Whenchoosing to negotiate, Xia Ling Mei’s imposing manner was certainlyastonishing, each and every movement could pressure someone.
Wu Shi hadalready lost some of her lofty manners after experiencing that b.l.o.o.d.y spectacleof oppression outside. This dest.i.tute person, a married woman with anexaggerated opinion of her own abilities waited to enter the side hall afterthe bloodstains had been washed away then, again started to look left andright. Compared to the entrance where the servant had led her those ghostlydense trees, here the maids seemed to lead her to enter a flourishing blossomspring garden, everyone was filled with anger and caution. They were alluringand innocent, in such a dazzling pavilion they appeared lovely and moving, in amoment diluting Wu Shi’s wariness. When she was escorted into the inner room,she couldn’t help shake out her own chest, the corner of her eyes raised, againreturning to her brash expression, weighing each flower and tree in here, eachflower pot and each scenery, calculating how much these could be sold for, howmany gold mountains she can acc.u.mulate.
Xia LingMei invited Wu Shi to sit, Wu Shi very casually and straightforwardly sat downstraddling the drum-shaped stool, one of her b.u.t.tocks nearly slipped off it,rocking it twice before she could sit steadily.
Xia LingMei again spoke: “Serve tea.”
“No need, Ihave no patience for you, these people’s courtesy. I’ll tell you, I’ve comehere to split the family wealth, when I have the money I will buy myself goodfood and drink, I have no need for your crocodile tears.”
Xia LingMei raised her eyebrow, so this Wu Shi is actually a straightforward person.
“Since thisis so, then does the madam have a token to proof your ident.i.ty?”
Wu Shi’seyes glared at her, pulling w.a.n.g Yun in front: “What token, this son is thebest proof. He is the old master’s own son.”
Xia LingMei didn’t even look at w.a.n.g Yun, only asking Wu Shi: “The old master the madamspeaks of what is his surname? The birth data for astrological purposes? And what year, what month,what date did he spend a l.u.s.tful night with the madam, resulting in this such anhonest and sincere brother?” Speaking, she swept her eyes over glimpsing atw.a.n.g Yun, scaring the other person to quiver from head to toe, after shudderingevery pore stretched out, unexpectedly somewhat like the relaxation andlanguidness after experiencing what he desired, he couldn’t help look and lookagain at Xia Ling Mei, his expression slowly became impudent.
Xia LingMei sneered: “Ask the old housekeeper to come here.”
Not long after,the old housekeeper came into the house with two strong and robust youthscarrying two baskets of books.
That Wu Shialready knew the w.a.n.g family would ask about old master w.a.n.g’s past, at onceshe opened her mouth saying: “Humph, who doesn’t know my old master’s surnameis w.a.n.g. If his surname is something else why would I take my time to find you?I’m telling you, my old master was born in the early years of Tian An, birthday at the start of theseventh month on the seventh day at the beginning of the day. Fifteen yearsafter Tian An he met me, he said if Igave him a healthy son, he would take me home to be a primary wife. Who was toknow that my waiting here and there yet the day never arrived, alone raisinghis child to at last find out he had died much earlier, my suffering son…”hugging
w.a.n.g Yun crying her lungs out.
The oldperson’s complexion in the house changed on the spot. Although the old masterof the w.a.n.g family had long pa.s.sed away of illness, yet it wasn’t even right foroutsiders to again and again use him to have a crying fit. The person whoshould genuinely be crying sat at the main hall.
“May Iventure to ask this madam, you said my family’s master was born on the seventhof the seventh month?”
Wu Shiflung open a handkerchief: “Don’t tell me I don’t even remember when mydeceased man was born?”
The oldhousekeeper appeared to be choking on air: “Then I can’t help myself, thebirthday you talk about does not match with my family’s master.”
Wu Shistared at him: “You’re talking nonsense. Everyone in the w.a.n.g family knows thebirthday of my man”
The oldhousekeeper laughed: “Indeed, outsiders know the old master’s birthday, justlike how common people know when the current emperor was born. Every singleinfluential family, everybody has two birthdays. One is the date ten monthsafter their birth mother conceived them, and another is the actual date andtime they were born. After the divine ancestor of the emperor of Dayan wascursed by witchcraft hundreds of years ago, regardless if their the imperialfamily or the child of an influential family, after they are born they willhave two birth data, the date told to everyone is the day predicted, and theactual birthday is only known by the biological parents. You say your masterwas born on the seventh of the seventh month, then it doesn’t match with myfamily’s old master. Naturally your son w.a.n.g Yun’s father also cannot be ourfamily’s old master.”
Witchcraftalways required the actual birth data of the person needed to be cursed,sticking it on to a voodoo doll, everyday using needles to stab it, it wouldmake the person living but would rather be dead and mind unclear, graduallyweakening until death. Apart from that divine ancestor of the emperor whosuffered great harm back then, even the great Xia family, would alsometiculously conceal a child’s birthday, only the year and month were correct, sometimeseven the definite date is a little bit altered. Apart from the biologicalparents and the midwife who personally delivered them and wet nurse, extremelylittle people knew. Such a large influential family like the Xia family, themidwife who delivered them were born in the family, naturally there was noworry for information leak.
Xia familyacted in this way, w.a.n.g family too, therefore, Wu Shi said everyone in the w.a.n.gfamily knew the old master’s birthday, these words were reliable but alsounreliable. Perhaps w.a.n.g old master really didn’t tell her his birthday, maybe hehad picked up behind that person Wu Shi’s back that she simply did not know theold master w.a.n.g’s birthday. If it was another mother of a small family, she maynot necessarily know the secrets hidden by the influential families. The sadthing is, the Xia family was precisely good at genuinely and falsely deceivepeople, they naturally understood these things.
Wu Shilooked distracted for a moment, she suddenly sat on the ground crying loudly:“G.o.dd.a.m.n, this old woman gave birth to a son for you, you actually didn’t eventell me your birthday, your conscience has been eaten by a dog! Waste the timeI spent on raising your son, fine if you don’t marry me, you even support agroup of people to bully us orphan and widowed mother…” As she cried she kickedthe ground, moving about like a shrew, just like those times she had causedtrouble at the w.a.n.g residence main entrance. She was certain the w.a.n.g familyhad a good reputation, unable to bear her hanging around, making such anunreasonable scene.
Xia LingMei coldly snorted, while drinking tea she asked unintentionally: “Is thatperson who just had his four limbs cut off still alive?”
The oldhousekeeper hurriedly lowered his head: “Reporting to the madam, before thisold servant arrived that person had already seized to breath.”
The soundof Wu Shi’s weeping halted.
“He stoppedbreathing so quickly? I only chopped off his arms and legs, and not chop offhis head, he died too quickly.”
The oldhousekeeper said: “Indeed. His crimes actually didn’t deserve death, he onlystole things from the house to repay his gambling debts, all in all aroundseveral hundred silvers. However, his worse mistake was to lie to the master.If that person lies once it will become second nature, and committing outragesby means of falsity pa.s.sing it off as genuine, he ought to die. Cutting off hisfour limbs and excessive blood loss is regarded as nothing, he ought to havebeen dragged out into the streets and hacked to pieces.”
Wu Shi’showling became stuck in her throat, a hiccup sounding out.
Xia LingMei nodded her head, as if a single human life in the eyes of such aninfluential family simply meant nothing. She turned her head to ask Wu Shi:“What year did your family’s master meet you?”
Wu Shifoolishly replied: “Sixteenth year of TianAn.”
The oldhousekeeper immediately made someone rummage through the pile of books movedhere to find the volume marking out the sixteenth year of Tian An, licking his fingers he flipped through the book saying:“The year the old master turned fifteen he took part in the final exams atBailu academy, achieving seventh place. The first six months of that year hewas at the residence studying, he went out three times, he never left BeidingCity. On the seventh month he was betrothed to the old mistress, three monthslater he was occupied with matters of taking over the official residence, hesimply did not go far away. On the ninth month the old master paid respect tothe crown prince’s greatest tutor at that time, becoming his disciple, helpingthe teacher together to amend the , continuously until theeighteenth year of Tian An he tookthe administrative test, entering the government as an official. Before andafter these four years, the old master never once left Beiding City.”Xia LingMei brushed away the maid’s ma.s.sage: “Since grandpa didn’t go far away at leastonce, then this master w.a.n.g Yun from another part of the country is notgrandpa’s son?”
The cornerof the old housekeeper’s mouth twitched: “No. The books doc.u.ment every minutedetail of the old master from when he was born to his funeral recording everywords and actions, even if he ate more than one bowl of swallow’s nest congeeon a day it’s recorded, it can’t be wrong.”
Xia LingMei again asked: “Then this madam and master w.a.n.g Yun has slandered agovernment official of the previous dynasty, if it’s taken to the authorities…”
“In thelegal code of the Dayan, an ordinary person guilty of slandering an official ofthe government is punishable by death. More serious circ.u.mstances, exterminatethree generations, public beheading at the south gate.”
Xia LingMei asked Wu Shi: “May I venture to ask this madam, do you have any otherrelatives? Three generations at least also includes your parents and children, areyou prepared for the whole family to be decapitated, dying without an intactbody?”
Wu Shi’scomplexion paled, pointing at Xia Ling Mei: “You, you…you’re speaking nonsense.My family’s master, what sort of daughter-in-law did you find, she wants tokill your woman and son, she’s…”
Xia LingMei coldly said: “It looks as if this madam is determined to hang onto our w.a.n.gfamily. Someone come, request an officer here, take these two people to thejails. Old housekeeper, please go and organise things, we must make sure theofficers treat this incomparably honourable old madam properly, also…”
“Ma, Madam…may,maybe we got, got it wrong.” w.a.n.g Yun who hadn’t opened his mouth at alltrembling with fear got up.
“Oh----“
“Yes, yes.My master’s surname is indeed w.a.n.g, but may not definitely be, be this family…”
Xia LingMei laughed happily looking at him, for quite some time before saying: “Really.w.a.n.g family is a large and influential family, from top to bottom there mightnot be a hundred but at least seventy, eighty masters with the surname w.a.n.g,there are at least thirty of those who are pa.s.sed forty years old. Those arenot from our main branch, maybe the second branch, yes or no?”
“Yes,” w.a.n.gYun Feng shuddered, kneeling down, “Maybe it’s the second branch I cannot sayfor sure.”
Xia LingMei gazed at w.a.n.g Yun rather deep in thought: “That person in the second branchback then was quite a romantic, besides the wives and concubines within theresidence, there’s also two other mistresses. All year round drinking alcoholand appreciating flowers outside, he couldn’t avoid being presented one or twobeauties as a gift from close friends, a golden house to keep his mistress. Oh,that’s right, when he was young, that old man had gone away travelling, goingto quite a few places.”
w.a.n.g Yuncovered in cold sweat, watching Xia Ling Mei almost give off a ray of light.The mother and son had originally been picked to swindle w.a.n.g Yun Feng, atfirst they didn’t plan on getting the greatest family wealth. However thinkingthese great families were afraid of being humiliated, willing to use money tocover a scandal. It encouraged the mother and son to at least demand more thanten thousand silvers, and including the reward from the person behind thescene, allowing the mother and son to live comfortably without distress. Atthat time w.a.n.g Yun would buy a large house with that money, marry a delicatelypretty young lady, and pay to be a petty official to be a free and unfetteredofficial.
He didn’texpect to be s.e.x-crazed, his mother Wu Shi saw the better aspects of society,her appet.i.te had increased, set on the w.a.n.g family, not letting go. But w.a.n.gYun was sweet talked by Xia Ling Mei into deterring, he couldn’t even distinguishbetween east, west, south and north, only thinking this beauty’s voice waspleasant to hear, whatever she wanted him to do he would willingly go and doit, his head only knew how to nod.
Untilsomeone took them to another small courtyard outside, that was when he finallyreturned to his senses. Why didn’t he begged the beauty to remain by her sidejust now, even if it’s to serve her for a lifetime was also fine. That waist,that face, and the tone she spoke made his bones weak.
Xia LingMei scared those two people, in a moment she sent people to monitor them, usean opponent’s own methods to obtain retribution, let the second branch of thefamily also experience being hara.s.sed that even c.o.c.ks and dogs are not atpeace. These past days, she again went through the residence once, those whoought to be beaten were beaten, those ought to be rewarded were rewarded, thoseought to be sold were sold, the old housekeeper genuinely and honestly handedover the housekeeping duties into her hands. This was long ago ordered by w.a.n.gYun Feng, and was one of the methods in keeping Xia Ling Mei here.
See, ifyou’re not at the residence, someone could just come up as they pleased tocause trouble, the people inside are also in a hideous mess without anyonecontrolling them, on your return, you corrected the household.
Again a fewdays pa.s.sed, the weather gradually became cooler and refreshing, w.a.n.g Yun Fengalso returned home.