"You're too much of a fair-weather friend," Shen Yu grumbled, but still obediently rode his horse, following the carriage on its side as they headed towards Ghost City.
After leaving the capital and traveling southwest for half a day, the population became increasingly sparse. They stopped in front of a grand old mansion.
The mansion occupied at least five mu, with a square courtyard built of blue and white stone bricks, giving it a formal and solemn appearance. Two solitary 'qisifeng' lanterns hung above the main gate. Many yellow talismans were pasted on the beams, and some were also on the walls.
Seeing them arrive, a servant blocked their path and asked, "Who are you?"
Lin Yanxi glanced at them, finding the two odd, yet unable to pinpoint what was strange.
"I am your young lady, the daughter of Miss Jiang Wan, come to find someone."
The two gatekeepers exchanged a look. One of them stiffly stepped forward and said, "Please, come in."
Led by the gatekeepers, Lin Yanxi, Shen Muzhou, Shen Yu, and Xiao Liu, a group of four, followed them into the courtyard.
The Jiang family mansion exuded an air of luxury everywhere. Upon entering, a pool was dug in the center, with a rockery erected above it. Several golden koi, about three feet long, swam in the water.
Such koi were rare even in the capital. Further inside, the mansion was divided into four large courtyards, accompanied by more than ten smaller ones. The grounds offered a scenic view every ten steps, meticulously crafted.
Yet, the courtyard inexplicably gave a sense of oppression.
Shen Yu shivered and moved two steps closer, whispering to Lin Yanxi, "Little beauty, your house is so big, yet there are no servants."
"And don't you think the one leading us at the front walks stiffly, like a marionette? It's creepy."
His words pierced the veil of mystery, and Lin Yanxi's heart skipped a beat, goosebumps rising all over her. For Shen Yu was absolutely right.
The gatekeeper leading them walked with a jerky gait, holding a lantern, his posture unchanged, his face devoid of any expression.
Yellow talismans were plastered all over the courtyard, and a circle of small bells tied with red rope hung around the outer wall.
"This is my first time back at the Jiang residence, but my mother told me the Jiang clan was prosperous, with servants everywhere," Lin Yanxi replied uneasily. She herself hadn't returned to the Jiang residence since her mother's marriage.
Shen Muzhou, following behind her, observed the mansion and indeed felt something was amiss. He moved closer and asked, "Is there any curse attached here?"
It was the same uncanny feeling as when they were in Quan Jing Village.
Lin Yanxi paused and then shook her head, "No curse."
Shen Yu curiously squeezed between them, ignoring Shen Muzhou's increasingly dark expression, and asked, "What is a curse?"
Lin Yanxi didn't trust Shen Yu, so she didn't explain. Shen Muzhou, understanding her thoughts, didn't elaborate. Seeing their silence, Shen Yu wisely stopped asking.
The gatekeeper leading them suddenly stopped. The end of the dim, narrow corridor led to a spacious and bright hall. A forced, unnaturally stiff smile appeared on his expressionless face, looking particularly eerie under the candlelight.
He gestured for them to enter and then retreated from the courtyard on his own.
Shen Yu called from behind, "Hey, where are you going? Where's your master?"
The gatekeeper didn't reply, walking outwards with a stiff body, as if he hadn't heard.
Shen Yu clicked his tongue, "Why are all the servants in your mansion so strange?"
Lin Yanxi also felt a flutter of panic, but she genuinely didn't sense any curse here; at least, none of this was related to curses.
As she too felt a prickle of unease, unsure whether to enter the hall, a cold, chilling hand clasped hers. Shen Muzhou held her hand and whispered, "Don't be afraid."
Shen Yu pouted, "Xiao Jiu, you're really prioritizing her over friends. She's not afraid, I'm the one who's scared!"
Shen Muzhou shot him a dark look. "Then wait here. Yanxi and I will go in."
He pulled Lin Yanxi and strode inside. Shen Yu stood in his spot, without even a lantern, feeling even more unnerved. He even had the illusion that someone was staring at them from behind.
He also felt someone whispering in his ear.
"They've arrived."
"Hahaha, now they can't leave."
He could genuinely hear people talking, and the chilling laughter of women. He suddenly turned his head to look behind him!
However, all that awaited him was darkness. He shivered from fear. Had he imagined it?
Shen Yu patted his chest, calming his racing heart, and quickly followed Lin Yanxi and the others.
The hall was brightly lit, a stark contrast to the eerie gloom outside. At the same time, their anxious hearts relaxed slightly.
As they entered the hall, accompanied by a "creak-clatter" sound, a young man pushed an elderly man into the hall.
Lin Yanxi recognized the young man pushing the wheelchair. He was her cousin, Jiang Cong, who had represented the Jiang family at her mother's funeral a few days prior.
"Cousin, these are His Highness the Fifth Prince and His Highness the Ninth Prince. We wish to inquire about Mother's affairs."
Jiang Cong quickly bowed to the two princes and said, "I didn't expect Aunt to leave so suddenly. Those days when I went to the Grand Tutor's mansion, the memorial hall was too crowded, and it wasn't convenient to speak with you and Ruoyan properly."
"Have Aunt's funeral arrangements been completed?"
Mentioning her mother, her eyes filled with deep sorrow. "Yes, they have been completed."
Jiang Cong's expression also showed sadness, then he forced a smile and said, "Don't just stand around. Yanxi, two princes, let's talk while having dinner."
He gestured for them to move further in. Upon hearing food, Shen Yu's earlier fear vanished.
The group sat around a round table. Two maids served the dishes. In the center of the round table were several apples arranged on a plate.
Then there were some pastries and roasted chicken.
After setting down the food, the two maids smiled. However, their smiles, like that of the gatekeeper earlier, were very unnatural, as if forced into molds.
Jiang Cong looked somewhat embarrassed. "I didn't expect Cousin to bring the two princes today. My father and I usually live simply and didn't have time to prepare fine wine and delicacies. My apologies to the two princes for any inconvenience."
Shen Muzhou said coldly, "It's fine."
Although the dishes were simple, they tasted good, and the fine wine accompanied them. After a couple of drinks, Shen Yu felt much more comfortable and directly asked, "Brother Jiang, your mansion is quite grand, why are there so few servants?"
Jiang Cong looked terrified. "Fifth Prince, please call me Jiang Cong. I cannot accept the title of Brother Jiang."
He cleared his throat and continued, "The Jiang clan was originally a very prosperous and powerful aristocratic family, with a large residence in the capital. For generations, we relied on talisman arts to punish evil and uphold justice. However, decades ago, after my uncle Jiang Hao and my maternal grandfather Jiang Qi died, no more talisman masters emerged from the Jiang clan."
"I am incompetent. I tried to pursue a career in officialdom but failed to pass the exams for several years. The clan declined, and we lived off our savings. My elder cousins all clamored for division of the family. Fortunately, our ancestors' foundation was deep, and we still had this residence. I distributed the ancestral wealth, keeping only a small portion, which is enough for a living. In this vast courtyard, only my father and I live here, so why would we need so many servants?"
Hearing this, Lin Yanxi also felt a pang of sadness. "Cousin, I'm sorry. I didn't realize the Jiang family's situation had deteriorated so much. Don't worry, if the Jiang clan has any difficulties in the future, feel free to ask the Grand Tutor's mansion. I will do my best."
Jiang Cong smiled heartily. "Deteriorated? Both good times and bad are merely life's circumstances. The Jiang family is no different. In its prime, it was renowned throughout Yueyou; in decline, it's in a county town, unnoticed. It's all fate. Besides, my life, I believe, is more prosperous than that of ordinary people, which is also the blessing accumulated by my ancestors."
"But thank you for your kind offer, Cousin. Don't just stand there. Cousin must have been tired on the journey, eat more."
As he spoke, he placed a piece of chicken in Lin Yanxi's bowl.
Jiang Cong's father had not spoken. His eyes and mouth were slightly askew, presumably due to a stroke. He laboriously knocked his empty bowl to the ground, his brows furrowed, emitting a "wu wu" sound.
Seeing this, Jiang Cong smiled helplessly and instructed a servant to get a new bowl.
"My father dislikes my talk of accepting fate. When he wasn't suffering from a stroke, if he heard me say this, he would definitely call me too unmotivated."
Lin Yanxi comforted him, "I think that with the current situation of the Jiang family, only with your composed state of mind, indifferent to honor or disgrace, can you bear it."
Jiang Cong smiled, "As long as you don't blame me for failing to continue the prosperity of the Jiang family, that's enough. By the way, why have you come this time?"
Lin Yanxi's chopstick tip picked up the piece of chicken and brought it towards her mouth. But as soon as it neared, she smelled a foul odor. She assumed it was the cook's poor culinary skills.
She smiled awkwardly, embarrassed to put it down under Jiang Cong's gaze. She forced it into her mouth, tasting like sawdust, even feeling like vomiting. She drank some wine to suppress the nausea.
"My mother's dowry maid, Gu Yu, has disappeared. I've searched everywhere I can think of and had no choice but to come and ask."
Jiang Cong's chopsticks paused. "Gu Yu?"
Lin Yanxi sighed. "Alas, Gu Yu served in the mansion for many years. My mother and I always regarded her as family. But since my mother was... harmed at the villa, Gu Yu disappeared. It's just that there were many people in the mansion, and I only noticed this a few days ago. I searched for a long time but found no trace. I'm worried she might have been harmed too."
Jiang Cong looked surprised. "Cousin, are you mistaken? There has never been a servant named Gu Yu registered in this mansion."
Lin Yanxi froze for a long moment, then asked in disbelief, "How is that possible? She's a family-born servant. Perhaps Cousin doesn't know of her? Mother didn't return to the Jiang clan after her marriage."
Jiang Cong smiled. "That's even less likely. Aunt was very close to me before she married. I was ten years old when she got married, old enough to remember things."
"Aunt did have two personal maids, it's true, but there was never one named Gu Yu. Moreover, before she married, she had already returned the deeds of sale for both maids, allowing them to find their own futures."
"Don't let Aunt's bold and flamboyant demeanor fool you; she was actually the kindest-hearted person. How could she let maids who grew up with her, like sisters, accompany her to marry into the Grand Tutor's mansion and waste their lives?"
Lin Yanxi was so shocked she couldn't speak. How could this be?
"But Gu Yu was indeed Mother's dowry maid. She served in the mansion for many years. Since I was a child, she was already an elder serving by Mother's side. And she always told me stories about Mother's past in the Jiang mansion."
Not only about Gu Yu, but Mother had also mentioned their childhood stories many times, saying they got into trouble together, stole yellow talismans, fought with other young ladies and maids, and always regretted not finding a good home for Gu Yu.
Seeing Lin Yanxi's disbelief, Jiang Cong said, "If you don't believe me, you can ask my father. Father, was there a personal maid named Gu Yu by Aunt's side?"