Prince Heyang’s mother consort, Lady Pan, and Lady Pei were old sisters. Now that she had passed away after enjoying a blessed life, Lady Pei personally attended the funeral. After returning, perhaps due to the sudden change in weather, the old lady’s appetite was somewhat disturbed, and she ate less each day. As the season grew cooler, she spent most of her days, even during daylight hours, in drowsy slumber.
Jia Fu had the impression that in her previous life, Lady Pei had passed away shortly after Xiao Lie ascended the throne. So now, seeing the old lady’s health deteriorating, and with Pei You’an not at home, she was especially anxious and worried. Not only did she personally attend to her morning and night with great care, but she also invited the imperial physician to come for treatment every few days.
But despite all this, the old lady’s body, like a lamp about to burn out, still gradually dimmed. Jia Fu’s heart gradually sensed an ominous foreboding.
On this day, about a month after Pei You’an had left home, Jia Fu received her first letter from him.
The letter wasn’t long, concise and to the point, just like Pei You’an’s usual way of speaking to her.
He told her that in a little over half a month, he had already reached the Nanyang area of Jingxiang. Currently, various matters were being handled well, and she should not worry. He also asked her to convey his greetings to his grandmother.
At the end of the letter was a reading list he attached. He said all the books on the list could be found in his study. If she had free time, she could follow the list in order, from simple to complex, and read them for leisure. By the time she finished all the books on the list, he expected he would have returned to the capital.
Since Pei You’an’s departure, Jia Fu had been caring for Lady Pei during the day and thinking of him at night. Sometimes she thought of him so much that she couldn’t fall asleep late into the night. Today, finally receiving his letter, although it contained not a single word of longing, having this reading list that he had prepared for her made Jia Fu completely content. Her heart felt somewhat sweet, yet also somewhat regretful, thinking how wonderful it would be if Grandmother’s health could greatly improve.
She went to the old lady’s quarters.
The old lady had slept all morning and had just woken up not long ago. Her spirits looked slightly better. When she heard Jia Fu relay the contents of Pei You’an’s letter and greetings from her eldest grandson, her face broke into a smile, and she nodded repeatedly. At this time, Madam Xin, Second Madam, and Zhou Jiao’e also came to serve the meal. After staying briefly, they were all sent away by the old lady. The old lady told Jia Fu that she need not stay either, to go back and take an afternoon nap, and specifically instructed that if she replied to the letter, not to mention that she was unwell, to avoid causing unnecessary worry.
Jia Fu returned to her room, but how could she be in the mood to sleep? She sat down and picked up her brush, and just as she was about to write her reply, Mama Liu came in and stood beside her, hesitating to speak.
Jia Fu asked her what the matter was.
Mama Liu came closer and said in a low voice, “Young Mistress, I’ve heard that in these two days, there are rumors among the servants, saying that in the room where the former Concubine once lived, there have been crying sounds at midnight, and they also say…”
She paused.
“What else do they say?”
Jia Fu immediately put down her brush and turned her head.
“They also say… that at midnight, someone saw a hanging ghost with disheveled hair, dragging a long tongue, wandering back and forth in front of the courtyard where the Master used to live…”
Mama Liu looked at her expression and spoke haltingly.
Jia Fu’s anger was surging outward bit by bit.
Pei You’an had only been away from home for this short while, and the old lady was ill, yet in this ducal mansion, such rumors had already started to circulate again.
If last year, when passing by Pei You’an’s former residence during Lady Pei’s birthday celebration, she had merely felt indignant upon overhearing those two old women gossiping, then at this moment, “indignation” was completely insufficient to express her current emotions.
She was angry, furiously angry.
She restrained herself and asked, “Who saw it?”
Mama Liu shook her head, “That’s not yet known. I’ve asked around, but there are many servants in the mansion, and with rumors passing between the two households and various courtyards, it’s unclear who first spread these words.”
Jia Fu gritted her teeth and said, “Go investigate further! We must find out who saw this hanging ghost! They must have been frightened and need to be properly comforted.”
Her tone was severe. Mama Liu was startled, then nodded and turned to leave, but was called back by Jia Fu. Turning around, she saw Jia Fu lost in thought. After a moment, she suddenly stood up and said, “You don’t need to investigate. I’ll ask someone else to look into it.”
Mama Liu was surprised, seeing her already leaving the room, and hurriedly followed.
Jia Fu first returned to Lady Pei’s quarters and had someone quietly call out Yu Zhu. She inquired about Grandmother and was told that she had just taken her medicine and was resting. She then took Yu Zhu to a secluded corner and related in a low voice what she had just heard.
Yu Zhu was greatly shocked, her eyebrows standing up in anger as she said, “Who are these people gossiping? This needs to be controlled! No matter who it is, whether respectable or not, once caught, even tearing their mouths would be letting them off too lightly, those foul mouths!”
Jia Fu said, “I was also thinking it needed to be addressed. It’s just that Grandmother hasn’t been feeling well lately, and I’m afraid these filthy rumors might reach her ears and upset her. It would be better if Grandmother didn’t know about this. Please keep an eye out.”
Yu Zhu nodded, “Rest assured, Young Mistress. I know everyone around the old lady well. I won’t show any mercy to those who are lazy and love to gossip. Since you’ve specifically mentioned this, I will be even more vigilant.”
Jia Fu smiled and squeezed her hand. After being escorted out, she told Tan Xiang to invite Second Madam Meng, while she went to Madam Xin’s main courtyard.
At this time, Madam Xin was in Quan Ge’s room, with an angry face, scolding the wet nurse for being lazy, and for not cleaning Quan Ge in time after he had wet his bed during his afternoon nap. Not only was it unclean, but in this weather, having a wet bottom risked catching a cold. The wet nurse felt somewhat wronged and explained, “I sent Little Hong to the kitchen for hot water early on. Little Hong came back saying that just as a kettle had been heated, it was taken away by the Second Madam’s maid Xiang Mei, who said the Second Madam urgently needed hot water and told Little Hong to wait a bit longer. That’s why there was a delay.”
Madam Xin was furious and threw down the clothes in her hand, “This is outrageous! Does she think she’s a celestial fairy descended from heaven? Is there any sense of propriety left?”
The wet nurse muttered, encouraging her, “That’s exactly right. Quan Ge hasn’t even seen his father’s face these past few days. Madam really should establish some rules.”
Madam Xin’s expression was extremely unpleasant, and with a surge of anger, she was about to summon Zhou Jiao’e to lecture her, but the words on the tip of her tongue were swallowed back.
Although the Zhou family was currently disgraced, the Empress’s position as the central palace figure remained unchanged, and they might regain favor any day. The Empress also seemed quite fond of Zhou Jiao’e; just a few days ago, she had sent palace attendants to deliver some gifts from the palace to her. Moreover, Zhou Jiao’e’s temperament was quite sharp. If she refused to accept discipline and, in the worst case, made a scene that spread beyond the household, not only would the old lady criticize her for incompetence, but she also feared being ridiculed behind her back by people from the second branch of the family.
Madam Xin alternated between hatred and resentment, hesitating. Suddenly she heard a maid enter and say that the Young Mistress had arrived. Seeing the wet nurse still looking expectantly at her, seemingly waiting for her to go confront Zhou Jiao’e, she felt somewhat annoyed and seized this opportunity to back down, instructing the wet nurse to look after Quan Ge well while she hurriedly left.