Yes, of course she would come. Xing Muzheng thought that maybe he should just grant her wish—go to her courtyard and kick her to death, save himself the trouble. But she probably wasn’t as foolish as Jiaoniang, daring to stay in the same room as him.
Ah Da said, “Everything’s a mess right now—who has time to entertain her? Don’t let her in!”
Before the words were even out of his mouth, a noisy commotion rose from the courtyard. Feng Yuyan, using her pregnancy as a shield, forced her way in. Wet Nurse Ye, supporting her mistress, cursed at Xu Guoyi, “If you so much as brush against our young lady and hurt the child, I’ll skin you alive!”
Li Qingquan came out just in time to see Feng Yuyan, holding her waist, stepping over the threshold. “Lord Li, so you’re here too! How is Madam Qian? I heard she was injured—I came especially to check on her. Where is she? Is she in her room?”
Without waiting for a reply, Feng Yuyan bypassed Li Qingquan and headed toward the eastern wing. Inside, Qingya heard her voice and frowned in annoyance, wiping her tears before stepping out to block the way. “Madam needs rest. She’s not receiving visitors.”
“Is the injury serious? Let me in for a look.” Feng Yuyan craned her neck, trying to peer inside, but the folding screen blocked her view.
“Just a minor injury. Thank you for your concern,” Qingya said flatly, not giving an inch.
“You’re an ill-mannered girl! How dare you block your mistress?” Wet Nurse Ye glared.
Qingya sneered, “And who exactly is she the mistress of?”
Feng Yuyan nearly tore Qingya’s mouth apart with rage, but Li Qingquan quickly intervened from behind, “Miss Feng, you just sent a servant to find me—was there something urgent?”
Feng Yuyan glanced at Li Qingquan, then at Qingya, gave a cold snort, and turned away. “Lord Li, I do have urgent matters to discuss with you. Seeing that the madam is injured, my heart aches… I also worry that the Marquis has no one to care for him…” As she spoke, she started toward the western wing. Qingya already knew why she had come but couldn’t be bothered. That lunatic who liked to beat people—whoever wanted to care for him could have him!
“…It’s better if I take care of the Marquis myself,” Feng Yuyan concluded with a decisive tone, though she hesitated slightly as she stepped into the western wing.
Dingxi Marquis was sitting stiffly, staring blankly at the floor, mouth babbling nonsensically. He had just finished another crying fit. Ah Da had only just finished wiping his face when the Marquis nearly bit his hand. Wang Yong stood nearby, and when he heard Feng Yuyan’s shameless declaration, his anger surged. This woman dared to say such things aloud—truly brazen! He hadn’t forgotten the miserable state their commander had been in, tied to a chair!
Li Qingquan followed in right after. “Miss Feng, you’re pregnant now—it’s not convenient for you to—”
“What inconvenience?” Feng Yuyan cut him off. “I’m carrying the Marquis’s child—I miss him all the more! It was due to my negligence that he suffered such torment. My conscience has been uneasy, and I haven’t had a peaceful night’s sleep! Lord Li, even if I was at fault before, I should be given a chance to make amends. My heart for the Marquis is sincere—truly sincere…”
As she spoke, tears streamed down her face like falling blossoms.
Wet Nurse Ye quickly stepped in to console her. “Miss, please, don’t cry! You’re carrying a child—you mustn’t cry!” She turned to plead with Li Qingquan, her face tight with worry. “My lady’s heart for the Marquis is as true as the sun and moon. The Marquis has always treated her well—otherwise, why would he have married her as his equal wife? I swear on my life, my lady will care for him wholeheartedly and never let anything happen to him again!”
Feng Yuyan cried even harder. Li Qingquan and the others looked at one another helplessly, unsure how to deal with this tearful and delicate noblewoman.
Jiaoniang’s fate was still unknown, and Feng Yuyan was putting on a whole performance. Rage burned in Xing Muzheng—get her out of here, now!
Dingxi Marquis suddenly jumped up and let out a roar.
“The Marquis is having an episode!” Ah Da, well experienced, shouted. “Qingquan, escort Miss Feng—” But before he could finish, Feng Yuyan and her wet nurse had already bolted out the door.
“Marquis! Marquis! It’s me, Yan’er! Have you forgotten me?” Once safely outside, Feng Yuyan resumed crying and shouting.
Ah Da nearly rolled his eyes. If this woman could truly care for the Marquis, he’d write his name backwards!
Seeing this, Li Qingquan gave up the last bit of hesitation he had. “Sigh, it’s better if we take care of him ourselves.”
So Li Qingquan and the others returned Xing Muzheng to his original courtyard. He dismissed the servant girls and footboys, leaving only Xiangyue to handle small tasks—though either Ah Da or Wang Yong had to be present at all times to assist.
Xing Muzheng agreed this was for the best. He was a madman now. He couldn’t be allowed to hurt Jiaoniang again. He was willing to stay in his own courtyard—but that ghostly thing was like a child clinging to a crib. Since leaving Jiaoniang’s rooms, he had rarely settled down. He either shouted or cried, making a fuss over the slightest discomfort. Xiangyue replaced Jiaoniang in caring for him, but the ghost-thing, perhaps truly spoiled by Jiaoniang, threw tantrums if she washed his hair too slowly, if one spoonful of food was too full, or if his sweat wasn’t wiped quickly enough.
In just three days, he had thrown over a dozen tantrums, hardly resting at all. Xing Muzheng endured it all, forcing himself not to lose his temper and make things worse. But after three days, his suppressed fury was growing uncontrollable.
Not one person, not a single person, had told him anything about Jiaoniang’s condition. Was she dead or alive? Was she conscious or not? He had no idea!
Did his subordinates all have wooden tongues? Would it kill them to say just, “The madam is better” or “She’s awake”?
Even Chou’er hadn’t come to see him. Was he angry that his mother had been hurt?
But deep down, Xing Muzheng understood. If Jiaoniang had woken, they wouldn’t have kept it from him. Most likely, she was still unconscious. Or maybe… she was angry with him and deliberately told them not to say anything. Others might not dare, but she would. Xing Muzheng thought, this time, he had truly been wrong. However she wanted to punish him, he would take it.
He never meant to hurt her. For the first time, Xing Muzheng tasted the bitterness of having no way to defend himself. He had never felt so powerless to explain. That night, he sat by the bedside, staring into the flickering candle in the corner. His thoughts were in turmoil. The ghost-thing was crying again—“ah, ah”—while Xiangyue and Ah Da flustered around him, feeding him goat’s milk, fanning him. The fan tickled, his hair brushed over his eyes, and the ghost-thing grew more uncomfortable. He flailed his arms, jumped up, hit his head on the bed frame, then pounded the headboard with his fists.
Ah Da called Wang Yong inside while Xiangyue cried uncontrollably at the side. The two of them worked together to pull Dingxi Marquis off the bed. As they dragged the ghost-thing down, he threw punches and kicks—left and right—forcing the two to dodge in a panic. His fingers curled and spread as he searched for objects to throw. Wang Yong shielded Xiangyue and led her out through another door.
These past few days, Li Qingquan had been staying in the marquis’s residence, helping Ah Da and the others care for Xing Muzheng. They had just managed to send the endlessly pestering Feng Yuyan away when noise erupted from Xing Muzheng’s room. The two immediately got up and rushed over, just in time to see Dingxi Marquis, hair disheveled and barefoot, sprinting out the door. The four of them chased after him.
The ghost-thing was rampaging again in the main hall, while Xing Muzheng remained like a cold bystander, all thoughts detached, the chaos before him like drifting clouds.
He only wanted to see for himself if Jiaoniang was better.
He just wanted to see her once, hear her curse him once.
To know—was she alive or dead?
The ghost-thing let out a roar and suddenly dropped the chair in his hand, sprinting out of the hall. He tripped on the steps and scraped his scalp. Struggling up again, he ran to the main gate, pushing and kicking it with his limbs. When that didn’t work, he began ramming it with his body, all the while shouting and banging.
