A loud shattering sound echoed as the coral was smashed into pieces.
Everyone's gazes were fixed on the pile of fragments.
To everyone's surprise, the coral was hollow in the center, and a pile of black stuff wrapped in cloth rolled out.
Without the coral blocking it, the aroma emitted by the stuff became extremely strong.
Mrs. Ning was greatly shocked. "Daozhang, what is this?"
Liang Yuzhou replied, "It's musk soaked in alcohol and mixed with spices."
At the mention of the word "musk", Mrs. Ning, Chu Shangxu, and Shi Luohan's faces all changed drastically.
Musk is cold in nature and highly toxic. Pregnant women must never touch it, not even smell it.
A dark cloud settled on Chu Shangxu's face. He ordered the maid, "Throw this dirty stuff out!"
Liang Yuzhou looked at Mrs. Ning. His black eyes were like deep pools, mysterious yet somehow trustworthy and reassuring.
"Madam, the person who sent this red coral had ulterior motives. They wanted to cause you to miscarry without leaving any trace. It's a silent murder. You must be more careful in the future."
Mrs. Ning's face turned deathly pale.
Chu Shangxu quickly asked, "This coral has been placed in the room for three months, and you've been feeling unwell for the same period. Who sent it?"
"It was elder sister-in-law." Mrs. Ning gradually calmed down, but her anger was boiling. "She said it was blessed in front of the Buddha and could protect me and the baby. I trusted her and placed it in the most prominent position in the room. I even worshiped it every day. But she..."
Chu Shangxu quickly hugged her and gently stroked her back. "Don't get excited when you're pregnant. I'll handle this!"
Shi Luohan looked at Liang Yuzhou, and a ripple rose in his heart.
He never expected that Liang Yuzhou was so sharp-eyed. He had only been in the room for a quarter of an hour, yet he had spotted the problem.
Chu Shangxu thanked Liang Yuzhou profusely.
"It's easier to deal with if it's not a demonic haunting."
Liang Yuzhou raised his eyebrows slightly. "Where are there so many demons and ghosts in the world!"
Chu Shangxu was taken aback. The Taoist priests he had known in the past always exaggerated the evilness of demons and ghosts, hoping to show off their magical powers and earn more rewards.
But this young Taoist priest in front of him directly denied the existence of demons and ghosts.
Then what was his purpose of being a Taoist priest?
"Daozhang Qingzhou is truly highly skilled in Taoism." Chu Shangxu felt admiration. "Since you're here, could you do a ritual for the whole family? We don't ask for anything else, just for peace of mind."
"Do you want the ritual to be done in every courtyard in the mansion?"
"Of course."
Liang Yuzhou stole a glance at Shi Luohan from the corner of his eye and flashed a faint smile.
"The ritual has to be done at a specific time, and only one can be done each day. There are many courtyards in the mansion, so I'm afraid I'll have to bother you for several consecutive days."
"We'd be delighted!" Chu Shangxu was sincere. He looked at Mrs. Ning. "The courtyard where Wanchu lives has been vacant for a long time, and she's just arrived. Let's start with her courtyard."
Mrs. Ning nodded. She doted on her niece the most, so of course, she wanted the ritual to be done in Wanchu's courtyard first.
Shi Luohan looked at Liang Yuzhou, his eyes gloomy and annoyed.
...
Song Wanchu changed her clothes and was about to ask someone if Liang Yuzhou had left her aunt's courtyard.
She wanted to visit her aunt.
Suddenly, an old woman outside announced, "Miss, the eldest mistress and the eldest young master are here."
Song Wanchu frowned.
The eldest branch referred to the lineage of Lord Chu's elder brother.
Back then, Lord Chu and his elder brother had started their business together. Later, they had divided their family property. The elder brother had stayed at home and refused to make progress, and soon, he had squandered all their wealth.
Lord Chu was shrewd and capable, with a flexible mind. He had obtained the quota of a royal merchant and continuously accumulated wealth, becoming the richest man in Yunzhou.
After his elder brother's death, his eldest son, Chu Shangming, had inherited the family business. Chu Shangming had squandered the family property, indulging in wine and women, and died of tuberculosis in his forties.
He had left behind his wife, Mrs. Qian, and a son, the eldest young master, Chu Hao'an.
Chu Hao'an was already in his twenties. Like his father, he was useless and had achieved nothing. He was only greedy for money and women. He had not yet married a proper wife, but he already had four concubines in his room.
Lady Chu had taken pity on them and had taken them in, providing for their food and drink.
It was no secret that she had come to the Chu family. When she had visited Lady Chu earlier, the eldest mistress and the eldest young master had not shown up, which clearly showed their disdain for her.
She was still a young girl, and the eldest young master was an adult man. It was very improper for him to enter her residence.
Song Wanchu didn't really want to see them, but she was a guest now. Refusing to see the relatives of the host family, although justifiable, would still embarrass her aunt.
"Su Yue, invite them in. Nan Zhi, go and make some tea."
Mrs. Qian and Chu Hao'an entered the Plum Shadow Studio with smiles on their faces.
Song Wanchu bowed to Mrs. Qian. "I should have visited you earlier, but I've been so busy since I arrived. Please don't take offense."
She also addressed Chu Hao'an as "cousin" according to the family hierarchy.
Chu Hao'an stared at her unabashedly, sizing her up and down. His gaze was direct and greedy.
Song Wanchu felt uncomfortable.
Mrs. Qian smiled and held her hand tightly. "Wanchu has grown more and more beautiful. You don't look like a married woman at all."
Nan Zhi and Su Yue's faces darkened.
Song Wanchu couldn't tell for a moment whether Mrs. Qian was being straightforward or doing it on purpose.
She didn't want to assume that someone she didn't know well had ill intentions.
She gave a faint smile. "The water and soil in the south of the Yangtze River are nourishing. I've only gradually recovered my health in the past year."
Mrs. Qian asked a few more casual questions.
"Your cousin was very happy when he heard you were coming. He said he wanted to pick you up in person, but he was invited by the eldest young master of the prefect's family to visit the prefect's mansion those days. He didn't want to disappoint them, so he couldn't go. He felt really bad about it. As soon as he heard you were here, he rushed back from the prefect's mansion to apologize to you."
It sounded like casual talk, but between the lines, she was showing off her son's abilities and connections.
In Yunzhou, the prefect, who was a fourth-rank official, was the highest-ranking official.
Song Wanchu just smiled and said nothing.
Chu Hao'an stared at her face, his gaze sticky. His tone was also cloying. "Don't blame me, cousin. When you're free another day, I'll take you out for a stroll."
He was very affectionate, but Song Wanchu had only met him twice, once when she was five and once when she was eight.
If they had met on the street instead of in the Chu family, Song Wanchu wouldn't have recognized him.
She picked up the teacup and took a sip so that she didn't have to look at Chu Hao'an. Although she felt disgusted, she still had to敷衍 him. "Thank you, eldest young master."
Mrs. Qian continued to chatter about family matters. "Your aunt is pregnant. If there's anything she misses, don't blame her. Just tell me if you have any problems. I treat you like my own niece. Don't be polite, Wanchu."
The words sounded considerate, but Song Wanchu felt a little uncomfortable.
Mrs. Qian's tone was as if she were the mistress of the house, but her aunt was the real mistress.
They were just guests living here.
Mrs. Qian seemed to have regarded this branch of the Chu family as her own.
Song Wanchu could imagine how frustrated her aunt must feel because of Mrs. Qian's inappropriate words and actions.
Her aunt was kind and gentle, and she might not be willing to fall out with Mrs. Qian.
Mrs. Qian kept talking, and Song Wanchu was getting annoyed.
"Nan Zhi, go and get the gifts I prepared for the eldest mistress and the eldest young master."
Nan Zhi had already brought the gifts as soon as Mrs. Qian had said, "You don't look like a married woman at all."
She was even more eager than Song Wanchu to get rid of these two people.
The gift Song Wanchu gave to Mrs. Qian was a set of red ruby and emerald headdresses, and the gift for Chu Hao'an was a set of Ge Kiln fish roe pattern tea sets.
The headdresses were worth three thousand taels of silver, and the fish roe pattern tea set was a rare and precious item. It was rare for the Ge Kiln to produce a set in decades.
"Although she has lost her parents, she still has a wealthy maternal family who loves her. She's so generous." Mrs. Qian thought. "If my son marries her, just her huge dowry will be enough for our mother and son to live on for several generations."
Chu Hao'an was worried about not having a decent gift to curry favor with the prefect, Yue Chengkong. He beamed with joy.
"I also have a gift for you, cousin. It's just a little token of my appreciation. Please accept it."
He took out a small package from his bosom and directly stuffed it into Song Wanchu's hand. Su Yue quickly blocked his hand and stared at him. "Eldest young master, just give it to me. I'll show it to the miss!"
As a member of a noble family, Chu Hao'an couldn't be unaware of the rules.
When a man gives a gift to a young girl, he should always give it to the maid first. It's improper to give it directly to the girl.
His behavior was really frivolous!
Song Wanchu thought that he probably didn't take her seriously. In his eyes, she was a "remarried woman" as Mrs. Qian had said. Why should she be as reserved as a young girl?
Wasn't this kind of frivolous attitude also a kind of test?
Since they had entered, Song Wanchu had been polite and respectful to them.
But in their eyes, her propriety and chastity meant that she was easy to manipulate.
Mrs. Qian and Chu Hao'an left contentedly.
Another old woman came to announce, "Miss, the madam said that the Taoist Priest Qingzhou she invited is going to do a ritual in each courtyard, and he's coming towards our courtyard!"