The First Lady let out a cold laugh and said, “If I had known this day would come, I should have had the master drown you directly back then, and spared us all this trouble!”

The Old Madam said coldly, “Instead of wasting time criticizing others, you’d be better off managing your own children properly. One poisoned her father’s food, and the other dared to stab his own father. For such crimes, dying a thousand or ten thousand times would be getting off easy!”

The First Lady gritted her teeth. Then she made up her mind—she had to protect her children, even if it meant sacrificing Nanny Du! She said sternly, “Nanny Du, do you know your crime?!”

Nanny Du was startled, not understanding why the First Lady would suddenly say such a thing.

The First Lady said coldly, “Nanny Du, just because I wanted to arrange a match between your youngest daughter and Manager Zeng’s son—this was all for the greater good. Manager Zeng has rendered meritorious service, and his son became lame as a child protecting the Young Master. Of course I had to find him a good girl. I thought your youngest daughter had good character and a kind heart, so I wanted to betroth her to him. Who could have imagined you would harbor such resentment that today you would poison me!”

Nanny Du stared at her mistress in shock. She never expected that the first thing the First Lady would do upon waking was to pin everything on her! She was left speechless, unable to utter a word.

Li Weiyang was not surprised at all. At this moment, the First Lady wanting to protect her children made this inevitable. However, she wouldn’t let her succeed so easily. She said mildly, “Mother, are you confused? If Nanny Du wanted to harm you, why would she have stopped you? Wouldn’t it have been revenge enough to let you eat the poison?”

Though the First Lady tried desperately to conceal it, she still coughed heavily twice, feeling a devastating pain between her heart and lungs. She struggled to suppress it, saying forcefully, “That’s because her conscience got the better of her, or perhaps she was momentarily confused and then suddenly came to her senses, or… *cough cough*, perhaps she was afraid of the terrible consequences if discovered later! But since she’s already done wrong, she naturally wouldn’t admit the poison was hers—she’d push it onto you, Weiyang!”

Nanny Du cried out repeatedly, “Madam, if not for merit, at least remember my years of hard work—I’ve served you for over twenty years!” From the time the First Lady married in, she had been part of her dowry. Later she had devoted herself entirely to the First Lady, working tirelessly without complaint. This time she had even helped set the trap to frame the Third Miss, yet at the first sign of trouble, the First Lady was throwing her under the carriage!

“Nanny Du, since Mother has said so, you should just confess,” Li Weiyang said slowly. At this moment, she let out a quiet sigh—this sigh was like the final straw breaking Nanny Du’s back. She suddenly cried out, “Old Madam! Old Madam! This servant will tell everything, everything!”

The First Lady suddenly fixed her with a sinister look and said, “If you still don’t confess, think carefully about your children!”

This was an undisguised threat!

Li Weiyang said mildly, “Nanny Du, if you truly attempted to harm your mistress, not only will you die, but your entire family won’t escape. Think carefully!”

The Old Madam nodded, saying, “If it really was you, this servant, trying to harm the madam, I will never forgive you!”

Nanny Du’s whole body trembled. She knew the Old Madam wasn’t bluffing. Gritting her teeth, she spilled everything. Starting from today’s events, she held nothing back, explaining clearly what she had done and who she had intended to harm.

Nanny Du continued, “Everything was arranged by the First Lady for this servant to do.” Here she bit her teeth hatefully. She had devoted herself wholeheartedly and risked her life for the First Lady, only to be sold out—no one would benefit from this! “Not just this matter, but also the incident with the Ninth Concubine, the fire at the temple—all of it was ordered by the madam, with the purpose of—”

“Shut your mouth!” The First Lady was beside herself with rage.

“The one who should shut up is you!” The Old Madam’s expression was as cold as ice.

“Continue speaking,” Li Xiaoran said sternly, staring at her. “If there’s even half a word of untruth, we’ll drag you out and beat you to death with clubs!”

Li Weiyang said slowly, “Nanny Du, if you tell the complete truth, I can plead with the Old Madam to spare your family’s lives.”

Nanny Du’s body shook, then she lowered her head. “Not just the Ninth Concubine—the First Concubine, Second Concubine, Third Concubine, and the Eighth Concubine’s deaths all had to do with the madam. She also drugged the Seventh Concubine, causing the Third Miss to be born half a month early. Originally, Miss’s birthday should have been in March… The madam has committed countless evil deeds over these years. This servant has kept all the evidence. This servant knows she won’t escape death today anyway, so she might as well reveal everything!” She knew too much. Now that the madam had betrayed her, she would certainly not let her live. Better to tell everything and only ask that her family not be implicated.

“Jiang Min!” Li Xiaoran nearly squeezed these two words out through clenched teeth. He had never imagined that so many of his concubines had died over the years for such reasons!

However, Nanny Du had more to reveal. Her expression was almost deathlike. “And there was that Fifth Concubine years ago—she was carrying a male child. When the madam heard about it, she immediately sent people to summon the Fifth Concubine’s former fiancé’s family to cause trouble, resulting in the Fifth Concubine’s death along with her unborn child…”

The First Lady’s face was deathly pale, but she didn’t refute a single word Nanny Du said, because these were indeed all things she had done. Moreover, even if all these matters came to light, she still had to protect her children—even though Li Xiaoran now knew she had wrongly accused Li Weiyang of poisoning, at least this proved it had nothing to do with Li Changle!

Li Xiaoran’s expression had become almost ferocious. Over the years, he’d had many women around him, but the First Concubine, Second Concubine, and Third Concubine had all come from either the Old Madam’s or the First Lady’s households, married for the purpose of producing heirs. Only the Fifth Concubine had been someone he truly loved, someone with whom he shared mutual affection. He could never forget the Fifth Concubine, because when he met this woman, he was neither a Prime Minister nor a wealthy young master, but simply a man pursuing her out of love at first sight. She likewise cared nothing for his family background or wealth and eloped with him without hesitation. He had even promised her the position of equal wife, but unfortunately he hadn’t yet risen to Prime Minister and couldn’t fulfill his promise, could only wrong her by making her a concubine. Who knew she would ultimately die in childbirth? Afterward, every woman he sought had some resemblance to the Fifth Concubine… Yet now Nanny Du was telling him that the Fifth Concubine’s death was caused by the First Lady, and he could have had a son who was also lost because of the First Lady! Actually, he had suspected this back then, but had no evidence. He never imagined that after all these years, everything would be exposed by a servant.

Li Weiyang sneered coldly. This was exactly the effect she wanted. Today she had pressed aggressively, whether pinning things on Li Changle or dragging Li Minfeng down with her—the fundamental purpose was to force the First Lady to throw Nanny Du out to take the blame, and then use Nanny Du’s mouth to reveal the secrets she most wanted Li Xiaoran to know!

She suddenly spoke gently, “What a pity about the Fifth Concubine and Second Brother’s lives.” By calling him Second Brother, she directly assigned the child in the Fifth Concubine’s womb his proper place in the birth order. She knew saying this would make Li Xiaoran hate the First Lady to his very bones.

Indeed, Li Xiaoran was already trembling with rage. Compared to framing Li Weiyang, the Fifth Concubine’s death mattered far more to him. He had never imagined that his dignified and proper legitimate wife could do such things. Such a vicious woman had been sleeping beside him day and night!

The Old Madam couldn’t say a word. Those concubines had all been married to produce heirs, some had even been chosen by the First Lady for Li Xiaoran to enhance her own reputation for magnanimity and to keep her husband under her thumb. Yet in the end, they had died one by one at her hands, so that Li Xiaoran now had only one son!

Li Weiyang added fuel to the fire. “Alas, but no matter what, the Fifth Concubine did die in childbirth. Mother wasn’t directly responsible for her death—”

A barely perceptible emotion flashed through Nanny Du’s eyes. She said through gritted teeth, “No, the Fifth Concubine didn’t die from difficult childbirth. She could have delivered the Second Young Master, and she was desperately trying to do so. But the madam added something to the medicine the midwife used to sustain her life—it was something that created a deadly drug interaction—”

Li Changle broke out in a cold sweat listening to this, and Li Minfeng’s back ran cold as well. He never imagined that his outburst would force his mother to throw Nanny Du out, and Nanny Du would then spill all the wicked things his mother had done over the years.

“Where’s the evidence?”

“This servant has kept it all along, hidden in this servant’s own home—the prescription from back then—” Nanny Du lowered her head. It wasn’t just the madam who had betrayed her; she had always known this day might come.

“First drag her out and give her thirty strikes of the rod—strike hard!” Li Xiaoran was furious to the extreme, his face iron gray.

Thirty strikes right away would take half her life! Nanny Du was terrified and cried out pleading, “This servant has told everything! Master, spare my life! Master!”

A maid stuffed a cloth into her mouth, and only then did they drag her out quietly.

Li Weiyang watched coldly. She hadn’t said a word. The First Lady throwing out Nanny Du meant completely turning against her, so naturally Nanny Du would expose those ugly matters. The First Lady surely knew this, but she still made this decision, which meant sacrificing herself to protect her children.

When faced with this choice, Li Weiyang had been certain the First Lady would plunge headfirst into this trap even knowing it was one!

Li Minfeng was already stunned by what he heard. Even now he hadn’t fully come to his senses—how could this be? How had his mother become the villain, while those damned concubines and their bastard children became the victims? Impossible! He glared viciously at Li Weiyang and shouted, “Father, this is all Li Weiyang’s scheme! It must be! She bribed that old slave in advance and told her to say these things. That’s what happened, it must be! This is to put Mother to death! Father, Old Madam, you must discern right from wrong and not fall for Li Weiyang’s tricks!”

Li Xiaoran closed his eyes. After such events, neither this pair of children nor the First Lady should remain in the Li household. But one was his legitimate wife, the other two his biological children—how should he deal with them, how could he?! After his rage reached its peak, he felt confused.

The Old Madam nodded. The First Lady’s actions were truly abhorrent. Most importantly, she had killed several of her grandsons in succession. Though from outsiders’ perspectives, a legitimate wife dealing with concubines was nothing unusual, using such despicable means to harm the Li family’s descendants was too excessive. If the First Lady were an ordinary family’s daughter, the Old Madam would definitely demand Li Xiaoran divorce her immediately. But she happened to be the legitimate eldest daughter of Duke Jiangguo’s household. If the Li family divorced her just like that, the Jiang family definitely wouldn’t let it rest.

Her brow furrowed deeply—how should she be dealt with?

Li Weiyang sighed and said, “No matter what Mother has done, she is still the mistress of the Li household. That will not change.” Because the Jiang family would absolutely not allow Li Xiaoran to divorce her. “However, since she is ill, it would be best for her to recuperate at home. What do you say, Old Madam?”

The Old Madam lowered her head in thought for a long while. After making up her mind, she glanced at the First Lady, seeing her eyes full of unwillingness and resentment. Without further hesitation, she said, “Yes, she does need to recuperate properly. From today, transfer all household affairs to the Second Lady to handle, and arrange for people to care for her well.”

To be “cared for” meant house arrest—announcing to outsiders that she needed to recuperate, then keeping her confined to her courtyard, essentially the same as the mad Fifth Miss. This would satisfy the Jiang family and wouldn’t damage the Li family’s reputation with outsiders, but for the First Lady, it completely stripped her of her power as mistress.

“As for Elder Sister,” Li Weiyang said slowly, “she has truly been wronged in this matter. However, her spirits are unsettled now, and she probably needs some quiet time—”

The Old Madam agreed wholeheartedly. “Have her continue her reflection at the convent!”

Li Changle looked at these people in disbelief, all swayed by Li Weiyang. Her eyes widened as she cried out, “No! I won’t go to that ghostly place! I won’t go!”

Li Weiyang smiled slightly. “Elder Sister, would you prefer to go keep Fifth Sister company instead?”

Li Changle abruptly fell silent, staring at Li Weiyang with near hatred, then turned away. “Mother, say something!”

The First Lady had forced herself to speak earlier but was now gasping for breath, her eyes full of blood red, as if she might expire at any moment if she couldn’t catch her breath. How could she possibly rebuke Li Weiyang now?

Two down—what about the third?

Li Xiaoran looked at Li Minfeng, murderous intent in his eyes. If he didn’t bear the Li surname, there would be no need to agonize over how to deal with him. A patricidal son should have been disposed of without mercy long ago. But he carried Li family blood—he couldn’t kill him.

“Someone who dares commit patricide is no longer worthy of remaining in the Li household,” the Old Madam said slowly. “Send him to Second Son’s place. Write him a letter as well—he’ll know what to do.”

When the Old Madam spoke these words, she didn’t even look at Li Minfeng. What little love she had left for this grandson had been completely worn away by the blade he had thrust at her own son.

Li Minfeng stood to the side completely stunned. He never imagined he would be sent to his second uncle’s place—that was truly a desolate wasteland. Moreover, Second Uncle was rigid and stern, unbearably strict even with his own sons. If he learned that Li Minfeng had actually stabbed his own father, he would probably treat him like a prisoner! No, he couldn’t go! He absolutely couldn’t go! Had Father and the Old Madam gone mad to make such a decision?

“Father! Wake up, or you’ll regret this! I’m your biological son—how can you treat me this way for a mere bastard!”

Li Weiyang smiled faintly. Father wasn’t doing this for her, Li Weiyang. Li Minfeng couldn’t even see this—no wonder he’d ended up like this. What forced Li Xiaoran to make this decision was losing his most beloved woman and another son—a son born to the woman he loved most.

Li Minfeng continued shouting, “Li Weiyang, may you die a terrible death! Just wait—I’ll make you die right before my eyes!”

The Old Madam frowned. “Make him shut up!” With that, she waved her hand for the guards to gag him, then had him dragged away.

The First Lady desperately reached out to grab her son, but caught only empty air. She turned pleadingly, “No matter what happened, it’s all my fault. It has nothing to do with the children. Master! Master! Please let them go—they’re innocent!”

Li Xiaoran turned his head away, not even glancing at the First Lady. Just looking at her once made him feel cold. Though he’d grown up in a great household and naturally understood something of the affairs between his mother and the concubines, when choosing concubines he had mostly deferred to his mother’s and wife’s wishes, trying to satisfy their needs. Though the First Lady had always been strong-willed, he had always believed that even if she couldn’t be called purely kind, she at least wasn’t this vicious. Today’s events had truly disappointed him beyond measure.

The Old Madam sat in her chair, sipping tea. Because the First Lady was from a prestigious family, a properly wedded daughter-in-law of the Li household, she naturally couldn’t be beaten or scolded like servants. But this didn’t mean she couldn’t be punished. Confining her to her quarters was already the greatest leniency.

The First Lady suppressed the severe pain in her chest and rushed forward, grabbing Li Xiaoran’s sleeve and shaking it. “Master, Master! Minfeng is your only son! You said everything would be passed to him in the future. How can you send him to a place like Gunzhou! You’re taking my life!”

“Let go!” Li Xiaoran flung his sleeve, throwing the First Lady aside. He stepped back, looking at her coldly, his face expressionless, his voice stern and resolute. “Jiang Shi, you’ve stirred up trouble in the Li household and incited servants to secretly poison my beloved concubine… You think because you’re from the Jiang family, you can do whatever you please! But remember—you married into the Li household. You are my wife. I now invoke family law against you! From this day forward, you will remain in your courtyard. Without my orders, no one is permitted to visit you!”

Li Minfeng had already been forcibly dragged away. The Old Madam made a gesture, and nurses immediately came forward to escort Li Changle.

Seeing this situation and realizing that once she went to the convent she would very likely spend her entire life there, Li Changle refused to leave easily. She rushed forward desperately and knelt before Li Xiaoran. “Father, I didn’t know anything about any of this! You know I haven’t done anything wrong. You can’t blame everything on me just because Mother made mistakes…” She cried out anxiously, “I don’t want to go to the convent! I won’t go! Father, I won’t go…”

Li Xiaoran looked up sharply and commanded, “Take her away!” Immediately four nurses came forward and carried Li Changle out. She cried and screamed desperately, her hair and hairpins in disarray. She was truly unlucky this time, unlucky for no clear reason. Actually, if Nanny Du hadn’t revealed the First Lady’s past deeds, she definitely wouldn’t have been implicated. But now that Li Xiaoran and the Old Madam so despised the First Lady, how could they spare her?

“Someone come! Someone come…” The First Lady cried out urgently, rushing forward to block the nurses. “To take Changle away, you’ll have to take me first!” She gasped rapidly while clutching her chest, swaying unsteadily.

“Do you want me to humiliate you in front of everyone?” Li Xiaoran stared directly at her, his tone resolute. “Haven’t you caused enough chaos? Must I actually divorce you before you’re satisfied?”

“No! No! No!” The First Lady screamed miserably, hurrying to grab Li Changle. She turned to look at Li Xiaoran, her eyes full of desperation. “I was wrong! All right? Don’t take my daughter away… I won’t let you take my daughter…”

But the nurses no longer dared obey her. They pushed her hands aside and dragged Li Changle outside. The First Lady’s three souls and seven spirits all flew away. Seeing she couldn’t protect Li Changle, in her desperation she knelt before the Old Madam and broke down crying. Her hands clutched the Old Madam’s feet tightly as she sobbed, “No! You can’t! Old Madam, I’m kneeling before you, I’m kowtowing to you—please let Changle go… I’m kowtowing to you!” She knocked her head down repeatedly with loud thuds.

The Old Madam turned her face away and frowned, but had no intention of sparing Li Changle. In her view, this excessively beautiful granddaughter would surely bring calamity in the future. Even if she were kept, she would certainly resent them for how they had treated her mother and elder brother. Better to send her away too.

Seeing her pleas were useless, the First Lady suddenly grabbed Li Weiyang’s skirt. “Weiyang! Weiyang, Mother was wrong. Mother shouldn’t have tried to harm you. Everything was caused by me—it has nothing to do with your elder brother and sister! Please let them go, please beg the Old Madam to let them go! From now on I’ll never oppose you again, never again!”

Li Weiyang watched coldly, delighted inside, though her face showed only difficulty. She reached out to help the First Lady up. “Mother, I cannot accept this treatment from you. Please rise and speak!”

The First Lady didn’t move at all, clutching her skirt tightly. Li Weiyang winked at Zhao Yue, who immediately came forward and with a sharp sound lifted the First Lady’s wrist. The First Lady’s whole body shook violently, and like a puppet she was lifted up by Zhao Yue.

This was too unseemly. The Old Madam frowned. “Take her away at once!”

The servants dared delay no longer. Amidst Li Changle’s desperate struggles, they forcibly dragged her away.

Having lost both children in succession, the First Lady was completely dazed. She mumbled incoherently, “Changle, Minfeng, Changle, Minfeng… Mother is useless…” Then she was supported away by maids and nurses.

For a moment, the room fell quiet.

Li Weiyang looked at the Old Madam and said thoughtfully, “Old Madam, what about Duke Jiangguo’s household—”

The Old Madam laughed coldly, glancing at Li Xiaoran who was having the wound on his arm bandaged. “Once she married in, she became our family’s daughter-in-law. How we deal with her is our business—there’s no need to inform them.”

The Old Madam’s words clearly meant not letting Duke Jiangguo’s household know about this matter. Li Weiyang blinked. “Then how should we explain Mother’s confinement and Elder Brother and Sister’s absence from the household?”

“That’s not difficult. We’ll say your mother is quietly recuperating from illness. As for your elder sister, she’s gone to the temple to pray for blessings. Your elder brother—I’m sending him to Gunzhou to assist Second Son. I’d like to see what trouble the Jiang family can stir up!” Li Xiaoran said bitterly.

Li Weiyang lowered her eyes. Whether the Jiang family would believe this explanation—probably not.

That night’s events, though Li Xiaoran had ordered silence, began to spawn rumors among the servants. The First Lady was ill, gravely ill, and had been frightened by ghosts. Originally, such talk of ghosts and spirits was most likely to provoke speculation and most easily spread by gossips. Moreover, with so many maids and nurses in the household, those who knew the truth dared not speak, while those who didn’t know speculated wildly. With so many people talking, you saying one thing and I another, opinions varied and the rumors spread more and more wildly.

When Li Minde told Li Weiyang about it, she was feeding her bird. Hearing this, she turned around. “What? They’re saying the First Lady is possessed?”

“Yes, they’re all saying that First Aunt is now paranoid and suspicious, hiding in her room every day and refusing to come out.” Li Minde found it both funny and absurd, looking at Li Weiyang. “She talks to herself all day, only demanding Daoist priests to exorcise evil spirits. She won’t even see the physicians when they come. I think she’s not far from going mad. If she really goes mad, she can be sent to keep Fifth Sister company.” Then he added, “Though her life is certainly charmed—after all that commotion that day, she still didn’t die.”

Li Weiyang smiled slightly. “Father and the Old Madam won’t let her die so easily. If she died suddenly, when the Jiang family comes demanding explanations, how would Father respond? So they’ll summon physicians, make her live properly, take medicine properly, receive treatment properly. When it’s time for her to die, then she can be released.”

Li Minde immediately understood the reasoning and couldn’t help smiling. “Third Sister, you understand First Uncle’s thoughts best.”

If you spent half your life studying someone, you would understand too. Li Weiyang didn’t voice this thought. She not only understood Li Xiaoran—she understood the First Lady too. This woman had a tenacious character, was strong and competitive, but had one great weakness: her need for control. She wanted to control everyone, and if others wouldn’t submit to her control, she would eliminate them at any cost. That’s why so many people in the household had died. Actually, with the First Lady’s noble status and powerful backing, if she had simply been a good mistress, she would never have fallen to this state, because even if others bore sons, they couldn’t threaten her position. But she was just so domineering in her very bones! This time Li Xiaoran had been utterly heartbroken by the First Lady. If not for the Jiang family, the First Lady wouldn’t still be alive.

So Li Weiyang just smiled without speaking.

Li Minde was about to say something when he suddenly saw Bai Zhi hurrying in and bowing. “Miss, the Duchess of Weiguo has come to call.”

The Duchess of Weiguo? Li Weiyang raised her eyebrows. She wouldn’t visit the temple for no reason—she must have heard some rumor. Li Weiyang thought for a moment. “The Old Madam will naturally handle it. No need to concern ourselves.”

The Duchess of Weiguo came and headed straight for the First Lady’s courtyard, but was turned back by the guards at the gate. Furious, she rushed to Hexiang Courtyard. The Old Madam deflected skillfully, saying her daughter-in-law was recuperating. The Duchess refused to give up and insisted on visiting.

The Old Madam ignored her, and the Duchess had no choice but to return in defeat. But she wasn’t one to be easily put off. From that day on, she came every few days to pester, insisting she must see the First Lady.

On this day, Li Weiyang was at Hexiang Courtyard serving the Old Madam her medicine when she heard the Duchess of Weiguo had come again.

The Old Madam set down her bowl heavily, looking as if she couldn’t drink any more. “Hmph, why is she here again?”

“Old Madam, don’t be upset. If the Duchess of Weiguo wants to see Mother, just let her see her. There’s no harm in it.” Li Weiyang smiled.

“How can that work? If she sees that woman’s condition, she’ll definitely think our Li household has wronged her sister! Not only can’t we let her see, we mustn’t let any word leak out!”

“Concealment won’t work for long. Rather than continue this standoff, better to let her see with her own eyes. We just need to control what she sees.” Li Weiyang smiled.

The Old Madam paused, then looked up at Li Weiyang. After thinking carefully for a moment, she smiled. “You’re still the clever one, girl. Good, you arrange it.”

The Duchess of Weiguo waited outside for a full hour before seeing Li Weiyang emerge with a gracious smile. “Aunt.”

The Duchess’s face darkened. “Who’s your aunt!”

Li Weiyang showed not the slightest displeasure, instead smiling even more warmly. “Aunt, have you come to visit Mother? Oh dear, what unfortunate timing—Mother isn’t feeling well and hasn’t been receiving visitors.”

“Don’t give me that routine. If you people don’t let me see my elder sister, watch out or I’ll—” The Duchess had only said half her threat when Li Weiyang was already smiling. “Aunt, if you insist, we won’t stand in your way. Please come with me.”

The Duchess paused, then thinking they’d been intimidated, snorted coldly and instructed her attendants, “Let’s go.”

Gao Min’s face was full of displeasure. “Mother, why are you listening to a little girl?”

The Duchess said quietly, “First we see your eldest aunt, then we’ll have evidence to take to the Duke’s household.”

Gao Min nodded. “Mother is right.” But the more she looked at Li Weiyang, the more displeased she felt, and by extension everything about the Li household annoyed her.

Entering Furui Courtyard, Li Weiyang stopped. “Aunt, please go first.”

The Duchess haughtily raised her chin and walked ahead. A maid pushed open the door and she was the first to enter.

Having just entered the courtyard, before the Duchess could react, whoosh—a rope flew from the left, whoosh—another rope flew from the right. Two loops of rope immediately encircled her body. Two young Daoist priests crisscrossed before her, chanting incantations, binding her so she couldn’t move.

The Duchess was furious. “You damned things, what are you doing?! Li Weiyang, what game are you playing!”

Gao Min rushed in and saw an altar set up in the courtyard with an old Daoist priest standing behind it, eyes half-closed, loudly chanting while holding a bell high in one hand and making strange gestures with the other before his chest.

“What are you doing! Let my mother go!” Gao Min shouted.

The Daoist slammed the bell heavily onto the altar table. His eyes flew open and the two young priests each pulled hard on their rope ends. The Duchess of Weiguo was bound fast, standing there with nowhere to escape. She screamed, “Someone come! Someone come!”

But Zhao Yue blocked the maids and nurses. Apart from the Duchess and her daughter, no one could enter the courtyard.

Li Weiyang walked in and made a light gesture. The priest immediately rushed forward, wielding a wooden sword before the Duchess, chanting continuously, “By urgent decree of law, may the Supreme Lord understand my intent—all demons and evil spirits, submit at once!” Chanting and chanting, he lifted the incense burner from the table, burned a yellow talisman, then waved the burner back and forth before the Duchess. Suddenly he gave a great shout, “Demons and evil spirits, be reduced to ashes!”

Instantly, a burner full of incense ash was flung at the Duchess of Weiguo.

“Get away!” The Duchess shouted furiously, but no matter how she struggled, she couldn’t break free, ending up covered head to foot in incense ash.

Gao Min rushed forward desperately to pummel the two young priests, but they were men after all. She stumbled and fell, covered in dirt and utterly disheveled.

“All evil spirits, show your true forms!”

The priest shouted again and grabbed a bowl of chicken blood from the table, flinging it violently.

Gao Min was caught completely off guard and took it full in the face. Having never suffered such treatment, she nearly died of rage. She leaped up and slapped one of the young priests hard. “You’ve eaten bear hearts and leopard gall!”

The Duchess shouted loudly, “What are you doing? This is outrageous! Are all the people outside dead? Come save me…”

In just moments, the Duchess and her daughter were covered in chicken blood and incense ash. Where was there any trace of noble ladies’ dignity? They looked worse than mad women in the street. The Duchess’s screams had already penetrated the roof, disturbing everyone. Li Weiyang waved her hand and Zhao Yue stepped aside. Only then did the outside maids and nurses rush in. Seeing this scene, they wanted to laugh but didn’t dare, and could only rush forward to push away the two priests and rescue the Duchess.

Gao Min wailed, “Li Weiyang, you wretched little slut who deserves to die! You’ve made us look like this… how humiliating!”

Li Weiyang walked in smiling. “Oh my, what happened?! Nanny Cui, Nanny Cui!”

Nanny Cui was the nurse the Old Madam had sent to guard the First Lady, usually the strictest. She had long since received word of the Duchess’s visit and arranged everything in the courtyard according to the Third Miss’s instructions. Hearing Li Weiyang call her, she quickly emerged from the house looking flustered. “County Princess.”

Li Weiyang pointed at the Duchess. “Aunt has come to visit Mother. How could you arrange things this way? You should have given advance notice that you’d summoned a priest to perform rituals.”

Nanny Cui quickly apologized. “This old servant didn’t know the Duchess of Weiguo was visiting and failed in courtesy. However—this priest was summoned at the First Lady’s instruction.”

The Duchess was enraged. “Complete nonsense! My elder sister has never believed in such ghost things!”

Li Weiyang sighed. “Times change. Mother’s illness is truly severe. Hearing is false, seeing is true—Aunt should go in and see for yourself, and perhaps persuade Mother to rest and recuperate properly.”

The Duchess’s face was full of fury. Without bothering to change clothes or wash her face, she rushed inside without any restraint.

In the room, half a curtain hung over the window, making the interior somewhat dim. The First Lady lay motionless on the bed. The Duchess approached and saw the First Lady’s sunken cheeks, eyes ringed with dark circles, her already somewhat high cheekbones now even more prominent—almost unrecognizable from the proud, wealthy noblewoman of before.

The Duchess frowned inwardly. How had she become so ill?

The First Lady was sleeping. Nanny Cui went to the bedside ahead of the Duchess. “Madam, the Duchess of Weiguo has arrived. Please wake up.”

Having been repeatedly refused by the Old Madam, the Duchess had already grown suspicious. She even thought the First Lady was being kept under house arrest by these people. Now seeing the First Lady sleeping in broad daylight with such a poor complexion, she couldn’t help frowning. “Elder Sister!”

The First Lady suddenly woke. After a moment, she rubbed her eyes and sat up abruptly, looking at the Duchess with a dull, vacant stare, as if not recognizing her at all.

The Duchess anxiously stepped forward. “Elder Sister!”

The First Lady stared fixedly at the Duchess, then waved away her hand with one of her own, waving both hands wildly before her face.

“Don’t come looking for me, don’t come looking for me! This isn’t my fault—I had no choice. If you must blame someone, blame your bad luck… Fifth Concubine, spare me. Consider that I too had no choice. I’ve already repented. I’m holding religious services for you, performing rituals for you, making amends to you…”

The First Lady was hysterical at first, then continuously pleading.

The Duchess was shocked—the other party didn’t recognize her at all.

Covered head to foot in gore, of course the First Lady couldn’t recognize her. Nanny Cui reminded, “Duchess of Weiguo, perhaps you should go wash first, lest you frighten the madam.”

The Duchess glared. “What do you mean frighten? Is my appearance frightening?!”

Li Weiyang smiled, standing far off to one side watching.

The Duchess grabbed the First Lady’s arm. “Elder Sister, did you order the ritual performance in the courtyard just now?”

The First Lady seemed to gain some awareness, mumbling, “Ritual performance? Yes, I did that…” She suddenly grabbed the Duchess, asking very nervously, “Did we catch the ghost?”

The Duchess stared at the First Lady in shock. “What ghost?”

The First Lady said mysteriously, “There’s a ghost in this courtyard! You don’t know—every night at midnight it crawls out to scare people. Long tongue, red eyes, black hair, dressed all in white. That’s the Fifth Concubine! She’s come to take my life! It must be her! No, it might also be the Third Lady… Yes, it’s them!”