Chapter 7: Transmigration

She rushed to the center of the room and fell to her knees with a thud: "Madam, Second Master, Second Mistress, this servant has something to report!"

Zhang said coldly: "Even their daughters-in-law cannot stand them, which shows how absurd their actions are! This matter cannot be left unresolved! If they remain obstinate, I will take my grievances to the court!"

Upon seeing the police, Zhao Jiong would have a reaction that Zhao Zhuo was unaware of, as he had not received any response. It was only in the evening that news arrived, indicating that Aunt Qian's condition had worsened. She was already sixty years old, often irritable and quick-tempered, had a penchant for greasy food, and occasionally drank alcohol. Her health had long been compromised, and after being startled this time, her mind was heavy with worry. For some reason, she was too frightened to close her eyes all night, and after two or three days of this, she would not be able to endure it. Upon receiving the news, Zhang and others were somewhat surprised, but they also felt it was within reason.

So that is the case! Zhao Jiong is determined to transport the Duke's coffin back to his hometown in the south, clearly with this intention in mind! The Duke's first wife, the Qin family, has long been buried in her hometown in Fengxian. At that time, no one knew that the current emperor had the intention of allowing the Duke to be buried alongside her. No one thought much of it, and perhaps in the future, the only one who would be buried with the Duke would be his later married wife. Zhao Jiong is willing to take the risk of defying the imperial decree to bring his father's coffin back home, clearly seeing that his biological mother has little time left, intending to exploit a loophole to have her buried alongside his father. The Duke's first wife, the Qin family, has long been buried in her hometown in Fengxian. At that time, no one knew that the current emperor had the intention of allowing the Duke to be buried alongside her. No one thought much of it, and perhaps in the future, the only one who would be buried with the Duke would be his later married wife. Zhao Jiong is willing to take the risk of defying the imperial decree to bring his father's coffin back home, clearly seeing that his biological mother has little time left, intending to exploit a loophole to have her buried alongside his father. By the time Zhang, this later married wife, passes away after a hundred years, it is likely that there will no longer be a place for her in the Duke's grave! How malicious are Zhao Jiong's intentions!

Although Mi felt that her words could not be entirely dismissed, there was always a strange undertone to them. If the Duke truly wished to be buried in his hometown, why would he only send a dream to the Marquis and not mention the Marquis's neglect of his stepmother and younger brother? Moreover, the Emperor had already stated that the Duke should be buried alongside him, and with such a decree, how could the Zhao family dare to defy the imperial will by sending the Duke's coffin back to his hometown? Were they not afraid of incurring the Emperor's wrath? If in the future the Emperor insisted on having the Duke buried with him, could they really dig up his coffin from the ground and transport it back to the capital?

Zhang and Zhao Zhuo returned only close to mealtime, and from their expressions, it was evident that they had not managed to gain any advantage from Zhao Jiong. Mi hurriedly handed the child over to the wet nurse and rushed forward to relay everything that Jiang had said. Zhao Zhuo began to feel hopeful again: "That's right, if we cannot deal with him, we might as well inform the palace and ask the Emperor to take charge!"

Since the incident of the false message yesterday, Chun Cao has understood the intentions of the Jiang family. Upon hearing that she was coming, she naturally avoided this place and is not here.

Mi was also greatly surprised: "Has the lord gone mad? The Emperor once stated that the Duke should be buried alongside the imperial tomb! The late Emperor has long been laid to rest, and there was a decree prohibiting accompanying burials. The Emperor's intention is naturally to wait until later..." She paused, "If it were not for this, we would have long since sent the Duke's coffin back to his hometown, how could it be placed in the ancestral temple outside the city?"

Aunt Qian passed away in the middle of the night. According to those who attended to her, she had only one wish before her death, which was to be buried alongside the Duke.

Zhang was furious

Zhang wore a stern expression, while Zhao Zhuo and Mi also began to feel troubled

Zhao Zhuo and Mi Shi also calmed down upon hearing this. The former simply wrote a note, instructing the scribe to deliver it to his elder brother, inquiring when he would send over the land deed and the banknotes. He expressed that he would soon be packing his belongings and would leave as soon as he received the items, stating that he would no longer tolerate being a nuisance in the Hou residence

Zhang felt that something was amiss, especially since she was a widow. Such a significant decision could not possibly be made without her knowledge. Why would Zhao Jiong rather give up the honor of having his father buried in the imperial mausoleum than send their family of five back to their hometown? Could it be that he was so wary of them that he could not tolerate their presence in the same city as him?

However, her cheap uncle, the newly appointed marquis, and his wife have yet to deliver the contract and silver that Father Zhao Zhuo was supposed to receive from the division of the family estate. Mi began to worry: "They wouldn't try to default on such a small matter, would they?" Zhao Zhuo frowned and said: "It shouldn't come to that; Brother Yu from the ancestral house is still around."

Zhang furrowed her brows again, feeling that Jiang's words seemed somewhat strange... Yet she could not pinpoint what was amiss. Observing Zhao Jiong's resolute attitude today, it did not appear that he could be persuaded after just a few days of negotiation. So what difference would it make for her and her son to stay a few more days? Moreover, judging by Niu's tone, it seemed she did not intend to let them move out, wanting them to follow Zhao Jiong back to their hometown directly. Could it be that she was worried that after leaving the Hou residence, they would expose Zhao Jiong's unfilial and unbrotherly behavior to the public?

Not long after, Jiang took his leave, and before departing, he seemingly casually remarked: "Although the Marquis intends to send the coffin of the Duke back to the south for burial, my elderly aunt is still unwell, and it is likely that she will be unable to move for ten days or half a month. Our Zhao family cannot quietly transport the coffin without notice; we must inform the palace. If the old lady is truly unwilling, perhaps she could stay a few more days and gradually discuss it with the Marquis and his wife"

Zhang suddenly stood up: "No, I must get to the bottom of this!" He called his son: "You come with me, I need to ask the new marquis who made this decision?!"

The Jiang family naturally knows the truth of the matter, but it is impossible for them to tell the Mi family the truth, so they just try to muddle through: "I heard that it seems last night, the Duke had a dream in which he expressed his longing for his hometown and wished to return. It is only natural for leaves to return to their roots. Although the emperor's grace is vast, the current emperor is only in his forties; who knows how many years we must wait? Should we really let the Duke remain all alone in the ancestral temple? Although the emperor's grace is vast, the current emperor is only in his forties; who knows how many years we must wait? Should we really let the Duke remain all alone in the ancestral temple? Those honors are actually illusory; what is most important is to fulfill the old man's wishes, for that is true filial piety. Aunt Er, do you think what your daughter-in-law said is right?

Zhao Jing looked at Zhang with admiring eyes; what is the meaning behind this calm yet imposing tone? Was grandmother truly such a formidable person?

At this moment, Jiang arrived

Zhao Zhuo felt somewhat worried after listening, and looked towards Zhang. Zhang replied calmly, "On the day of the division of the family, there were not only Lord Zongfang Yu present, but also two relatives as witnesses. The division by the marquis was inherently unfair. We chose not to contest it to prevent the matter from escalating. If he wishes to greedily take even this little bit, I am not someone to be easily manipulated. At worst, I can strike the warning drum. It is true that he Zhao Jiong is the eldest son of the Duke, but I am also the legitimate wife of the Duke"

When Mi met Jiang, her attitude was relatively welcoming, but due to her unsettled mind, it was reflected on her face. Jiang then asked her: "Are you troubled about the matter of returning to the south?"

As evening approached, news arrived that Aunt Qian was on the brink of death. Although she was not young and her illness was severe, it was still quite unexpected that her condition had deteriorated to such a critical state so quickly. The Zhang family had initially thought that she would only suffer from an illness and that it would not threaten her life, but they did not anticipate that she was already at the end of her life.

Mi asked Jiang: "Regardless of the circumstances, this is a significant matter. The marquis should not have made a decision without consulting the old lady or seeking the emperor's instructions. Is there really no one around the marquis to offer some advice?" She gazed deeply at Jiang: "I wonder what elder sister-in-law has to say about this?"

Zhao Jing stood by, worried that their family seemed to still be on someone else's territory. Grandmother said she wanted to file a complaint, but what if they were locked up before even leaving the door? And that Jiang family, they certainly wouldn't kindly remind them!

Zhao Jing pondered for a moment, suddenly feeling something, and raised his head to look at Chun Cao. He saw that Chun Cao's face was filled with struggle, but soon made a decision, revealing a resolute expression.

Hmph, having the audacity to do such a thing, yet lacking the courage to let others know. Did you not feel any sense of wrongdoing while doing it?

Mi sighed: "What of the elder master of the clan? Aunt Qian is his own aunt. It was under the auspices of the elder matriarch of the clan that she married the Duke. If it were not for the fact that the old lady returned alive, Aunt Qian would have long been in her rightful position. The new marquis is a second cousin of the elder master of the clan, so he naturally supports that side."

As soon as she entered, Zhao Jing noticed that she quickly scanned the room, and upon not seeing Chun Cao, she slightly furrowed her brows

Zhang went to confront her stepson with her son, while Mi stayed in the house, feeling anxious. She went to the side room to take a look, then returned with her son to check on her daughter. She let the two children play together while she sat idly by for half a day, yet her husband and mother-in-law still did not return, leaving her even more unsettled.

Mi thought to himself, feeling disheartened, and lost the desire to say anything further to her. He had initially believed that she had changed from her former self and had some sense of conscience, but he did not expect that her true nature would be hard to change. Despite her tears and snot yesterday as she pleaded for the second branch, when faced with real issues, she still stood by and did nothing

Upon hearing her mother-in-law's thoughts, Mi realized: "So that's what my daughter-in-law meant! She actually knew her in-laws' intentions all along, but she just didn't want to say it directly, hence the vague hints!"

I have no leisure to inquire about other matters, but I do have the leisure to come and visit

Mi was taken aback, seemingly lost in thought

Mi'shi, this is truly a meeting of kindred spirits: "Indeed! We had previously discussed everything well, but for some reason, your mother-in-law changed her mind. We have already purchased a house in the capital, and everything is ready; we can move at any time. However, your father-in-law and mother-in-law want us to return to our old home in the south, rendering all of this effort in vain! Do you know what they really mean by this?"

On the second day, Zhao Jiong suddenly sent someone to invite his younger brother to discuss matters. Zhao Zhuo initially thought that he had finally relented and was going to provide the silver note for the land contract, but unexpectedly, what he brought back was bad news

Zhao Zhuo hesitantly made a suggestion to the Zhang family: "If you speak directly to them, they will not listen. Since your niece-in-law is willing to help us, why not let her come up with some ideas?"

The Zhang family, Zhao Zhuo, and the Mi family have mostly packed their luggage, and the delicate items have all been packed into boxes. While checking items against the list, Zhao Jing sat nearby "playing" and, after listening to the entire process, felt certain that their future days would not be impoverished.

What else could Niu say? Jiang concealed her inner pride and had no intention of revealing that this decision was actually made after she had persuaded Niu to allow Zhao Xiong to speak. She lowered her eyelids and said, "I only just heard about it and do not know the details. Aunt, you also know that Zhe Ge'er has been ill these days, and I need to take care of him, plus I have a daughter to attend to. How could I have the leisure to inquire about other matters?"

Mi Shi said: "She has always been one to prioritize her own safety, hinting at things only occasionally; how could she possibly offer assistance?"

He actually wants our family of five to accompany him to return his father's coffin to his hometown, and then observe the mourning period there! Zhao Zhuo was utterly furious, saying, "We have even tidied up the house, yet he still says such things, clearly trying to force us into a corner!"