Ma Steward was still earnestly kowtowing, begging for a shred of mercy from the female ghost before him.
After he had kowtowed dozens of times, he finally heard the ghost speak softly, her voice mournful and chilling: "Why is Second Sister so cruel? What did I do wrong?"
"You did nothing wrong, Third Miss! You're innocent!" Ma Steward immediately replied flatteringly, "It's all Second Miss's fault for being petty and intolerant! You were the one harassed by the Prince of Rui, yet she turned it around and accused you of seducing him. She harbored resentment - it's all her fault! She deserves to die!"
To save his own life, Ma Steward betrayed his masters completely, putting on a righteous and hypocritical act that made Jiang Ning want to stab him again.
"What about the Madam? Does she deserve to die?" Jiang Ning didn't want to let anyone who harmed Nangong Ling off the hook.
"The Madam... the Madam..." Ma Steward assumed the Third Miss had long been dissatisfied with Luo Siyi, so he went along with it: "Although the Madam was unaware of this matter, as the mistress of the household, she failed to properly raise her daughter. Producing such a ruthless daughter as the Second Miss - she deserves to die too!"
Fine, ignorance is no crime. This person doesn't need to be killed, Jiang Ning thought.
"What about my father? Does he deserve to die?" Jiang Ning asked again.
Although from what she had heard before, the Prime Minister Nangong was a good official and a good husband, he clearly wasn't a good father to Nangong Ling.
If he had been deceived in this matter, that would be one thing. But if he knew about it and still shielded Nangong Muyan, Jiang Ning would make him pay the price!
Ma Steward was stunned. Was this ghost planning a massacre? He could comfortably let others take his place in death, but the Prime Minister had saved his life. He couldn't do this to him.
"Th-Third Miss, the Prime Minister is truly innocent. He was inspecting the Jiangnan region during that time. The Madam doesn't manage household affairs much, and Second Miss had complete control over the mansion. The Prime Minister knew nothing about it! Third Miss, you can't indiscriminately kill innocents in your revenge!"
After finishing, Ma Steward kowtowed once more to Jiang Ning, hoping she would spare Nangong Ya.
"I disappeared, and he didn't even come looking for me. Clearly, he doesn't care about me at all. How can you say he doesn't deserve to die?" Jiang Ning probed.
Since Nangong Muyan was in charge of the Prime Minister's Mansion at that time, the rumor of Nangong Ling eloping must have been spread by her. So how did she make the Prime Minister not doubt this reason?
There must have been others who said something!
"It's Dongmei who deserves to die! She deceived the Prime Minister, making him believe you really eloped. She's the one who should die, it has nothing to do with the Prime Minister!" Ma Steward hurriedly explained.
Jiang Ning could see that this Ma Steward didn't care about anyone else in the Prime Minister's Mansion, but he was fiercely loyal to Nangong Ya.
"Do you want me to spare you?"
After a moment, Ma Steward heard the female ghost ask this, and he immediately kowtowed repeatedly: "Third Miss, please spare me. I promise I'll burn paper offerings and incense for you every day when I return. I'll even invite some accomplished monks to chant sutras for you, to help you reincarnate smoothly... as long as you stop haunting me. I was truly just following Second Miss's orders..."
Ma Steward thought his sincere pleas would move the female ghost, but as soon as he finished speaking, he heard a cold laugh.
"Hehe... Why would I want to reincarnate? I want the wicked to get their just deserts, I want to clear my name! Will you help me?"
'Getting just deserts for the wicked' undoubtedly meant a vengeful ghost claiming lives, while 'clearing her name' probably referred to the eloping rumor.
Ma Steward instantly understood the Third Miss's intentions. As he hesitated, the person before him slowly raised a knife.
"I'll help! I'll help! I'll help!" Ma Steward threw caution to the wind - even being expelled from the Prime Minister's Mansion was better than dying here. "Third Miss, spare me, and I'll go back right away to tell the Prime Minister the whole truth. I'll definitely clear your name, Third Miss!"
"Ma Steward, don't try to deceive me, or else..."
Before Jiang Ning could finish her threat, Ma Steward started kowtowing again: "Third Miss, I wouldn't dare! I wouldn't dare!"
The female ghost gracefully walked up to him. Ma Steward suppressed the urge to flee, remaining motionless in his kowtowing position.
"Very well, you may go. But I'll be watching you."
Hearing these words, Ma Steward felt as if he'd been granted a royal pardon. He thanked her profusely, and then felt a hand on his shoulder. The next moment, he was kneeling in a dimly lit alley, with a bright full moon overhead.
Ma Steward pushed himself up from the ground and set off on unsteady legs, heading out of the alley he had been walking through all night without finding an exit.
This time, no ghostly claws suddenly appeared on his shoulder, and he didn't return to that strange place. He walked steadily, step by step, until he finally emerged from the alley.
"Phew..."
Feeling relieved at his narrow escape, Ma Steward leaned against the wall at the alley's entrance, gasping for breath.
The moonlight shone on him, and Ma Steward looked down to see that his blue clothes were soaked with blood, appearing dark. Four clear knife wounds reminded him of what had just happened.
How could a mere mortal dare to resist ghosts and spirits?
Ma Steward only rested for a moment before setting off towards the Prime Minister's Mansion.
Find the Prime Minister and confess everything.
This was Ma Steward's only thought.
Jiang Ning, wrapped in her cloak within her space, followed Ma Steward all the way. After many twists and turns, they arrived at a mansion in the northern district of the capital.
The mansion before her was imposing and magnificent, grand and spacious. Jiang Ning looked up at the characters "Nangong Mansion" and knew this was where Nangong Ling had lived for over a decade.
Jiang Ning didn't believe in ghosts and spirits, even though she had experienced the unscientific event of dying and coming back to life.
But at this moment, Jiang Ning hoped that there really was such a thing as "spirits in heaven" or "knowledge in the netherworld." She hoped that the deceased Nangong Ling could know all of this, could see everything she was doing.
Ma Steward didn't enter through the main gate. He went around to a small side door and knocked "tap tap tap" for a while. A man's voice came from behind the door: "Who is it?"
"Old Zhong, open up, it's me," Ma Steward called out.
The door opened, and Jiang Ning saw a man about the same age as Ma Steward. Seeing him return, the man asked, "Ma Steward, why were you gone so long? Hey, why is there blood on your head? Did someone hit you?"
"Ah, don't ask. Is the Prime Minister in his study?"
Jiang Ning followed Ma Steward through the door. Inside was a small path with plum blossoms planted on both sides, their fragrance filling the air. After a few steps was a covered walkway, with a pond below. Despite the cold winter, water lilies could still be seen in the pond. There were several buildings beside the walkway, and in the distance, artificial hills and pavilions could be seen in the moonlight.
This was an exquisite and noble residence.
"The Prime Minister just returned from the palace not long ago. He should be in his study. Are you going to see him?" Old Zhong answered, then asked another question.
"Stop asking."
Ma Steward repeated, then ignored him and hurried towards the study.