0p0 Chapter 654 I must go to pay my respects in person.
Chapter 654 I must go to pay my respects in person.
Following Su Lingyue's orders, the steward gave each of the deceased servants and guards' families eight hundred taels of silver as funeral expenses and compensation.
As for Xiaoman, Qilu, and Jitang, their coffins were placed in the courtyard where Yan Qing and his guards lived.
Xiaoman and Qilu were, like Yanqing, the offspring of his former subordinates, and had no relatives left in the world.
Xiao Yu gathered them together partly to take care of them, and partly to let them avenge their parents themselves. But they all perished before dawn.
"Does Your Highness know who did it?"
Through this incident, Su Lingyue realized that Yan Qing and the others were not invincible; there are always people more capable than you.
What should they do if the assassins come again?
"Hmm." Xiao Yu looked at her, his eyes calm and without any worry. "This time we got in his way, we just need to avoid it in the future."
Even when Xiao Yu was bedridden in the past, his eyes always exuded confidence and a sense of control, and he could resolve any problem. But this time, he took the initiative to avoid the situation, which shows that the other party was not someone to be trifled with.
"Is it enough to just avoid them? Won't that person come knocking again?" If that's the case, given what happened last night, the Prince Su's mansion would be completely powerless to fight back.
Xiao Yu gave a faint "hmm" and didn't say anything else.
However, with Xiao Yu's words, Su Lingyue felt relieved. It was best to avoid it.
Just then, there was a knock on the door.
"What is it?" Su Lingyue asked.
"Your Highness, Xiaoman and the others have been placed in their coffins and will be buried in three days. I came here specifically to report this to Your Highness." It was Yan Qing's voice.
"Make the arrangements. I will go with you to pay my respects in three days."
Just as Xiao Yu finished speaking, the door was pushed open from the outside with a "bang," and Yan Qing strode in with a frown, saying urgently, "Your Highness, I will take care of the burial. You are not well, so just stay at home and rest."
The prince's health is such that he cannot withstand any storms; he cannot let the prince go out and take risks.
Xiao Yu looked at him calmly and said, "I have already taken the medicine prescribed by Uncle Lu. This may be the last time."
The voice was soft, yet it struck Yan Qing's heart like a heavy hammer. He stared wide-eyed at Xiao Yu, opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a single word.
Su Lingyue looked at Yan Qing and smiled, saying, "Let Your Highness go. I will stay with Your Highness and keep a close eye on your health."
Aside from the prince's health, Yan Qing was more concerned about the half of the Spirit Fire Grass.
The prince actually used it.
From now on, he won't need to figure out how to get the other half.
It felt as if a gaping hole had been ripped out of Yan Qing's heart; his chest ached terribly. Not wanting Xiao Yu to notice, he gave a soft "hmm," turned, and strode out.
Only when she stood outside the door did Yan Qing finally raise her sleeve to wipe away her tears.
Seeing him like this, Zhang Chenglin came over and asked with concern, "What's wrong?" Yan Qing had always been lively and cheerful, and he had almost never seen Yan Qing cry.
"The prince is going to Zhonghun Ridge to pay his respects."
"So that's what it is." Zhang Chenglin frowned, thought for a moment and said, "If that thief is determined, we can't guard the mansion even if we do. It doesn't matter whether Your Highness goes or not."
Yan Qing didn't say anything, and dragged her feet as she walked out.
As Su Lingyue secretly wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes with her handkerchief, Xiao Yu behind her said, "Yue'er, stay in the manor. You can't go to that place."
Su Lingyue turned her head and looked at Xiao Yu innocently, asking, "Will they be unhappy if they see me because my surname is Su? But I am your wife, and I am not a bad person. They wouldn't just judge me without knowing the facts!"
Xiao Yu looked at Su Lingyue and finally smiled helplessly, "They won't. It's just..."
“The lonely graves there stretch for dozens of miles; they’ll frighten you.”
Although Xiao Yu was smiling, his eyes were filled with sorrow and grief.
The sorrow and grief were so thick, like an invisible wall, with Xiao Yu inside and her outside. Just watching and listening made her feel suffocated, as if she couldn't breathe.
In that instant, Su Lingyue felt that this was the real Xiao Yu.
This deep sorrow remained within him, but he didn't let anyone else see it.
He was so gentle, and he never showed his emotions. He always silently endured everything on his own.
Su Lingyue moved to Xiao Yu's side, wrapped her arms around his waist, and stubbornly said, forcing back tears, "As long as you're here, I'm not afraid. Besides, I haven't gone to pay my respects to them since I married you. If I go to pay my respects first, they won't forget me when we meet in the afterlife."
After a long silence following a heavy sigh, Xiao Yu finally agreed softly, "Okay."
In the future, he will also be buried there. If... he can see this little thing occasionally, he will be happy.
*
After Xiao Yu took a nap, Su Lingyue went to the room where the coffin was kept, and sure enough, she saw a woman dressed in plain linen clothes.
She knelt before Ji Tang's memorial tablet, throwing paper money into the brazier.
Hearing footsteps, Cai Die turned around and saw Su Lingyue. She quickly stood up to greet her, "Miss, what brings you here?"
When Caiyi heard that it was Su Lingyue coming, she wiped away her tears with her sleeve and stood up to greet her, supporting herself on her knees.
Su Lingyue took her hand and placed her fingertips on her wrist to check her pulse.
Thankfully, nothing happened.
Su Lingyue held Caiyi's hand and asked her softly, "It will be difficult to remarry if you have a child. Do you want to keep this child?"
The two sisters looked at Su Lingyue together. On the one hand, they were surprised that she was so calm in asking Caiyi how to deal with her and Ji Tang's child. On the other hand, they were astonished that Ji Tang's body was barely cold, yet the young lady was talking about Caiyi's future remarriage in front of her.
Caiyi frowned, placed her hand on her lower abdomen, and choked out her reply to Su Lingyue, "Miss, this is Ji Tang's bloodline. No matter what, I will give birth to this child, and I do not plan to remarry in the future."
In her heart, Ji Tang was the best.
Seeing the determination in her eyes and the unprecedented seriousness in her expression, Su Lingyue finally revealed the purpose of her earlier question: "Great sorrow is devastating, especially for pregnant women. If you want a smooth delivery, you must take care of yourself first. I think Ji Tang hopes so too."
After hearing Su Lingyue's words, Caiyi suddenly understood Su Lingyue's intention.
Ji Tang's departure is an irreversible fact. She must protect the bloodline he left behind, give birth to the child, and raise him to adulthood.
Caiyi curtsied to Su Lingyue: "Miss, I will take good care of myself and give birth to the child safely."
"Hmm." Su Lingyue said, "I've come to burn some paper money for Ji Tang. He protected me very well, so I should come and see him off."
Caiyi didn't refuse, and handed the remaining paper money to Su Lingyue, recalling the past: "If it weren't for Miss saving him, Ji Tang's mother and younger brother would have been gone long ago. He told me that he was grateful to Miss and was willing to risk his life for her. Now, he can be considered to have died a worthy death."
it is more than words.
Su Lingyue put the paper money into the brazier, silently promising Ji Tang that she would take good care of Caiyi, his child, mother, and younger brother, so that Ji Tang could rest in peace in the afterlife.
*
On the second day after Ji Tang was placed in the coffin, the steward arranged for someone to send him back to the estate where Ji Tang's mother lived. Cai Die accompanied Cai Yi back for the burial.
Today is the day Xiaoman and Qilu are buried.
Yan Qing had the carriage sealed tightly with the finest gauze. Since they were going to travel along mountain roads, the carriage couldn't be too big; it could only carry three people.
Su Lingyue took care of Xiao Yu, while Ren Dong protected him in the carriage, and Zhang Chenglin drove the carriage.
After leaving the city, the carriage traveled for half a day before finally climbing a high peak.
When Su Lingyue stepped out of the carriage, she finally understood what Xiao Yu meant by the idea of solitary graves stretching for dozens of miles.
This Zhonghun Ridge is almost entirely covered with tombstones, facing the direction of the capital, stretching to the horizon.
Despite the arrival of summer, standing here, Su Lingyue felt only sorrow spreading out along with the countless tombstones.
If Su Lingyue hadn't come with so many people, she would definitely have been scared if she had come alone.
She couldn't help but turn around and glance at Xiao Yu in his wheelchair. He was dressed in black mourning clothes, staring at the tombstone in front of him, his eyes gradually reddening.
Not only Xiao Yu, but also the other guards and servants who came with him had red eyes.