Chapter 19 Exhumation: Failed the Grace of Our Past Marital Bond

Chapter 19: Opening the Coffin – Betraying the Grace of Our Former Marriage

"This..." When Feng Shi heard the words "open the coffin and examine the corpse," her already pale face turned ashen, and she began to tremble uncontrollably. "Did he actually say that?"

Jiang Yueyi barely held back her tears, the white velvet flower at her temple was about to fall off. She nodded. "I thought I misheard at first, but the Second Master... that's what he meant. I truly don't know what to do. What are we to do if it comes to opening the coffin for an autopsy?"

"Ha, he doesn't really want to open the coffin and examine the corpse. He's just using this to pick a quarrel. Does he think anyone in this household would harm Hao'er? If anyone's to blame, it's Qi Yuan himself! Hao'er is already gone—how can I allow him to do anything improper to Hao'er's body?" Feng Shi gritted her teeth and said fiercely.

The surroundings fell silent. No one dared to say anything after Feng Shi's outburst, leaving only Jiang Yueyi's sobs.

After a long pause, Feng Shi patted Jiang Yueyi's hand and said, "Good child, I understand how you feel, and I know the grievances you've suffered. As long as I'm here, I won't let him stir up trouble in the marquis manor. I knew from the start that he left unwillingly, just like that birth mother of his. Sure enough, the moment something happens in the manor, he shows up."

Jiang Yueyi felt slightly relieved but still reminded, "Mother, you must think of a way to send him off as soon as possible."

"Enough," Feng Shi sighed deeply. "If he really makes a scene and reports this to the authorities, this matter won't be resolved quickly. Even if we refuse to let him examine the body, dragging it out won't be good. All this fuss is just his way of asking for money. This time, we'll have to give him some money to send him away. Once he has the money in hand, he'll naturally go back."

With that, Feng Shi ordered the servants to bring the keys and open the official storeroom in the middle of the night. She also took out the account books and began counting items one by one.

Jiang Yueyi watched with a cold eye. Feng Shi was clearly wilting from exhaustion, but with Qi Yuan's arrival, her mind had shifted to other matters, and her spirits seemed to revive.

They went through the inventory until the wee hours, when Feng Shi finally managed to pick out the items meant for Qi Yuan. She had a list drawn up for Jiang Yueyi to review.

Jiang Yueyi read it carefully from start to finish and finally said, "Isn't this too much?"

"Of course I know it's too much," Feng Shi said. "But now we have no choice but to give up a pound of flesh. I just want him to leave quickly and stop causing trouble. My Hao'er died so young and so pitifully. I have no other hopes now, only that he can be buried in peace without suffering any more."

Feng Shi spoke with such deep sorrow, a mother's heart that would move anyone to tears. Yet Jiang Yueyi couldn't help thinking of Su Hengniang, who had vanished. If her guess was correct, Qi Hao was now living happily with Su Hengniang—had he ever thought of his mother?

Jiang Yueyi couldn't even muster schadenfreude. She sighed softly and stood up. "It's late. I'll come see you tomorrow, Mother."

"Go on. You've been tired these past few days. You need to take care of yourself," Feng Shi said, glancing at Jiang Yueyi's belly with renewed sorrow. "This child of yours must be a boy. Otherwise, this great marquis manor..."

Jiang Yueyi remained silent this time. It wasn't up to her whether the child was a boy or a girl. There was no need for Feng Shi to put it all on her. If she couldn't bear a son, then it was simply fate for the manor and for Feng Shi, or else Qi Hao's filial failure.

Still, Jiang Yueyi tested the waters: "If it's a daughter, Mother, would you consider secretly adopting a boy from outside?"

If Feng Shi was determined to bring in a baby boy from elsewhere, then Jiang Yueyi would have to start making plans for herself. She couldn't abandon her own child to raise someone else's.

To her relief, Feng Shi replied, "That would be a betrayal of the Qi ancestors. Though I have my selfish desires, I don't want to be a sinner before the Qi clan, unable to face them in the afterlife. There are one or two capable children among the collateral branches. We'll deal with it then. You go back first. This isn't something for you to worry about."

So Jiang Yueyi took her leave and returned to her quarters to wash up and rest. By then, it was nearly dawn.

Having stayed up almost the entire night, Jiang Yueyi was exhausted. She didn't dare overexert herself, fearing harm to the pregnancy, so she instructed the maids to wake her after three hours instead of adhering to the usual schedule, then fell into a deep sleep.

But she felt she had barely fallen asleep when she was roused by commotion. Turning over, she was about to ask what was happening when she heard Zi Zhu's voice: "Madam, something terrible! There's an uproar at the mourning hall!"

Startled, Jiang Yueyi got up and threw back the bed curtains before the maids could come in. She asked Zi Zhu, who was hurrying in, "What's happened?"

"I heard that this morning, the Second Master quietly reported the case to the authorities. Since he's from the Judicial Review Office, the matter was kept quiet for now, but he's already secretly sent coroners and officers. If nothing is found, it'll be fine, but if there's anything suspicious, it'll be reported officially! The old lady rushed over as soon as she heard!"

Jiang Yueyi's temples throbbed with anxiety. She hadn't expected Qi Yuan to follow through so quickly. Last night, he said he would discuss the autopsy with Feng Shi, but today he caught them completely off guard. It turned out he had been humoring her last night, knowing full well that Feng Shi would never agree to an autopsy.

Qi Hao's corpse was obviously problematic. Qi Yuan was so cunning—he had claimed from the start that Qi Hao's death was suspicious. Once they examined the body, how could they hide it from him?

Jiang Yueyi never imagined that the one to expose Qi Hao might actually be Qi Yuan!

At this thought, she could no longer sit still. Forgetting her increasingly heavy body, she rushed out without waiting for Qing Lan to help her, nearly tripping over the footrest and barely being caught by a maid.

But Jiang Yueyi had no time to dwell on her close call. Changing her clothes, she hurried to the mourning hall.

Before she even entered, she heard Feng Shi's shrill voice: "As long as I'm here today, no one will touch my son!"

Jiang Yueyi's mind raced, but she had no other plan. With a sob, she staggered into the room, crying, and threw herself into Feng Shi's arms.

Her belly was now clearly visible, and dressed in mourning white, the young widow appeared utterly pitiful in the eyes of others.

Zhou Congshen was supporting Feng Shi. When Jiang Yueyi rushed over, he steadied her as well and said gravely to Qi Yuan, "Why must you press so hard, Lord Qi? Lord Chengping died in a fire. Neither my aunt nor my cousin's wife has any objections. It's not your place to overstep."

But Qi Yuan remained unruffled. Glancing at Jiang Yueyi, he said, "The household is left with only women. In their grief, oversights are inevitable. Life and death are paramount matters—they cannot be taken lightly."

"If you have any grievance, take it out on me! My son is already dead. Why torment a corpse?" Feng Shi burst into loud wails, losing all dignity and composure. "I beg you, let him be. He was your brother after all. You played together as children—let him rest in peace!"

"Precisely because he was my brother, I must investigate thoroughly." Qi Yuan's eyes darkened, but he remained unmoved.

Feng Shi clenched her teeth: "Aren't you afraid I'll appeal to the emperor?"

Qi Yuan bowed to her. "Forgive me."

Neither reason nor emotion moved him; he was impervious to both.

Seeing this, Jiang Yueyi sighed inwardly and turned to throw herself onto Qi Hao's coffin.

"I won't let you examine my husband's body!" she cried out desolately.

Qi Yuan approached, stopping three steps away. "Sister-in-law, don't you want to know the truth about brother's death? If there's indeed something suspicious, and you insist on preventing the autopsy, wouldn't that be failing the grace of your past marriage?" (Note: This line unchanged as no suggestion for it, though "failing the grace" might be kept as per suggestion 1 for title? But it's different phrase. I'll keep as original except where expert suggestions apply. For this line, no specific suggestion, so leave.)

Jiang Yueyi's hands on the coffin trembled. She opened her mouth but found nothing to say.

Qi Yuan was usually taciturn, but now his words left her utterly speechless.

Soon, Jiang Yueyi and Feng Shi were escorted out and made to wait in a nearby reception hall.

In the middle of waiting, Feng Shi fainted again. Fortunately, Zhou Congshen was there to help. It wasn't until noon that news came from the mourning hall.

"The Second Master requests the presence of the old lady and the madam," a young servant reported.

Feng Shi was furious enough to tear Qi Yuan apart, and she stormed off. But Jiang Yueyi followed behind, shaking her head bitterly.

Qi Yuan must have found something.

The mourning hall had been tidied up. Qi Hao's body had been re-entombed, as if it had always been in the coffin.

Only a faint smell of blood and rot lingered. Jiang Yueyi caught it as soon as she entered and fought back the urge to retch.

Feng Shi had been walking ahead, but now she seemed afraid. She turned back to look at Jiang Yueyi, then waited until Jiang Yueyi caught up and tightly gripped her arm. They walked forward together.

Zhou Congshen naturally asked Qi Yuan first: "What's the result?"

The coroner was about to speak, but Qi Yuan raised a hand to stop him. After a moment's thought, he addressed the old lady first: "Elder Madam, brother was already dead before the fire broke out."

Jiang Yueyi felt Feng Shi tremble beside her. Zhou Congshen also hurried over to support Feng Shi. The old lady's mouth opened as if to speak, but the words caught in her throat, and her eyes rolled upward.

Zhou Congshen quickly pressed on her philtrum and several acupoints on her hands. Together with Jiang Yueyi, they helped her sit down. It was a long time before Feng Shi came around.

Feng Shi had always been stern and tough with Qi Yuan, never giving this concubine-born son a kind look, and never wanting him to see her weakness or distress after losing her son. But now, once she regained consciousness, she finally couldn't hold back her tears and wept uncontrollably.

Qi Yuan felt somewhat uneasy. He turned slightly away, subconsciously avoiding looking at Feng Shi.

Feng Shi clung to Jiang Yueyi as if she were a lifeline, but in truth, Jiang Yueyi could do little. Unlike Feng Shi, she was not heartbroken. Instead, a fire burned in her chest, making her restless.

She could only lower her head, trying not to let her anxiety show on her face, and no longer dared to ask Qi Yuan for details.