Chapter 27. Chapter 27. A new beginning awaits her. ...
The maids dared not disturb them any further and withdrew to wait.
Ling Xun concealed his smile, lest Bai Xuerou feel uncomfortable if she found out later, so he quietly watched Bai Xuerou, keeping her company in secret.
As I sat there, my mind began to wander—
He thought of Bai Xuerou's three bodyguards.
He arranged two of them, so... who is the other one?
The Bai family? Or someone else?
Ling Xun was eager to know, and wanted to ask Bai Xuerou, but he knew it was inappropriate. He could only ponder it over and over in his heart, and had to suppress the urge to investigate and explore.
Who could it be? Is it one of my sister-in-law's admirers?
The maids waited for a while longer, making sure Bai Xuerou was fast asleep, before carrying her into the room.
Ling Xun then left.
It was already past midnight, and Ling Xun was busy. When he went to the front, he heard that people from the three generals' residences had come to inquire, and the steward had already sent them away.
Ling Xun knew that the trouble had only just begun. Sure enough, not long after, Guan Zhongkai and the other two generals arrived at the Prince's residence.
The burning of Ling Zheng's mourning hall was no small matter. Outside, it concerned the reputation of the Zhenbei Army and the Ling family; it was anyone's guess what outsiders would think of Ling Xun. Inside, several people couldn't help but wonder if this was Ling Xun seeking personal revenge.
They all knew perfectly well that even if a fire broke out, with so many people in the Prince's mansion, it wouldn't have allowed the fire to escalate to this extent. There was no other explanation but deliberate intent.
The three men came together to inquire, and their expressions were not good. Guan Zhongkai, in particular, was loyal to Ling Ji'an. He had previously served Ling Zheng and was now preparing to wholeheartedly serve Ling Xun.
But he absolutely did not want the person he was assisting to be a beast who would desecrate his brother's remains after his death.
Even Liu Meng, who had always been dissatisfied with Ling Zheng, was no exception.
This act is truly contrary to human ethics.
Only Wei Yi understood Ling Xun best. Upon learning of this matter, his first thought was that the thing that could make him so angry must be related to Bai Xuerou, and he was filled with worry.
"Do you all know that before Ling Zheng died, he left a message requesting that his sister-in-law be buried with him after his death?"
Guan Zhongkai and Liu Meng were immediately taken aback.
The practice of funerary sacrifice had already declined by the Qin Dynasty, and was no longer mentioned after the Han Dynasty.
Even before the Qin Dynasty, those chosen for burial were only concubines, servants, and slaves; wives were never chosen to be buried alive with the dead.
If we're talking about violating human ethics, destroying a person's remains is definitely not as bad as making his wife commit suicide. This can be considered a scandal, and if it gets out, Ling Zheng's reputation will definitely not be good, and I'm afraid even the Ling family's reputation will be ruined.
"You bastard!" Wei Yi couldn't help but shout angrily, drawing sidelong glances from Liu Meng and Guan Zhong.
This colleague was usually as still as a mountain, as heavy and steady as a rock. This was the first time they had ever seen him so openly express his emotions.
Liu Meng's initial dissatisfaction had long since dissipated, turning into anger as he exclaimed, "This is outrageous!"
Guan Zhong hesitated for a moment, then finally asked, "Could there be a misunderstanding about this?"
Of the three generals, he was the most familiar with Ling Zheng and had the best relationship with him, so it was hard to believe that he would do such a thing. In his memory, Ling Zheng was gentle and kind, and although he had become somewhat autocratic and arrogant after taking office, it wasn't too much.
"Ling Zheng's personal guards, including Ling Cunrui and ten others, went to the mourning hall late at night with poisoned wine and white silk to force his sister-in-law. While protecting her, the guards accidentally knocked over a candlestick, setting the mourning hall ablaze. Due to the dry weather, the fire could not be extinguished for a long time," Ling Xun said calmly.
He had already prepared the evidence and had it presented to him.
It can be said that there are both witnesses and undocumented evidence, and the story has a complete beginning and end, so it can withstand scrutiny.
Guan Zhongkai read it carefully, sighed, and apologized to Ling Xun, "I'm sorry, Sixth Master, I was just overthinking and misunderstood you."
As he spoke, his feelings remained quite complex.
He had initially thought Ling Xun was settling a personal score, but he hadn't expected this. He was certainly wrong, but the Princess had been kind to him; this could only be considered adoption. But… she was still his own brother, it was truly…
Ling Xun waved his hand, acknowledging their suspicions and not minding them. He then said, "I think using the assassination charge is the most appropriate reason. What do you all think?"
All three generals should be.
The matter was simply dropped.
Then the group started talking about Ling Xun's inheritance of the title. They had already submitted a memorial yesterday, and if nothing unexpected happened, the imperial decree would be issued in three days at most. Now they were worried that someone would take advantage of the situation to delay the time for Ling Xun to inherit the title.
Ling Xun wasn't too worried about this. As long as the Zhenbei Army was fine, the imperial court wouldn't do anything to him.
Then the group started talking about the affairs of the Zhenbei Army.
Ling Zheng had only inherited the title for half a year and hadn't had time to do anything to the Zhenbei Army yet, but he had been in the army for two years and his skills in winning people over were extremely good, so there were still some generals in the army who were loyal to him.
However, that's secondary. The most important thing is that the Zhenbei Army has been in Chang'an for more than half a year. During this time, the Zhenbei Army has experienced two changes of Zhenbei Kings. Those aristocratic families have not been idle and have done a lot of things to sabotage the Zhenbei Army.
Bribery, courting, all sorts of scheming.
The Zhenbei Army of today is no longer as pure as it was before it entered Chang'an.
In other words, they are not entirely trustworthy.
Ling Xun told the three of them that he intended to use this opportunity to lure out some people with ulterior motives.
"It will also prevent accidents from happening in critical moments in the future," he said.
Upon hearing this, the three of them became serious. Although they had different personalities, they were not naive and naturally understood the principle of the fickle nature of human hearts. However, they had always been complacent in the past. Now that Ling Xun had exposed their true intentions, they did not say anything and agreed with his idea. They then began to discuss how to better complete the plan.
After the discussion, Ling Xun led the three to the new mourning hall, where they all lit incense.
As for the fact that Princess Bai Xuerou was not keeping vigil at the coffin, no one mentioned it, but Ling Xun still explained that Bai Xuerou had been attacked and frightened, and was already ill and unable to get up for the time being. Everyone expressed their understanding.
The matter was thus dropped.
Those who had been secretly observing since the three generals went to the Prince of Zhenbei's residence in the morning immediately understood that there must be something hidden about what happened last night, otherwise the three would not have cooperated like this.
Whether it's a hidden story or a secret, it can be used as leverage by some people.
In an instant, many people became restless and began to investigate.
Unfortunately, Ling Xun handled the matter that night so cleanly that there was nowhere to make a move, so he had to suppress his anger for the time being.
Bai Xuerou got drunk and slept, but she was still feeling dizzy and uncomfortable due to the hangover. When she woke up, her brows were furrowed.
The maids helped her get up and wash, and applied a damp cloth to her face. She closed her eyes and felt the moisture as she listened to Yin Gui recount the events of the previous night. When she heard that Ling Xun had come to find her, a smile involuntarily appeared on her lips as she took off the cloth.
As he listened further, he realized that he had acted drunk and out of control in front of Ling Xun, and he couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed.
"It's clear that alcohol is no good; you have to drink it in secret." She sat in front of her dressing table combing her hair and sighed softly.
The bronze mirror was polished smooth and clear, allowing a clear view of her face: almond-shaped eyes, a beautiful face, and a radiant glow—truly stunning.
Even after all these years, every time Bai Xuerou sees her face in the mirror, she can't help but admire it with a touch of narcissism.
She could be considered a beauty in her previous life, but she was not as beautiful as she is in this life. Her facial features still vaguely show the foundation of her previous life, but it's as if she has a beauty filter on, making her exceptionally beautiful.
Looking at this beautiful face, my mood couldn't help but improve.
The maid combed her hair, and Yingui helped by her, saying with a smile, "It's good for her to vent her temper. You're usually too dignified and self-restrained, but you're still young. I think the Sixth Prince is quite intrigued and doesn't mind."
"What does he have to mind?" Aside from her initial embarrassment, Bai Xuerou quickly regained her composure and retorted, "Who doesn't know who?"
Jin Tao laughed crisply and said, "Yes, yes, Master, you must know a lot about Sixth Master's childhood. If you really want to talk about it, he wouldn't dare to."
Bai Xuerou chuckled and glanced at Jin Tao. "You dare to say anything. Be careful in the future. He's not just the Sixth Prince anymore; he'll soon be the Prince of Zhenbei, the Regent."
"Yes, this servant understands." Bai Xuerou didn't speak harshly, but her soft words were enough to make Jin Tao's heart skip a beat, and she immediately replied respectfully.
Bai Xuerou was indeed a very easy mistress to serve. She rarely said anything to her maids. Even if they made a mistake or did something that displeased her, she would not say anything and would not hold it against them.
Her tolerance was never limited to those in power, but extended equally to everyone.
But once she speaks up, it cannot be ignored.
Because this could be a matter of life and death.
"Don't be afraid, I don't mean to blame you. It's just that Sixth Master's status is now extraordinary. You used to be close to him, and it was inevitable that you would speak without thinking. He didn't care then, but he might not care now. People's status changes, and so do their concerns. I'm saying this to you, and also to myself. Let's encourage each other."
Bai Xuerou spoke to comfort her, and then slowly began to explain.
"Thank you for your instruction, Master. We will remember it."
The maids inside all stopped what they were doing and said respectfully.
"Good, remember that. Be careful, and you'll live longer." Bai Xuerou sighed, the smile that had finally appeared on her face vanished again, making her look rather gloomy.
She has modern memories, so she is all the more aware of how cannibalistic society is, and therefore she dares not be careless and is always cautious in everything she does.
“Okay, let’s continue. No need to comb your hair into a bun, just tie it up slightly,” she said.
The maids should be.
After dressing up and having breakfast, many people came to visit Bai Xue Rou, who was 'sick'. She was still feeling unwell from her hangover and looked pale, which was just enough to keep up with the visitors.
After saying a few words, she made up her mind to feign illness, drank the herbal medicine for dizziness, and went to sleep again.
After waking up from this sleep, I finally felt much better.
The funeral hall remained the same, except that Bai Xuerou was absent.
Everyone knew that the former Princess Zhenbei was ill and could no longer get out of bed.
The people from the Prince's Mansion all went to see Bai Xuerou. Seeing her lying on the bed with a pale face, they were all half-believing and half-doubting.
With Bai Xuerou's accident, the funeral arrangements naturally fell to Ling Xun. The funeral hall caught fire, and Ling Zheng was reduced to charred bones. He used the excuse that he was worried the fire would disturb Ling Zheng's soul, so he asked a master to come and choose the nearest auspicious date to bury Ling Zheng.
This excuse is plausible, but it is still somewhat controversial.
Ling Xun didn't care about what others were doing and resolved the matter in just a few days.
Bai Xuerou only made a brief appearance on the day of the burial; she was supposed to be attending the funeral procession, but she fainted after only a few steps.
She didn't want to send off Ling Zheng's spirit.
Bai Xuerou lay on the bed, listening to the commotion in the mansion gradually subside and the funeral procession disappear into the distance. Finally, she let out a long, long sigh of relief.
it's all over.
What's past is past.
A new beginning awaits her.
She was rich, had status, and was a widow.
She doesn't need to worry about food or drink, or about getting married; from now on, her life will be entirely her own.
-----------------------
Author's Note: Writing again, the wonderful life of a widow.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
