Within a few days, the coffin of the Yan family patriarch was sent back to Yandu by the army. As soon as it entered the city gate, the whole city beat drums and bells to mourn. On both sides were ceremonial guards carrying weapons. The army led the way with great fanfare.
To express his grief, His Majesty the Emperor of Kyoto ordered a month-long ban on music and weddings throughout the country. He also sent a special minister to observe the ceremony and pay his respects to the deceased.
The Yan family ancestral home was set up with a mourning hall. Members of the clan, princes from various regions, and court officials all wore plain clothes and stood guard on both sides. Taoist nuns and monks wore ceremonial robes, held ritual instruments, and played music and chanted sutras.
The coffin was carried into the mourning hall, and the entire hall was filled with grief.
The old lady was heartbroken and fainted in the hall.
When the Yan clan members saw the head of the Yan family in the coffin, they still couldn't believe that he was really dead.
Some people were furious and denounced the traitors as unjust, and the noise and curses immediately filled the mourning hall.
The coffin was placed high above the mourning hall, and the lama personally painted it and decorated it with gold and the Nine Yin Dragon.
The aristocratic family, mindful of appearances, held an even grander affair. The entire area around the mourning hall was heavily guarded, and mourners offered libations, performed rites, and mournful cries echoed throughout the capital.
As mourners departed in waves, the imperial clan opened their ancestral hall, and the Yan family members discussed the suspicions surrounding the assassin, pointing directly to Helian Ye, the young master of the Western Regions.
Yan Beimo, who was in the lead, was dressed in mourning clothes and had a calm expression.
The various branches of the direct line have different intentions. With the death of the patriarch, Yan Beimo will definitely seize the throne. However, if they can rebel at this time and kill Yan Beimo, they will have great power in their hands.
The second branch of the family had long been dissatisfied with being suppressed. This branch produced Yan Nanyan, who held the power of 100,000 troops in Jiangdong. His ambitions were obvious. As soon as the news of the death of the family head was released, he summoned his troops and returned to Yandu.
Currently, in order to win people's hearts, they have begun to spread rumors and incite unrest, targeting Yan Beimo.
"Second Brother, you said the person who killed Uncle was an assassin from the Western Regions, do you have any evidence? And why did you go to Qudu, and how did you get there so quickly?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the noisy ancestral hall fell silent instantly.
The crowd reacted in various ways; some watched with amusement, some were dissatisfied, and some even drew their knives.
Yan Beimo remained unmoved and sat high in the main seat.
His eyes, which he looked up at, were dark and unfathomable.
"Is my cousin suspecting me of killing my father?"
Silence fell as soon as these words were spoken.
Yan Nanyan never expected that he would dare to be so rebellious and utter such arrogant words.
He was speechless after being rebuked like that, and after a long while, he finally spoke.
"I'm just afraid that my second brother has chosen the wrong enemy."
Yan Rong, unaware of their thoughts, frowned and said angrily.
“How dare these villains from the Western Regions act so recklessly, killing my Yan clan chief! If this grudge is not avenged, how can my Yan family stand in the Great Jin?! In my opinion, we should send troops to the border and slaughter them without leaving a single survivor.”
"Uncle, it's too early to say that."
Yan Rong couldn't stand Yan Nanyan's sarcastic manner and cursed him directly.
"With the death of the eldest brother, the other branches are restless, and the various clans and families have different thoughts. If you don't want to stabilize the overall situation, fine, but what nonsense are you spouting?"
Yan Nanyan's face turned ashen from the scolding. Seeing his father shaking his head at him, he reluctantly shut his mouth.
At this moment, the patriarch of the third branch of the family also stepped forward and spoke.
“Sanlang, your second brother is the eldest son of the Yan family. With the death of your eldest brother, his son should rightfully inherit the position and lead the family.”
The ancestral hall was brightly lit, and hundreds of people sat around a long table, looking at each other with their own hidden agendas.
"Third brother is right. Let me tell you, take back all your thoughts. The troops under my command in Yanrong are not for your show."
With the death of the Yan family head, all sorts of demons and monsters have emerged, but because there are too many people who support Yan Beimo, the others dare not speak out against it.
Yan Beimo had maintained friendly relations with the kings of the North for many years, and with his military power, no one dared to openly provoke him.
But there were still those scapegoats who stood up to question and disrupt things, making the atmosphere in the ancestral hall extremely tense.
Yan Beimo casually lifted his eyelids to look over, his gaze gentle yet sending chills down one's spine.
Everyone fell silent for a moment.
Yan Beimo glanced around, slowly stood up, and placed the tiger tally token on the table.
"I inherited my father's title and abide by the laws of my ancestors. Do any of you have any complaints?"
The air fell silent for a moment.
Some people stood up and questioned it.
"No imperial edict has been seen, which is contrary to ancestral regulations."
Yan Beimo looked at the group, raised his hand, and spoke calmly.
"Then I ask you all to be buried with my late father."
As soon as he finished speaking, thousands of iron cavalry surrounded the ancestral hall in an instant. Soldiers in black armor rushed in, and blood splattered all over the hall.
"ah---"
Everyone was shocked and looked at the man in the lead with fear.
The body fell to the ground, blood flowing freely and spreading throughout the ancestral hall.
The place was filled with literati and scholars; they had never seen such a scene before. If it weren't for their inherent nobility, they would have lost their composure on the spot.
The usually gentle and polite young master of the noble family had brought his battlefield tactics into the clan. His audacity in committing violence in public left the clan members present with a complex mix of emotions.
Yan Rong was furious when he saw the corpse lying on the ground.
"What are they trying to do? Are they rebelling?"
Yan Beimo remained calm and said, "Anyone else who has complaints can step forward."
Everyone, "---"
No one dared to speak, not even Yan Nanyan.
"Since you all have no objections, from this day forward, I will uphold the ancestral system and clearly demonstrate the laws of Heaven."
After saying that, he took back the tiger tally token and walked outside.
No one dared to stop them from behind; they were all too frightened to react.
After leaving the ancestral hall, Yan Beimo went directly to Fufeng Courtyard.
A large group of people were already waiting inside the park.
Upon seeing the newcomer, Night Hawk quickly bowed.
"Greetings, my lord."
Where did they go?
Yan Beimo stood under the eaves, his gaze sweeping coldly over the crowd.
Shuangyue has been kneeling on the ground for two hours.
She pressed her head tightly to the ground, her voice trembling slightly.
"This servant has failed in his duty; please punish me, my lord."
The light from the lanterns under the porch illuminated the dim ground clearly.
Yan Beimo kicked Night Hawk, his gentle face turning sinister.
"As the commander of the Northern Army, you failed to keep a close watch and let someone escape. Haven't you had enough of losing your head?"
The nightjar lay prone on the ground, blood dripping from its beak.
"I have failed in my duty, and I beg my lord to punish me. I have already dispatched assassins to pursue her, and they have discovered that she is in the Jizhou area. We are now conducting a full-scale search."
"It's been seven days, and your efficiency is already this low?"
The somber, deep voice was chilling to hear.
No one dared to say a word, and the general who had returned from Jiangdong with Yan Beimo remained silent.
After learning on the road that his wife had run away, the lord's face remained grim.
But this was the first time they had ever seen their lord so angry.
Night Hawk also sensed something was wrong, and a chill ran down his spine.
"I will send more men and we will find the lady."
Yan Beimo remained silent, his aura chilling.
He turned his gaze away and looked at the night scene in the park.
They ran away?
They dared to run away while he was running errands.
Before she left, she was still calling him "husband" in a sweet and gentle voice, but it was all an act.
fraud.
He wanted to bring her back and tear her to pieces.
"Hexing".
"Your subordinate is here."
Yan Beimo said, "Go and tell the Governor of Jizhou to post notices throughout the city about the little princess that His Majesty is hiding in Fengqi Palace."
He Xing clasped his hands in a fist salute, "Your subordinate will take care of it immediately."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com