Bai Sheng stripped off Madam Zhou’s clothes, making her and the fifth son of the Zhou family embrace intimately.
Minister Zhou had not slept in Madam Zhou’s room for many years. Madam Zhou, lonely in both spirit and body, found the young and virile Fifth Son, who had been subtly provoking her, irresistible. Madam Zhou eventually succumbed.
As it was not the first time for these two, Bai Sheng and Lu Ye helped them be together openly.
Bai Sheng fed them both a pill of aphrodisiac.
After finishing with Madam Zhou, they moved on to Zhou Qingyun.
Using the same method, they placed Zhou Qingyun onto the bed of Minister Zhou’s ninth concubine. These two had also been secretly seeing each other for a long time, and it was time to make it public.
However, to expose the scandal, an audience was necessary. The two stealthily knocked on the windows of the other concubines and threw stones tied with paper strips.
The strips read, "An incense stick’s time from now, go to the main wife’s and the ninth concubine’s rooms to catch them in the act."
Upon reading the strips, the concubines thought it was the servants of the manor, secretly informing them.
They were more than willing to embarrass the main wife!
As for the ninth concubine, they had been unhappy with her for a long time. That slut, relying on her outstanding beauty, always acted like a seductive vixen!
After causing trouble, Bai Sheng and Lu Ye exchanged a wicked glance and then flashed into the space.
Lu Ye looked at Bai Sheng with burning eyes, like a hungry wolf, scooped her up, and threw her into the stone pool.
He wanted to prove with actions that he was the most formidable.
Of course, Bai Sheng also proved with actions that her man was the most formidable.
Deep in the night, the entire Zhou Manor was thoroughly awakened by a series of women’s screams and exclamations.
The Zhou family was indeed thrown into chaos. Old Madam Zhou, who had been bedridden from anger a few days prior, was further agitated and passed away shortly after.
During the New Year, Minister Zhou’s family held a funeral, casting a somber shadow over the entire manor.
Minister Zhou was supposed to temporarily leave court due to his mother’s passing. However, due to his crucial position as Minister of Revenue, the Emperor allowed him to participate in some court affairs.
Madam Zhou lost all face and could no longer hold her head high in the manor. She confined herself to her room, neglecting household matters.
Minister Zhou, in his anger, elevated one concubine and his second concubine to the status of co-wife. With three women vying for attention, the Zhou family became even more unsettled.
Minister Zhou ordered the ninth concubine, who had an affair with Zhou Qingyun, to be beaten to death and her body discarded in a mass grave.
His own son, Zhou Qingyun, was severely beaten until his backside was raw.
No one bothered with Zhou Yanran’s face anymore.
Many superstitious people said that the successive misfortunes of Minister Zhou’s family were definitely due to offending some divine beings. To change their luck, it would be best to burn incense and worship Buddha at a temple.
As a scholar, Minister Zhou had always disbelieved in supernatural theories. However, with one misfortune after another befalling his household, he had to consider if he had truly angered some deity.
He vaguely recalled the Empress mentioning a Master Liu Shang behind her, who was very skilled in divination and prognostication.
Minister Zhou decided that after the three months of mourning for his mother, he would seek out Master Liu Shang at the Empress’s palace to have his fortune told.
In a blink of an eye, it was time for Granny Wu and Consort Mei to use the blood蛊 (gu) worm test for kinship.
This matter was naturally not kept from Prince Yu.
However, as Prince Yu looked at Granny Wu’s wrinkled and mottled face, he could not believe that she could have given birth to a daughter as beautiful as his concubine mother, nor could he imagine that she could have produced a grandson as handsome and extraordinary as himself.
Bai Sheng naturally defended her master without hesitation, saying, “My master has been wandering for over a decade, enduring wind, rain, sun, and the hardships of life. It is already quite remarkable that her facial features remain intact. If Prince Yu had experienced what my master has, he would probably be even uglier than my master!”
Lu Ye immediately chimed in with a proud smile, “I think my dear girl is absolutely right.”
“I think my dear girl is absolutely right,” Prince Yu mimicked Lu Ye, pouting and shaking his head, rolling his eyes at him.
A short while later, Granny Wu, Consort Mei, and the third uncle entered the study.
After everyone was seated.
As per her master’s instructions, Bai Sheng took out three white porcelain saucers and a small dagger, placing them on the desk.
Granny Wu pushed the dagger towards Consort Mei and said gently, “Let’s begin.”
Consort Mei nodded, picked up the dagger, pricked her finger, and dripped blood into the first saucer.
Next, Prince Yu pricked his finger and dripped blood into the second saucer.
Lu Ye also picked up a dart he carried, cut his finger, and dripped some fresh blood into the third saucer.
Granny Wu took out a small porcelain bottle and poured out thirty small, blood-red gu worms.
She placed ten gu worms in Consort Mei’s blood, ten in Prince Yu’s blood, and the remaining ten in Lu Ye’s blood.
The next step was to wait quietly.
Granny Wu looked at Consort Mei and Prince Yu with great affection, her eyes betraying her excitement. She knew that Sheng’er had concluded through intuition and deduction that her junior sister had betrayed her, but she was willing to believe Sheng’er.
On one hand, Sheng’er was the chosen one mentioned in the prophecy, possessing extraordinary luck.
On the other hand, Sheng’er was right; sitting alone and guessing was not as good as trying. How could she know if Mei Qing was her daughter without trying?
After all, they looked so much alike.
Granny Wu’s heart trembled. She repeatedly told herself that even if Mei Qing was not her biological daughter, she would have no regrets.
Consort Mei also tightly clenched her fingers, scrutinizing Granny Wu’s face inch by inch, as if searching for conclusive evidence on her aged face that she was her mother.
Bai Sheng took a deep breath and exchanged a look with Lu Ye.
She was also very nervous. All of this was based on her intuition and the clichéd romance plots. Whether the truth was as she predicted depended on the blood gu worm test.
She did not want her master to see hope only to be disappointed again.
Lu Ye took her hand and gently stroked her palm with his long, cool fingers, which brought Bai Sheng considerable peace.
Everyone stared at the gu worms in the three saucers, as if awaiting an eternal mystery, devoutly and intently.
Approximately an incense stick’s time later, Granny Wu took out a slender bamboo skewer.
She prepared to use the skewer to prod the gu worms and check their survival status.
Granny Wu first extended the skewer towards the saucer containing Consort Mei’s blood, but she suddenly stopped and abruptly moved the skewer to the saucer containing Lu Ye’s blood.
Everyone’s hearts were in their throats as they watched the skewer.
All ten gu worms in Lu Ye’s blood died. Lu Ye had no blood relation to Granny Wu, and his blood was only for reference.
The skewer then moved towards the saucer containing Prince Yu’s blood. Prince Yu was Consort Mei’s son. If Mei Qing was Granny Wu’s daughter, then Prince Yu’s blood would also allow some of the gu worms to survive.
As expected, six gu worms died in Prince Yu’s blood, leaving four alive.
“Prince Yu has a blood relation to me!” Granny Wu’s voice was hoarse with excitement. Tears immediately streamed down the corners of her wrinkled eyes.