Exposing the Fake Ghost Songstress

Once Fangsu returned back into the building, her warning made him frown. Wen Cheng beckoned to one of the guards, "Investigate the Ghost Songstress whether they are the real one or is a fake to gain fame, " Wen Cheng hated people who lied to him especially females, but for some reason he felt that Fangsu wouldn't have lied to him. The guard cupped his hand, bowing, and lead a few other guards to investigate the Ghost Songstress. Wen Cheng would continue to work on paperwork regarding Heavenly Aroma, cash flow statements, expenditures, sales, current assets, profits and cash flow projection.

Due to the fact he employed apparent Ghost Songstress, income has been steadily increasing significantly. But, the fact that people have been questioning the identity of the Ghost Songstress identity has been a hot topic in the capital, fortunately, the business has been profiting off the supposedly real Ghost Songstress. Added to the fact that the Songstress only appeared on that night, during the famous worker Gui Ying's wedding, but left soon after could have some relation with each other or it could be just coincidence. The Ghost Songstress appeared like a ghost, appearing for a moment and leaving the next without leaving any traces behind. The door of Wen Cheng's study was knocked, the guard had returned with their hands cupped.

"Have you found anything?" Wen Cheng questioned, whilst writing up reports to fix errors in calculations in accounting.

"Master, we have discovered that Lady Chen's words were, in fact, true and that the Ghost Songstress that we employed is a fake," One of the guards informed whilst bowing.

Wen Cheng paused his brush and placed it on the ink stone to prevent any ink spillage on the reports, "Continue." As his interlocked his finger, the aura surrounding him became ice cold and the guards became rigid at the sudden change of the atmosphere, they feared for their life.

"The fake was a noble girl who decided it was the best way to..." the guard's voice trailed off, hesitant to continue his sentence, "Her motives were pursued you in hopes to achieve the position of Master's wife." All the guards held their breath as they awaited the response of their master who was seemly very quiet, it was unnerving to bear the wait.

Wen Cheng's expression darkened upon hearing about the fake Ghost Songstress motives when being employed by his business, "Summon her." The guards bowed and quickly scurried away to look for the fake Ghost Songstress.

The woman who claimed to be the Ghost Songstress entered the study room. She was tall and slim, her posture was firm and straight like a willow tree, her black hair was elegantly tied up which exposed a part of her pale neck. A sweet sickly scent came from her. Her face was covered by a white veil creating an aura of mystery but by no means did she seem like the Ghost Songstress. She played the Guqin elegant during her performance only singing popular songs when required, never singing the same song that the Ghost Songstress was sung that night. Emphasising the fact that she could not have been the real Ghost Songstress, "Greetings to Master," the Songstress slightly curtsied as she greeted, her sweet voice has lulled many men to chase her.

But to Wen Cheng, this woman was foolish enough to think she could even try to think about standing next to him, "I have informants who told me you are not the real Ghost Songstress," Wen Cheng was not one to think about people's emotions, but only thought of profits and efficiency to be of most importance.

The woman widens her eyes but quickly masked it by smiling but the smile was stiff, "Young Master, I hope you did not diverge in rumours as they can be quite precarious." The woman tries to prove herself, but the more the woman tried to convince people that she was indeed the real Ghost Songstress, the more Wen Cheng felt that she was lying.

Wen Cheng frowned at the woman's stupidity, "You dare insult, my informants!" Slamming the table, which caused everyone in the room including the woman to kneel on the ground.

"I did not mean to insult your informants!" The woman trembled as she kneeled on the ground, "Please forgive my insolences!" She tried to appease Wen Cheng but that didn't work as Wen Cheng stood in front of the woman.

He kneeled to her level, forcing her chin to look at him, "The people I hate the most are liars and disloyal subordinates," The air around him pierced through the woman as she violently trembled, fearing for her life, "Now, you have one last chance to confess to me, who are you really?"

The woman's lip trembled, unwilling to speak the truth but as she continued to delay time. Wen Cheng motioned the guards to take her away, but as the guards were pulling at the woman's arm, she began fighting back. Screaming to let her go and remain working at the Heavenly Aroma, "I confess! I will confess everything!"

Wen Cheng looked at the woman, "Now you decide to confess?" Flicking his fan, his eyes bore a hatred that no one had ever seen before, "I hate liars especially if they're women." Wen Cheng clicked his tongue wanting the woman to disappear from his sight. Wen Cheng signalled the guards to get rid of the girl.

"Let me go!" The woman screamed and struggled against the trained men only to be in vain, "What are you going to do to me?" Wen Cheng stopped at the guards from proceeding out of the door.

As he closed his fan in his palm, smirked, "Well, I was thinking about revealing to the capital that you use the Ghost Songstress to gain fame," Hitting his fan on the palm of his hand, Wen Cheng slowly paced himself towards the woman, using the fan to bring the fake Ghost Songstress' face to his eye level, "Of course you claimed to be Ghost Songstress is a clear insult to the real Ghost Songstress' name so I will clear it for them." The woman then slumped to the ground as her identity was figured out but also now that she was demoted from high society.

——-

In the morning, an announcement had been placed on a stand in front of the Heavenly Aroma.

{ The Ghost Songstress that Heavenly Aroma had employed was a fake. Trying to impersonate the real Ghost Songstress in an attempt the rising up in higher society but also to try to seduce the owner of Heavenly Aroma. We hope that the masses will continue us even after this incident }

There were many reactions to the incident and there were either shocked, critical of the fraud or didn't care that the Heavenly Aroma had been tricked by the fake Ghost Songstress.

"I knew that minx was up to no good!"

"Bloody Hell! I spent my money only to have a fake performing! I want my money back!"

"Where is that fraud! I will beat her up! She insults the Ghost Songstress reputation!"

"Why is this such a big deal?" A clueless traveller in the crowd questioned.

"The Ghost Songstress is exactly like their title; they appeared and disappear like a ghost! No one knows who the Ghost Songstress. Their voice is beautifully haunting as it lures you, enchanting you to want to hear more of that voice." A loyal fan explained the phenomenal appearance of the Ghost Songstress.

Despite the incident of the fraud, people still continued to drink tea at the Heavenly Aroma establishment. Blossoming Fragrance was now in the progress of renovating but no one knew what was happening to the place. The majority of people were worried that the owner of Heavenly Aroma had overtaken Blossoming Fragrance already. But, a minority knew that it wouldn't have been possible since it Blossoming Fragrance was one of the major powerhouses in the capital.

Fangsu overlooked the crowd while Bao Ming also enjoyed the downfall of the fake Songstress, "Finally, the fake is gone! Mistress! Will you reveal your identity as the Ghost Songstress?" Bao Ming was filled with anticipation as she waited for a response from Fangsu. Da Fu entered the room with a veiled hat which Fangsu thanked her.

Fangsu shook her head, placing the veiled hat on her head, "Bao Ming, help me go find some materials for the skincare products." Fangsu took a basket and exited the Blossoming Fragrance building from the side door. Bao Ming pouted whilst accompanying Fangsu. Both Fangsu and Bao Ming walked to the Chen Household. Bao Ming patiently waited outside the Chen Household knowing that she couldn't enter.

Once Fangsu entered, she changed into more suitable clothes; especially garments that were for male and in a basket bag she packed her dagger, a shovel, a cotton bag and gloves. Knowing that some plants had thorns which could cut skin. As she finished packing necessities, Fangsu entered to back to see Tian. Tian was impatiently waiting for a chance to get out and once he saw Fangsu, he neighs cheerily as he nudges Fangsu's hand. "Sorry, Tian, we will be able to go out today and you can play as much as you want." Fangsu places a saddle on Tian's back, effortlessly mounting Tian. Fangsu carried a basket on her back and gave another to Bao Ming with a list of things flowers and herbs of common rarity, that could be easily acquired through the market place, "Bao Ming, bulk buy these plants."

Bao Ming read the list seeing the massive amounts of plants she would have to buy, "What will you do Miss?" Bao Ming walked alongside Fangsu who was mounted on Tian until they reached the market place which was bustling with business.

Fangsu stopped in front of the market place entrance to allow collision with people, "I'm going to the mountains," Fangsu split away from Bao Ming exiting the capital through the gate so that she could get to the mountains. Tian galloped on the trail that leads into the mountains.

Sun rays penetrated through the leaves of the canopy that cast an overhead of shadows above Fangsu and Tian. Completely free and unrestrained, the two companions rode through the fields. Tian's hooves kicked up the dirt, leaving behind a trail of dust behind them as Fangsu laughed in the first time in a long time. This only encouraged Tian to go even faster, which cause Fangsu to temporarily feel life without grief. Recklessly, Fangsu took her hands off her reins and spread her arms out to let the wind past through her.

After enjoying the moment, Fangsu and Tian returned back to the forest. Fangsu dismounted Tian to the collect plants such as persimmon flowers, wild peonies, osmanthus, chestnuts, pear flowers, grapefruit flowers and citron flowers. Once collecting enough of each type, Fangsu mounted Tian to explore the forest before going back home.

A tree with beautiful red shiny fruit caught Fangsu's eyes, it glimmer like a gem and upon closer inspection, it was rouge fruit. A delicious fruit that easily stains like the rouge that noblewomen use on their cheeks hence their name rouge fruit. Fangsu wore her gloves to protect herself from the thorns, as she began cutting small branches of the tree that were linked with the fruit into her basket to make a dessert with later. After filling the cotton bag she brought with her to the brim, but the ingredient she needs to make the dessert was required.

Fangsu continued to search for the plant she needed. A bush with a herb that had a dried lantern-like shaped structure, "Nicandra Physaloides!" Fangsu quickly ran over to the bush, collecting as many as she could. "Tian! Let's go home!" Fangsu called out and mounted Tian. Arriving at the gates of the capital, Fangsu revealed the blue-green jade that the Empress Dowager has given her to the guards who easily allowed her in.

While trotting to the Blossoming Fragrance establishment. Many passerby's curiously stared at the young girl who was mounted on a beautiful black horse wearing a modest moss green hanfu that was for males. But her identity was well concealed with the veiled hat that was perfectly perched on her head. No one could tell what hair and eye colour she possessed. Passerby watched as the girl stood in front of the Blossoming Fragrance establishment with the closed doors but the girl knocked the on the door and was immediately allowed entry. Many were curious about the identity of the girl who was easily able to enter the Blossoming Fragrance establishment without any obstruction as if she were an important and respected person to the workers.

Fangsu walked to the outdoor courtyard where Bao Ming was already finished with her errands as a pile of common flowers and herbs were placed on a table behind a bamboo screen for concealment. A copper distiller was already set up for Fangsu and it was filled with water, "Thank you, Bao Ming Jie Jie!" Fangsu poured out the flowers out of the basket on to the table and began separating the flowers. Removing the saddle and reins, Tian was free to roam the courtyard. But, before Fangsu could start working, she washed her hands under the running water to was linked to the waterways in the capital. The water washed away the dirt that was caught under her nails, removing her veiled hat, Fangsu washed her face from the sweat that sat on her skin from being in the forest.

Fangsu began working on the stock of products; various aromatic dew, perfumes, toners, moisturisers and face mask. Whilst working on the skincare products, Fangsu had not noticed the doors of Blossoming Fragrance had opened.

Wen Cheng saw Fangsu entered Blossoming Fragrance on a majesty black horse. Wanting to oversee the progress of renovations, Wen Cheng entered the establishment. Fangsu working on the products without noticing that someone had entered the courtyard. Without her veil, Wen Cheng saw her face which was flush pink from exerting energy. Her clear porcelain skin glistened under the sunlight, "I never knew Lady Chen knew how to ride a horse," Wen Cheng fanned himself as he approached Fangsu's workspace, "I presume you had training?" Wen Cheng saw a variety of plants that were laid on the table. But a cotton bag revealing beautiful gem-like fruit caught his interest. Plucking off a single berry from a single branch, he took a bite out of the berry to taste a tart but sweet flavour burst in his mouth. The taste was nothing that he had ever tasted in his life, it tasted similar to the hawthorn candy street vendors sell on the roadside.

"Young Master, good afternoon," Fangsu greeted Wen Cheng politely, as she pulled out the unusable flowers and replaced it with new ones, "Do you like the taste of Rouge Fruit? If you like it, you can take a branch." Fangsu took a branch from the cotton bag handing it to Wen Cheng who graciously accepted the gift.

"Rouge Fruit?" Wen Cheng chuckles at the name of the fruit.

"Locals called it Rouge Fruit since it looks like the rouge that noblewomen use." Fangsu returned back to the distiller up filled another bottle, eventually filling multiple bottles in one batch of a single bulk of flowers, "I was planning to use the fruit to make a dessert."

"A dessert?" Wen Cheng was intrigued by this dessert that involved such a unique fruit that isn't a normal commodity in the capital. It probably only eaten by people in rural areas, so not many people from the capital wouldn't have had the chance to eat Rouge Fruit.

Fangsu continued to use the rest of the flower and herbs to make the last batches of aromatic dew, "If Young Master wants to try the dessert, " Fangsu finished bottling up the last remaining batch of aromatic dew. "I can make some right now," Fangsu took the cotton bag of Rouge Fruit and Nicandra Physaloides, entering the kitchen.