xymnovel Chapter 31 Showdown in the Funeral Hall
Chapter 31 Showdown in the Funeral Hall
"Fourth Prince, Thirteenth Prince has arrived!"
As soon as the announcement ended, the crying in the mourning hall suddenly stopped as if someone had grabbed its neck.
All eyes were on the main entrance.
Yin'e stood on the steps at the entrance of the mourning hall, looking down in that direction as well.
The three filed in.
Leading the way was the Fourth Prince, Yinzhen.
He was wearing the four-dragon embroidered robe of a prince.
He wasn't tall, and even appeared somewhat short in the crowd, but his imposing presence was more overwhelming than anyone else present.
His gaze was cold and stern, his lips slightly pursed, exuding an imposing aura without anger.
Following closely behind was the thirteenth prince, Yinxiang.
In stark contrast to the fourth prince, the thirteenth prince was tall and robust, with broad shoulders and a powerful stride.
His facial features were well-defined, with thick eyebrows, large eyes, a high nose bridge, and a square jaw. He exuded a martial spirit in every gesture.
Tian Wenjing was walking at the very back.
This was the first time that Yin'e had seen this legendary cruel official in person.
Tian Wenjing was in her forties, petite, with shoulders as narrow as a withered monkey.
His face was long and narrow, with high cheekbones, deep-set eyes, and a pair of small, darting eyes.
He had a sparse goatee on his chin and lips as thin as two blades.
His appearance, to put it nicely, is "shrewd and capable," but to put it bluntly, he "has the face of a born villain."
What angered Yin'e the most was his expression.
Walking behind the two princes, he showed not a trace of humility or remorse.
Instead, he held his head high, chest out, with a faint smile on his lips, as if he were there to attend a banquet, not to offer condolences.
Those small eyes swept over the officials in the courtyard with a smug and confident air.
His appearance made Yin'e's teeth itch.
Tian Wenjing dares to act this way not because he's bold, but because he's shrewd.
He certainly wouldn't dare come to the Wei residence to offer condolences alone. If he dared to step into the gates of the Wei residence alone, even if he wasn't beaten to death by the Wei family, he would be devoured alive by those officials who were crying their eyes out.
But he came with Fourth Master and Thirteenth Master.
With the two princes standing in front of him, no matter how much people hated him, no one dared to lay a finger on him in front of the princes.
The three of them walked across the courtyard and headed towards the mourning hall.
As they passed by the officials, people on both sides lowered their heads and made way for them.
When Yinzhen (the Fourth Prince) arrived at the entrance of the mourning hall, he saw Yin'e standing on the steps.
His steps faltered slightly, and his gaze lingered on Yin'e's face for a moment.
He nodded and said, "Tenth Brother is here too."
"Fourth Brother, Thirteenth Brother." Yin'e nodded as well, his tone equally indifferent.
The two were separated by three steps. Their eyes met briefly in the air before they looked away.
No further words were needed.
Yinzhen (the Fourth Prince) stepped up the steps and walked past Yin'e.
Yinxiang (the thirteenth prince) followed behind, nodded slightly to Yin'e as a greeting, and then went inside as well.
Tian Wenjing followed at the very back.
As he passed by Yin'e, Yin'e subtly extended his left foot, his toes gently hooking onto Tian Wenjing's ankle.
Tian Wenjing felt her foot trip and her body suddenly lean forward.
With a startled cry, she flailed her arms wildly in the air.
Fortunately, he reacted quickly and grabbed the door frame, preventing himself from falling flat on his face.
He steadied himself, turned his head sharply, and a flash of annoyance appeared in his small eyes.
But when he realized that the person who tripped him was Yin'e, he swallowed back the words he wanted to say.
Tian Wenjing lowered her eyes, bowed her head, and slunk away as she quickly walked inside.
Yin'e watched his retreating figure, leaned against a pillar at the entrance of the mourning hall, crossed his arms, and stopped moving.
He wanted to see how these three were going to perform today.
Inside the mourning hall.
The Fourth Prince, Yinzhen, walked to the memorial tablet, took three incense sticks from the master of ceremonies, raised them above his head, and bowed deeply three times.
The Thirteenth Prince, Yinxiang, followed behind and also offered incense.
After offering incense, Yinzhen turned around and walked to Wei Shitong, who was kneeling to the side.
"Young Master Wei, Lord Wei was loyal and diligent throughout his life, and the court will not forget him. Please accept our condolences and take care of yourself."
After saying that, he took out a sealed package from his sleeve and handed it to Wei Shitong with both hands.
Wei Shitong accepted the package with both hands, touched his forehead to the ground, and kowtowed: "Thank you, Fourth Master."
Yinzhen nodded and turned to leave.
He had just taken a step when a hoarse shout came from behind him.
"Fourth Master, please wait!"
Yinzhen stopped in his tracks.
He slowly turned around.
Wei Shitong knelt on the ground and then straightened up.
His eyes were red and tears were still streaming down his face, but in those eyes, besides sadness, there was something even stronger: anger.
"Fourth Master, my father died unjustly! We beg you, Fourth Master, to seek justice for my father!"
The entire mourning hall fell silent.
Even the candlelight seemed to be frightened and stopped flickering.
Yinzhen (the Fourth Prince) stood there, looking at Wei Shitong, his face expressionless.
The Thirteenth Prince behind him had a slight change in expression and subconsciously took half a step closer to the Fourth Prince.
Tian Wenjing stood further back, her face full of vigilance.
Wei Shitong's shout was like a stone thrown into a calm lake.
Ripples spread outwards in concentric circles, quickly extending from the mourning hall into the courtyard.
"Yes! Tian Wenjing drove Lord Wei to his death! We beg Fourth Master to do justice!"
"Please, Fourth Master, make the decision!"
"That cruel official Tian Wenjing killed Lord Wei; he must pay with his life!"
"Please, Fourth Master, bring Tian Wenjing to justice!"
A chorus of voices surged from all directions. The officials who had been silent just moments before seemed to have been ignited by Wei Shitong's courage, and one by one they stood up.
Some shouted loudly, some echoed softly, some waved their fists in the crowd, and some were so excited that their faces turned red.
The funeral hall was in complete chaos, both inside and out.
Tian Wenjing's expression finally changed.
He subconsciously shrank back behind Yinzhen.
Yinzhen did not move.
His gaze moved from Wei Shitong's face to the shouting officials, and then back again, unhurriedly.
Then, his gaze fell on Tian Wenjing's face.
Tian Wenjing's legs went weak from his gaze, and she quickly lowered her head, a fine layer of sweat appearing on her forehead.
Yinzhen withdrew his gaze and finally spoke.
"You want me to make the decisions? What decisions are you asking me to make?"
He paused, looked around, and saw that the shouts were gradually fading away.
"The imperial court's order to recover the national treasury's debts is Father Emperor's decree. Tian Wenjing is simply following orders; is she wrong?"
"Paying back debts is a matter of course. Lord Wei owes the national treasury 300,000 taels of silver, and the court is urging him to repay the debt. Is that wrong?"
Wei Shitong knelt on the ground, wanting to refute, but found himself unable to utter a single word.
Yinzhen turned around to face Wei Shitong, looking down at him. His gaze was no longer indifferent, but sharp.
"Young Master Wei," his voice suddenly turned cold, "do you know why your father owes so much money?"
Wei Shitong opened his mouth, but no words came out.
"It's all because of you! You spend all your time eating, drinking, and having fun, and you're good for nothing."
Bao Yaojie married five concubines and spent lavishly in brothels.
How many times has your dad wiped your bottom? Have you ever thought about what he did for you?
Yinzhen continued, his voice growing colder: "I heard that when you were in Yangzhou, you spent six thousand taels of silver in a single day."
Six thousand taels! How much did your father earn in a year of hard work as the Imperial Textile Commissioner in Jiangning? And you spent it all in one day?
You're half responsible for your father's debts. How dare you complain about being wronged here?
Wei Shitong swayed, his mouth opened but he couldn't utter a single word.
The officials in the mourning hall looked at each other, some wanting to say something on behalf of Wei Shitong, but seeing the Fourth Master's ashen face, they swallowed their words.
"And you too." Yinzhen turned around, his gaze sweeping over those in the courtyard who had been shouting the loudest earlier.
"Don't you know how much silver you owe the national treasury? The court will handle Lord Wei's matter according to the rules."
But if you intend to use this opportunity to cause trouble, let me make this clear: what happened to Lord Wei today will happen to you tomorrow.
The audience was silent.
No one dared to speak anymore.
Those officials who were just moments ago filled with righteous indignation were now all shrugging their necks and bowing their heads, wishing they could hide themselves in the crowd.
Wei Dongting is dead, but the debt remains.
The money owed will not be shortchanged.
If anyone makes trouble again, they might be the next one to be dragged out and publicly reprimanded.
Yin'e stood at the entrance of the mourning hall, observing coldly.
His fists were clenched so tightly inside his sleeves that they made a cracking sound.
From a logical standpoint, what the fourth brother said makes perfect sense.
It is only right to pay back debts. Wei Shitong was indeed a spendthrift, and he certainly contributed to Wei Dongting's debts.
The problem is, this is in someone else's funeral hall.
Respect for the dead is paramount. Wei Dongting's coffin was still behind him, his body barely cold, and you were already verbally abusing his son in front of his memorial tablet. Is this the kind of thing a prince should do?
Even if Wei Shitong is wrong, you shouldn't be the one to say that.
Even if you were to say something, you shouldn't say it in the funeral hall.
Even if you were to say it at the funeral parlor, you shouldn't say it in front of a room full of mourners.
This isn't reasoning; this is a slap in the face.
It was a slap in the face to Wei Dongting, a slap in the face to the Wei family, and a slap in the face to everyone present.
Yin'e took a deep breath and then slowly exhaled.
A voice inside him said, "Don't meddle in other people's business. You've only just gained a foothold. Don't confront the fourth brother head-on."
But another voice was louder: "You're the Tenth Prince now, a prince. What are you afraid of?"
The original owner's brute-like image was his own talisman. If you don't mention it, it doesn't seem like him at all.
The fourth brother has already started walking out.
When Yinzhen walked past Yin'e, he did not stop or look away.
Just then.
"Ha ha ha ha!"
A burst of laughter rang out from the entrance of the mourning hall.
All eyes turned to the doorway.
Yin'e leaned against the door frame, arms crossed, a slight smile on his lips.
Yinzhen finally stopped walking.
He slowly turned around, looked at Yin'e, and frowned slightly.
"Tenth Brother, what are you laughing at?"
Yin'e straightened up, walked down the steps unhurriedly, walked to the center of the mourning hall, stood in front of Wei Dongting's memorial tablet, and turned his head to look at Yinzhen.
"Fourth Brother truly lives up to his reputation as the King of Cold Noodles. He really shows no mercy to people or things. I admire his iron-fisted impartiality."
Yinzhen's eyes turned cold.
"Tenth Brother, what do you mean by that?"
"It's nothing. I just wanted to ask you, Fourth Brother, is your reasoning only applicable to others and not to your own people, or is it fair and impartial?"