Lan Jin stood quietly, knowing that Zhi Yue had begun to stand on her own. She had no intention of interfering further in her personal affairs. A person must rely on themselves above all else.
Zhao Tang glanced back and said, "Miss, the monks have arrived."
"Begin exhuming the remains," Lan Jin gently tapped the ground with her foot. "Right here."
"Yes."
Lan Jin pointed to a nearby spot for Yu Zhi Yue to kneel, then stepped back a few paces. She watched as the monks lit incense and candles, performed ritual steps, and scattered some unknown substances before allowing the ground to be dug up.
The area under the tree was not a frequently trodden path, so the soil was not compacted. The digging proceeded without much difficulty. Soon, a subordinate reported, "Miss, we've found it."
"Proceed with care."
"Yes."
The courtyard fell into a hushed silence. The emergence of the remains left Old Madam and Second Madam speechless.
They had known about certain matters, but hearing about them was one thing; witnessing them firsthand sent chills down their spines.
The monks resumed their ritual steps, chanting in an unfamiliar tone. They carefully cleaned the mud from the bones and gently placed them into the coffin.
Yu Zhi Yue's tears never ceased. When there had been no hope, she could force her grief deep into her heart. But now, with her mother's remains before her eyes, she could not help but feel resentment and hatred.
Her father had killed her mother.
She had lost her mother, and she had also lost her father.
From this day forward, she would have only herself.
Through her blurred vision, she saw someone approaching. Lifting her head, she choked out, "The child in my mother's womb… not even a single bone was left."
A four-month pregnancy likely wouldn't leave any bones behind, Lan Jin thought, having no experience in such matters.
She could only pat Zhi Yue's head, wisely refraining from offering words of comfort. Aunt Chang had once said that Lan Jin's attempts at consolation sounded worse than her scolding.
"Let's go. Take your mother away from this devouring Marquis Mansion."
Yu Zhi Yue wiped her tears and nodded firmly. Yes, she would take her mother away from this devouring place. She would never set foot here again for the rest of her life.
The lead monk handed over a ritual banner. "Miss Yu, please hold this banner and lead the way. Chant your mother's name frequently along the journey."
Yu Zhi Yue took it and followed the monk's instructions, positioning herself in front of the coffin.
The coffin was lifted, and the procession slowly departed.
Lan Jin walked at the very end. She turned back, smiled, and waved at the few faces glaring at her with ill intent before striding away.
It was already the fifth year since 'Feng Deng' had opened its doors. She had experienced plenty by now, and she truly wasn't afraid of Marquis Chengen's hollow shell of a mansion.
Once outside, the monks picked up a basket of spirit money from the entrance and gave it to Yu Zhi Yue, instructing her to scatter some along the way from time to time.
With the coffin, the guiding banner, and the scattered spirit money, the onlookers gathered outside could hardly miss the meaning: the remains of the late Marchioness were indeed still within the Marquis Mansion.
Marquis Chengen had previously portrayed himself as deeply devoted and righteous, earning praise from many as a fine gentleman. Numerous families had even considered marrying their daughters into the Marquis Mansion as his second wife.
Now, thinking back, it was utterly repulsive.
Lan Jin instructed Zhao Tang to look after Zhi Yue, then boarded the carriage herself.
Lifting the window curtain, she chuckled softly at the disdainful expressions on the faces of passersby. Even without the grand public spectacle of exhuming the remains, Marquis Chengen's murder of his first wife was now an indisputable fact.
Marquis Chengen was well aware of this point, yet he had no choice but to accept the threat. Compared to having the remains publicly exhumed, leaving him with no room for defense, handling the matter discreetly allowed him to later claim that the coffin contained only clothing. Since no one had witnessed it firsthand, they could not dispute it.
People in the capital had always excelled at turning a blind eye.
There were no funeral musicians, but out of respect for the deceased, passersby still instinctively made way. The procession stopped before a residence in the southern part of the city, where white mourning decorations were hung.
The main gate of the residence was wide open, with a crowd of stewards and maids kneeling outside to welcome them.
This was the house Lan Jin had purchased for Yu Zhi Yue before their arrival in the capital, and her long-serving servants had been sent here in advance.
Upon entering the front courtyard, the coffin was placed on a bench without touching the ground, while the monks busied themselves with their rituals.
Lan Jin watched as Yu Zhi Yue stepped forward to speak with the monks, then turned and walked toward her, bowing slightly. The girl, barely eleven by traditional reckoning, seemed to have matured into someone capable of upholding her family’s honor in such a short time.
Yu Zhi Yue stood still and respectfully performed a kneeling bow.
"Zhi Yue thanks the young lady for everything you have done for my mother and for me."
Lan Jin helped her up. "To me, this was a transaction. Since I accepted your aunt’s commission, it was only right to do my utmost. I accept your gratitude, so from now on, you need not feel indebted to me. I did not do this for nothing—you are to give me ten percent of the total assets. My accounts are not to be trifled with. Once you’ve settled matters, Aunt Chang will come to collect it."
"Not just ten percent—I would willingly give half."
"If I took half, I’d endure your uncle’s disdain for a lifetime."
Yu Zhi Yue lowered her head and smiled. Even without Lan Jin’s words, she understood. Though it was said to be her aunt’s commission, it must have been her uncle who instructed her aunt to make it, because Feng Deng only accepted commissions from women.
Seeing her expression, Lan Jin knew she held gratitude in her heart. After a moment’s thought, she offered a few words of caution: "You must not reveal such vulnerabilities to others. Ten, a hundred, or even a thousand taels may not tempt anyone, but ten thousand or a hundred thousand will. In this world, aside from loved ones who cherish and care for you, no one deserves such trust."
Yu Zhi Yue grasped Lan Jin’s hand, as if trying to hold onto something with all her might. "Are you saying that if my uncle asked me to contribute all my family’s assets to help, I should not agree?"
"Exactly. You catch on quickly." Lan Jin nodded approvingly. "If your uncle made such a request, he would not be a good uncle worthy of your complete devotion. Be grateful to them, but act within your means. Those who truly care for you would not put you in a difficult position—they would not want to drag you into the mire. That’s why, when the Qi family faced trouble, they only asked your mother to do what she could. Later, realizing it was hopeless, they advised her to step back, preserving some resources to await another opportunity. Your uncle is a man of integrity and keeps his promises—he is a good person."
Yu Zhi Yue tightened her grip on Lan Jin’s hand. "You never explicitly said it, only that it was my aunt’s commission. Can you now tell me when my uncle first suspected that my mother’s death was suspicious?"
"Your uncle did not initially suspect anything amiss about your mother’s death. He only asked me to check on her well-being. It was after I learned of Madam Qi’s death and had someone investigate further that I found her death unusual. That’s why there was a collapse in the Yu family ancestral graves last year."
Yu Zhi Yue suddenly understood. "That spot was close to where my mother was buried. You took advantage of the repairs to the Yu family graves to open the coffin and discovered it wasn’t my mother inside."
"Right. After learning there were no remains in your mother's coffin, I informed your uncle. It was then that your uncle commissioned 'Feng Deng' to investigate this matter thoroughly and seek justice for his sister."
Lan Jin looked toward the coffin. The maidservant wiped her tears as she lit the eternal lamp. Though the deceased had long passed, she still carefully followed these rituals meant to comfort the living.
Yu Zhi Yue followed her gaze, a pang of sorrow tightening her chest. "So you only came to find me half a year ago, after gathering substantial evidence."
"Correct."
"Then why did you wait six months before taking action?"