Song Wen Li was furious: "What are you looking at?!"
The man quickly lowered his head. "The master instructed us to guard the tomb, and we didn’t dare neglect it, fearing something would go wrong and cost us our lives. We come here every day, and we also ask the villagers to keep an eye on the place. But, the only time we made an exception… was when someone from the master’s family came to pay respects. We made sure to avoid them, fearing we would disturb the master’s people."
"You’re talking nonsense!"
Song Wen Li's face changed color as he saw Tang Ning and Xiao Yan looking at them. He immediately panicked.
"Don’t listen to him! The family only holds rituals during the holidays, and it’s always a large group that comes. How could we possibly hide it from others and disturb the tomb of Uncle Song?!"
Several other members of the Song family quickly spoke up to defend themselves.
"Wen Li is right. We have no grudge against Song Xi and his wife. Why would we touch their coffins, let alone… do such messy things..."
The talismans and the bloodstains inside the coffin were clearly not good signs. Who would do such immoral things without deep hatred?
"Yes, aside from the major rituals during the holidays, we only occasionally come to honor our ancestors with one or two servants. We don’t even stay overnight—just burn incense and paper money, and then leave. How could we dig up Song Xi’s tomb?"
Xiao Yan glanced at the panicked Song family members before shifting his gaze back to the two "tomb keepers."
He narrowed his eyes for a moment before speaking. "After Eldest Lady Rong and the others were buried, did anyone from the Duke’s household come to offer sacrifices?"
Before the man could answer, Xiao Yan added, "It wasn’t just people from the Duke’s household. They brought unfamiliar people with them, or people whose actions and speech were different from ordinary people."
The man froze for a moment, as though recalling something, and then opened his mouth. "Yes, there was once."
"When was that?"
"About three or four years ago, the Duke’s eldest son and the old madam came. They brought several people who seemed difficult to deal with. The old madam said they were old friends of the second master, who came to pay respects to them. She specifically instructed us not to disturb them."
Gu He Lian hurriedly asked, "Do you recognize those people?"
The tomb keeper shook his head. "They were noble people, and the old madam personally brought them here, so I didn’t dare to look too closely. But the old madam and the Duke’s eldest son seemed to treat them with great respect."
"After they paid respects to the second master and his wife, they left with the Duke’s eldest son. However, the old madam said she missed the second master and stayed with a few servants from the Duke’s household near the ancestral tomb until it got dark, before leaving."
Another tomb keeper quickly added, "Yes, I remember that night it rained heavily, and the wind was so strong that several big trees at the village entrance were blown down. My brother and I insisted the old madam stay in the village for the night, fearing the road back to the city was unsafe. But she refused and, despite the storm, insisted on returning to the capital that night."
Tang Ning’s hand tightened into a fist.
The old madam of the Song family was known for her extravagance and could not tolerate even the smallest discomfort. In the Duke’s household, she was accustomed to having the best of everything. Even when the water for tea was too hot, she would complain.
In the face of a storm, knowing the road was slippery and dangerous, how could she insist on returning to the capital that night, disregarding her own safety?
The man speaking suddenly seemed to remember something and slapped his forehead. "Oh, right! My brother and I didn’t dare look closely at their faces, but when we sent them off, I overheard one of them speaking. The voice was very thin and sharp, as if... as if..."
He paused, trying to find the right words. "It sounded like someone was strangling their throat, definitely not like a normal person. And when this person spoke to the Duke’s eldest son, he was very commanding, even scolding the Duke’s eldest son. But the Duke’s eldest son didn’t get angry; instead, he seemed to submit to him."
Xiao Yan, Cang Lang, and Gu He Lian all looked darkly at the tomb keeper.
A high-pitched voice, being respected and yielding by the Duke’s eldest son...
It was someone from the palace!
The two tomb keepers, kneeling on the ground, were terrified. "My lord, we have told you everything we know. We really don’t know anything about the coffin. We don’t know who did this. Please spare us..."
They repeatedly kowtowed, fearing that these people might take their lives.
Xiao Yan’s voice was low and firm. "Alright, take them back to the capital."
A Black Armored Guard stepped forward and grabbed the two tomb keepers, leading them away.
When Xiao Yan turned his attention back to the Song family, they were all visibly panicked. However, Xiao Yan didn’t treat them as he did the tomb keepers. He simply looked coldly at them and spoke.
"Everything that happened tonight, including what those two said, if I hear even a word of it outside, I won’t hesitate to send your entire family to join Song Hong."
Song Wen Li shivered. "Rest assured, Xiao Duhu, we didn’t see anything."
The other members of the Song family nodded, their faces pale.
"We didn’t see anything."
No one dared treat Xiao Yan’s words as a joke—he would really kill them if he had to.
Seeing that the Song family members were quick to understand, Xiao Yan finally looked away and turned to Tang Ning. His voice softened as he spoke.
"It’s not safe to stay here. Let’s move Rong Da Niang and the others’ remains into a new coffin. We’ll talk about everything else once we’re back."
Tang Ning’s eyes were shadowed. "Okay."
The prepared coffin was brought over, and Tang Ning personally stepped forward to take her parents' remains out, without anyone's help.
Xiao Yan didn’t say a word, simply standing quietly in front of her. As he took the remains from her hands, he carefully tried to reassemble the broken bones.
Gradually, the bones were restored and lay flat in the new coffin, but the dark blood soaked into the bones could not be wiped away.
Gu He Lian watched silently as they worked, feeling a heaviness in his chest.
When the new coffin was finally sealed, he kicked the discarded old coffin aside, muttering under his breath as it slid back into the pit.
"I’ll make sure I find out who did this."
That bastard!
As they made their way back to the capital, Gu He Lian muttered angrily, his fury rising at the thought of the Rong family’s tomb being desecrated.
"Did you hear what those two said? This is probably related to Song Hong and his mother. If that old madam wasn’t guilty, why would she rush back to the capital in such a storm?"
"And according to the man, the ones who went with Song Hong were likely people from the palace. But why did they dig up the Rong family’s tomb? Xiao Yan, what do you think..."
Just as Gu He Lian was about to ask Xiao Yan, he suddenly caught Xiao Yan’s gaze.
"Quiet."
Xiao Yan’s cold eyes swept over Gu He Lian, his hand gently adjusting the small girl leaning on his shoulder.
Tang Ning had her eyes tightly shut, looking like she was asleep, though her swollen eyelids were still visible.
"Little Hai Tang, she..."
"Don’t disturb her."
Xiao Yan’s voice was soft, and once Gu He Lian fell silent, Xiao Yan remembered his actions earlier.
He pressed his lips together, a hint of frustration in his gaze.
He knew that Tang Ning had figured it out. The last time they left the prison, she pretended to be asleep, and he hadn’t understood why. But this time, as she pretended to sleep again, it dawned on him—she must have overheard what he said that day.
So...
Was this a rejection?
Xiao Yan mocked himself, his eyes dark with thoughts he didn’t wish to share. Trying not to make things difficult for her, he had originally intended to help her lean back against the carriage. However, just as he moved, he felt his left arm tighten.
In the dimly lit carriage, the little girl who had appeared to be asleep was now holding his arm tightly. Her soft hand tugged at his sleeve, and her body pressed against his arm, as if she knew what he was trying to do. Her eyelashes fluttered, and her pale face brushed against his shoulder.
Xiao Yan froze for a moment, his black eyes filled with confusion.
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You can read ahead to chapterr 234 (100+ extra chapters) here
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