Chapter 79: Forcing Wei Zilin, what on earth do you want to do?
The night was as dark as ink, the wind was blowing coldly, and the East Palace was dead silent.
The servant knelt in front of the hall, trembling, his forehead almost touching the cold floor tiles, and he dared not even breathe too loudly.
He only felt that his every move was exposed under Wei Zilin's eyes, but His Royal Highness the Crown Prince in the palace did not speak for a long time.
Wei Zilin sat there quietly, half of his figure hidden in the shadows where the lights were not yet up. There seemed to be a hint of trance between his brows, and even the hand holding the wine glass tightened slightly.
He stared at the wine cup on the table, his eyes seemed to be out of focus, as if he didn't hear the words "The Crown Princess is dead" at all, but also as if he heard it but couldn't accept it immediately.
"Is he really dead?"
He finally spoke, his voice slightly hoarse and trembling slightly.
The servant's heart trembled, and he kowtowed, his voice trembling.
"Your Highness, it is absolutely true. I saw it with my own eyes... The Crown Princess has died suddenly a long time ago, and her body has become stiff..."
The hall fell into deathly silence, with only the wind blowing in through the half-open window lattice, causing the candlelight to flicker and casting a half-hidden shadow of Wei Zilin.
He still didn't speak, as if he was drowning in silent darkness. His fingers slowly tightened and his knuckles turned white.
I don't know how long it was, but he suddenly laughed softly.
The sound was very light, like the night wind blowing through the treetops, floating gently into the ears of the servants, but with an indescribable weirdness.
The attendant looked up uneasily, only to see Wei Zilin still sitting there, his eyes lowered and his expression gloomy. Only the candlelight flickered slightly in the corner of his eyes, which gave people an illusion for a moment.
There seemed to be a glimmer of tears in the corner of his eyes.
But in just a moment, Wei Zilin's expression returned to normal, his eyes became cold, and the smile on his face faded a little, as if the emotion just now was just an illusion of the servant.
"If you're dead, you're dead."
His voice turned cold and his tone was nonchalant, as if he was just talking about an ordinary matter.
"Send a report to the palace and say that the Crown Princess died suddenly of a serious illness. Instruct the Ministry of Internal Affairs to bury her according to the proper etiquette and not to make a scene too embarrassing."
The attendant shuddered all over, and quickly bowed his head and said yes. After kowtowing, he crawled out, fearing that if he stayed any longer, he would be blamed for the incident.
But he had just stood up and hadn't taken a few steps when he suddenly heard a crisp "bang" sound behind him.
He suddenly froze in his tracks and turned back hesitantly.
Wei Zilin smashed the wine cup in his hand to the ground. The glass fragments flew everywhere and the wine spilled all over the ground. Under the candlelight, it looked like a mottled bloodstain.
Wei Zilin's hand was still suspended in mid-air, his fingertips trembling slightly, as if he was trying hard to suppress some emotion that was about to burst out.
His face was still hidden in the shadows, making it impossible to see his expression.
Only the extremely forbearing silence was so suffocating.
The attendant was so horrified that he dared not stay. He lowered his head and hurriedly quickened his pace, fearing that if he was a moment later, Wei Zilin would sentence him to death.
He walked quickly out of the palace, his heart beating like a drum. Only when he stepped out of the gate of the East Palace did he take a deep breath and was shocked to find that his back was soaked with cold sweat.
The Crown Princess is really dead...
But somehow...
He always felt that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was not as cold and indifferent as he said?
Inside the Shen Mansion, the wind was slightly chilly and there was deathly silence.
When the news of Tang Lin'er's sudden death reached the Shen Mansion, the entire Shen family was suddenly plunged into shock.
Prime Minister Shen, who was originally reviewing memorials at his desk, stood up suddenly upon hearing this, and the pen in his hand fell violently onto the desk, splashing a pool of ink.
He frowned and looked solemnly at the servant who brought the news for a long time without saying anything. The servants in the study all held their breath and dared not make a sound.
When Mrs. Shen heard the bad news, she was stunned.
After a while, she held the edge of the table with trembling hands, slowly sat down, and a hint of moisture appeared in her eyes.
Although Tang Lin'er was not her biological daughter, she had raised her for several years after all. No matter how cold-hearted she was, there was always a bond between them.
She was silent for a moment, and finally couldn't help taking out a handkerchief, gently wiped the moisture from the corners of her eyes, and sighed softly.
"...He is a miserable child after all."
Shen Yunchao's reaction was particularly calm, so calm that it made people feel uneasy.
When he heard the bad news, he didn't react or say anything. He just stood up silently and walked slowly to the courtyard where Tang Lin'er used to live in the Shen Mansion.
The place had been tidied up and there was no trace of the previous owner. Only a cypress tree in the yard was still lush and green, making a faint rustling sound in the breeze.
Shen Yunchao stood in the courtyard, silently looking at the plants and trees in front of him.
In the huge courtyard, I can still vaguely see the pretty girl with dimples running in the yard with a beautiful smile on her face.
But now, everything has changed.
He stood there for a long time, looking lonely.
The sun gradually set, but he did not move at all, and did not even drink a sip of water or eat a bite of food.
As night fell, the servants in the mansion looked at him worriedly, but no one dared to step forward to persuade him.
When Shen Xingwan, who was talking with his mother in the main courtyard, learned about it, he sighed in his heart, said goodbye to his mother and rushed to the courtyard, standing not far away and quietly watching his brother.
She didn't rush to persuade him, but just called softly: "Brother."
Shen Yunchao turned slowly when he heard the voice, and the silence in his eyes was heart-wrenching.
He looked at Shen Xingwan, his Adam's apple rolling slightly, as if he had thousands of words pressing on his heart, but in the end he said nothing.
Shen Xingwan sighed softly, took a step forward, and said in a gentle but firm tone: "The dead are gone, brother, please accept my condolences. The most important thing now is the safety of the Shen family, brother, you must not be impulsive."
Shen Yunchao was silent for a long time, finally nodded slightly, and said no more.
Seeing this, Shen Xingwan patted his arm gently. Prime Minister Shen and Madam Shen also hurried over and looked at Shen Yunchao with some worry.
Seeing that everyone was there, Shen Xingwan changed the subject and lowered his voice to talk about business.
"Now that Tang Lin'er has passed away suddenly, the Shen family will inevitably be closely watched. Brother should not show up for the time being, and father and mother should not rashly go to pay their respects, lest someone finds any evidence against them."
Madam Shen was stunned for a moment, her brows slightly furrowed: "But Lin'er grew up in the Shen family after all. If even we don't go, won't others say that my Shen family is cold and indifferent?"
Shen Xingwan chuckled and said calmly, "Don't worry, mother. It doesn't matter what outsiders say. The Shen family cannot lose their composure. Dad and mom can just announce to the public that they are too sad to be able to go to pay their respects."
Upon hearing this, Prime Minister Shen pondered for a moment, and finally nodded slowly.
Therefore, the Shen family announced to the public that Prime Minister Shen and Madam Shen were extremely saddened by the loss of their daughter and were bedridden, unable to go to the Eastern Palace to pay their respects in person. Only Shen Xingwan would go to the Eastern Palace alone to pay her respects.
That night, Shen Fu could not sleep. The wind blew over the eaves, whimpering sadly.
The East Palace was silent, white banners hung low, funeral music played, and the mourning hall was solemn.
The sudden death of the Crown Princess shocked the entire court. The Emperor and the Empress Dowager were unable to attend in person due to illness, so the Crown Prince Wei Zilin and the Imperial Household Department jointly presided over the funeral ceremonies, striving to make this grand ceremony dignified and honorable.
The entire Shen family was in shock, and relatives rushed to pay their respects. The mourning hall was crowded with people, filled with smoke and filled with sorrow.
Shen Xingwan also arrived, wearing a plain white cloth dress that trailed on the ground. She had no decorations on her body except for a small white rice-bead flower pinned on her temples. She looked simple, elegant, cold, and solemn.
She walked calmly and completed the worship ceremony one by one according to the etiquette. Her eyes lightly swept over the spirit tablets and white candles placed on the altar. Her face was calm. She slightly bent her knees, lit the incense and bowed, fulfilling her superficial sisterly duty.
After the ceremony, she had no intention of staying and turned around to leave.
However, just as she was about to reach the palace door, suddenly, there was a "bang" and the door was slammed shut from the outside!
The sound of the palace door closing echoed endlessly in the empty mourning hall, shocking Shen Xingwan's heart. She paused slightly, turned back suddenly, and swept her cold eyes towards the tightly closed door.
Feiyun, who was accompanying her, also had a sudden change of expression, and subconsciously grasped her arm, "Miss..."
Before Feiyun finished her words, the two servants who were keeping vigil nearby rushed forward like ghosts, covered her mouth without saying a word, and dragged her away.
Feiyun struggled in fear, but the opponent's movements were too fast and too fierce. With only a look of panic in her eyes, she was dragged into the darkness of the back door of the hall.
Shen Xingwan suddenly felt a chill as if the blood in her body was flowing backwards. She turned back abruptly, and a pair of gloomy eyes fell quietly on her.
Wei Zilin stood behind the white banner in the mourning hall. He was dressed in disheveled casual clothes, with dark circles under his eyes. He looked haggard, and it was obvious that he had not had a good rest for a long time.
He just stared at her straight, his thin lips slightly curled up, revealing an arc that seemed like a smile, and there was a dark color in his eyes.
Shen Xingwan felt a little depressed.
"Wei Zilin, what are you doing?"
Wei Zilin chuckled, his voice low and hoarse, but with a hint of cold joy.
"The Crown Princess passed away suddenly. As her elder sister, you must have wanted to have a good talk with her, right?"
He raised his hand and waved it nonchalantly, and all the palace servants who were originally serving in the mourning hall quietly withdrew. Once the door of the hall was closed, she and Wei Zilin were the only ones left in the huge mourning hall.
Shen Xingwan's heart suddenly jumped.
She glanced at Wei Zilin, turned around and walked away, quickly to the door of the palace, and reached out to pull the door hard. However, no matter how hard she tried, the heavy vermilion lacquered door did not move at all. It was obvious that it was locked from the outside!
Her fingertips felt slightly cold, and she tightly grasped the door knocker. Her chest rose and fell, and her heart sank. She realized something was wrong, gritted her teeth, turned around, and said sternly: "Wei Zilin, are you crazy?"
Before she finished her words, Wei Zilin was already walking towards her slowly. His steps were calm, neither hurried nor slow, and carried an invisible sense of oppression.
His shadow was stretched out extremely long by the faint candlelight in the hall, and was cast beside Shen Xingwan, like a long-hungry beast, approaching its prey step by step.
Shen Xingwan had a bad feeling and turned around to push the door, but a very close shadow suddenly covered him!
She instinctively turned her head, and when she raised her eyes, she met a pair of dangerous black eyes.
Wei Zilin stood behind her, looking down at her, his eyes were as dark as the deep sea, and tinged with madness.
His face was frighteningly close, and his breath fell on the side of her neck, carrying a slightly cold smell of alcohol, warm and ambiguous.
Shen Xingwan's heart was shocked and she turned her head to avoid it, but her cheek almost brushed against his lips!
She was horrified and suddenly raised her hand to push him, but Wei Zilin had anticipated it. The moment she made her move, he suddenly slapped the door with such force that the door frame shook violently.
Shen Xingwan's back hit the door unexpectedly.
Wei Zilin's figure loomed over her, his chest only an inch away from her, trapping her completely in his arms!
She was trapped in a small space by him and had nowhere to escape!
Wei Zilin rested his arms on the side of her head, lowered his head slightly, and stared at her with his dark eyes in an unfathomable way.
Shen Xingwan was forced to look up at him, her breathing slightly disordered, her back pressed tightly against the cold, hard door, her hands tightly clenched into her sleeves, her knuckles slightly white.
The candles in the mourning hall flickered and the white banners fluttered slightly, sounding mournful and eerie.
Shen Xingwan took a deep breath, suppressed the discomfort in his heart, and said coldly: "Wei Zilin, what do you want to do?"
Wei Zilin slowly curled his lips, his eyes slowly swept across her face, finally stopping on her snow-white, slender neck, his Adam's apple moving slightly.
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