Chapter 73 "My father encountered a ghost in my family's ancestral hall..."
Shen Lingyue and Yan Yi spent their first New Year in Da Ye amidst the sounds of dominoes and firecrackers.
At first, she pretended to be a novice, even her card-arranging movements were clumsy and awkward.
As Pei Jingyi and Yan Yi worked together seamlessly and pressed her relentlessly, she could no longer pretend. She grabbed Pei Jinghuai and fought fiercely, her eyes red with anger. The silver ingots on the table piled up like a small mountain, constantly being passed back and forth between the two of them.
Just as she was rubbing her hands together, ready to fight until dawn, Pei Xian glanced at the time, turned to the others and said, "After this round, go back and rest. You can get two hours of sleep before you leave."
Shen Lingyue paused in her action of pinching the cards.
Pei Jingyi coughed lightly and kindly explained, "The first day of the first lunar month is New Year's Day. Relatives of the imperial family, nobles, and officials of the fourth rank or above in the capital must bring their wives and children to the palace to participate in the New Year's court ceremony and present congratulatory memorials to His Majesty."
Although Pei Jinghuai was still a commoner, he and Shen Lingyue had to enter the palace in the name of the Marquis of Changning's mansion, so there was no way to avoid it.
Shen Lingyue: !
Heavens above! Can't people even sleep in during the Lunar New Year?
She glanced at her appalling hand in front of her, decisively shoved it aside, and smiled brightly at the person opposite her, "Oh dear, let's stop playing, let's all go home and rest."
Shen Lingyue grabbed Pei Jinghuai, quickly greeted the elders with a Happy New Year, and then ran off.
You could faintly hear her muttering in the wind: "Luckily I ran fast, otherwise I would have lost miserably this time..."
Pei Jingyi pushed over the dominoes in front of him, his eyes filled with regret. "What a pity, I could have made a set of all the same suit."
...
Back at Dan Yue Xuan, Shen Lingyue quickly washed her face and crawled into bed as fast as she could. It felt like she had only taken a nap before Qing Chan ruthlessly woke her up again.
Entering the palace to offer congratulations required formal auspicious attire, no less elaborate than the phoenix coronet and embroidered robes worn on one's wedding day. Shen Lingyue, like a puppet, allowed the maids to dress and style her, and soon closed her eyes, nodding her head like a chick pecking at rice.
Amidst the chaos of war, Pei Jinghuai half-carried and half-shoved her into the carriage. Wearing an elaborate and heavy jeweled crown, it was difficult for her to even lower her head. She could only maintain a seated posture and continue to catch up on her sleep.
On a winter morning, before dawn, in a quiet, gray-blue mist, only the carriages of nobles and officials quietly set off.
The lanterns hanging in front of the carriage formed a twinkling dragon of light, gradually converging from all directions of the capital towards the central imperial city.
Finally arriving at the palace gate, the carriages lined up in order to be inspected by the guards for proper attire and whether they were carrying any dangerous items such as sharp weapons. Once everything was confirmed to be in order, they were allowed to pass and enter the palace.
Shen Lingyue jumped off the carriage, startled by the cold wind. She quickly hugged her hand warmer and shuffled to meet Meng Wanyin and Yan Yi. The three women followed the eunuch to the inner palace.
After the New Year, Consort Gao was still as beautiful as ever. She wore a ceremonial robe embroidered with gold phoenixes and an eight-treasure gold crown with long pearl tassels hanging down on both sides. The tassels swayed gently, making a continuous jingling sound.
Shen Lingyue took a few deep breaths of the imperial concubine's beauty, and suddenly felt that getting up early and being cold wasn't so bad after all.
She and Yan Yi followed Meng Wanyin to the group of noblewomen. After finding their seats, they started looking around, preparing to cut a melon for themselves.
Consort Gao sat in the center position at the top, flanked by the birth mothers of Prince Heng and Prince Yu on either side. Below them were several concubines and beauties, some accompanied by young princes and princesses, ranging in age from seven or eight to fifteen or sixteen.
Shen Lingyue quickly calculated on her fingers and realized that the eighth prince, who would later be included in the old emperor's enthronement edict, had not yet been born.
After looking at the concubines, let's look at the royal family. The first one sitting at the head of the table is actually the Heng Prince's family.
Is it because the old emperor finally agreed to release him during the New Year?
Prince Heng had been under house arrest for almost half a year. After his release, he seemed to keep a low profile, while Prince Yu and his family, who were sitting behind him, appeared to be very active, socializing with people everywhere with wine glasses in hand.
But after staring at Prince Heng for a while, Shen Lingyue realized that he only seemed honest, but his eyes kept drifting towards Consort Gao above him.
Shen Lingyue: My fist is hard.jpg
Continuing to look down, I saw Prince An and Princess An a little further back in the group of relatives.
Prince An was much more popular. Even when he was just sitting there, many people would come up to toast him and chat with him. He responded to each one with a gentle and warm attitude, which made people feel like they were bathed in a spring breeze.
Shen Lingyue turned her gaze back to the nobles and officials' wives, and immediately spotted Zheng Chunyun, who stood out as particularly young among a group of middle-aged women.
Zheng Chunyun also saw her, a smile appeared on her face, and she waved to her and Yan Yi from afar.
The news of her pregnancy has not been officially announced yet, but fortunately, the Duchess's dress is loose enough to cover it up somewhat.
Shen Lingyue noticed that Mei Fang was protecting her closely, so she figured there shouldn't be any problems.
Then a middle-aged woman dressed in glittering gold walked up to Consort Gao as if no one else was around, and then, as if they were old friends, pulled Princess Lekang, who was sitting behind Consort Xian, over and affectionately stroked her hand, praising her again and again.
"I heard His Majesty entrusted the princess's marriage to the Imperial Concubine? What a coincidence! Our Imperial Concubine has a younger brother who is about the same age as the princess. They are a perfect match..."
Consort Gao, Consort Lin, and Princess Lekang all changed their expressions.
"The feast hasn't even started yet, why is Mother talking nonsense?"
Consort Gao pulled Princess Lekang's hand away from her mother's, subtly pushed her back half a step, and shook her head at her, "Although the princess is not my biological daughter, she should still call me Mother Consort. How can she marry my younger brother? Wouldn't that mess up the generations?"
"When did the royal family start paying attention to such things?"
Consort Gao's mother waved her hand dismissively, then looked earnestly at Consort Xian, Princess Lekang's birth mother, and said, "Your Majesty, rest assured, if the princess marries into the Gao family, our whole family will treat her well and never let her suffer the slightest grievance."
The Empress's fake smile was almost impossible to maintain. She coldly glanced at the woman beside her, who was the most favored concubine in the palace and who overshadowed them all. "Is this the Imperial Concubine's intention?"
"Absolutely not." Consort Gao immediately distanced herself from the matter, frowning as she summoned a palace maid, "Take my mother to the side hall to sober up. She's getting more and more confused as she gets older."
He then raised his wine cup to Consort Xian, his smile sincere: "Sister, rest assured, I will definitely discuss Le Kang's marriage with you in detail and will not make decisions on my own."
Consort Xian's expression softened slightly. She picked up her wine cup and took a small sip, which was considered an acceptance of Consort Gao's overture.
Princess Lekang stood behind, secretly letting out a sigh of relief.
If she were really forced to marry into Consort Gao's family, she would rather become a nun in a Taoist temple.
...
"Well, Consort Gao's family situation is a bit special."
Meng Wanyin whispered to her two daughters-in-law, "Before she entered the palace, the Gao family was just a tofu shop owner in the capital. There wasn't a single scholar in their three generations, let alone an official."
Consort Gao was selected when the palace was selecting palace maids from among the common people. Of course, with her beauty, she easily stood out. Half a month after entering the palace, she "accidentally" met His Majesty in the Imperial Garden. After that, she rose through the ranks and became the favored concubine she is today.
When one person attains enlightenment, even their chickens and dogs rise to heaven. Consort Gao's father went from being a small tofu shop owner to being granted the title of marquis, and the entire Gao family became newly wealthy and powerful in the capital.
"Consort Gao is the eldest daughter in her family, with three younger brothers. I heard that each of them is more useless than the last, yet they still dare to call themselves the Imperial Uncles outside."
Meng Wanyin shook her head repeatedly, "Some self-important families are unwilling to associate with the Gao family, but as the saying goes, it's all because Consort Gao is favored."
Even His Majesty didn't say anything, so everyone could only grit their teeth and accept it.
Shen Lingyue looked around and suddenly remembered, "Why haven't we seen any of the late Empress's family members during these banquets we've attended in the palace?"
Only the Empress's maternal family were truly legitimate in-laws. How could they just stand by and watch the Gao family act so arrogantly?
Meng Wanyin's brow twitched, and she quickly shushed her.
"Never mention Empress Wei in the palace, it's a taboo... Apart from Wei Shao, the husband of Princess Tong'an, there's no one left in the Wei family."
Shen Lingyue and Yan Yi exchanged a glance, both of them surprised.
Was the Imperial Son-in-Law actually a relative of the late Empress? I'd never heard of that before.
Shen Lingyue was a little excited. It turned out that the palace was a big melon field, and the more you ate, the more you got.
This isn't the place to talk right now; she decided to wait until they returned to the Marquis's residence to gossip about it.
However, speaking of Princess Tong'an, she naturally came to the palace today as well. She sat with her husband, Wei Shao, and casually looked around, as if she was very impatient with such a crowded and noisy occasion.
She would only smile at Wei Shao when he poured her wine.
Shen Lingyue cupped her face in her hands, she was totally shipping them! The official pairing is just so sweet!
Then he received a warning look from Zhao Lan on the other side: Behave yourself.
Shen Lingyue quickly looked away and lowered her head to eat her snack.
It wasn't until the eunuch outside the palace announced that Emperor Qingxi had received congratulatory messages from his court officials in the front hall that he finally moved to the inner palace.
Shen Lingyue followed the crowd and knelt down to offer congratulations. She listened to Emperor Qingxi's auspicious words, in which he encouraged the women of each family to assist their husbands, raise their children, and manage their household affairs in the new year.
By the time the banquet officially began, the dishes served were almost hardened by the cold wind, and the plates were icy cold to the touch, making them completely unappetizing.
...That's terrible.
Shen Lingyue only symbolically picked up a few pieces of cold dish with her chopsticks and ate two pieces of jujube cake to fill her stomach.
Finally, she made it to leave the palace and go home. She quickly took off her hair, changed her clothes, and didn't even have time to remove her makeup before collapsing onto the bed and falling into a deep sleep.
When I woke up again, it was already evening. The lights were on in the room. Looking out the window, I saw a large expanse of fiery clouds stretching across the sky. Reflected by the thin layer of snow on the ground, the clouds made the window paper look red, creating a festive and lively scene.
Shen Lingyue rubbed her eyes and sat up, only to find that there was someone else next to her.
Pei Jinghuai had returned sometime earlier and was fast asleep, hugging a pillow with his long legs spread wide apart, taking up most of the bed by himself.
No wonder she felt so cramped while she was sleeping.
Shen Lingyue gently kicked his shin, but he didn't react at all.
She sat there wrapped in a blanket, quietly enjoying the tranquility of the moment, a smile unconsciously playing on her lips.
It was a busy and chaotic New Year, but I spent it with many family members by my side.
...
On the first day of the Lunar New Year, everyone had to go to the palace to offer congratulations, which caused quite a bit of trouble for each family.
The second day of the Lunar New Year is the day when married daughters return to their parents' home. Pei Jinghuai will accompany Shen Lingyue back to the Shen family to visit her parents-in-law, and Pei Xian will also accompany Meng Wanyin back to the Meng family.
Yan Yi offered to stay at the mansion, since she had just returned to the Zhou family before the New Year and the meeting had not been pleasant, so there was no need to mention the so-called customs.
Pei Jingyi and Yan Yi spent a peaceful and tranquil day reading and painting at Jiusi Academy.
From the third to the seventh day of the Lunar New Year, they took turns visiting relatives and friends for New Year's feasts. Shen Lingyue finally found an opportunity to go to the Lü family with Pei Jinghuai.
Although Minister Lü had retired, according to the laws of Daye, he retained his original official title, rank, and privileges, and would still receive a monthly stipend.
Therefore, the Lü family continued to have many guests, who respectfully addressed him as Minister Lü.
Lu Chong was somewhat surprised to receive the couple at the gate. In previous years, Pei Jinghuai would never come to their house for the New Year's feast; it was always a few of them who were close friends who would find a place outside to get together.
He was still thinking about the conflict that happened on the street last time, and as soon as he saw Shen Lingyue, he cupped his hands in apology: "Sister-in-law, you've come at the right time. Today, we have invited a chef from Fenglelou who is good at Huaiyang cuisine. You must eat more later."
Lu Chong called his wife and asked her to take Shen Lingyue to the backyard to greet the elders.
Shen Lingyue met with Lü's mother, as well as Fan Qingxi and her son sitting next to her.
Zong-ge immediately recognized Shen Lingyue as the owner of the little fox from that day. He ran up to her, grabbed her skirt, and pulled her out, saying, "Get out! This is my home. You're not welcome here!"
Fan Qingxi was startled and quickly got up to pull Zong Ge'er away, then apologized to Shen Lingyue.
Zong Ge'er was still struggling in her arms, pointing at Shen Lingyue and telling her to leave.
Seeing this, Lu's mother was slightly displeased, but seeing Fan Qingxi's helpless appearance, she ultimately did not say anything to accuse him.
When the eldest son's family returned to Beijing this time, they said that their home was too small to accommodate them all, so they moved into the house that was part of their daughter-in-law's dowry. They only came over early every day during the few days of the Lunar New Year, had dinner, and then took a car back home.
Mother Lü had long realized that her son and daughter-in-law seemed to be spoiling Zong Ge'er too much. At such a young age, he had developed a domineering personality and couldn't get along with his siblings, which often led to friction.
She spoke about this to Minister Lü in private, saying, "...Lin'er is diligent in his official duties, but we cannot neglect the upbringing of Zong'er. While the child is still young, we must quickly correct his bad habits."
At worst, let them be the "bad guys" as grandparents. Once Lü Lin's transfer order to stay in the capital is officially issued, we can leave Zong Ge'er at the old house and temper his temperament.
After Fan Qingxi finally calmed down the restless Zong Ge'er, she had the maids and servants accompany him outside to play ball. When she entered the room, she overheard Shen Lingyue talking to Mother Lü.
"My cousin told me that a novel by a certain Xiaoxiang Gongzi is very popular lately, and many bookstores have sold out. Is that true?"
There were several relatives of the Lü family in the room, and upon hearing this, they all joined the discussion, talking about the stories they had read.
Shen Lingyue cleared her throat: "I remember reading a storybook a long time ago called 'The Real and Fake Magistrate,' I wonder if you've heard of it?"
Everyone shook their heads, then curiously urged Shen Lingyue to tell them more.
During the Lunar New Year, everyone comes out to eat at banquets every day, just to hear some interesting stories.
Shen Lingyue glanced at Fan Qingxi and said in a serious tone, "The story goes like this: There was a couple who worked hard to support their son's studies for the imperial examinations. He went to the capital for the exams and it took three years. After three years, he finally passed the exams and was appointed as a county magistrate. The couple was very happy and rushed to join their son."
"As a result, in their daily interactions, they gradually discovered that their son seemed to have changed in some way..."
Shen Lingyue lowered her voice, and her eerie tone gave the impression of telling a ghost story even in broad daylight.
"For example, their son used to love spicy food, but now his taste has become very bland. Also, his son used to get itchy all over after eating egg yolks, but now he can eat a whole boiled egg and he's fine."
Shen Lingyue made up something on the spot, "Also, this son doesn't remember many things that happened when he was a child. He doesn't know anything when asked, and he has even forgotten who some of his distant relatives are."
Mother Lü listened attentively and even speculated, "Could it be that his tastes have changed after studying away from home for several years?"
"People's tastes may change, but habits, hobbies, and memories are the most important parts of a person. How can all of these be changed all at once?"
Shen Lingyue guided the conversation step by step, "In short, the couple discovered more and more clues and began to suspect that their son might have been possessed by a wandering ghost. Until one day, they encountered a disheveled beggar in the wilderness, and that person looked exactly like their son!"
A relative of the Lü family exclaimed in surprise, "Could it be that someone who looks exactly like my son is impersonating him?"
Shen Lingyue gave a thumbs up, "This sister-in-law is really smart, that's right, just as you thought."
Everyone urged her, "What happened next? Was the imposter's identity exposed?"
Shen Lingyue pretended to recall something and shook her head, "Just when the old couple was about to report to the higher authorities, their fake son discovered them. In order to cover up the truth, he went so far as to kill them to silence them..."
"This is terrifying! How could there be such a vicious person?"
The Lü family relatives were talking about it, and some even asked Shen Lingyue what kind of storybook it was and what the ending was.
Shen Lingyue blinked. "The ending is... the protagonist and her good friends arrive in time, save the old couple, expose the imposter's true colors, and have him executed in the autumn."
Mother Lü breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, "So it was a story about punishing evil and promoting good. Fortunately, it has a happy ending."
Just as Shen Lingyue was about to strike while the iron was hot and hint to Lü's mother to observe more suspicious things about "Lü Lin", a tall figure walked in and clapped his hands lightly twice.
Lu Lin looked at her with a deep, meaningful gaze. "Mrs. Shen is quite the storyteller. This is far more captivating than any storybook on the market. May I ask who the author is? Do you have any other works?"
"Lord Lü, you flatter me. As for the story, it's just for fun. Who cares who the author is?"
Shen Lingyue stood up gracefully, calmly accepting his scrutiny, and then said jokingly, "Lord Lü has been an official for ten years, so you must be careful not to be replaced by some imposter."
Lu Lin twitched the corner of his lips, shaking his head as if both helpless and amused, "Alright, I will certainly keep Madam Shen's advice in mind."
Shen Lingyue's face was practically frozen from smiling, and her fists, hidden in her sleeves, clenched involuntarily.
Damn it, no wonder even the "vengeful spirits" couldn't scare him. Does this imposter really think he's got it all figured out?
...
In the front yard, Lü Chong led Pei Jinghuai to his room. The two ordered several dishes and a pot of wine, and ate and chatted.
Pei Jinghuai didn't forget his "mission," clearing his throat, "Don't you think your older brother seems like a different person since he came back this time?"
"Really?" Lu Chong thought for a moment and nodded seriously. "He has indeed changed—he has become more composed and has more of an official air about him. Even I feel a little intimidated when he puts on a stern face and doesn't speak."
Pei Jinghuai rolled his eyes. "That's not what I meant. I just want you to think about whether it's possible that your older brother isn't your older brother anymore?"
"...If he's not my older brother, is he your older brother?" Lu Chong raised his hand to touch his forehead. "He's not hot, why are you talking nonsense?"
When Shen Lingyue came to find them, she heard Lü Chong excitedly recounting a strange incident that had occurred at his home on New Year's Eve.
"My dad encountered a ghost in our family ancestral hall!"
Lu Chong lowered his voice, a little excited, "No, no, it's not a ghost. It's probably some kind of animal that has become a spirit. It's actually kneeling and worshipping our ancestors in the ancestral hall, and it even left behind a piece of its tail. Do you think it's about to become an immortal and has come to ask for a title?"
Shen Lingyue became interested. "What tail?"
"Wait, I'll go steal it for you."
Lu Chong scurried to Lu Shangshu's study and soon returned furtively carrying a red cloth bundle.
He unfolded the red cloth on the table, and Shen Lingyue and Pei Jinghuai leaned over to look. Inside was a long, grayish-white animal tail, which at first glance looked like the whisk held by a Taoist priest.
Pei Jinghuai stroked the mane a couple of times, and said uncertainly, "Is it a horse's tail? Could it be a horse spirit?"
Lu Chong shook his head repeatedly, "No, I went to the stable to compare them. The feel of horsehair and this hair is different. This one is a bit rougher."
“If it’s not a horse, could it be a cow?” Pei Jinghuai racked his brains. “With such a long tail, it must be a big guy. Cow, horse, donkey, mule… it can’t be a tiger or lion, can it? The color doesn’t match up.”
After listening for a while, Shen Lingyue suddenly said, "What's the use of you two just guessing here? Why don't you go find a veterinarian?"
Lu Chong suddenly realized, "Sister-in-law is right. There happens to be a horse doctor from the Imperial Stud who lives behind my house. Let's go find him."
Shen Lingyue followed the two to the home of a doctor named Huang next door in a daze, almost forgetting why she had come to the Lü family in the first place.
After examining the red cloth bag carefully for a while, Dr. Huang smiled and said, "This is neither a horse's tail nor a cow's tail, but a yak's tail."
Lu Chong exclaimed, "Where did these yaks come from?"
“They don’t exist in the capital, but they do in the northern deserts,” Doctor Huang casually pointed north. “The yaks on the grasslands are enormous, weighing up to a thousand pounds…”
Lu Chong seemed to understand but not quite, and said to Pei Jinghuai, "So this is a yak spirit? But why isn't it staying on the grassland? What is it doing in my house?"
Yaks, northern desert, grasslands.
Something seemed to flash through Shen Lingyue's mind; she was so close, so very close, to grab it.
-----------------------
Author's Note: [Moon Child: The truth is out, come clean, it's a fake!]
[doge][doge] It's time for the final reveal! Everyone's welcome to guess with a prize!
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