The next day dawned bright and clear, with a gentle breeze and the streets bustling with activity.
A luxurious yet understated nanmu carriage came to a steady halt. Meng Yihuan, dressed in a pale blue ru-skirt, stepped elegantly from the carriage.
Moon Shadow Pavilion did not discriminate by wealth or status; all who entered were guests. Consequently, the clientele was a diverse crowd. However, it was precisely this lack of pretension that caused the noble and wealthy families of the capital to look down upon the establishment, believing that mingling with commoners and riffraff beneath the same roof was beneath their dignity.
Because of this, Meng Yihuan did not encounter a single acquaintance on her way into the restaurant. After entering with her two maids, Qiu Xin and Lan You, she provided her name and proceeded directly up the stairs to a private room on the top floor.
"My Lady, which service do you require?" Once the door to the private room had closed, a lean young attendant approached, offering a thin, vermilion-colored booklet.
"The seventh option," Meng Yihuan said, her slender finger pointing without hesitation toward her own neck.
A flicker of surprise crossed the attendant’s eyes, but he quickly composed himself. "Please wait a moment, My Lady."
"Very well." Meng Yihuan nodded.
She knew this was the secret code of Moon Shadow Pavilion. Because the high-ranking noble families shunned the place, the usual dignitaries rarely patronized it, and the common people lacked the wealth to secure such a top-tier private room. Thus, the room served as a venue for their clandestine transactions. As for their clientele, they had their own ways of drawing them in. The seventh service she had chosen was the most expensive one they offered: a "Death Sentence." It was no wonder the attendant had looked at her twice.
A moment later, a man dressed in white walked into the room. He had delicate features and an ethereal air. His eyes curved into a smile, yet Meng Yihuan felt no warmth in it; it was as if she could see the frost hidden behind that expression.
"Might you first explain the rules of Moon Shadow Pavilion? Whose business do you refuse?" Meng Yihuan asked, getting straight to the point.
The man raised an eyebrow and tapped his fingers lightly against the table. "We do not touch the Imperial family, we do not touch high-ranking officials, and we do not touch the honest and kind."
"You don't touch the honest and kind?" Meng Yihuan repeated, surprised. She had not expected Moon Shadow Pavilion to have such principles.
The man in white gazed at her deeply. "Exactly. Who is it that you wish to claim, My Lady?"
"Rest assured, the life I seek does not fall into those three categories. The person I want is someone already dead."
"Oh? Are you toying with me, My Lady?" The man’s eyes narrowed slightly.
Meng Yihuan continued, "Si Yunhui of Earl Chengen's Mansion has faked his death to escape. I want you to dump his corpse at the entrance of the Court of Judicial Review."
"Si Yunhui of Earl Chengen's Mansion..." The man in white whispered the name, a hint of interest sparking in his eyes. "Very well! Ten thousand taels of silver. Also, per our pavilion's rules, you must leave your identity."
"Meng Yihuan, legal wife of Si Yunhui of Earl Chengen's Mansion."
"Deal." The man in white smiled. It had been a long time since he had received such an interesting order. Ever since his master disappeared, running Moon Shadow Pavilion had been dreadfully dull; he would treat this as a bit of fun for himself.
***
Back at the Earl's Mansion, Qiu Xin and Lan You had yet to digest their shock. As they helped Meng Yihuan into her room, their eyes were dazed.
Their mistress had actually hired an assassin to hunt down the Earl? And the Earl... he had faked his own death?
"Qiu Xin, Lan You, shut the door and tell the people in the courtyard to step away. I have something to tell you."
Meng Yihuan knew these two maids could not possibly understand her actions, but they were her most trusted confidantes and had never betrayed her in her past life. In this life, she had no intention of facing her revenge alone. Consequently, she explained everything to her two personal maids: Si Yunhui’s faked death, his illicit affair with Xue Wanrou, and their scheme to swap her own children.
"My Lady, how could the Earl treat you like this? They are truly vicious!"
"Exactly! My Lady, that Second Madam is inferior to you in beauty, character, and every other way. How could the Earl be so blind? And this... this is incest!"
Qiu Xin and Lan You were red-faced with indignation after hearing the news.
"No wonder, My Lady, when you gave birth both times, Qiu Xin and I were either injured or knocked unconscious! It must have been their doing!"
"My Lady, what shall we do now? The Young Master and Young Miss have been swapped, and those two adulterers are planning to elope. You cannot let them have their way!"
"Rest assured, I will not let them get what they want. Since Si Yunhui wants to play the part of a dead man, then from this day forward, he shall remain a dead man! As for Xue Wanrou, isn't she always 'sick' and taking medicine? And the exorbitant monthly medical expenses have been coming from my dowry. I will claw back every single bit of it from her!" Meng Yihuan’s gaze turned ruthless.
She had already arranged for the hit on Si Yunhui, and now she only needed to wait for the result. As for Xue Wanrou, she remembered from her past life that the woman would "die" of illness in a month to facilitate her escape. She had been feigning this illness for about two months, and the doctor had been arranged by the Old Madam, though the silver came from Meng Yihuan’s coffers. The Old Madam and Si Yunhui always insisted in front of her that Xue Wanrou had suffered by marrying the "simple-minded" second brother and had contributed to the household by bearing a son and a daughter, always pressuring her to provide care. Meng Yihuan, out of simple sympathy for a fellow woman, had never complained.
But now, how could she let them succeed? She would make them vomit up every cent of her money! And not only would Si Yunhui become a true corpse, but she would ensure Xue Wanrou’s feigned illness became a terminal reality.
With that, Meng Yihuan took her maids to the accounting office to verify the ledgers with the steward.
***
"Steward Wang, why have the expenses for the second branch totaled five thousand taels over the last two months? And what is this extra thousand taels per month that has been going to the Old Madam for the past year?"
Meng Yihuan sat before Steward Wang in the office, looking down at him as she asked sternly.
"This... this is for the Second Madam’s medicine. She has been ill these past two months and has drawn quite a lot from the coffers. As for the Old Madam... that is for her to provide aid to a distant relative," Steward Wang replied, trembling with fear.
The Old Madam had clearly stated that the First Madam would not inquire about the extra spending. Why was she asking now? He had been hesitant when the Old Madam first requested such large sums, as he had been hired by the First Madam and was technically her servant. However, seeing the First Madam’s filial obedience over the years, he had lowered his guard and complied with the Old Madam’s demands.
"What kind of heavenly treasure is the Second Madam eating that she spends five thousand taels a month on medicine? And what sort of relative is the Old Madam supporting that she needs a thousand taels every month?" Meng Yihuan could not help but sneer.
In her past life, she had been so occupied with raising the children, managing the mansion, and overseeing the shops that she only checked the accounts every few months. She had only discovered the Second Madam’s high medical costs after they had "died" and fled; she had been surprised, but as they were dead, she hadn't bothered to fuss. As for the Old Madam, she had simply brushed off the extra spending as filial piety.
Thinking back, she realized the money was likely being saved for Si Yunhui and his mistress to spend on their future travels. How could she let them get away with it this time?
"The servant truly does not know. The Second Madam’s staff only comes to draw the silver for her medical treatment; I know nothing of the prescriptions. The Old Madam only said it was a relative; she provided no specifics," Steward Wang replied nervously.
"Someone come! Fetch the maid who collects the silver for the Second Madam’s quarters every month. Furthermore, stop the thousand-tael monthly payment to the Old Madam’s 'relative,' and from now on, deduct one thousand taels from the Old Madam’s monthly allowance," Meng Yihuan commanded with regal authority.