Volume One, Chapter 8: The Impertinent Maid Disrupts the Marquis's Residence?
“What has happened to make you panic like this?” Elder Lady Xiao slammed the table sharply and scolded.
Nurse Gao was terrified, immediately pressing her forehead to the ground, her lips trembling as she spoke, “Replying to the noble matriarch, the stable is on fire. The servants reported that... it seems there are people trapped inside the flames!”
“What?” Elder Lady Xiao sprang up, eyes wide with shock. “Quick, send people to extinguish the fire and rescue them!”
At her command, the servants of Anshou Hall sprang into action, and Nurse Gao hurriedly helped Elder Lady Xiao toward the exit.
Suddenly, the old lady stopped, turned around, and looked coldly at Madam Fang. A chilling light flickered in her eyes. “I hope this fire has nothing to do with you. Otherwise, with the only restraint on Xiao Qingqing gone, I will not let you off either!”
Xiao Rongli was Xiao Qingqing’s only tether. If he were lost, judging by Xiao Qingqing’s vengeful nature today, she would surely retaliate against the Marquis Wu’s residence. The old and new grudges combined would make matters extremely difficult.
Madam Fang was fearful. “Please calm your anger, noble matriarch. Your daughter-in-law swears to heaven that she truly has no knowledge of this matter.”
Xiao Ruyan also spoke anxiously, “Grandmother, your granddaughter would never commit such a cruel act.”
Seeing their genuine expressions, Elder Lady Xiao did not press further and allowed Nurse Gao to support her to the stable.
Amidst the towering flames, the neighing of horses came through. Soon, horses with blazing reins on their necks ran wildly, the fire catching at the clothing of those trying to douse it.
“Ah! Help! Fire, fire everywhere!” The servants panicked, dropping what they held and frantically beating at the flames on their bodies.
“Wailing... I don’t want to die yet, someone save me!” Some servants rolled on the ground in attempts to extinguish the fire on themselves.
“Butler Li, save them!” Elder Lady Xiao decisively commanded, pointing at the servants whose clothes were ablaze.
She then sat on a stool brought over by the servants, leaning on her cane with one hand, watching as the servants fought the fire.
With several buckets of water poured on, the servants were saved, but the runaway horses had disappeared without trace.
The butler ordered two pages to search for the horses while others concentrated on putting out the fire.
“Hurry, bring more buckets and basins, fetch water to extinguish the flames...”
“Butler, it’s bad. All the water jars around, originally filled, are broken—there’s not a drop left...”
“What?” Butler Li was shocked. “Then fetch water from somewhere else immediately!”
The rear quarters of the Marquis Wu’s residence were thrown into chaos. Elder Lady Xiao felt a sharp pain in her chest from anger. “Wretches, simply wretches.”
“Grandmother, according to Ruyan, this matter must be related to elder sister.” Xiao Ruyan, her face swollen but veiled, eyes full of bitterness, said.
“Our Marquis Wu’s residence has always been peaceful. Yet, as soon as elder sister returned, such disaster happened. It is an ill omen!”
Hearing this, Elder Lady Xiao began to think it might be true.
They say that when a restless soul returns home, some evil spirit demands a life!
Though Xiao Qingqing appeared alive, her drastic change in temperament was unlike before. Could she have been possessed by an evil spirit, causing such misfortune on her very first day back?
Yes, it must be so.
The more Elder Lady Xiao thought about it, the more plausible it seemed.
She leaned back in her chair, her frail hand pressing her chest. “Ruyan’s reasoning is sound. Our residence has always emphasized fire prevention, with water jars every ten steps, yet all have been destroyed... This cannot be a coincidence.”
“Nurse Gao, investigate thoroughly. I want to know who dares to stir trouble in the Marquis Wu’s residence!”
“Spread my order: all servants from every courtyard are to gather here immediately. Anyone who dares to disobey will be arrested!”
“Yes, noble matriarch, I obey.” Nurse Gao knelt and saluted before leaving with her people.
Madam Fang, seeing this, smugly raised her eyebrows at Xiao Ruyan, signaling her: well done!
She smiled coquettishly. “Mother, it’s late, and your health is more important. Let your daughter-in-law handle this. You should rest in the neighboring courtyard. If you exhaust yourself, the Marquis will surely worry.”
Elder Lady Xiao was indeed weary. Seeing Madam Fang’s kind concern, she nodded gently and allowed Xiao Ruyan to assist her to rest to the side.
An incense stick’s time later.
“Mother, has Ziling returned?” Xiao Ruyan asked anxiously, sensing something ominous about to happen.
Madam Fang was startled by her daughter’s expression, and the drowsiness vanished instantly. “Ziling? What’s wrong with her? Ruyan, you haven’t done anything behind my back, have you?”
Seeing this, Xiao Ruyan lowered her voice and confessed everything. Finally, she grasped Madam Fang’s sleeve and whispered a plea only they could hear.
“Mother, please believe me. I only heard from the servants that that wretched creature hasn’t eaten for days. Afraid he’d starve to death, and since you lost your leverage over that despicable Xiao Qingqing, I kindly sent Ziling to bring him some food...
“Now Ziling is missing, and that wretch is nowhere to be found either. Could it be—they’re both trapped in the fire?”
The thought terrified Xiao Ruyan, leaving her mind in a daze.
Ziling was no ordinary servant; she was an illegitimate child born in the Marquis Wu’s household, the only daughter of Butler Li and Nurse Gao.
Madam Fang’s hands trembled slightly as she held the tea cup, the slight clink of the lid betraying her growing unease.
She drank several cups of cooling tea to calm herself.
Looking at her daughter, she whispered, “Remember, what you just told me must be kept to yourself. Don’t mention it to anyone.
“Ziling is merely a servant. Today, she was beaten by that despicable Xiao Qingqing. Who knows if she was secretly resentful and came to the stable to take it out on that wretch?”
“Alright, mother. I’ll listen to you,” Xiao Ruyan said, wringing her handkerchief to suppress her unease.
Half an hour later, the fire was finally extinguished. When the servants cleaned the scene, they discovered several bodies.
Since there were casualties, even the Marquis Wu’s residence had to report to the authorities. After an investigation, the magistrate’s office gave a preliminary ruling—
A servant girl and a stable boy’s illicit affair accidentally caused the fire, injuring two other sleeping maids.
The news caused an uproar throughout the residence, everyone speculating about who the immoral servant girl might be.
Butler Li was also frustrated, blaming the servant girl for her shameful behavior disrupting the household’s peace.
He smiled as he saw the constables off. A breeze lifted the white cloth covering the corpses, revealing a silver bracelet familiar to him.
He shook his head, not dwelling on it, and hurried to prepare men to go to Listening Wind Garden for arrests.
Earlier, Nurse Gao had sent messages to each courtyard, but only Listening Wind Garden remained closed and unresponsive.
Outside Listening Wind Garden now—
“Break down that door! Drag everyone out!” Nurse Gao snarled at the tightly shut gate.
She felt elated inside—
Xiao Qingqing, how dare you strike my daughter! Now that you’re in my grasp, I will skin you alive.