“My face, my face.” The Seventh Madam clutched her own face with both hands, sobbing and screaming, her eyes filled with panic.

One guard tried to carry her out, but with so many people still struggling to restrain Lang Yu, it proved impossible.

“Kill him! Quick, kill him!” The Seventh Madam, finally coming back to her senses, screamed out the order.

She knew perfectly well why Lang Yu had ended up like this.

She had used this drug before, more than once, and every time, the effect had been excellent.

The Seventh Madam simply hadn’t expected the effect to kick in so quickly this time—otherwise she would never have gone anywhere near him, even on pain of death.

Now, it was too late for everything. Her face hurt terribly. Her face was ruined.

Seeing that brute force alone wasn’t working, one guard drew out a short blade.

Without an order from the Master, he didn’t dare kill Lang Yu outright, so he used the dagger to stab forcefully into one of Lang Yu’s arms instead.

In pain, Lang Yu finally released one hand.

But the force in his mouth only grew stronger.

When the second dagger was driven into his other arm, Lang Yu jerked his head back, opened his mouth, and let out a great cry.

A piece of bloody flesh fell from Lang Yu’s mouth, and the Seventh Madam let out a piercing scream before fainting dead away.

A chunk of flesh had been bitten clean off her face.

The scene was awash with blood. Some of the madams stood frozen in place, some were crying in terror, and some had even thrown up.

They huddled together in twos and threes, supporting one another, still managing to stay on their feet.

One guard brought over an iron rod and struck it down hard on Lang Yu’s shoulder.

Lang Yu’s eyes closed, and he finally collapsed.

“Prepare the carriage, send the Seventh Madam back for treatment.” Someone shouted, though it wasn’t clear who.

Someone turned and ran out; someone else scooped up the unconscious Seventh Madam.

“Let me, as a physician, examine her condition.” Feng Jiu’er came up to the Seventh Madam.

She lifted the woman’s wrist to take her pulse, set it back down, then lifted her eyelids to check.

After a brief examination, the medicine had already been swapped back, and there was nothing more for Feng Jiu’er to do.

“She’s fine—she’s just fainted from shock. Her face is in serious condition though, get her there quickly.” Feng Jiu’er waved her hand.

“Yes.” The guard nodded and carried the Seventh Madam away.

Qiao Mu strode in from outside, looking at everyone inside the punishment chamber.

“What happened? Jiu’er, are you hurt?”

“Jiu’er’s fine.” Xiao Yingtao shook her head. “It’s the Seventh Madam who got hurt.”

“Let’s go—I told you not to come to a place like this, it’s bad luck!” Qiao Mu pulled Feng Jiu’er away in front of everyone’s eyes.

From start to finish, Feng Jiu’er had never once come within arm’s reach of Lang Yu.

The servants led Feng Jiu’er and the others back to the East Wing, and they did not go out again.

Still, Feng Jiu’er knew that after they had left, something had gone wrong with Lang Yu.

She heard that several madams had rushed over together, but they hadn’t managed to save him.

Lang Yu had died.

Lei Shenbao, who had been out on business, received the news and returned to the manor early.

At midday, a guard came to the East Wing with word that Feng Jiu’er was wanted at the main hall for the meal.

Feng Jiu’er knew this was surely not as simple as just having a meal together.

Lang Yu had died, and she had been to the prison that very day—there was no way Lei Shenbao wouldn’t summon her.

In the end, the midday meal really was just a meal—except the company was rather more complete than usual.

Feng Jiu’er was seated beside the main seat.

To the left of the main seat sat the First Madam, to the right sat her. The other madams were arranged along both sides of the main hall—even the Seventh Madam was present.

“Let’s begin.” Lei Shenbao said coldly.

Everyone lowered their heads to eat, none daring to speak.

The Seventh Madam, her face bandaged, sat completely still, her complexion pale, utterly drained of color.

Now and then she would lift her eyes to glare at Feng Jiu’er or at Xiao Yingtao beside her, but most of the time she kept her head lowered.

It seemed Lei Shenbao kept his wives under quite a tight rein.

The moment he said it was time to eat, even the most fiery and currently furious Seventh Madam didn’t dare say a word.

“Jiu’er, is the food to your liking?” After a while, Lei Shenbao’s expression finally eased somewhat.

Feng Jiu’er glanced up at him and nodded. “Master Lei, you’re too kind.”

The hall was so quiet that Feng Jiu’er suspected everyone could hear her no matter how softly she spoke.

“Treat this as your own home, eat more!”

Lei Shenbao gave Feng Jiu’er a smile before looking away, his expression darkening once again.

Those who had looked up toward the main seat upon hearing his voice quickly lowered their gazes again and went back to their food.

But after the disaster they had caused today, none of them had any appetite left for the meal.

Feng Jiu’er, on the other hand, ate quite heartily, and even Qiao Mu and Xiao Yingtao beside her had a full and satisfying meal.

Lei Shenbao didn’t say anything more after that.

Not until he had finished eating did he turn to look at Feng Jiu’er again.

Seeing that Feng Jiu’er was wiping her mouth, he looked up at the servants standing in the hall: “Clear the table!”

Lei Shenbao was truly furious—if he hadn’t been worried about Feng Jiu’er going hungry, he wouldn’t have arranged this meal at all.

“Yes.” The guard nodded.

Soon, maidservants and attendants came in, cleared everyone’s table settings, and brought out tea and refreshments.

After the maidservants and attendants withdrew, Lei Shenbao glanced at the household steward.

The steward bent at the waist and cupped his hands, then turned to the guards standing behind him: “Bring him up.”

“Yes.” The guard nodded and strode off toward the entrance.

Seeing the timing was right, the Seventh Madam stood up, walked to the center of the hall, and knelt down.

“Master, you must seek justice for me!”

Before she could even finish, the Seventh Madam’s eyes welled with tears, her voice turning hoarse.

“Master, my face is ruined, oh… my face is ruined, it was them…” She pointed at Feng Jiu’er.

“It was them, they pushed me toward Lang Yu, my face is ruined. Master, kill them, kill them—not one of them should be spared.”

She was the flower of Licheng—now, with a chunk missing from her face, ruined, utterly ruined.

“Lang Yu ate the drug you gave him and died?” Lei Shenbao looked at the woman kneeling in the hall, his face showing not the slightest trace of pity.

“Master…” The Seventh Madam’s eyes glistened with tears as she looked up at Lei Shenbao.

“I didn’t do it—it was Long Jiu’er, Long Jiu’er was the one who got Lang Yu killed, not me.”

“It was her who said she wanted to avenge Bao Lei’s family, she was the one who killed Lang Yu, this has nothing to do with me.”

“What did you just say?” Xiao Yingtao, seated beside Feng Jiu’er, looked at the Seventh Madam kneeling in the hall.

“How dare you twist right and wrong like this? Jiu’er never even laid a finger on Lang Yu.”

“It was you—you were the one constantly egging Jiu’er on to hit Lang Yu, you were the one who gave him that drug, and you lied to us, telling us he’d be drained of strength once he took it.”

“And then when the drug’s effect turned out the opposite and hurt you, here you are spitting vicious lies at us!”

The Seventh Madam stared at Xiao Yingtao, the very one who had pushed her toward Lang Yu, and staggered to her feet.

She was a mistress of this household—how dare this lowly servant girl sit there, forcing her to look up at her? Who did she think she was?

“You wretched servant! It was you, you were the one who pushed me toward Lang Yu, it was you—give me back my face.” The Seventh Madam said, even as she started walking toward the main seat.

“If you hadn’t dragged Jiu’er along to hurt people, I wouldn’t have wanted to push you.” Xiao Yingtao stared back at her, unflinching, as she drew closer.

“Everyone clearly said Lang Yu wasn’t to be touched, yet you insisted on going after him and dragging Jiu’er into it too. What exactly were you scheming?”