But Li Boyong still refused to back down.
“My lords,” he said, cupping his hands, “it isn’t that the Li family is heartless. It’s just that… Yanming’s wife is far too young. Even three years from now, she’ll only be twenty-five. Are we supposed to expect her to spend the next fifty or sixty years of her life with only her children for company?”
He paused before adding, “Besides, if she observes mourning for three years and eventually can’t restrain herself… if she does something that disgraces the family, it will still be the Li family that loses face.”
“Rather than be humiliated later, it would be better to settle the matter now.”
The words were so unpleasant that everyone turned to stare at him.
But Li Boyong could no longer afford to care. Hoping to make his argument more convincing, he quickly turned toward Madam Sun, Weisheng He’s stepmother-in-law.
“Sister-in-law, what do you think?”
Madam Sun’s expression stiffened. Inwardly, she cursed Li Boyong viciously, but with so many people watching, she had no room to back down. Otherwise, she would be the one to suffer later.
“Yanming’s wife,” Madam Sun said, “the clan head is right. You’re young. You won’t be able to endure widowhood forever. Rather than wait until something happens later… it would be better to remarry while the mourning is still fresh. It would be better for you and for the Li family.”
She was Weisheng He’s mother-in-law.
The two of them had lived under the same roof for three or four years. Aside from Weisheng He’s parents, no one knew her better.
If even Madam Sun was so certain, then perhaps…
Weisheng He’s mother noticed the guests’ expressions changing and immediately exploded.
“You shameless woman! What do you mean my daughter won’t be able to endure it? You’re only a few years older than she is. Maybe you’re the one who can’t stand being a widow!”
“What? Your husband has barely died, and you’ve already found yourself another man to marry? He treated you well while he was alive, yet you can’t even wait two measly years? Don’t you have a guilty conscience?”
“Or have you been hiding a lover from him all this time?”
“Aren’t you afraid he’ll come looking for you in your dreams?”
Weisheng He watched Madam Sun’s expression, and realization dawned.
My mother actually guessed right!
Why would Madam Sun betray me and side with the clan head?
Because she needs something from him.
She doesn’t want to remain a widow.
She’s only twenty-five.
Even while Father was alive, the servants looked down on her because she had never borne him a child. Her word carried less weight than mine, even though I was only a daughter-in-law who had married into the family later.
Now that Father is gone, her position in the Li family will only become more difficult.
If she stays here, who knows how badly they’ll make her suffer?
If I stay too, at least things might be a little easier for her.
But because she doesn’t want to remain a widow herself, she can’t bring herself to believe that I would willingly spend the rest of my life as one.
And besides, even if I don’t remarry, Madam Sun probably won’t gain much from it.
The clan will take complete control of the Li family businesses.
We might not even be able to keep the house we’re living in now!
What kind of life could two widows and four children possibly have?
Of course remarriage looks like the best way out to her.
The Li clan must have realized what she wants and used it to make her cooperate.
They may even have set a condition.
Only if I remarry will Madam Sun be allowed to remarry too.
She might even be allowed to leave with a generous dowry.
For Madam Sun, that isn’t a bad deal at all.
Weisheng He suddenly spoke.
“The clan head has already said in front of so many people that remarriage is a good thing. He’s even urging me, a widow who has borne four children for the Li family, to remarry. Mother has no sons or daughters, so surely the clan would encourage her even more.”
“As your daughter-in-law, I’d advise you that if you truly intend to remarry, you might as well admit it now. With all these lords here as witnesses, even if the clan head and the others change their minds later, they’ll have no grounds to stop you.”
“If anyone here thinks highly of you, they might even help arrange a suitable match.”
“On the other hand, if you keep denying it and insist that you intend to remain chaste for Father, I wouldn’t mind asking the authorities to petition for a chastity memorial arch on your behalf.”
“Once that happens, you won’t be able to leave even if you want to.”
Madam Sun had been trading insults with Weisheng He’s mother moments earlier. Now she looked like a bird caught by the throat, unable to make a sound.
Understanding dawned on everyone.
At last, they completely understood what the Li clan was trying to accomplish.
No one actually cared whether Weisheng He remarried. This entire performance had been staged because the Li clan wanted to seize the estate of a household left without its head.
If Weisheng He did not remarry, she would remain a member of the Li family. More importantly, she had two sons. If she was strong-willed enough and capable enough, she might very well control the Li family fortune on her children’s behalf.
The clan would not find it so easy to interfere with the businesses.
At the very least, she would stand in their way.
Once Weisheng He remarried, however, she would become an outsider. Her children were still young, so naturally the clan would take control of the entire estate.
If they were ruthless enough, it would not even be difficult for the children to die in some unfortunate accident.
Madam Sun was nothing more than a pawn.
Her status simply made her useful.
The guests were all shrewd people. They could see through such schemes at a glance.
But what difference did understanding it make?
This was still an internal matter of the Li family.
Weisheng He was a daughter-in-law of the Li family, and the Li family did indeed have some say over whether she stayed or left. At most, they would also have to ask for the Weisheng family’s opinion.
It had nothing to do with outsiders like them.
It was not as though the Li family was openly murdering someone for money.
The mourning hall fell silent once more.
Perhaps sensing that something was wrong, the two children, who had finally quieted down, began crying again.
Because they were in their mother’s arms, they did not cry as loudly or desperately as before. They merely whimpered softly, their sobs coming and going.
The sound was especially hard to bear.
Just then, an autumn breeze swept inside, bringing a chill with it.
The curtain to the mourning hall was lifted again.
Everyone turned.
A noblewoman entered with the support of a maid.
She appeared to be approaching forty, yet gray strands already showed plainly in her hair. Even exquisite makeup could not conceal her underlying frailty. She had only walked a few steps from the side hall, yet she was already breathing heavily, enough to make anyone worry about her health.
Fortunately, several maids and matrons followed close behind her, watching her every subtle reaction so they could respond immediately if necessary.
Before Weisheng He could work out the woman’s identity, a middle-aged man stepped out from beside Lord Zhou.
He wore a plain long robe and had the refined appearance of a scholar.
He hurried toward the woman.
“Madam, why did you come over? Didn’t I tell you to return to the residence first?”
Anyone could hear the concern in his voice.
The noblewoman shook her head.
“There’s no need to rush over such a little time.”
Before the two could continue speaking, Li Boyong hurried over to them in alarm.
“Lord Lin? Madam Jia?”
Only then did the others realize who the man was.
They immediately crowded forward, each offering greetings to Lin Ruhai.
Lin Ruhai gave a slight nod in acknowledgment.
Lord Zhou looked toward the noblewoman.
“Brother Ruhai, is this your wife?”
Lin Ruhai nodded, and Lord Zhou immediately cupped his hands in greeting.
The others quickly followed.
This woman was the only legitimate daughter of the late Duke of Rongguo. Her status was distinguished, and her family background was no less impressive than that of Censor Lin, who had only taken up his new post that year.
The Jia clan also had more than a dozen branches living in Jinling. Over the years, the family had flourished until they had practically become local overlords throughout Jiangnan.
If someone truly ran into serious trouble, asking the Jia family for help might prove more useful than appealing to the Emperor himself.
Anyone who managed to establish a connection with her could secure prospects for their entire household.
At a moment like this, no one dared fall behind.
They were all afraid of offending her.
Li Boyong was even more alarmed.
Lord Zhou alone had already been difficult enough to deal with. Now he discovered that the Imperial Salt Inspector personally appointed by the Emperor and his wife had been present as well.
Thinking back on everything that had just happened, Li Boyong nearly fainted.