Chapter 81: The Death of the Wu Woman

The First Lady is dead.

The news of the First Lady’s death did not come as a surprise; after the string of incidents she had caused, it would have been difficult for her not to die.

Jun Yiyi had not slept all night. Just as she closed her eyes, she heard the news of the First Lady’s death and hurriedly threw on her clothes and ran out. Jun Yiyi ran the fastest, arriving before the First Lady a step ahead of the others. At a single glance, she saw the First Lady’s eyes staring wide, as if her eyeballs were about to pop out. The First Lady’s state in death was terrifying; all her deep-seated resentment was written across her face.

Jun Yiyi stumbled forward and fell to her knees with a thud beside the First Lady’s bed. She felt a measure of regret; this was the birth mother who had borne and raised her—how could she have harbored resentment toward her? Now that she had died silently before her eyes, Jun Yiyi’s tears fell in a patter. She tremblingly grasped the First Lady’s hand, but the palm was withered and stiff, already devoid of body heat. Jun Yiyi suddenly collapsed onto the First Lady’s corpse and let out a loud wail.

The others who arrived later could not help but sigh. Lady Zhou could not help but wipe away her tears, feeling a measure of sympathy for Jun Yiyi. This child had simply chosen the wrong womb to be born into, and now her situation in the Wang Fu would likely be awkward.

The Old Lady arrived in her wheelchair. Seeing Jun Yiyi crying until she was gasping for breath, she felt a measure of heartache for her as well. She shook her head and gave orders:

"Send someone to wait at the palace gate. As soon as the morning court session ends, tell the Master to return. Additionally, go find Cheng Cai and bring him back. Notify Steward He to prepare for the funeral."

At the Old Lady’s command, the entire household was mobilized.

The First Lady was gone, and apart from Jun Yiyi, no one felt grief over her passing. The First Lady had usually held herself high and mighty, and she was even more prone to beating and scolding the servants. In recent months, she had been especially tumultuous. Now that she was gone, the household could at least be quiet, and the others even secretly breathed a sigh of relief in their hearts.

The First Lady was dead, and no one was happier than the Second Branch.

Upon hearing the news, the Second Branch did not show it on their faces, but they were all delighted in their hearts. Jun Zhidie even took Lady Li’s hand and whispered, "Mother, it’s good now. There will be more excitement to watch over at the First Branch."

Lady Li sneered; she feared there would be plenty of excitement to watch for quite a while.

A complex light flashed in Jun Zhihao’s eyes. She whispered to Jun Zhidie, "Sister, she is, after all, an elder of the household. Now that she is gone, we should maintain the proper respect. We must not gloat, lest people find fault with us."

Upon hearing this, Jun Zhidie was slightly startled, then nodded. She whispered, "Brother, I understand. I just feel that the First Branch will likely have no peace for a while now."

"Sister, no matter how the situation in the household changes, we must remain calm and rational. We must never let people find fault with us. To survive, one must learn forbearance and wisdom." Jun Zhihao glanced at Lady Li, then at Jun Zhidie. These words were not just for Jun Zhidie to hear, but also for Lady Li.

When Jun Chengcai returned to the household, he saw the entire place draped in mourning white. He was startled and hurriedly grabbed a servant to ask. Upon learning that the First Lady had passed, he froze, then walked quickly toward the mourning hall. Jun Chengcai’s steps were somewhat unsteady; it was not that he had no feelings for the First Lady.

Yet, he was not entirely unaware of the things the First Lady had done. Even he, a scoundrel whom even dogs would not tolerate, found her actions truly unspeakable. But she was, after all, his own mother. Jun Chengcai could not face it, so he chose to escape, wandering outside day after day, unwilling to return home, not wanting to be drawn into those disputes.

The First Lady was gone, yet there was not much grief on the faces of the people in the Jun household; even his father seemed indifferent. A sense of sorrow welled up in Jun Chengcai’s heart. He knelt before the spirit tablet and silently kowtowed several times. Seeing Jun Yiyi crying as if her heart were breaking, no matter how much he disliked her, she was still his own sister, so he softly comforted her.

Jun Yiyi raised her tear-stained face and roared:

"What did you come back for! Mother has been harmed to death by others, and I can't count on you either. You might as well just go die!"

Jun Chengcai did not want to argue with Jun Yiyi about this. He turned and left the mourning hall, walking unconsciously to the room the First Lady had occupied while alive. That was a place he had never been willing to step foot in, except when stealing or asking for money, but now it had become the only place where he could remember his mother.

Jun Chengcai stood at the door for a long time. The First Lady’s departure meant he had to shoulder more responsibility. He could no longer act as recklessly as he had before.

At this moment, Jun Zhihao stepped forward and bowed respectfully. Jun Chengcai frowned slightly; though he was a scoundrel, he was not stupid. Jun Zhihao appeared polite, but in reality, she was hiding schemes. Jun Chengcai did not want to entangle himself further and turned toward the mourning hall.

When the household informed Jun Zijin of the First Lady’s death, she was busy beyond measure. By the time she finished her affairs in the capital, she was exhausted. She hurried back to the household and saw the coffin placed in the main hall. Jun Zijin stepped forward and kowtowed respectfully. Regardless of how the First Lady had been in life, she was now dead, and the dead were to be respected. Naturally, she would not let anyone find fault with her at such a time.

Jun Yiyi knelt on the ground, her head tilted to the side, throwing paper money into the brazier one sheet at a time. She caught sight of Jun Zijin before the First Lady’s coffin and suddenly looked up, her eyes filled with venom. Jun Yiyi thought to herself, "Mother, I will not let you die in vain."

Because the First Lady had angered the Crown Prince while alive, the funeral was not held on a grand scale. Apart from the people of the Jun household, no guests came to pay their respects. Furthermore, since no one in the household cared about her death, she was placed in the coffin in a rush. Once the basic procedures were completed, she was buried in haste.

Once Jun Yiyi had cried her fill, she suddenly felt a sense of resentment toward everyone in the Jun household. Her mother was dead, and now she didn't even have a decent funeral. Jun Yiyi bit her lip and secretly swore in her heart that she would definitely make those sluts pay the price.

Jun Zijin and the others were busy for nearly two months. During this month and more, the Crown Prince Quan Aoyu personally assisted from the sidelines, and no one dared to stir up trouble, so it was peaceful for a time. In the 30th year of the Tianqi founding, the Tianqi Kingdom officially announced that the terrifying smallpox virus had been completely eradicated. The common people raised their arms and shouted, "Long live the Emperor, long live Tianqi, may the Crown Prince live a thousand years, and may the County Princess Qingping be blessed with ten thousand fortunes."

The Tianqi Emperor, Quan Wuji, stood atop the palace wall, his heart surging with emotion. Looking at the cheers of the subjects below, he felt an unprecedented sense of satisfaction.

That afternoon, Jun Zhengming received news that a great fire had broken out at the manor where Jun Zijin had previously stayed, and Liu Ma had been burned to death. It was reported that the cause of the fire was Liu Ma getting drunk and knocking over an oil lamp.

Jun Zhengming did not ask further, because at this moment, an imperial decree had arrived from the palace. A servant—if they died, they died.

In the spacious and bright main hall of the Jun household, the atmosphere was solemn and grave. An incense table was set in the hall, and a magnificent carpet was spread in the center.

At this time, Jun Zhengming waited in the main hall with the young and old of the Jun household and the servants to receive the imperial decree.

A eunuch dressed in magnificent attire, holding the imperial decree, walked slowly into the center of the hall. He stopped, cleared his throat, and began to read the decree:

"By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: In view of the fact that the Jun household’s daughter, County Princess Qingping, Jun Zijin, is both talented and virtuous, of noble character, and has rendered meritorious service in developing a vaccine and eradicating smallpox, she is hereby granted the title of Commandery Princess Qingping, bestowed with the fief of Hepu Commandery, and shall enjoy royal treatment. Respect this!"