Chapter 35: Lu, I want you dead!

"Uncle, the assailant has been found. It is Lyu Yi! When I rushed to the back, he was in the middle of... raping a maid. Caught red-handed, he has no room to argue!"

With that, he delivered a vicious kick to Lyu Yi’s lower leg, the sharp pain forcing a flicker of clarity into the man’s eyes. His hair was disheveled, his clothes were hanging haphazardly, and his nakedness was partially exposed. The sheer disgrace of the sight nearly caused Chi Yunjing to choke on his own fury.

The maid who had been violated was brought forward; it was Wenxia, the personal maid of Chi Guiying. Her clothes were in tatters, her hair a tangled mess, and beyond the intense physical pain, the humiliation of having been seen in such a sordid state by so many people left her utterly shamed, wishing only for death. Upon seeing her mistress, she collapsed toward her, sobbing, "Miss, Miss... I cannot go on living like this!"

Though she said little, everyone present understood exactly what had transpired. When Mother Lyu emerged from the back, she collapsed onto the veranda, staring at the chaotic scene, unable to fathom why her precious son had acted this way. In broad daylight, to have... to have assaulted so many people? What was to be done? Overcome by the shock, she fainted on the spot.

However, no one in the courtyard cared whether she remained conscious. Everyone watched the degenerate Lyu Yi with burning rage, especially Lady Guo, who wished she could tear him to pieces and drink his blood.

"You Lyu bastard, I want you dead!"

She pulled a hairpin from her head and plunged it deep into Lyu Yi’s arm. The pain finally brought him to full consciousness. Between his hand and his leg, he writhed on the ground, wailing, "The Vice Minister’s mansion is trying to kill me! Murder!"

His cries were futile. Had the authorities been summoned, he would have been the first to be thrown into prison given the number of witnesses. Chi Yunjing, his eyes blazing, kicked the groveling Lyu Yi several times before commanding with an authoritative roar: "Get a rope and bind him! No one is to breathe a word of what happened today, or I will have your heads!"

"Yes, Master."

Domestic scandals should not be aired in public—everyone understood this logic. But with so many people present, not all of them from the Vice Minister’s manor, he knew he couldn't silence the servants of the Marquis’s residence. He turned to the Marquis of Haibo, his face grim, and addressed the couple: "Forgive the intrusion, Marquis and Marchioness. Such a shameful matter has occurred in my home that I am mortified, but as this concerns the purity of the young ladies, I beg you to restrain your household and ensure this does not leak out."

The Marquis of Haibo was reluctant to engage, but Lady Qin felt compelled to maintain the relationship between the two families. She nodded solemnly, "Rest assured, Vice Minister Chi, I will strictly control my servants. Not a single word shall escape them."

"My deepest thanks, Marchioness." Chi Yunjing bowed to Lady Qin, his gratitude entirely sincere. Without this, his entire family would be finished—they might as well all be dead.

"Take everyone involved to the Lesheng Courtyard. The rest of you, return to your duties. Help the Madam and the Second Miss back to rest; I will handle the rest."

Chi Yunjing harbored a murderous intent toward Lyu Yi, but it was a fleeting thought. After all, the Lyu family had a daughter serving as a lady-in-waiting in the Imperial Palace. Even if he wanted the Lyu family destroyed, it could not happen openly in his own manor, lest the ensuing scandal be twisted by malicious tongues.

Perhaps it was the bond between mother and son; as the gagged, trussed-up Lyu Yi was being dragged away, Mother Lyu regained consciousness. Seeing her son injured, her eyes turned bloodshot. She scrambled over to cradle him, pulling out her own hairpin and screaming at the servants, "What are you doing? Where are you taking my son? Heavens! Is there no justice? Are you going to take his life in broad daylight? Do you not fear the Imperial concubine complaining to the Throne? How dare you frame my son as an assailant! You have a death wish!"

"Assailant? He is nothing but a beast!" Second Young Master Hai Yu shouted indignantly, only to be cut off by Lady Qin.

"Yu’er, come here!"

He was seething with righteous indignation. If such a cur dared to act so wantonly in their Marquisate, he would have pierced him with three hundred and sixty holes before letting him howl like this. Yet, he understood that this concerned the reputations of many. While he did not care for the Vice Minister’s Second Miss, he did not want the truth to leak, as his own cousin was also a daughter of this house. He understood the principle that pulling a single hair could stir the whole body. He sheathed his sword, huffed coldly, and walked to the Marquis’s side, shielding his cousin and Miss He.

Suddenly, Chi Guiying, who had seemed dead to the world, appeared to snap back to reality. Seeing Lyu Yi being shielded, the memory of her humiliation flared. "I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you!"

With bloodshot eyes, she lunged forward, biting deep into Lyu Yi’s neck, desperate to tear a piece of flesh from him. Seeing her son under attack, Mother Lyu lost all restraint, driving her hairpin directly toward Chi Guiying’s face. The strike was vicious and precise.

Chi Guiying let out a pained shriek and fainted entirely. Lady Guo, desperate to protect her daughter, threw herself at Mother Lyu, and the courtyard descended into chaos once more.

The Marquis of Haibo and Lady Qin shielded their niece, Chi Guiwan, and Miss He, retreating several steps. As the two families fought like lunatics, they wanted to ensure the innocent remained unharmed. The Marquis spoke to Chi Yunjing with evident displeasure: "Handle your own family matters, Vice Minister. We are returning to the Sijin Courtyard."

With that, they left in a flurry, leaving the courtyard half-empty. Madam Zong watched the scene with a furrowed brow, but as an outsider and a tutor, it was not her place to speak, so she departed as well.

Seeing that most had dispersed, Chi Yunjing barked at the matrons nearby, "Are you all dead? Pull them apart! Send for a physician to treat the Second Miss!"

"Yes, Master."

With the order given, the courtyard finally stirred into action. Both mother and son of the Lyu family were bound, and every potential weapon was confiscated. As for Lady Guo, after Chi Guiying was carried away, she could barely stand, supported by her trusted servant, Mother Wang, who whispered, "Madam, you cannot collapse now. You must seek justice for the Second Miss!"

Yes, justice. Justice for her daughter. She would not let such a degenerate scoundrel leave the Vice Minister’s estate so easily. She would make him pay. Driven by this thought, a strange strength surged through her, steadying her trembling limbs and sharpening her gaze, which remained fixed on Mother Lyu, who was still struggling against the gag. She would never forgive those who had harmed her daughter.