Chapter 137: Red Plums in the Snow
Chapter 137: Chapter 137: Red Plums in the Snow
Cao Luyun looked ill at ease. She took a few steps forward and said, "I am truly sorry. I have been lax in managing my servants, allowing them to gossip and speak such filth. It is truly my fault. I beg for Liang Ji’s forgiveness."
She sounded sincere. As she spoke, she raised her hands to her brow and bowed deeply.
Liang Wan did not speak, so Cao Luyun did not rise.
An ordinary concubine was expected to be like a servant, waiting on the main wife all day. Not only was backtalk forbidden, but even speaking loudly was not allowed.
But this one? Forget serving tea after joining the household—she didn’t even appear for daily greetings. And now, she was making the main wife bow in apology to a mere concubine. It was utterly out of line!
Brazen. Absolutely brazen!
Seeing this, a servant woman shuffled forward on her knees and began to kowtow, apologizing profusely. "This has nothing to do with my lady! It is all our fault. Whatever punishment Liang Ji wishes to mete out, even if you want to kill or torture us, we will accept it. Just please do not take your anger out on our lady. She has a gentle nature and doesn’t know how to play tricks—"
"She has suffered enough just by marrying into the Grandmaster’s Mansion! She never fights or schemes, just sits on the sidelines, getting the cold shoulder. If Liang Ji holds a grudge against my lady because of our mistakes, then there will truly be no way for her to survive in this mansion!"
With that, she slammed her head against the ground—THUD, THUD, THUD—clearly with more force than before.
She was fiercely loyal to her master.
Liang Wan acted as if she saw nothing. Her gaze drifted to the center of the courtyard, which was a plain, stark white.
Neither Bai Lu nor Shuangjiang said a word, standing quietly to the side.
Cao Luyun remained in her bow, and the servants continued to kowtow.
Aside from the sound of heads hitting the ground, there was no other noise.
Liang Wan stared at the snow-covered scene, lost in thought.
’Honestly, these words were nothing.’
’In terms of sophistication, they were nothing compared to the scholars and talented men who used their ink and brushes to write flowery, blush-inducing prose, weaving all sorts of lewd fantasies about her, even using her as a model for erotic art.’
’In terms of crudeness, they couldn’t match the talk on the streets. One didn’t even need to go to a teahouse to hear the storytellers; just standing on a street corner was enough to hear the most vicious, vile words imaginable...’
’If she hadn’t experienced it herself, she never would have imagined that people in this world could harbor such immense malice toward someone they had never even met.’
’It was as if verbal attacks, insults, and degradation gave them a kind of satisfaction and pleasure they couldn’t find elsewhere.’
’It was as if crushing a flower that was too bright, tearing it to shreds, and grinding it into the mud was their way of carrying out heaven’s justice, of ridding the world of a pest.’
’After eating and drinking their fill, they would go to sleep with a clear conscience, never knowing that because of them, someone else was suffering in torment, driven to take their own life.’
’Having been reborn, she no longer cared what others said. In fact, she hoped she could learn to be like Lu Xiu, who would say things to your face and correct you on the spot if you were wrong.’
’Pointing out which part of a painting was ugly, which phrase wasn’t beautiful enough...’
For no reason at all, the thought of that scene made Liang Wan want to laugh. It was just so absurd.
"Liang Ji?"
Bai Lu called to her softly.
Liang Wan snapped back to reality and looked before her once more.
Everyone was staring at her strangely.
Cao Luyun was still bowing, her expression unsightly. The ones kowtowing were a mixture of shame and indignation. Bai Lu and Shuangjiang were simply confused.
’Right. In a situation like this, her laughter must have been jarring.’
Liang Wan pressed her lips together, her expression turning serious.
The kneeling servant woman, as if dealt a great humiliation, no longer bothered to endure it in silence. She shot to her feet and erupted in a stream of curses.
"You’re nothing but a lowly concubine, a worthless piece of trash! It’s only because my lady is well-bred and magnanimous that she tolerates you throwing your weight around! To put it bluntly, you’re no different from us! We’re all servants, all slaves! Do you really think you’re something special—making my lady bow and scrape, swallowing her pride like this!"
The servant woman clearly had a fiery temper, rattling off the words in a single breath, spittle flying from her mouth.
The others nearby were startled by her sudden outburst. When they recovered, they quickly grabbed her arm, trying to restrain her while shooting her warning glances.
"Stop your nonsense!" Cao Luyun’s face paled, her eyes growing red with anxiety.
After scolding the servant, she turned back, her posture even lower than before. Her eyes were red and brimming with tears, and she swallowed her sobs.
She choked back a sob before speaking. "Liang Ji, please don’t misunderstand. I... there are some things they don’t know, so they’ve misunderstood. They’re only being so insolent because they feel it’s an injustice to me. It’s just that—"
Humiliation and grief made her words jumbled.
Liang Wan understood.
’Although she didn’t know what Lu Xiu had discussed with the Cao Family, she figured the Cao Family wouldn’t let others know about it.’
Cao Luyun herself was not at fault; she was, in fact, quite innocent.
"My lady!" The servant woman was furious at her mistress’s lack of fight. ’She’s being walked all over, and still...’
"Say no more! Apologize to Liang Ji!"
Master and servant alike looked aggrieved and sorrowful.
Liang Wan lowered her gaze, the corners of her lips curling up slightly. "An apology won’t be necessary. I’ve never been fond of half-hearted gestures or letting things slide."
Cao Luyun’s tear-streaked face froze.
Liang Wan was clearly smiling, but Cao Luyun felt a bone-chilling cold.
It had been some time since she’d entered the mansion, but the two of them had very few opportunities to be together. She rarely saw Liang Wan on a daily basis; she was either staying in her room or out visiting people. At most, they would run into each other at the Grandmaster’s quarters, but even then, Liang Wan was always quiet and rarely smiled.
’She had heard the rumors outside, things about her being bewitching and demonic, with a seductive gaze and an enchanting walk, but none of it seemed to apply to the person before her. She had never seen her try to seduce the Grandmaster. In fact, it was the Grandmaster who...’
A storm of emotions churned within Cao Luyun; it was a truly awful feeling. She couldn’t understand it. Aside from Liang Wan’s exceptional looks, she was in no way inferior. In fact, her knowledge and bearing were even superior. Why was she the one deemed so unworthy of a second glance?
Bitterness welled in Cao Luyun’s heart. "What does Liang Ji want?"
Liang Wan raised her eyes and gazed into the distance, her voice cool. "The courtyard in winter, draped in silver-white, is so drab. Why don’t we have them add a splash of color to this long, harsh winter?"
"What do you mean?" Cao Luyun felt a chill run down her spine as she looked into those ink-black eyes.
The servant women also trembled in fear.
Bai Lu and Shuangjiang lowered their heads.
Liang Wan glanced at them. "Lady Cao was right. You are indeed too lenient with your servants. Such words have never been heard in the Master’s Mansion. We cannot allow them to bring their corrupting influence here."
Cao Luyun’s lips trembled.
Liang Wan’s voice was as calm as still water. "Give each of them twenty strikes with the plank. Have them kneel in the courtyard. If they’re still breathing by nightfall, send them back to the Prime Minister’s Mansion. The Master’s Mansion has no need for people like them."
The moment she finished speaking, the servant women’s faces changed drastically. The one from before went berserk and tried to rush forward, but before her hand could even get close, she was suddenly kicked off the veranda.
Immediately after, guards came forward and began dragging the servant women to the middle of the courtyard. At once, the entire yard filled with wails like pigs being slaughtered.
Liang Wan said, "Thirty strikes."
Cao Luyun seemed frozen solid.
Liang Wan glanced at Shuangjiang. "Accompany Lady Cao back to her room to rest."
Shuangjiang acknowledged the order.
Liang Wan walked around Cao Luyun, heading toward the front courtyard without a sideways glance.
Bai Lu followed.
She had been standing for so long that the tips of her ears ached from the cold.
Liang Wan raised a hand to warm them. ’She could choose not to care, but the Master’s Mansion could not afford to.’