Chapter 875 - 830: Offering Sacrifice (First Update)

Chapter 875: Chapter 830: Offering Sacrifice (First Update)

Although Wen Wan hadn’t left the mansion these past few days, she wasn’t idle either, spending her days playing with Zhao Xunyin and keeping an eye on the happenings at the Liaodong Iron Mine.

There were no Zhao Xunyin’s men in Liaodong, but with her status as Princess Guardian, gathering information through connections wasn’t too difficult.

Thus, Wen Wan learned that Jiang Tao, the Great General who was responsible for inspecting the Liaodong Iron Mine, caught a severe cold on his way back from verifying reports. His cough showed no signs of improvement, and out of concern, Emperor Xuanjing specially appointed Duke Lu to take over the inspection role. Coincidentally, Duke Lu was in charge of the Divine Soldier Bureau, and Liaodong’s weapon upgrades aimed to save materials for the mechanical beasts, so it was not awkward for Duke Lu to assume responsibility.

Listening to the information Zhao Xunyin gathered, Wen Wan smiled with relief, "It seems His Majesty has already realized that Jiang Tao is the eyes and ears of Bei Yan."

"I must boast a bit; my nephew’s mind is unparalleled," said Zhao Xunyin, beaming with pride.

Wen Wan knew well that Zhao Xi was an exceptionally clever child, and because of this, she felt a little anxious, "The smarter His Majesty is, the harder it becomes for me to conceal my identity."

Last time, He Jianzheng only briefly mentioned something, and Zhao Xi immediately understood that He Jianzheng’s "auspicious sign" was a euphemism, indicating a problem with the Liaodong Iron Mine.

With His Majesty’s perceptive nature, once he delves deeper, it won’t take long before he discovers He Jianzheng’s connection to her.

Given Wen Wan’s current "achievements", even if Zhao Xi realizes that she’s behind the Liaodong Iron Mine revelations, there’s no chance of her being employed just yet.

It seems she needs to make some practical achievements urgently, or else once His Majesty uncovers her identity prematurely, all will be in vain.

...

After lunch, Wen Wan went to the Liang Family to ask Liang Jun about Song Jiao’s gravesite location.

Liang Jun, who had also planned to visit Song Jiao, offered to accompany Wen Wan.

They traveled by carriage.

In the carriage, Liang Jun hesitated for a moment before speaking up, "Those words spoken by the Commandery Princess in the memorial hall the other day seemed inappropriate."

"Whether appropriate or not, I’ve said them." The matter of divorce seemed to have little impact on Wen Wan. "If you’re here to persuade me to reconcile with Mr. Song, there’s no need."

"I wasn’t intending to persuade." Liang Jun lowered his eyelashes, "I lost Jiaojiao, and my teacher lost his birth mother. I empathize with him deeply. Such times are the most disheartening and fragile. If even the person by his side were to leave him, it could be a devastating blow for him. If your relationship is indeed irreparable to the point of divorce, Commandery Princess could choose to discuss it privately after the funeral. Saying it in the memorial hall lacked consideration."

Wen Wan listened, a slight smile crossing her lips, "Mr. Song is at an age where he’s lived most of his life, having experienced much more hardship and storm than you. This blow to him is insignificant."

Liang Jun opened his mouth in surprise, finding himself unable to argue back, and in the end, he simply fell silent.

They soon arrived at the Liang Family ancestral tomb in the suburb of the Capital.

Among the many old graves, Wen Wan immediately noticed the solitary new grave on the left.

The ancestral tombs were arranged by generation, and in the Liang Family’s ancestral tombs, Song Jiao was the first of her generation, distanced from the ancestral graves, making it appear particularly isolated.

Wen Wan carried a bamboo basket containing incense, candles, paper money, seasonal fruits, and a fruit platter.

Most fruits in Chu Country came from the south, and seasonal fruits shipped to the Capital were often not fresh. Wen Wan recalled that when her grandniece was still at home, she loved eating fruit. That year, the late Emperor and the Crown Prince each gifted a lychee tree, branches laden with ripe lychees. Wen Wan picked some immediately to have Linglong send to the Liang Mansion. Linglong returned to say the eldest girl was delighted at the sight of lychees.

Hearing Jiaojiao’s joy brought Wen Wan joy as well.

She even planned to ask Duke Lu’s wife for some cherries to chill in ice the following summer and bring them to that girl.

But it seems that girl won’t have that fortune.

Standing before the grave, Wen Wan lingered in her thoughts for a moment before bending down to light the candles, placing a stick of incense into the small incense burner. She took out the fruit platter, smiling, "Knowing Jiaojiao loves fruits, Third Aunt brought them for you."

Liang Jun bent over, using his sleeve to wipe the dust from the tombstone, remaining silent.

After arranging the fruits, Wen Wan reached out to touch the cold stone, fingers tracing the engraved name of Song Jiao as her voice grew somber, "I’m sorry, Jiaojiao, Third Aunt arrived late. If you know this in the afterlife, please persuade Grandmother not to worry; everything at home will be okay."

Liang Jun paused slightly in his cleaning; he glanced sideways at Wen Wan.

Wen Wan didn’t linger. She needed to hurry back to find Xu Jia and left after paying her respects to her niece.

Liang Jun had his doubts; the Commandery Princess showed genuine concern for her in-laws during the tribute to Jiaojiao, so why propose a divorce that day?

Wen Wan instructed the driver to head to Liang Mansion. After Liang Jun disembarked, she had the carriage turned towards the Western Marquis Mansion.

Xu Jia, bored, was sparring with Xu Shu in the garden. Xu Shu started martial arts late, so his skills and agility were no match for his sister’s.

Xu Jia intentionally held back to save him from embarrassment, so the two barely managed a tie.

At this moment, Mo Xiang came running from the side path, "Miss, Miss, Princess Yong’an is here."

Princess Yong’an, Wen Wan.

Xu Jia sheathed her sword, took out a handkerchief, and wiped her forehead, reacting quite calmly, "Please show her to my courtyard."

Xu Shu’s expression turned a little odd, "What is she here for?"

Because Wen Wan made a scene at the memorial hall, Song Fang had been irritable lately, and would vent on him whenever slightly upset.

Xu Shu, innocently dragged into the situation, bore some resentment towards Wen Wan.

"It’s a matter between women, brother, don’t get involved." Xu Jia handed her sword to Mo Xiang, walked a few steps forward, then turned back, "By the way, brother, when you go back, you mustn’t mention the Princess’s visit to our house to sister-in-law; I fear she’ll come to my courtyard causing trouble."

Xu Shu’s mouth twitched, "Your sister-in-law is at least a decent person, would she really?"

Xu Jia chuckled, "Whether she would or not, brother knows very well, just leave it at that, I’m going to see the Princess."

By the time Xu Jia reached her courtyard, Wen Wan had already been sitting in her room for a while.

Guessing why the other had come, Xu Jia closed the door upon entering the room, looked at Wen Wan with a reproachful gaze, "If you’re here as a guest, I’m very welcoming, but if it’s for that bracelet, I suggest you abandon that thought."

Wen Wan detected Xu Jia’s concern; the latter was a martial arts practitioner, force wouldn’t work, so she had to use gentleness.

Setting down the teacup, Wen Wan stood up and lovingly linked arms with Xu Jia, "They say the Suzhou Yun Family stands up for justice and helps the weak, with a chivalrous heart. As the soon-to-be family head’s wife, I think it’s quite necessary for you to promote the Yun Family spirit, which will also help establish authority in the family later."

"Standing up for justice and helping the weak?" Xu Jia looked at Wen Wan with a smile.

Wen Wan raised an eyebrow, what else?

"Are you the villain or the weak?" Xu Jia asked.

Before Wen Wan could respond, Xu Jia had already pressed her to sit on the embroidered cushion, "On the day of your mother-in-law’s grand funeral, you divorced your husband in the memorial hall. I see you as both villainous and wicked. You were so commanding back then, might as well keep up that swagger, why come begging me?"

"Last time, I swear, absolutely the last time." Wen Wan clasped her hands together, "Please, you know how important this is to me."

Xu Jia kept a stern face, "Do you know last time I nearly died of fright because of you? Today, if something happens to you at our house, with one order from the Eldest Princess, she might raze the Western Marquis Mansion to the ground, isn’t that too difficult for me?"

"Then let’s change the place?" Wen Wan was quite agreeable.

"The issue isn’t the place, but that I never intended to let you wear that bracelet again."

Xu Jia said, stretching out her hands to show her, "Look, knowing you’d come again, I didn’t dare wear it again."

"Jiajia, Jia dear, Sixth Son’s Wife, how about I beg you?"

Xu Jia scoffed lightly, "Even calling me granny wouldn’t work, I said no means no."

Wen Wan sighed, "Last time when I looked, it seemed I saw Yun Liulang, oh, getting older my memory’s not good, what did I see?"

Instantly, Xu Jia’s face changed, nervously looking at Wen Wan, "Did you really see?"

Wen Wan raised an eyebrow silently, just extending her hand, the meaning was clear.

"I suspect you’re bluffing me." Xu Jia said, "Sixth Son has nothing to do with you, how could you see him?"

"How is it unrelated?" Wen Wan said, "I’m wearing their family’s bracelet, isn’t it quite normal to see him?"

Xu Jia was convinced, due to her anxiety about Yun Huai, she still went to the inner room to fetch the bracelet, warning before handing it to Wen Wan, "I have to say beforehand, if something happens later, our house will not bear any responsibility. Also, you must promise me, this is the last time, whatever you have to figure out later, you must do it yourself, don’t find me, finding me means there isn’t."

Wen Wan grinned as she snatched the bracelet from her hand, giggling, "Guessed right, I was bluffing you, but, me not seeing isn’t it just showing your marriage has no hindrance? This is a good thing."

Xu Jia secretly rolled her eyes, watched helplessly as Wen Wan put on the bracelet, then fainted at the round table.

Last time she slept for two hours, Xu Jia smoked mint for two hours, this time she planned to change it up, started with green onions, when those didn’t work, switched to garlic, seeing no effect from garlic either, she made up her mind, had someone fetch half a jar of vinegar, mixed with rotten eggs and garlic.

"..." Wen Wan woke quickly, and vomited as soon as she did.