"Disaster, disaster! The third madam has gone mad, the third madam has gone mad!"
As Zhong Li rose to wash up one morning, a commotion erupted outside her window.
She slipped on her embroidered shoes, opened the door, and stepped out into the courtyard. Lu Wuxie was also emerging from his own courtyard. They exchanged a glance and headed towards the woodshed together.
The servants in the manor always woke earlier than their masters. A crowd of maids had already gathered by the woodshed.
"What's happened?"
"Ah! Help, ghosts, there are ghosts! Help!"
As Lin Jin's question left her lips, before Steward Zhang could answer, the woodshed door suddenly emitted a dull thud, and a mournful wail echoed from within.
Zhong Li frowned, sidestepping the servants blocking her path, and approached the woodshed. She peered through the gap in the door.
She saw Madam Fang, who had been perfectly fine yesterday, standing opposite the door, her hair disheveled. Her bloodshot eyes stared fiercely through the wooden planks, as if she hadn't blinked in a long time. Her voice was accompanied by hoarse gasps.
"Someone, open this woodshed door," Zhong Li said, turning to the people around her.
...
As her words fell, no one moved.
Zhong Li scanned the faces before her, seeing the fear etched on them. She sighed and looked at Steward Zhang, "Bring the key to the woodshed."
Steward Zhang was about to say something when Lu Wuxie, sensing the unusual situation, spoke first, "Steward Zhang, open the door. I will tell my maternal grandmother what has happened."
Steward Zhang understood and quickly retrieved the woodshed key from his waist.
Zhong Li took the key and skillfully unlocked the woodshed door.
Moments later, the door was violently shoved open, nearly toppling her with the impact. By the time she recovered, a figure had already burst from the woodshed and lunged towards the crowd.
"Careful!" Zhong Li cried out.
Lu Wuxie glanced at Lin Jin.
Lin Jin quickly followed the figure and struck with the flat of his saber. Amidst the exclamations of shock from the servants, the person's eyes rolled back, and they collapsed onto the ground.
Zhong Li rushed forward to check. It was indeed Madam Fang, who had been glaring at her through the door just moments ago.
"There's another one." She remembered that two people were locked in the woodshed and turned to look inside. Xiang'er was cowering in the corner of the woodshed, trembling.
Zhong Li's brows furrowed. She walked into the woodshed and approached Xiang'er. As her hand reached out to gently place on the girl's shoulder, intending to offer some comfort—
Xiang'er again let out a piercing scream as if possessed, her voice choked with fear. "Ghosts! Ghosts! The third madam is mad, mad! Woo woo..."
Zhong Li looked at Xiang'er, her face streaked with tears. Although terrified, the girl's mental state seemed to be holding up. Zhong Li crouched down, pulled Xiang'er into her arms, and whispered comfortingly, "Xiang'er, don't be scared, don't be scared. The woodshed door is open now, and you will get out of here."
After a while, Xiang'er slowly regained her senses and looked at the woman before her, "Zhong... Shi Zheng?"
Zhong Li nodded, took the cloak from Steward Zhang, and draped it over Xiang'er. She then led her out of the woodshed.
An hour later, in the third madam's room.
After examining Madam Fang, Zhong Li gently placed her hand back under the covers and walked over to Lu Wuxie. "Madam Fang has been terribly frightened. Judging by her state just now, she may develop some lingering illness. Of course, we can only make a definitive judgment after she wakes up."
Lu Wuxie understood the implied meaning of Zhong Li's words – Madam Fang might suffer from a mental breakdown.
But how could Madam Fang have gone mad after just one night in the woodshed?
With this thought, his gaze fell upon Xiang'er, who was still trembling nearby. Her appearance...
Zhong Li also found the matter suspicious. She poured a cup of hot water and hurried over to Xiang'er. "Xiang'er, are you feeling better?"
Xiang'er nodded, took the hot water Zhong Li offered, and said, "Thank you, Zhong Shi Zheng."
Zhong Li smiled, casually picked up a small stool handed by Xiang Jie, and sat beside Xiang'er. She gestured for everyone else to leave and asked, "Are you still afraid?"
Xiang'er shivered a few times but remained silent.
"Xiang'er, what exactly happened last night?" Zhong Li inquired.
Xiang'er bit her lip, fear flashing in her eyes.
Zhong Li narrowed her eyes, observing Xiang'er's every move. She then whispered something into her ear.
Xiang'er froze, the cup in her hand hitting the floor. She dared not sit beside Zhong Li any longer and immediately knelt down. "Zhong Shi Zheng, Xiang'er knows she was wrong, knows she was wrong. If you wish to arrest Xiang'er and take her to the yamen, Xiang'er will have no regrets, but Xiang'er was not lying! There truly are ghosts in the woodshed."
"What makes you say that?" Zhong Li's expression darkened as she pressed further.
In her opinion, there were no ghosts in this world.
"Zhong Shi Zheng, you are an outsider and surely unaware of the happenings in the Xie manor. Rumor has it that every night, there are ghost fires in the woodshed, and those who stay there too long feel as if someone... no, no... as if ghosts are staring at them." As she spoke, Xiang'er nervously glanced around. Kai Shu Ge
Zhong Li took in her reaction and asked, "Rumors? Where do these rumors come from, and when did they start?"
Xiang'er was taken aback by the questions. After thinking for a while, she replied, "I... I don't know. As soon as I came to the manor, this saying was already prevalent."
"Is that so?" Zhong Li narrowed her eyes, looking at Xiang'er.
Xiang'er quickly lowered her head and replied, "Yes... yes, it is."
"Very well, then I shall see if this ghost is indeed in this woodshed or not." With that, Zhong Li stood up and walked outside.
Due to the incident with Madam Fang in the woodshed, the area near the rear courtyard had been completely cleared by Lin Jin and his men. Only Steward Zhang remained to handle some of the cleanup and organization.
When Zhong Li arrived, Steward Zhang was locking the woodshed door.
"Steward Zhang." She stepped forward, stopping his action.
Steward Zhang quickly removed the lock and asked, "Zhong Shi Zheng, do you wish to go inside?"
Zhong Li nodded. "Yes, I want to go inside and take a look. But before that, I'd like to ask Steward Zhang a few questions."
Steward Zhang nodded and led Zhong Li to a stone bench not far from the woodshed door.
"How long has Steward Zhang been at the Xie manor?" Zhong Li asked.
Steward Zhang thought for a moment and replied, "This old servant is the third steward of the Xie manor. When the Ruan family committed their offense twenty years ago, the Xie manor was no longer as glorious. The master changed then. Later, the master resigned from his post, and then something happened to Prince Xian's consort from the Prince Xian's Mansion. The master then replaced me."
"So, Steward Zhang has been in this residence for ten years, perhaps?" Zhong Li analyzed.
"Indeed," Steward Zhang nodded.
"Has Steward Zhang heard of the rumors about this woodshed being haunted?" Zhong Li inquired.
Upon hearing this, Steward Zhang's expression showed a fleeting hint of turmoil.
"Does Steward Zhang have something he cannot speak of?"
Steward Zhang shook his head and asked, "I have heard that Zhong Shi Zheng previously solved the Jia manor's case with the Young Master. Is that true?"
"Yes!" Zhong Li nodded. She couldn't understand what the haunted woodshed had to do with the Jia manor.
Steward Zhang looked around and whispered, "Miss Xie once stayed at the Jia manor for many years. She was once punished and confined to the woodshed for half a month for offending the Second Madam. After she was released, her temperament became particularly strange. The servants all said the woodshed was haunted, and that Miss Xie had lost one of her three souls."
"Miss Xie?" Zhong Li started, "Xie Xiao Yun?"