Chapter 61: There is a Ghost

Throughout the sprawling Hua residence, dozens of parrots of various breeds mimicked Wang Hong’s agonizing shrieks, emitting cries of identical, bone-chilling terror.

Madame Hua the Eldest led the physician toward the inner chambers, while Hua Yingliu remained outside to comfort the matrons and ladies, whose faces had been drained of color from fright.

"There is no need for everyone to panic," Hua Yingliu said soothingly. "Whatever has just happened will become clear as soon as my husband arrives. Please do not let this dampen your spirits for the banquet!"

Madame Hu clutched her handkerchief tightly, her heart pounding furiously against her ribs. Having witnessed such a bloody spectacle for the very first time in her life, she figured she was bound to have nightmares tonight.

Speaking with utmost caution, she ventured, "That man is a close favorite of the Emperor himself! With such a grave incident occurring, if the Emperor chooses to lay the blame, who could possibly bear the responsibility?"

Someone immediately retorted, "Rest assured, Madame Hu, no matter how the responsibility is assigned, it will never fall upon your shoulders. When the sky falls, the tall ones hold it up; with the Prefect's wife present, what on earth are you so high-strung about?"

"Precisely. Prefect Tian possesses eyes like torches; once he arrives, the culprit will naturally have nowhere to hide. Could it be that Madame Hu has no faith in our Lord Prefect?"

"Madame Hu is simply young after all, unaccustomed to the tempests of life, losing her wits over such a trifling matter..."

...

Relying on a relative who served as an official in the capital, this Madame Hu habitually loved to show off, maintaining a lofty and aloof demeanor while looking down on everyone else.

Today, the birthday gift she had brought was utterly eclipsed and snubbed by the arrival of the Ink-Feather Vajra parrot. Now, not only were these hypocritical women secretly gloating over her discomfort, but she had also come out the loser in a war of words.

Su Yunqing merely sat quietly beside Hua Yingliu, uttering not a single word. Hua Yingliu had assumed that since Madame Hu’s remarks had been so abrasive, Su Yunqing surely harbored resentment and would seize the opportunity to beat a dog that had fallen into the water, joining the others in mocking Madame Hu.

Yet, to her surprise, Su Yunqing said nothing at all. Hua Yingliu silently concluded that this was a friend well worth keeping.

Turning to Madame Hu, Hua Yingliu said, "If Madame Hu is afraid of being implicated, you are free to leave now. When my husband arrives later, the rest of us will simply pretend you were never here, and naturally, no one will question you."

Having been rebuffed from all sides and left looking foolish, Madame Hu forced an awkward smile and stammered, "I—I certainly didn't mean it that way. I was merely somewhat anxious. After all, with such a monumental incident occurring within the Hua estate, I was simply concerned, to some extent, for Madame Hua the Eldest!"

***

Inside the Guest Chamber

The physician had arrived. On the bed, Wang Hong writhed in unceasing agony, his body curled into a tight ball as blood pooled everywhere.

The physician attempted to examine his wounds, gently advising him to remain still, but how could Wang Hong possibly process such words?

The physician had no other choice. Raising a hand, he delivered a sharp chop to the side of Wang Hong's neck. Wang Hong instantly lapsed into unconsciousness, his body gradually relaxing, his hands sliding away from his face as he collapsed limply across the mattress.

A maidservant stepped forward holding a basin of steaming hot water and cotton cloths. The physician dampened a cloth and wiped away the gore masking Wang Hong's face, only to reveal that both of his eyes had completely caved inward, leaving behind nothing more than unsupported flaps of skin.

Reaching out, the physician parted the eyelids. The interiors were a horrific, mangled mess of blood and flesh. Glancing at the sight, Madame Hua the Eldest turned away, clutching her chest as dry heaves wracked her body. A maidservant hurriedly stepped up with a basin to catch the discharge, gently patting her back to help her regain her breath.

"Madame," the physician reported grimly, "both of his eyeballs are entirely gone, as though punctured by some blunt instrument. There are also irregular lacerations along the eyelids."

Earlier, everyone had been completely captivated by the Ink-Feather Vajra in the main hall. Even the two young eunuchs attending Wang Hong had only rushed out after hearing his piercing screams.

Lifting a cup of water to rinse her mouth, Madame Hua the Eldest turned to the two young eunuchs and demanded, "Did either of you witness what object inflicted these injuries upon Chief Steward Wang?"

Both eunuchs shook their heads in unison. "By the time we dashed outside, Eunuch Wang was already clutching his bloody face!"

With a stern countenance, Madame Hua the Eldest pressed, "You are the ones tasked with serving Chief Steward Wang, and you ought to have remained within a step of him at all times. Now that such a disaster has occurred, have you considered how you will account for this?"

The two eunuchs exchanged uneasy glances.

One of them dared to lift his eyes, casting a furtive look at Madame Hua the Eldest before mustering the courage to speak. "We were merely curious, lingering for just a moment to look at the parrot. Who could have foreseen that such a calamity would befall us right here in your esteemed residence, Madame?"

Glancing at him sideways, Madame Hua the Eldest murmured, "Are you implying that I deliberately framed Chief Steward Wang?"

"We wouldn't dare! This humble servant would never dare!" The eunuch immediately dropped to his knees, kowtowing like pounding garlic, too terrified to utter another word.

Although palace eunuchs answered directly to the Emperor, who in the world didn't know that the Emperor himself remained under the thumb of Imperial Uncle Zhang?

To offend Madame Hua the Eldest was tantamount to offending Imperial Uncle Zhang. Whether their puny lives were spared or snuffed out depended entirely on a single word from Imperial Uncle Zhang.

Using his instruments, the physician cleared away the debris from Wang Hong's eye sockets. Once the area was cleaned, he sprinkled a quantity of anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving powder directly into the hollow cavities.

Pressing a handkerchief to her mouth, Madame Hua the Eldest asked, "Physician, how is he?"

Washing the blood from his hands in the basin and drying them with a cloth, the physician replied, "His life has been saved, but his eyeballs are gone. It is impossible for them to ever regenerate in this lifetime."

Eyes wide with shock, Madame Hua the Eldest stared at him. "You mean to say he will be reduced to a blind man for the rest of his days?"

Nodding, the physician confirmed, "Indeed. Even if Hua Tuo were to return to the mortal realm, or Bian Que be reborn, it would be utterly impossible for him to ever see the light of day again."

Madame Hua the Eldest furrowed her brow. "How could this happen? What on earth transpired? At the time, everyone—including the maids and manservants—had entered the courtyard to watch the commotion. Although the gatemen remained outside, they were strictly at their posts, and the laborers within the courtyard only learned of his injury when they heard his screams. As for the precise cause of the assault, we must wait until he regains consciousness to hear it from his own lips!"

Prefect Tian strode in with a heavy, rolling gait, accompanied by Magistrate Xu of Pan County.

The two men cupped their hands in salute toward Madame Hua the Eldest, who proceeded to relay every detail of the bizarre incident from beginning to end.

Exchanging a glance, the two officials strode over to the crime scene, ordering subordinates to scour the area for the blunt weapon used in the attack.

They also conducted a thorough inspection of the immediate surroundings.

Yet, despite turning the entire Hua estate upside down, no weapon was recovered, and absolutely no traces indicated the presence of outsiders trespassing upon the grounds.

Upon questioning the gatekeepers and the maids and matrons of various quarters, no one had witnessed any individual scaling the walls or entering the premises through any other irregular means.

Magistrate Xu knit his brows into three deep creases. "This is exceedingly bizarre. Could it be that we're dealing with ghosts?"

Prefect Tian shot him a look of profound contempt. "Does Magistrate Xu invariably attribute every baffling, unsolved mystery to demons and phantoms?"

Magistrate Xu hastily cupped his fists. "I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare. This humble subordinate merely finds the circumstances profoundly unnatural and utterly unfathomable."

Pressing her lips together, Madame Hua the Eldest suggested, "Perhaps the two of you should wait in the hall for a moment. This matter can only be clarified once Chief Steward Wang awakens, at which point you may question him regarding the exact sequence of events."

No sooner had Prefect Tian and Magistrate Xu seated themselves in the main hall and consumed less than half a cup of tea than bone-chilling, phantom-like shrieks echoed from the inner chambers.

"Ah! My eyes... My eyes! Ghosts... There are ghosts..."

Hearing the commotion, everyone leapt to their feet and rushed toward the bedchamber.