The next day was still a bright sunny day.

Early in the morning, a servant from outside brought a master into the Xie residence.

Old Madam led many people from the household, gathering in the spacious area of the front courtyard to watch the master perform the ritual.

He Shi’s eyelids kept twitching as she said in a low voice: “Old Madam, where was this master invited from? This concubine feels his methods during the ritual are somewhat strange.”

In her childhood, when the family encountered trouble and returned to their ancestral home, the family elders often invited masters to perform rituals, but it was never done this way.

Tingyu’s heart skipped a beat.

She had lied to Old Madam that this master was invited from Qing’an Temple, but he actually wasn’t… Those masters at Qing’an Temple were hypocritically noble and completely unwilling to accept her silver to do the work. Of course, it could also be that they thought the money was too little. When leaving Qing’an Temple, she encountered this master on the road. His price was cheap and he followed instructions…

“Concubine He, every master has their own habits when performing rituals.” Tingyu spoke. “We don’t understand these things. Just wait and watch.”

Yun Chu stood beside Old Madam and said: “It’s just praying for blessings for the Xie family. It’s the same no matter which master it is.”

Old Madam kept a stern face without speaking.

Her eyes stared tightly at the center of the area, where the master took talisman paper and threw it into the air. With a loud shout, the talisman paper suddenly burst into flames.

Immediately after, the master’s eyes turned, and his sharp gaze fell upon the womenfolk.

The more timid Concubine Jiang was startled and instinctively gripped Xie Xian’s hand tighter.

“There are evil spirits wreaking havoc in this residence!”

The master shouted loudly. A ball of fire suddenly ignited above his head, and that fire drifted toward the back courtyard.

Without needing to say more, everyone in the courtyard spontaneously followed the master toward the back courtyard. The fire drifted unpredictably, sometimes to the east, sometimes to the west, finally stopping in the air above a courtyard in the middle.

It was still midsummer, and in this courtyard, lotus flowers bloomed abundantly with lotus leaves spreading everywhere. This was precisely Bihe Garden where He Shi resided.

He Shi frowned, feeling vaguely uneasy.

She felt as though something was about to happen…

The ghostly fire stopped in the air above the lotus pond and extinguished with a puff, with ash falling from the sky.

“Right there!”

The master strode forward, stood by the lake, and looked at the Xie family members: “Old Madam Xie, have someone search here and you’ll know exactly what’s going on.”

Old Madam looked over. The lotus flowers were in their prime in midsummer. Could there be something in the water that shouldn’t be there?

Thinking of a certain possibility, the old lady’s face couldn’t help but become even more grim.

Nanny Zhou had already walked over with two servants. In just a few moves, they found a rope, pulled it up, and revealed a small lacquered red box.

He Shi’s eyes widened completely.

How could there be a box in the pond in her courtyard? Who put it there?

What were they trying to do?

Before she could think further, the box had already been presented before Old Madam.

Old Madam felt somewhat apprehensive and ordered: “Open it.”

Nanny Zhou opened the box. When she saw what was inside, the expressions of everyone present changed completely.

Inside this box were actually three puppet dolls. Looking at the dolls’ clothing, one was an elderly woman, one was a woman in her forties, and another was a young woman around twenty years old.

The elderly woman puppet had silver needles inserted all over the chest area. The second had needles in both eyes, both hands, and both feet. The third young woman had needles all over her entire body…

This scene was as terrifying as it could be.

“Inside here…” Tingshuang exclaimed. “It’s Old Madam and the Madam, and also the Mistress. Heavens, someone is cursing the Xie residence’s womenfolk to die horrible deaths!”

Yuan Shi also recognized them. The attire of these three people represented the three generations of female heads of the Xie family. Who could be so malicious!

Just the right amount of shock appeared on Yun Chu’s face: “Who dares to be so bold? Cursing me is one thing, but how could they curse the Madam and Old Madam! Old Madam hasn’t been well lately. Could it be related to this curse!”

She turned to look at Old Madam, only to see Old Madam reaching out to support herself on Nanny Zhou beside her, clearly having gone weak in the legs from fright.

The older one gets, the more one wants to live. No elderly person could withstand such a shock. Old Madam’s chest heaved violently, and her gasping breaths could be heard.

“Cough cough cough!”

Old Madam began coughing violently.

Nanny Zhou quickly held out a handkerchief to catch it. Looking at it, there were actually streaks of blood, immediately frightening her greatly.

Old Madam’s cloudy eyes turned and looked at He Shi: “It’s you!”

When He Shi saw the puppets in the box, she was also shocked to the extreme. Only now did she react—this box was found in her courtyard!

She shuddered and quickly said: “Old Madam, this concubine has been wronged. This concubine has never done such a thing. Please investigate clearly, Old Madam!”

“If not you, then who else!” Old Madam raised her hand and slapped her across the face. “Vile woman, the Xie family should never have harbored you!”

Back then, this vile woman seduced Jingyu. Jingyu was so deeply infatuated that he wanted to marry this vile woman as his wife, but she refused. All these years, this vile woman must have harbored resentment.

And Yun Chu occupied the position of legitimate wife. This vile woman wished nothing more than for Yun Chu to die suddenly!

Did she really think that if all the female heads of the Xie family died, it would be the turn of a vile woman who couldn’t even be presented in public to become the mistress of the household!

Dream on!

“Old Madam, Concubine He has no reason to do this!” Xie Ping couldn’t help but step forward. “Moreover, even if she really had such intentions, she couldn’t possibly place these things in her own courtyard. Someone must be deliberately framing her. Today’s spectacle was entirely orchestrated by Concubine Yu. It’s hard not to suspect that Concubine Yu is behind this!”

“The eldest young miss really thinks too highly of this concubine.” Tingyu lowered her eyes. “We’re both concubines. Just because the eldest young miss resembles Concubine He doesn’t mean you should help Concubine He and slander this concubine!”

These words immediately changed Xie Ping’s expression.

Although she wanted to speak up for He Shi, she didn’t want to get herself entangled in this.

She pressed her lips together and said no more.

“Concubine He, I can honestly say I’ve never mistreated you, and no one in the entire Xie family has mistreated you, yet you committed such an unconscionable act!” Yun Chu’s expression was ice-cold. “Someone come, lock Concubine He in the woodshed. Tingshuang, arrange for someone to fetch the Master home!”

“This concubine is truly wronged!” He Shi kept protesting. “Concubine Yu resents that this concubine took Yun’er away from her, so she conspired with that master to stage this performance. Old Madam, Madam, Mistress, this concubine is truly wronged! You can send people to search Concubine Yu’s courtyard. She made so many puppets, there must be traces to be found in her courtyard!”

Tingyu secretly smiled.

These puppets were all made by Concubine Tao, and it was also Concubine Tao who, in the middle of the night while barely recovered from childbirth, placed them in the pond.

While she was responsible for paying the silver, finding the master, and pinning it on He Shi.

From beginning to end, everything was done personally by her and Concubine Tao. Even if they severely interrogated the servants in their courtyards, they couldn’t possibly extract anything, let alone find any incriminating evidence!

“This matter will be thoroughly investigated when the Master returns!” Yun Chu said sternly. “If you didn’t do it, naturally it won’t be blamed on you! What are you all standing there for? Hurry up and drag Concubine He away!”

Several sturdy matrons nearby stepped forward, one on each side, dragging He Shi toward the back courtyard.

Old Madam closed her eyes.

If not for the fact that He Shi had borne three children for the Xie family, she truly wanted to have someone hold He Shi down in the lake and drown her.