A small portion of the gold nugget had already been melted, but the characters on it were still clearly visible. The matriarch leaned forward and softly read aloud: "A cursed star, bringing misfortune to father and mother, ancestors and lineage! Ah!" Immediately, the matriarch flipped the plate over. With a dull thud, the gold nugget crashed to the ground, and in the cold moonlight, the twelve small seal characters were now clearly visible to everyone!
Ji Wushang stepped forward and helped the matriarch up, saying, "Grandmother, please don't worry!"
These twelve words, aren't they describing the child in Aunt Bai's womb? A cursed star, bringing misfortune to father, mother, ancestors, and clan! What a terrible curse! Aunt Xie was stunned, a chill creeping up from her feet to her heart.
"Hurry up and throw that gold nugget away!" Ji Wushang commanded sharply.
Immediately, some servants stepped forward, intending to throw away the gold nugget, but then suddenly exclaimed, "Oh no! The gold nugget has vanished!"
The people around were shocked, and those putting out the fire stopped what they were doing.
The matriarch had no choice but to believe it, shaking her head repeatedly. "Go, quickly help me to the hall to offer some incense... Tomorrow, a high monk will be performing a ritual, and he must do it in every part of the mansion! What's going on? How can this be considered bringing misfortune to our ancestors!" Muttering to herself, the matriarch turned and walked away. Granny Guo could only silently help her away.
Ji Wushang watched her departing figure and sighed inwardly.
Whoever tries to take my mother's place as her wife, I, Ji Wushang, will fight to the bitter end! Isn't Aunt Bai planning to burn down the East Garden so she can move into the North Garden? Well then, I'll deliver that cursed fate to her father, mother, ancestors, and clan! She'll do the first thing, I'll do the fifteenth!
Just as Aunt Bai was about to go to sleep in her room, she heard the maid who had rushed over report what had just happened. Suddenly, she felt a surge of heat in her stomach and couldn't help but vomit a mouthful of black blood.
"Ah, Aunt, what's wrong?" Tianxiang, who was standing to the side, immediately came over to support her. Aunt Bai struggled, "Drag this maid out and beat her to death!"
The maid who reported this turned pale and immediately kowtowed, crying, "Please spare me, Auntie! Please spare me!"
"What are you all standing there for? Drag her away! Beat her to death!" Tianxiang roared as she saw Aunt Bai holding her hand tightly.
Several rough-looking old women standing outside the door immediately dragged the maid away, and the maid's cries and screams were of no use.
"Quickly, fetch a doctor!" Tianxiang ordered the old women, who all went to call for help.
Looking at Aunt Bai and listening to what the maid had just said, Tianxiang felt fear in her heart. Could it be that the cursed star in Aunt Bai's womb was bringing misfortune to her father and mother? And that's why the East Garden was burned down?
Aunt Bai glanced at her and saw that Tianxiang was lost in thought. She immediately guessed what Tianxiang was thinking and slapped her hard across the face. "You wretched servant, what are you thinking!"
"Auntie, spare me!" Tianxiang covered her face, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Auntie, spare me! How could I dare to think of anything?"
Aunt Bai stared coldly at Tianxiang, no longer speaking. She spat out a mouthful of black blood, feeling no discomfort, only…resentment! Who did this? Who moved that gold ingot with the writing to the East Garden?! Wasn't this paving the way for those who plotted against her?! How laughable!
Aunt Bai harbored resentment, but thinking about the religious ceremony tomorrow, she felt a sense of anticipation. She wondered how the Old Madam would handle the matter when she discovered Aunt Qin's things from the West Garden! And how Aunt Xie would react! Aunt Xie was so incompetent; it was time to replace her! After weighing the options, Aunt Bai realized that she was still in a favorable position, and she felt slightly relieved.
So what if I'm a cursed loner, so what if I'm destined to bring misfortune to my parents, so what if I'm destined to bring misfortune to my ancestors! I, Aunt Bai, still have the final say on my child! Aunt Bai was stroking the still-flattened thing in her belly at this moment.
Hei Wuyai, you never imagined that your child would be a cursed lone star!
"Auntie, the doctor is here." At this moment, Tianxiang called out cautiously, rousing Aunt Bai from her deep thoughts.
Aunt Bai gave her a cold look. "No need! They're all quacks!" Tianxiang was speechless, but seeing that Aunt Bai seemed to be doing well, and that mouthful of black blood... she still agreed to Aunt Bai's words, "Yes." With that, she left.
——
It took a long time to extinguish the fire. The East Garden was covered in charred remains. Ji Wushang decided not to look any further; it was almost dawn, and he needed to rest. Aunt Xie ordered the East Garden to be surrounded and sealed off.
Just as Ji Wushang was about to go back, he saw Ji Yinxue rushing in from outside. "Eldest sister? Aunt? What happened?"
Isn't it a bit too late...? Ji Wushang looked at her, his expression unchanged, "There's a fire... Take a look, I'm tired."
"Yes." Ji Yinxue nodded and turned her gaze to Aunt Xie. Aunt Xie clearly didn't want to say anything more and simply waved her hand. Ji Yinxue had no choice but to give up and inquired about some things through the maids present.
Ji Wushang returned to his garden, closed his eyes, and took advantage of the remaining time to sleep.
The next day, before sunrise, Ji Wushang awoke. He dared not underestimate the events of the day. After washing up, Ji Wushang went to Jingyuan to pay his respects to the matriarch. The matriarch was not in good spirits, but she was somewhat relieved.
Before long, Madam Yuan ordered her maids to gather everyone in the courtyard into the main hall. A short while later, Steward Xue brought in several high-ranking monks to perform a ritual.
Ji Wushang glanced at the group of people. Their attire was somewhat strange, but they seemed to be of decent quality. Surprisingly, Aunt Bai and Ji Wuxia were also present!
Ji Wushang was taken aback; Aunt Bai recovered from the shock so quickly! As for Ji Wuxia… Ji Wushang looked at her and saw that although her face was a little pale, she was still quite energetic. Looking at her, she looked like a rag doll that could be blown over by a gust of wind.
"Third Sister, how are you feeling? Are you feeling better?" Ji Wushang stepped forward and asked warmly. As the eldest sister, she should at least act like one!
Upon hearing this, Ji Yinxue, who was not far away, immediately turned her gaze over. When she saw Ji Wuxia, she was stunned. She hadn't expected it to be over so quickly! She really hadn't expected it!
“Yes, Third Sister, we are so happy to see that you are better.” Ji Yinxue stepped forward.
Ji Wuxia's eyes were lifeless. She glanced at Ji Wushang, then at Ji Yinxue. "Some people would love for me to never wake up."
These words stunned Ji Wushang and Ji Yinxue for a few seconds.
“Look at what you’re saying, Third Sister. Alas, it’s my fault as the eldest sister. I can’t escape responsibility for what’s happening to you now. It’s understandable that you resent me,” Ji Wushang said sadly.
Ji Wuxia glanced at Ji Wushang a few times, "Eldest sister, there's no need to blame yourself."
"Third Sister, you've just recovered and shouldn't move around too much. You should rest in the courtyard." Ji Yinxue came forward, intending to tug at Ji Wuxia's sleeve, but Ji Wuxia gently dodged her. "Thank you, Fourth Sister." With that, she bowed to Ji Wushang and walked away.
At this moment, Aunt Bai kept a close eye on Ji Wuxia. She herself had sent Ji Wuxia out. With Ji Meiyuan gone to the Yuanyue Nunnery, the only one left in the mansion who could protect her and do her bidding was Ji Wuxia! Therefore, she had to withstand this struggle! Aunt Bai knew that Ji Wuxia was more ruthless and better at concealing her true intentions than Ji Meiyuan! Using her for her own purposes—wasn't that a wonderful thing?
"Why did you go over there?" Aunt Bai asked as she saw Ji Wuxia walking towards her.
"Auntie, it was my eldest sister and the others, it has nothing to do with me."
"Yes, I know. You should get some rest!" Aunt Bai knew how to take care of her, gently patting Ji Wuxia's shoulder to signal her to take good care of herself.
Looking at everyone present, the matriarch felt somewhat relieved. When she saw that Aunt Bai was alright and Ji Wuxia was gradually recovering, her eyes lit up, and she stepped forward, saying, "It's good that you're all alright!"
"I'm sorry to have troubled you, Madam."
"It's my fault for being unfilial and causing Grandmother worry." Ji Wuxia was about to kneel before the Old Madam, but the Old Madam naturally helped her up, saying, "It's good that you came. You should rest first." Turning her head, she looked at Aunt Bai and immediately remembered the twelve words from yesterday. A wave of worry washed over her. If the ritual wasn't performed properly, she would have no choice but to abort the child in Aunt Bai's womb! There absolutely cannot be a bastard child who brings misfortune to the father, mother, ancestors, and clan!
Aunt Bai felt a chill run down her spine from her gaze, and remembering the twelve words from yesterday, she immediately knelt before Old Madam Yuan, "Old Madam, this concubine..."
"Get up! No need to say anything more." The matriarch was somewhat cold, but thinking of the child in her womb, she gently helped her up.
At this moment, Granny Guo stepped forward and whispered something in the ear of the Old Madam Yuan. The Old Madam Yuan nodded and said, "Let them begin!"
After everyone took their places, several eminent monks sat in the main hall and began to perform the rituals.
At this moment, everyone was kneeling or sitting on the ground in the main hall. Ji Wushang was keeping a close eye on the high monks who were performing the ritual, fearing that they might be fakes! If they fooled everyone in the hall and he was also tricked, that would not be good!
The bell rang, and various incantations began to be chanted. The person performing the ritual was gesturing wildly, displaying a rather primitive style.
Ji Wushang didn't know how the people around him felt. At first, he felt a little bored, but as he watched, he discovered some secrets in the end... Suddenly, looking at those people, he finally noticed some of their little actions!
sky!
Ji Wushang glanced at Steward Xue, who was kneeling quietly to one side, seemingly unaffected. Ji Wushang thought to himself, "Could I have guessed wrong? If these people are indeed men, and Steward Xue invited them, then they should be in cahoots with him. I wonder what they're planning!"
So, were those people who performed rituals at Mother's funeral also like that? Was that talk of a cursed lone star just nonsense? Ji Wushang broke out in a cold sweat at this thought. It felt terrifying; had this really meant destroying a perfectly healthy life?
She deserved it!
Ji Wushang gave Aunt Bai a cold look.
So, the people involved in each of these gatherings are different. This mansion is truly a place where hidden talents abound! Come to think of it, every concubine is thinking about how to secure her own interests. There are several concubines with different levels of power and influence, and then there's Ji Yinxue and the others... Ji Wushang stopped thinking about it and focused on those people.
After the ritual was completed, it was time to go to each courtyard to exorcise ghosts and dispel evil spirits. Ji Wushang suddenly remembered something and made a gesture to Zhu'er.
Taking advantage of the moment when people were moving around, Ji Wushang quietly walked past Zhu'er, said a few words, and then Zhu'er secretly went down to do the thing for him.
These eminent monks, looking quite respectable, toured the entire prefecture in a grand procession. Everywhere they went, they seemed to exude an ominous aura, burning a great deal of paper money. The official Xue also took a considerable amount of silver from the accounting department and stuffed it into the pockets of these monks.
Upon arriving at the East Garden, the group was shocked to see that it had been burned down to nothing but rubble and charred pillars that had been extinguished. Steward Xue immediately coughed a few times, and the monks promptly performed another set of rituals, which were completed in no time.
The whole process was comical and laughable.
Finally, they arrived at Ji Wushang's Xinyuan Garden. At this moment, Zhu'er had already walked to Ji Wushang's side and said softly, "Miss, there is nothing suspicious in the garden."
“Very good.” Ji Wushang nodded, gesturing for her to leave.
The matriarch was quite devout, and Aunt Xie naturally followed beside her. Aunt Bai's gaze drifted towards Ji Wushang, a hint of malice flashing in her eyes. Ji Yinxue looked over, a slight smile playing on her lips.
The monks were very careful and did not do anything out of line. Ji Wushang nodded, thinking that it was probably not directed at him.
The next place, isn't it Aunt Qin's West Garden? Ji Wushang looked at Aunt Bai, who was now looking in the direction of the West Garden with a rather strange expression.
The group had already entered the West Garden, and the sound of bells and jingles made the West Garden lively.
Aunt Qin, lying in bed, heard the sound and immediately said, "They've come here?"
The head maid, Zhucui, replied, "Yes, madam."
Before they could finish speaking, a high-ranking monk stepped into the courtyard and immediately shouted, "Fox spirit! Where do you think you're going!" With that, he brandished his scepter and gave chase, as if he were chasing something!
Immediately, the high monks also stopped the elder's wife and others, saying, "Don't be afraid! My senior brother is capturing the demon! I will protect you in a moment!"
Ji Wushang was taken aback. What kind of play is this?
The matriarch was surprised, "What's going on?"
"Madam, just now, as soon as we entered the manor, we smelled some demonic scent, but when we got to the main hall, we couldn't find it. We never expected that after searching around several times, we would find that the fox spirit was hiding here!"
"Ah!" Aunt Bai screamed in surprise, "How terrifying!" Ji Wuxia stepped forward, "Aunt, don't be afraid, Wuxia is here!"
Ji Wushang looked at them and immediately understood.
Aunt Qin, you'd better take care of yourself!
☆、104 Want her dead? I won't let her have her way!
Upon hearing this, the matriarch of the elder family was slightly alarmed. "This is too much trouble for the venerable monk!"
"Don't worry, Madam!" a high-ranking monk said calmly.
Ji Wushang walked over to the matriarch, "Grandmother, don't worry. I think if anything happens to the manor, Father will definitely not let those who try to cause trouble get away with it when he returns." These words startled everyone around, especially Aunt Bai. At this moment, she looked at Ji Wushang with a hint of fear in her eyes, but the benefits in her heart tempted her more than her fear!
Aunt Bai deliberately sticks out her still-flat belly and comes forward, saying, "Hey, Wu Shang, how can you talk like that? If something happens in the manor, do we need to wait for the master to come back? The old lady is here! When the master comes back, he certainly won't let those people off the hook!" As she spoke, she gave an awkward laugh.
Her meaning was simply to tell everyone that Ji Wushang's words earlier showed no respect for the Elder Madam, and that matters would have to wait until Ji Dingbei returned before a decision could be made. Ji Wushang smiled and said, "Auntie, you're not even a month pregnant yet, are you? The fetus is still quite unstable, so you must be careful! To avoid any accidents! As for what I said earlier, well, I didn't say anything about anything happening. Auntie, aren't you worrying too much?"
"You!" Aunt Bai was speechless after being questioned, but then she said, "Young Miss, you're something else!"
"Auntie, please walk slowly," Ji Wushang said as she saw Bai Auntie walking away. Ji Wuxia immediately came forward to help her up, "Auntie, why are you talking to Eldest Sister!"
"What, don't I have the right to say it?" Aunt Bai glared at Ji Wuxia. Ji Wuxia felt a surge of satisfaction at being wronged, but she was also helpless and could only let Aunt Bai vent her anger on her.
The matriarch was speechless. Not a single member of this family could give her any peace and quiet! "Alright, that's enough," the matriarch said coldly.
Immediately, everyone fell silent, watching everything in the West Garden. Apart from the sound of bells, there was no other sound in the West Garden, except for the occasional shouts of the so-called high monks!
Ji Wushang felt uneasy listening to this; they were definitely going to do something to stop before they would give up!
Just as the old lady was wondering whether she should go in and take a look, she heard an announcement that Ji Dingbei had returned!
Ji Wushang was shocked. Was something big about to happen?