tallest building

Xiaoyue entered the room in a panic. She had originally gone to the storeroom to get the Moon Shadow Gauze used for sealing fragrance, but she didn't get the gauze and was so frightened that her face turned pale.

"Wife, please call my soul back to its source!" Xiaoyue grabbed Wen Mingqian's hand; her hand was icy cold and sweaty, which startled Wen Mingqian.

"Xiaoyue, what's wrong with you?" Wen Mingqian put down his work, looked her over and asked, "Why are you so frightened?"

When Xiaoyue was asked, she couldn't help but cry: "Granny Hua is dead. When I went there, they were carrying her body out! They didn't even cover it with anything, they just carried it out straight like that, it almost scared people to death!"

It turned out that Xiaoyue went to ask Granny Hua for something, and when she got there she heard some commotion.

She thought it was a large demand for silk fabrics, which is why so many people came to move things.

But when they reached the door, they saw several eunuchs carrying out the already stiff Hua Mama in a rattan basket.

Granny Hua's eyes bulged out and her mouth was wide open; she was incredibly frightening.

"Granny Hua is dead?" Wen Mingqian was also surprised. "I didn't hear that she was ill."

“That’s right! She even came to ask for a few strands of silk thread yesterday!” Xiaoyue said. “I… I was annoyed that she always came to grind her teeth, and I even… I cursed her in my heart as an old hag… I hope I didn’t curse her to death?”

"How could that be? They say that scolding doesn't hurt and fortune-telling doesn't work." Wen Mingqian comforted her gently, "If you had that ability, you wouldn't be so scared."

Wen Mingqian's words made Xiaoyue feel a lot better, but she was still in shock: "I've never seen a dead person before! It was really scary."

"Calm down. Light some benzoin incense before you go to bed tonight, and you'll be able to sleep soundly," Wen Mingqian said. "I'll go over there and take a look. Granny Hua is gone, and someone should take over that place. Our work can't be delayed."

"Wife, don't go there. Someone just died there, it's not a clean place. Wait a little while... I'll go in a little while." Xiaoyue stopped Wen Mingqian.

Wen Mingqian smiled at her and said, "I'm not afraid, so please don't go over there."

Wen Mingqian walked to the back and, sure enough, saw two eunuchs, one big and one small, standing by the storeroom that Granny Hua was guarding.

“Eunuch Zhang, Eunuch Zhao, who is in charge of this place now? I need to use the Moon Shadow Gauze to cover my face over there, so I can’t delay.” Wen Mingqian stepped forward and said with a smile.

“Madam Wen, if you want something, just tell us. Although we haven’t decided who will come here yet, it won’t matter. We can’t delay your business.” The two eunuchs were very amiable towards Wen Mingqian.

The younger one immediately went inside and brought out a bolt of moon-shadow gauze: "How much does my lady need?"

"Half a horse is enough," Wen Mingqian said. "This amount will last for half a month."

"Why use half a bolt? I'll just send you the whole bolt," the older eunuch said. "In any case, the accounts are clear, there won't be any mistakes. It will save you the trouble of making another trip."

“Since Father-in-law says it’s fine, then it’s fine. It’s just that we’re troubling Eunuch Zhao,” Wen Mingqian said.

"You're too kind, madam. It was just a small favor." The eunuch surnamed Zhao said as he hoisted the bolt of cloth onto his shoulder. "This place is a bit unlucky, madam. Don't stand here for too long."

Walking along the road, Wen Mingqian naturally wanted to talk to Eunuch Zhao. Since there was nothing else to talk about, he casually asked about Granny Hua: "Why did Granny Hua suddenly disappear? Xiaoyue told me when she got back, and it gave me quite a fright." "Who can argue with that? That old woman was always so energetic." Eunuch Zhao also said, "It was someone from Consort Jing's palace who came here to ask for something and found her. They were quite frightened too."

“I hadn’t heard anything about her illness before, her passing was so sudden,” Wen Mingqian said. “Life and death are truly unpredictable!”

"Alas, it was probably a sudden illness! After all, she's an elderly person." Eunuch Zhao sighed as well. "Actually, in the end, her fate isn't so bad. As she gets older, with all sorts of ailments, what good could it have been if she were just thrown into the laundry department to die?"
"People like us, without relatives or descendants, are always so pathetic, unlike you, my wife, who have such an accomplished son and are favored by the Empress. You truly have the blessings of a past life."

As he spoke, Eunuch Zhao couldn't help but become sentimental.

“Father-in-law, don’t worry. The job you’ve been given in the palace is one that’s useful. You’ll also have two conscientious apprentices to take care of you in your old age,” Wen Mingqian said. “As long as the relationship is good, it doesn’t matter whether they’re your biological children or not.”

“What you say makes sense, madam,” Eunuch Zhao nodded. “I do have two little apprentices now. Although they’re a bit slow, they’re both honest people. I feel sorry for them from the bottom of my heart. They’re just eleven or twelve years old. They lost their parents and were sold into the palace by their clansmen. What a miserable life!”

Wen Mingqian returned to his residence while talking to him. Xiaoyue heard the noise and quickly lifted the curtain, and then Eunuch Zhao carried the gauze inside.

Wen Mingqian invited him to stay for tea, but Eunuch Zhao said he was busy with other matters and wouldn't linger.

Wen Mingqian gave Xiaoyue a wink, and Xiaoyue took some money and gave it to Eunuch Zhao, saying, "I'm sorry to trouble you, please take this and have some tea."

After a couple of polite refusals, Eunuch Zhao accepted the gift, and Xiaoyue saw him out the door.

He came back and said, "This Zhao Changming is an honest man. He never does anything to make things difficult for people. It would be great if he took charge of Granny Hua's affairs in the future. It would be convenient for us to ask for anything without worrying about being harassed."

"I'll discuss it with Chief Steward Yu later and see if it's possible." Wen Mingqian also felt that Eunuch Zhao was a good person and had a fairly honest heart.

“If you go and say it, it will definitely work,” Xiaoyue said. “You’ve never asked anyone for favors, but Steward Yu owes you quite a bit.”

Wen Mingqian smiled and said nothing more.

In the afternoon, Xiaoyue went out to get something, and Xiaoshunzi sneaked in like a thief.

"Madam Wen, I've come to tell you that you don't need to be afraid anymore. The messenger can no longer speak." He said this with a fawning smile.

Wen Mingqian frowned slightly, pretending not to understand what he meant: "What are you talking about, Father-in-law? I don't understand."

"My lady, you can rest assured from now on. No one will go to Consort Hui to complain about you anymore," Xiao Shunzi explained. "That noble lady said that she cherishes you dearly and will do everything she can to protect you."

"You mean Granny Hua?" Wen Mingqian immediately thought of Granny Hua's death.

"My wife is truly intelligent," Xiao Shunzi praised quickly, "She can even guess this."

Wen Mingqian feigned surprise and fear, saying, "This...this is a matter of life and death, how can you do this?!"

"Don't worry, my lady, no one will notice. She's just an old woman; who would stand up for her? We'll carry her out of the palace and bury her before dark, without anyone knowing." (End of Chapter)