Ye Geng met Ye Zhong, an anxious driver, on the way. Ye Zhong had just sent his wife and eldest girl to Wang's house, and got his wife's order to report the news.
An hour ago, the third old wife of the Wang family sent a woman to Ye's house, saying that she was concerned about her granddaughter, and invited her wife and the eldest girl to come over to talk about it. Madam knew it was not good, so she secretly left him a message.
When he heard that the Wang family invited his wife and daughter, Ye Geng's heart skipped a beat. How could the old man of the Wang family miss his Pingniang? This meeting is probably related to the rumors outside.
He rushed to Wang's house in a hurry, and the third room of Wang's family only sent a seventh uncle who was a concubine to entertain him. This seventh brother-in-law doesn't talk about four or six on weekdays, and he can't speak a few serious words, but he can't stop talking nonsense.
He was worried about his wife and daughter, so he had to try his best to deal with it. Seeing that the sky was getting dark and the lanterns of the Wang family's courtyards were lit, there was still no news from the inner courtyard of the third room.
Uncle Seven ate and drank, and continued with two plates of snacks.
At this time, Ye Ping and Wang Shi were kneeling in the courtyard of the three old wives, and the maids and women came and went, no one took a second look at them.
Wang's heart is bitter, the aunt's rules are strict, and if there is a slight deviation, she will be punished to kneel. In the early years, she was pretty good among all the concubine sisters, kneeling less than twice in a month. After being married for many years, she thought that she had left this formidable mansion and no longer had to be at the mercy of her aunt. However, after going around for more than ten years, she found that she was still a wooden figure in the hands of her aunt.
She dared not look at her daughter kneeling beside her, feeling guilty and embarrassed.
The lights cast the kneeling shadows of the mother and daughter on the ground, which were indistinct. On a chilly spring night, the warm light overflowing inside the house is in stark contrast to the coldness outside.
Several well-dressed girls filed in with food boxes, and Ye Ping could smell the aroma of food. Through the half-closed door, one can vaguely glimpse the wealth inside.
There was a sense of hunger in her belly, and her knees were already numb.
As expected, a wealthy family has strict rules.
"Pingniang, it's my mother who has troubled you."
"Mother, it's my fault. If I hadn't caused trouble outside, I wouldn't have caused my mother to be so angry."
Wang lowered her head, tears falling to the ground.
It's her useless.
If she is a legitimate daughter and has her mother's family to rely on, how can her daughter be so belittled.
Ye Ping patted her on the back lightly, trying to calm her down.
Standing next to her was a woman who was as motionless as a statue. When Ye Ping moved, her eyes with more white than eyeballs swept over sharply.
"Biao girl, don't be arrogant in rewards, and don't be impatient in teaching and punishment. When the elders have admonishments, you should listen and reflect. When the elders have responsibilities, you should obey them. My royal family has a century-old family, and I must not make a mistake because of a lie. Breaking the rules left by the ancestors."
No matter how shameless a woman is, she has no reason to teach her master a lesson.
However, in the hearts of the servants of the Wang family, the aunts and cousins who were concubines were inferior to their identities. At any rate, they still have some dignity in front of the old lady, but the married concubine girls are submissive and have no face at all in their natal family.
Ye Ping has the memory of the original owner, she knows how these servants view their mother and daughter. In the past, the original owner didn't like to come to the Wang's house the most, and the cousins of the Wang's family called her around, worse than the girls in the mansion. The original owner had quarreled with a cousin when he was a child, but the reason was just because of a bead flower. The bead flower belonged to the original owner, and was torn off from the head by that cousin, and the bead flower was torn during the tearing, and the original owner cried out of distress. The sixth wife of the third room, that is, the cousin's mother, didn't ask any questions, and threw the original owner into the ice and snow as punishment. Wang's begging was ignored for a long time.
After a serious illness, the original master became obedient. At a young age, she knew how to seek advantages and avoid disadvantages, and to please her cousins, but she hated the Wang family more and more in her heart. She thought that people from the Wang family wouldn't dare to bully her when she came to Wen Ruyu, but she didn't know that Wen Ruyu and the direct line of the Wang family were one.
A family is like a big tree with many affiliates.
The Ye family is attached to the Wang family, and the Wang family is their heaven.
"Mother, is there anyone in the rules left by the ancestors of the Wang family who can teach the master a lesson? I am worried about my mother's health, and it is filial piety to comfort my mother. Dare to ask the rules of the Wang family but abandon filial piety? I regard filial piety as a wrong act. ?”
The woman rolled her eyes and snorted. "So distorting other people's ideas, it's no wonder that it's rumored that the girl's intentions are not right."
Wang's face turned pale, and she lightly pulled her daughter's clothes.
"Pingniang, just be patient."
"Mother, you have endured for so many years, do they have any mercy?"
It's not that Ye Ping doesn't want to endure, but that such tolerance is meaningless. Without asking a single word, it was such an indiscriminate punishment. Even a servant woman dared to look down on them, so what did she get for being so humble?
The Ye family obeyed the Wang family's words and lived on the Wang family's breath. What is the plan? It's just that someone will help you when you are in danger, and someone will protect you when you lose power.
When the original owner was persecuted by the female partner, the Wang family was the accomplice. Even after the death of the original owner, the Wang family suppressed the Ye family at the behest of the female partner, forcing Ye Geng to be exiled.
People say that they worship the Buddha for a thousand days, and they hope that someone will protect them in times of danger. Their Ye family made offerings to the great Buddha of the Wang family, but what they got in return was a complete overthrow.
That being the case, it doesn't matter if such a big Buddha is not offered.
However, Ye Ping would not say such a thing at this time. My mother is a daughter of the Wang family, and she is deeply influenced by the Wang family, so she won't wake up until the time of heartbreak.
Under her mother's begging eyes, she slowly lowered her eyes.
There is no rush for this matter, it has to be figured out slowly.
Seeing that her daughter didn't make any more noises, Mrs. Wang slowly let go of her concerns. Pingniang is still young, she doesn't know that there are some people in this world who will always be on top, and they will never be able to stand shoulder to shoulder with them throughout their lives. Even close relatives of flesh and blood are divided into ranks at birth. Their backing is the Wang family, even if the Wang family belittled them, it would be several times better than being bullied by others.
Seeing that Ye Ping didn't contradict her anymore, the old woman showed a little bit of color on her haughty face.
In the Wang family, not to mention a concubine, even a concubine can hardly stand up. A cousin girl born to a married concubine's grandmother, she is still being rubbed round and flattened by others.
The night was getting darker and darker, and the cold wind was blowing.
The mother and daughter knelt for an unknown amount of time, and the girls in the room began to remove the dishes. One after another slender figures walked away, and laughter came from afar.
About a quarter of an hour later, footsteps came from outside the yard.
The person who came was a young man in his twenties, with a greasy hair and a powdered face, and he was still shaking a folding fan. Those frivolous eyes lit up after seeing Ye Ping, and the corners of his mouth curled into a playful smile.
"So it's Fourth Aunt and Sister Pingniang."
Wang shi lowered her head and responded.
The young man slowed down and tilted his head as if he wanted to see Ye Ping's appearance.
Ye Ping lowered her head even lower, feeling sick in her heart. This young man is Wang Mu, the third son of the third house and fourth master. Wang Mu is the key figure in the later ruin of the original owner.
After the heroine successfully divorced the original owner and the female partner, the female partner annoyed the original owner. It was set up during a banquet held by the Wang family. When the original owner and Wang Mu were blocked in the room with disheveled clothes, Wang Mu's mother, Mrs. Si, scolded her for being shameless, claiming that the Wang family could not tolerate such a daughter-in-law. If it was someone else, she might bow down and become a concubine. But the Wang family has a family rule that no one of the Wang family blood, regardless of relatives or outsiders, can be a concubine, so the fourth wife stopped her. She couldn't enter the Wang's house.
The Wang family is not ashamed of her and connives at those who want to ruin her reputation. After her reputation was ruined, Ye Geng and Wang's couple did not give up and planned to send her to Qingzhou.
Unexpectedly, the female supporting role had a vicious mind, and it was not enough to ruin her reputation, she had to be completely ruined. Before she left Beijing, something happened again, and she was treated lightly by a drunkard.
The carnivore spread the word everywhere, and came to the door with her underwear to ask for marriage. The Ye family couldn't agree, they gritted their teeth and said they wanted to raise their daughter for a lifetime.
How can the female supporting role make them do what they want, and threaten the original owner in private, if they don't marry the drunkard, then the Ye family can't even think about gaining a foothold in Beijing. The original owner didn't want to marry, and didn't want to hurt her parents, so in despair, she ended her flowery life with a belt.
The original owner thought that if he died, the female partner would let their family go. Unexpectedly, Ye Geng was still released from Beijing, and his whole family died on the way to his post.
This royal family claims to be noble for a hundred years, but in Ye Ping's view, it has accumulated too much dirt. Tall trees and shrubs towered into the clouds, but there were thick rotting leaves under the trees, and the stench burst out.
Not long after Wang Mu went in, she came out again. Before leaving, she took a deep look at Ye Ping, her eyes full of interest.
After another half an hour, a decent girl finally came out of the house and invited Mrs. Wang in. Mrs. Wang stayed for nearly an hour after entering, and came out with red eyes.
When Ye Ping stood up, she felt numb below her knees.
Supporting each other, the mother and daughter walked out of the third-bedroom courtyard step by step.
A family of three left the gate of the Wang family, as if reborn after a catastrophe. The lantern at the door elongated their figures, and there was a heavy closing sound from behind.
…
In the dead of night, Ye Ping did not feel sleepy.
A faint sob came from her parents' house, and she tiptoed open the door in a cloak. Standing outside the window of my parents' room, the sobs turned to whimpers.
"...Then Master Zhao is old enough to be Pingniang's grandfather, how can mother be so cruel?"
Wang thought of her aunt's attitude when she mentioned this matter, as if it was a great gift to their Ye family. It is said that Mr. Zhao is in charge of the water transportation in Hexi, and he lives in the fourth rank. If it wasn't for the Wang family's mediation, they would not be able to reach such a high relative with their status as the Ye family.
When she first heard it, she was pleasantly surprised. Soon she realized that it was impossible for the aunt to be so kind. Mrs. Zhao is really kind, such a good marriage will not go to her Pingniang at all.
She tentatively asked Mr. Zhao's age, and when she learned that Mr. Zhao was approaching sixty, she gasped. She thought that her aunt would not be so kind, she never thought that her aunt would find such a marriage for her daughter.
The aunt saw her reluctance, and immediately changed her face. What are you saying that Pingniang's reputation is bad, and it's hard to find a good marriage in Beijing. Not to mention a wealthy family, even the younger generation of a small family would not want to marry such a dissolute woman. He also said that if he could get married with Mr. Zhao, it would definitely benefit his husband's career. No matter how ignorant she is of officialdom, she also knows that what her aunt said is too false. I am afraid that it is false that the husband is benefiting, but it is true that the Wang family is benefiting.
Ye Geng patted his wife on the back, his eyes were frighteningly dark.
The wife only knew that Mr. Zhao was old and full of children and grandchildren, but she didn't know that Mr. Zhao had been married four times. Except for the first wife, the stepwives all died of illness within three years of their marriage.
The Wang family prided themselves on being noble, but secretly wanted to reach out for water transportation, and even took his daughter from the Ye family to form a camp. It is also euphemistically called for Pingniang's good, for the sake of his official career.
If he really sold his daughter for glory, he would be worse than a pig or a dog.
"Mother-in-law didn't want you to think about it. When we meet again next time, you will say that my mother has already arranged a marriage for Pingniang in Qingzhou."
Wiping away her tears, Wang replied ehh.
Outside the window, Ye Ping's body was cold and her heart was cold, she stood silently.
The wind poured in from the hem of the cloak, and she seemed to be in a world of ice and snow. Thinking back when the original owner was thrown into the snow and punished to kneel, he must have been as chilled as she was.
…
Ye Geng wrote another letter overnight, and got up early in the morning and asked someone to send it to Qingzhou. The couple discussed and planned to send their daughter to their hometown in two days.
Unexpectedly, there are new rumors in Beijing. It is said that the Ye family and the Zhao family are discussing marriage, and Ye Geng wants to marry his daughter far away from Beijing, and he is marrying Mr. Zhao, the history of the Hexi Water Transport.
For a while, there were those who despised him, and there were also those who called him what he deserved.
Everyone knows that Ye Geng is utilitarian, marrying his daughter to an old man old enough to be his father, and spurning Ye Ping is his own fault.
After Ye Geng was shocked, he quickly understood that this was the meaning of the Wang family. The Wang family wanted to force them to marry Mr. Zhao. He thinks that the Qing is self-cleaning, and he will explain the rumors to everyone he meets, and it will be self-defeating. Unexpectedly, three people became tigers, and everyone talked about money, and few people believed what he said.
What made him even more physically and mentally exhausted was that for some reason, Master Liu of the Imperial College was dissatisfied with him, and the tasks entrusted to him were several times more than in the past.
When he returned home from a busy day, the lights were dimmed.
Mrs. Wang has been waiting for him at the door, and when she saw him, she hurriedly asked why it was so late today. He only said that there were many things to do today, without mentioning a single word.
Together with her mother, Ye Ping saw the tiredness on her father's face through the light, and vaguely guessed it.
This is the means of the powerful family.
If you don't make a move, it's fine, and if you make a move, you must be absolutely sure. Attacked from both sides, people have nowhere to escape. In the eyes of the Wang family, the little Ye family is just a few ants.
Ye Ping is not afraid of being an ant, but she is unwilling to give in. The Wang family has a high position, but at the foot of the emperor in Yongchang City, there are many families with a higher lintel than the Wang family.
For example, that Prince Wen.
Tossed and turned overnight, planning all kinds of things.
When I woke up in the morning, I saw that my parents looked as usual, except for my mother's slightly red eyes, they were the same as before. Ye Ping was laughing with his younger brother, seemingly unaffected by what happened last night.
Looking at the daughter who knew nothing, the husband and wife looked at each other with sadness in their eyes.
They didn't talk, and Ye Ping didn't ask.
Ye Geng took office, and the Wang family took care of the family, and everything remained the same.
Ye Ping quietly went out while her mother was taking her younger brother to take a nap.
…
The criminal department's yamen is at the junction of the north and the south of the city, and the gate is heavily guarded and cloudy. Ordinary people would rather detour for a few miles than pass through this place. One is fear of its spookiness, and the other is fear of its blood.
Two majestic stone lions stand side by side at the gate, and the left lion is engraved with a picture of Taiji and Eight Diagrams, which is to suppress evil spirits. The right lion is engraved with scriptures of passing away, which is to save evil ghosts and resentful spirits.
Ye Ping found a leeward corner and began to sit and wait.
The bright spring light shines on the earth, dispelling the cold air of early spring. She covered the sun with her hands and looked at the sky through her fingers. Going to the boundless clear sky, inexplicably makes people yearn infinitely.
Sanxi showed timidity, and advised in a low voice, "Girl, let's go."
"It's already here, so naturally we have to see each other before leaving." Ye Ping leaned against the wall, and turned her gaze to the criminal office.
"Girl, you... you... If the county king is annoyed, what should I do?" Sanxi didn't dare to criticize the master, but in her heart she disapproved of Ye Ping's coming to find Prince Wen.
Ye Ping didn't explain, and stared at the gate of the yamen.
After about half an hour, the dark green figure finally appeared.
She wiped her eyes with a handkerchief soaked in **** water, stuffed the handkerchief to Sanxi, and rushed over.
"Prince, save me!"
Wen Yu first felt that someone was spying on him in the dark, and his hand was already on the waist knife, and then he heard a timid cry, and inserted the knife that had just come out of its sheath.
It was the little girl named Ye Ping.
The little girl had no face and no clothes, and she cried so much that her face was full of tears, she looked so pitiful.
"Jun Wang, why did you treat me like this? I just like you, what's wrong with me? It's fine if you don't like me, why do you want others to abuse me?"
This incident happened because of her. She knew that the other party was dragged into it by herself, but she was desperate. Apart from this method, she couldn't think of any other way to save herself.
"Your Majesty, the royal family is afraid of your reputation and forced my parents to marry me far away from Beijing. That Mr. Zhao is old enough to be my grandfather, but he has a shameful habit in private. I didn't hurt anyone, so my crime didn't end there! Everyone said that you were the number one criminal officer in the Sheng Dynasty, and you were proficient in judging and interrogating cases. Then tell me, what crime did I commit, and who did I harm? I am really guilty, I beg the county king to punish me with the law of the prosperous dynasty, instead of letting the royal family use such low-level methods to ruin my life and life!"
"Since you know my methods, why don't you be more thorough?"
Ye Ping: ...
What does it mean?
Does that mean she shouldn't provoke him?
Just when she was thinking wildly and preparing for a sincere performance, she saw the cold and serious county king take two steps forward, slowly lowered his tall body, and looked at her with dark eyes like night.
"Ginger water is tear-jerking, but it has a smell. If you don't want others to notice, you should pinch the inner thigh of your arm. This is considered natural."
Ye Ping thought, it's over.
So she was identified on the spot?