Lady Yang's public outburst, acting like a crazy person, left everyone shocked and confused.
The old lady glanced at Song Wanchu and then at Cheng Simian.
Both girls looked calm and cold.
Lady Yang kept shouting, "There's a ghost! There's a ghost!" Her shouts made everyone feel uneasy.
Just now, when someone was looking at the yellow lotus, someone casually mentioned that only when someone died a wrongful death and came to the living for justice would the flowers from the underworld bloom in the mortal world.
Lady Yang's crazy behavior made people can't help but think more.
Whispers began to buzz in the crowd: "Could it be that Lady Qin has done something wrong and got scared?"
"Hard to say. In such a large Rongxiang Duke's Mansion, human lives are treated like grass. Her daughter often tortured and beat beautiful maids, and many lives were lost. How clean can Lady Qin be?"
Normally, such gossips should be stopped on such a festive occasion.
But the old lady just sat there steadily and sipped her cool tea leisurely.
"Why don't you hurry up and help your mistress up? Let her open her eyes and take a good look. There are all living people around her. Even if there were ghosts, they wouldn't dare to come for her in the daytime."
It sounded like a diplomatic remark to save Lady Yang's face.
But on closer listen, people felt there was a hidden meaning.
What did she mean by "even if there were ghosts, they wouldn't dare to come for her in the daytime"?
Did the old lady mean that Lady Yang had really done something wrong and that's why she was so scared?
"I heard that someone in the Crown Princess's family died of poisoning. Could it be..."
It was no secret that Cheng Simian had redeemed Hongrui.
It was also no secret that since Qin Xuanyan failed to become the Crown Princess, the Qin mother and daughter had regarded Cheng Simian as an enemy and had framed her many times.
"Could it be that the one who died of poisoning was Hongrui? Lady Yang felt guilty and was scared like this because she was afraid Hongrui would come for her life?"
People were full of doubts and cast inquiring looks at Cheng Simian.
But Cheng Simian remained unmoved. Not to mention speaking, she didn't even give an extra look or make an extra move.
This kind of neither affirming, nor denying, nor clarifying attitude was exactly what could create an ambiguous effect.
The whispers grew louder and reached Lady Yang's ears. Finally, she regained a little bit of her senses.
The two maids who had come with her to the banquet pulled her out from under the stone table.
Her clothes were in a mess, and her hair was a bit loose. Compared with her glamorous appearance when she came, she looked really embarrassed.
Although Lady Yang hated people's speculation and gossip, looking at the lively faces of the living people around her, the fear in her heart finally subsided a little.
"Lady Qin, it's all this maid's fault. I startled you and even spilled tea all over you."
A maid in a willow - green cross - collared long dress stepped forward to apologize, her tone cautious.
Lady Yang glanced at her, and her heart suddenly calmed down. All her panic disappeared in an instant.
At first glance, this maid's face shape and eyebrows did bear a bit of resemblance to Hongrui.
She was just being too sensitive, panicking at every sound.
"It's okay, it's okay."
In front of everyone, she couldn't be too harsh.
Everyone was still confused, but the old lady didn't ask her for an explanation.
"You, this maid, are usually so smart. How come you've become so clumsy? Hurry up and serve Lady Qin to change her clothes."
Lady Yang was just feeling embarrassed and didn't know how to get out of this situation. The old lady came to her rescue, and she was extremely grateful.
The maid led her to a quiet courtyard and opened the door for her to enter.
The two maids Lady Yang had brought with her followed her in to help her change clothes.
While changing clothes, Lady Yang was thinking about how to save face and stop the spread of the rumors when she went out later.
Hongrui was just a low - life. She deserved to die!
It was just a pity that they didn't manage to poison Cheng Simian to death along with her.
She never believed in ghosts and gods!
She had just taken off her outer robe and was about to put on a clean dress when a gust of wind blew open the window.
A maid quickly rushed to close the window. As soon as her hand touched the window lattice, she suddenly let out a blood - curdling scream.
"Ah!!!"
Lady Yang scolded impatiently, "What are you making such a fuss about? This is the Jinning Duke's Mansion. Aren't you making a laughingstock?"
"Ghost, ghost, there's a ghost, Lady, there's a ghost!"
The maid's body was shaking like a sieve, and she pointed tremblingly out of the window.
"In broad daylight, where could there be a ghost—"
When Lady Yang saw what was outside the window, all the color drained from her face.
A woman was standing outside the window. She was wearing a red opera costume, gently fluttering her water sleeves, looking graceful and charming.
A soft laugh came from her, as sweet as the song of a warbler.
However, her face was ashen, as if she had just been dug out of a grave. Her lips were blue - purple, and her fingernails were black.
Lady Yang felt all the blood in her body flowing backwards. Every hair on her body stood on end, and her legs turned as soft as melted sugar.
It was impossible. Hongrui was already dead. She died of poisoning!
Hongrui flew into the room through the window, landing silently like a ghost.
The two maids let out shrill screams. One of the timid ones rolled her eyes and fainted.
The other one crawled into the wardrobe in a hurry and slammed the door shut with a "bang".
Hongrui walked towards Lady Yang step by step.
Lady Yang fell to the ground, her lips trembling so much that she could hardly make a sound.
"Are you... a human or a ghost?"
Hongrui's eyes were full of resentment, and the smile on her face was eerie.
"Lady, you should know best whether I'm a human or a ghost."
As she got closer, Lady Yang smelled the smell of soil mixed with the smell of coffin paint.
It was as if Hongrui had just climbed out of a coffin!
"I... it wasn't me... I didn't... don't come for me!"
All her rationality had collapsed. A deep - seated fear rushed out of her body, stimulating her nerves, making her terrified, panicked, and guilty.
Hongrui's expression turned fierce. She reached out and grabbed Lady Yang's neck.
"Who else should I come for if not you, Lady? Let me ask you, have I ever been disrespectful to you over the years? The master favored me, and you became jealous. You and your daughter did something disgraceful, but you made me take the blame! What did I do wrong?
You're so venomous and mean. It wasn't enough for you to make me take the blame. You even sold me to the lowest - class brothel!
The Crown Princess was kind - hearted and redeemed me, but you still wouldn't let me go. You didn't hesitate to poison the Crown Princess's family, trying to wipe them out. If I don't come for your life, whose life should I come for?"
Tears and snot streamed down Lady Yang's face, smudging her makeup. The hand on her neck was icy cold, without any warmth. It was clearly the hand of a dead person!
"It was the master who wanted you dead. I had no choice but to listen to him! If you want to come for someone's life, go for Qin Feng. I was forced by him to poison you!"
She was shaking uncontrollably, and there was a warm and wet feeling on her thighs.
Hongrui wrinkled her nose.
"Both you and Qin Feng deserve to die!"
"No, no, don't kill me, don't kill me!"
Lady Yang was like a dying fish, twitching violently.
Just then, a maid from the duke's mansion pushed open the door and let out a scream.
"Lady Qin, what's wrong with you?"
She covered her nose and stepped forward.
Lady Yang pointed at Hongrui in a panic. "She! She's a ghost. Hurry, someone, come and exorcise the ghost!"
The maid looked around blankly, full of confusion. "Lady Qin, what are you talking about? Where's the ghost?"
Hongrui was standing right in front of her, but she seemed to see nothing.
Lady Yang completely collapsed.
She cried and crawled desperately towards the door on all fours.
"There's a ghost! There's a ghost! Help! Help!"
The back garden of the duke's mansion was in chaos.
Lady Yang was covered in the smell of urine, with disheveled clothes and hair. She was like a headless fly, drilling into the crowd.
She kept shouting, "There's a ghost!"
The old lady quickly told two strong maidservants to restrain Lady Yang.
In front of everyone, she loudly asked the maid, "What's going on? She just went to change her clothes. How did she become like this?"
The maid seemed completely confused.
"This maid doesn't know either. Everything was fine at first. Suddenly, this maid heard someone shouting about a ghost in the room. Lady Qin was scared and crying and shouting. She was saying something like 'Hongrui, it wasn't me who wanted you dead. If you want to find someone, go for Qin Feng. I only poisoned you because I was forced by him. Qin Feng wanted to poison the Crown Princess too'. This maid heard that something was wrong inside, so she went in. Lady Qin insisted on pulling this maid to see the ghost, but there was nothing in the room. Before this maid knew it, Lady Qin ran out like this."
The bustling back garden suddenly fell into an eerie silence.
It was deathly quiet.
Only Lady Yang's shrill screams could be heard continuously.
Before evening, the news had spread all over the capital.
Lady Qin had gone mad from being scared by Hongrui's ghost.