Even as a Ghost, I Will not Forgive You
This singing voice was sharp and clear. It carried for a long enough time for those in the immediate area to hear it clearly.
Xiang Rong subconsciously let out a sound: “Huh?”
Yao shi and An shi also looked out the windows.
The Feng family’s group had already arrived just outside of the capital’s gates. At this time, it was noon. Though the sun was not as fierce as in early Autumn, it still appeared to pass judgement, as it hung high in the sky. Its rays causing the people of the Feng family to squint.
The group came to a stop after hearing this. Between them and the capital’s gates, they saw a female performer in white funeral clothes with her hair down. she was currently in the middle of a funeral performance, allowing her wide sleeves to flutter. At her side, there was a girl playing the zither, who was also wearing a set of white clothes. There was even a white flower at her temple. She was accompanying the singing with her zither.
The two had obviously worked together for a long time. The singing and playing harmonized together beautifully. The sad tones caused listeners to tear up.
There were people who were passing by this place while entering and exiting the capital. Each and every one stopped to watch, and some wives and daughters even stopped to wipe their tears.
But just as the people were becoming drawn by the sounds of the singing and zither, they heard a person angrily shout from within the Feng family’s carriages: “Nonsense!” Everyone was given a shock. The people of the Feng family also trembled, knowing that Feng Jin Yuan had become infuriated.
And they could not blame Feng Jin Yuan for getting angry. What was this performer singing? What was this about the Feng family’s second young miss dying a tragic death, and Prime Minister Feng, return the second young miss’ life. How could this be considered a play. This was clearly trying to bring back her deceased spirit.
Feng Jin Yuan’s face turned white in anger. He hurriedly got out of his carriage and gave an order to his personal servant: “Secure the people causing a ruckus for this prime minister!”
The personal servant complied and called for some other servants to go together. Rolling up their sleeves, they prepared to take action.
But the character of the performer was very good. She did not even pay any attention to these people, as she continued to sing what she should sing. One time calling second young miss, another calling Feng Yu Heng, it was truly sorrowful.
The servants of the Feng family also became angry. This was too horrid. Now, even a performer dared to oppose a prime minister?
A few feelings of anger rose, causing them to rush forward. They raised their hands and prepared to strike the performers.
But at this time, they heard a valiant female voice call out: “Let me see who dares attack?”
The servants of the Feng family were stunned, but they could not stop the momentum of their hands. Seeing that this strike was about to land, the personal servant who had been at Feng Jin Yuan’s side for many years reacted and grabbed this hand. At the same time, he quietly said: “Stop moving!”
The servant still did not understand what was happening, but the personal servant’s eyes were very sharp. At the moment the girl said “Let me see who dares attack” his eyes had already followed the voice in search of its owner. As a result, he noticed a few girls in a white dresses standing in the crowd. Of this group, he recognized one of them. It was Wen Xuan Palace’s imperial daughter Wu Yang.
What he saw, Feng Jin Yuan had also clearly seen. He was simply left with a feeling of a head ache, but he still had to quickly go forward. Facing the direction of Xuan Tian ge, he knelt: “Official Feng Jin Yuan greets imperial daughter Wu Yang.”
Only then did Xuan Tian Ge take a few steps forward. The girls who were with her also went forward. Impressively, they were Feng Yu Heng’s good friends Ren Xi Feng, Fung Tian Yu and Bai Fu Rong.
The four wore white clothes and a white flower. None of them wore a bit of make up, as they stood plain-faced before Feng Jin Yuan.
Feng Jin Yuan knew these four had a very good relationship with Feng Yu Heng. Now, they were blocking their entrance to the capital. They had also found a performer to come. Clearly, they had come looking for trouble. But with imperial daughter Wu Yang here, what could he do? What did he dare do?
Xuan Tian Ge did not even pay attention to Feng Jin Yuan. She only paid attention to the performer who was no longer singing. Puzzled, she asked her: “Who told you to stop?”
The performers were very smart. Just a bit of reminder was enough for them to immediately begin performing.
This time, their song was even more outrageous “Prime minister Feng, you have many sons and daughters, so you naturally do not miss a single Feng Yu Heng, but she was born into your family. And when dead, she is a ghost of the Feng family. The Feng family’s blood flows in her body, so why are you so hateful to actually place your own daughter in a burning room to die?”
Feng Jin Yuan became dazed from hearing this and could not help but say in curiosity: “Where exactly have these wild rumors come from?”
The performer was still singing “In this world, there is no smoke without fire. Prime minister Feng, if you did not have a guilty conscience, why would you spread word of murdering your own daughter. To have even spread it so eagerly?”
Feng Jin Yuan was so angry that his heart was pounding. Nobody in the Feng family could endure remaining in the carriages any longer, as they all exited their carriages and came forth.
Yao shi walked forward a few extra steps. She looked at Xuan Tian Ge and her friends with gratitude.
Xuan Tian Ge nodded her head to her then turned her attention to the Feng matriarch. After a while, she asked her: “A-Heng has passed just like that, elderly madam, do you miss her?”
The matriarch originally did not want to let Feng Yu Heng go. Now that she had been asked by Xuan Tian Ge, in addition to the funeral song to the side, how could her heart not break? She immediately began wiping away tears.
Xuan Tian Ge continued: “When A-Heng was here, whenever elderly madam’s back hurt or legs felt sore, she would stay up all night without sleeping to prepare medical plasters for her grandmother. This imperial daughter had once asked her why she troubled herself so, and she actually said, in this family, her father does not care for her, but her grandmother is good. She had never been able to fulfill her duties to her grandmother, but now that she could finally return, no matter how tiring, it was something that should be done. Unfortunately, from now on, this considerate and medically gifted granddaughter will not be able to take care of elderly madam.”
The matriarch’s cries became louder. She cried while saying: “A-Heng, my A-Heng!” Gradually, they became wailing cries.
Feng Jin Yuan’s head swole from the matriarch’s crying. He wanted to say a few words of comfort, but he saw Ren Xi Feng had brought a charcoal brazier out of nowhere and placed it in the middle of the road. Some servants then brought forward a stack of joss paper. Lighting some with fire, she squatted down and began burning it. While burning it, she began muttering: “A-Heng, us sisters did not want our friendship to be so brief. You only knew that you were returning home to make offerings to your ancestors; however, you did not know that you would go and never return. The dignified Feng family has so many servants, yet it was still possible to allow the young miss to burn to death? A-Heng, whether or not you died a victim, only you alone are lear. If you truly were harmed by someone, you must remember to go find that person to sort this debt. Even if you must become a ghost, you can not allow them to continue living happily!” After saying this, she raised her head and scanned the area. In the end, her gaze fell on Feng Chen Yu’s face.
Feng Chen Yu stood in the crowd with her face smeared black. She had originally come for entertainment, but who knew Ren Xi Feng would be able to accurately find her. Retreating in fear, even if she escaped, it would just be back to the carriage. Now, she no longer needed to pretend. Having already been given such a shock, her mind was already in tatters. She could not even handle a bit of shock.
Ren Xi Feng looked at her retreating figure and snorted. She continued to squat there and burn joss paper.
As for Fung Tian Yu and Bai Fu Rong, both grabbed large handfuls of joss paper and began scattering it. They accompanied the performance. When they sang a note, they would scatter some joss paper. The rhythm was on point.
The onlooking citizens began pointing at the people of the Feng family. The people who had heard bits and pieces about the Feng family began quietly discussing: “That second young miss had been thrown out to the mountains of the Northwest at a young age by Prime Minister Feng. Originally, the plan was for her to starve to death. How would have thought that her lifeline was long. Not only did she not die, she even returned safely.”
Another person said: “Second young miss was the granddaughter of the one previously known as divine doctor Yao. Now, she is still running Hundred Herb Hall in the capital.”
“In that case, then the matter of Minister Feng not caring that daughter died is true?”
“There is such a possibility. Even imperial daughter Wu Yang said it. How could it be false.”
The people’s disgust for Feng Jin Yuan became more and more intense. Feng Jin Yuan finally found it unbearable and loudly asked Xuan Tian Ge: “Imperial daughter Wu Yang, what exactly are you hoping to do?”
Who knew that she would continue to ignore him. Instead, she looked again towards the crowd of people from the Feng family, this time, her eyes landing on Han shi. She frowned and said: “For the funeral of a family member, there is actually someone who wears frilled clothing. Your Feng family just wants to do things this way?” After she finished speaking, she reached out her hand and pointed: “Guards, come and rip her clothing for this imperial daughter!”
A pair of guards came from parts unknown and went straight for Han shi without saying a single word. Between Feng Jin Yuan’s halt and Han shi’s wild screams, the guards ripped the frills from the sleeves, collar and hem of Han shi’s dress.
The guards carried the frill over to Xuan Tian Ge: “Imperial daughter!”
Xuan Tian Ge nodded, “Put these into safekeeping. If Minister Feng wishes to make a complaint in the future, we need to have some evidence.”
Feng Jin Yuan angrily gasped for air. Following Xuan Tian Ge’s words, he nodded: “This prime minister will definitely need to go request his Majesty to be the judge! It can’t be that you are allowed to insult an official of the court for no reason just because you are an imperial daughter!”
How could Xuan Tian Ge be afraid of this. She raised her chin and loudly replied: “Then go complain! Just go tell uncle Emperor that you killed his future daughter-in-law. Have uncle Emperor investigate and see what exactly happened! Of course, this imperial daughter will send people down to Feng Tong county to investigate! Feng Jin Yuan, whether or not you should feel guilty, you should already know. If we truly do find some clues, be careful that ninth brother does not set fire to your entire Feng family to seek vengeance for A-Heng!”
She fiercely spat out these words. At the same time, Ren Xi Feng finished burning her joss paper. Fung Tian Yu and Bai Fu Rong had also finished scattering their joss paper. This group once again stood beside Xuan Tian Ge and heard Xuan Tian Ge order: “We’re leaving!” The girls turned and walked through the capital’s gates.
Feng Jin Yuan let out a sigh of relief, thinking to himself that this matter had finally come to an end. If this had continued, he really did not know how he could resolve it.
But he then heard Xuan Tian Ge shout once more from not far away: “Continue singing and playing for me. There is no need to block the Feng family if they wish to enter the capital, just follow behind them all the way to the Feng manor. Sing until the sky is dark, and the pay will be doubled!”
With these words, the matriarch felt a sweet and fishy taste swell up in her throat, as a mouthful of blood came up. She tightly sealed her mouth, and swallowed it back down; however, this caused her face to turn bright red, and her blood pressure soared.
Granny Zhao hastily searched for her medicine in fear. After the matriarch took the medicine, she began to miss Feng Yu Heng even more and could not help but once again begin wailing.
Feng Chen Yu sat in her carriage. Hearing the matriarch’s cries coming from the outside, she nearly broke her teeth from gritting them in anger. She subconsciously raised her hand, wanting to hit her personal maidservant, but when she raised her hand, she found that there was no such person for her to vent on. On this trip, she had only brought Yi Yue. Now, Yi Yue had died, so the only person at her side was the hidden guard provided by Feng Jin Yuan.
That hidden guard could see Feng Chen Yu’s intentions and laughed to himself. Rolling his eyes in disdain, he turned his head away.
Feng Jin Yuan saw that the matriarch’s cries were not stopping. He had no choice but to go up and comfort her. When he came over, she did indeed stop crying, but she recalled the matter of Xuan Tian Ge ripping Han shi’s clothes.
Turning her head, Han shi was currently standing far away and wiping her tears. Her collar had been torn open by someone else, yet she did not know to cover up a little, so the collar simply remained opened. Among the onlookers to the side, there were some naughty gazes that looked inside her collar, and even she saw that there were men would were sneakily swallowing their saliva.
The matriarch flew into a rage and rushed up. Raising her leg, she kicked at Han shi.
Han shi noticed that something was off and subconsciously dodged, causing the matriarch to have missed.
This miss was fine, but her entire body followed along and rushed forward. Her leg was still split, causing her to drop to the ground!