First Phoenix Lady - chapter 11

Chapter 11

Outside the gates of the Wei Mansion, the two attendants fought until their hands were numb.

Servants from the Marquis Mansion lay sprawled on the ground. Of all of them, Nanny Liu had suffered the worst beating.

Concubine Wen was utterly ashamed and furious, but there was nothing she could do. She could scheme against the master’s wives and concubines, but she dared not cross the master himself.

Without the master, she was nothing at all.

The onlookers still hadn’t dispersed. They even skipped dinner just to watch the spectacle.

They gossiped as they watched, finding it even more entertaining than eating dinner. Some old women clutched handfuls of sunflower seeds, and the discarded shells landed on the Marquis Mansion’s servants without anyone bothering to stop them.

Shi Anxia approached Shi Chengxuan and asked quietly, “Father, would you like to return to the mansion with your daughter?”

Shi Chengxuan replied without hesitation, “Yes, I will return with you in the carriage.”

In truth, he wanted to find an opportunity to ask whether Lord Jiang was angered by this matter, and whether his own actions had done anything to change Lord Jiang’s mind.

For the first time in their lives, father and daughter rode together in a carriage, leaving behind Concubine Wen, whose face was filled with humiliation and hatred, her heart bleeding with regret.

That afternoon, Old Madam Shi had been flattered into great delight by the Feng Shui master, Master Yangxuan.

Master Yangxuan had calculated with his fingers and declared that Second Master Shi Chengxuan was about to be promoted, and his future career would be smooth and meteoric, rising to the heights of a powerful minister.

Old Madam Shi was so pleased she couldn’t stop smiling. Her greatest worry had always been that her son was incapable and could never amount to much.

But Master Yangxuan said that if not for an anomaly in the family, the Second Master of the Marquis Mansion would already have made his mark long ago. Someone had forcibly altered the fate and affected the Feng Shui.

Most people wouldn’t have understood these words, but Old Madam Shi understood them best of all.

She was filled with bitter regret. A moment of greed had caused a terrible mistake. It was truly a case of picking up sesame seeds and dropping a watermelon.

She did not doubt him in the slightest; in fact, she believed Master Yangxuan all the more. After all, the matter of swapping a concubine-born grandson for a legitimate one was extremely secret, known by very few.

If Master Yangxuan hadn’t calculated it himself, how else could he have known?

But by evening, Master Yangxuan’s expression suddenly changed, his brows tightly furrowed, as he kept measuring directions with his Luopan.

Old Madam Shi couldn’t help but ask urgently, “What on earth has happened?”

Master Yangxuan closed his eyes, as if sensing something. After a while, he shook his sleeves angrily. “Since the Marquis Mansion does not trust me, then I shall take my leave.”

Old Madam Shi was stunned. Hadn’t their conversation just been going so well?

She forced herself to be humble and quickly tried to keep him, “Why do you say that, Master? Please stay-if there is anything, let’s discuss it!”

Master Yangxuan’s face was livid. “Earlier, I specifically instructed you to stop the Funeral Rites immediately, not to bury in the ancestral tombs, but at Ling Mountain, and that no private altars should be set up in the mansion for offerings! Yet your Marquis Mansion agreed on the surface, but did the opposite in secret. When things don’t work out, you’ll blame me for inaccurate calculations and ruin my reputation!”

Old Madam Shi hurriedly said, “My legitimate eldest granddaughter really did as you instructed. She hasn’t neglected a single step!” She added, “Master, rest assured, she has always handled things prudently.”

Master Yangxuan sneered, raising his Luopan before her. “Then allow me to show Old Madam with your own eyes whether your mansion truly did as I said! Come with me!”

With that, he strode out of He’an Courtyard, following the direction indicated by the Luopan.

Old Madam Shi, along with a group of matrons, followed behind him, stopping and starting along the way, until eventually they arrived at Qiangwei Courtyard.

The Luopan’s pointer spun wildly before coming to a decisive halt, pointing straight inside the courtyard wall.

Master Yangxuan asked darkly, “Whose courtyard is this? May I go in and take a look?”

Normally, it would be inappropriate for an outsider to enter a young concubine’s courtyard, but for Master Yangxuan, such rules did not apply.

Old Madam Shi waved her hand. “Master, please, do not stand on ceremony!”

As long as she could find the culprit destroying the Marquis Mansion’s Feng Shui, it would be acceptable not just to enter the concubine’s courtyard-even selling her off would be justified.
No one is more important than her son’s future!

And by the time she arrived here, Old Madam Shi already knew exactly who was sabotaging her plans.

If she stopped Master Yangxuan from entering the courtyard, that would mean she didn’t trust him. If he left in a huff, she would never be able to invite him back again.

Sure enough, after following Master Yangxuan into the left side hall, she saw Shi Yunxing’s memorial tablet placed openly on the altar, with incense and candles still burning brightly.

Two Maids were keeping watch beside the altar. Seeing Old Madam Shi come in, they immediately lowered their heads, not daring to breathe loudly.

Master Yangxuan’s brows were drawn together in a frown, obvious displeasure on his face.

Old Madam Shi was so furious that her voice thundered, “Remove it! Hurry and take it away! Drag these two wretches out and beat them!”

The Maids immediately knelt down, crying, “Before Concubine Wen left, she instructed us to take good care of the incense and candles. We were just following our mistress’s orders!”

Old Madam Shi knew this was true; she had just been blinded by anger. Now she came to her senses. “Where is your mistress?”

“Mi-Mistress went-went out of the mansion.”

At this moment, a furious roar came from outside the door: “What are you doing! Who gave you permission to remove the memorial tablet and incense altar!”

Concubine Wen had returned!

After being filled with grievances outside, she had just entered the courtyard with her injured confidante, Nanny Liu, when she saw someone carrying out the memorial tablet and the altar items being removed.

She exploded with rage!

Worse yet, there was a group of commoners she had hired to help carry people back to the Marquis Mansion, and they were now demanding their wages.

Her bloodshot eyes seemed to spit fire. “A bunch of wretched commoners! Miserable paupers who’ve never seen silver!”

Ah, now the commoners were incensed! There’s no shame in working for pay!

“Is this how the Marquis Mansion bullies the common folk!”

“The Marquis Mansion owes us wages!”

“Let’s go! We don’t want the money anymore-let’s go report her!”

To bring the Marquis Mansion’s servants back, Concubine Wen had hired a whole crowd of onlookers, and now they were causing a huge stir, determined to go to the authorities.

Concubine Wen finally felt afraid. She opened her mouth, wanting to call them back, but couldn’t.

By the time Old Madam Shi sent people after them, the commoners were already so riled up that they couldn’t be calmed.

Old Madam Shi, anxious and furious, slapped Concubine Wen hard across the face. “Wretch! Are you trying to destroy our Marquis Mansion? Are you trying to ruin our future!”

This incident escalated, and by the time the news reached Shi Chengxuan, half an hour had already passed.

In fact, he and Shi Anxia had come back before Concubine Wen.

After returning to the mansion, he followed his daughter to Begonia Courtyard.

He hadn’t been to see his main wife here for a long time. It wasn’t that he didn’t like Tang Chujun-such a great beauty, who wouldn’t?

But ever since Tang Chujun married in, she had always treated him with a cold face. If he said ten things, it was a blessing if she responded with a single “Mm.”

Over time, he simply stopped coming.

He preferred women who were gentle and sweet, soft and tender-that was truly enjoyable. Especially the concubines, calling him “Master” with every word; he never tired of it.

Who would want to put up with the cold face of Tang Chujun, the main wife?

But today was different. After thinking carefully, he realized his daughter was only fourteen and didn’t know much yet.

For someone to send word about Lord Jiang’s whereabouts, it must have been Tang Chujun’s idea.

Now that Tang Chujun had lost her legitimate son as her support, she had to rely on him as her husband and should be planning for his future now.

Thinking this, he was instantly pleased.

Shi Chengxuan lingered in Begonia Courtyard over dinner, chatting idly for a long while.

“Chujun, do you remember…”

“No, I don’t.”

“I haven’t even said what I’m asking you to remember.”

“It’s not necessary, I don’t remember any of it.”

Shi Chengxuan felt terribly wronged, “…”