“I didn’t expect the Yao Family to be so outwardly strong but inwardly weak. That explains why they did not take action even when Shaoshi Yao suffered those grievances. It turns out that they have no strength to do so,” Lin Mengya said.
The letter detailedly recorded the finding of Xiaoyu’s investigation in the past few days.
The Yao Family seemed to be still flourishing, but in fact, its foundation had been hollowed out.
According to Xiaoyu’s finding, the Yao Family seemed to have suffered a great loss for some reason.
Apart from Yao Lu’s brother, the other members of the Yao Family either disappeared or hid in their mansion, and ordinary people could not see them.
This was strange. Given the Yao Family’s enormous wealth, even the loss caused by a calamity was unlikely to hollow out its foundation.
What on earth had happened?
“What’s wrong? Why are you so angry?” Lin Mengya asked.
After reading the letter, she discovered that Baisu did not seem to be angry at this.
“Nothing, I just heard some gossip in the imperial palace,” Baisu answered.
The gossip that enraged Baisu must be quite offensive.
Naturally, Lin Mengya could guess what others had said. Since they did not dare to curse Madame Jingrou, they could only curse her who was considered as Madame Jingrou’s lackey.
It was really strange that they didn’t even dare to go to the mourning hall in the Linqiu Pavilion to offer incense and just dared to gossip behind her back.
People like them would never come to anything.
“Since you know they just dare to gossip, why bother getting angry with them? Come with me to hold the funeral procession tomorrow. Although the Yao Family can’t show up, it doesn’t mean that others won’t come to make trouble,” Lin Mengya said.
“Okay, Miss. Rest a.s.sured,” Baisu said.
Xiaoyu was presumably busy with something else.
At present, the Yao Family was just a sh.e.l.l and would not pose a threat to Xiaoyu.
Wanyan Lie and his force presumably had another plan. Of course, Xiaoyu was the core of the plan.
But now Lin Mengya could somewhat guess why those people dared to seize Xiaoyu that night.
Someone intended to make use of them to wipe out the Yao Family and thus to erase the evidence.
However, they did not expect that not only did Xiaoyu manage to escape, but he also kept it secret.
As the Yao Family survived, something also survived.
Lin Mengya guessed that someone probably would not be able to sit by.
Xiaoyu and his force happened to be able to make an issue of it.
Lin Mengya stayed up all night. According to the rules of the Lieyun Empire, she should keep offering burning incense in front of the coffin from the moment the coffin was placed in the Linqiu Pavilion.
In the midst of the curling up smoke, if spirits really existed, they would go up to the heaven with the smoke.
Early in the morning, Lin Mengya, who had stayed up all night, appeared in the chamber of the Linqiu Pavilion.
At this moment, Yao Lu, who was ready to leave, had packed her belongings with Yunmo’s help.
“Things have been arranged properly. Rest a.s.sured, Your Grace,” Lin Mengya said.
She came personally to send Yao Lu out to show the importance she attached to Yao Lu.
After a while, Yao Lu was going out of the imperial palace in a sedan chair after the funeral procession.
When the time came, everyone’s attention would be drawn to the funeral procession, so no one would notice that a sedan chair in the rear of the procession disappeared.
Moreover, the Emperor had arranged someone to pick up Yao Lu as soon as she got out of the imperial palace.
No one would be aware that the person, who was supposed to be lying in the coffin, would be sent out of the imperial palace secretly in this way.
“There’s nothing to worry about. It’s not a big deal even if I’m discovered,” Yao Lu said with dejection and sadness.
She had roughly seen and heard what had happened outside over the past few days.
In fact, she was not a villain, and she had thought those who had relied on her power to domineer over others sincerely supported her.
Unexpectedly, they deceived her.
“Take it easy, Your Grace. No one can discover the secret. In fact, it might be a relief. Congratulation on your new life,” Lin Mengya said from the bottom of her heart.
In fact, the complicated life in the imperial palace was not suitable for people like Yao Lu.
She had once been confused why Chen A’jiao, for whom the Emperor Wu in the Han Dynasty had promised to build a chamber of gold, was defeated by Wei Zifu, who rose from a dancer.
The former was of n.o.ble birth and had been the Emperor Wu’s childhood sweetheart.
Meanwhile, the latter was supposed to be at a disadvantage in any case even if she was a peerless beauty.
But after experiencing a mult.i.tude of things, Lin Mengya became aware that women like Chen A’jiao and Yao Lu, who were born in aristocratic families and spoiled and protected tenderly, might be thoroughly accomplished in lyre-playing, chess, calligraphy and painting, wealthy in knowledge and of great talent, but they were not good at playing tricks and scheming.
Unfortunately, tricks and schemes were significant in the imperial palace, while the other things were merely the icing on the cake.
For example, Madame Jingrou had spent twenty years cultivating her gentleness into a weapon that was pliable and lethal at the same time.
Only a woman like her could achieve the final victory in the imperial palace.
Yao Lu was simple and arrogant.
She was lucky enough to end up like this.
“That’s true. I’m going to get a new life. After I get out of here, I’m no longer Yao Lu. Please express my grat.i.tude to your master. After all, after I’m utterly defeated, her life will be much better,” Yao Lu said.
Ever since the truth was revealed, she seemed to have come to a complete realization.
In fact, she still couldn’t get over her hatred for Jingrou from the bottom of her heart.
But she was calmer than ever. From the very beginning, she was doomed to lose this battle.
Jingrou lost as well. This was doomed to be a battle with no winner.
“Thank you for your understanding, You Grace. Yunmo, walk Her Grace out,” Lin Mengya said.
Hearing that it became increasingly noisy outside, Lin Mengya realized that it was the time for the funeral procession.
There was no funeral music at this time.
Although it was a Shaoshi’s funeral, according to the rules in the imperial palace, except for her palace maids, others did not have to wear mourning clothes.
This was the rule. In the imperial palace, the funeral of anyone other than those in high and influential positions was an insignificant joke.
Lin Mengya and Baisu were dressed in plain clothes and wore simple hairpins, which could be considered solemn enough.
Watching the small-scale and poor funeral procession, Lin Mengya was deeply affected, although she knew that the funeral was a fake one.
Everyone’s life would probably come to such an insignificant end.
What was the point of spending a lifetime fighting for glory?
Sitting in the carriage, Lin Mengya and Baisu were watching over the funeral procession all the time.
The funeral music was not played until they got out of the imperial palace.
Nevertheless, in order to keep a low profile, the funeral was held by the standard a little higher than that for an ordinary woman rather than by the standard of Shaoshi.
Furthermore, the Emperor said that Shaoshi Yao was guilty, so she was privileged enough to be buried in the cemetery for the imperial concubines.
Thus, no carriage, horse, paper offering and funeral procession special for the royals were allowed to be used in her funeral.
No one could tell that this procession came from the imperial palace.
Everyone thought it a funeral procession from a wealthy family.
After they got out of the inner capital city, fewer and fewer people knew where they came from.
In the end, not a single curious person could be seen on the streets.
Although the Lieyun Empire did not take rites as seriously as the Jin State did, the people in the Lieyun Empire respected the deceased a lot.
In their culture, the deceased people were believed to be pre-celestials going to the heaven.
Therefore, most people would bow their heads and pay their respects when they met a funeral procession.
In addition, store owners and a.s.sistants should all avoid going out before the funeral procession pa.s.sed by.
At the moment, wherever they went, the streets were empty.
Lin Mengya breathed a sigh of relief.
She had been worried that they would attract others’ attention and create side issues.
Unexpectedly, people attached great importance to etiquette, which saved her a lot of trouble.
They had to pa.s.s through the inner and outer capital cities and travel a certain distance before reaching the cemetery for the royal family.
Lin Mengya thought that things would go well, but the procession suddenly stopped halfway out of the outer capital city.
When she was looking out of the carriage, she saw the eunuch in charge from the Ministry of Rites in the front of the procession run hurriedly to her.
“Go and take a look hurriedly, young lady. Madame Hui suddenly blocked our way and is crying ceaselessly. I’m really at my wit’s end with her,” the eunuch said with a frown.
Obviously he’d tried to persuade Madame Hui to get out of their way, but failed.
It was better to come at the right time than to come early.
Lin Mengya looked around and noticed this was obviously the most prosperous wealthy place in the outer capital city.
Madame Hui, who was crying here, was obviously up to no good.
“Take me there. Don’t panic,” Lin Mengya said.
Hearing the words of her, who was in charge of the funeral, the eunuch felt much more at ease.
She hurried to the front of the procession and saw Madame Hui, who was dressed in white with a pitiful look, kneeling on the ground and crying bitterly as she expected.
Nevertheless, Lin Mengya could tell that Madame Hui was not as sad as she appeared to be.
“Sister, I didn’t expect you to pa.s.s away so suddenly that I failed to come back in time to see you before you pa.s.sed away. Sister, my beloved sister!” Madame Hui said.
She even cried routinely. Watching her crying, Lin Mengya sneered in her heart.
“Madame, you don’t have to be so sad. You’ll die and meet her again in the other world sooner or later. Come on, help Madame up. The ground is so hard that it will hurt her knees,” Lin Mengya said.
Her words, which sounded respectful but were actually harsh, obviously stunned Madame Hui.
Then, instructed by Lin Mengya, the palace maids, who had been prepared, pulled Madame Hui up forcefully from the ground.
Madame Hui didn’t expect this palace maid, who had served Madame Jingrou all this time and looked meek, could be so efficient.
“How dare you!” Madame Hui shouted, trying to struggle free, but to no avail.
Then, she glared at Lin Mengya with a trace of shock in her eyes.