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Chapter 190: Chapter 190: Sent to Jiao Fangsi!
"Mother, I really am your daughter!" Zhan Liluo burst into tears.
Madame Zhang rubbed her nearly blinded eyes from crying and upon hearing her daughter’s voice again, she boldly got up and walked forward.
After confirming that the person in front of her was Zhan Liluo, she collapsed and hugged her, "My daughter, who has done this to you!"
Two maids came in, supporting Madame Zhang, who spit out a mouthful of blood in distress, nearly fainting.
Madame Wang also hurried over upon hearing the news and frowned as she looked at Zhan Liluo.
She had originally planned to find a good marriage alliance for Zhan Liluo that could assist Zhan Xincheng’s career.
However, not only had Zhan Liluo lost her chastity, but she had also been turned into a beauty pot.
With her current ghastly appearance, who would still want to marry her!
She never really liked girls, and now that Zhan Liluo looked like a ghost, she might as well be dead.
Zhan Liluo cried and looked towards Madame Wang, who feigned a sympathetic look and comforted her with a few words.
Madame Zhang held Zhan Liluo, having no idea how to get her out of the pottery urn.
Ever since Madame Wang found out that her daughter-in-law, Madame Zhang, had afflicted her son with the Love Flower Poisonous Insect, she found Madame Zhang unpleasant in every way.
Her heart agitated by Madame Zhang’s crying, her right eyelid twitched violently, and she asked Zhan Liluo urgently, "Where is your father, didn’t he come back with you?"
Zhan Liluo struggled to answer, "Father had someone send me back first..."
Hearing this, Madame Wang grew more uneasy.
At the front door, the sound of hurried footsteps approached, and Housekeeper Wang of the second branch knocked on the door crying, "Old Madam, it’s terrible, the second master has had an accident!"
Nanny Liu quickly opened the door.
"Speak quickly!" Madame Wang clenched the handkerchief in her hand.
Housekeeper Wang wiped his tears and said, "The people from the Xingtian Department brought the injured second master back home; please go see him quickly!"
Madame Wang’s legs weakened, and she stumbled out the door supported by Nanny Liu.
Madame Zhang, having heard the news, also dried her tears and asked the maids to take good care of Zhan Liluo as she followed them out.
Madame Wang, being a doctor herself, saw her son with a sword wound in his chest and a broken leg, his body covered with countless other injuries.
"My son..." Madame Wang forced back her pain and checked her son’s pulse.
Zhan Xincheng barely opened his eyes, looked at Madame Wang and stuttered with difficulty, "Mother, am I dying soon..."
Madame Wang’s hand trembled as she checked his pulse, she composed herself, held back her tears, and comforted Zhan Xincheng, "Cheng’er, mother will definitely cure you."
Zhan Xincheng gave a bitter smile, "Mother, I know my own body... leave the matters of the other house to you."
Madame Wang’s throat churned, tears sliding down; she knew Zhan Xincheng was referring to his two concubines without official status.
Madame Zhang entered, seeing Zhan Xincheng covered in blood, she cried uncontrollably, falling beside the bed.
Madame Wang scolded, "What good is crying and wailing?"
Zhan Xincheng did not even glance at Madame Zhang; it was this woman who had afflicted him with the Love Flower Poisonous Insect, otherwise, he would have had many children by now.
And now at this age, he was still worried about having heirs!
Madame Zhang stopped crying and sent someone to inform Zhan Beicang and Zhan Xinzhang.
The family gathered, and Zhan Liluo was carefully removed from the pottery urn by a craftsman, bit by bit.
Seeing her empty legs, Madame Zhang’s cries shook the heavens.
Zhan Xinzhang and Zhan Beicang stood in the courtyard, Zhan Beicang said, "Father, the Heavenly Slaughter Sect has been annihilated, and Ouyang Song and his son died tragically in a fire!"
Zhan Xinzhang’s brows furrowed tightly, "Right now, let’s focus on treating Xincheng’s illness."
He walked away with his hands behind his back; the main culprits, the Ouyang Family, were all dead, leaving Zhan Beicang feeling the futility of revenge in his father’s departing silhouette.
...
Elsewhere, the Cui Family also received an imperial decree.
Emperor Xuanwu was furious because Cui Hao colluded with the king of Western Rong to murder Xiao Yin.
His anger stemmed from the fact he never wanted Xiao Yin to return, much less to clear his name.
Initially, when he had just ascended the throne, Emperor Xuanwu wanted to establish his authority among the ministers. He intended to suppress Zhan Beicang even though Xiao Yin, far in Western Rong, frequently presented petitions at critical moments, siding with Zhan Beicang and utterly disregarding him as the new emperor.
But right now, Mu Yan directly presented all the evidence in court, leaving him no choice but to punish Cui Hao and to rectify Xiao Yin’s name.
He decreed the confiscation of property and ordered Cui Hao’s beheading in public as a warning to others.
On the day of Cui Hao’s execution, the Cui Mansion was thrown into chaos.
Since the Xingtian Department is a superior to the Ministry of Justice, to avoid conflict of interest, the Imperial Army was in charge of the confiscation.
A group of female family members were herded together, with Cui Ying kneeling on the ground, looking at the solemn-faced officers, daring not even to breathe heavily.
"Mother, what will happen to us?" Cui Ying asked, trembling.
Zhou squeezed her daughter’s hand and said, "Nothing will happen, your maternal grandfather has already pleaded for us in court, everything will be fine..."
The usually arrogant and domineering demeanor of Cui Ying became timid.
Little did they know, the next moment, a leader of the Imperial Army’s confiscation task force said, "The young women of the Cui Family are to be sent to Jiao Fangsi, and the older ones to Ganye Temple!"
The female family members dissolved into tears.
"What?" Zhou’s eyes widened as she clung tightly to Cui Ying.
Jiao Fangsi was a den of debauchery for men’s pleasure.
How could her daughter be sent to such a place!
Cui Ying heard that overnight, from being a wealthy young lady, she was to be taken to Jiao Fangsi to become a prostitute.
She cried and kowtowed for mercy, "Please, let me go to Ganye Temple!"
She would rather go to Ganye Temple to cultivate her spirituality than serve those despicable men who could buy her body with money.
The deputy leader of the Imperial Army glanced at Cui Ying, who was quite beautiful as the young Miss of the Cui Family, probably she could become the star attraction at Jiao Fangsi.
Cui Ying was rudely yanked up from the ground by him, and he said coldly, "Are you questioning His Majesty’s decree? Take her away!" 𝖓𝔬𝖛𝔭𝔲𝖇.𝔠𝔬𝖒
"No, I don’t want to go to Jiao Fangsi!" Cui Ying cried as she was dragged away.
Zhou fainted on the spot.
Zhan Lan stood atop a tavern on the main street, watching the messy state of the Cui Family, their former prosperity now vanished like a bubble.
The cries of the Cui Family women echoed one after another.
Cui Hao, in chains, was led by the Imperial Army to the vegetable market for his execution.
Zhan Lan gripped the railing tightly, she had finally brought down the Cui Family!
...
Two days later, a homing pigeon landed on the window of Zhan Lan’s boudoir.
Zhan Lan opened the small note and seeing the content inside, her lips curled into a smile.
She led her people, riding in a carriage, back to the Zhan Family.
This time, she did not enter through the back door but went straight through the front.
Zhan Hui saw Zhan Lan bringing people and packages, and he came forward to ask, "Lan, what is this..."
Zhan Lan nodded and said, "I heard Second Uncle was injured, I came to check on him."
Zhan Hui’s expression suddenly turned worried, "Second Uncle’s injury is quite serious."
Zhan Lan nodded, "Therefore, I’ve found some nutritious medicinal herbs for him."
"Let’s go together!" Zhan Hui took Zhan Lan to the door of Zhan Xincheng’s room.
Wang was feeding Zhan Xincheng medicine, she heard from Housekeeper Wang, "Old Madam, Young Master Zhan Hui and Miss Zhan Lan have arrived!"
Wang frowned, wondering what Zhan Lan was doing at the home, but given Zhan Lan’s current status as the Martial Arts Champion.
She couldn’t well avoid meeting her; with a hoarse, weak voice she said, "Let them in."
Zhan Lan and Zhan Hui entered the room together; Zhan Lan saw Zhan Xincheng lying on the bed, his face devoid of any color and lifeless.
Zhan Lan suppressed the hatred and satisfaction in her heart, nodded and said, "Grandmother, I came to see Second Uncle."
Wang’s tone was not warm, her eyes glanced at the medicinal herbs Zhan Lan was carrying and said, "We already have medicinal herbs at home, no need to trouble yourself!"
Deep down, Wang still deemed Zhan Lan too humble, wondering what quality of medicinal herbs she could bring.
Indeed, she was here to make things difficult!
