She trembled all over, suffering as though she had lost her own flesh and blood.
Luo Lixian crouched beside her, embracing her shoulders as she wept and comforted her. “Mother, Sister Shu has always been blessed and lucky. She definitely won’t come to any harm. I know you can’t accept this, but please don’t cry yourself sick.”
Wei Guangzheng did not cry, but he was grief-stricken and sighed repeatedly. He seemed to want to say something, yet felt that nothing he said would be appropriate.
……
Prince Cheng’s Residence.
Wen Yan reported solemnly, “Prince, there were two groups of attackers. One consisted of assassins hired through the collusion of the Wei Family and Marquis Yufeng’s Residence. The other consisted of the Crown Prince’s men.”
Wen Mo continued, “Prince, it seems that bringing Third Miss Ye back to the residence angered the Crown Prince.”
Compared to the expressions of the two men, Yuchi Ling, seated in his wheelchair, remained as calm as still water. He toyed with his teacup and said indifferently, “So what if I angered him? If he has the ability, he can simply snatch her away.”
Wen Mo continued, “The Crown Prince’s move was truly ruthless. To deal with a woman, he actually deployed the Qilin Guard he had painstakingly trained. Fortunately, we were prepared. Otherwise, even if Third Miss Ye had not died at the hands of the Qilin Guard, she would have truly drowned in the City Moat.”
Wen Yan shot him a glance. “Could the Crown Prince afford not to be ruthless? Third Miss Ye keeps shouting that she refuses to marry anyone but our Prince, and she even brazenly moved into Prince Cheng’s Residence. If the Crown Prince didn’t act quickly and Third Miss Ye happened to develop genuine feelings for our Prince, the military power in General Ye’s hands would have nothing to do with him!”
Wen Mo laughed. “I think Third Miss Ye is quite a ruthless character herself. She dared to jump into that unfathomably deep City Moat. Few young ladies from respectable families can match such courage. If she really succeeds in marrying our Prince, then our Prince will have made a tremendous gain!”
Listening to the conversation between his two subordinates, the Prince seated in the wheelchair darkened with displeasure. “Is no one willing to marry me? Do you need to worry about this for me?”
Wen Mo and Wen Yan immediately lowered their heads.
Just then, the gatehouse guard came to report, “Your Highness, General Ye requests an audience!”
Yuchi Ling raised his chin slightly, signaling the guard to let him in.
A short while later, Ye Gengxin entered the study, his face filled with grief and indignation.
The Wei Family’s three members and Luo Lixian had come with him as well.
“Prince, I have come to see my daughter!” Ye Gengxin said through clenched teeth.
Yuchi Ling swept his gaze over them, then turned to ask Wen Yan, “Where is Third Miss Ye now?”
Wen Yan replied, “Prince, Third Miss Ye received an invitation from Marquis Yufeng’s Residence yesterday. She left the residence this morning at the hour of Chen to attend it.”
Yuchi Ling then said to Ye Gengxin, “If the General misses his daughter, you can go to Marquis Yufeng’s Residence and ask them.”
Ye Gengxin clenched his fists, his face ashen. “After leaving Prince Cheng’s Residence, my daughter was pursued by assassins. Witnesses claim that she jumped into the City Moat to escape with her life!”
Yuchi Ling’s brows drew together slightly as he asked displeasedly, “From the General’s meaning, it sounds as though Miss Ye’s accident has something to do with me?”
“I…”
“Although Miss Ye returned to the residence with me, she remains free to come and go. I have placed no restrictions on her whatsoever. She only needs to inform us before she leaves. If she had conflicts with anyone outside, that is her own affair. Instead of investigating Miss Ye’s enemies, the General has come to my residence to demand an explanation. Isn’t that rather unreasonable?”
“……” Ye Gengxin was rendered completely speechless.
It was only at the suggestion of the Wei father and son that he had come to Prince Cheng’s Residence. The loss of his beloved daughter had left his mind in a muddle, and he had followed their advice without giving it much thought.
Now that Prince Cheng had challenged him, he instantly regained most of his senses.
But before he could speak again, Wei Yonghuai stepped forward, saluted, and said to Prince Cheng, “Prince, Shuer’s death is highly suspicious. Since we have no way to determine the cause of her death, we thought to come to your residence and make some inquiries. We ask that, for the General’s sake after losing his beloved daughter, you refrain from punishing him.”
Yuchi Ling narrowed his long, phoenix-shaped eyes. His thin, crimson lips curved faintly as he said out of the blue, “Young Master Wei is quite a character.”
Wei Yonghuai paused, not understanding the meaning behind this sudden praise.
But in the next moment, Yuchi Ling continued, “However, my residence is not a theater. If Young Master Wei wants to play the ‘good man,’ he can go back to his own residence and perform there.”
The sarcastic implication in his words could not have been clearer.
Wei Yonghuai became even more certain that Yuchi Ling intended to steal his beloved. But Yuchi Ling was Prince Cheng; even if he knew what the Prince intended, he could only pretend not to understand. Thus, apart from feeling somewhat embarrassed, he gave no response and acted as though he had heard nothing.
Ye Gengxin, however, was displeased by Prince Cheng’s sarcasm and took the initiative to speak for Wei Yonghuai. “Prince, Yonghuai only meant well. There is no need to direct your dissatisfaction with me at him. I was rash today, and I know I am in the wrong. Once I have investigated my daughter’s cause of death, I will return and offer my apologies.”
Yuchi Ling was about to speak when a guard suddenly entered the study. He hurried to Yuchi Ling’s side and whispered into his ear.
After hearing the guard’s report, Yuchi Ling waved him away, then said to Ye Gengxin, “Since Third Miss Ye has died, please take back the valuables she brought with her yesterday.” He then instructed Wen Yan, “Take the General to the room where Third Miss Ye stayed last night.”
Madam Ge suddenly stepped forward and requested, “Prince, please allow me to go instead.”
Yuchi Ling looked at her with a more profound gaze. “Who are you to Third Miss Ye?”
Madam Ge replied, “Prince, Shuer was betrothed to my son from the moment she was born. She is my future daughter-in-law. Although she has passed away, our Wei Family will still honor the marriage agreement between our families and bring her into our family. As her mother-in-law, I naturally ought to handle the affairs following her death.”
Upon hearing this, Ye Gengxin’s eyes reddened and tears surged forth. He was so moved that he could not speak.
He had never expected the Wei Family to be so devoted and righteous!
Wei Yonghuai immediately declared his own feelings to him as well. “General, you know the affection between Shuer and me. Whether she is alive or dead, she is the woman I have loved most in this life. Since my mother has already said so, please grant us your consent and let Shuer and me marry. That way, Shuer’s soul will have a place to belong, and she will not become a wandering ghost.”
In this era, when an unmarried woman died young, she could not be buried in her family’s ancestral tomb. Many families arranged ghost marriages for daughters who died young so that they would have a memorial tablet in their “husband’s family.” With a place for their souls to reside, they would not become wandering ghosts.
However, traditional ghost marriages were between a deceased man and a deceased woman……
Wei Yonghuai was still alive, yet he was willing to hold a ghost marriage for Ye Gengxin’s daughter. Such devotion—how could Ye Gengxin not be moved?
“General!”
Hearing the cold, hard voice from the wheelchair, Ye Gengxin came back to himself and hurriedly bowed. “Prince, let Madam Wei retrieve my daughter’s belongings on my behalf.”
Yuchi Ling looked at the way Ye Gengxin had been deeply moved by the Wei Family and an unmistakable trace of disdain flashed through his eyes. “You really are an exemplary father!”
Without caring what expression appeared on Ye Gengxin’s face, he turned and instructed Wen Yan again, “Go and pack up Third Miss Ye’s belongings properly and hand them to the General. Make absolutely certain they are not given to the wrong person. Otherwise, I fear Third Miss Ye will die with regrets and come looking for me in the middle of the night to demand an explanation.”
Ye Gengxin’s brows furrowed deeply.
He could not say that Prince Cheng held any malice toward them.
Yet Prince Cheng’s sarcastic manner today was truly baffling.
Wen Yan left the study and was gone for quite some time.
At last, he returned to the study carrying two large bundles and handed them to Ye Gengxin.
Madam Ge and Wei Yonghuai hurried forward to help receive the bundles.
Wen Yan did not stop them. He merely gave them a deep look, then stood beside Ye Gengxin and discreetly slipped something into the General’s palm.