Transmigrated as the Villainess, She Made the General Blush - Chapter 30

“Xiao Wangshu, stop distorting the facts! If you hadn’t pushed Sister Xu, do you really think she would have jumped into the pond herself?”

“In broad daylight, someone dares to do such a thing-how outrageous.”

“But then, she’s the legitimate daughter of the Xiao Family!”

“…”

All around, the whispers continued. Many young ladies from official families stood on the moral high ground, pointing and judging.

Fang Qiluo walked over to Xiao Wangshu and looked at her with some anxiety, wanting to ask something but finding it inappropriate to speak at this moment.

Xiao Wangshu sat calmly on a stone bench, leisurely winding a strip of rattan around two branches.

Across from them, Xu Tian stood with wet shoes and skirt, her thin figure looking especially pitiful.

Xu Tian’s maid cried bitterly, “Fourth Miss Xiao, my lady only praised Mu Yunze a few times, how could you be so cruel as to push her into the pond? The water is so cold-did you want her to lose her life?”

Listen to her! Anyone who knew the truth would say Xu Tian only got her shoes and skirt wet; those who didn’t might think today wasn’t a birthday banquet at the Gu Mansion, but a funeral at the Xu Mansion!

The maid’s words made the crowd’s chatter grow even louder.

Shuxia’s face turned red with anger, and Yichun snapped, “People need to save face, just as trees need bark. To slander someone so shamelessly-someone like that deserves to have her mouth whipped even in the Underworld!”

The truth was, Xu Tian took advantage of Qiluo leaving to change clothes, saw that only she and her maid were by the pond, and came over to say all sorts of nasty, sarcastic things to Xiao Wangshu!

She accused Xiao Wangshu of pulling at Mu Yunze in public, of throwing herself into Mu Yunze’s arms at the banquet, of wearing a thin dress that no one would bother to look at… Ridiculous!

Every word was baseless and offensive!

Before Xiao Wangshu had even responded, Xu Tian stepped right into the shallow water at the pond’s edge herself.

Xu Tian’s maid started shouting, drawing a crowd, and immediately claimed that Xiao Wangshu had pushed Xu Tian in.

Heaven knows, Xiao Wangshu hadn’t even glanced directly at the pair!

“After doing wrong and having nothing left to say, she even curses others-what a vicious maid!”

“With a mistress like that, what good could she possibly learn?”

“Poor Sister Xu-she was outmatched today and can only swallow her grievance.”

“…”

Hearing the gossip among the crowd, Yichun was so angry her chest heaved.

Xiao Wangshu spoke in a calm, unconcerned tone, “Enough, Yichun, stop. Come back. Shuxia, go help Miss Xu stand properly by the pond.”

“Miss?” Yichun looked up at Xiao Wangshu, her face puzzled.

“Yes.” Shuxia was also somewhat confused, but still followed Xiao Wangshu’s instructions and went to help Xu Tian.

Xu Tian’s maid, perhaps thinking Xiao Wangshu wouldn’t dare do anything in public, or perhaps not realizing she meant to protect her mistress, simply watched as Shuxia helped Xu Tian over to stand by the pond.

At this moment, Xiao Wangshu, who had been sitting and winding the rattan, slowly rose and walked toward Xu Tian with a smile.

Having eaten her fill and feeling comfortable, she thought it was time for a little post-meal exercise.

Xu Tian instinctively stepped back half a pace, shrinking away.

“Come, move two steps this way.” Xiao Wangshu stood in front of Xu Tian and gestured for her to shift aside.

When Xu Tian didn’t move, Shuxia simply pulled her over.

Once Xu Tian was standing in the right spot, Xiao Wangshu nodded in satisfaction and waved Shuxia back.

Then, Xiao Wangshu spoke clearly, enunciating every word-

“I suppose most of you here don’t really know much about me.”
Just as everyone was full of doubt, Xiao Wangshu let out a light laugh and continued-

“Let me show you all right now!”

As soon as her words fell, before anyone could react, Xiao Wangshu raised her leg and, with a swift, ruthless kick, sent Xu Tian straight into the pond.

In an instant, water splashed everywhere.

Everyone around was left frozen in shock, even Fang Qiluo stood there, utterly stunned.

Xiao Wangshu lifted her hand, lightly dusted her collar, and smiled at the crowd with calm composure, “Did you see that? This is what it should look like when someone is actually pushed in by me.”

She was pushed into the pond by Xiao Wangshu, yet only her shoes and skirt hem were wet, her upper body neat and dry, standing there so pitifully to draw sympathy?

If she didn’t drown, she must have her ancestors watching over her!

The noble ladies who had joined in the jeering just now immediately fell silent.

Some of them even stepped back a few paces, lowered their heads and tried to blend in with the crowd, afraid that Xiao Wangshu would notice them.

Then, Xiao Wangshu unhurriedly picked up a tree branch over six feet long, using the forked end to catch Xu Tian’s neck and force her under, repeatedly pressing her down like spearing a fish.

Xu Tian struggled in the water for a while, finally managing to surface for a breath, but before she could catch her breath, Xiao Wangshu forced her under again, just like spearing a fish.

The scene was extremely ruthless, yet had a trace of dark humor.

While repeating this motion, Xiao Wangshu glanced lazily at the Maid who had just been making such confident accusations, and said slowly, “If you don’t tell the truth, and if your Miss Xu drowns here today, I’m afraid you’ll have to be buried with her.”

“Mmm-mm!”

Xu Tian flailed her limbs, desperately trying to struggle up for air, wanting to stop Xiao Wangshu from intimidating the Maid.

But after hearing Xiao Wangshu’s words, the Maid was clearly flustered.

She never imagined Xiao Wangshu would actually dare to resort to violence in front of so many people, completely disregarding Miss Xu’s life!

“Sigh! If anything happens to our Miss, Madam will probably have us flogged to death,” Yichun sighed to Shuxia at the side.

“As servants, if our mistress dies, what use do we have? Naturally, only a dead end awaits us,” Shuxia replied.

Their conversation made the Maid’s legs shake with fright.

“She can’t take it anymore! Miss Xiao, stop-Miss Xu can’t take it anymore!” one of the noble ladies cried out in panic.

Xiao Wangshu was completely unmoved, smiling, “If she can’t take it, so be it. What does it matter?”

This was like the last straw that broke the camel’s back, causing the Maid to fall to her knees and beg for mercy.

“Please, please, Miss Xiao, let our Miss Xu go! She didn’t mean to frame you, she just… just admires Yunze Gongzi too much… She heard from Mu Xiaojie that you often pester Yunze Gongzi, so she… she…”

Xiao Wangshu smiled and finished for her, “So she waited until it was just the three of us, and went over to the pond herself. Then, with only her shoes and skirt hem wet, she dared to shout and falsely accuse me of pushing her in?”

Forced to this point, the Maid didn’t even dare to reply.

At this moment, Xiao Wangshu released the branch, letting Xu Tian up for a breath, then suddenly pressed down again, forcing her underwater.

“Is it or isn’t it? Is it really that hard to answer? I don’t have much patience,” Xiao Wangshu gave her final ultimatum.

Seeing that Xu Tian was already losing strength in the water, struggling weakly, the Maid finally closed her eyes, steeled herself, and kowtowed, saying-

“Yes, yes! Mu Xiaojie said it could be done like this, that no one would ever find out, and that it would make Yunze Gongzi dislike Miss Xiao even more, so our Miss Xu agreed to do it!”