Gu Shaoyu's voice was cold, and his imposing aura was overwhelming.

Qi Zhenzi was flustered again. This time, he figured he really would become an immortal and go straight to the Western Paradise.

Meanwhile, Madam Tu and Xie Xiangxiang exchanged a glance, and together with several maids, they began to express their suppressed joy.

Zhang Qing opened the wooden box.

He took out a neat stack of papers.

Gu Shaoyu picked it up and looked through it one by one.

A stack of gold-flecked paper, line after line of delicate, elegant calligraphy, refined, meticulous, and dignified.

Xie Xiangxiang stepped forward and saw the gold-embroidered letter clearly. She frantically searched through the wooden box, even turning the box upside down and banging it loudly.

No interlayer!

He couldn't help but ask, "What's going on?"

She turned to look at Xiangxing, who came over and frantically searched, her face ashen, and said in disbelief, "Impossible..."

Gu Shaoyu, holding the paper in his hand, asked Tu Shi, "Does sister-in-law recognize it?"

When Tu looked at the neat rows of scriptures, her face turned pale.

She's really messed up!

Xie Zhaozhao fought back!

Madam Tu remembered what the old lady had said: "Don't provoke her..."

My mind was a jumbled mess, and I couldn't immediately recall which scripture these verses belonged to, but they were prayers for blessings and had absolutely nothing to do with curses or secrets.

She had no choice but to apologize: "Third brother, I'm sorry. Those villains were talking nonsense. I was deceived. I'm so sorry, third brother!"

Seeing that she was trying to brush it off, Gu Shaoyu said seriously, "Deceive? Sister-in-law, you are the head of the household. Even if someone is wrong, can't you confirm with me properly? Can't you explain it to the Third Madam properly? Instead, you called a Taoist priest to exorcise the demon?"

"Nanxing, go and summon the eldest master, the second master, and the young master. Also, wake up the old lady and gather her in the front courtyard, in the main hall, to explain this matter clearly."

He looked at everyone and said, "Everyone here today, go to the front yard. Don't go far."

Madam Tu, enraged and embarrassed, retorted: "Third son, you're an official, a Grand Secretary. You can't just flaunt your power in your own home. I'm your sister-in-law, and I've already apologized. What more do you want?"

Gu Shaoyu ignored her.

Upon arriving at the front yard, Gu Boyu, Gu Zhongyu, and Gu Chengyan were all summoned.

Gu Shaoyu recounted the events concisely and clearly.

Even a fool could tell the reason behind it.

The two matriarchs of the first wife tried to frame the third wife by accusing her of secretly creating some kind of evil spirit, but they were proven wrong on the spot.

The nature of the offense was egregious, and the methods employed were crude.

The old lady was filled with shame and blamed herself, saying, "It's all my fault for this sudden illness. Tu was desperate and tried anything... We're all family. Third brother and third wife, please be magnanimous and don't hold it against me."

Enraged, Gu Boyu slapped Madam Tu on the spot, but Gu Chengyan stopped him and pleaded, "Father, please forgive Mother. Your son is willing to take the punishment in your place."

Xie Xiangxiang stood in front of Gu Chengyan, her eyes red, and said to Xie Zhaozhao, "I don't know how you switched the things inside, but you are one step ahead of me, and I am no match for you. I admit defeat."

After saying that, she burst into tears, feeling wronged.

Upon hearing her words, Xie Zhaozhao smiled faintly: "I didn't understand what the Crown Prince's wife said. I wonder if Mother and my brothers and sisters-in-law understood? Why do I feel that the Crown Prince's wife is so certain that there should be evil energy in the wooden box?"

Xie Xiangxiang was furious and retorted, "How would I know anything about evil energy?"

Gu Shaoyu wasn't good at arguing with women, so he said directly, "Bring that Taoist priest up."

Nanxing brought Qizhenzi over.

"Speak! Who sent you? How much money did they pay you? What are you supposed to do? Speak properly, don't try to get away with this!" Gu Shaoyu's voice wasn't loud, but it was authoritative enough.

Qi Zhenzi trembled as if he were a leaf, and said, "It was the mansion that went to Chongyang Palace to invite this humble Taoist."

"Are you a Taoist priest from Chongyang Palace?"

"No, no, I'm not a formal Taoist priest, just a nominal disciple of the Taoist temple."

Gu Shaoyu told him to explain the whole story in detail. If he couldn't explain it clearly, there would be a place where he could explain it clearly.

Qi Zhenzi is being cunning, desperately trying to shed herself.

Xie Zhaozhao declined to comment, only saying, "Since the Taoist priest has some reputation and detected evil energy in the mansion, it's possible that there really is evil energy. Let's search every courtyard! His Majesty the Emperor detests witchcraft the most. If anyone is involved in this, the crime will be quite serious."

Gu Shaoyu nodded: "Search, search the entire mansion! Big brother and second brother don't have any objections, right?"

Gu Boyu and Gu Zhongyu felt that these women were just making trouble out of nothing.

Go ahead and search. If you find anything, give them a good beating and they'll all behave!

Each courtyard was assigned a capable matron to search every single one.

Everyone now feels innocent and is not afraid of being searched.

The old lady's face was grim. Searching the courtyard, ransacking the house—wasn't this a prelude to the extermination of the entire family?

Unfortunately, she offended the third brother today. One wrong step led to another, and she regretted it so much she was green with envy.

At noon, the old women who had searched the courtyard returned, carrying a box.

It looks very similar to the one that was dug out at Qingpuyuan.

The maids handed over the box, and the old lady told Ta Xue, who was beside her, to open it. At a glance, she saw a rag doll covered in needles, and under the doll was a shiny bronze mirror with a sharp pair of scissors on it.

A mirror and scissors—the most vicious curse, the most brutal gathering of malevolent energy.

The doll was quite exquisite, with the old lady's birth date and time written on the blank space on its back.

The old lady almost fainted.

"Madam, this was found in the young master's wife's room." Granny Wan had no choice but to tell the truth.

Before the old lady could scold her, Xie Xiangxiang jumped up, pointed at Xie Zhaozhao and said, "You framed me, didn't you? This witchcraft doll should have been in your yard, how did it end up in mine?"

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