From Hoarding to Time-Travel: My Supplies Saved Him

Chapter 756: Chapter 758: Funeral

"This is the difference between civil servants and military generals," Yu Ligao stroked his beard and said. "What we heard is that Marquis Bai continuously sent people to urge him, and only then did Prince Bai reluctantly rush back.

"Rumor has it that he had a huge row with Marquis Bai upon his return, and not long after, we received the tragic news.

"Now everyone is whispering in private that Prince Bai is truly unfilial and unfit to succeed the title of Marquis Wu’an."

This was actually something Xu Zhiwen and Gold were discussing over there. Who knows, perhaps first thing tomorrow morning, memorials impeaching Prince Bai would appear in the Holy Emperor’s study.

"These civil servants always overthink things more than anyone else," Xiao Liwei said, curling his lips. "They’ve been in Shangjing for so long. Don’t they know that the Old Marquis Wu’an has been ill for quite some time?

"If this were an ordinary family, grass would already be growing on his grave by now.

"To force the blame onto Prince Bai now is a bit of a stretch."

"Just say what you mean, and don’t paint everyone with the same brush," Yu Ligao said. "You don’t usually seem to have any friendly relations with Prince Bai. Why are you suddenly speaking up for him now?"

Xiao Liwei replied, "We’re just discussing the matter objectively. Prince Bai spends all year out running errands for the Holy Emperor and doesn’t stay in Shangjing for long. If we’re really talking about being unfilial, doesn’t the Marquis Mansion still have a second son and an eldest daughter? If they failed to serve him well, wouldn’t that be even more unfilial?"

Cao Xiangqian patted his shoulder. "This is a private matter of the Marquis Wu’an Mansion. As outsiders, we don’t know the inside story, so let’s not make baseless speculations here."

"Sigh." Yu Ligao stared blankly ahead. "We old folks have worked together for decades. Even though we often rub each other the wrong way, when it actually comes down to a moment like this, it still leaves a sour taste in the mouth.

"I plan to pay my respects at the Marquis Wu’an Mansion after leaving the palace."

"Let’s go together!" Cao Xiangqian said.

「Meanwhile, at the Marquis Wu’an Mansion.」

Bai Jinglie knelt in the mourning hall. Having stayed awake all night, he looked exceptionally haggard.

"Bai Jinglie, you unfilial son! What exactly did you say to the Old Marquis to make him leave us so soon?" Kuang Yunqiao glared at him with a face full of grief. "If you felt the Marquis was occupying your position, you should have just said so! There was no need to push a man to such extremes."

Even at this point, Kuang Yunqiao still wanted to pin the blame on him. Bai Jinglie didn’t care in the slightest, but his attendants refused to stand for it.

"Madam, mind your words. When our Princely Heir returned to the mansion the day before yesterday, the Marquis was still full of vigor." Many people had witnessed the scene of the Marquis scolding the Young Master at that time. The attendant continued, "Afterward, the Young Master entered the palace to report on his duties, and it wasn’t until the second day that he received the tragic news from the mansion.

"There was a gap of nearly ten hours in between. Why don’t you point your finger at whoever the Marquis saw during that time?"

"What kind of lowly thing are you? Is it your place to speak here?" Kuang Yunqiao glared fiercely at the attendant. "As expected, like master, like servant.

"Bai Jinglie, you unfilial and unrighteous piece of trash! What face do you have to kneel here? Aren’t you afraid your father will crawl out of his coffin..."

With her endless stream of curses echoing through the mourning hall, the dignified image of the Marchioness that Kuang Yunqiao had always maintained was now entirely gone. She looked completely like a foul-mouthed shrew cursing in the streets.

"You vicious woman!" Suddenly, an elderly voice rang out from outside the door.

Bai Jinglie’s gaze shifted. No longer kneeling there with an indifferent expression, he stood up and went to greet the newcomer.

"Grandmother, why have you come?"

He then looked at the servants attending behind her. "Didn’t I tell you to take good care of Old Madam Bai?"

When Old Madam Bai heard the tragic news yesterday, she fainted immediately. Bai Jinglie had requested an Imperial Physician from the palace, who advised that the old woman could not endure any more shocks and needed to rest quietly.

"I am fine. This old woman still needs to help you keep an eye on this mansion, so set your mind at ease." Old Madam Bai turned her head to look at Kuang Yunqiao. "Ms. Kuang, what were you yelling about in the mourning hall just now?

"Have you forgotten your status? As the Marchioness, shouldn’t you be kneeling in mourning? Who gave you the gall to disturb my son’s peace?"

Bai Jingyang and Bai Jingli, who had been kneeling silently to the side, no longer dared to just watch the drama unfold. They quickly stepped forward, supporting Kuang Yunqiao on either side. "Mother, you’ve been kneeling for so long. Why don’t we help you over to the side to rest for a bit?"

Old Madam Bai looked at them. "Since you are both here, let’s get things straight. Who was the last person to leave the Marquis’s courtyard yesterday?"

Bai Jingyang and Bai Jingli’s eyes darted evasively. They exchanged a glance before looking away.

"Jingyang, what were you arguing with your father about yesterday?" Old Madam Bai struck her walking stick against the ground. "Now, the three of you, mother and children, had better explain it to me clearly."

Kuang Yunqiao quickly interjected, "When Jingyang and his sister went to the master’s courtyard yesterday, they didn’t say anything to upset him. It was the master himself who lost his temper, saying that Bai Jinglie was unfilial..."

"Shut your mouth! Did I ask you?" Old Madam Bai snapped, seeing that even at this juncture, the woman still wanted to sling mud at Bai Jinglie. "Do you really think there was no one else in the courtyard at the time?"

A flash of unease crossed Bai Jingyang’s eyes, but Kuang Yunqiao gave him a subtle look. Clenching his fists, he lowered his head and remained silent.

"Go and bring all the servants who were attending the courtyard at that time," Old Madam Bai ordered. Although she had fainted yesterday, the first thing she did upon waking up was to send her subordinates to locate these people.

A wave of panic flickered across Kuang Yunqiao’s face, but she quickly calmed down. She had long since bribed those servants, coercing and enticing them. They shouldn’t dare to betray her. She shook her head slightly at her son and daughter, while shooting a look of pure hatred toward Bai Jinglie.

With the Marquis’s passing, the Princely Heir’s succession was a foregone conclusion. However, it wasn’t impossible to manipulate the situation. She had already sent people out to spread rumors far and wide that Bai Yugang was angered to death by Bai Jinglie. With this single claim alone, it would not be so easy for Bai Jinglie to smoothly take the seat of Marquis Wu’an. By now, the rumors should have already spread throughout all of Shangjing. She wanted to see how Bai Jinglie would survive this calamity.

The servants who had attended to Bai Yugang were brought into the mourning hall one by one. Seeing Old Madam Bai present, they all immediately fell to their knees.

"The whole family is here now. Tell me, why were there sounds of an argument coming from the Marquis’s courtyard yesterday?

"What was the argument about? If you tell the truth, I will absolve you of any guilt."

The head servant, Steward Yu, kowtowed to the old madam. "Yesterday, when the Second Master and Miss went to the courtyard to pay their respects to the Marquis, they sent all of us servants away. We truly do not know what the argument was about."

"This servant doesn’t know."

"I don’t know either."

As if they had made a pact beforehand, all of them claimed ignorance in unison.

Old Madam Bai closed her eyes in disappointment. "It seems you refuse to confess until faced with the grim reality. You’ve received such great benefits from others that you don’t even care about your old master anymore."

Bai Yugang had trusted these people in the past all for nothing. In the very end, not a single one of them was willing to step forward and speak a word of justice for him.

"Go bring Nanny Meng in." Old Madam Bai felt her head throbbing in bursts and didn’t want to waste any more time confronting these people.

Hearing this name, it wasn’t just Steward Yu whose expression changed drastically; even Kuang Yunqiao and her two children tensed up.