Chapter 81: The Death of Wu Shi

The First Lady is dead.

The news of Wu Shi's death did not surprise anyone; with the scandals she had caused, it was hard not to die.

Jun Jun Yiyi had not slept all night. Just as she closed her eyes, she heard the news of the First Lady's death, hastily threw on her clothes, and ran out. Jun Jun Yiyi ran the fastest, arriving before the First Lady a step ahead. She saw at a glance that the First Lady's eyes were staring dead open, the eyeballs seeming ready to pop out. The First Lady's death was terrifying; all her unwillingness was written on that face.

Jun Jun Yiyi stumbled forward and fell to her knees with a thud beside the First Lady's bed. She felt some regret; this was the mother who had given birth to and raised her. How could she have harbored resentment toward her? Now she had died silently before her very eyes. Jun Jun Yiyi's tears fell with a pitter-patter. She trembled as she held the First Lady's hand; the palm was withered and stiff, long devoid of warmth. Suddenly, Jun Jun Yiyi threw herself onto the First Lady's corpse and let out a wail, crying loudly.

The crowd that arrived afterward could not help but sigh. Zhou Shi could not help but wipe away tears, feeling a measure of sympathy for Jun Jun Yiyi; this child had not chosen the right womb when she was reincarnated, and now her position in the manor was likely awkward.

The Old Lady came over in a wheelchair. Seeing Jun Jun Yiyi sobbing until she could barely catch her breath, she too felt a pang of pity. She shook her head and gave orders:

"Send a servant to wait at the palace gate. As soon as court disperses, summon the Master to return. Also, go fetch Chengcai back. Notify Steward He to prepare the funeral rites."

At the Old Lady's command, the entire manor mobilized.

With the First Lady gone, no one besides Jun Jun Yiyi felt grief over her passing. The First Lady had always been aloof and above others; she had beaten or scolded the servants. In recent months, she had caused even more trouble. Now that she was gone, the manor could at last be quiet. The crowd even secretly breathed a sigh of relief in their hearts.

The First Lady's death brought the greatest joy to the Second House.

Upon hearing the news, the Second House, though showing nothing on their faces, felt relief deep within. Jun Jun Zhidie even took Li Shi's hand and whispered, "Mother, this is good. There will be more drama to watch over in the First House."

Li Shi let out a cold laugh; they would likely have to watch the drama for quite a while.

A flash of complex light passed through Jun Jun Zhihao's eyes. She spoke softly to Jun Jun Zhidie, "Sister, she was after all an elder in the manor. Now that she is gone, we must maintain the respect due to her and not rejoice in her misfortune, lest others find fault with us."

Hearing this, Jun Jun Zhidie was slightly stunned, then nodded. She spoke softly, "Brother, I understand. I just feel that the First House should be unsettled for some time now."

"Sister, no matter how the situation in the manor changes, we must remain calm and rational. We must not let others find fault. To survive, we must learn patience and wisdom." Jun Jun Zhihao glanced at Li Shi, then at Jun Jun Zhidie. His words were not only for Jun Jun Zhidie to hear, but also for Li Shi.

When Jun Chengcai returned to the manor, he saw white mourning clothes everywhere. His heart jolted, and he quickly grabbed a young servant to ask. Learning that the First Lady had passed, he was stunned, then hurried toward the spirit hall. Jun Chengcai's steps were somewhat unsteady; he did not lack feelings for the First Lady.

Yet he was not entirely unaware of the things the First Lady had done. Even he, a rascal whom even dogs despised, found her actions too shameful to speak of. But she was still his own mother. Jun Chengcai could not face it; he chose to escape, wandering outside day after day, unwilling to return home or get entangled in those conflicts.

With the First Lady gone, the faces of the Jun manor people showed little grief; even his father seemed indifferent. A surge of sorrow rose in Jun Chengcai's heart. He knelt before the spirit tablet and silently bowed his head several times. Seeing Jun Jun Yiyi weeping as if her heart and intestines were torn apart, though he despised her, she was still his own sister. He softly comforted Jun Jun Yiyi.

Jun Jun Yiyi lifted her tear-stained face and roared:

"What are you doing back? Mother has been murdered, and I can't count on you. You might as well go die!"

Jun Chengcai did not want to argue with Jun Jun Yiyi about this. He turned and left the spirit hall. Unknowingly, he walked to the room the First Lady had occupied in life. That place had once been somewhere he never wished to tread, except to steal or ask for money, but now it had become the only place where he could miss his mother.

Jun Chengcai stood at the door for a long while. The First Lady's passing meant he must shoulder more responsibility. He could no longer act recklessly as before.

At that moment, Jun Jun Zhihao stepped forward and bowed respectfully. Jun Chengcai frowned slightly. Though he was a rascal, he was not stupid. Jun Jun Zhihao appeared polite but hid calculations within. Jun Chengcai did not wish to tangle further; he turned and walked toward the spirit hall.

When the manor informed Seeing Jun Jun Zijin of the First Lady's death, she was extremely busy. By the time she finished her affairs in the capital, she was utterly exhausted. She hurried back to the manor and saw the coffin placed in the main hall. Seeing Jun Jun Zijin stepped forward and bowed respectfully, bowing her head. No matter how the First Lady had been in life, now she was dead; the dead take precedence. Of course, she would not let others find fault at this time.

Jun Jun Yiyi knelt on the ground, her head slumped sideways, throwing paper money into the fire basin one by one. She saw Seeing Jun Jun Zijin before the First Lady's coffin, suddenly looked up, her eyes filled with venom. In her heart, Jun Jun Yiyi said, "Mother, I will not let you die in vain."

Because the First Lady had angered the Crown Prince before her death, the funeral was not held on a grand scale. Besides the people of the Jun manor, no guests came to mourn. Moreover, no one in the manor cared about her death. She was quickly placed in the coffin. Once the basic procedures were completed, she was quickly buried.

After Jun Jun Yiyi had cried enough, she suddenly felt a surge of resentment toward everyone in the Jun manor. Her mother was dead, and now she didn't even have a decent funeral. Jun Jun Yiyi bit her lip and secretly vowed in her heart to make those bastards pay the price.

Seeing Jun Jun Zijin and others had been busy for nearly two months. For over a month, Crown Prince Quan Quan Aoyu had assisted personally from the side. No one dared to provoke them, and things were quiet for a time. In the 30th year of Emperor Tianqi's founding, the Emperor Tianqi Kingdom officially announced that the smallpox virus, which had struck fear into the hearts of people, had been completely eradicated. The common people raised their arms and shouted, "Long live the Emperor! Long live Emperor Tianqi! Long live His Highness the Crown Prince! Ten thousand blessings to Lady Lady Qingping!"

Emperor Tianqi Emperor Quan Quan Wuji stood atop the palace wall, his heart surging. Looking down at the cheers of his subjects, he felt a satisfaction unlike any before.

At noon that day, Xiang Xiang Junzheng received news that the manor Seeing Jun Jun Zijin had previously stayed at had caught fire, and Nurse Liu had burned to death. According to reports, the cause of the fire was that Nurse Liu, drunk, had knocked over an oil lamp.

Xiang Xiang Junzheng did not ask further, because at that moment, an imperial decree arrived from the palace. A servant had died; so be it.

In the Jun manor, within the spacious and bright main hall, the atmosphere was solemn and grave. A incense table was set up in the hall, and a magnificent carpet was laid in the center.

At this time, Xiang Xiang Junzheng, along with the elders, children, and servants of the Jun manor, waited inside the main hall to receive the imperial decree.

A eunuch dressed in magnificent robes, holding the imperial decree, slowly stepped into the center of the main hall, stopped, cleared his throat, and began to read the decree:

"By the mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: In recognition that Jun Jun Zijin, the Lady Lady Qingping of the Jun manor, possesses both talent and virtue, maintains high moral character, and has merited great achievement in developing the vaccine and eradicating smallpox, she is hereby granted the title of Princess Lady Qingping, bestowed with Hepu Commandery as her fief, and shall enjoy royal privileges. Thus decreed!"