CHAPTER 29: CHAPTER 29: MASTERY

After Tong Xiyan left, Chunyan returned anxiously: "Miss, that handkerchief..."

Xiqiu shook her head and said, "We didn’t actually do anything!" The floral powder Tong Xiyang used was too faint, useless unless smelled up close, so she had Chunyan modify it a bit, merely exploiting Tong Xiyan... She was indeed sincere to herself...

Chunyan, with her heart pounding, whispered, "Wouldn’t Lady suspect it’s Miss riling up Fourth Miss?"

Chunyan, usually mature and composed, showed such a helpless expression, she smiled and comforted her, saying, "Many have seen that handkerchief, and it was Fourth Sister who specifically came to get it, we just couldn’t refuse her!" After speaking, she sighed silently, of course Lady would be suspicious, but that’s how people are, if they feel they can see through you, thinking you’re of no concern, they instead lower their guard against you.

She wanted Lady to know that she was smart, not cowardly, and wouldn’t tolerate bullying, but her foundation was weak, her means crude, only by relying on her could she stand firm in the household!

It took her a long time to understand this principle, especially in dealing with Lady, where grasping the degree was extremely important.

Chunyan didn’t know her thoughts, let out a big sigh of relief, and laughed: "As long as it’s fine."

The pain in her back made Xiqiu frequently frown: "Apart from Fourth Sister, did anyone else from Lady’s quarters come? What did you say?" Chunyan smiled and nodded, "Zijuan and Zixia came to sit for a while, I said Miss’s fever hadn’t subsided and she’d been sleeping in a haze, they just looked in from the door and left." She paused, then added, "Nanny Fang, Nanny Qian and Laiwang’s wife all came, and Laiwang’s wife even brought quite a few medicinal herbs!"

Xiqiu smiled and nodded: "Be careful, and don’t let anything slip!" Seeing Chunyan understood, she switched topics: "Bring out some osmanthus we prepared before the New Year, have it made into osmanthus sugar in the kitchen, send it to the outer courtyard, each of the four young masters gets a share, just say that the other day Fourth Sister and I didn’t entertain well, and don’t say anything else."

"I understand, Miss should rest now!"

Xiqiu took some medicine and lay down again.

"Hmph! I used to think she could keep within bounds, so I just turned a blind eye and let her and Sixth Girl mess around, letting them restrain each other, saving me the trouble." Lady angrily threw the teacup: "A man could make her forget the propriety and shame learned over ten years!"

Lady’s words were a bit blunt, Tong Xiyan’s face immediately turned red: "It must be Madam Wang’s instigation, what does mother want to do? Have Nanny Fang find someone to tie them up?"

"Tie? If it agitates the fetus, your father will blame me for not taking care of his concubine and illegitimate son." Lady sneered: "I’ll make them cry themselves and kneel at my door."

She had endured for a long time, if it weren’t for First Master blaming her for the lack of heirs, and the Tong family’s male line being thin because of her unworthiness, she wouldn’t have kept her belly till now? Lady squinted her eyes, saying to Nanny Fang: "Go to Puji Temple right now, invite Master Puning over no matter what."

The two shared a glance, understanding each other’s intentions.

"I’ll go now, be back before 7 a.m." Nanny Fang turned and left the room.

Tong Xiyan didn’t understand, she always had little interest in Buddhism, and felt Master Puning looked a bit suspicious, so she couldn’t help but feel dissatisfied: "Why call her here?"

Lady tapped Tong Xiyan’s red nose: "In this, you’re not as clever as your elder sister, or else you wouldn’t suffer like this, hurry back, wash your face, change clothes, have Xinzhu brew medicine for you, don’t be careless."

Tong Xiyan wanted to stay to watch the excitement, but considering Nanny Fang would only return by noon, she obeyed and went back to her own courtyard.

As soon as Tong Xiyan left, Lady turned her face cold and called Ziyuan: "Go ask Xinzhu if the handkerchief was given by Sixth Miss to Fourth Miss, or if Fourth Miss wanted it herself." After a pause, she looked at Ziyuan coldly: "Do you know how to say it?"

Ziyuan shivered inside, knelt down: "I understand." After the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Ziyuan returned: "Xinzhu said when Fourth Miss went, Sixth Miss was still asleep, her fever hadn’t broken, Sixing was feeding medicine, Sixth Miss pushed herself to accompany for a while when she saw Fourth Miss came, Fourth Miss asked why Sixth Miss snatched Third Miss’s handkerchief, Sixth Miss was surprised, said she just wanted to wash it for Third Miss, nothing else. But Fourth Miss didn’t believe it, ignored Sixth Miss’s opposition, forced Chunyan to bring out the handkerchief, Sixth Miss struggled to sit up to stop Fourth Miss, but couldn’t resist Fourth Miss’s force, and the handkerchief was taken away."

Lady listened thoughtfully, Ziyuan looked quietly at her, thought again and added: "Maid Xinzhu also said when she left, she forgot the embroidery hoop borrowed from Sixing in the Warm Pavilion, went back to retrieve it, in just a short time, Sixth Miss fell asleep again, she also heard Chunyan and Sixing discuss making osmanthus sugar for First Young Master and Third Young Master as an apology, said that Sixth Miss and Fourth Miss didn’t entertain well."

Lady paused her tea-drinking action: "Did she really say that?" She didn’t expect Xinzhu, who looked naive, to have such a discerning mind.

Ziyuan nodded: "Yes, I didn’t hear it wrong."

Lady’s expression slightly softened, waved her hand: "Go to the storeroom to receive two taels of bird’s nest to send to Zhiqu Courtyard, there’s no need for you to serve here, you should also speak more with Sixing." With that, she leaned tiredly on the low table.

Before 7 a.m., Master Puning arrived, and spoke with Lady in the room for half an hour, then Nanny Fang escorted her around the whole residence, Master Puning stopped at the East Cross Courtyard gate: "There is indeed something unclean in the house, seventy-seven times the Heart Clarity Spell must be recited, eighty-one sheets of yellow paper burned, and talismans posted on doors, windows, tables, and walls for forty-nine days to ensure household safety!"

Nanny Fang showed fear: "Should we invite gongs and drums to shake it out?"

Master Puning was also clever: "This evil spirit is rampant in power, a single day is probably not enough, it needs to be shaken for several days."

Both faces turned serious, commanded people to set up an incense table in the East Cross Courtyard, and had several servants bang gongs and drums throughout the courtyard, making a deafening noise, the roof tiles even shaking, the commotion lasting two hours.

In the courtyard, Madam Mei busied serving tea and water, while Madam Luo watched from the door with a stool, Madam Xia sat inside pondering the words Xi’er had just sent: "Miss said if Lady comes, you should warmly respond." She drank a cup of tea, stepped out to greet Master Puning with a smile: "Master, I’ve been anxious and scared today, my sleep unrestful, could I trouble you to perform a rite in my room, burn some yellow paper to expel the evil?!"

Master Puning gave her a ceremonial bow: "Amitabha Buddha!" Quickly agreed, went inside and burned three sheets of paper, filling the room with smoke.

Madam Luo, also an insightful person not to be outdone, invited Master into her room, had the servants go in to fiercely beat the gongs again, and then led the Master to Madam Mei’s room for another round of noise and burning!