CHAPTER 75: CHAPTER 75: PUNISHMENT (2)

Lady seemed as if she hadn’t noticed her expression, her eyes slightly narrowed and said, "Is that all?" She then turned her gaze to Xiqiu.

Tong Xiyang’s heart skipped a beat, and before Lady could ask Xiqiu, she crawled to Lady’s feet on her knees, holding Lady’s leg and said, "Mother, I didn’t intentionally hide it from you... At the Marquis Mansion, I was afraid others would find out, and say our Tong Mansion sisters were not in harmony. So I didn’t report to you and took matters into my own hands by going to the second wife’s courtyard." She cried softly, her appearance pitiful and on the verge of collapse.

Xiqiu sighed inwardly, wondering when Tong Xiyang would realize that even if she pushed all the blame onto herself, Lady’s anger would not dissipate.

Lady took a slow sip of tea, her face showing a gentle smile again, "Oh? Sisters not in harmony?"

Tong Xiyang wiped her tears, turned back to look at Xiqiu, and showed a troubled expression, as if making a great decision: "Sixth Sister... she didn’t mean to push me."

Lady raised an eyebrow, her gaze sharp as she looked at Xiqiu, "You say Sixth Girl pushed you? Why did she push you?"

Tong Xiyang’s face was full of sincerity: "We got lost in the woods, Sixth Sister wanted to go west, I said to go east, you know my temper is a bit impatient, I rebuked Sixth Girl, and she accidentally pushed me." After speaking, she lowered her head, as if greatly wronged, yet showing a forgiving demeanor.

Even with her head down, Xiqiu could clearly feel Lady’s gaze, sharp as needles, falling on her.

"Eighth Girl, tell us what you saw." She didn’t immediately ask Xiqiu, instead, unexpectedly, Lady bypassed Xiqiu to ask Tong Xiyu, the only outsider to the situation.

Tong Xiyu was taken aback, her body trembling in fear, her young face turning pale, she muttered, "I was outside the woods flying a kite with Miss Fang, only saw Third Sister and Sixth Sister come out one after the other, Third Sister’s face... her face was swollen." At the time, she saw the obvious handprint on Tong Xiyang’s face, but Tong Xiyang had already stated the "facts", she did not dare contradict Tong Xiyang’s words, nor did she dare lie, so she blurred out what she had seen.

She couldn’t help recalling Madam Mei’s words: Remember, Lady takes care of us, not because of our intelligence and wit, but rather, she is satisfied with our timidity and submissiveness, valuing our fearfulness, so no matter what happens, don’t stand out... Don’t get too close to Third Girl and Sixth Girl, but don’t offend them either.

What Madam says is simple, but doing it is so difficult.

With these thoughts, Tong Xiyu became even more unsure of what to say next, losing her composure, her body trembling uncontrollably: "As for... anything else, I don’t know either."

Lady’s eyes flickered with disdain, finally turning to look at Xiqiu, "Sixth Girl, Third Girl said you pushed her, what do you have to say?"

Tong Xiyang’s body stiffened, her hand tightly clenched, faintly trembling!

Xiqiu looked up, her eyes red, showing a face full of guilt: "Third Sister is right, it... it was I who pushed Third Sister."

Silence, an eerie silence fell, Tong Xiyang looked at Xiqiu in disbelief, originally thinking Xiqiu would certainly complain, she had even thought of her defense, but unexpectedly, Xiqiu admitted it.

Why did she admit it? Tong Xiyang couldn’t fathom the reasoning, but involuntarily held her breath, fearing that if she spoke, Xiqiu might retract her words.

Lady’s eyes flashed, her expression turning stern, her tone carrying a hint of anger: "And why did you push her?"

Tears fell, Xiqiu didn’t say much, only nodded gloomily, yet still argued: "Third Sister’s words were excessive, I couldn’t hold back my anger for a moment..." She agreed to Tong Xiyang’s explanation because she didn’t want Lady to know what had specifically occurred, for with Lady’s shrewdness, she would surely perceive where her abnormality stemmed from.

Today she also saw clearly Lady’s stance, this marriage proposal from Count Wujin, Lady seemed determined to secure it, if she showed any sign of retreat or reluctance, Lady would surely not spare her.

But she couldn’t appear as if she and Tong Xiyang were speaking harmoniously, as for Lady, such a situation was even more undesirable.

Sure enough, Lady raised an eyebrow again: "You, who are usually steady and gentle, what words could provoke such anger?!" She glanced at Tong Xiyang out of the corner of her eye: "Such disregard for decorum and rules!"

"Third Sister said that I... that I am timid and indecisive, and also that I am... am..." Her eyes reddened, tears silently fell, infinitely wronged, she looked at Lady: "said that I am Mother’s dog."

This statement was not fabricated, Tong Xiyang couldn’t deny she had said such words.

Only by confronting each other with such words could Lady’s doubts be dispelled.

Sure enough, Lady’s previously gentle smile vanished, erupting completely, kicking Tong Xiyang aside, shouting: "Dog? Ha! I thought you had some ladylike demeanor, to think you could say such words!"

Tong Xiyang was completely bewildered, lying sideways clutching her kicked chest, unable to utter a single word, this outcome was unexpected for her, nor had she anticipated that by twisting the truth, a simple sentence from Sixth Girl would redirect Lady’s fury onto her!

"Mother... Daughter... daughter was just momentarily angry, spoke without thinking..." How to say it? The quarrel was indeed her words, Sixth Girl also admitted to pushing her, if she now overturned her previous statements, the result awaiting her would be even scarier!

Lady looked at the three illegitimate daughters with a sardonic smile, throwing the teacup onto the table with a chilling clash. Tong Xiyu, at the moment Lady kicked Tong Xiyang, was so frightened she stared wide-eyed, stunned kneeling, as if the kick had landed on her instead, her body shaking even more than before.

Xiqiu also hung her head, showing a look of fear.

"Spoke without thinking, such a fine case of speaking without thinking!" Lady paused and continued: "At home, I can close an eye to your immature skirmishes, I would have tolerated it as youthful antics, but to behave thusly on your first outing, no sense of decorum, for outsiders to see, is it to say you’re just reckless children, or to say our Tong Mansion lacks manners?"

"I’ve painstakingly cultivated you, taught you how to conduct yourselves, and this is how you repay me?!"

The more Lady thought, the angrier she became, slamming the table, pointing at them: "From today, you’ll be confined to reflect on your mistakes, without my permission, don’t take a step out of your courtyard!" As if even this punishment couldn’t appease her anger: "Each of you will copy the Women’s Training twenty times!"

"Mother... Daughter was wrong, please don’t be angry!" Tong Xiyang was truly afraid, crawling over again, the red hairpin askew atop her head, utterly wretched: "Daughter won’t dare again in the future."