Ruan Xingzhu returned to her room and changed into a set of snow-white mourning clothes. When she came out, everyone's eyes immediately lit up. Her skin was originally fair, and when she wore the white muslin, she looked even more pitiful and delicate.
Many people in the family sighed. The wife was so beautiful, but the master passed away. How unlucky.
Of course, there were some who harbored ill intentions. The master passed away just like that, leaving behind a young and beautiful wife. Who knows which man would take advantage of her in the future.
...
Of course, although everyone had their own thoughts, they all maintained a mournful expression. Ruan Xingzhu knelt in front of the mourning hall. As she burned joss paper for her husband, she cried silently. The people around her felt the same way, and no one dared to disturb her.
Looking at the coffin not far away, Ruan Xingzhu swore to herself, Zhenzhong, I will find out the truth. I will not let you die in vain!
When they entered the city, it was almost evening. It took them a while to get back to the Yang Clan. Before they knew it, night had fallen, and the people around them began to lessen.
After all, this was not the first day of Yang Zhenzhong's death, nor was it the seventh day of his death. The other members of the Yang Clan came to accompany him for a while and then went back to do their own things. Even Yang Zhenzhong's concubines had their own things to take care of. They took turns to eat, wash, and so on.
With Yang Juyuan controlling the situation from behind, the people in the mourning hall quickly left one by one. In the end, only Ruan Xingzhu and a few maids were left.
It was midnight, and the maids began to doze off. Ruan Xingzhu thought for a while and then ordered Pearl to take the maids away. After all, if the news of opening the coffin was leaked, it would cause a huge commotion. The fewer people who knew, the better.
Pearl nodded and quickly found an excuse to take care of the maids and servants. Only Ruan Xingzhu was left in the mourning hall, kneeling in silence.
Not long after, Yang Juyuan hurried over. Seeing her beautiful figure, he couldn't help but stop and admire it for a while. Then he walked over and said, "Sister-in-law, I have arranged everything."
"Okay, thank you." Ruan Xingzhu nodded and prepared to stand up. Perhaps it was because she had been kneeling for too long, but her legs were a little weak. On top of that, her head was a little dizzy. Her entire body swayed, and she looked like she was about to fall.
Yang Juyuan quickly ran over to support her, "Sister-in-law, be careful."
"Thank you." Ruan Xingzhu's condition had finally stabilized, and she retracted her hand without a trace. However, she didn't think too much about it. After all, when she had first joined the Yang family, this Second Uncle of hers was still a child. She had only treated him as a younger brother. The reason why she kept her distance from him was because of a woman's reserved nature and the etiquette she had been taught since she was young.
Yang Juyuan didn't show any special expression. He said naturally, "I've sent away all the people nearby. No one will come here for a while. Sister-in-law, you can rest assured."
"Alright, let's open the coffin and examine it," Ruan Xingzhu suddenly said hesitantly. "Why don't we see the coroner?"
Yang Juyuan explained, "Opening the coffin is not a trivial matter. The fewer people involved, the better. Otherwise, if it is leaked, we will face a lot of trouble. As for examining the corpse, we are all considered to be part of the jianghu. It shouldn't be a problem to see if there are any external injuries or poisoning. Moreover, I have participated in many cases when I was in Xing Province, so I have experience in this area. "
Ruan Xingzhu felt that what he said made sense, so she didn't dwell on it. The two of them came to the coffin together. Yang Juyuan bowed respectfully, "Big Brother, we didn't want to disturb your rest. We just wanted to make sure that you weren't harmed. If you know in the underworld, you can blame me. It has nothing to do with Sister-in-law."
Ruan Xingzhu hurriedly said, "This was my idea. Second Uncle, you were just helping me. If Zhenzhong wants to blame someone, he should blame me."
Yang Juyuan smiled, "Alright, Sister-in-law, we don't have to fight anymore. Even if Big Brother knows in the underworld, he won't blame us. Sister-in-law, step back a little. I'll open the coffin. "
"Alright, be careful." Ruan Xingzhu lifted the hem of her dress and took a few steps back.
Yang Juyuan had been fiddling with the coffin for a long time. Suddenly, he said, "Sister-in-law, come and help me. Press down here!"
Ruan Xingzhu knew that it was indeed very troublesome for one person to open such a large coffin, so she didn't have to worry about him. She walked over and asked, "Is it here?"
"Just a little bit more."
"Here? Ah! What are you doing? "
Looking at the angry expression on Ruan Xingzhu's face, Yang Juyuan said, "Sister-in-law, I'm sorry. I accidentally touched your acupuncture point. Let me see where I touched it and unseal it for you."
"Take your filthy hands off me!" Ruan Xingzhu's beautiful eyes were filled with anger. "So the murderer is you!" How could she not understand what was going on? Unfortunately, she suddenly heard the news of her husband's death today. Coupled with the matter with Song Qingshu, her heart was filled with guilt. As a result, her reaction was a little slower than usual. She ignored Yang Juyuan's several unreasonable words and actions, which led to her being controlled by him.
"Sister-in-law, don't talk nonsense." Yang Juyuan shook his finger. "What murderer? I don't understand at all."
How could Ruan Xingzhu believe his nonsense? She bit her lip and glared at him. "I was wondering why Zhenzhong would commit suicide. There must be something fishy about it, but I never thought that the murderer would be you!"
"Your father died early. In those early years, your eldest brother raised you single-handedly. It can be said that an elder brother is like a father. Why did you do such a disgraceful thing?!" Ruan Xingzhu's chest heaved up and down. It was obvious that she had discovered the truth, which shocked and angered her.
Yang Juyuan was also provoked. The smile on his face disappeared and was replaced with agitation. "I'm saving the Yang family! What did Eldest Brother obtain after following Han Xingzhou for all these years? He's just a Xingyuan Prefecture Judge, and I'm just a small warehouse manager! Although I can be considered a department with real power, in the eyes of those big shots in the imperial court, this kind of official is nothing! The dignified Second Young Master of the Yang family is actually just a warehouse manager. I feel ashamed every time I tell others! "
Ruan Xingzhu's eyes were filled with deep disappointment. "That's because Minister Han is afraid that we'll attract the wind when we're a tall tree. The Ruan family is already the number one emperor in the world, and the Yang family is a first-class noble family in Sichuan. If they appoint you to a high official position, it'll be like adding oil to the fire, and people will be jealous of you. I'm afraid it won't be long before the Yang family is destroyed …"
Yang Juyuan waved his hand to interrupt her. "Don't talk about this nonsense. The Han family is the number one family in the two Song Dynasties, but didn't Han Xingzhou also become a general? And the Jia family, the Shi family, the Wang family, and the Xue family, which of these families isn't far superior to our Yang family? Didn't they also become prime ministers and generals? "
Ruan Xingzhu was speechless by his question. For a moment, she really didn't know how to answer him.
Yang Juyuan snorted and continued, "Moreover, Han Xingzhou's northern expedition has failed miserably, and Wu Xi has betrayed him. Anyone with a discerning eye knows that he's finished. When the time comes, how can we, as the Han Faction, end up well? As the saying goes, a building is about to collapse. Of course, I have to find another way out for my family. "
Ruan Xingzhu's mind flashed, and she finally understood. "You've sided with Jia Shidao!"
Yang Juyuan said calmly, "Anyone with a discerning eye knows that Prime Minister Jia will definitely win this power struggle. Why would the Yang family die with Han Xingzhou? This is called choosing a good tree to nest in. "
"You're comparing yourself to a beast. No wonder you killed your brother." Ruan Xingzhu was full of regret. She hadn't been back to the Yang family for years, so she wasn't familiar with the Yang family at all. As a result, she didn't know that Yang Juyuan's mentality had changed so much over the years, and she hadn't been able to warn her husband in time.
"I'm doing this for the family!" Yang Juyuan obviously thought that such a thing was a bit rebellious, so he tried to find a reason to convince himself. "I've prevented the Yang family from dying. The ancestors of the Yang family will understand me."
"You're being unreasonable!" Ruan Xingzhu quickly thought about how she could get out of this situation. Should she pretend to be polite to him and stall for time until the rest of the Yang family came? But she had sent Pearl and the others away, and the Yang family … Since Yang Juyuan dared to expose himself here, he was obviously fully prepared.
At that moment, Yang Juyuan finally calmed down a bit. He stared at her face and said softly, "Actually, I have another reason for doing this."
"What reason?" Ruan Xingzhu wanted him to talk more. That way, she would have enough time to wait for people to come and think of a way.
Yang Juyuan didn't answer right away. Instead, he walked closer and admired her face as if he were looking at a piece of art. "Sister-in-law, do you know? When you married into the Yang family, I fell in love with you the first time I saw you. I thought how could there be such a beautiful woman in the world, and I swore to myself that I would marry you. Unfortunately, you're my sister-in-law."
Even though she realized something when he stared at her, Ruan Xingzhu was still shocked to hear him say it. "How old were you back then? How could you have such thoughts? "
"Age doesn't determine one's ambition," Yang Juyuan interrupted her. "Plus, love can make a man mature earlier."
"That's not maturity. You're a pervert!" Ruan Xingzhu was so angry that her entire body was trembling. However, fear began to rise in her heart. If Yang Juyuan really had designs on her, he would have done it in the dead of the night.
"Whatever you say. Anyway, I've already achieved my long-cherished wish. I'm finally going to have you." Yang Juyuan moved closer to her and took a deep breath. "Sister-in-law, you smell so good."
"Shameless!" Ruan Xingzhu had goosebumps all over her body. Unfortunately, her acupoints had been sealed, so she couldn't resist at all.
"Sister-in-law, do you know how many nights I've been thinking about you? Even in my dreams, I dream of getting intimate with you. However, you only come back a few times a year. It's difficult for me to even see you," Yang Juyuan suddenly said hatefully. "Sometimes, I wonder if Big Brother is a man. He actually allowed his beautiful wife to show her face in public! Since he's wasting God's gift, I won't be polite anymore. " Yang Juyuan's expression turned a little dark. His finger gently lifted a corner of her clothes. "You look so good in mourning clothes."
This time, Ruan Xingzhu really panicked. "What are you doing? This is your Big Brother's mourning hall. You'll be struck by lightning!"
"So what if it's my Big Brother's mourning hall? It's more exciting this way." Yang Juyuan gulped. In the end, he couldn't hold back and pounced on her.
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