Chapter 262: Chapter 244, Caught Red-Handed_1

The servants of the Yan Family had always known about Daohua’s ferocity, yet although they respected her to her face, in their hearts, there was not much fear.

After all, Daohua was usualy very kind to the servants, she always gave orders and instructions gently and was almost never known to beat or scold them.

Working in the Daohua Pavilion was recognized as the most relaxed and comfortable job in the Yan Residence.

However, this time the expulsion of Madam Ren and her son made everyone truly realize the might of the Yan Family’s eldest daughter.

Watching Madam Ren, who was gagged and dragged away, the entire main courtyard fell silent. The servants all lowered their heads, not daring to speak out, even Ping Tong and Ping Xiao were stunned by Daohua’s sudden rage.

Feeling the fear in the eyes around her under the scorching sun, the fire in Daohua’s chest wouldn’t subside no matter what.

In these days, the worry for her elder brothers, the fatigue of looking after her grandmother and her mother, and the mental exhaustion from dealing with the various household affairs had already stretched her emotions taut.

At the moment, she was a lit fuse.

Yet some people just insisted on crashing into her head-on.

Madam Ren was but a minor character, those who truly stirred up gossip in the Yan Residence were from the Shuangxin Courtyard.

Just thinking about her elder brothers’ uncertain fate, her grandmother and mother lying sick in bed, and the people from Shuangxin Courtyard hosting friends and feasting, the fire in Daohua’s heart blazed even more fiercely.

“Didn’t Aunt Lin’s family come? Let’s go, we should have a look as well!”

Daohua stood up ‘swoosh’ and quickly stepped out of the room, heading straight for the Shuangxin Courtyard.

When Wang Manman saw this, her heart skipped a beat. She hurriedly called several matrons from the main court and quickly followed.

These days, she could feel the anger brewing in the young lady’s heart. If she didn’t let it all out today, there would be no end to it.

Ping Tong and Ping Xiao exchanged a glance, their faces filled with anxiety.

Ping Xiao said with some self-reproach, “Oh no, it’s all my fault. If I had known that the young lady would get so angry, I wouldn’t have talked about the kitchen earlier.”

But Ping Tong shook her head, “The young lady would have found out sooner or later. You just made it happen earlier. After giving birth to the fifth young mistress, Aunt Lin had quieted down and was only competing for favor with Aunt Liu.”

“But now, with elder brother and fourth brother trapped in Xingyun Prefecture, she sees her chance coming. It hasn’t been long, and she’s already starting to stir things up. It’s good for the eldest young mistress to discipline her, to keep her from forgetting her place.”

Ping Xiao was somewhat worried, “But still, Aunt Lin is the lord’s concubine. If the eldest young mistress confronts her directly, I’m afraid it won’t be good.”

Ping Tong fell silent for a moment, “Our eldest young mistress isn’t afraid of the lord.” Although a servant herself, she saw clearly that the eldest young mistress was the most confident person in the Yan Residence.

…

Shuangxin Courtyard.

When Daohua arrived with her entourage, there was no one in the courtyard except for two maids guarding the gate under the corridor.

Upon seeing Daohua coming, the maids turned to inform the people inside, but unfortunately, Wang Manman, after receiving a sign from Daohua, quickly stopped them with a few swift steps.

Daohua, ignoring the arrested maids, walked straight toward the main hall. As she stepped onto the threshold, she overheard someone inside saying.

“Your brother said, the plague in Xingyun Prefecture is very serious. Now not only is the city sealed off, but the surrounding suburbs are also closed. Madam Li has lost her two sons, they’re doomed for sure. Once they die, your brother-in-law will only have Wenbin as a son. Now that Madam Li has also fallen ill, without her sons, I guess she won’t live much longer. Once she passes away, the entire Yan Family will belong to you, sister.”

Hearing this, the servants who had followed Daohua to this place turned pale with fright.

Even Wang Manman dared not look at her young mistress’s expression.

Compared to the shock and indignation of others, Daohua was surprisingly calm. Pointing to a maid on the farthest edge, she said, “You, go to the front courtyard and ask Father to come to Shuangxin Courtyard. Tell him I am waiting for him here.”

The named maid nodded, then turned and ran out of the courtyard as if she were flying.

At that moment, it seemed as if someone in the room heard the noise. The curtain of the door was lifted, and Aunt Lin, Yan Wenbin, and Yan Yishuang all came out.

Seeing Daohua and the others standing outside, the faces of Aunt Lin and her two children changed drastically; Yan Wenbin, who seldom had any interaction with Daohua, greeted Daohua for the first time out of guilt, but his speech was stammering.

“Big… Big… Big sister!”

Daohua’s gaze swept across the faces of the three, then she walked to the door of the room, glanced at the dining table inside where more than half of the meal remained, and Madam Li’s bird’s nest porridge was ostentatiously placed on the table.

There were two other people in the room, one was Aunt Lin’s mother, Lin Wangshi; the other was Aunt Lin’s sister-in-law, Lin Xushi.

At that moment, neither woman dared to utter a sound.

After all, the eldest daughter of the Yan Family before them was nothing like what they had imagined. Although small in stature, the sharpness of her gaze as it fell upon them made them shiver involuntarily.

After observing everything in the room, Daohua turned around to look at Yan Wenbin.

Remembering how her eldest brother had introduced schoolmates to Yan Wenbin before, Daohua found it both amusing and ironic and couldn’t help but laugh, “Fifth Brother, so you are here too!”

Yan Wenbin’s heart trembled. If Daohua had erupted in anger from the start, he wouldn’t be as fearful as he was now. But she actually smiled at him, which instantly undermined his confidence.

Daohua ignored the change in Yan Wenbin’s expression and spoke on her own, “Fifth Brother, let me ask you, what do you think of our eldest brother’s treatment of you?”

Yan Wenbin swallowed and after a moment of consideration, replied, “Eldest Brother has been very good to me; I am eternally grateful.”

Daohua raised an eyebrow and smiled, “Grateful? Are you really grateful?” she said, and pointed at Lin Xushi, “Just now, when this woman was cursing our eldest brother, if you were truly grateful, why didn’t you speak up to stop her?”

Yan Wenbin’s heart tightened, “I…”

Before he could differentiate, Daohua asked another question, “Fifth Brother, do you really wish to replace our eldest brother and take his place?”

Yan Wenbin’s expression fluctuated rapidly; after all, he was only in his teens and not yet capable of concealing his inner thoughts. Daohua had hit a nerve, and he was at a loss for how to respond.

Seeing her son at a loss for words, Aunt Lin immediately stepped forward, positioning herself protectively in front of Yan Wenbin, “Eldest young miss, what are you trying to do?”

The smile disappeared from Daohua’s face, her eyes darkened, and she looked at Aunt Lin with a cold expression, “Aunt Lin, don’t be anxious. Wait until Father arrives; it will be your turn to perform.”

When Aunt Lin heard that Yan Zhigao was also on his way, her heart began to race with nervous guilt, especially since the topics they had just been discussing were indeed inappropriate for the time.

However, she quickly regained her resolve, believing that no matter what, Lord Yan now had only Wenbin as his good and healthy son. She didn’t believe that Lord Yan would truly punish them.

Daohua’s gaze brushed past Aunt Lin and looked at Yan Wenbin again, “Fifth Brother, do you wish for our eldest brother and fourth brother to die in Xingyun Prefecture?”

Yan Wenbin didn’t hesitate this time, shaking his head repeatedly, “I didn’t, I never wanted our eldest brother and fourth brother to die.”

He did wish to take the place of his eldest brother and win all of his father’s love and expectations, but he had never wished for his eldest brother or fourth brother to die.

Daohua watched Yan Wenbin quietly, as if verifying the truth of his words. After a long while, she withdrew her gaze.

Meanwhile, upon receiving the report from the maid, Yan Zhigao hurried over accompanied by the butler.