Transmigration: The Evil Mother-In-Law Is Actually Innocent!

Chapter 1092: Chapter 1092: Ancestral Tomb

Outside the government hall, Zhang Yang looked at the three coffins before him. He wasn’t afraid of the long-dead bodies; he just felt something was off and stiffened his neck to look back.

Eunuch Liu had been standing by the door. He cleared his throat, ”Fifth Prince, the Emperor is still waiting inside the hall. Please open the coffins.”

Zhang Yang turned back, his face darkening. His father’s actions didn’t denote trust but fear of danger. He was being put forward as a scapegoat. Just because he hadn’t been raised by his father’s side since childhood, he stepped back and pursed his lips, ”Open the coffins.”

The guards, who had been standing by, took the tools to pry open the coffins. As the coffins were opened, a stench of decay spread out.

Zhang Yang covered his nose and mouth, waited a while to see that the guards were alright, then gestured for someone to go forward and check.

Eunuch Liu saw the eunuch check carefully and nod. Only then did Eunuch Liu personally go forward. When he reached the coffins, he widened his eyes and quickly walked back, pushing open the doors of the government hall.

Eunuch Liu said, ”Emperor, one of the three coffins is empty, containing only clothes. Another coffin holds a pregnant woman. Despite the clothes being decayed, the bulge in her belly is still visible.”

The Emperor stood up, now sure it was not a trap, and decided to see for himself, ”Let Us take a look.”

The Crown Prince, always cautious, said, ”Father, perhaps let the magistrate examine it first.”

The Emperor thought for a moment, then sat down again, and said to Eunuch Liu, ”Wait for the magistrate to come and clear the funerary objects.”

Eunuch Liu, ”Yes.”

In Zhou family village, Chang Zhi stood under the eaves, worried. It looked like the sky had a hole in it, as the heavy rain had been falling for two days, ”Who knows when this rain will stop.”

Su Xuan also worried, ”This year really isn’t a good one.”

Chang Zhi sighed, ”Indeed.”

Initially, everyone was happy when the heavy rain started since the fields were short on water. Now, they all hoped for the rain to stop.

Su Xuan looked at the rain merging into lines, ”Fortunately, Steward Ding has always had the habit of storing resources. We have enough firewood and water at home.”

Chang Zhi said, ”I have never seen such heavy rain since I was a child. Luckily, the river here is small and the terrain is high, so there is no fear of floods.”

Su Xuan nodded, ”Our homeland really is a blessed land of good feng shui.”

Chang Zhi was still concerned about the capital, ”I wonder if it has rained in the capital. It would be good if this rainfall reached there.”

Su Xuan, though in her hometown, frequently received letters through the steward, noting this year’s unusual weather. Her estate in Jiangnan faced constant rains, while those near the capital were struck by drought. She knew the continued rising temperatures were worsening the drought around the capital.

In the capital, Zhulan received a letter from Lizhou Province. It had rained there, though it hadn’t alleviated the drought, but the situation was manageable; the orchards at least could keep the fruit trees alive, though this year’s yield couldn’t be expected.

Wu Chun also mentioned that the foreign clans near the borders had also been hit by the drought, making the border regions unstable.

Zhulan pursed her lips. If this continued, with no food available, the border regions might also descend into warfare.

Xue Mei saw her mother frowning, ”Mother, is the situation in Lizhou bad?”

Zhulan put away the letter, ”The situation in Lizhou is manageable.”

Seeing her mother didn’t want to discuss further, Xue Mei didn’t ask more and smiled, ”Wells have been dug around the capital; my in-laws said the locals are grateful for the Emperor’s grace.”

Zhulan had a slight smile, as long as there was irrigation water, the crops wouldn’t fail completely, ”Last year was a year of abundance, every household had surplus grain, which could sustain us for a while until the purchased grain arrives, even if the yield decreases we could still get some relief grain.”

Xue Mei had given up on making Silver from the purchased fields, she just hoped to harvest more grain, ”The Imperial court buys grain for the people, and the people are well aware; as long as there is hope even a drought can unite them.”

Zhulan smiled and nodded, both the Emperor and the Crown Prince were wise rulers.

Inside the palace, the magistrate had already inspected carefully and reported, ”The man’s leg bone is broken, and the spine is also fractured; he must have died from a fall. The pregnant woman’s belly didn’t contain a child, but a decayed pillow when the rotten clothes were opened, the pregnant woman must have died from massive bleeding.”

Fortunately, the bones were still intact, otherwise it would’ve been impossible to tell.

The Emperor twirled the String of Pearls in his hand faster, making a fake belly to deceive others; if the child was still alive, there should be a baby’s bones, he gripped the String of Pearls tighter, ”Did you examine thoroughly?”

The magistrate confidently believed in his experience, he was the best, ”Reporting to the Emperor, your servant examined very meticulously, there is no mistake.”

The Emperor signaled for the magistrate to leave, then looked at the tray with cleaned burial objects, the Jade Pendant being the most conspicuous. The Emperor picked up the Jade Pendant, its edges had no patterns, this was the Jade Pendant of a direct male descendant. He then picked up a pair of jade pendants, these were a matched set. He remembered his mother saying, direct descendants’ spouses each had a matched set of Jade Pendants; the coffins were of a husband and wife from the main branch of the Rong family who had escaped.

As for the other empty tomb, he didn’t believe they would escape with maids, so someone else must still be alive, he just didn’t know whether it was a man or a woman; although left behind were men’s clothes, who knew if it was to deceive?

The Emperor frowned, not knowing if they were still alive; a decade of war may not have left them alive, too many people had died during those ten years of chaos, and too many towns and villages had been slaughtered by bandits and soldiers. The Emperor felt a heaviness in his heart; if they were alive, they should have come looking for him, but they hadn’t!

Prince Qi and others watched the Emperor’s face change, not daring to breathe heavily.

The Emperor closed his eyes, not finding them gave hope, he then opened his eyes, ”Prince Liang, receive the decree.”

Prince Liang was pained inside, he really didn’t want to investigate, but had to proceed reluctantly, ”Your servant is here.”

”I command you to set off for Dongbei today, search inch by inch, I must see them alive or see their bodies.”

Prince Liang, ”....Yes.”

At this critical moment, he really did not want to leave the capital; he extremely disliked that the Emperor was sending him out!

Prince Qi, regardless of whether Prince Liang was struck by lightning, looked up at the columns of the government hall; the Emperor was making it clear to the youngest, give up your ambitions!

Prince Chu was calm; he knew that initially, he would have been resentful, but now, his heart barely rippled, just uncertain whether the youngest would give up, probably not, with the youngest’s personality, he would fight even on the brink of a cliff.

The Crown Prince stared coldly at the youngest; this opportunity was given because of the Emperor’s presence, he had given it, and if the youngest didn’t seize it, the Crown Prince’s eyes held a murderous intent, the youngest had nurtured too many people and had crossed his boundaries.

The Emperor glanced at the Crown Prince, and the Crown Prince, feeling it, looked up and smiled warmly.

The Emperor withdrew his gaze and sighed internally, ”Youngest, you shall leave the capital tomorrow.”

Prince Liang reluctantly met the Emperor’s gaze, and ultimately backed down, pressing his lips together, ”Yes.”

Prince Qi really felt the fatherly love, the Emperor did love them, but the state and succession were more important.

Zhou family village, in the afternoon, the torrential rain had finally stopped, but there was a landslide on the mountain.

Ming Qing hurriedly ran over, ”Uncle Changzhi, the location of the landslide on the mountain is very close to your family’s ancestral tomb.”

Changzhi stood up abruptly, the ancestral tomb, where generations of their family were buried!