Chapter 267
After a preliminary examination by their two respective offices, it was found that Lord Ling had no external injuries or signs of poisoning on his body. On the surface, he indeed appeared to have died from some unknown 'illness'.
Emperor Mingxi and his ministers couldn't help but prick up their ears. Could it be that the question weighing on their minds for years was about to be unveiled today?
At this moment, the slightly hoarse voice of the eunuch reciting the dowry list became the most jarring noise in the entire grand hall.
Time flew by while enjoying the 'melon' (gossip). In what seemed like just a moment, the dowry procession had reached over forty loads. What was passing by now were jewelry—various gold bracelets, jade bracelets, gold necklaces, jade necklaces, earrings, rings, hairpins, and other exquisite pieces—neatly arranged in boxes adorned with the character for 'double happiness'.
Yue Fuguang stared blankly at these items, her mind racing. "Is there someone behind the deaths of the Ling family members?" Having read countless books, she smelled a conspiracy.
As the saying goes, too many coincidences are no coincidence.
[There is indeed another reason, Master, but this is a different 'melon'. Let's not dig into it today!] Yue Fuguang raised an eyebrow, seriously suspecting that her 'melon-eating' system hadn't yet uncovered the full picture of the event!
Meanwhile, the 'listeners' were nearly driven to frustration by the phrase, "this is a different 'melon', let's not dig into it today!" just as they were prepared to hear the rest.
With over a dozen members of the Ling family dying one after another over several years, even the most obtuse among the civil and military officials could see there was definitely a problem.
It even caused a wave of panic among the court officials for a time. Later, everyone gradually realized that this matter seemed to target only the Ling family.
It could be said that in the following years, every time a Ling family member died, Wei Ping and Cai Xian had attended the scene, yet after all this time, they had found nothing.
This became an unresolved knot in both their hearts.
[The Ling family members who died were all elite descendants and the heads of various household branches. The capital city of Shangjing became a place of sorrow for the Ling family.
The young clan leader at the time had no choice but to lead the entire clan back to their ancestral lands in Lanshan.]
"Little Zhu, is this Ling family related to Ling Jijiu's family?"
Ling Yinghua's eyelid twitched. Ten years ago, when Ling Langshan served as an official in court, his own father was still alive.
Because both families shared the surname Ling, they interacted more frequently than with others.
Being prominent clans, upon consulting their genealogies, they discovered their ancestors were indeed connected.
The two had even considered formally reconnecting their clan lineages, but the idea was abandoned following Ling Langshan's death.
Not long after that, his own father passed away, and the matter was never brought up again between the two families.
[Master, the two families were indeed once related, but that was before the Tong dynasty. By Ling Jijiu's generation, over ten generations had passed.
If the relationship weren't so distant, Ling Jijiu's family wouldn't have lost only his father!]
Ling Yinghua suddenly looked up, meeting Emperor Mingxi's stern face before realizing his own loss of composure.
He forced down his shock, but his trembling hands and the hidden crimson in his eyes as he lowered his head betrayed him.
Having always believed his father died of illness, upon first hearing that his father's death might have been caused by a villain, as a son, how could he not be shocked?
How could he not wish to immediately know who the murderer was and tear them to pieces with his own hands to vent the hatred in his heart!
[After returning to Lanshan, a starved camel is still bigger than a horse. The Ling family remained a wealthy and influential clan in Lanshan.]
"Wealthy and influential? Wouldn't the Ling family's situation at that time be like a child holding gold in a bustling marketplace?"
She seemed to somewhat understand why the Wei family had delayed breaking off the engagement with Ling Yuanhang until today.
[Correct. With all capable male members of the Ling family gone, a household of the elderly, weak, women, and children guarding a 'gold mountain' was indeed perilous.
Especially their in-laws and old acquaintances, who encroached upon the Ling family's assets under various pretexts.
By now, the Ling family has truly declined. The Wei family only broke off the engagement with Ling Yuanhang after seeing no more profit could be squeezed from them.]
"Were the injuries on Ling Yuanhang's body inflicted by the Wei family?"
[No, the Wei family was only greedy for wealth, not to the point of taking lives. But regardless of whether the Wei family did it or not, the seventeen-year-old, severely injured Ling Yuanhang blamed the Wei family for it all.
So when he 'returned reborn', the first target of his revenge was the entire Wei clan.]
"Does this 'returned reborn' have something to do with Gan Tang?"
[Yes. After the Nanyue envoy rescued Ling Yuanhang, Gan Tang, seeing his noble attire and demeanor, took him away from Danyan back to Nanyue.
Ling Yuanhang, who awoke after three days and nights of unconsciousness, saw Gan Tang as the first person upon waking.
From then on, his heart became devoted to the noble and beautiful Gan Tang. As for his devoted fiancée Wei Shumin, who was waiting for him and still wanted to marry him, she was long forgotten.]
Yue Fuguang nodded. Truly worthy of being the revenge-themed male protagonist Ling Yuanhang, as rated by the system. He might lack many things, but he would never lack the inherent attribute of being a scoundrel.
She just didn't know if this one was a harem-seeking type or a love-struck fool.
"Hmph!"
For some reason, just that single "Hmph!" from Yue Fuguang sent a shiver down the spines of Emperor Mingxi and his Danyan ministers.
Meanwhile, Crown Prince Xie Zhiyan, who had just walked outside the hall and was about to become a husband, involuntarily tightened his grip on the red silk in his hand.
Although the Junior Mentor hadn't said anything explicit, everyone knew she looked down upon the Danyan custom where men could have three wives and four concubines, while women were expected to follow the three obediences and four virtues.
Ever since guessing some of her taboos, those officials who could hear her thoughts, along with his Majesty the Emperor, had become extremely cautious about taking concubines.
Because the decreased demand from the upper echelons had even affected the related market economy!
Yue Fuguang: Are you sure it's out of wariness of me, and not because you're afraid after learning that Prince Qi, enemy state spies, and other factions like to plant their own people in your backyards? Disdainful JPG
The display of the Crown Princess's dowry finally neared its end after the last few chests of books were carried in and then away.
After viewing the dowry, the civil and military officials began their performance, whispering and discussing with colleagues in front, behind, left, and right.
Some said the Shen family was generous, others said it was only to be expected.
In short, they acted as if everything was normal, and they really hadn't been solely focused on eating 'melons'!
The sun gradually set, and dusk arrived.
A red-robed official from the Ministry of Rites stood on a high platform and shouted in a drawn-out yet penetrating voice, "The auspicious hour has arrived. Please invite the Crown Prince and Crown Princess to enter the hall."
His voice carried clearly to Xie Zhiyan, who was hundreds of meters away, becoming a groom for the first time and feeling extremely nervous.
As his words fell, drums and music instantly sounded both inside and outside the grand hall. A melodious rendition of "The Phoenix Seeks His Mate" temporarily interrupted the 'melon-eating' duo.
Yue Fuguang looked towards the hall entrance. In the distance, she saw the handsome and dignified Xie Zhiyan with a solemn expression, wearing a red wedding robe embroidered with dragon patterns in gold thread and a purple-gold crown.
Beside him was the Crown Princess Shen Junshu in her magnificent phoenix crown and ceremonial robes. The long hem of her red wedding dress trailed on the ground like a blooming red flower.
The phoenixes and peonies embroidered on it refracted glints of golden light in the afterglow of the setting sun.
Golden threads and silver beads veiled her face, making it impossible to discern her expression.