In order to prevent other people in the Yiyong Marquis' Mansion from being implicated, and with the eldest princess's full cooperation, the emperor finally issued an edict of pardon, confiscated all the property of the Yiyong Marquis' Mansion, dismissed the servants, and allowed Zheng Guoxun and Zheng Bingrong to be buried.
In order to avoid unnecessary trouble, Zheng Binghong came to the city gate late at night, dressed in mourning, untied the bodies of his father and brother, and transported them back to the house he had temporarily bought.
Shangguan Yue and his wife took Shangguan Wanning to set up the mourning hall, asked someone to perform a simple ritual to pray for the soul of the deceased, and then closed the coffin.
Mrs. Shangguan cried so hard that she almost fainted several times.
"Little sister, don't cry," Zheng Binghong came forward and comforted her softly, "If you are so sad, Dad will not be at peace when he leaves."
"Brother, how can I not be sad?" Mrs. Shangguan burst into tears. "Our Zheng family has been loyal for generations, and the glory has been earned with the blood and lives of so many people. Dad spent most of his life fighting on the battlefield and making great achievements, but he didn't expect that in his later years he would end up..."
For the first time, Shangguan Wanning saw hatred in her mother's eyes.
"All this started with Zhixing's death. Until now, the Zheng family has actually..." Madam Shangguan knew that her mother's family had committed too many murders, so she spent half her life eating vegetarian food, chanting Buddhist scriptures, and doing many good deeds. As a result...
The Zheng family doesn’t even have someone who can carry on the family line.
"If that kid Mu Jingrui hadn't killed Zhixing, it wouldn't have happened..."
Mrs. Shangguan's words made Shangguan Wanning, who was holding her arm, tremble.
She noticed her daughter's change of mood and stopped talking.
The next day, at dawn, the eldest princess came with only two personal maids.
Shangguan Yue and others were about to bow and salute, but she leaned over hurriedly to stop them.
"We are all family. I came here today to see my father and third brother off for the last time."
Zheng Binghong stepped forward and held the eldest princess's hand. At this time, she was able to put aside her noble status as a royal daughter-in-law and come to see her off as an ordinary daughter-in-law, which was already very rare.
The porters carried the coffin, and the group walked along the slightly deserted path towards the cemetery in the suburbs.
Shangguan Wanning's eyes were red and she was filled with thoughts.
In her memory, her grandfather was a majestic hero who seemed omnipotent.
From childhood to adulthood, her grandfather would give her whatever she wanted; no matter what she did wrong, as long as she hid behind her grandfather, no one dared to scold her, including her father.
As she thought about the last time she saw her grandfather, tears welled up in her eyes.
She had never thought that the Marquis of Yiyong, who was feared by the whole world, would have his funeral so quietly and coldly.
The sound of chaotic footsteps brought Shangguan Wanning back to her senses. She looked up and saw a group of aggressive people rushing over and blocking their way.
Shangguan Yue opened his arms and protected his wife and daughter behind him.
Zheng Binghong held his father's spirit tablet in his hand and scanned the area. He frowned and said gently, "Everyone, my father's funeral is taking place today. Please make way..."
"Huh, give way? Why should we give way?"
The big man walking in front was very emotional. He waved the shovel in his hand and shouted angrily: "Zheng Guoxun and Zheng Binghang killed so many people. Those people... died in vain on the battlefield. Have their bodies been brought back?"
This one sentence left Zheng Binghong speechless.
"That's right. My son died in this war. If he really died in the war and sacrificed his life for the country, we would have nothing to say. But, he didn't have to die..."
"We can't even find the body of our child, so why should Zheng Guoxun, a bastard, be able to rest in peace?"
It seemed as if the crowd was about to rush over, as if they were going to dig the body out of the coffin.
The eldest princess and Madam Shangguan were both a little scared and stepped back nervously.
"Cut Zheng Guoxun into pieces."
"Yes, grind the bones of both father and son to dust and scatter ashes, and never bury them in the ground."
Zheng Binghong saw that the situation was about to get out of control. He didn't want to have another conflict with the people who had lost their loved ones, so he had to suppress his sadness and discuss things with them calmly.
"I know that it is our Zheng family who has let you down. But the dead are gone, and my father and brother have already been punished. Since the Zheng family has also served the country, please let us go."
"Just a simple apology? Can my husband come back? Want to bury him? No way!"
The crowd was so excited that they were completely indifferent.
"Your Zheng family is powerful and influential, so you can save their bodies. If it were someone else, the whole family would have been executed and all nine generations of the clan would have been exterminated long ago."
How could such a heinous crime be closed so hastily?
Shangguan Wanning found that they were unable to refute.
In fact, what the common people said is absolutely right.
If their father had not held the power of prime minister, and if the eldest princess had not been the daughter-in-law of the Zheng family, they would all be among the nine clans that should have been killed.
"My fellow villagers, I understand your feelings, but they are my dearest relatives and I must protect them well. What do you want us to do in order to let us pass?"
"It's unbearable. Smash Zheng Guoxun's coffin!"
Someone in the crowd shouted, and some people holding shovels and hoes rushed up eager to try.
In order to keep a low profile, Zheng Binghong did not bring any guards or security guards with him.
The porters carrying the coffin were pushed and shoved, and fell to the ground, and the coffin fell down.
Upon seeing this, Shangguan Wan Ning rushed over to protect her grandfather and uncle, but was also pushed to the ground.
In the chaos, someone stepped on her hands, someone hit her head, and even the eldest princess was besieged and in a very embarrassing situation.
At this time, a group of soldiers armed with muskets rushed over.
Although their number is small, they are the most elite troops of the imperial court.
When ordinary people saw this scene, they were frightened and stepped back.
Mu Jingrui came slowly on horseback, his eyes fixed on Shangguan Wanning.
Her red eyes and haggard face still made his heart ache.
"I am Mu Jingrui, the general of the Shenji Camp. I have been ordered to patrol the streets of the capital and maintain the law and order of the capital. If anyone stirs up trouble again, don't blame me for being rude."
When the people heard this, they whispered to each other.
"So he is General Mu Jingruimu who leads the troops. I heard that he was also badly harmed by Zheng Guoxun."
"That's right, why are you helping Zheng Guoxun? Are you trying to please the princess and use this to rise to the top?"
"Of course not. Haven't you heard that Zheng Guoxun's granddaughter is his unmarried daughter-in-law?"
Mu Jingrui dismounted from his horse and came in front of Zheng Binghong.
"Are you still not leaving?"
He had thought that Zheng Guoxun's funeral would not be so smooth, so he followed secretly with his men.
Zheng Binghong and Mu Jingrui stared at each other for a long time. He clenched his hands around his father's spirit tablet into fists. The anger burning in his eyes seemed to be able to burn Mu Jingrui to ashes.
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