CHAPTER 577: CHAPTER 566: THE MARCHIONESS’S MAID

"No." Zhong Yin shook her head frantically at this moment, "Brother-in-law, you can’t listen to sister, it was me who saved you."

"How about we go to Ci Yun Temple and ask the young monk and the doctor from before to testify? We can’t let the Lord recognize the wrong person, right?" This time, without Ye Qiu having to speak, Zhong Lan directly confronted her.

Zhong Yin’s face became stiff, and seeing all this, Duan Rongjing couldn’t be more clear about the situation, now feeling only disgust towards Zhong Yin.

It was his fault for recognizing the wrong person, but Zhong Yin should never have impersonated and made such unreasonable demands.

"Sister, brother-in-law..." Seeing that her deception was exposed, Zhong Yin immediately burst into tears, "I was wrong, I truly realize my mistake. Yin’er shouldn’t have lied because I liked my brother-in-law, but I had no choice. If I didn’t do it, brother-in-law would never have agreed to let me serve him."

Zhong Yin collapsed on the ground, but her posture was very deliberate, her frail and delicate figure still evident, showcasing her vulnerable and tragically beautiful face.

But Duan Rongjing was not swayed by her act; even when he first married Zhong Lan, it took a long time to develop some feelings, so how could he be attracted by Zhong Yin’s affected demeanor?

Now, he only felt that Zhong Yin was too hateful, almost causing a rift between him and his wife.

Fortunately, with that delay, Duan Rongjing finally understood why his wife and grandmother valued her so much.

"Get out!" Now that he knew she wasn’t the one who saved his life, Duan Rongjing had no reason to be nice. He was usually stationed in the military camp, his body always wreathed in Evil Qi, which he typically reined in around those close to him, but he showed no such courtesy towards Zhong Yin.

Stimulated by this Evil Qi, Zhong Yin, terrified, began to tremble. Now she realized that Duan Rongjing was not someone to mess with.

But she had no way out now; with things having reached this point, her father and elder brother would certainly not let her go. Her only option was to cling to her brother-in-law. If she could become the woman beside him, there was a chance for her to turn things around.

Who wouldn’t want a gentle and caring person by their side? How could a strict person like Zhong Lan know how to win a man’s favor?

Once she was in Duke Mansion, she was confident that she could win her brother-in-law’s heart. By then, bearing a child, she could make him neglect Zhong Lan just like the concubine, but she wouldn’t be as foolish as the concubine. She would take her time and unsuspectingly eliminate her sister and her sister’s children. Then, the Duke Mansion would be hers.

Zhong Yin thought everything through perfectly, but she didn’t know that she would never have such an opportunity.

"Father, I will go to my old quarters with the Lord, and you deal with Zhong Yin." Zhong Lan no longer wanted to talk to Zhong Yin, who could not see her own flaws, who still didn’t understand the immensity of the world.

Duan Rongjing followed behind Zhong Lan, while Zhong Yin screamed for help: "Brother-in-law, save me. Brother-in-law, you can’t just leave me like this. Father will definitely not let me go, I was wrong, I really know I was wrong."

Unfortunately, no matter how much she cried, Duan Rongjing never looked back.

As Duan Rongjing’s figure disappeared from view, Zhong Yin, left without a target for her pleas, finally noticed Zhong Huaiwen and Zhong Jue.

At that moment, Zhong Huaiwen’s expression was even uglier than Zhong Jue’s. He stepped forward, grabbed Zhong Yin’s chin fiercely, and said, "You really are something, I didn’t know you followed in your aunt’s footsteps to become what you are today, filled with lies. But you were right about one thing; I certainly won’t let you off this time."

"Father, father, I was wrong, please let me go." Zhong Yin, grabbed uncomfortably, pleaded very fearfully.

"Spare you? And then have you go out and disgrace me again?" Zhong Huaiwen was full of hatred at this moment, hating Aunt Wei and her daughter Zhong Yin for their ignorance, and hating himself for his misjudgment.

"Tell me, is this what your concubine mother taught you?"

"No, cough... Dad, let go." It was only now that Zhong Yin finally looked like a helpless person, devoid of her previous gentleness, now more in a disheveled state.

"Dad!" Not knowing which servant had informed Zhong Lang, he paled at the sight of Zhong Huaiwen strangling Zhong Yin, but still bravely stepped forward to plead for her.

"Dad, even if my second sister has made many mistakes, you can’t treat her like this! If there’s a problem, we should just teach her properly." He said anxiously.

"Teach? She’s already been corrupted by that concubine of yours." After all, being his most cherished son, and at least in Zhong Huaiwen’s eyes, Zhong Lang was not contaminated by the schemes of Aunt Wei and her daughter, so he consequently released Zhong Yin.

Finally released, Zhong Yin started coughing violently, causing Zhong Lang to feel heart-wrenching pangs.

"Dad, what exactly happened?" He asked cautiously.

"What happened?" Zhong Huaiwen looked coldly at Zhong Yin, wishing she had never been born, "Not only is she full of lies, but she also attempted to seduce her brother-in-law, truly disgraceful to our family honor."

Shock struck Zhong Lang’s heart, looking incredulously at his second sister, hadn’t she previously looked down on his elder brother-in-law? How could it be that...

Even with all his education, he couldn’t think of any reason to defend his sister at this moment.

"Lang’er, don’t worry about this matter, go back and focus on your studies!" Zhong Huaiwen slightly softened his tone, then said to the servants, "Take this unfilial daughter and lock her in the small Buddha hall, no one is to release her without my orders, any servant who fails in their duty will be sold by me."

"Yes, Lord."

"Dad, is this really..."

"Dad, your son-in-law has already been waiting inside for a while, it’s not good to keep him waiting too long!" Before Zhong Lang could finish, Zhong Jue spoke expressionlessly, his eyes full of coldness looking at Zhong Lang.

"Right, I’ll go now."

"Let go of me, let go! Lang’er, help me, I don’t want to be locked up in the small Buddha hall." Zhong Yin cried and screamed, but no one listened to her anymore. Zhong Huaiwen hurriedly left for the courtyard formerly occupied by Zhong Lan, and Zhong Jue also prepared to leave.

"Elder brother, are you truly going to be so heartless?" Zhong Lang said with a very unpleasant expression, "Can’t you forgive our second sister? She is also your sister!"

Zhong Jue sneered: "Did she ever think that Lan’er is also her sister when she bullied Lan’er? When you take for granted the privileges secured by Aunt Wei for you, did you ever consider that these do not belong to you? When Dad scolded me and my sister, did you ever advise him against it?"

Observing Zhong Lang’s increasingly dark expression, Zhong Jue looked disdainful: "No, you just intensified mocking us, and looked down on us. Zhong Lang, have you ever thought about what life we were leading back then? Don’t forget, you and Zhong Yin are the bastard and concubine daughter, and now I haven’t done anything, it’s just that you all went too far. All of this today is merely retribution, if Zhong Yin hadn’t tried to seduce her brother-in-law in front of everyone, do you think Dad would be so infuriated?"