Chang Feng inquired about the location of the Xue House all the way, and finally came to an alley but saw that there was a family in that alley doing a funera
Wei Luo was expressionless on the horse; Chang Feng dismounted and asked politely to an old woman sitting next to him in the shade of a tree, “Grandma, do you know where Xue Huan’s house is located?”
The woman looked at the master and the servant, pointed to the family where the funeral was held, and said, “You are here to pay respects to Mr. Xue; that is his house. It’s such a pity. Master Xue was so young, but he still lost his life due to drinking.”
Chang Feng’s face changed drastically; he looked at the master on the horseback and continued to inquire, “Drinking?”
The old woman replied, “Yes, just a few days ago, Mr. Xue went to drink wedding wine at someone’s home and suddenly collapsed while drinking, with foam from his mouth. When the doctor arrived, he was out of breath. What kind of good is wine? Isn’t this kind of thing rare? It’s a pity that Mr. Xue was still so young…”
Wei Luo didn’t listen anymore and urged his horse to go to the Xue House.
Chang Feng hurriedly followed.
Xue Huan had been dead for five days, two days before Wei Luo entered the city. Even if Wei Luo came to visit his cousin first as soon as he arrived in Shaoxing, he would only see Xue Huan’s body.
Because there would be guests coming to express their condolences at any time, the door of the house was open, and the steward was dressed in white, entertaining the guests with a solemn expression.
Naturally, those who came to express their condolences were those who had been with Xue Huan. It stood to reason that he should know everyone.
Therefore, when he saw two unfamiliar faces appearing suddenly, the steward couldn’t help stopping them and asked doubtfully, “May I ask who you are?”
Chang Feng took out his lord’s badge.
After seeing the waist badge clearly, the steward lowered his eyes and knelt down limply.
That posture was too abnormal. Wei Luo walked straight in, bypassing the screen wall. The mourning hall came into view with a red coffin placed in the middle of the yard. In front of the coffin, a mother and child in mourning clothes were kneeling.
Wei Luo glanced at the face of the beautiful young woman; she was not his cousin Wen Ruyue. The child was only three years old, not the age of his nephew. The woman kneeling there was Xue Huan’s wife, and even though Xue Huan had died, Wen Ruyue was not present.
Chang Feng stepped forward and asked, “Where is Madam Xue?”
She only raised her head when she heard someone questioning her. She seemed okay upon seeing Chang Feng, but when her eyes fell on Wei Luo’s cold-faced expression, a chill rushed up from the soles of her feet. Stuttering, she said, “Madam is sick in bed. Who are you two?”
Chang Feng directly grabbed the maid wearing mourning clothes beside her and asked her to lead the way.
The maid looked tremblingly at the beautiful young woman kneeling on the ground.
That young woman was Wang Shi, the newlywed wife of Xue Huan, who had recently demoted Wen Ruyue to a concubine. Chang Feng sensed that something was amiss with the Xue family. Without hesitation, he drew his long sword, placed it against the girl’s neck, and uttered coldly, “Lead the way!” The girl, trembling, promptly headed towards the backyard.
Soon, she guided Wei Luo and Chang Feng to Wen Ruyue’s room, where a dark-faced servant girl was still stationed. The servant girl was stunned at the sight of Chang Feng’s sword. Dismissing the guiding maid, Chang Feng entered with a stern expression, and no one dared to stop him. Reaching the inner room’s entrance, he was about to proceed when he recognized the need for formality and loudly declared, “Madam, the Prince is here to see you.”
There was no response from inside. Wei Luo, growing impatient, pushed the door open and entered. Inside, he felt a profound silence, and as he circled the screen, he discovered his cousin Wen Ruyue lying on the bed, seemingly lifeless with closed eyes.
Calling out to his cousin produced no response. He checked her pulse, which was no different from a dead person.
“Go fetch the doctor,” Wei Luo instructed Chang Feng.
Chang Feng carried out the order, seeking assistance from a neighbor. Meanwhile, he restrained Mrs. Wang, the steward, and a few maids, bringing them to face questioning. Mrs. Wang and the steward claimed that Wen Ruyue had refrained from eating or drinking since her son’s death due to illness. Xue Huan had entrusted household matters to Mrs. Wang in light of the circumstances.
However, two maids, intimidated by Chang Feng’s sword, revealed the truth. It emerged that Wen Ruyue fell out of favor during Emperor Yongping’s revolt in Pingcheng. Xue Huan, preoccupied with a new relationship, had grown cold towards Wen Ruyue and her son, neglecting them entirely.
After Emperor Yongping ascended the throne, Xue Huan, despite giving Wen Ruyue the status of a wife again, harbored fears that she might file a complaint with Prince Shu. To stop this, he made their son convince her into writing a letter, subsequently placing both under house arrest. The official narrative circulated was that Wen Ruyue was unwell and required a period of rest.
Wen Ruyue’s son had previously endured mistreatment from the household of Mrs. Wang, resulting in the underlying cause of his illness. Following his confinement, he received inadequate medical attention and succumbed to illness at the close of the preceding year.
In order to prevent Wen Ruyue from raising any objections, Xue Huan surreptitiously introduced drugs into her daily meals. Consequently, even if she were awake, she lacked the strength to vocalize her distress, confined within the closely guarded room. All her maids had been dispersed to various locations since Mrs. Wang’s entry into the family.
Xue Huan’s unexpected death took everyone by surprise. As an official of the Imperial Court, news of his death would undoubtedly reach the court, potentially prompting condolences from the Shu Mansion.
Mrs. Wang knew she couldn’t hide the truth for too long. She already had a plan and intended to arrange for Wen Ruyue to “commit suicide in grief and follow her deceased husband” on the last night of the wake. However, Wen Ruyue’s cousin, His Highness the Prince of Shu, unexpectedly arrived.Even though Mrs. Wang could grit her teeth and deny the maids’ words, Wen Ruyue was present in the room.
After the doctor’s arrival, he took care of Wen Ruyue for two days. Although she was still unable to move around, she could speak. Upon pouring her grievances to Wei Luo, she began accusing Xue Huan and Mrs. Wang of their crimes.
Wei Luo was so furious that he reported all the members of the Xue family to the authorities. Xue Huan’s body was then taken out of the coffin, wrapped in a torn mat, and thrown into the barren hills to be consumed by the dogs.