The guards outside the door immediately tensed upon hearing the cat's meow.
Hearing the Princess Consort's call from within the hall, they rushed in, "Princess Consort!"
"Dig three feet deep to find the cat for this Princess Consort, it absolutely cannot approach the coffin!"
"Your subordinates obey."
It was widely known that cats should not approach recently deceased people; this was a long-standing legend, so there would never be any cats or dogs in the Prince's manor.
Yet, with a cat's meow near the mourning hall, she had no choice but to suspect someone had deliberately placed it there.
What were their intentions!
She and Su Ya stood by the coffin while the guards searched the hall. The frightened cat leaped up, and in that one movement, its location was revealed. It was soon captured by the combined efforts of the guards.
Te Yi, gripping the scruff of the cat's neck, brought it before her. "Princess Consort, it's a pure black cat. How shall we dispose of it!"
Glancing at the still meowing cat, her expression turned grim.
Su Ya found the little creature quite pretty, but thinking of black cats as omens of death, she immediately found it terrifying.
Furthermore, its inexplicable appearance in the mourning hall undoubtedly added to the dread.
Su Ya shifted her gaze from the cat to her mistress. "Madam, how did this cat get into the manor? I haven't seen the young masters or mistresses with any habit of keeping cats or dogs!"
Zhao Jiaqi rubbed her temples, wishing she knew who had let it in. She instructed Te Yi, "Find a cage to lock the cat up, assign someone to guard it, and ensure no one approaches or releases it!"
After giving the instructions, she remembered something else. "Tonight, you must keep a close watch on this mourning hall. No further mistakes should occur, especially with the young masters and mistresses!"
As soon as she finished speaking, her elder brother and sister-in-law returned with the children after their late-night snack, looking bewildered by the crowd gathered in the hall.
Fan Heping and Wang Zhaodi's eyes fell upon the object in Te Yi's hand, and their faces drained of color as if they had seen a ghost.
"Who, who let the cat in!" His voice rose to a shout as Fan Guangping, unaware of the full situation, glared around the hall!
But his question was met with silence.
After Te Yi and the others left, Zhao Jiaqi slowly said, "This cat must have wandered in accidentally, elder brother. There's no need to worry!"
Her words lacked conviction.
Let alone Fan Guangping, even Wang Zhaodi didn't believe a word of it. Any sensible person knew such a creature shouldn't be here.
However, since she had spoken, it was clear she didn't want to escalate the matter, and as elder brother and sister-in-law, they naturally wouldn't press the issue.
Fan Guangping glanced at her and Wang Zhaodi, then said calmly, "It's already past midnight. Mother naturally sees your filial piety. Moreover, the weather is too cold. You two women should take the children back. If they catch a cold, it will be a problem for tomorrow's burial. We must ensure tomorrow's events proceed smoothly."
This was the first time their usually steady elder brother had spoken with such authority, his words leaving no room for refusal.
Zhao Jiaqi pondered for a moment, then agreed, "Thank you for your trouble, elder brother!"
He shook his head. "She is my mother, after all. There's no trouble involved. It's just..."
He paused, hesitating before asking the question that was on his mind. "How is Mother being buried? Are we really not waiting for my younger brother to return? She is his own mother, and he won't get to see her one last time. Isn't that improper!"
After some stammering, he finally voiced the thoughts he had been holding back for days, feeling a sense of relief and clarity, no longer needing to ponder her intentions.
Seeing her sister-in-law's distress, Wang Zhaodi quickly interjected, covering for her. "What do you mean by that! According to our customs, a body can only be kept for three days. Burying her after the stipulated time is inauspicious. Furthermore, if the body is kept for too long, it will decay. None of us want to see that. According to custom, burying her tomorrow is fine!"
"Younger brother is busy... although he can't return, everyone understands. She is his mother, and Mother would not blame him."
Fan Guangping, ignoring his wife's words, looked displeased and pouted. "The weather is freezing now, yet this mourning hall doesn't have underfloor heating or charcoal. Even the living would freeze. How could Mother's body possibly decay?"
He then glanced at Zhao Jiaqi. "Customs are made by people. Why can't people change them?"
Once she was buried, it would be impossible for his younger brother to see her one last time upon his return. Wouldn't this leave his brother with lifelong regret and guilt?
As if he hadn't finished, he muttered softly, "To not let one's husband see his mother's last moments, how heartless."
He spoke very softly, but Zhao Jiaqi, who was close by, heard him clearly.
Wang Zhaodi shot him a fierce glare from behind, her eyes full of warning. She pursed her thin lips and said, "At a time like this, you're still speaking such nonsense."
"You're worried about your brother not being here, and your sister-in-law is even more worried. Why don't you try to understand your sister-in-law's feelings? Go and keep vigil by Mother. If you dare to doze off, I'll skin you alive!"
After scolding him, she turned to apologize to Zhao Jiaqi. "Sister-in-law, please don't mind him. He's just a crude man, ignorant and unwilling to learn. Please don't take it to heart." She paused, then added, "Why don't we invite a painter tomorrow to create a portrait of Mother for younger brother? That way, it would be as if he saw her one last time, what do you think?"
What did she mean?
As if it were the same?
Zhao Jiaqi smiled bitterly and shook her head, politely refusing. "No need, eldest sister-in-law. Zehao is already on his way back and will arrive tomorrow morning. Such an important event as the burial, how could he possibly be absent."
Hearing this, Fan Guangping turned and knelt before the memorial tablet. Wang Zhaodi's expression also showed a hint of satisfaction.
"I said so. Even if younger brother was busy, he couldn't miss such an event."
He wouldn't miss it, but only if their mother had truly passed away.
The burial tomorrow was merely a charade, intended to uncover the mastermind and protect their mother, a necessary measure.
The moon was veiled, and a cold wind whistled. The originally dark courtyard was now illuminated as if by daylight, with white lanterns hung everywhere.
Returning to her own courtyard, Su Ya finally spoke. "It's wonderful that His Highness can return tomorrow. Otherwise, their spittle would drown a person."
"Is that so?" Zhao Jiaqi said slowly. "If that were the case, let their spittle drown those wicked people, saving others from harm."
Su Ya paused upon hearing this and stuck out her tongue. If that were truly the case, why would there be wars?
Back in her room, after a simple wash, she lay in bed, tossing and turning. Seeing that dawn was only two or three hours away, it was truly a difficult night.