nycdaug Chapter 165 Funeral
Chapter 165 Funeral
"Ying'er? Come here quickly."
From afar, a carriage could be seen parked in front of the Minister's residence, and Su Chengde, with his thin frame, slowly carried things onto the carriage.
The old lady spotted Su Fuying at a glance, her face lit up with surprise, and she quickly stepped forward to beckon Su Fuying over.
"Grandmother, why didn't you tell me you were leaving?" Su Fuying grabbed the old lady's withered hand and scolded her.
The old lady looked bitter, turned her head to look at Su Chengde who was cautiously looking in their direction, and said apologetically, "He said he was ashamed to see you and told me not to look for you."
“Grandmother, I don’t like hearing you say that,” Su Fuying said, feigning anger. The old lady quickly grabbed her hand.
"It's not that I'm afraid Ying'er will find this old woman troublesome; if she leaves today, she'll probably never see me again..."
"Grandmother!" Su Fuying quickly interrupted, not letting her continue.
"Don't say anything unlucky, Grandmother will definitely live to be a hundred years old." Su Fuying looked at the old lady with a firm gaze, her eyes shining.
Upon hearing this, the old lady's face immediately lit up with a smile, her eyes filled with joy and gratitude, and she said, "Thank you for your kind words, Ying'er."
Su Fuying hesitated before asking, "If Grandmother doesn't stay, Ying'er will have the opportunity to fulfill her filial duties by her side."
Her voice was earnest, and her eyes revealed a deep reluctance to part with the old lady.
“Ying’er is very kind, but Chengde and I are both getting old, and we are really worried about letting him go back alone.”
The old lady gently shook her head, a helpless expression on her face.
She held Su Fuying's hand tightly, her gaze falling on Su Fuying with affection. She truly loved this granddaughter, but alas...
Su Fuying glanced at Su Chengde, who had become as thin as a bamboo pole, and saw him struggling to load the last bundle onto the carriage.
She understood the old lady's worries and concerns about her son, after all, he was her only son.
If you asked her to stay, she probably wouldn't agree.
Seeing this, Su Fuying stopped insisting and took a heavy purse from Biluo and handed it to the old lady.
She said softly, "Grandmother, the Minister's mansion is not what it used to be. Please accept these things."
The old lady took it in her hand and opened it. When she saw that the purse was full of gold leaves, she was so frightened that her hand trembled and she quickly returned it: "No, no, no, I can't accept it."
Su Fuying smiled faintly, "It's nothing, Grandmother. You'll have plenty of places to spend money after you go back, so please accept it."
Now, the man who once brought glory to the Su family has finally returned, but he has returned as a commoner, causing the entire family to lose face.
Those members of the royal family have no idea how they will make things difficult for them.
"We still have some silver on us, enough to make a living." The old lady was grateful, but she was too embarrassed to accept Su Fuying's help any further.
"Mother, please accept it." Su Chengde said softly from the side, his gaze falling on Su Fuying's face, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he didn't say it.
"Thank you..." After hesitating for a moment, the old lady accepted the bag of silver, her eyes filled with gratitude.
Su Chengde looked at Su Fuying and gently called out, "Princess."
Su Fuying smiled slightly and replied, "Minister Su."
"Princess, you needn't be so polite. I am no longer a minister." Su Chengde's tone was bitter. He never expected that after so many years in office, he would end up like this.
He looked back at the empty mansion, then at the two people in front of him, and an endless sorrow welled up in his heart.
Seeing this, Su Fuying did not say anything, but handed the prepared things to the old lady and personally escorted them to the city gate.
Back then, the Minister's mansion was always bustling with people coming to curry favor, but now that Su Chengde has left, not a single person is willing to step forward.
That incident just happened this morning, and there weren't many pedestrians on the street. The carriage arrived at the city gate without any hindrance.
Throughout the journey, Su Fuying did not inquire about the cause of Su Mingqian's death. The Ministry of Rites had initially claimed that he had accidentally fallen into the water, but those who knew the truth were aware of the real circumstances.
That's enough for now.
The old lady looked at Su Fuying with reluctance. In fact, she knew very well that after this parting, she might never see her beloved granddaughter again in her life.
"Grandma, please take good care of yourself. Your granddaughter will definitely come back to visit you when she has time."
Su Fuying gently embraced the old lady and whispered in her ear.
The old lady's face lit up with joy: "Will Ying'er really come back to visit her grandmother?"
"certainly."
Su Fuying gave her a reassuring look.
"Grandmother, I have two prescriptions here. You and Minister Su should decoct and take the medicine according to these prescriptions every day; it will be very beneficial to your health."
The old lady's eyes instantly welled up with tears, and she reached out a trembling hand to stroke Su Fuying's cheek, her face filled with remorse.
"Ying'er, the Su family has wronged you in this lifetime. Grandmother really doesn't know what to say."
"Grandmother and I needn't say much more. It's getting late, Grandmother, please get in the car."
Su Fuying gently wiped away the tears from the old lady's eyes and chuckled, "Grandmother, you're so old and you're still crying. Aren't you ashamed?"
"Well, you've even learned to tease your grandmother now."
The old lady immediately burst out laughing.
Su Fuying lowered her gaze slightly and helped the person onto the carriage.
"Ying'er, things are different now than they used to be. You must be careful in everything you do in the capital."
As the carriage moved along, Su Chengde, who was inside, finally couldn't hold back any longer. He lifted the curtain, poked his head out, his eyes red-rimmed, and gave Su Fuying some instructions.
"Ah."
"Miss, let's go."
A cold wind blew, and Biluo couldn't help but step forward to tighten Su Fuying's cloak, whispering a reminder.
"Understood," Su Fuying replied, her gaze still fixed on the carriage that was gradually disappearing into the distance.
As she watched the carriage gradually disappear from sight, an indescribable emotion welled up inside her.
He blinked, then turned and slowly walked into the mansion.
The next morning, before dawn, the sky outside the window was still a hazy gray, as if the whole world was shrouded in a thin veil.
However, at such a tranquil moment, a light rain quietly descended.
Raindrops fell in a flurry, wetting the ground and rooftops with a crisp sound.
This rain has been falling for several days in a row, which is incredibly annoying.
It finally stopped raining yesterday, but I didn't expect it to start drizzling again today.
"Miss, hurry and go to the street to take a look." Biluo rushed into the house, her tone very anxious.
"What's wrong?" Su Fuying was lying in bed. After hearing Biluo's voice, she lazily opened her eyes, looking somewhat listless.
Seeing the heavy rain outside the window, she felt utterly listless, and even the desire to go out vanished without a trace.
Since her shop opened, she hadn't personally checked on the situation, and she always felt uneasy.
"The Regent's funeral is today, and there are many people watching the spectacle on the streets." Biluo said, while nervously observing her young mistress's expression.
News of the Regent's death had spread far and wide, but strangely, Su Fuying showed no reaction whatsoever when she heard the news.
This made Biluo wonder if her intuition was wrong.
"The body was only found yesterday, and the funeral is today?" Su Fuying frowned, expressing her doubts about this hasty arrangement.
Normally, even if the body is found, it should be kept for several days until the cause of death is determined before burial.
But the fact that the Regent's funeral was held so hastily seems somewhat unusual.
Biluo sighed, "Yes, I just overheard people talking on the street that they had a physical examination last night and confirmed that he is the Regent. The Princess then requested that he be buried today, and His Majesty immediately agreed."
"They are being far too hasty."
Su Fuying's expression was inscrutable. After speaking, she turned and went back to her room.
"Miss, shall we go take a look?"
Biluo stuck her head out from behind and asked.
"What's so interesting about dead people? They're bad luck."
Divider Line
Half a month passed peacefully like this, during which time a beauty craze swept through the capital.
The store is always packed with customers, and you have to queue to buy many things.
Those who had previously recharged their accounts with Su Fuying were especially fortunate, as they could get their hands on any new products as soon as they were released. This made many wealthy women feel proud and glamorous.
That day, Su Fuying was sitting on the second floor checking the account books.
However, just then, a commotion came from downstairs.
Su Fuying frowned, a sense of unease rising in her heart.
She walked quickly to the window and looked down, only to see a group of armored soldiers storming in menacingly.
They were armed and looked serious, clearly indicating they had ill intentions.
"Where is the manager of your Rouge Hall? Come out!" The leading soldier was rude, grabbing a servant at random and questioning him fiercely.
The servant was stunned by this sudden scene, trembling all over, his eyes filled with fear and helplessness.
"Sir, spare my life! Sir, spare my life! I'm just a waiter here; I know nothing else!"
He stammered as he explained, seemingly clueless about what might happen next.
"If you don't know, call your manager out here!" the leading soldier roared impatiently, his longsword gleaming coldly.
The servant trembled, his legs went weak, and his knees buckled. With a thud, he knelt straight down on the cold, hard ground, his body trembling slightly, his face as pale as paper, and his lips quivering.
"Sir, I'm new here and haven't even met the manager yet. I really don't know anything. Please spare my life..."
His voice was filled with fear and despair, with a clear sob in it, and tears welled up in his eyes, but he dared not let them fall easily.
People gathered around, their eyes fixed on the uninvited guests, their faces showing surprise, confusion, and unease.
In an instant, the entire Rouge Hall became unusually quiet, as if time had frozen. Everyone held their breath, waiting quietly for the situation to develop further.
"Hmph, since you know nothing, then you have no reason to exist!"
The leader snorted disdainfully, a cold and ruthless glint in his eyes. He raised his sharp sword high, preparing to deliver a fatal blow to the servant.
"Help!"
The servant screamed in terror, squeezing his eyes shut, unable to bear the sight of his impending death. "Pfft."
"what!"
With two sounds, the arrogant soldiers who were just moments before had their palms pierced by a sharp blade, and blood spurted from their palms, splattering all over the ground.
Due to gravity, he fell directly to the ground.
His eyes widened in terror, veins bulged on his forehead, and beads of sweat rolled down his cheeks. He clutched his bleeding hand in agony, letting out a pig-like scream.
He could even sense that if he got any closer to the door, the dagger would probably pierce through his palm and pin him to the wall.
"My hand, my own hand!"
The man trembled as he raised his hand, revealing a gruesome blood hole in his palm, from which blood gushed out, staining the ground red.
His face turned ashen, and his lips lost all color from the excruciating pain. He clenched his teeth, but still couldn't help but let out a low groan.
He gritted his teeth, veins bulging on his forehead, enduring the waves of pain coursing through his body, and struggled to lift his head to look into the room.
His eyes, bloodshot with rage like burning flames, stared intently ahead as he roared, "Who is it? Show yourself if you dare!"
However, the surroundings remained deathly silent, and no one dared to step forward and respond to him.
It was as if the entire world was shrouded in this terrifying aura, and no one dared to challenge his authority.
His eyes widened, flashing with endless rage and murderous intent, his teeth clenched tightly together, making a grinding sound.
He scanned everyone around him with a menacing gaze, trying to find the culprit who had hurt him.
However, faced with his fierce gaze, everyone lowered their heads in fear, not daring to meet his eyes.
Seeing this, the man grew even angrier and shouted again, "Since no one admits it, then none of us here today will leave this place!"
After saying that, he raised his arm and swung it forcefully. The guards beside him immediately drew their swords and stepped forward.
The once quiet scene instantly descended into chaos, with people fleeing in panic, trying to escape the sudden disaster.
Some people even knelt down and begged for mercy, hoping to gain a little pity; others took advantage of the chaos to escape, trying to flee this dangerous place.
Just then, a clear voice suddenly rang out: "Stop!"
The voice boomed like thunder, shattering the crowd and causing everyone to stop in their tracks.
They all looked up and followed the direction of the sound, only to see a white figure slowly walking down the stairs.
His long, ink-black hair cascaded over his shoulders, his eyes were like water, his lips were red and his teeth were white; he was incomparably handsome, as if he had stepped out of a painting.
He pursed his lips slightly, holding a book in his hand, and slowly descended the stairs, his posture elegant and noble.
"How dare you! Who are you?"
The guard asked in a cold voice.