At the Fang Ancestral home

"It's been 3 years since my son left with that dreadful woman!" Mrs Fang sighed, "And still no word. Have you heard anything Min?"

"I may be my brother's sister, but I am not his keeper, mother," Min said exasperated, "And why do you insist she is the problem?"

"Who else would be the cause of this problem between my son and I? We did not have any problem before!" Mrs Fang shrilled working herself up.

"Mother, that is simply not true, you sending girls to him was the reason he left for war, he was sick of women clawing all over him!"

"Rubbish! What man dislikes having beautiful women wanting to have sex with him? And if a child results all the better!"

"Mother, Xin never liked that, he wanted to choose for himself," Min tried explaining to her mother again, but her mother interrupted her.

"Besides which all the women I sent him were from rich well to do families and they were all good girls," Mrs Fang drifted off into her own memories, sighing at the beauties she had sent him over the years.

Beside her was ChunLi, pouring out her tea in the manor she was accustomed too. ChunLi was extremely beautiful, talented and deceptively gentle, but her true nature was not that, her true nature was that of a jealous zealot, spiteful to any who challenged her. Mrs Fang had not seen that side of her though, and believed her to be virtuous and innocent.

"Mama, I agree with you, that woman is the cause of the disharmony between you and him," ChunLi said with a sickly-sweet smile, "She must be evil or a demon in disguise being so old yet looks so young."

"You are right ChunLi!" Mrs Fang agreed quickly, "That must be the case! Look at the men she healed with barely a word! Who has ever heard of that man called Jesus anyway? She did not call on our recognised Gods."

"Well, I can't argue with that, I certainly have never heard of a Jesus," Min said, "But that does not make him a devil, maybe he is a god equal to our Gods?"

"No! He must be a demon, don't you think ChunLi?" Mrs Fang disagreed, her hatred to the older woman evident, "Besides which how could Xin ever be happy not having children of his own? No surely there must be a way for ChunLi to be with him!"

"Well unless she has died," Min said distractedly, not really interested in slandering her husband's mother, as she adored the man and felt that because he was so gentle and kind and funny there was no way his mother could be an evil demon or devil, "there is no way Xin will look to another, look at my husband, he is so sweet, there is no way he came from something wicked."

"That's not true," Mrs Fang said, "There are plenty of instances where the family heads were terrible, but the children were sweet because they did not want to become like their parents."

"But more likely they become like the parents," Min argued half-heartedly, "I am going to go Mother, I do not feel comfortable with you slandering my husband's mother, especially since he is so sweet."

"Ok off you go!" Mrs Fang said waving her off. When she was out of sight, she said to ChunLi, "What if we got rid of her?"

"How? And why would you do that?" ChunLi said wide eyed and with a small smirk as if she was satisfied with Mrs Fangs suggestion.

"By hiring an assassin!" Mrs Fang said, "Poison did not work as you know, even the Magistrates wife tried - she did not like her either. Perhaps we should go and talk with her?"

"Why bother though?" ChunLi asked again, wanting to hear that she was wanted still to be Xin's new wife. It did not matter to her how she became one just so long as she did. Ever since she had seen him as a child, all her dreams and fixations were on him. She had no way of doing anything until 4 years ago when she came of age and was able to serve Mrs Fang earning her favour.

"I want you to be Xin's wife, you are far more deserving than she!" Mrs Fang said turning to hold ChunLi's hand, "You have been here for me, and you can bear children, unlike the certain someone." the words were spoken with such venom it formed ashes in ChunLi's mouth.

ChunLi swallowed the ashes down and smiled sweetly, "You are so kind!" and looked down demurely.

"It's true ChunLi!" Mrs Fang patted her hand affectionately after she released her hold, "Let's go see the lady today."

Mrs Fang and ChunLi hurried off then and travelled in a horse drawn palanquin together. They arrived at the Magistrates manor and the butler greeted them, "Hello Mrs Fang and Miss Chen, are you here to see the Lady of the house?"

"We are," Mrs Fang said, "Please announce us!"

The butler bowed, "It would be my pleasure, the Lady was looking for someone to talk with," and he turned and hurried away.

Shortly afterwards the magistrate's wife arrived in a flurry of skirts and smiles, "Welcome! Welcome! It is so good to see you both! It has been forever since you have visited me. Please come into the drawing room. I have tapestries there we can do while we chat and eat."

Mrs Fang and ChunLi smiled gratefully, it was definitely better to gossip with your hands busy.

The three sat down, each taking a tapestry to sew. The maid serving them brought in food and drinks that would not interfere with the ladies' work but would satisfy any hunger they might have had.

"It has been so long since I have seen you!" The magistrate's wife exclaimed happily, "What do I owe the pleasure of your company? I have not seen either of you since the New Year's Celebration... I know I am partly to blame for not keeping in contact as I have been busy."

"We came to ask what you thought of Xin's wife," Mrs Fang said bluntly.

"Oh, I am sorry if I offend you, but I did not like her at all," the magistrates wife said with a grimace, "She really offended me when she was here."

"That is good then," Mrs Fang said, earning herself a smile, "It makes this conversation easier."

"Oh? Pray do tell," the magistrates wife arched her eyebrows, grabbed a fan and fanned her face briefly before pausing and looking over it.

"I do not think she is a good fit for Xin, unlike ChunLi here," Mrs Fang said, as she sewed a flower onto the tapestry, "I have not heard a word from him in the 3 years since he left our home and went somewhere. By any chance have you heard anything?"

"Not in the last 2 years, or was it 2 and a half years ago?" the magistrates wife mused, "She was causing trouble again, but my husband dealt with it."

"What happened?" Mrs Fang asked.

"My husband was called away on an urgent matter in the middle of the morning, I did not see him again until the next day. All he would tell me was that he was mediating an important matter with the Fangs, and it involved a death."

ChunLi's eyes went wide, "A death? How dramatic!"

"Yes," the magistrate's wife nodded, "I knew that woman was trouble, it was only a matter of time before something like that happened. Anyway, what did you want of me?"

"We were wondering if you knew of any way to get rid of that woman so Xin could return home to where he belongs?" Mrs Fang said tearily, "I miss my son and he has shown no filial duty since he married her."

The magistrate's wife nodded thoughtfully as she sewed something onto her own tapestry. A few minutes of industrious silence went by before she spoke again, "We know poison does not work on one such as her. How about an assassin? The Black Hawks work for my husband and are reliable for such jobs. I could ask them."

Both Mrs Fang and ChunLi stopped their work and looked up, "An assassin?" the said together before laughing nervously.

Mrs Fang continued, "Do you think that is possible?"

"Yes, let me call the person I know, I think I saw him walk by just now," and the magistrates wife got up and hurried out the open door.

She arrived shortly afterwards with the man she had spoken of. He was a worn but roguishly handsome man who wore all black and a sword at his side. He was short as far as men went but he was well defined an air of competence hung about him, "What can I help you ladies with?"

"Would you kill someone for us?" Mrs Fang said.

"I can, but why do you need to kill someone?" he asked languidly leaning against the post in the room near the three women.

"She is a thorn in my son's side, nothing but trouble to our whole family, but my son does not see her as a threat. I would like her killed silently and quickly leaving no trace. Is that possible?"

"It is," the man nodded, "That would be 3 gold taels. 2 now and 1 on completion."

"Ok, what do we have to do? Do we write up an agreement?" Mrs Fang asked hesitantly as she had never asked for an assassination before. She also knew the magistrate's wife would cover the expense for her until she could bring the money over.

"No, a handshake and the money are fine, we cannot leave a trace you know," the man smiled.

"Could you pay him?" Mrs Fang asked the magistrates wife, "I would rather do this now than later. Every minute that witch spends with him I am unhappy with."

"Sure," the magistrates wife got up and went to get the taels needed.

"I want her rings from her fingers as proof that she is dead," Mrs Yang said, feeling that she should have some proof of the death."

"As you wish, but I won't start the job until I am paid," he warned.

Just then the magistrate's wife walked in with the gold taels, "Here you go, payment as asked."

"Thanks, I will be on my way then," he turned to saunter out the door, but at the door he turned and asked the magistrates wife, "I am curious, why are you willing to lend this amount to kill someone?"

"She needs to go, she disrupts the natural order of things," the magistrates wife snarled her hatred of the woman called Xinye.

"Oh, that reminds me," he smiled embarrassed, "Who is it I am killing?"

"Fang Xinye, my son's wife," Mrs Fang said, "I do not know where to find him though."

"That will make my job harder," the assassin smiled thoughtfully.

"I heard of her near the isolated monk's temple village when we were doing our biannual rounds," the magistrates wife volunteered, "You could try there."

"Thanks, I will," he nodded and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

"Well, he certainly fits his craft," ChunLi stated, surprised by his sudden disappearance.

🍀A/N If you enjoyed this chapter please take the time to vote by pressing the star. If you see any errors please let me know as this is unedited.🍀