Upon hearing this, the matriarch immediately said, "What are you all standing there for! Quickly invite the master to the West Garden!"
"Yes." The servant quickly walked out.
Aunt Bai was secretly delighted. Sure enough, he had come! She had already had Steward Xue take down the letter that Ji Dingbei had sent. Instead, she deliberately leaked a message that Qin's matter was so serious that it could lead to execution, so Ji Dingbei had no choice but to come back!
Upon entering the West Garden, Ji Dingbei hurriedly bowed to the Old Madam, saying, "Greetings, Madam, your son has returned!"
"Why did you suddenly return to the manor? Have you finished dealing with the Japanese pirates in the southeast?" The matriarch of the family naturally wanted to ask a few more questions. Ji Dingbei was now fully dressed in military uniform, clearly having just returned from the southeast. If he had returned to the manor suddenly without the Emperor's permission, and people found out, it would be enough to cause trouble for the entire manor. Not only would he be stripped of his official rank, but he might also spend the rest of his life in prison!
"I have already informed His Majesty that such a major event has occurred in the manor, and you didn't even tell me!" Ji Dingbei's voice held a hint of anger, implying that he should have been reprimanded for concealing the matter.
The matriarch nodded in agreement. "Isn't it because I was afraid you'd be distracted?"
Ji Dingbei remained silent, looking at the people around him. Ji Yinxue, Ji Wushang, and Ji Wuxia stood to the side, and when they saw him, they all bowed.
Ji Dingbei nodded and then stepped into the West Garden, but the monks beside him immediately stopped him, saying, "Benefactor, there is a demonic aura in the West Garden."
"I just came back to the manor to see what's going on!" Someone actually told me that Consort Qin's child was lost because of a cursed star, and that Consort Bai's East Garden was cursed! Now, the West Garden is saying that there is demonic energy. Is it really going to destroy my General Ji's manor?
Ji Dingbei stretched out his large hand, shoved the group of monks aside, and stepped inside. Immediately, Madam Yuan, seeing this, said, "Everyone, go in and take a look!"
The high monks exchanged glances, their gazes falling on Steward Xue. Steward Xue nodded secretly and followed them inside. Ji Wushang watched, snorted coldly, and immediately followed as well.
Upon entering, they found the West Garden in complete disarray! The flowerpots and plants around were scattered and broken, as if they had been trampled by an army, a truly pitiful sight.
Ji Dingbei practically rushed into Aunt Qin's inner room, only to find a scene of utter devastation!
The head maid, Zhucui, was lying on the ground, blood in her mouth. Her head was clearly broken, and blood was flowing all over the floor. Inside the room, there were sounds of beatings and curses!
"Monster! Show your true form!"
"Where do you think you're going! Get out of her body right now!"
...
There were also some incantations mixed in.
And then there were Aunt Qin's painful groans...
Ji Wushang was startled and rushed in immediately, followed by Ji Dingbei and the others.
Aunt Qin was curled up on the bed, surrounded by three high monks who were constantly performing rituals, as if they were exorcising demons for her. However, in Ji Wushang's eyes, they were killing her!
"Stop!" Ji Dingbei roared. The three men immediately paused, and seeing that Ji Dingbei was fully armored, they knew he was a general and stopped, standing aside. At this moment, Aunt Bai stepped forward and pulled Ji Dingbei, "Master, that place is not clean, don't go there!"
"Unclean?" Ji Dingbei gave Aunt Bai a cold look, and Aunt Bai immediately had to put her hand down, lower her head, and dare not say anything more.
Ji Dingbei stepped forward and helped Aunt Qin up. Aunt Qin's hair was disheveled, she was trembling, and she was sweating profusely. Ji Dingbei felt a pang of sorrow at the sight. Was he saving someone or killing them?
"Fu'er, how are you?" Ji Dingbei shook her, trying to make her more awake, but Aunt Qin's expression was unfocused and her speech was incoherent.
Ji Wushang stepped forward, took Qin Yiniang's right hand, and checked her pulse. He found that apart from the erratic pulse, there were no signs of poisoning! This was strange. If he wanted to kill Qin Yiniang, he would have used poison! No, if the poisoning was discovered, it would implicate him!
“Benefactor, the fox spirit is still inside Aunt Qin’s body. We have already locked the fox spirit inside her!” A high monk stepped forward, determined to kill Aunt Qin.
"I'll never let you go, even if it kills me!" Just then, Aunt Qin suddenly shouted, "I'll never let you go, even if it kills me! No, no!"
Everyone was shocked. This was clearly a case of countless injustices!
What exactly happened when these people went inside the house?
Ji Wushang held Aunt Qin's hand, "Aunt, what exactly happened?"
"The fox spirit has entered her body. It seems that Sister Qin's consciousness is a little unclear... Alas!" Aunt Bai sighed.
Ji Dingbei gave Aunt Bai a cold look, and Aunt Bai immediately fell silent.
Just then, Aunt Qin grabbed Ji Dingbei with both hands!
"You heartless man, you ungrateful bastard! You raised a wolf without knowing it, you raised a white-eyed wolf without knowing it! You..." Aunt Qin grabbed Ji Dingbei's neck fiercely, and the people around were shocked and at a loss!
Ji Dingbei suddenly ripped her away and, with a swift chop, knocked her unconscious. Aunt Qin was now sprawled on the bed.
Ji Dingbei stared at the silent Aunt Qin with a dark expression. No one around dared to move or speak. Ji Wushang was also stunned. How much courage did Aunt Qin need to strangle the man she loved?
Yes, she originally thought she would marry a man who loved and doted on her, even being a concubine would be better than anything else. However, her wishes were shattered time and time again by the cruel reality... She must have been in despair, otherwise, she wouldn't have been so ruthless and resolute. At that moment, her eyes held a look of despair, a desire to be consumed by death, a wish to go to the underworld together.
Ji Wushang silently walked away and stood to the side.
Aunt Bai stared blankly for a few seconds. Although things were a bit unexpected, it was still in line with her wishes. She just hadn't expected Aunt Qin to be so crazy! But it still met her expectations!
Aunt Bai gently gestured to Steward Xue, who then gestured to the high monks. The monks stepped forward and said, “Benefactor, please allow us to complete our ritual. To ensure the safety of your household and to remove the evil spirit’s aura, we must bring the fox spirit to justice and throw her into the fire to extinguish her! Otherwise, the consequences will be unimaginable. A huge uproar will surely erupt throughout the capital!”
Ji Dingbei listened, stunned. Whether or not this vixen existed wasn't for him to decide. These so-called experts could say she was, and that was just how the world was…
"Look! There's something unclean!" Before Ji Dingbei could think any further, he heard a high monk shout, pointing at something under the bed.
Everyone was surprised and huddled together. Ji Wushang was also pulled aside by Zhu'er. "Miss, Zhu'er is scared."
Ji Wushang was stunned. Yes, he might have guessed what was going on, but everyone around him believed that there really was a fox spirit, something unclean, and a cursed star! If you wanted to kill someone, this was the kind of thing you had to do!
If the target were yourself, how would you escape?
Ji Wushang watched, unsure of what to say. At present, there was no evidence that they were conspiring to kill Aunt Qin. If he spoke, they would surely turn around and accuse him. For now, he could only wait and see.
Sure enough, those eminent monks immediately pulled a large box out from under Aunt Qin's bed and opened it abruptly.
Everyone was stunned! Especially Ji Dingbei! Because inside were actually some rag dolls, each with something written on it. There were seven or eight rag dolls in a row! Ji Dingbei saw the words on them. The first one in the row had the name of the old lady, Yuan Xianjing; the second one was Ji Dingbei; the third one was Bai Aomei, the name of Aunt Bai; and the rest were Nangong Xue, Xie Tiantian, Ji Tiankui, Ji Wusi, Ji Wushang, Ji Meiyuan, Ji Wuxia, Ji Yinxue, Ji Sisi... The only one missing was Aunt Qin!
Everyone gasped. Was this a curse wishing death upon everyone in the mansion? The doll was covered in silver needles! And it was inscribed with words like "die" and "despicable"...
Ji Wushang watched, speechless. Was this really what Aunt Qin did? Did she really hate the people in the manor that much? After all, it was Ji Dingbei who saved her back then; he was the one who protected her reputation!
The matriarch stepped forward and was immediately stunned. "This, this! Guards, drag this vile woman away and beat her to death!"
"Mother!" Ji Dingbei immediately shouted to the matriarch, "I don't believe Fu'er would do such a thing!"
"The evidence is right in front of you, are you still going to speak up for this vile woman?" The old lady looked at him angrily, "So many things have happened in the manor, it must be this thing's doing! If it weren't for her, how could so many things have happened!"
"Mother, we should wait until she's fully awake before letting her explain what happened." Ji Dingbei clearly still had feelings for Qin Fu; otherwise, he wouldn't have spoken up for her like this. Besides, that doll was cursing him to be defeated and killed, and his entire family to be executed!
"Hmph, could it be that someone else here is trying to frame Qin Fu?" The old lady was only concerned about the peace and tranquility of the mansion, so she was naturally furious about such a thing.
At this moment, Aunt Bai stepped forward, her face filled with bitterness. "I never expected this, I never expected this child in my womb must also be cursed by her, that's why he's called some kind of cursed star. In my opinion, there's no such thing as a cursed star, it's just a pretext made up by someone with ulterior motives! So that my child can't be born and can't be loved by everyone! What crime have I, Bai Aomei, committed to suffer such torment!" After saying this, she actually shed a tear.
Seeing this, Ji Wuxia stepped forward and picked up a silk handkerchief from the ground. "Auntie, why are you doing this? What do you mean by 'lone star'? I don't think there's any truth to it at all."
Upon hearing this, Ji Dingbei felt there was some truth to it. However, he had an indescribable feeling about the woman lying in front of him. Just now, when he looked into her eyes, there was such despair. It was as if she wanted to confide in him, but felt that he would not believe her. Therefore, she chose a desperate measure, thinking of strangling him and taking him down with her... Ji Dingbei sorted out his thoughts, and his eyes became even more unfathomable.
Ji Wushang stepped forward. "Father is right. To be honest, this matter is rather strange. Perhaps it's the work of a fox spirit. Wasn't the fox spirit already locked inside Aunt Qin's body? Then, how do these high monks manage to kill the fox spirit while preserving Aunt Qin's life?" Want her dead? I'll make sure you don't get your way! Even if Aunt Qin is already in despair, or driven mad by you, I'll still make her come out and bite you a few times!
Aunt Bai and Ji Wuxia were stunned for a moment upon hearing this. They looked at each other, and just as they were about to say something, Ji Dingbei said, "Well, you people are high monks who save lives, so do as Wushang said! Anyone who harms Fu'er's life will be in big trouble!"
"The fox spirit is already ingrained in Aunt Qin's very being, and has become one with her. To get rid of the fox spirit, Aunt Qin must be thrown into the fire and burned to ashes!" a high monk said fiercely.
Ji Wushang was stunned. Was this a death sentence for Aunt Qin?
"In my humble opinion, these dolls are already cursed. To break the curse, they must be burned! Otherwise, there will be no peace in your household!" That man was indeed ruthless!
Aunt Bai listened with a sense of satisfaction, then glanced at Steward Xue, who nodded in approval.
Ji Wushang looked at the so-called high monk. He saw that the monk was tall and wore a linen robe with some cloth over it. He was barefoot and covered in tattoos from head to toe. The dense patterns gave him a mysterious air. His eyes seemed to gleam with a sharp light, and his eye sockets were painted black.
Ji Wushang memorized the man's appearance before looking away. The instant he looked away, the high monk turned his gaze towards Ji Wushang.
“One side’s story is not convincing enough,” Ji Wushang said. “Indeed, I was very angry when I saw those dolls, and I was worried about Grandmother and Father. However, our General’s Mansion is a place where reason prevails. If Master Qin knew that Aunt Qin had done such a thing, he would definitely be heartbroken. I think Father doesn’t want to worry about such a thing either. Give me one night, and I will ask a doctor to wake Aunt Qin up.”
After saying that, Ji Wushang knelt down in front of the matriarch, "Grandmother, this matter still needs to be taken seriously. Even if it is some kind of cursed star or a doll curse, it still needs a serious investigation process."
The matriarch looked at her for a long time before nodding, "I'll leave this matter to you."
Ji Dingbei nodded to Ji Wushang, "You will all stay here for today, and deal with this matter tomorrow." He was referring to those eminent monks.
Ji Wushang looked up at the person who had been staring at him for a long time. Now that I've bought myself some time, I won't let you all cause trouble!
The monks had no choice but to nod, utter a few words, and then leave. Before leaving, they disposed of the puppets.
Aunt Bai had watched enough of the play, so she naturally went down with Ji Wuxia. Old Madam Yuan was exhausted and had to be helped down by Granny Guo. In the entire West Garden, only Ji Wushang, Ji Dingbei, Aunt Xie, and Ji Yinxue remained.
Aunt Xie quietly instructed the servants to dispose of the body of Aunt Qin's head maid, Zhu Cui, before stepping forward and saying, "Master, if you're tired, why don't you go and rest in the courtyard? You can leave this to Miss and me."
Ji Dingbei glanced at her and sighed heavily, "Take good care of her." After saying that, he stood up, "I'm leaving tomorrow at noon, so don't make me worry."
"Father." Ji Wushang stepped forward and bowed. "Please rest assured, Father."
Ji Dingbei nodded slightly and left the West Garden.
Ji Wushang turned around and looked at Aunt Xie, who was also looking at her. Aunt Xie said, "Miss, what do you think about how to handle this matter? Should I call a doctor for you?"
"No need, I can handle these things." Ji Wushang glanced at her. They were both like jackals, what would they want to help him with? "Auntie is still thinking about how to make this backyard more peaceful. Being the mistress of the house is not an easy job."
Aunt Xie listened, a hint of anger flickering within her, but she still managed a forced smile. "I know whether I've done enough or not. Just watch with peace of mind, Miss!"
"Hmm." Ji Wushang nodded, then called Zhu'er over, "Zhu'er."
Seeing that Ji Wushang ignored her, Aunt Xie could only walk away with a hidden anger.
Pearl stepped forward and asked, "Miss, what is it?"
Ji Wushang whispered a few words in her ear, and then Zhu'er obeyed and left.
Ji Wushang looked at Aunt Qin on the bed, took out some silver needles from his bosom. They were left by Doctor Cui before he left, saying that he was giving them to him. Ji Wushang thought about it and then applied a few needles. He noticed that Aunt Qin's complexion had improved.
At this moment, a room full of Qin's servants, all weeping and wailing, entered. When they saw Qin with the silver needles inserted, they assumed she had been treated by a doctor, but many continued to cry. Ji Wushang looked at them and said, "Stop crying. If you want to save Qin, you must do as I say!"
"This servant is willing to follow Miss's arrangements." The servants immediately knelt down and stopped crying.
"You guys," Ji Wushang pointed to the stronger-looking servants kneeling behind him, "go guard the courtyard gate. Don't let anyone in. If it's Father or the others, inform me immediately!"
"Yes." The men immediately accepted the order.
"You three maids, quickly bring me some water!" Ji Wushang pointed to the three third-class maids over there. The three maids immediately obeyed.
When the water arrived, Ji Wushang carefully considered helping Aunt Qin tidy up, but he needed an assistant. So he turned to look at the row of maids kneeling in front of him. The one at the very front was Feng Yu, the head maid who had just recovered and was still not in good spirits. Ji Wushang looked at her and said, "Feng Yu, come and help."
"Yes." Feng Yu was a clever girl who had been serving Aunt Qin since she was a child and was quite diligent.
By the time everything was finished, it was already dark. Ji Wushang was hungry and hadn't had dinner yet, so he ordered that dinner be brought to him.
Feng Yu looked at Ji Wushang and said with emotion, "Thank you for your help, Miss. If it weren't for you, the West Garden would have collapsed."
Ji Wushang listened and smiled silently. Yes, why did he save Aunt Qin? It was simply to make Aunt Bai suffer a fate worse than death; he wasn't that kind-hearted to act as a living saint. But Aunt Qin was also pitiful, and he didn't want her to die like that. If a desperate person suddenly receives help, wouldn't they be grateful? Aunt Qin was the kind of person who had no opportunity to use her cunning and only thought about protecting herself. If he gave her wings, she would definitely be able to fly, definitely be of use to him. Then, if anyone bit him, she would definitely be the first to strike!
That's exactly what I value!
Is this due to that feeling of déjà vu?
Ji Wushang smiled again.