Chapter 193 – To Poison Yan Shujing
It would still be fortunate if Yan Shujing’s purity was taken by General Zhan and not someone else. Considering this possibility, Old Master Yan’s frown deepened significantly.
He glared coldly at Yan Shujing, gripping his cane tightly, and demanded in a stern voice, “Shujing, tell the truth, to whom have you given your body?”
The icy tone of Old Master Yan made Yan Shujing’s heart skip a beat.
Yan Shujing shifted her gaze to Old Master Yan. Seeing his serious expression, she was so frightened that she bit her lip, not daring to utter a word.
Considering Old Master Yan’s current expression, if he knew that she was violated by the Yao brothers, Yao Jin and Yao Jia, it might be worse than just being drowned in a pig cage.
“Father, please don’t ask anymore. General Zhan is not an easy man to deal with. Shujing must be frightened. Let her rest for a while,” implored Ms. Li, holding the trembling Yan Shujing in her arms and pleading with Old Master Yan.
However, Old Master Yan remained unmoved.
“Second son’s wife, pull your sister-in-law away.”
“Yes, Father.”
Ms. Hu, who had always been at odds with Ms. Li, was pleased to see Old Master Yan interrogating Yan Shujing. She obediently responded and went to pull Ms. Li away from Yan Shujing.
“Sister-in-law, Father just wants to ask Shujing a few questions. Why are you so nervous?”
Ms. Li was infuriated but dared not express her dissatisfaction with Old Master Yan’s orders.
Ms. Hu pulled Ms. Li away, assuming an elder’s demeanor, and gently asked Yan Shujing, “Shujing, your grandfather is asking you. Answer quickly, so you don’t anger your grandfather.”
Yan Shujing kept her lips tightly sealed.
Old Master Yan felt his authority was being challenged by the younger generation and became even angrier.
“Wenfeng, go fetch the family disciplinary tools.”
The Yan family’s discipline was to whip. When Yan Bowen suddenly died, Old Master Yan thought Ms. Zhong was responsible and had whipped her, before driving her and her children out of the Yan family’s estate.
Yan Shujing, who had memories of Ms. Zhong being whipped by Old Master Yan, was so frightened that she jerked and hurriedly spoke, “Grandfather, please don’t beat me, I’ll speak, I’ll tell everything.”
Old Master Yan raised his hand, signaling Yan Wenfeng to stay.
“Speak, was it General Zhan who took your purity?”
Although this possibility was already slim, Old Master Yan still clung to a sliver of hope.
Yan Shujing, looking at Old Master Yan with fear and trembling, said, “It was the two young masters from the county court who defiled… defiled me.”
Old Master Yan, who had thought it was another man, never imagined that Yan Shujing was violated by two men at the same time. Hearing such an answer, he felt a severe throbbing in his head, and his vision began to darken.
Ms. Jiang also felt her vision darken.
Ms. Li, hearing this terrible news, nearly fainted.
Yan Wenfeng’s face was ashen, his hands clenched into tight fists.
Ms. Hu and her daughter, on the surface, appeared heartbroken, but inwardly they were secretly pleased, especially Yan Shuxiu.
Previously, Yan Shujing, relying on her status as the eldest daughter and her talents and beauty, always overshadowed her. She couldn’t win the favor of the old master and the old lady. Now, with Yan Shujing’s purity gone and tarnished by two men, a woman so defiled wouldn’t even be accepted by an ordinary family, let alone a wealthy one. From now on, Yan Shuxiu would be the only esteemed young lady in the Yan family.
Yan Shuxiu, feeling triumphant inside, put on a shocked expression, covering her mouth gently with her hands, “Elder sister, didn’t you go to the county court to seduce General Zhan? How did you… how did you get involved with those two young masters from the county court? Those two are notorious playboys in our Xize County, known to everyone. And both of them are already married with concubines. Elder sister, by getting involved with them, were you planning to become a concubine in the county court?”
Ms. Hu added, “Becoming a concubine is probably impossible now. Shujing, you were defiled by both young masters. You can’t become a concubine for either the elder, Yao Cheng, or the younger, Yao Jia.”
Ms. Hu’s words struck a chord with Old Master Yan.
If Yao Cheng and Yao Jia had intended to take Yan Shujing as a concubine, they wouldn’t have let her return to the Yan family in such a disgraceful state. Going to the county court to confront the Yao brothers would only bring more shame to the Yan family’s reputation.
Old Master Yan took a deep breath in anger.
For the first time in his life, Yan Boxian felt such a deep sense of humiliation.
“Shujing, does anyone else know about your defilement by Yao Cheng and Yao Jia?”
Yan Shujing, her tears not yet dry, sobbed bitterly.
“I covered it up on the way back. Only two maids from the county court should know about this.”
Hearing this, Old Master Yan visibly relaxed.
To preserve the Yan family’s reputation, the only option now was to secretly execute this granddaughter and announce her death as due to illness.
“I remember, a few days ago, we bought some rat poison to deal with a rat infestation in the house. Is there any left?”
Yan Shujing instantly understood Old Master Yan’s intentions and turned pale with fear.
“Grandfather, it wasn’t me who seduced Yao Jia and Yao Cheng; they forced themselves on me.”
Trembling, she crawled to Old Master Yan’s feet, grasping a part of his robe.
Old Master Yan looked down at her, “Shujing, grandfather knows you have been wronged. But your purity is lost, and for the sake of the Yan family’s reputation, I must be ruthless. Don’t blame your grandfather.”
“What are you waiting for? Go and get the rat poison.”
Knowing that Old Master Yan intended to poison Yan Shujing to protect the family’s reputation, Ms. Li and Yan Wenfeng, in a panic, knelt before him.
Yan Wenfeng pleaded with a trembling voice, “Grandfather, you can’t do this to my sister. She went to the county court to seduce General Zhan to save our father and our family.”
“Father, Shujing’s father is still in the county court’s prison. You can’t do this to Shujing; she is your most beloved granddaughter.”
Ms. Li, while pleading, kowtowed to Old Master Yan.
Seeing no change in Old Master Yan’s expression, she turned to look at Ms. Jiang.
“Mother, Shujing has always been obedient and filial to you. You can’t just watch her die.”
Finally, Ms. Jiang, unable to bear it, looked at Yan Shujing with reddened old eyes and sighed heavily.
