Chapter 321
“Previously, you wanted to chop off the plum trees in the courtyard, but Madam Dowager advised against it, saying that she would ask someone to take a look at the courtyard. Today, a geomancer came. He looked over the courtyards one by one, and when he was at Madam’s yard, he said that there were evil spirits causing trouble. Her courtyard was the reason why so many accidents happened in the mansion.”
“So what was his advice?” Wei Yuewu lowered her eyes, looking down at the floor.
“He suggested tearing down Madam’s courtyard and burning everything inside in order to get rid of the evil spirits and ensure the safety of the mansion!” Shufei squealed anxiously. “Miss, what should we do?”
When Shufei heard the news, she instantly discussed it with Huamo and blurted an excuse to leave the mansion in order to report this matter to Wei Yuewu. However, she came here secretly, so she didn’t want Wei Luowen to know that she came to the Palace. Therefore, she hurriedly hid to the side when she saw Wei Luowen’s carriage coming out of the Palace.
Did they intend to tear down Mother’s courtyard and completely wipe out Mother’s traces so that Father would not think of her again? Wei Yuewu curled her lips into a sneer.
“Uh… Miss, I… I also heard from the two old maidservants in Madam Dowager’s courtyard that Madam was a jinx and a bane of everyone around her, so she died because of her bad luck. Otherwise, how could the young Marquise Hua Yang die so young?”
“This time, the issue was raised because of your return to the mansion. After all, you are Madam’s daughter, and you carry a part of Madam’s aura. T-That’s why so many things happened in the mansion recently!” The more Shufei spoke, the more enraged she was. “Miss, why do I feel that Concubine Dong has something to do with this?”
Wei Yuewu raised her head. Her expression was calm, but a trace of coldness flashed across her beautiful eyes.
“What is Concubine Done busy with now?” she asked.
When she entered the Palace, she had asked Shufei to keep an eye on Concubine Dong’s every move. She knew that Concubine Dong would not give up so easily, but she didn’t expect her to be so ruthless. Concubine Dong wanted to burn everything that belonged to her mother, including her courtyard.
Moreover, her action would force Father’s marriage to be postponed. Even if His Majesty wanted to sanction the marriage, he would have to wait until the problems with Wei Yuewu’s mother and the courtyard were settled.
A jinx?! Concubine Dong was indeed ruthless!
Not only did Concubine Dong tarnish Mother’s reputation by labeling her as a jinx and as a result, postponing Father’s marriage, but Wei Yuewu was also implicated. A child born by a jinx represented bad luck, didn’t it?
Judging from the reports coming from the mansion, Wei Yuewu figured that it was because of her return to the mansion.
“I didn’t find out what Concubine Dong was busy with, but now she is helping Madam Dowager to manage the household. Madam Dowager even allowed Third Young Miss to learn managing the household!”
Shufei grunted in frustration, “There were a few times when I wanted to go to Concubine Dong’s courtyard to have a look, but I was called away to do something. It was either to work in the kitchen or to help Madam Dowager. Huamo and I were ordered around all the time. They said that we are idle since you are not in the mansion now.”
Originally, Shufei had time to keep an eye on Concubine Dong, but the servant supervisors in the mansion affirmed that she and Huamo had nothing to do since Sixth Young Lady was not there, so they had to go and work at other places in the mansion. These supervisors were respectable and dignified in the mansion, so Shufei and Huamo had no position to resist their orders.
Concubine Dong was indeed quick, accurate, and ruthless. She had sufficient reasons, and Shufei and Huamo had no way of noticing these things since Wei Yuewu was not staying in the mansion.
Wei Yuewu had only entered the Palace not long ago, but the matters in the mansion had already progressed so rapidly.
Concubine Dong wanted Wei Yuewu to be caught unawares. Wei Yuewu figured that her mother’s courtyard would probably have been burned to ashes by the time she came out of the Palace.
With Madam Dowager supporting her decision and the geomancer’s vivid reasons, her father would not go against their will and bring disaster to the entire family no matter how reluctant he was. This time, Wei Yan was truly “dead”.
Wei Yuewu’s long eyelashes flickered twice, and a trace of ridicule appeared in her slightly cold eyes. Concubine Dong really thought that she was invincible and powerful. She thought that if she made such a big move, even His Majesty would stop to sanction a marriage for Wei Luowen.
A young lady from the Tu Family? Third Princess had previously said that a young lady from the Tu Family was willing to enter the mansion.
“Third Young Lady is now in charge of the family matters?” Wei Yuewu asked.
“Yes. It is said that Third Young Lady is not young anymore and can learn to manage the households, so that she is not ignorant and oblivious when she gets married. Unlike the other young lady of aristocratic families, she is Marquis’ daughter, so she comes with a more dignified status and will have a better husband candidate!” Shufei told Wei Yuewu about the rumors in the mansion.
“Marquis’ daughter? Miss, have the people in our mansion never seen Third Young Lady as an illegitimate daughter like the Fifth Young Daughter? You are the real daughter of Lord Marquis!” Jin Ling couldn’t help but hiss from the side.
“In the eyes of the people in the mansion, Third Elder Sister has always been a legitimate daughter, and I’m just an outsider.” Wei Yuewu sneered in disdain. A large part of the reason why Concubine Dong was able to win the people’s hearts in the mansion was that after so many years, most of them knew about her and Third Young Lady, but not her mother and herself.
Compared with the alive Concubine Dong, her deceased mother would not be respected by the servants in the mansion much.
Of course, Wei Yuewu felt her heart breaking as her mother, who was once doted on by her father, was now even not better than a concubine.
“Miss, do you want to trick Third Young Lady?” Shufei suggested in a low voice.
“No. Leave her.” Wei Yuewu smiled coldly. Wei Yuejiao was not her priority right now. She could manage the households however she liked. Wei Yuewu was curious to see what the elegant and naive Third Elder Sister would do when something happened.
Right now, the top priority was the geomancer.
“Miss, what about the geomancer?” Jin Ling cut to the chase and asked as she saw the matter more thoroughly.
“Where did they get the geomancer?” Wei Yuewu asked after thinking for a while.
“I am not too sure. I heard that he was invited from a famous Taoist abbey, and he was used to doing these things, so Madam Dowager invited him over. Miss, could it be that this was Madam Dowager’s intention instead of Concubine Dong’s plot?” Shufei asked worriedly.
Compared with Concubine Dong, Madam Dowager was obviously more powerful. For so many years, Madam Dowager ruled the harem of the mansion of Marquis Hua Yang with iron fists. Even though the second branch was in power, Madam Dowager was the one to decide on major issues.
Shufei’s concern wasn’t redundant.
Intuitively, it seemed to be Concubine Dong’s scheme, but Shufei had investigated it. Everything was done by Madam Dowager’s people. Based on the situation, it seemed that it had nothing to do with Concubine Done. This was also the reason why Shufei was a little hesitant.
“No!” Wei Yuewu shook her head. Based on her understandings of Madam Dowager’s personality who valued the reputation of Marquis, Madam Dowager would not intensify the problem. She would only minimize the problem as much as possible. Even if she found a geomancer, she would not say something as serious as a jinx.
To say Marquise Hua Yang was a jinx did not only affect one person. This topic was actually not beneficial for the mansion of Marquis Hua Yang.
“Go back first. Just do as you usually do. If someone asks you to do something, just do it. If there is anything, wait for me to come back.”
With this thought in mind, Wei Yuewu coldly ordered. Concubine Dong thought that she was powerless once she had entered the Palace.
“But, what about Madam’s courtyard? I heard that it will be burned down in the next few days. They even placed the firewood all over the courtyard! Before Lord Marquis returned to the mansion, many people said that they were only waiting for his order to burn the courtyard down.”
Shufei snapped anxiously. This was also the main reason why she came in a hurry to report to Wei Yuewu.
Hearing the words from the two old maidservants, Shufei hurriedly went to take a look. Indeed, she saw people moving dried firewood to the wall around Madam’s courtyard.
“Don’t worry. Just go back. Concubine Dong can’t burn my mother’s courtyard. A jinx? What a great idea!” Wei Yuewu glanced at Shufei. Although her expression was calm, the viciousness in her eyes made one feel apprehensive.
Seeing Wei Yuewu’s calm face, Shufei inexplicably relaxed and nodded. “Alright. I’ll take my leave first before someone realizes that I’m missing! I’ll be in great trouble.”
“Okay, you go back first!” Wei Yuewu nodded.
Therefore, Shufei left in a hurry. Wei Yuewu stood under the tree. Her long eyelashes trembled slightly as she looked at the Palace.
It was not easy to come in and out of the Palace, but all the people in the Palace were significant. Concubine Dong thought that she could expand her power in the mansion, burn her mother’s courtyard, and name her mother as a jinx. She would prove her wrong.
“Come on. We’ll go to Third Princess’ palace,” Wei Yuewu took a step forward and said.
“Third Princess?” Jin Ling was stunned for a moment and did not react. However, she swiftly strode toward Wei Yuewu and asked in a low voice. In Jin Ling’s opinion, the Third Princess had nothing to do with this matter, and the shrewd princess would not help Wei Yuewu on her own accord.
“Yes, we’ll go to Third Princess’ palace and tell her about Fourth Elder Sister’s problem.” Wei Yuewu smiled slightly. Wei Qiufu had come to join Third Princess’ prayer. Now that something had happened to Wei Qiufu, she naturally had to report it to the Third Princess.
“The suicide problem?” Jin Ling was confused.
“Yes! Fourth Elder Sister attempted to commit suicide because of Eldest Sister. Had we not found her earlier, she would have died. Moreover, Eldest Sister almost died because of the arrow that came out of nowhere, and she is not doing good. Although Eldest Sister is the Heiress-apparent of Prince Nan’an, she was also a daughter of the mansion of Marquis Hua Yang. Now, Marquis Hua Yang’s daughters are in trouble one after another…”
Wei Yuewu quipped. With Third Princess’ character, she would definitely come to visit them after learning the unfortunate incidents. Otherwise, how else would the world know how gentle, kind, and considerate she was?
“O-Oh, okay. We’ll…” Jin Ling understood now.
“We are now on our way to see the Third Princess when…” Wei Yuewu paused for a moment, then smiled at Jin Ling. “Something happened!”