"Yes." Xian'er was about to leave when Ji Wushang immediately added, "You mustn't go around talking about this, and make sure the servants in Xinyuan don't talk about it either, understand? Otherwise, people will say that my Xinyuan is talking nonsense."
"This servant understands." Xian'er bowed and left.
Ji Wushang narrowed his eyes. This abdominal cramp was nothing more than his own doing; this was retribution, he thought! Heh!
Ji Wushang summoned Granny Shi, who immediately knelt down.
"Granny Shi, do you know how my mother died?" Ji Wushang asked, taking a sip of tea.
Granny Shi's eyes lit up, "What this old servant saw was Madam Bei being pushed down and falling to the ground by Concubine Bai!"
“Yes.” Ji Wushang stood up. “My mother was already in poor health, and Aunt Bai actually took advantage of this opportunity and my father’s trust in her to murder my mother! Humph, do you know that Zhang Xiuniang was also killed by her men? Last night, Zhang Xiuniang appeared to me in a dream and said that she died unjustly! Today, I have some things to tell you, Granny.”
"Please give your orders, Miss, and this old servant will do anything, even risk my life!" Granny Shi's eyes flashed with ruthlessness.
"How could I bear to let Granny Shi go through fire and water for me?" Ji Wushang walked up to Granny Shi, helped her up, whispered a few words in her ear, and then said, "It's up to you now, Granny Shi."
"This old servant will take care of it immediately! Please wait for good news, Miss!" Granny Shi immediately knelt down and kowtowed several times. "If Miss can protect herself and us servants from being bullied like this, I believe Madam Bei in heaven would be pleased and happy to see it!"
"Yes, if Mother could see this, I think she would be very happy." Ji Wushang looked at the sky. "Granny, hurry up and go!"
"Yes." Granny Shi immediately went out.
Ji Wushang sat back down at the table and had just poured herself a cup of tea when she heard a maid outside say, "Miss, the leader of Tiefeng requests an audience."
"I'll see you." Ji Wushang slowly took a sip of tea.
Tie Feng entered, cupped his hands, and said, "Miss, last night the master sent an order, instructing me to thoroughly investigate the cause of Zhang Xiuniang's death within three months and find the culprit, or I will be dismissed and forced to leave the mansion. He also ordered that this matter not be reported to the Ministry of Justice."
Ji Wushang understood. "That must have been Aunt Bai instigating my father to give the order. Three months is more than enough."
"Miss..." Tie Feng was in a dilemma. They didn't have a single clue yet, so how could they find out the truth in just three months?
"It's alright, if I say it's possible, then it's possible." Ji Wushang looked up, his eyes sharp as he stared at him. "As long as you do as I say, you'll definitely be able to find the culprit!"
"Yes! Your subordinate will do as Miss says!" Tie Feng knelt down upon hearing this.
"Get up!" Ji Wushang suddenly smiled. "Go and invite a few good sorcerers for me. It's Zhang Xiuniang's seventh day memorial service, so we need to hold a ritual."
"I'll take care of it right away."
"Also, immediately deliver this letter to my master, Doctor Cui. He practices at Panyaoju; you know the place." Ji Wushang said, taking a letter from his robes. "Make sure it's delivered as soon as possible, understand?"
"Yes, I will send the message immediately!" Tie Feng replied and went downstairs right away.
Ji Wushang watched him walk away, then went into the inner room, changed his clothes, and came out, saying, "Zhu'er."
"Zhu'er is here." Zhu'er had been supervising the lower-ranking maids in the courtyard as they cleaned and decorated the yard. Hearing Ji Wushang's call, she immediately came over.
"Go to the East Garden and see Aunt Bai." Ji Wushang's lips twitched slightly, and then he walked out.
Pearl quickly followed.
Upon arriving at the East Garden, not only were the maids kneeling on the ground, but even the doctor was kneeling. The entire East Garden was filled with kneeling servants. Ji Wushang smiled; Aunt Bai disliked nothing else, but she loved seeing servants kneeling.
Upon entering the room, I saw Tianxiang bustling about, scolding the useless doctors and maids while taking care of Aunt Bai.
Seeing Ji Wushang arrive with Zhu'er, she immediately stepped forward and bowed, "Greetings, Miss."
"How is Aunt Bai? Has she been seen by a doctor? Has she taken any medicine? What did the doctor say?" Ji Wushang asked worriedly. "Is there something wrong with the fetus?"
Upon hearing Ji Wushang's words, Tianxiang immediately said, "The doctor examined her but couldn't find anything wrong. We just called a traveling doctor, who said it was caused by the reaction of the fetus in Aunt's womb."
"Doctor, please speak." Ji Wushang was not satisfied with what Tianxiang said, so he immediately asked the kneeling doctor.
"I...I didn't find any results...Please forgive me, young lady!" the kneeling doctor said timidly.
"And you? Speak." Ji Wushang then walked to the other doctors. "Can't find anything? Are you really some kind of cursed star? Are you trying to drive your aunt to her death?"
Upon hearing this, all the doctors immediately kowtowed and dared not move, pressing their heads to the ground, "Please forgive me, Miss!"
This really is a case of being cursed by fate and destined to be alone.
Ji Wushang sneered inwardly.
Just then, a maid outside announced that Ji Dingbei and Aunt Qin had arrived.
Ji Wushang immediately stepped forward to greet them, his face filled with sorrow and tears in his eyes, "Father, Aunt."
"Oh, Miss, why are you crying?" Aunt Qin came forward and took her hand. "Why are you crying, child?"
"Alas, one thing after another has happened in this manor. I'm afraid it will be my turn tomorrow!" Ji Wushang cried.
"What are you saying, Miss? How could such a thing happen?" Aunt Qin patted her shoulder, her gaze drifting towards Ji Dingbei. Everyone in the manor was talking about this in private, saying that a cursed, lonely star fetus had been formed and was beginning to harm the mother! That malevolent energy might just start to destroy General Ji's manor!
Ji Dingbei glanced at Ji Wushang, "Wushang, don't cry."
"Yes, Father." Ji Wushang obediently wiped away his tears with a hint of fear in his eyes.
Ji Dingbei went up to check on Aunt Bai and saw that she had a furrowed brow, pale lips that were tightly clenched, cold sweat dripping from her forehead, and her limbs were cold; she looked like a completely inhuman person.
Ji Dingbei felt a pang of heartache and stepped down. "Wu Shang, didn't you become an apprentice of Doctor Cui? Quickly, go and invite Doctor Cui to come and take a look. None of the doctors in this manor are of any use!"
Ji Wushang nodded, "Father can send someone to invite him. Just be polite, as Master is at Panyaoju, which is located on the outskirts of the capital."
"Okay." Ji Dingbei nodded and immediately ordered the people outside to send someone to invite them.
Ji Wushang stepped forward, glanced at Aunt Bai, and then said, "Father, don't worry, Master will definitely have a way to save Aunt Bai."
"Hmm." Ji Dingbei sat down in the chair, then looked at the kneeling doctor and servants. "Get up and get out! Go do what you were supposed to do!"
"Yes." The group stood up, their legs aching from kneeling, and stumbled out, almost crawling.
Ji Wushang was standing there when, unexpectedly, he suddenly collapsed!
"Young Miss!" Aunt Qin caught her with quick reflexes, only to find that Ji Wushang had already fainted!
"Young Miss? What's wrong?" Aunt Qin asked anxiously. Ji Dingbei rushed forward. "What happened? Quickly, call the doctor!"
After a while of fussing, Ji Wushang lay down on his own bed and asked the doctor to examine him. Ji Dingbei watched as the doctor took his pulse for a long time without coming up with a proper diagnosis, and then angrily said, "You quack doctor, why are you taking so long to examine me!"
The doctor placed Ji Wushang's hand back under her quilt before standing up and bowing to Ji Dingbei, "Reporting to Master, the young lady's pulse is not very erratic; a little breathing adjustment will suffice. The reason for this..." The doctor hesitated.
"What's wrong? Tell me quickly!" Ji Dingbei frowned. Just now she was crying and saying that it would be her turn to be in trouble tomorrow, and today she fainted. What kind of trick has she fallen for!
"I dare not say," the doctor said, kneeling down.
Ji Dingbei looked at him, knowing it was a serious matter, and sighed, "Speak, and I will pardon you."
"I suspect it's the evil spirit of the 'Heavenly Killer Star' in Aunt Bai's womb causing trouble. First, it caused Aunt Bai to suffer from severe abdominal pain, and then it also injured the eldest young lady. Otherwise, more than a dozen doctors wouldn't have been unable to diagnose Aunt Bai's condition!" The doctor said, kowtowing. "This 'Heavenly Killer Star' brings misfortune to ancestors, family, parents, brothers, and sisters!" After saying this, he kowtowed again.
Ji Dingbei looked at the doctor with deep eyes and said, "Get up and go prescribe medicine for the young lady."
"Yes." The doctor immediately withdrew.
Aunt Qin stood to the side, listening to the conversation. She understood that this was the moment to completely defeat Aunt Bai! Aunt Bai had caused her to lose her child, so this time, she would absolutely not let her give birth to this cursed star!
However, you absolutely cannot force it.
Aunt Qin stepped forward gracefully, "Master, don't overthink it, there will definitely be a solution."
Ji Dingbei sighed, "To be honest, I went to the Buddhist temple to seek a solution from the abbot, but he only left me with sixteen words!"
"What sixteen characters?" Aunt Qin asked.
“A cursed star, destined to be alone. One thought can turn him into a demon, one glance can turn him into a Buddha,” Ji Dingbei muttered, shaking his head.
"This, sir, doesn't this mean that being a jinx is predetermined?" Aunt Qin said cautiously.
"Sigh." Ji Dingbei sighed, "But what does the following 'One thought can turn you into a demon, one glance can turn you into a Buddha' mean?"
Aunt Qin had nothing to say.
At this moment, a servant came to report from outside the door, "Master, Madam, Doctor Cui has arrived and is on his way to the East Garden."
"Go to the East Garden." Upon hearing this, Ji Dingbei put those sixteen words out of his mind. He wanted to see what Doctor Cui had to say. If he really couldn't figure anything out, it was truly the work of that cursed star... Ji Dingbei felt a little panicked. He had finally gotten a son, but he never expected it to turn out like this.
Aunt Qin glanced at Ji Wushang, and then followed him to the East Garden.
Only after they had gone far away did Ji Wushang get out of bed and stretch his limbs.
When Ji Dingbei and Aunt Qin arrived at the East Garden, Doctor Cui was already waiting at the gate with his medicine box. He went forward to greet them.
"Sir, thank you for your help again this time," Ji Dingbei said as he stepped forward.
"No trouble at all," Doctor Cui smiled, looking left and right, then asked, "Miss didn't come?"
"Wu Shang is not feeling well and is in Xinyuan." Ji Dingbei did not hide anything.
After listening for a moment, Doctor Cui said, "Allow me to finish examining Aunt Bai's illness and then go to Xinyuan to see how Miss is doing."
"Then I really have to trouble you, sir," Ji Dingbei said, nodding.
As the three entered the courtyard, Doctor Cui's expression grew increasingly grave. Even Ji Dingbei sensed something was wrong and asked worriedly, "Old sir, has something happened?"
"The malevolent energy is too strong, far too strong!" Doctor Cui shook his head, his face grave. "Alas, this time, it's difficult to save him, extremely difficult!"
“Sir,” Ji Dingbei looked at him, “what’s wrong?”
"To be honest, General, before I studied medicine, I was practicing under Abbot Huiyuan. However, my wisdom was not as good as others, so I switched to studying medicine. Just now, when I saw that the East Garden was full of evil energy, I felt something was wrong. Alas, this is probably caused by the evil energy of a jinx!" Doctor Cui shook his head.
Abbot Huiyuan? Isn't that the abbot of the White Horse Temple? I never imagined that Doctor Cui had such a distinguished background!
"Old sir, what should we do?" Ji Dingbei looked at him anxiously. "I, Ji Dingbei, am already past fifty, and having a child again in middle age is no easy feat. Please, old sir, help me!"
Doctor Cui nodded, "Let's go in and check on Aunt's condition first."
"Please." Ji Dingbei nodded and immediately led the person inside. Aunt Qin stood to the side, listening to these words, not knowing whether they were true or false, but she felt a faint joy in her heart. If this was really a cursed loner, wouldn't Ji Dingbei have to personally abort Aunt Bai's child?
Never mind that for now, let's go inside and take a look. Aunt Qin immediately went inside.
Doctor Cui took the pulse, observed, listened, inquired, and felt with all his might, performing the entire procedure in one smooth motion with exceptional skill.
However, looking at Ji Dingbei afterwards, Doctor Cui shook his head and sighed, "It's dangerous, it's dangerous!"
“Please speak frankly, sir,” Ji Dingbei said.
"Now, I can prescribe some medicine to stabilize Aunt Bai's condition. As for this evil energy, we should ask a Taoist priest or a Taoist nun to perform a ritual to drive it away. If the general can invite Abbot Huiyuan of Baima Temple, that would be even better!" Doctor Cui got up, went to the table, took out a wolf-hair brush and Xuan paper, and began to write the prescription.
Ji Dingbei listened and nodded. He would definitely invite Abbot Huiyuan to come! But, Abbot Huiyuan was always at Baima Temple. Would he be able to come to his general's mansion? Ji Dingbei was troubled.
Doctor Cui quickly wrote out the prescription and handed it to Ji Dingbei. "Please instruct the maid to boil three bowls of water down to one bowl, and drink it all. Take it for seven days and see how it goes. If it doesn't work, please forgive this old man's incompetence." After saying this, he was about to kneel down, but Ji Dingbei helped him up and stopped him. "I am truly grateful for your treatment, sir." As he spoke, he took out some silver from his pocket. "This is some consultation fee; please accept it, sir."
Doctor Cui nodded and accepted a few coins, which did indeed bring back some of the consultation fee.
"Then, may I go and see the young lady?" Doctor Cui asked, looking at Ji Dingbei.
"Yes, yes, please." Ji Dingbei hurriedly stepped forward to lead the way. Of course, he had to satisfy Doctor Cui properly! He would have to take care of things in the future!