Taohua struggled to break free, about to curse at him when she pushed his hand away. Before she could finish her words, a crisp sound came from the windowsill below.
Her body froze. She blinked and looked up to see Xu Yangui’s eyes full of vigilance, staring intently at the area below.
Someone was there?
Suddenly tense, Taohua swallowed hard and carefully followed his gaze downward.
In the pitch darkness, a white figure slowly crawled through the window. Its long hair dragged on the ground, looking eerie and frightening. Just as Taohua was about to feel scared, the intruder’s clothes caught on something as they climbed in, revealing a pair of feet-wearing shoes.
A ghost impersonator? Taohua’s mouth twitched as she narrowed her eyes. She reached for the hairpin on her head, intending to throw it at the intruder. Damn, did they think they could scare her with such an amateur act?
Xu Yangui quickly grabbed her hand, shaking his head with a mix of amusement and exasperation. They should at least see what the person was up to before alerting them prematurely.
Taohua pouted, clutching her hairpin as she carefully observed the scene below.
The “ghost” stood up and adjusted its appearance, then slowly floated to the bedside. It made a “woo-woo” sound and called out softly: “Lady Jiang… Lady Jiang… This concubine died so unjustly!”
Rolling her eyes, Taohua thought irritably that if they wanted to impersonate Liu Xiangkun, they should go scare Qin Huaiyu instead. Why come to frighten her?
The bedding was a mess, and it was obvious at a glance that no one was there. But the ghost didn’t approach the bed, instead calling out from one side: “Please help me… This concubine was murdered by Lady Duan…”
Slightly startled, Taohua was surprised. Her mind raced, and she immediately grabbed Xu Yangui’s hand, whispering extremely softly: “Catch him!”
Xu Yangui frowned, answering in a barely audible voice: “I can’t reveal myself in public right now.”
So he didn’t consider her as “public”? Taohua glared at him, pulling out a handkerchief to cover his face. “Now you’re not exposed! Quick, catch him and I’ll thank you properly. I’ll even forgive your past transgressions against me!”
Xu Yangui hesitated, about to consider it when the ghost below seemed to hear movement from the rafters and looked up.
There was no time to deliberate. Xu Yangui immediately jumped down, trying to grab the intruder. However, the ghost reacted incredibly fast, disappearing outside like a gust of wind. Its lightness skill was far beyond his expectations.
“Hey!” Seeing someone outmaneuver him in lightness skill for the first time, Xu Yangui immediately felt competitive. He flew after the intruder without hesitation!
“You must catch him!” Taohua clenched her fists excitedly, her eyes full of anticipation.
Xu Yangui and the ghost had vanished from sight. As the room quieted down, Jiang Taohua breathed a sigh of relief, only to realize a problem.
She was still on the rafters!
The chase in the Xiang mansion alerted several guards. After a brief commotion, Xu Yangui pursued the intruder out of the compound, and everything quieted down again. Qing Tai heard the disturbance and initially planned to check on her mistress, but then thought that since the mistress hadn’t called for her, there was probably no need to enter.
So the next morning, when the sky brightened outside, Qing Tai entered the room to find her mistress half-dead on the rafters.
“How did you end up there?” She quickly helped her down, asking in confusion: “Where’s Mr. Xu?”
Taohua replied weakly: “He chased after a ghost in the middle of the night. I was afraid of waking others in the courtyard, so I didn’t call you. Who knew you wouldn’t come in even after hearing the commotion!”
Qingta: “…”
Wiping the dust from her face, Taohua was very tired and wanted to sleep. However, with urgent matters at hand, she had to force herself to wash up and go out.
News of last night’s ghost incident had already spread through the mansion. Although she hadn’t gone to Linlang Pavilion, Qin Huaiyu was still the most frightened. Upon seeing Taohua, she rushed over with a pale face, her eyes full of panic: “I can’t take it anymore. I want to go home. After all, the master and I haven’t even consummated…”
“Lady Qin,” Taohua frowned. “This is the Xiang mansion. You’ve already married. It’s not like playing house where you can come and go as you please.”
“Please let me go!” Qin Huaiyu burst into tears. “I don’t want to be haunted by ghosts. I… I don’t even know why she died. If it’s really because of me…”
“It’s not because of you,” Taohua shook her head. “Liu was murdered.”
She knew the authorities had said it was murder but wasn’t that because she had her father pull some strings? Qin Huaiyu’s tears flowed freely as she clutched Jiang Taohua’s hand, trembling constantly. If Liu’s ghost came looking for her, she might die of fright!
“Look into my eyes.” The person in front of her softened her voice, warm hands squeezing hers, gesturing for her to look up.
Qin Huaiyu was stunned. She raised her eyes dazedly and gazed into Jiang Taohua’s eyes, which were as clear as a pool of spring water. The warmth in them enveloped her like a blanket. As she continued looking, her agitated heart gradually calmed down.
“Let me say this again seriously,” Taohua said softly. “Liu’s death has nothing to do with you. That blood letter was most likely someone trying to frame you to drive you out of the mansion. The real culprit is someone else.”
Surprised, Qin Huaiyu stared at her for a moment, her expression softening as she nodded: “I understand.”
“I’ll have more guards and maids watch over your courtyard,” Taohua said. “You don’t need to do anything. Just eat and sleep every day until I find the culprit.”
“Alright.” Wiping away her tears, Qin Huaiyu chose to trust her.
Gu Huairou had been watching from the side. She observed as Taohua fed Qin Huaiyu medicine and put her to bed, then followed Taohua out.
“I don’t understand,” she said quietly. “If Qin left, it would only benefit us. Why is the mistress protecting her like this?”
Sighing, Taohua looked helplessly at the sky. Did they think she wanted to? It was all because of Shen Zaiye’s task.
“Mistress!” Qing Tai ran over from afar. After glancing at Gu Huairou, she leaned close to Taohua’s ear and whispered: “The ghost impersonator has been caught and locked in the woodshed.”
“Well done!” Taohua couldn’t help but applaud. She lifted her skirts and ran towards the woodshed!
This audacious person dared to impersonate a ghost in the Xiang mansion. She wanted to see what was really behind all this!
Gu Huairou hurried after her. When they arrived at the woodshed, Taohua kicked the door open and saw the white-clad figure with disheveled hair. However, last night’s chase seemed to have been quite brutal – the person was covered in mud and injured.
Xu Yangui was naturally not present, but Taohua made a mental note of this favor. She immediately ordered servants to clean up the “ghost” so they could see its face.
“Don’t torture me!” The ghost spoke up. “I was just hired to do a job. I’ll answer any questions!”
So forthcoming? Taohua raised an eyebrow, pulled up a stool to sit down, and asked: “Well then, tell me, who paid you?”
“A lady,” the person replied. “She had a peculiar fragrance about her.”
Fragrance? Taohua was stunned. She narrowed her eyes: “Do you remember what she told you to say to me?”
“I do,” the person nodded. “She wanted me to say something like ‘Lady Duan harmed me’ to you. There was a maid nearby who didn’t want her to say it, but the lady said something about ‘can’t catch a wolf without using a child as bait.’ I remember all this clearly, just in case I got caught and someone tried to sell me out as a scapegoat.”
He indeed remembered quite clearly. Taohua frowned.
“Lady Jiang,” Gu Huairou said softly. “This is Lady Duan trying to make you misunderstand her. Then she can clear herself of suspicion, gain some sympathy from the master, and say you’re not as good at managing the household as she is. That woman truly has a viper’s heart!”
Taohua smiled slightly and asked the “ghost”: “If you smelled that fragrance again now, would you be able to recognize it?”
“I would!” The person nodded repeatedly. “If I smell it and help you identify the person, will you not turn me over to the authorities?”
“Agreed.” Taohua stood up and led him towards Shuyun Pavilion.
Duan Yunxin was leisurely doing her makeup while listening to Heer talk about the ghost incident. She sneered: “Such an old trick. It would be truly seeing a ghost if it scared the one from Zhengchun Pavilion…”
Before she could finish speaking, an announcement came from outside: “Mistress, Lady Jiang, and Lady Gu are here.”
Why are they here so early? Duan Yunxin frowned, getting up and telling Heer to open the door. However, she saw a person tied up tightly roll in first, struggling on the ground for a while before kneeling steadily. He looked up at her and shouted:
“Yes, it’s her! Although I don’t remember her face because she wore a veil at the time, I remember this fragrance!”
Taohua followed behind, looking at Duan Yunxin with a complex expression: “Lady Duan, do you have anything to say?”
“What is the meaning of this?” Duan Yunxin hadn’t yet reacted, staring blankly at the person on the ground. “Who is this?”
“Why is madam pretending not to know me?” The person on the ground persisted shamelessly. “Wasn’t it you who gave me money to come to the Xiang mansion and pretend to be a ghost to scare people? I could have escaped, but the guards in the mansion were too skilled in lightness techniques. I couldn’t get away! I’ll return the money to you, just spare my life!”
Listening in shock, once she understood what was happening, Duan Yunxin’s face darkened. She waved her sleeve and said: “How despicable! Where did this person come from, trying to frame me like this?”
“How is this framing?” The person argued indignantly. “I clearly remember it was you. This refreshing fragrance clears the mind, I’ve never smelled it anywhere else. After you left, the other brothers even discussed it for a while. That’s why it left such a deep impression on me. I absolutely cannot be mistaken!”
Duan Yunxin began to panic. She looked at Jiang Taohua with furrowed brows: “Does the mistress believe him?”
“Do you want to hear the truth?” Taohua sighed. “To be honest, I don’t believe it, but I can’t find any evidence that he’s lying.”
This person was a mercenary from the jianghu who feared death but took jobs for money. There was no benefit for him in lying. Moreover, following Gu Huairou’s line of thinking, it did seem like something the cunning Lady Duan might do.
Duan Yunxin let out a cold laugh and pointed at the person on the ground: “I could find a hundred witnesses like this in no time. If the mistress wants to frame me like this, I won’t admit to it.”
(End of Chapter)