After finishing her evening meal, Ye Piaoling had just stepped out of the hall when a maid came rushing over joyfully.
“Miss, is it really you? You’ve truly returned!”
Qiao Shu slid to her knees, her face filled with excitement and delight.
Ye Piaoling looked at her.
Qiao Shu had accompanied the original host for many years. When the original host was in her prime, Qiao Shu had benefited greatly from her. Later, when the original host became useless, she quickly attached herself to Concubine Liu and began to speak coldly and harshly to her former mistress.
Now, Qiao Shu appeared to be weeping with joy, sobbing, “Miss, ever since you left, I’ve been thinking of you constantly. Now that you’ve finally returned, I can serve you again. I’m truly so happy…”
“Are you done crying?” Ye Piaoling asked with concern.
“Huh?”
Qiao Shu was taken aback.
Ye Piaoling said, “If you’re done crying, hurry up and get lost.”
Qiao Shu was shocked and said mournfully, “Miss, do you… do you no longer want me?”
Ye Piaoling smiled. “What are you saying? You’re a maid from Concubine Liu’s Fragrant Courtyard. What does that have to do with me?”
“Miss, I had no choice but to go to Fragrant Courtyard!”
Qiao Shu quickly played the victim: “It was Concubine Liu who took a liking to me and insisted on transferring me to serve her. Although I stayed in Fragrant Courtyard for a few days, I never forgot you for a moment… In my heart, you are my only mistress!”
With that, she kowtowed several more times forcefully.
Ye Piaoling sighed. “If you keep this up, I’m going to throw up.”
Qiao Shu: “…”
Still unwilling to give up, Qiao Shu asked in a pitiful tone, “Miss, what do you mean by that?”
Ye Piaoling replied, “It means we can’t be together. Please stay away from me from now on. Thank you.”
“…”
Qiao Shu had prepared many arguments, but now they were all stuck in her throat.
She lowered her head, her heart filled with hatred.
This damned miss, how petty and narrow-minded she was, refusing to let her return!
It seemed she would have to go back to Concubine Liu after all.
Qiao Shu adjusted her mindset and said in a pitiful tone, “Miss is in a bad mood today. I dare not trouble you further. I’ll come visit another day…”
As she spoke, she stood up, then suddenly seemed to remember something and said with an admiring expression, “Oh, by the way, I heard that Miss was exceptionally impressive today, even making Concubine Liu say many things. Has Miss learned some new magic? I’ve never seen such a miraculous spell that can control others!”
Ye Piaoling scoffed. “She said all that herself. What does it have to do with me? If you keep dawdling, do you want me to throw you out?”
Qiao Shu’s expression changed, and she bowed. “I take my leave.”
Ye Piaoling watched her retreating figure. Such ungrateful, two-faced people were all too common in TV dramas…
After leaving Ye Piaoling’s courtyard, Qiao Shu was filled with resentment.
Who would have thought the miss would become so difficult to talk to, showing no mercy at all? She was simply despicable!
Cursing inwardly, Qiao Shu suddenly spotted someone.
Dressed in sleek black clothes with a handsome face, he leisurely leaned against a large tree to cool off, fanning himself.
It was Fox Shadow.
Qiao Shu’s eyes shifted. Since she hadn’t obtained any useful information from Ye Piaoling and would have a hard time reporting back, why not try to pry some information from Fox Shadow…
So she straightened her clothes and hair, walked over, and curtsied:
“Brother Fox Shadow, I heard that Miss’s immortal vein will be restored next month. Is that true?”
Fox Shadow replied, “Obviously.”
Qiao Shu pressed further, “After the eldest young lady’s immortal vein is restored, will her cultivation also return to its previous level?”
Fox Shadow lazily replied, “Not exactly.”
Qiao Shu felt somewhat comforted by this.
So she only regained her immortal vein, but her cultivation was gone—nothing impressive about that!
Fox Shadow continued, “After the eldest young lady’s immortal vein is restored, her cultivation will undoubtedly surpass what it was before. How could it possibly be the same as before?”
Upon hearing this, Qiao Shu nearly spat blood on the spot.
Fox Shadow fanned herself leisurely and sighed contentedly, “This Fallen Blossoms Courtyard truly is the best place in the Ye residence!”
“…”
Qiao Shu left, seething with resentment.
Returning to the Fragrant Scent Courtyard, she found the place in chaos.
Concubine Liu was severely injured and unable to rise, while Ye Tianbao, having no real understanding of her injuries, was crying and throwing a tantrum.
Although he had been beaten, he was largely unharmed. In the past, even a minor stumble would have maids and servants fussing over him for hours, but today no one paid him any attention, nor did anyone help him seek revenge against Ye Piaoling.
“My butt hurts—it’s all because of that good-for-nothing! Go and beat her to death!” Ye Tianbao wailed from his bed.
A maid brought in his meal, saying, “Young master, please get up and have your dinner.”
“I won’t eat!”
Ye Tianbao jumped up and knocked the food to the floor.
He then stomped on it several times, turning the perfectly good meal into a muddy mess:
“If you don’t kill that good-for-nothing, I won’t eat!”
The maid had no choice but to retreat.
Qiao Shu watched the chaos unfolding in the courtyard, feeling even more disgusted.
She reported to Concubine Liu, “The eldest young lady seems much more cunning than before and refuses to reveal anything.”
“That wretched girl…” Concubine Liu gritted her teeth.
Qiao Shu urged, “Madam, you must think of a plan quickly! We need to appease the master’s anger!”
Concubine Liu took a deep breath.
Ye Liao Zhai would never forgive her; he would surely order her execution afterward.
If she wanted to survive, there was only one way left…
Concubine Liu motioned for Qiao Shu to lean in and whispered a few instructions.
…
The next day.
Ye Liao Zhai summoned a renowned folk sorcerer to examine Concubine Liu’s condition.
After performing his rituals, the sorcerer concluded:
“Concubine Liu was possessed by a fox demon, which caused her madness and erratic behavior. Everything she said yesterday was nonsense, utterly absurd—neither sincere nor factual.”
Ye Liao Zhai nodded in agreement; this was exactly the result he wanted.
He needed an explanation to save face for himself.
Since yesterday, gossip about his bedroom troubles had spread throughout the imperial city.
After the morning court session, General Hua had even winked at him and said, “Prime Minister Ye, though you are busy with state affairs, you must take good care of your health!”
The implication was clear.
Even more infuriating, a traveling physician had heard the rumors and come to his door, peddling aphrodisiacs…
Ye Liao Zhai was seething with rage.
Now, with the sorcerer’s explanation, he immediately ordered the story to be spread and instructed the sorcerer to perform an exorcism on Concubine Liu.
But all of this was merely for show. Ye Liao Zhai knew that Concubine Liu’s words were likely eighty percent true!
Thus, he decided to have her secretly eliminated in a couple of days.
Such a hypocritical and venomous woman—why keep her alive? For the New Year?
After the sorcerer performed the ritual in the Fragrant Scent Courtyard, it wasn’t long before the maid Qiao Shu hurriedly arrived, claiming she had urgent news to report.
Ye Liao Zhai scowled and scolded, “What is it that has you in such a panic?”
Qiao Shu knelt on the ground. “Reporting to the master, the fox spirit that had possessed the concubine has been expelled. After the concubine regained consciousness, she was overwhelmed with grief and… and hanged herself…”
Upon hearing this, Ye Liao Zhai swallowed a breath.
Excellent!
That wretched woman had hanged herself, saving him the trouble of doing it himself.
Qiao Shu continued, “Fortunately, this servant arrived in time and rescued the concubine.”
Ye Liao Zhai: “…”
Qiao Shu said, “The concubine was hanging by a thread. This servant immediately called for a physician. After taking her pulse, the physician discovered that the concubine… she is with child!”
Ye Liao Zhai had initially been annoyed at this maid for meddling, but upon hearing this, his expression shifted abruptly.
“What did you say? She is pregnant again?”
“Yes!” Qiao Shu kowtowed. “Congratulations, master! Congratulations! The Ye family will soon welcome another precious son!”
Upon hearing this, Ye Liao Zhai did not rush to rejoice.
At such a critical moment, that wretched woman suddenly turns up pregnant?
How incredibly convenient!
It’s entirely possible that, knowing her life was in danger, she deliberately fabricated this lie.