Ling Daye returned to the Ling residence with a grave and heavy expression.

His bearing was somewhat rigid, his steps far slower than usual, his face laden with unspoken troubles.

Sun Shi came to meet him as she always did, and greeted him with a smile: “My lord, why have you come home so early today?”

Ling Daye seemed not to hear her at all. He walked inside with a blank, wooden expression and sat down mechanically. His gaze was somewhat unfocused, and beneath his composure lurked a trace of unease and alarm rarely seen in him.

“My lord, what has happened?” After so many years as husband and wife, Sun Shi had never seen Ling Daye so shaken and lost. A vague premonition of misfortune crept into her heart, and her voice took on an urgency tinged with anxiety: “My lord, what’s happened?”

Ling Daye, his expression stiff, forced out a single sentence: “Lu Ping is finished!”

Lu Ping?

Sun Shi was taken aback and blurted out: “What has happened to Lu Ping?”

“He secretly colluded with Prince Yan and participated in the assassination attempt at the imperial villa.” Ling Daye closed his eyes in dejection, his voice saturated with desolation: “He was secretly imprisoned in the Heavenly Prison by the Court of Judicial Review and subjected to interrogation — the evidence is conclusive. The Crown Grandson announced this matter at court today, and after the assembly the Crown Prince reported it to the Emperor. Word has it the Emperor flew into a towering rage and has ordered Lu Ping executed.”

“Treason is a grave crime — it implicates all members of the Lu clan without exception. The Lu Family members have all been placed under escort and are now being transported to the capital. I fear every male of the Lu household will not escape death. The women and children may keep their lives, but exile will be unavoidable…”

Before he had even finished speaking, Sun Shi’s face had drained to a deathly white, her mouth murmuring unconsciously: “How can this be? How can this be!”

Lu Ping truly had nerves of iron!

This was a crime severe enough to exterminate the entire clan!

How could he have dared to do such a thing!

“At today’s court assembly, not a single person dared speak in Lu Ping’s defense.”

Ling Daye’s tone grew ever more anguished, his brow furrowing into a deep crease: “The Lu Family is utterly and completely finished! Lu An and Lu Qian, father and son, will both struggle to preserve their lives. I can only pity my poor little sister — so many years married into the Lu Family, without a single day of ease. Now she is dragged down by this as well. I don’t know what will become of her.”

Blood ties between siblings of the same mother, after all — though they had not seen each other for a long while, some measure of familial feeling remained.

Thinking of the wretched fate that was about to befall Ling Shi, Ling Daye’s eyes quickly reddened.

Sun Shi also began to wipe at her tears, and said in a choked voice: “My sister-in-law’s life has been too bitter.”

But there was nothing to be done — no one could save Ling Shi, let alone the Lu Family!

To speak plainly, at a time like this, the priority was to keep as much distance from the Lu Family as possible to avoid any association — who would dare move closer? Especially the Ling Family, who were properly connected to the Lu Family by marriage. If they appeared too invested, it would only invite suspicion from the Crown Prince, and that would be most unfortunate.

Sun Shi grieved and lamented the Lu Family’s fate for a moment, then dried her tears and asked in a low voice: “My lord, allow me to say something perhaps I shouldn’t. Given the situation as it stands now, there’s nothing we can do for the Lu Family. In the coming days, my lord must also be careful and circumspect. If there is any misstep,御史 — the Censorate — could bring a formal accusation to the court. Were that to happen, our Ling Family would also fare badly.”

Such obvious reasoning — how could Ling Daye not understand it?

Ling Daye was silent for a moment, then let out a long sigh: “I know. But this matter is truly serious — it cannot be concealed from Mother. I’ll write a letter immediately and have it sent off to Dingzhou without delay.”

“Also, for the foreseeable future I’ll report sick and ‘recuperate’ at home. Once the matter of the Lu Family has fully settled, I’ll make my public appearances again. As for the Lu Family’s affairs — do remind the children to stay silent. Tell them not to speak carelessly. Should anyone deliberately ask about the Lu Family, they are to claim complete ignorance.”

Sun Shi agreed to each point in turn.

Ling Daye quickly retired to the study and wrote a family letter, which he had dispatched that very night.

Once the letter was written, the two of them had no heart for sleep and sat facing each other through the entire night.

……

The following day, Ling Daye reported sick and began his period of “recuperation” at home.

Ling Jingshu and Jiang Shi learned of the Lu Family’s situation very soon after.

Jiang Shi was deeply shocked. Ling Jingshu, for her part, displayed a suitably astonished and grieved expression at the appropriate moment: “First Aunt-Mother, how could something like this have suddenly happened? If Uncle by marriage is executed, what will Aunt by marriage do?”

Sun Shi, who had not slept all night, appeared visibly more haggard and aged than the day before. Hearing this, she gave a bitter smile: “I don’t have clarity on these matters myself just yet. You two, don’t ask too many questions either.”

She paused, then added a word of instruction: “My lord has already reported sick and is not going out. In the days ahead, you both keep a low profile as well — try not to go out if at all possible.”

Ling Jingshu and Jiang Shi quietly agreed.

With something like this having occurred, Sun Shi’s mood was dark and heavy, and she had no heart for conversation.

Ling Jingshu and Jiang Shi sat with her briefly, then took their leave and departed.

“No person’s good fortune lasts a thousand days; no flower blooms for a hundred.” Jiang Shi said in a low voice, eyes red-rimmed with feeling: “I truly never imagined the Lu Family would be brought to ruin overnight.”

Jiang Shi had very little contact with the Lu Family and was not close to them — there was no profound sentiment to speak of. Nevertheless, watching the Lu Family suffer such catastrophe was genuinely distressing.

Ling Jingshu also wore a face of sorrow: “Indeed, who could have anticipated such a sudden turn of fate.”

Ling Jingshu did not know how much effort it took to keep the elation inside her pressed firmly down.

Lu Ping was finished! Lu An was finished! The Lu Family was finished! As for Ling Shi — she would only know a life worse than death.

Vengeance fulfilled for a profound hatred — perhaps there was no greater satisfaction in this world.

Ever since receiving the Crown Grandson’s letter, she had been submerged entirely in this indescribable sense of exhilaration. And now that even Ling Daye and his wife had learned of it, it was clear that news of the Lu Family had already spread.

She drew a quiet, long breath, releasing every shadow and resentment and grief and suffering and bitterness and hatred from her past life from deep within her chest.

Jiang Shi, having been raised in a prestigious household, possessed considerable discernment: “All the Lu Family’s men will likely be executed, and the household will have its assets seized. Come to think of it now, the Lu Family cousin being forced to take monastic vows may actually have been a stroke of fortune.”

To take religious vows meant severing all ties with the secular world, leaving no connection to the Lu Family whatsoever. Even if the entire Lu household were to be executed, the blade could not reach Lu Hong’s neck.

Whatever the circumstances, at least a life would be preserved.

At the thought of Lu Hong, Ling Jingshu felt nothing but emptiness and indifference.

All that had transpired in her past life had already been laid to rest. She and Lu Hong had not the faintest connection left to speak of. May they each take good care and go in peace.

Perhaps because Ling Jingshu had been too composed, she drew a puzzled glance from Jiang Shi: “A’Shu, hearing this — aren’t you even the least bit saddened?”

Ling Jingshu had not shed a single tear up to this point, which seemed somewhat heartless.

Yet the truth was, she was exercising tremendous self-control in not letting a smile escape her lips. There was truly no way to perform sadness and distress convincingly.

Ling Jingshu lowered her eyelids, concealing the cold amusement in her eyes, and said quietly: “What good does being saddened do? Someone who brings calamity upon themselves cannot be saved. The Lu Family’s Second Uncle was consumed by ambition — he even dared participate in an assassination attempt against the Emperor and the Crown Prince. Once exposed, this was the ending he should have long since foreseen.”

That was fair enough.

Jiang Shi gave a soft sigh: “Enough — let us simply close our doors and live our own lives well. These matters are none of our concern and beyond our ability to manage. My father-in-law has certainly already sent word back to Dingzhou. This time, I’m afraid Grandmother will also make the long journey to the capital.”