Chapter 29
**Chapter 29: Dogs Bite Dogs, All in a Tangle**
...
As soon as Wang Ye left, Shen Wei in Fangfei Courtyard slowly set down her medicine bowl and stretched lazily.
Shen Wei admired her own acting skills; they were becoming increasingly refined. With just a hint of affection for Wang Ye, she could portray it as a full-blown passion. The thought of her earlier, somewhat bitter lines sent shivers down her spine.
This was Shen Wei's brilliance. She didn’t directly tell Wang Ye about the haunting; instead, she let him discover it on his own. This way, in Wang Ye's mind, she appeared to be a patient, pitiful, and sensible woman who understood the bigger picture.
This would earn her more of Wang Ye's affection (and wealth).
As for Wang Ye's boots—those embroidered black boots with scratches—Shen Wei had secretly marred them with a knife that very morning.
And for making boots for Wang Ye—along with clothes and sachets—she had contracted the work out to Cai Lian and Cai Ping. With generous bonuses, the two maids were more than willing to take on the task.
“Now, all that’s left is to wait for the bigger house,” Shen Wei smiled wider, feeling quite grateful to Zhang Yue.
If it weren’t for Zhang Yue’s ghostly antics, Shen Wei’s plans for a bigger house wouldn’t have come to fruition so soon.
In life, is there anything more joyful than a promotion, a raise, and a new home?
...
Fu Gui, the chief steward of the Wang Fu, was efficient in his work. He quickly discovered that it was Zhang Yue from Qiangwei Courtyard who was behind the ghostly disturbances.
A living person pretending to be a ghost leaves traces behind.
Fu Gui was just about to inform Wang Ye when Mama Rong intercepted him. She led Fu Gui to a secluded corner of the garden and said earnestly, “Chief Steward Fu Gui, regarding the haunting, we may not be able to find the true culprit.”
Fu Gui raised an eyebrow, annoyed. “Who says we can’t find the culprit? It’s clearly Qiangwei Courtyard causing the trouble.”
Mama Rong gave him a knowing look. “My master has said that we won’t find the true culprit.”
As she spoke, Mama Rong slipped an expensive enamel snuff bottle into Fu Gui’s hand.
Fu Gui was taken aback, glancing down at the snuff bottle before looking back at Mama Rong, who was now so close he could see the glint in her eyes.
His mind raced, and he quickly caught on. With a smile, he began to play with the snuff bottle. “Oh, Mama Rong, what scheme is Mistress Shen up to now?”
Mama Rong chuckled, “As for my master’s affairs, how could a servant like me interfere? It’s best to watch and wait.”
Fu Gui tucked the snuff bottle away, and the two silently completed their transaction.
...
The rumors of the haunting in Fangfei Courtyard soon reached the ears of the Wang Fei, who was currently supervising her two sons as they completed their studies.
Having experienced the brutal intrigues of the inner court in her youth, the Wang Fei was well aware of the petty tricks of “ghostly antics” that could occur behind closed doors.
“Wang Fei, should we punish Zhang Yue?” Mama Liu inquired, seeking the Wang Fei’s opinion.
The Wang Fei shook her head lightly, already guessing the direction the drama would take.
It would be nothing more than Zhang’s ghostly tricks to torment Shen Wei, followed by Shen Wei’s tearful complaints to Wang Ye, and ultimately, Wang Ye punishing Zhang. The whole affair would pass without much consequence.
Such lowly tactics for gaining favor were akin to children playing house; they were hardly worth taking seriously.
The squabbles between Zhang Yue and Shen Wei were ultimately meaningless. They were merely two lowly concubines, childless and desperate for fleeting affection, engaging in a dog-eat-dog scenario, all in a tangle.
“Let it be; let it run its course,” the Wang Fei said dismissively, returning her focus to supervising her children’s homework.
Noticing her eldest son dozing off while holding his brush, she smacked his palm with a ruler. “You haven’t finished your work, and you dare to nap during the day!”
Her eldest son, Li Chengke, only ten years old, looked up with a pitiful expression. “Mother, I barely slept three hours last night. I’m so tired.”
The Wang Fei’s gaze sharpened, her tone growing more serious. “When your grandfather was your age, he could recite the Four Books and Five Classics from memory. You’re ten now; why can’t you do the same?”
Li Chengke’s eyes brimmed with tears, his grip tightening on the brush, feeling restless and anxious.
...
The rumors of the haunting in Fangfei Courtyard naturally reached the ears of several side concubines.
In Mingyue Courtyard, Liu Qiaoer was having her breakfast. Coming from a modest background, she had fallen out of favor, and her share had been reduced to that of a mere concubine, leaving her with only a plate of stir-fried greens and a bowl of thin rice porridge for breakfast.
As she ate her simple meal, Liu Qiaoer casually asked her maid, “How is Shen Wei doing?”
The maid replied, “I’ve heard that Shen is extremely frightened, unable to eat or sleep, and has lost quite a bit of weight.”
Liu Qiaoer shook her head with a smile.
See, this is the consequence of seeking the limelight. The more one shines, the more they become a target for others.
After finishing her last spoonful of cold porridge, which tasted terrible but at least filled her stomach, she noticed mosquitoes buzzing around her. The maid said, “Mistress, it’s getting hotter, and the cool mat from the Inner Court is too worn out. The mosquito smoke is unbearable... Why not take advantage of Shen’s recent low spirits and find a way to see Wang Ye?”
Liu Qiaoer could tolerate the plain food, but her maid could not.
With Liu Qiaoer’s share reduced, her maid’s monthly allowance had also decreased, and that little money wasn’t enough to cover her maid’s household expenses.
The three side concubines in the Wang Fu were all out of favor. Liu Ruoyan and Zhang Miaoyu came from well-off families, so they lacked for nothing. Only Liu Qiaoer, whose family was far away in Lingnan, had a father who was merely a low-ranking official, unable to provide her with any support.
The maid hoped Liu Qiaoer would make an effort to regain Wang Ye’s favor. After all, they had grown up together; if Liu Qiaoer softened her stance just a little, she was sure to win Wang Ye’s affection back.
But Liu Qiaoer merely shook her head lightly. “Plain food can fill the belly and bring a lifetime of peace; fine clothes and sumptuous meals may seem glorious, but they can’t guarantee one’s life.”
The maid, expressionless, swatted a mosquito that had landed on her arm.
She was starting to consider switching allegiances.
A similar scene unfolded in Liu Ruoyan’s Qixue Pavilion. Upon hearing about the haunting in Fangfei Courtyard, her maid, Xue Mei, sensed an opportunity.
With Shen Wei in a slump, the other wives and concubines naturally had a chance to take advantage.
Xue Mei urged Liu Ruoyan, “Mistress, if Shen is scared to death by the ghost, our opportunity will come.”
Liu Ruoyan, dressed in white, was sitting in her study painting plum blossoms. Coming from a prestigious family, she may not have Wang Ye’s affection, but she was still free from want.
Liu Ruoyan set down her brush, gazing at the lifelike white plums on the canvas, her voice soft. “That ghostly woman is also a pitiful soul. In life, she couldn’t win Wang Ye’s love, and in death, her resentment lingers. Ah, beautiful women often meet tragic fates.”
Thinking of her past with Wang Ye, tears began to fall.
She had once longed to brew tea and admire flowers with Wang Ye every day, to wander the mountains and rivers together, to harmonize in music. Yet, a lifetime shared with one person turned out to be nothing more than a fleeting dream.
Liu Ruoyan sorrowfully pondered, if one day she were to die, would Wang Ye shed tears for her?
Xue Mei was speechless.
Was this really the time to pity the ghost? Was this the moment to shed tears?
...
That night, after finishing his official duties, Wang Ye returned to the Wang Fu. He summoned Fu Gui to inquire about the investigation into the ghostly disturbances.
Fu Gui knelt down, trembling as he pleaded, “Please forgive me, Wang Ye. Fangfei Courtyard is truly strange; it doesn’t seem to be human-made. I’ve already sent someone to Qingcheng Mountain to invite a highly skilled Taoist priest to perform a ritual.”
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