“This… regardless of what the Emperor thinks, the fact remains that Lord Sun defied the imperial edict! How can this servant report back to the Emperor!”

After the shock, Chief Manager Wang worried about his own life.

The Emperor’s temperament was unpredictable – he could have someone’s head off with just a glare. How could he report back empty-handed?

“Come, come, quickly gather up Lord Sun’s corpse, along with what’s on the ground.” Chief Manager Wang covered his nose with his sleeve and turned to instruct the little eunuchs who had accompanied him.

The little eunuchs were also afraid of being implicated. Though frightened, they boldly approached with trembling hands to collect Sun Yu’s corpse and the red and white matter on the ground.

Sun Jie and Sun Qin angrily rose up and pushed the eunuchs away.

“What are you doing! The person is already gone, and you still want to make an issue of his corpse!”

Seeing this, Duke Dingguo’s wife tried to stand but fell back down due to weak legs. She could only shout hoarsely: “Don’t touch him! I’ll see who dares touch my grandson’s corpse!”

Tears covered her face as she questioned in heartbroken anguish: “The person is already gone, and you won’t even spare his corpse!”

“To touch my grandson’s corpse, you’ll have to step over my body first!” Duke Dingguo’s eyes were bloodshot, his voice hoarse and trembling. He spread his arms to block the eunuchs, his body like a mountain shielding everyone from Duke Dingguo’s manor behind him.

Looking at such a tragic family, how could Chief Manager Wang not feel sorry for Sun Yu? But unable to complete his mission, he feared for his own life.

“Duke, this servant has no choice. You know the Emperor’s temperament – if he truly flies into a dragon’s rage, neither you nor I could bear it.”

After thinking, Chief Manager Wang negotiated: “How about this – this servant will send someone back to the palace to report to the Emperor. We’ll follow whatever the Emperor decides.” If the Emperor showed mercy, it would resolve his difficulty too. After all, offending Duke Dingguo wouldn’t end well for him either.

Duke Dingguo gritted his teeth and nodded: “If so, we’ll trouble Chief Manager.”

Chief Manager Wang repeatedly said “I dare not” and quickly instructed a little eunuch to return to the palace to ask the Emperor’s will.

The little eunuch dared not see the Emperor but couldn’t refuse. He could only go with a mournful face, resigned to his fate.

Everyone waited in the cold courtyard.

Light snow began falling at some point, the fluttering flakes melting upon touching the ground, making it damp all over.

But no one was willing to take shelter. In the courtyard, only the women’s cries could be heard – low or high, sobbing or heart-rending wails.

The eldest aunt regained consciousness and, seeing her son’s tragic state, cried herself unconscious again. The second aunt held Sun Shi as they wept together.

Qin Yining supported her grandmother, tears falling like broken strings, impossible to stop.

The eldest cousin’s self-inflicted death to prove his integrity was also an accusation against the incompetent ruler.

But their deeply ingrained concepts of loyalty to the sovereign and love for country made many words impossible to speak aloud.

Unspoken, they were merely proving their integrity through death. Spoken, it would become treasonous intent.

Qin Yining didn’t know what others thought, but she hated the incompetent ruler to her very bones.

She couldn’t help thinking of Qin Huaiyuan.

The eldest cousin had once enjoyed prosperity and honor – wasn’t Qin Huaiyuan the same?

Living in chaotic times, the most difficult thing to fathom and resist was unpredictable fate.

After half an hour, mixed footsteps approached. This time it wasn’t just the questioning eunuch, but several Imperial Guards from the Emperor’s presence.

Having heard the Emperor’s will, the eunuch was confident as he bowed: “The Emperor has an oral decree that this servant must clearly convey to Duke Dingguo.”

Chief Manager Wang nodded, indicating the eunuch should speak.

The crying in the courtyard gradually weakened as everyone stared at the message-bearing eunuch.

“The Emperor says: ‘Your Duke Dingguo manor claims loyalty but refuses to sacrifice one Sun Yu for the nation’s greater good. Clearly sacrificing Sun Yu alone could appease Great Zhou’s anger – perhaps Xihua City would withdraw troops and over ten thousand prisoners would be released home. But Sun Yu only knew to show off his own authority! Never mind that he died by collision – even if torn to pieces, his corpse and brain matter must be delivered intact to the superior state Great Zhou! Whoever dares obstruct will be charged with defying imperial edicts and treason!'”

The eunuch’s voice was shrill, yet he mimicked the Emperor’s violent tone perfectly. But his voice grew weaker as he spoke, because everyone was glaring at him with murderous eyes.

Chief Manager Wang waved for the eunuch to withdraw and bowed to Duke Dingguo, saying with difficulty: “Duke, you are the family head. You must think clearly – the Emperor has spoken to this extent. This servant must take the person. Consider whether Duke Dingguo’s manor can withstand the two great charges of ‘treason’ and ‘defying imperial edicts.’ Lord Sun is gone, but Duke, you still have other sons and grandsons!”

Duke Dingguo clenched his fists until his knuckles went white, veins bulging at his temples, unable to speak a word.

The women broke into loud sobs.

The Imperial Guards stepped forward, pushing aside the fifth and eighth cousins who still tried to block them. They collected the scattered red and white matter into a brocade box and together lifted Sun Yu’s horrible remains into a hastily prepared thin-walled coffin.

Chief Manager Wang, seeing the task finally completed, immediately cupped his hands and hurriedly left with his men.

Duke Dingguo slowly raised his head, murmuring: “Heaven wants to destroy our Great Zhou.” Suddenly he spat out fresh blood, his eyes rolled back, and his tall frame fell backward.

“Grandfather!”

“Duke!”

The scene immediately became chaotic.

Such a major incident at Duke Dingguo’s manor spread throughout the capital within two hours. People were in an uproar – how many commoners sighed and were shocked, how many soldiers grieved and raged cannot be described.

Qin Huaiyuan rushed over upon hearing the news.

Qin Yining and Qin Huining followed Sun Shi in the inner residence, busy calling physicians to care for the women.

Not only Duke Dingguo’s wife, the eldest aunt, and second aunt, but even Duke Dingguo himself had collapsed unconscious. Duke Dingguo’s manor temporarily had no one to make decisions on major or minor matters.

Qin Huaiyuan took charge with Sun Jie and Sun Qin in the front courtyard, setting up a mourning hall. They placed Sun Yu’s clothing, hat, and shoes in the coffin, and arranged for funeral announcements, vigil keeping, paper burning, and mourning wails. The entire Duke Dingguo manor was shrouded in white and grief.

At this time, the Emperor and Empress, seeing Sun Yu’s remains and the bit of scarlet mixed with white in the brocade box, both frowned in dissatisfaction.

“Your Majesty, what do you think Sun Yuanming meant by this? Could it be he harbored disloyal and rebellious thoughts toward you? When you gave him orders, he risked his life to oppose you?” The Empress covered her mouth and nose with a fragrant handkerchief, fanning herself in disgust.

The Emperor already harbored such suspicions, and the Empress’s words only fueled his anger further.

“I think Sun Yuanming was just addled by his studies! Enough, for now I only hope to pass this hurdle with Great Zhou’s envoys. Come.”

“This servant is here.” Chief Manager Wang bowed with a flattering smile.

The Emperor said impatiently: “You, personally invite Great Zhou’s envoys, saying I’m hosting a banquet for them. Also say that Sun Yu’s matter has been prepared.”

Chief Manager Wang quickly bowed and withdrew.

The Emperor wanted to use a corpse and half a box of heart-punishing matter to appease Great Zhou’s anger.

But when the envoys saw it, they slammed the table in fury, angrily accusing the Emperor: “Clearly you harbor ill intentions toward our Great Zhou Empress Dowager! For consumption, naturally the fresher the better – freshly slaughtered from a living person is fresh. Transporting such a corpse over, won’t it become putrid and stinking? How can you expect the Empress Dowager to consume it!”

The Emperor knew this reasoning and could only smile apologetically in persuasion.

The envoys angrily departed, not taking the corpse with them.

The Emperor dared not act rashly before the envoys, but after they left, he swept the table aside and loudly instructed Chief Manager Wang: “Throw Sun Yu to the mass grave! I’m sick of looking at him!”

Chief Manager Wang’s heart jumped, and he quickly lowered his head to withdraw and carry out the order.

Fortunately, Chief Manager Wang still had some humanity. Though he had the man thrown in the mass grave, he immediately sent a trusted person to inform Duke Dingguo’s manor, telling them to quickly retrieve the body before wolves and wild dogs could drag it away.

Hearing this, Sun Jie and Sun Qin again couldn’t help but cry loudly, their eyes red with hatred as they beat their chests and stamped their feet.

Qin Huaiyuan said wearily: “Regardless, bringing Yuanming back for proper burial is urgent. Everything else must be carefully considered. You’re both grown men who understand many principles. The Emperor’s dragon nature is thus – you’re not just yourselves, Duke Dingguo’s manor is a large family that can’t afford any more mishaps.”

“Brother-in-law is right.” Sun Jie wiped his tears: “I’ll immediately take people to race there. Eighth brother, you stay here and keep watch.”

“All right.” Sun Qin also wiped his face.

After Sun Jie left, Sun Qin gratefully bowed to Qin Huaiyuan: “Such a major incident today – Fifth brother and I were both panicked. With no head of household at home, we didn’t know what to do. If you hadn’t taken charge…”

“Ah.” Qin Huaiyuan waved his hand. “We’re all family.”

Sun Qin nodded emotionally: “Yes.”

Qin Huaiyuan sighed and instructed: “Tell everyone in the manor to watch their tongues. Some thoughts can’t be harbored in the heart, and such words can’t be spoken aloud. The Emperor is still angry – once such things spread, it means death.”

“Yes.” Sun Qin nodded with pursed lips.

Qin Huaiyuan patted Sun Qin’s shoulder and added: “If the sovereign demands a subject’s death, the subject cannot refuse to die – this is the path of being a minister.”

Hearing this, Sun Qin looked at the mourning banners blown by the cold wind, tears welling up again.

Sun Jie managed to race there and retrieve Sun Yu’s corpse from the wild dogs’ mouths, finally allowing proper burial.

Looking at Sun Yu in the coffin, Qin Huaiyuan felt the sorrow of lips and teeth being cold, rabbits dying and foxes grieving. Thinking of his brilliant talent in life yet ending up like this, he couldn’t help but sigh.

Sun Shi had just helped Duke Dingguo’s wife take medicine when the lady called Nanny Bao to ask about Duke Dingguo and the outer courtyard’s situation.

Nanny Bao had changed to plain colors with a white belt at her waist. She bowed: “Regarding the Duke, Miss Tang just examined him and said it was acute anger attacking the heart – he can only slowly recover with medicine. The Duke just woke up, took medicine, and fell asleep again. In the outer courtyard, your son-in-law is managing things with Fifth Master and Eighth Master. They’ve already prepared First Master for burial.”

“You’re saying Yuanming’s corpse was brought back?”

“Yes.” Nanny Bao feared Duke Dingguo’s wife would faint again from anger, so she dared not mention they had snatched the man back from wild dogs and wolves at the mass grave.

Duke Dingguo’s wife assumed the Emperor had sent the body back and sadly closed her eyes.

Being a violent death, Sun Yu’s wake lasted only seven days before burial.

During this time, Qin Yining and Qin Huining stayed with Sun Shi to nurse Duke Dingguo’s wife.

If not for seeing there were only four days until Little New Year, Sun Shi wouldn’t have wanted to return to the Qin family.

But as a married woman, with the year’s end approaching, she ultimately couldn’t take root in her maiden family.

Unexpectedly, the three had just entered the main hall of Cixiao Courtyard when they were immediately berated by the Old Dowager.