Chapter 28
**Chapter 28: The Haunting of Fangfei Courtyard**
Fang'er trembled, falling to her knees in fear. "I... I dare not, please spare me, my lady."
Zhang Yue felt a surge of irritation. She was the mistress, and Fang'er was merely a servant. How dare this foolish servant defy her orders?
With a sharp slap, Zhang Yue struck Fang'er across the face, impatience lacing her voice. "Be more discreet! Who would know it was you? — Obey me, or I’ll mar your pretty face."
Fang'er’s cheek burned with the imprint of the slap, tears streaming down her face, her heart swelling with resentment towards Zhang Yue.
Shakily, she clutched the packet of rat poison, her heart sinking. Wiping her tears, she planned to sneak into Fangfei Courtyard after dark to carry out her scheme.
Tonight, Prince Yan had dined with Shen Wei and was not staying over, retreating to his study to handle official matters. The moonlight slanted down as Fang'er hid in the shadows, watching Fangfei Courtyard, where two eunuchs stood guard at the entrance, taking turns.
Fang'er waited for what felt like an eternity, her ankles and wrists swollen from mosquito bites, yet she still found no opportunity to slip inside.
With no other choice, she decided to change her plans and think of a way to return in the morning.
After a restless night, as dawn broke, Fang'er sneaked back to Fangfei Courtyard. Jixiang and Deshun were carrying water buckets to fetch water from the well.
The morning air was fresh, and birds chirped noisily in the branches. Deshun lifted the well cover and lowered the small bucket to draw water.
Seizing the chance, Fang'er approached, forcing a smile as she greeted them, "Jixiang, Deshun, you’re up early to fetch water?"
The servants in the manor were familiar with one another, and Jixiang laughed, "Oh, it’s Fang'er! Look at that handprint on your face. Did Zhang Yue hit you again?"
Fang'er nodded awkwardly.
Zhang Yue had not yet completely fallen out of favor, and Fang'er dared not resist.
Fang'er stepped closer, feigning curiosity as she examined the beautiful wooden bucket. "Jixiang, your bucket from Fangfei Courtyard is really lovely—"
Before her hand could touch the bucket, Deshun dashed over, blocking her path. "Don’t go near the bucket."
Startled, Fang'er protested, "I was just looking!"
Deshun shook his head firmly. "You can’t. My master has ordered that fetching water and delivering food must always be supervised. No outsiders are allowed near. After all, my master is currently favored, and if some bold fool were to poison the water, my master wouldn’t want to be killed."
Fang'er fell silent, her plan to poison the water now thwarted.
What she didn’t know was that Shen Wei was extremely cautious.
Every day, the water used in Fangfei Courtyard had to be checked for poison before it could be consumed. Ingredients brought from the kitchen were also monitored closely by the maids to prevent anyone from poisoning the food along the way.
Every five days, Shen Wei would invite the imperial physician to check her pulse and inspect the plants and trees inside and outside the courtyard for anything harmful.
Shen Wei would even send people to regularly search the courtyard for any wooden voodoo dolls. After all, in ancient times, the consequences of witchcraft could easily implicate an entire family.
In addition, Shen Wei often held meetings with the staff of Fangfei Courtyard, urging them to stay vigilant and speak carefully, so as not to give anyone an opportunity to exploit them.
Over time, the eunuchs and maids of Fangfei Courtyard became as shrewd as foxes.
Deshun fixed his gaze on Fang'er, his tone laden with meaning. "The water from Fangfei Courtyard is sometimes consumed by the prince as well."
Fang'er broke out in a cold sweat.
Indeed, Prince Yan also drank from Fangfei Courtyard’s water source. If she accidentally poisoned him, the entire Rose Courtyard would likely pay the price.
Fang'er felt a surge of anger, loathing the thoughtless Zhang Yue. This Zhang Yue acted on impulse, a fool who never considered the consequences.
Jixiang, perceptive as ever, sensed Fang'er’s turmoil and patiently comforted her. "We’re all human. If our master treats us like people, we will be loyal; if not, we’ll just wait for the moment to bring her down."
Fang'er lowered her head in silence, not uttering a word.
Returning to Rose Courtyard without completing her task, Fang'er was met with a barrage of scolding from Zhang Yue.
As the beating continued, Zhang Yue finally realized how foolish it was to poison Shen Wei. The potential consequences of harming Prince Yan were unimaginable.
Yet, seeing Shen Wei thriving only fueled Zhang Yue’s frustration, leaving her with no outlet for her anger. One failed scheme led to another. Zhang Yue’s mind whirled, and a new plan to target Shen Wei began to form.
...
On a cool summer night, Prince Yan stayed over at the princess's quarters. Shen Wei, alone, reveled in her freedom, practicing her dance, writing, and applying a facial mask before bed. After finishing her routine, she lay down on the large rosewood bed, ready to sleep.
As she drifted off, a sudden sound of weeping pierced the night.
It seemed to be a woman crying.
"Woo... I’m so unwilling to accept this..."
"I died such a tragic death..."
"I’m filled with resentment..."
The sobbing echoed eerily in the summer night. Shen Wei slowly opened her eyes, glancing out the window just in time to catch a fleeting glimpse of a white figure.
Like a ghost, or a vengeful spirit.
"Master! Master!" Cailian and Caiping rushed in, their faces pale with fear.
Cailian, breathless, said, "Master, there’s suddenly a strange crying sound coming from the courtyard. Jixiang and Deshun are already searching for the source, you needn’t be afraid."
But Cailian noticed that Shen Wei’s beautiful face showed no sign of fear, only irritation at being disturbed from her sleep.
Caiping, timid as ever, added, "Master, I heard that a concubine who used to live in Fangfei Courtyard drowned herself after falling out of favor... Though that was three or four years ago, still..."
Caiping trembled slightly, too frightened to continue.
Shen Wei rubbed her temples, not believing in ghosts. There were only people pretending to be supernatural.
Even if, for argument's sake, ghosts did exist, Shen Wei was not afraid. The grievances of a working woman in this royal household weighed heavier than any ghost!
"Master." Mama Rong entered from outside. As an elder in the manor, she had seen and heard much.
Mama Rong whispered to Shen Wei, "Master, Jixiang and Deshun just searched the courtyard and found signs of a rope climbing over the wall. The haunting must have been orchestrated by someone from the neighboring Rose Courtyard."
It was well-known that Zhang Yue and Shen Wei were at odds. This was likely a scheme by Zhang Yue to undermine Shen Wei’s spirit.
Cailian clenched her fists, anger bubbling over. "Master, tomorrow when the prince comes, we must expose the misdeeds of Rose Courtyard! They’re up to no good, pretending to be ghosts in the middle of the night!"
Prince Yan was deeply fond of Shen Wei. As long as she spoke up, even without evidence, he would surely punish Zhang Yue severely.
Leaning back against the bed, Shen Wei’s beautiful eyes glimmered with contemplation. "Just reporting it won’t get me what I want."
Simply complaining to Prince Yan would let the matter pass lightly. As the victim, Shen Wei would receive only a bit of his affection, but not much of real value.
She needed to escalate the situation.
Rubbing her chin, a smile blossomed on her lips. "Our courtyard is a bit small; I’d like to move to a larger one."
The next day, news of the haunting in Fangfei Courtyard began to spread, but it did not reach Prince Yan’s ears.
In the following days, Prince Yan continued to stay in Shen Wei’s quarters as usual. However, he gradually noticed that Shen Wei’s complexion grew paler by the day, her demeanor resembling that of a frightened deer.
After their nightly intimacy, Shen Wei became increasingly clingy, insisting on curling up in his arms to fall asleep.
During the day, while practicing her writing, she would often lose focus, making frequent mistakes.
Noticing something was off, Prince Yan wrapped his arms around Shen Wei’s slender waist. "Could it be that I’ve been asking too much of you lately, Weiwei? Are you tired?"
Shen Wei’s cheeks flushed as she gently shook her head. "No, my lord, don’t think too much—court time is approaching, you should hurry."
Her lips parted slightly, as if she had something to say, but ultimately, the words remained unspoken.
Prince Yan, ever perceptive, sensed the change.
If Shen Wei was unwilling to bring it up, he would have someone investigate.
After leaving Fangfei Courtyard, Prince Yan instructed Fugui, "Look into what’s been happening in Fangfei Courtyard lately."
Fugui sighed, reporting honestly, "My lord, actually, these days, Fangfei Courtyard... has been haunted. When you’re here, everything is calm, but after you leave, even during the day, strange things happen."
"Shen Wei is afraid of disturbing you, so she’s been keeping it a secret, alas."
Prince Yan halted in his tracks, his embroidered black boots turning back towards Fangfei Courtyard. Deshun and Jixiang were about to pay their respects when Prince Yan shot them a glance to stop.
As he was about to enter, he suddenly overheard Shen Wei chatting with Cailian inside.
Cailian was crying, "Master, why don’t you tell the prince about the haunting in Fangfei Courtyard? You’ve been so disturbed these past few days, you can’t eat or sleep properly, you’ve lost so much weight."
Shen Wei took a sip of bitter medicine, sighed, and gently replied, "The prince is busy with state affairs; I can’t trouble him with such trivial matters."
Cailian felt pained. "That concubine who used to live in Fangfei Courtyard drowned herself; perhaps her resentment lingers, seeing you favored, she’s come to disturb you... I’ll secretly go to the temple to get a talisman to ward off the ghost."
Shen Wei nodded. "That’s fine, I hope the temple’s talisman is effective. Cailian, go fetch some leather; I noticed the prince’s boots are a bit worn, and I’d like to make him a new pair."
Cailian sighed, "Master, you’re always so concerned about the prince, considering everything for him."
Shen Wei smiled lightly. "The prince is my husband, my beloved. To receive his love is a blessing from above, so I naturally want to do my best for him."
Inside the room, the master and servant continued their casual chat.
Outside, Prince Yan’s handsome face wore a complex expression, filled with emotion, affection, and a hint of secret delight.
Shen Wei treated him sincerely, even in her own difficulties, she didn’t want to trouble him. She was even thinking of making him a new pair of shoes.
Prince Yan looked down at his own boots, a pair of embroidered black ones, noticing a tear on the left boot that revealed the golden thread inside.
Even Prince Yan hadn’t noticed the damage to his boots, yet Shen Wei had.
A sense of melancholy washed over Prince Yan. He didn’t want to disturb Shen Wei, so he quietly left Fangfei Courtyard with Fugui.
He instructed Fugui, "The haunting must be a targeted attack on Fangfei Courtyard. Investigate it."
Fugui replied respectfully, "I’ll take care of it right away."
Prince Yan glanced down at his embroidered black boots again, a smile of happiness gracing his lips as he left for court, in a good mood.
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