The main hall of the side courtyard!
Huangfu Xu sat on the grand tutor's chair at the head of the table, his head bowed and eyes downcast, his expression unreadable. In contrast, Murong Sheng, seated below, could not hide his grief.
As they arrived, the assembled people greeted them, but Fan Zehao waved them off.
"No need for formalities. This prince and princess consort rushed here upon hearing the tragic news. Your Highness, please accept my condolences. Brother Sheng, please accept my condolences!"
Murong Sheng nodded mournfully and spoke first, "The princess consort took her own life, damaging the prince's reputation. It is my fault for not educating my daughter well. I beg Your Highness's forgiveness!"
As he spoke, he knelt before the Prince of Xiaoyao, begging for forgiveness. His words conveyed too much.
Fan Zehao helped Murong Sheng up. At his age, losing a child was a sorrow none of them could truly comprehend.
"Please grieve with dignity. The road ahead is long, and you cannot afford to fall ill. Shuya would also be uneasy in the afterlife!"
He wasn't good at comforting others, but these words came from the bottom of his heart.
The Prince of Xiaoyao finally reacted. He rose and walked to Murong Sheng's side, supporting his other arm. "Father-in-law, the matter of the princess consort ends here. I will not hold her responsible for taking her own life. However, for those who bullied her, I will definitely seek justice for her. Please rest assured, father-in-law!"
Murong Sheng's expression tensed, then his eyes fell again, and he nodded mechanically.
Huangfu Xu looked at Zhao Jiaqi at the side and said, "Sister-in-law, please look after my father-in-law here. I need to discuss the remaining matters with elder brother. I will trouble you, sister-in-law!"
Zhao Jiaqi didn't understand what Huangfu Xu meant, but she guessed that the remaining matters would not be about the funeral.
"Go ahead!"
Upon receiving her consent, Huangfu Xu left with Fan Zehao. He left Prince Xian behind, not allowing him to follow.
He looked awkwardly at the Prince of Xiaoyao's guards. "Why can elder brother participate in the remaining matters, but I cannot?"
To his question, the guards replied coldly, resolutely, and firmly, "Yes. Please rest again, Prince Xian. The Prince and the Prince of Zhen will return shortly."
Huangfu Xian raised an eyebrow. If anyone knew Huangfu Xu best, he would claim to be second to none. But seeing him today, he suspected Fan Zehao was the one who understood him the most.
He sheepishly turned and sat beside Zhao Jiaqi, wanting to smile but afraid to do so too overtly, lest he incur animosity. He couldn't cry even if he wanted to. The room was deathly silent, making him extremely uncomfortable.
"Sister-in-law, it's too suffocating in this room. My heart can't take it. I'll go out for a walk. You two talk!"
Zhao Jiaqi: "Go ahead. The atmosphere in this room is indeed not conducive to cheerfulness. A walk might do you some good."
Murong Sheng, on the other hand, was eager for him to leave. His daughter had just died, yet he was smiling and laughing. Was he here to spectate, or genuinely to offer condolences?
After Huangfu Xian left, Murong Sheng finally volunteered to explain the truth of Shuya's suicide.
"Sister-in-law, Shuya's death was her own choice, not forced by Huangfu Xu! You and Brother Hao must not mistake the Prince of Xiaoyao."
He got straight to the most important point. Zhao Jiaqi understood what Brother Sheng meant.
She asked, "If not the Prince of Xiaoyao, then how did Shuya commit suicide?"
Murong Sheng let out a silent sigh and mournfully recounted what he knew. "Shuya returned yesterday, very happy. She said the Prince of Xiaoyao did not agree to a divorce, only a separation. She just couldn't appear in the territories of the three princes anymore. We thought everything was over, and Ya'er was planning to elope with that man after being divorced, to a remote place to live a simple life as a wife and mother."
As he spoke, tears began to stream down his face. He choked out, "Later, when that man learned he had to move to a small place and live by his own labor, his true nature was revealed. Not only did he beat Shuya, but he also pressured her, saying he would only accept her if she brought a generous dowry. Otherwise, he would break up with her!"
At this point, Murong Sheng became agitated, his body trembling slightly. "Last night, Shuya returned covered in blood, her eyes swollen like walnuts from crying. After her mother cleaned her up, she said this morning that she wanted to apologize to Huangfu Xu. So, we accompanied her back. But who knew that before she even saw the Prince of Xiaoyao, she hanged herself in her chamber!"
Hearing this, she finally understood why Murong Sheng said Shuya wasn't forced to death by Huangfu Xu.
"Brother Sheng, Shu Yan's heart was broken, and she couldn't think straight, which led her to seek death. She is at peace now, but it is you and sister-in-law who suffer. However, I must advise you: the dead cannot be brought back. You and sister-in-law must accept your grief, as your son needs your support!"
Murong Sheng was startled. He remembered that he still had a legitimate son at home. He had been too grief-stricken and had clearly forgotten about his son.
"I understand. But I will absolutely not let this bastard off easily. If..."
"Elder brother can do as he wishes, as long as you don't leave any loose ends. We will not interfere with anything else!"
This was the first time Zhao Jiaqi did not restrict someone with the law. Such a scumbag should have his roots severed first, then have his tendons stripped, his skin peeled, and his flesh cut. He shouldn't think he could get away with it after forcing someone to death!
Murong Sheng nodded repeatedly, grateful. "Rest assured, there will be absolutely no evidence!"
As they finished speaking, Li Meilan, supported by a maid, returned to the main hall. The moment she saw Zhao Jiaqi, her eyes filled with tears again. She knelt before her with a thud and sobbed, "Please, Princess Consort, seek justice for Shuya. She died so miserably!"
Zhao Jiaqi looked down at her, stepped back with a cold expression, and stared at her. "As a mother, you condoned your daughter's scheme to frame the Prince of Xiaoyao. Since you have successfully married the Prince of Xiaoyao, you should live a quiet and obedient life. When you learned of Shuya's illicit affair with another man, instead of stopping her, you tried to help her hide. Today, Shuya's death, you bear significant responsibility!"
"Now you kneel and beg me to seek justice for Shuya. May I ask, what justice should I seek?"
Li Meilan lowered her eyes and wept silently. Even if she wanted to say something, she couldn't.
"I can only lament Shuya's death. A good girl was turned into this by your upbringing. Do you dare say you are not responsible? Now you brazenly ask me to seek justice. Do you want the whole world to know that the Prince of Xiaoyao was cuckolded? Do you think your neck is strong enough, or that your Murong family's time is up?"
"Your heart is only for your daughter, but what about your son? Are you not concerned about his future? Do you not care about your husband's life? Do you want everyone in the Murong mansion to be buried with Shuya?"
Li Meilan was terrified by this barrage of words. She no longer knelt, but stood up and lunged towards Zhao Jiaqi, grabbing her arms and shaking her head repeatedly, crying with snot and tears. "Princess Consort, I misspoke. I don't want to avenge Shuya, I don't want my son's life, nor my husband's life. Princess Consort is right, it's all my fault, I'll change!"
No, this was not the outcome she wanted. Li Meilan now understood the gravity of the situation.
She shouldn't have acted recklessly just because her husband and the prince and princess consort were on good terms. It was her fault!
Su Ya, seeing her frantic actions that could harm the Princess Consort, was about to intervene, but the Princess Consort shook her head and refused.