her cheek burned fiercely and began to swell almost immediately. Yang Jiyan clutched the side of her face, overwhelmed by a surge of humiliation. She looked at Yang Yuancheng in disbelief.

She was the legitimate daughter of the household, deeply favored by both Lady Yang and Yang Yuancheng. She had never been punished like this before. Feeling deeply wronged, tears welled in her eyes as she choked out, “Why did Father hit me? I’ve always behaved well and never done anything outrageous. How could you hit me?”

Seeing her cry so pitifully stirred some guilt in Yang Yuancheng. This was, after all, his own daughter. But the moment he recalled what the maid Xiaodie had confessed, fury surged through him once again.

“If you were truly well-behaved, you wouldn’t have caused such a mess!” He snapped. “The Western Garden is hosting important guests. I gave strict orders that no one from the household was to enter. And what did you do? You deliberately had a maid lead those two girls from the Yu family into that area!”

Yang Yuancheng crouched down, his gaze sharp and cold. “Tell me, Jiyan, what were you really thinking?”

Yang Jiyan had never seen her father this angry before. Trembling, she clutched her face and sobbed, “Father, I didn’t! Ever since you said the Western Garden had guests, I’ve kept my distance. I never told anyone to bring the Yu sisters there! Someone must be framing me!”

Yang Yuancheng’s heart sank with disappointment. “Xiaodie has confessed everything. And yet you still lie to me?”

Just then, Lady Yang entered the courtyard. Seeing the scene inside, she was confused at first, until her eyes fell on Jiyan, who was kneeling in tears, a red handprint swelling on her cheek.

Distressed, she stepped forward and said, “What is this about? Why are you so angry with Jiyan? She’s your daughter, how can you lay hands on her?”

She moved to help Jiyan up, but Yang Yuancheng grabbed her wrist and pulled her aside, furious. “Too much motherly affection ruins a child! Stay out of this. Today, Jiyan nearly made a terrible mistake. If she keeps going like this, she’ll bring ruin to the entire Yang household!”

Lady Yang had been married to him for years, yet she had never seen him this furious. Clearly, Jiyan had made a grave mistake. She opened her mouth to plead for her daughter but swallowed the words.

“I ask you again, do you admit to your wrongdoing?” Yang Yuancheng’s voice was cold and harsh.

Yang Jiyan shook her head desperately. Tears streamed down her face, her hair becoming disheveled as strands clung to her wet cheeks. She sobbed, “I didn’t lie, Father! Mother asked me to take the Yu sisters to the garden to admire the osmanthus. Then Nanny said that little brother Xu woke up and was crying for me.” 

“I felt sorry for him, so I asked Xiaodie to escort the Yu sisters back. Yu Jiao even said she liked the osmanthus tea I made, so I gave her the rest of the tea cakes. Mother and the maids in my courtyard can all vouch for me! I bear no grudge against the Yu sisters, why would I try to harm them?”

Still unwilling to admit the truth, she clung to her story. Yang Yuancheng’s jaw clenched. He took a deep breath and barked, “Guards!”

Two strong attendants rushed into the room. He pointed to Huamei, who was kneeling on the floor, and ordered coldly, “Drag her outside and beat her severely!”

Huamei was so frightened that she collapsed where she knelt. The attendants grabbed her and began dragging her outside as she screamed, “Miss! Please save me! Miss!”

But Yang Jiyan could barely protect herself, how could she help her maid?

Soon, the sounds of heavy blows and Huamei’s screams filled the courtyard. Each cry made Yang Jiyan flinch as if the blows landed on her own heart.

From outside, Huamei wailed, “Mi…Miss…! Ahhh! Please save me!”

Trembling, Yang Jiyan raised her tear-streaked face and turned pleading eyes toward Lady Yang. “Mother, I swear I didn’t do anything. Father has been misled by lies. Please save Huamei. She’s served me loyally for years. If this continues, she’ll be beaten to death!”

Lady Yang clutched her handkerchief, heart aching at the sight of her daughter crying like this. Her beloved daughter, spoiled and treasured like a pearl, had never suffered such humiliation or punishment before.

She tried to reason gently. “Husband, if you have something to say, just talk to Jiyan. There’s no need for such beatings, it’ll traumatize the child.”

Yang Yuancheng’s expression didn’t soften, but his heart did ache. The Yang family had few children, and for many years, they had only had Jiyan. She had been his only daughter, spoiled beyond reason, given anything she wanted, raised like a precious jewel in his hand.

And the more he had loved her before, the more bitter his disappointment now.

Jiyan thought herself clever, but her schemes were nothing before someone like him, a seasoned magistrate who’d presided over hundreds, if not thousands, of criminal cases. Her lies were foolish and transparent.

He never expected her to be some paragon of virtue, but after all his careful raising, she should at least know right from wrong, not harbor malice and plot harm.

Did she not know that harming others would only lead to her own downfall?

If Marquis Gu and the others decided to pursue the matter, he wouldn’t be able to save her even if he threw away his pride. And if word of what happened to Xiao Ning at the Yang estate ever spread, their entire family might be doomed.

Suddenly, Huamei’s screams from outside ceased. A servant rushed in to report, “Master, the maid passed out from the beating. Should we continue?”

Yang Yuancheng glanced at Yang Jiyan, still unwilling to admit fault, and made up his mind. “Pour salt water on her wounds. Wake her up and keep going.”

This was a brutal method often used in court interrogations. For women in the inner chambers, it was unimaginable.

The other maids in the room were trembling, their bodies shivering as they pressed themselves to the floor. After such a punishment, how could Huamei possibly survive?