Chapter 1698: Chapter 1636: Harmed by Madam Wang
Watching Wu Lihong being dragged out, Wufu expressionlessly knelt before the spirit tablet again, lowered her eyes toward the nanmu coffin in front of her.
Ah Jiu, dressed in heavy mourning, had a cloak over his arm. He walked to Wufu, draped the cloak over her shoulders, squeezed her hand, and knelt down beside her, saying, "Donāt be angry. If you donāt want to see him, then we simply wonāt let him appear again in the future."
"Mm."
"Iāll keep watch. You go to the back and nap for a while?" Ah Jiu looked at her complexion with aching heart and said, "You look terrible."
Her body hadnāt fully recovered yet, and rushing back without rest all the way had already been exhausting. Now with this grief piled on, it would be strange if her face looked anything but bad.
"Iām fine, I can still hold on." Wufu saw that he too was in heavy mourning, and said, "Her Majesty the Royal Mother is still alive; itās not very proper for you to wear such heavy mourning. As long as my mother knows youāre sincere, thatās enough. Change it tomorrow."
She knew something of ancient etiquette. When the mother-in-law died, a son-in-law did need to wear mourning, but it would not be as heavy as the wifeās. Especially someone of Ah Jiuās statusābearing the rank of a princeāif he wore heavy mourning for a commoner, even if she was his mother-in-law, it still violated ritual propriety.
Though Wufu came from later times and did not personally care about such things, when in a land one followed its customs, and she naturally had to comply. Besides, she did not want Madam Zhou, after her death, to be criticized for this.
Ah Jiu said, "Itās fine. Your mother is also my mother. Iāll change after these two days have passed."
Wufu nodded.
Ah Jiu said, "Be good and go rest a while."
"Iāll stay here. Just let me lean on you," Wufu said. "Donāt leave her alone."
Ah Jiu knelt and sat, letting her lean against his chest, and spoke to her in a low voice.
Outside the mourning hall, Purple Jade saw the two of them leaning on each other, wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, and turned away.
"Leave the matter for now. This isnāt the time to speak of it. Once the funeral is over, none of those who should be held to account will get away!" Purple Jade said to Mei Er.
Mei Er felt heavy-hearted and said, "Very well. That mother and daughter pair are as stupid as pigs, being used as a gun by others without even knowing it. I still have to sort through things on the Wu Familyās side. Once everything has been thoroughly investigated, Iāll report again, so that His Highness and the Princess Consort donāt have to give more orders."
Wufu and Ah Jiu had already completed the wedding rites. Though the ceremony was rushed, the formalities were done, and everyone naturally changed the way they addressed her.
"Aside from Madam Wang, there is no one else. Just investigate her and those around her." Purple Jade also nodded and said, "But since Madam Wang dared to do it, sheāll surely have swept all her tracks clean. You have to dig deeper. If you truly canāt find anything, then forget it. As long as itās her, our mistress doesnāt need any evidence."
"If evidence of her plotting against Madam cannot be found, then we must at least find proof of her attempt on her mother-in-law. Cao Er said that woman relies most on her wet nurse. Presumably everything sheās done, that wet nurse would know. You can start from there."
"Hm... Whoās there!" Mei Erās eyes sharpened; with a tap of his toes he landed behind the rockery, drawing the long sword coiled at his waist and pointing it at the intruder.
"You..." Mei Er saw the man dressed all in white and his gaze fell on the manās face. "The Tower Leader of Unparalleled Tower?"
"Mei Er." Purple Jade walked over and said, "Master Hua is the Princess Consortās uncle."
Uncle?
Mei Er froze for a moment, his face full of doubt. The Tower Leader of Unparalleled Tower was the Princess Consortās uncle?
"What brings Master Hua here?" Purple Jade asked.
"Passing through." Hua Wushuangās face was expressionless as he looked at Mei Er and said coldly, "Everything you just saidāwas it true? Was Meiniang harmed by Madam Wang, and this has already been confirmed?"