Petty Villains Are Like Ghosts

Chapter 2: Petty People Are Like Ghosts

"Petty people who are cunning and deceitful are just like ghosts."

"This Hong Yi is clearly a weak scholar who lacks the strength to truss a chicken. Why isn't he afraid? I have practiced martial arts with my young mistress to a certain level of proficiency, and I possess an air of authority even before ordinary people. Although this Hong Yi is a young master, he isn't favored by the First Lady in the Marquis Wuwen Mansion... Bullying him would at most result in a reprimand... Besides, the Grappling Hand I recently learned would only cause pain for a few days if I used it on someone; it wouldn't damage their tendons or bones..." Xiao Ning saw the look in Hong Yi's eyes when he said he couldn't read, and her finger joints cracked twice, revealing her decent skill, while her sharp gaze swept over him.

Hong Yi was lost in thought. "My heart was already in chaos before I played today; this heart, after all, is not my own to command." Hong Yi pulled out a sheet of white paper and wrote a line of cursive script on it with thick ink.

Xiao Ning saw the cursive characters dancing and soaring like dragons and snakes. As a maid who had only read a little and knew only a few words, how could she possibly recognize them? It was clear that this Xiao Ning had practiced martial arts. Xiao Ning looked at the burning charcoal in the room; because the quality was poor, it had a pungent smell and the smoke stung her eyes, causing her to curl her lip in disdain.

"If you lay a hand on me, are you not afraid of being exiled three thousand miles away!"

Later, someone asked Li Yan: "You have no Daoist arts and cannot subdue ghosts, so why didn't you just compromise and say you were afraid? What if the ghost had really pounced on you? What would you have done then?"

"What poem?" After a moment of irritation, Hong Yi took a deep breath, calmed himself down, slowly unclenched his fists, and his tone turned calm.

Li Yan replied: "It is precisely because I have no Daoist arts and cannot subdue ghosts that I cannot be afraid. Once you are afraid, your spirit weakens, and it will truly pounce on you."

"What?" Hong Yi's brows furrowed, blood rushed to his face, and he clenched his fists slightly, staring at this Xiao Ning. Hong Yi had long harbored the intention to practice martial arts, but he truly lacked the conditions.

"You..."

"According to the laws of the Great Gan Dynasty, beating a scholar with an official title is punishable by exile of three thousand miles. Do not ruin yourself!"

This story was about how Li Yan once encountered a ghost while reading late at night. The ghost manifested its form and asked Li Yan if he was afraid! Li Yan immediately spoke with stern severity, "I am not afraid!" The ghost asked again, and Li Yan's voice grew even louder. Finally, the ghost said, "As long as you say you are afraid, I will leave immediately and stop pestering you." Li Yan shouted, "Not afraid means not afraid." In the end, the ghost had no choice but to vanish in low spirits.

Just as Xiao Ning took a step forward, Hong Yi suddenly spoke, his voice stern and severe.

Hong Yi reread this story, thinking of the maid Xiao Ning he had just encountered, and felt that petty people were indeed like ghosts. If he hadn't frightened her just now, she might have truly dared to take action.

Hong Yi's sudden sternness made Xiao Ning shiver all over.

"My heart was already in chaos before I played today?" Hong Yi pondered: "If my heart is in chaos while playing the zither, it means I cannot settle my own spirit. I shall provide the next line: 'This heart, after all, is not my own to command.'"

Yunting Studio was the residence of Lady Fang, the second wife of the Marquis Wuwen Mansion. Lady Fang was the equal wife of Marquis Wuwen. Her family were merchants, and she had purchased an official title herself. She had money and status, and although her position in the mansion was not as high as that of the First Lady, Lady Zhao, she still held some sway.

"Hmph, only good for writing poems and lyrics, lacking the strength to truss a chicken; a scholar is useless in a hundred ways."

There were powerful guards in the Marquis Mansion, but who would be willing to cross Hong Yi and provoke the First Lady's wrath? Seeing Xiao Ning leave, Hong Yi let out a long sigh. "Sure enough, the principle of encountering a petty person is the same as encountering a ghost. You must never let your spirit weaken. Once it weakens, they will push their luck. If your spirit is strong, they won't dare to approach you. This Caotang Notes uses ghosts as a metaphor for people; it is indeed a great truth."

"I heard that when the Great Gan Dynasty was founded, they compiled two great books: the Martial Classic and the Daoist Classic. They contained millions of words on practicing martial arts and cultivating immortality. It is a pity they later became banned books. If I could borrow and copy them, that would be wonderful."

"However, intimidation is not the ultimate way. I still need to practice martial arts. A scholar must be proficient in archery and horsemanship to be considered a true scholar. But I truly lack the conditions for this; I must think of a way."

"What is this?" Xiao Ning left the room, cursing in her heart. She had indeed been frightened by Hong Yi just now, but how could she admit it?

"Yesterday, the young mistress was playing the zither and exchanging poems with Princess Yongchun of the Rong Prince Mansion. Princess Yongchun recited a line of poetry, but there was no follow-up. The young mistress told me to come and ask you. Hey, are you listening?"

At the doorway appeared a young woman wearing a goose-yellow coat trimmed with mixed furs. Her face was fair, her eyes like black lacquer, and she looked to be about fifteen or sixteen years old.

"What is your business?" After opening the door, Hong Yi sat back down in his chair, picked up a book, and did not even look at the maid.

Hong Yi's monthly allowance was also the smallest. This woman was dressed very luxuriously and spoke very rudely, but Hong Yi knew her name was Xiao Ning, the personal maid of the Second Young Mistress of the "Yunting Studio" on the east side of the mansion.

"Shh..." Seeing Hong Yi sit back at the table and pick up a book to read, Xiao Ning said angrily. "Hey, Hong Yi, why didn't you open the door after I called for so long? Did you want me to kick it open!"

Xiao Ning also saw the blood rushing to Hong Yi's face and his slightly clenched fists. Instead of restraining herself, she raised her eyes high, revealing an expression that said, "Even if you are a young master, I am treating you this way, what can you do to me? Come and hit me!"

To practice horsemanship and archery, a good horse was worth a thousand gold, and a good bow was worth a hundred gold. Even if those weren't needed, practicing unarmed combat required hiring a teacher; these were all things Hong Yi could not afford. Although Hong Yi was a young master of the Marquis Mansion, he was the son of a deceased concubine of "low status," and no one took him seriously. Furthermore, everyone in the entire Marquis Mansion knew that the First Lady, Lady Zhao, had no affection for Hong Yi.

"Who wants to lay a hand on you? I am just taking the paper. You are a young master, how could we servants dare to be angry with you?" Xiao Ning stepped back, reached out her arm, took the paper, turned around, and walked out.

Hong Yi sat down again, flipped to a story he had read before, and made a heavy mark with his brush.

The entire Marquis Mansion, with its three wives, four concubines, stewards, maids, servants, and guards, had a total of seven or eight hundred people. Everyone had their own duties, like a small, strictly hierarchical imperial court.

Xiao Ning's eyes flashed with malice as she took two steps forward, pretending to take the paper from Hong Yi, but in her heart, she was calculating how to use a clever technique while taking it to dislocate Hong Yi's hand and make him suffer for a few days.

"You are a servant, and you don't even know how to read, why ask so much?" Hong Yi said coldly: "Just deliver it."

Therefore, the maids and servants of Yunting Studio considered themselves a cut above the rest.

"Useless, indeed." Xiao Ning muttered to herself after seeing Hong Yi endure it. "When Princess Yongchun was playing the zither, she said, 'My heart was already in chaos before I played today,' and then pondered bitterly over the next line. The young mistress ordered me to ask you, hoping you could provide the next line."