Quick Wear: Men Farming and Women Weaving

Chapter 204: Red Mansion Lady Xing 24

Xing Yuling's face was as pale as paper, and her frail body seemed to have been drained of all its vitality. She was wearing a plain white mourning dress, which made her look even more haggard. She followed Jia's mother closely, and after getting off the carriage, she walked towards the palace gate step by step with difficulty.

Mrs. Wang's rank was a fifth-rank concubine, which was too low, so low that she was not qualified to enter the palace to mourn. Before leaving, Mrs. Wang stood at the door with a distorted face as Mrs. Xing and Lady Jia got on the carriage and left. For the first time, she complained that Jia Zheng was not motivated, and that he had only obtained the position of fifth-rank official in the Ministry of Works by petitioning for it when her father-in-law was still alive.

Along the way, many ladies of noble rank came one after another. Among them were some elderly ladies who walked slowly and laboriously; there were also some young ladies who walked lightly and gracefully.

Xing Yuling's eyes were empty and lifeless. She followed behind Lady Jia silently without making any sound. Only the heavy footsteps echoed in the air.

When they arrived at the coffin, the Crown Princess and a group of female relatives came to the coffin. They all had sad faces and tears in their eyes, as if the whole world had lost its color. The Crown Princess was even more heartbroken, and her cries echoed in the air, making people feel pity.

Her family, her status... everything vanished with the death of the prince. And she didn't know what to do with her daughter in the future.

Xing Yuling looked at the coffin in front of her, her eyes filled with grief. Her lips trembled slightly, as if she wanted to say something to him.

Afterwards, Ming began a long and painful wake and crying ceremony.

The emperor stood on the other side of the mourning hall, his face twisted, staring at the spirit tablet in front of him in pain. His eyes were full of sadness and regret, as if the whole world had collapsed in front of him.

He really couldn't imagine that such a heart-breaking thing would happen. Originally, he just hoped that by putting the prince under house arrest, he would have enough time to reflect on his mistakes and make the prince listen to him obediently. However, fate played a cruel joke on him.

Now, it was too late. He regretted it deeply. If he had been more patient and understanding, he might not have come to this point. But now, no matter how much he regretted, it was useless. He could only silently endure the pain and self-blame.

The emperor was afraid that he would dream of the late queen when he closed his eyes at night, and that she would blame him. Even worse, he would be ashamed to face them both.

The prince died of illness in the Eastern Palace. The emperor didn't believe it because he had seen him before and he was a healthy person, but he suddenly died.

He began to wonder if it was done by other princes or other forces? Many people were eyeing the position of the crown prince! So the emperor ordered a strict investigation of all the maids and eunuchs in the East Palace, not letting any suspicious person go.

After a thorough investigation, the emperor was shocked by the results. It turned out that all kinds of forbidden items were found in the East Palace. These items were forbidden to be brought into the palace. What was even more surprising was that many spies planted by the concubines and the princes were also found. What does this mean? Could it be that someone wanted to use these things to frame the prince? Or did they just want to take this opportunity to strike a blow to the prince's power?

The emperor seemed to have found a vent to vent his anger and depression. During these three days, he became extremely irritable. Not only did he kill many people, he also severely punished some ministers and officials, even confiscating their property and exiling them. Many high-ranking concubines were demoted. The entire palace was shrouded in tension and fear, and everyone was in danger.

The princes and nobles were all cleaning up their messes tremblingly, fearing that they would be caught by the emperor.

Several adult princes blamed each other, not knowing which brother had started the fight, and without even saying hello.

Xing Yuling knelt behind Lady Jia, tears streaming down her face. She cried along with the crowd and kept vigil for the man with all her heart.

Grandmother Jia knelt in the second row and cried with the wives of the dukes. She pounded her knees a few times out of exhaustion and continued crying.

Many ladies and old ladies could not hold on any longer, their bodies swayed, and they fainted on the ground. They were sent to the next room by palace maids to have the imperial physician take their pulses.

Mrs. Baolinghou saw that Lady Jia was a little unstable and hurriedly reached out to support her.

"Aunt, why don't you call in sick? It's not a solution to keep going like this!" Mrs. Bowling said worriedly.

Grandmother Jia tried to blink her eyes, as if trying to stay awake: "It's only the first day, why am I saying I'm sick? I have to at least hold on until the second or third day..."

"But the situation is so complicated now. What if the physical discomfort causes bigger problems?" Mrs. Baoling looked at Lady Jia worriedly, and glared at Xing Yuling next to her, as if she looked down on this second wife.

She pretended not to see them, lowered her head and cried quietly, ignoring them.

Xing Yuling felt a little sorry that Shui Lin had never seen his son.

The secret guards he left behind remained in her hands, and all the people around her son were replaced by female secret guards to protect him in the open.

Shui Lin committed suicide by taking poison, knowing that after his death, his father would protect the women in the Eastern Palace and his two children out of guilt towards him.

After a day of mourning, everyone was exhausted, and the ladies were starving and could not stand the hunger.

Trembling all over, Grandmother Jia left the palace with the help of Xing Yuling and got on a carriage back to Rongguo Mansion.

The food had been prepared early in the mansion, waiting for them to return.

The brothers Jia She and Jia Zheng had just returned, looking pale and terrified as they sat in their chairs.

What everyone saw and heard today was terrifying. Many families were confiscated because of the emperor's decree, and many innocent people died here. This horrific scene made Jia Jing, Jia She and others feel terrified, worrying that they would be the next to suffer. Especially Jia Zheng, who was timid to begin with, and at this moment he was so scared that he hid behind his eldest brother.

When Mrs. Wang looked at Lady Jia and the others, she felt somewhat fortunate that she did not go to mourn today, as if she had forgotten that she was not qualified to do so.

Everyone finished their dinner in silence and went back to rest.

After checking on her son's condition, Xing Yuling instructed several maids to take good care of him.

After returning to the bedroom, with the massage of several maids, her legs and shoulders felt much better. She had been kneeling all day, and her knees were already bruised. Yu Shui applied medicine to the lady's knees with some concern.

Xing Yuling lay quietly on the bed and gently closed her eyes. Gradually, she fell asleep. In her dream, she seemed to have come to a beautiful and mysterious place - a pond full of blooming lotus flowers.

The lotus leaves in the lotus pond are as green as jade and as big as round plates, with crystal clear water drops rolling on them. Some lotus flowers are in bud, while others have already bloomed. The petals are as white as snow, dotted with golden stamens in the middle, and exude bursts of fragrance.

Xing Yuling strolled by the lotus pond, feeling the breeze blowing across her face, bringing a hint of coolness and freshness. She was immersed in this peaceful atmosphere, feeling happy and relaxed.

A figure appeared not far away.

That was Shui Yan! His face was pale, but there was a hint of happiness in his eyes. Shui Yan looked at Xing Yuling and called her softly.

"Yuling!"

"Shui Lin, you are still alive!"