Chapter 257
Chapter 257
Though Zhao Wan did not dine with the others, she had ordered the kitchen to prepare a lavish table of dishes.
Yu Lang counted on his fingers, then suddenly sighed. “The last time we ate this well was on Mount Yunhe, the night of Lord Ren’s birthday.”
At the mention of his birthday, a distinctly awkward look entered Ren Fengjue’s eyes. He pretended not to hear and made no reply.
Just then, Steward Sun personally brought in two small jars of wine. “Her Highness brewed this wine herself and specifically ordered it sent over for our guests.”
Hearing that the wine had been brewed by Princess Consort Wu, Yu Lang immediately rose, plainly intrigued.
“To think we’d have the chance to taste wine brewed by Her Highness herself!”
Ren Fengjue frowned slightly and warned him at once, “Vice Minister Yu, drinking can interfere with our work.”
Steward Sun hastily said, “There is no need for concern, Young Marquis. Her Highness explained that this is medicinal wine, particularly suited to winters on the Northern Border. When His Highness was alive, he always drank her wine.”
At that, Yan Zhengchu quickly opened a jar and sniffed it. “It does smell entirely of medicinal herbs. I’ll give it a try.”
The jar was small. After he poured himself a bowl, only half remained.
Yu Lang poured out the other half, and the jar was empty.
“That’s all?”
Wasn’t the princess consort being rather stingy?
Vice Minister Yu did not dare say it aloud and could only grumble to himself.
Smiling, Steward Sun picked up the other jar and poured a bowl each for Ren Fengjue and Xia Ximo. “Her Highness also said that this medicinal wine must not be drunk to excess. One bowl per person at most.”
Ren Fengjue had intended to give the other jar to them as well. At those words, he glanced into his bowl.
He still remembered promising Xia Ximo that he would never drink while away from home again.
As he was trying to find an excuse to decline, Yu Lang and Yan Zhengchu had already begun discussing the wine with relish.
“I’ve never tasted medicinal wine with such a distinctive flavor. There’s astragalus, Chinese angelica, codonopsis, safflower… Has something else been added too?”
“I can’t tell, but it tastes quite mild. There’s hardly any taste of alcohol…”
Steward Sun said, “Only Her Highness knows the recipe for this medicinal wine. This old servant… really has no way of knowing.”
Ren Fengjue asked him, “Have you ever tasted this wine, Steward Sun?”
Steward Sun smiled and shook his head. “How could an old servant like me be so fortunate? In the past, His Highness was the only person in the entire household who could enjoy it. Even when the princess wanted some, Her Highness would not allow it.”
“Although Her Highness has not managed the inner household these past years because of her illness, her feelings for His Highness never changed.”
There seemed nothing particularly wrong with those words, yet Ren Fengjue frowned slightly.
Just then, someone called for Steward Sun from outside, and he excused himself.
Once he had gone, Ren Fengjue lifted his bowl and sniffed carefully, then examined the color by lamplight.
Seeing his obvious suspicion, Yu Lang hesitantly set down his wine bowl and asked cautiously, “My lord, do you suspect something?”
Deliberately, Ren Fengjue said, “I suspect there’s something wrong with the wine.”
“What?”
Yan Zhengchu set his bowl down too, his expression changing. He and Vice Minister Yu exchanged looks, all but ready to stick their fingers down their throats…
“My lord, why didn’t you say so sooner? Daoist Yan and I have almost finished ours.”
“Is it poisoned? It’s not too late to make ourselves throw it up, is it?”
Axia had already fetched a silver needle to test it…
Ren Fengjue said, “I didn’t mean it was poisoned. Princess Consort Wu has no grievance against us. Surely she would not poison us. I simply find it a little strange…”
Only after hearing that it was not poisoned, and seeing that Axia’s silver needle detected no poison either, did the two men stop fussing.
Yu Lang rinsed his mouth with tea and asked, “What’s strange about it?”
“The relationship between the princess consort and His Highness.”
Puzzled, Yu Lang could not help leaning closer to listen. “What do you mean?”
Princess Consort Wu, Lady Yang, came from a distinguished aristocratic lineage. She too had once been a noble young lady in the Capital.
But the Yang Family’s greatest prosperity and glory had come during the previous dynasty…
When Lady Yang married Prince Wu, peace had only recently been established throughout the realm. After receiving his title, Prince Wu had established his residence in Liangzhou, far from the Capital ever since.
Ren Fengjue had long ago heard from his mother that Prince Wu was an inveterate womanizer, while Princess Consort Wu was prone to jealousy. She must have harbored resentment.
Naturally, then, he had suspected her involvement in the deaths of Lady Du and the other concubines in the mansion.
Yet Zhao Wan said that Princess Consort Wu had been ill for over ten years, never leaving her rooms, keeping aloof from the world, and long since withdrawing from household affairs.
And Steward Sun, a longtime servant of the mansion, said her feelings for His Highness had never changed over the years.
Everything seemed entirely unconnected to her, yet somehow impossible to separate from her…
That was the strangest part.
“I can’t quite put it into words. But until the mysteries in this mansion are resolved, we mustn’t let our guard down.”
After all, Ren Fengjue had never met Princess Consort Wu himself and could hardly make a judgment.
Though Yu Lang had failed to hear any “useful” information, he felt there was some sense in that.
But when he turned back to the table full of food, his appetite had suddenly vanished.
Beside them, Xia Ximo ate silently, yet heard their conversation clearly.
She lowered her gaze to the medicinal wine before her and grew thoughtful too.
After dinner, they each returned to their rooms but did not go to bed.
As eleven at night approached, Yan Zhengchu and Yu Lang each used an Invisibility Talisman and slipped quietly into Zhenxia Courtyard.
Ren Fengjue remained alone in the guest courtyard, for his Pure Yang Body would draw too much attention.
According to their plan, Daoist Yan would search for traces of ghosts here, where the yin qi was strongest, including Concubine Du’s Primary Soul.
Once everything was ready, Daoist Yan began working his ritual in the courtyard.
As usual, he had Yu Lang scatter “bone ash” around the courtyard, then laid a Bell-Striking Array directly in the center.
“Listen carefully. If the bells ring, it means a Yin Soul is approaching.”
Yan Zhengchu sat in the middle of the array and raised the Jade Sword before him to work his ritual.
Yu Lang and Xia Ximo stood under the covered walkway, watching their surroundings intently.
Before long, chilling gusts swept through the courtyard. One bell rang, followed by a second, a third, and finally an overlapping clamor…
Though Yu Lang could not see the souls, his hair stood on end as he watched. He hurried behind Xia Ximo and asked in a trembling voice, “How… how many Yin Souls are there?”
Xia Ximo said nothing, but her brow furrowed.
All around them were scattered souls with no master.
Drawn by the array’s summons, they appeared in the courtyard one after another, yet every one of them lacked awareness and definite form…
Yan Zhengchu too drew a sharp breath and turned to look at Xia Ximo.
“Miss Xia, it seems all the mansion’s wronged souls have gathered here.”
At the same time, a knock at the door disturbed Ren Fengjue in his guest room.
He set down his brush, crumpled the paper on his desk, and tossed it into the wastebasket.
Reaching the door, however, he stopped in surprise.
“Miss Mo?”
After a slight hesitation, the person outside answered, “It’s me.”