"Miss, Ning Zi Ying has been beaten and passed out. Should I continue to beat her?"
Two women in fine clothes were sitting high up in the Yunying courtyard of the Lord Protector's Manor, looking down at the thing that was huddled up on the ground. It was badly mutilated and could barely be recognized as human. They both picked up their teacups and slowly took a sip of tea.
One of the women walked forward and brushed aside the matted hair on the face of the body on the ground. With affectation, the woman said, "Sister Ying, wake up, Sister Ying!"
Awakened by the pain on her face, Ning Zi Ying raised her head, her face was covered with mud and a few deep bloody scratches could be seen from her sister, Ning Zi Yan's, nails.
"Sister Ying, don't hate me. You had an affair with another man before marriage. It's truly shameful. How could Brother Yuhang marry a dirty woman like you…"
"Ning Zi Yan!" Ning Zi Ying screamed with difficulty, "you're the one who had an affair with a man and made my fiancée break the engagement!"
Ning Zi Yan pulled a handkerchief to her nose, eyes narrowed, and spoke with disdain, "Brother Yuhang and I are fond of each other. It's you who shamelessly messed around with him! At first, I took pity on you. It's okay to let you become Brother Yuhang's concubine, as the minister's mansion can afford a concubine who serves me with drinks, but you were truly unlucky. When you had a tryst with a man, you were caught by Brother Yuhang and me, so I had to act…"
Looking at the satisfied Ning Zi Yan in front of her, Ning Zi Ying felt a surge of anger. This woman, who had secretly had an affair with her fiancée, and had even gotten pregnant out of wedlock. To protect herself, Ning Zi Yan had falsely accused Ning Zi Ying of having an affair with another man before her wedding in order to take her marriage away! How could there be such a vicious woman in the world? She had treated as her own elder sister.
It was only a short time ago that Ning Zi Ying had been beaten unconscious by the servants. She was only able to lie on the ground weakly, but her eyes were full of hatred.
Suddenly, she rushed at Ning Zi Yan and fiercely bit her hand, her mouth became bloody, and teeth broke. Ning Zi Ying's teeth cut open the skin on Ning Zi Yan's hand and sunk into flesh, bright-red blood oozed out. It was unknown whether that blood came from her mouth or Ning Zi Yan's hand!
Madam Ling, the Lord Protector's wife, who had sat next to Ning Zi Yan watching the fun, rushed over to beat and scold Ning Zi Ying. Still, no matter how much pain Ning Zi Ying felt when her back and body were beaten, she did not let go. She stared straight at Ning Zi Yan and bit her with greater and greater force.
"Bitch!"
A powerful male voice suddenly resounded among the screeching. Xia Yuhang was here!
In the next moment, Ning Zi Ying felt a powerful force slam into her abdomen. Completely unguarded, she was hit and flew back, smashing into a large stone by the lake. A mouthful of blood sprayed out, staining the ground in front red.
"How dare you hurt Yan'er! Throw this shameless bitch into the lake," Xia Yuhang was heartless.
"How dare you bite me! Drown this bitch in the lake!" Ning Zi Yan shouted with madness.
Ning Zi Ying wanted to look up at the man who had spoken sweet words to her yesterday, but today could mercilessly kill her. However, before she could move, several people grabbed her hair and dragged her to the nearby lotus pond.
"Miss!" screamed Xiang'er, her personal maid, as she too was dragged to the pond. Ning Zi Ying tried to look back, to see her, but she couldn't even see what was in front of her.
Pushed into the pond, Ning Zi Ying violently suffocated, her body went numb, the pain was fading. With her last bit of strength, she tried to focus her eyes on the faces of Madam Ling, Ning Zi Yan, and Xia Yuhang, but failed. She smiled silently toward the sky. Her sad, distorted smile could be seen through the fluctuations of the water surface, cold and bloodthirsty,
"Someone come here, tie stones to them, make them sink to the bottom. After tomorrow, we'll tell others that they have drowned." Madam Ling instructed her servants once the water's surface no longer fluctuated.
"Yes, madam!" Several ladies quickly grabbed either side of a stone and tied it to Ning Zi Ying and Xiang'er, then pushed it hard into the lotus pond. It fell with a splash, before the water softened into light ripples. No one knew that the owner of the Yunying Courtyard had died in this lotus pond this day.
"Yan'er, you were bitten badly by the damn girl. Go and see the doctor. Don't put off tomorrow's wedding because of it." Madam Ling turned her head to Ning Zi Yan and spoke empathetically.
"Mom, don't worry about my minor injury. Will the death of Madam Ming delay mine and Brother Yuhang's wedding?" Xia Zi Yan pointed to the southeast corner of the backyard where Madam Ming, the co-wife of Lord Protector Ning Zu'an, lived. Moments ago, someone had reported that Madam Ming had died!
Madam Ming was the co-wife of the Lord Protector and had the same position as her, the wife of the Lord Protector. If the news were to be spread out, Ning Zi Yan, as her daughter, could not marry until three months later. But even though she could wait, her pregnant belly could not!
"That bitch didn't die earlier or later, but right at this moment. Don't worry, Yan'er. I will delay the time of her death until the day after tomorrow," Madam Ling snorted coldly. The bitch should have died long ago, but unexpectedly, she had lived until now. Her life had lingered for half a month, only giving out now, which happened to coincide with her baby daughter's wedding day!
As they spoke, they walked out of the door of the Yunying Courtyard. The last woman to leave closed the door, and the Yunying Courtyard was restored to peace and quiet. No one would think that this empty, closed yard had lost its owner.
Ning Zi Ying's sinking body suddenly woke up, the floating sensation from the water made her grasp for something in front of her subconsciously.
Awake!
As she opened her eyes and looked at the strange surroundings, Ning Zi Ying was confused.
She had undoubtedly drowned in the lotus pond. So, where was she now?