Dawn was just beginning to break, with a few dim stars still twinkling faintly in the blue-gray sky. Over a dozen craftsmen rubbed their sleepy eyes, shouldered various tools, and followed the estate steward into the back courtyard. After passing through several corridors, they were divided into two teams—one sent to the ancestral hall, the other toward the Buddhist hall.

Sandalwood incense curled upward as the Bodhisattva sat in meditation on the altar, holding a flower. The glazed tiles atop the Buddhist hall reflected dazzling halos under the morning light. The workers stepped into the hall, first reverently bowing in all four directions before taking tools from their bags and beginning their work earnestly.

For a time, only the sounds of “ping ping pang pang” echoed through the great hall. After a while, strange sounds suddenly emerged from these noises—sounds that seemed both far and near. Listening carefully, it sounded like someone chanting Buddhist verses. Though these were verses meant to calm the mind and nature, they were being recited in sharp, angry tones that echoed through the spacious Buddhist hall, sending chills down one’s spine.

The lead craftsman frowned, looking around inside and outside the hall, but in this quiet Buddhist hall at dawn, not half a person could be seen. He scratched his head in puzzlement, muttering under his breath, “Who’s being so troublesome!” Seeing the others looking at him, he put on an indifferent attitude, “Probably someone playing pranks. It’s nothing—keep working.”

The workers picked up their tasks and continued, but the piercing chanting continued unhurriedly and incessantly, echoing in their ears. Having worked in this trade for years, they all held some reverence for deities. Though they told themselves not to listen, their hands trembled as they worked.

Just then, someone screamed loudly, tumbling and rolling down from above. His face was already twisted with terror as he pointed tremblingly upward, only able to make “ah ah ah” screaming sounds.

The others quickly looked up in the direction he pointed, seeing yellow smoke rising in the air. The golden-bodied arhats on the Buddha altar appeared fierce-faced in this smoke, and looking more carefully at their faces, fresh red blood was flowing from their deeply sunken eye sockets!

Everyone was stunned by this scene. When they came to their senses, they threw down their tools and frantically ran outside, but turning around, they discovered that the previously spotless floor had suddenly sprouted several enormous footprints. The workers froze, not knowing where these prints came from or what consequences stepping on them might bring.

Just then, someone smelled a strange odor, and suddenly many snakes poured out from all four sides of the Buddhist hall. Their blue-gray, slippery bodies writhed together in tangles, all flicking blood-red tongues as they surged toward them. The craftsmen had no choice but to run outside, but it was too late—several men’s feet were already entangled by the snakes, sharp fangs piercing their calves. Those men, terrified beyond measure, desperately stomped on the snake bodies. Soon the hall was filled with screams and the stench of mangled flesh and blood.

The lead craftsman ran outside the door, looked back at the scene in the Buddhist hall, suddenly went weak in the knees and knelt down shouting, “It’s the Uninterrupted Hell! Buddha has sent down punishment! Buddha has sent down punishment!”

The successive cries alarmed a tree full of birds and awakened the peaceful Marquis estate early. Yuanxi had just finished washing and dressing when she heard something had happened at the Buddhist hall, so she hurried over with An’he and the others.

By now many people had gathered in front of the Buddhist hall. Several craftsmen were being carried out while moaning, and the servants, not knowing the origin of these snakes and not daring to kill living beings easily before the Buddhist hall, could only struggle to catch them and put them in bags to throw into the wilderness. Many people seeing the tragic scene inside hurriedly chanted Buddha’s name while kneeling and bowing, begging Buddha’s forgiveness.

Behind the crowd, Concubine Wang was nervously talking with the escaped lead craftsman. The man was already shaking like a sieve, his face deathly pale. Concubine Wang stuffed a bag of silver into his hands, whispering, “Today’s incident absolutely cannot be spread! Do you understand?”

But the lead craftsman didn’t dare accept it, only shaking his head continuously, mumbling, “No, we’ve offended the deities and will surely face great calamity in the future. This Buddhist hall cannot be touched, cannot be touched!”

Concubine Wang’s expression darkened. Looking up to see Yuanxi approaching, she quickly walked over anxiously, “I don’t know what happened to cause such a terrible incident. If the Old Master learns of this, who knows how he’ll assign blame.”

Yuanxi reluctantly responded to her, then suddenly saw a servant carrying a bag of snakes about to throw them outside. She quickly walked over to stop him, “Let me see?”

The servant was startled—these snakes made even him feel uneasy, yet the Young Madam dared to look? But seeing Yuanxi’s determined attitude, he could only firmly grip a snake’s vital spot and hold it before her. Yuanxi suppressed her inner fear and reached out to gently touch the snake’s body. The cold, slippery sensation made her body hair stand on end immediately, but she quickly discovered that the snake’s body was actually wet. After hesitating a moment, she leaned her head closer. The servant’s eyes nearly popped out, and just as the snake’s tongue was only inches from Yuanxi, she finally stopped and carefully sniffed. Indeed, she smelled something rather strange. Though Yuanxi didn’t understand why, she felt there was something suspicious about all this.

She suddenly remembered that yesterday Madam Zhao had told her that if they insisted on renovating the Buddhist hall and angered the deities, they would bear the responsibility. Now that such an incident occurred on the very first day of work—wasn’t this too much of a coincidence? She didn’t dare think further and decided to go inside the Buddhist hall to look around. Just then, she suddenly heard an angry shout from behind: “Stop!”

She saw the furious Madam Zhao being supported by Nanny Yu as she slowly approached. Looking at the chaos inside the Buddhist hall, her body trembled slightly as she said, “Do you still want to continue? This time only a few workers were affected—do you want to implicate the entire estate in disaster?”

Yuanxi looked up at her sharply. Madam Zhao’s body was frail, her plain gold-sprinkled silk jacket hanging loosely on her frame as if she might be blown down by the wind. Yet her eyes shot out sharp light, staring directly at Yuanxi. Yuanxi sighed, suppressing the doubts in her heart, and bowed to her from afar, obediently stepping back. In the distance under the tree shade, Concubine Wang’s lips held a cold smile as she quietly watched this scene.

At this moment, a dark blue figure hurried over, breaking this confrontational tableau. Xiao Yunjing approached with a dark face, parting the crowd, followed by Zhou Jingyuan and several servants. Upon seeing him, Concubine Wang immediately rushed over sobbing, “Master, it’s all my fault for not handling what you instructed properly!” She then lowered her head and wept, seeming very remorseful. Yuanxi also hurried over to pay respects, but couldn’t speak words of self-reproach because she still didn’t understand what exactly had gone wrong.

Looking at the scene before him, Xiao Yunjing felt some tightness and pain in his chest. If words like “unauthorized groundbreaking and offending deities” spread, how much gossip would arise about the Marquis estate? He sighed and sternly demanded, “What exactly happened!”

Concubine Wang took out a handkerchief to wipe her tears while saying, “It’s all my fault for not listening to Madam. Yesterday she said the Buddhist hall couldn’t be touched, and I thought she just couldn’t accept it temporarily. Who knew such a terrible thing would happen today.” She glanced toward Yuanxi, “Young Madam, isn’t that right?”

Yuanxi was absorbed in her own thoughts when suddenly mentioned, not reacting immediately, only making an “ah” sound and staring at her blankly. She heard Concubine Wang continue, “Yesterday didn’t Madam tell you the Buddhist hall couldn’t be touched, or else something would happen?” Seeing Xiao Yunjing staring at her with puzzled eyes, Yuanxi’s heart became flustered, and she could only honestly nod.

At this moment, Madam Zhao had already supported herself on Nanny Yu’s hand and slowly walked over. Seeing this scene, she couldn’t help but laugh coldly, “That’s right, those were my words. Looking at the current situation, does the Old Master think I was wrong?”

Xiao Yunjing looked at her coldly, neither agreeing nor disagreeing, turning to Zhou Jingyuan, “Find out exactly what happened! Also, where did the Young Master go? Bring him back to me!” He then left in anger with a flick of his sleeves. Concubine Wang quickly followed, carefully advising and attending to him.

Yuanxi looked up at Madam Zhao and found her staring in the direction of Xiao Yunjing’s departure, her expression sorrowful, lips trembling slightly. In this moment, the coldness and pride she had worked to maintain finally crumbled, making her look like a gentle woman hoping for her husband to turn back. Yuanxi suddenly felt some sympathy, walking over to say softly, “Mother-in-law, it’s windy here. Please go back and rest.” But Madam Zhao only glared at her, resuming her cold, proud shell as she took Nanny Yu’s hand and turned to leave.

Yuanxi stood there dazed, sighing helplessly as she carefully thought through the events of recent days, feeling her head about to split. So she decided to temporarily set aside these matters she didn’t understand and obediently return to memorizing account books. After all, she’d rather face a hundred account books than place herself in these conflicts again.

When Xiao Du returned to the estate, it was already past noon. Upon entering, Zhou Jingyuan was already waiting and carefully related the day’s events. As Xiao Du listened, he stopped walking and frowned, “Have you found out what really happened?” Zhou Jingyuan looked worried, shaking his head and sighing, “We’ve only sealed off the Buddhist hall but can’t determine who did this. But word has already spread that our Marquis estate has violated feng shui and angered the gods and Buddhas. The carpenters are too frightened to return. The Old Master is at his wit’s end, and Concubine Wang is currently accompanying him.”

Xiao Du snorted coldly, “Ever since new people arrived in the estate, these incidents have been one after another without end.” Zhou Jingyuan didn’t dare respond, only leading Xiao Du toward the Old Marquis’s room.

When Xiao Du emerged from the Old Marquis’s room, it was nearly the hour of Yin. He looked at the sky, suddenly had an idea, dismissed the servants, and quickly walked to the study in Qingzhi Courtyard.

He pushed open the paper window and looked outside, indeed seeing Yuanxi sitting under the gardenia tree, earnestly copying account books. Her face no longer showed helplessness and fatigue, but displayed utmost seriousness. Xiao Du remembered that at this hour previously, she should have returned to her room long ago. So he casually picked up a book, reclined on the couch to read, and watched to see how long she could persist.

The water clock sounded repeatedly, and soon the hour of Yin had passed. During this time, An’he and Rongqiao came to persuade her several times, but Yuanxi insisted on staying to continue copying. Sweat continuously beaded on her forehead, but she didn’t bother wiping it, only kept copying and reciting. The fragrance of ink mixed with flower scent drifted through the window. Xiao Du couldn’t help but shake his head and smile: Did she think that by hiding here, she could truly ignore everything?

Seeing dusk approaching, he put down the book in his hands, walked out the door, crossed the corridor bridge, and commanded the waiting An’he and Rongqiao to be silent as he quietly approached with his hands behind his back.

Yuanxi was concentrating intently on copying the account book before her when suddenly a figure blocked her view, cutting off much of the light. She looked up and was so startled her hand shook, nearly spilling ink on herself.

Xiao Du’s face was hidden in the backlighting as he smiled leisurely, “What is my wife copying?”

Yuanxi’s face reddened, suddenly feeling somewhat embarrassed as she hurriedly clutched the large stack of papers to her chest. Xiao Du calmly picked up the nearby account book, “So you’re copying account books.”

Knowing she had done something foolish again, Yuanxi was so ashamed her entire face turned red, wishing she could hide under the table. But Xiao Du casually tossed the account book aside, “I never expected that a young lady raised in the Prime Minister’s residence would be so useless.”

Yuanxi momentarily forgot her fear, looking up at him as she heard him continue, “Can’t you see that Concubine Wang making you memorize these useless account books is just deliberately making things difficult for you, not wanting you to have a chance to access the crucial accounts? Only someone as stupid as you would seriously memorize them one by one. And with this construction project, she controls the financial power herself but gives you an empty title to take the lead.” He seemed to sigh with great disdain, “But even such crude tricks that can’t see the light of day can fool you completely.”

Yuanxi’s eyes dimmed slightly as she put down the stack of papers, stood up to pick up the account book and dusted it off, saying softly, “I may not understand scheming and tricks, but I’m not stupid.” Xiao Du raised his eyebrows, looking at her with some surprise as she continued, “After yesterday’s incident, no matter how foolish I am, I understand that Concubine Wang is using my name to confront Mother-in-law. There are many things I don’t understand about maneuvering and compromising—I only know how to do my proper duty.” Her eyes gradually became determined as she handed the account book to Xiao Du, seeming to gather great courage, “Pick any page and test me!”

Xiao Du skeptically opened the account book and randomly selected a date. Yuanxi thought briefly, then quickly recited all the income and expenditure entries and reasons for that day. Xiao Du asked several more items and found that Yuanxi answered them all correctly. Surprise flashed in his eyes, “You really memorized it all?”

Yuanxi finally smiled, her pupils sparkling with triumphant light as she nodded, “Now I can go find Concubine Wang and tell her: I’ve accomplished what she asked me to do, and now she should teach me how to truly manage this household!”

This was the first time Xiao Du had seen such a smile from her. Her slightly upturned face was flushed with excitement, looking especially charming bathed in the brilliant evening clouds. He leaned toward her, almost touching her nose before slowly stopping, smiling, “Since my wife has been so dedicated, how should your husband reward you?”