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  At that time, people attached great importance to posthumous honors. Pei Xiang was granted the posthumous title of "Zhongwu" by the emperor, and the Pei family felt that it was enough to comfort his spirit in heaven, and he had died with honor.

  The second house inherits the title, although it is unexpected, but also reasonable. Except for the first house, no one will have any objections. After all, the second master Pei Xiaoqing is a humble person and has always been very friendly to his siblings. Mrs. Pang is not as overbearing as Yang, and among the sisters-in-law, she is still relatively easy-going. Anyway, the other houses never had any hope for the title, so it's better to let Pei Xiaoqing become the Marquis of Town than to let Pei Jingxuan, who looks down on everyone in the first house, inherit the title.

  Pei Xiaqing was quick-witted and knew that the emperor's premature decree would focus everyone's attention on himself. Although he had some secret joy in his heart, he didn't dare to show it on his face. On the contrary, he became even more cautious than before, doing everything according to the rules, not daring to be careless in the slightest, fearing that others might find fault with him.

  Previously, the government was in disarray, but now it has a backbone. Mrs. Pong quickly took on the role of Madame Zhennanguo and helped to take charge of the funeral arrangements. With their combined efforts, they managed to make the funeral even more dignified than before.

  In the quiet room, Pei Jingxun pulled Ming Xuan down to sit, and asked with a worried face, "How did you suddenly get a headache?"

  Ming Xuan held his hand, shaking her head slightly, "Xu had a sleepless night, and was a bit dizzy, it didn't hurt much. I called you over to ask, did the second master have any reaction after hearing the holy decree?"

  Er Ye refers to Yang's legitimate son Pei Jing Xiao.

  When receiving the imperial edict, officials and seniors should be in front, while juniors without official positions should be behind. Female relatives also knelt in order at the back. Although Pei Jingxun had already been enfeoffed as a king, he still took his place today as a member of the Pei family's younger generation, alongside his brother Pei Jingxiao to receive the edict together with others of the same generation.

  Pei Jingchen's eyes narrowed slightly, with a hint of sharpness flashing in them. "He is naturally furious, and there are still several seniors in the imperial court. He shouted that Second Uncle had altered Grandfather's will, wanting to plot against his title as Duke. Let alone this being a baseless rumor, even if it were true, since the imperial edict has been issued, can it be changed back? By doing so, he not only made people laugh at the Pei family but also risked offending the Emperor. Even if he had reason on his side, he would still end up in the wrong."

  "He said faintly, 'It's stupid.'"

  Ming Xuan listened with some astonishment, her eyebrows furrowed even tighter. "The title is easily changed hands, this is a big deal. Second Master's behavior may not be wise, but it's also human nature. But Yang Shi, such an arrogant person, didn't make a fuss, which makes me worried. I'm afraid Yang Shi is just calm on the surface, but won't let go privately. Tell Second Uncle to pay attention."

  She sighed, "If something happens at the funeral, losing face for the Pei family is a small matter, but it can't let Grandfather's spirit not rest in peace after his death."

  The real cause of death of Pei Xiang and the Crown Prince was concealed. The entire mansion, except for the current Town Duke Pei Xiaoqing and Third Master Pei Jingyi, probably didn't know anything about it.

  Yang had been single-mindedly wanting her son to inherit the title for twenty years, but who would have thought that when it came down to it, someone else would reap the benefits? How could she balance her mind? In the past, she had put croton seeds in Pei Jingchen's food when he was young. She had reduced the dosage of his medicine and laid sharp stones on the road to Qingliang Mountain. She had done all these sinister and ruthless things, but now that she didn't know what was going on inside, it was a time for her to be reasonable and confident, so how could she just let go like this?

  Pei Jingchen remained silent for a long time, gently stroking Ming Xuan's hair and said, "I will remind Second Uncle about it, but there is no need to worry too much. This matter has already been settled, and no matter how the Yang family makes a fuss, they won't be able to change anything. I will ensure that Grandfather is buried safely, and after that, the affairs of the Pei family will have nothing to do with me anymore."

  His tone was low and melancholic, with a hint of sadness, yet subtly tinged with a sense of relief.

  Ming Xuan buried his face in his chest, gently rubbed his head, and softly said, "Hmm."

  The most subversive thing in the world is often the truth.

  You thought it was the best person, but it turned out to be someone who wanted to kill you with all their heart. You thought it was an archenemy, but it might be an innocent person. You thought this matter had been settled long ago, but behind it there were still layers of murderous intent. You thought this matter was extremely complicated, but in fact it was very simple.

  For example, Ming Xuan had thought for four years that Pei Xiang was the mastermind behind her family's downfall, but as the clues were gradually uncovered and the truth about the past was revealed, she discovered that Pei Xiang was actually innocent in her tragic fate. The real culprit, however, was hiding in the darkness, and she had not realized it, nor did she know how to uncover the evil veil.

  For example, Pei Jingchen, when the truth finally arrives, he suddenly realizes that his grandfather, who has been vigilant and suspicious all along, is actually his protector. His father, who has hidden a deep affection for him in his heart, is actually the poisonous snake. The man gave him life but kept trying to take it back. Is there anything more painful than making a son accept the fact that his father killed his mother?

  The truth, with such a cruel and severe attitude, every time facing Pei Xiaoan's coffin is a kind of spiritual torture for Pei Jingxuan. If it weren't for sending his grandfather on his last journey, he might not even have the courage to face it. Now, he just wants this pain to end soon.

  Ming Xuan was also clear in her mind that no matter what Yang Shi did now, it couldn't change the fact that Pei Jingxiao couldn't inherit the title. However, someone who had always been used to causing trouble and being arrogant suddenly became quiet, which made people feel a bit uneasy. But Pei Jingchen was right, as long as they sent off Pei Xiang's funeral procession, anything that happened to the Pei family afterwards would have nothing to do with them.

  Since they had already passed each other's test, she could only behave herself as a good daughter-in-law and quietly keep vigil.

  For several days in a row, Yang was very quiet, and Pei Jingxiao also stopped making noise.

  Mrs. Kao, however, grew increasingly anxious and secretly pulled Ming Xuan to a secluded place, saying, "Although the deceased master left a will before his death, saying that he did not want these posthumous honors and that everything should be simple, but since the emperor has granted a posthumous title, we must follow the rules. I have been in charge of the household's internal affairs for several days, but I found that there is hardly any money left in the treasury. When I asked those accountants, they all claimed to know nothing. Yesterday, I even heard that two accountants had run away."

  She looked anxious and somewhat urgent, "In the past few days, many people came to offer condolences, with so many eyes watching, I didn't dare ask my sister-in-law for last year's accounts, even if I wanted to. Now, where is the leisure time to check the accounts in this situation? There are so many officials in the mansion, just their salaries and imperial gifts are not small, how can the public coffers be without even enough money to hold a decent funeral?"

  All these years, it has been Yang who managed the household and the account room was also staffed by people from the Yang family.

  Now that the Pang family is in charge, two accountants have run away, and the silver in the public treasury can't even afford a funeral. There must be someone who has embezzled funds, and Yang's family is clearly the most suspicious. However, since the funeral is not over yet, it's not time for reckoning, otherwise if Yang's family were to turn the tables, they would lose face in a big way.

  Mrs. Pang looked worried and distressed, "Every day there are urgent matters, no silver on the account, I've asked people to borrow from all the places that can be borrowed, really can't borrow, my daughter-in-law and I have also pawned some jewelry to get some private money out, but this hole is too big, the second house is not rich, can't fill it up. The fourth and fifth houses have no surplus grain, the children are still young, I've sounded out the situation, my fourth sister-in-law and fifth sister-in-law both made excuses to shirk responsibility, the third house does have money, but my third sister-in-law is a stingy person, she's not willing to lend me money to fill this hole."

  She looked at Ming Xuan with a pleading expression, "Niece-in-law, Auntie shouldn't have said this to you, but there's really no other way. We can only scrape together some money from here and there. I just borrowed 2,000 taels of silver from Little Aunt earlier, but that might not be enough. Can we borrow some from you first? After the funeral is over, Uncle and I will raise the money and definitely return it to you immediately."

  Ming Xuan saw that Mrs. Pang's face was slightly awkward, and she knew that if it weren't for the fact that there was no other way out, Mrs. Pang probably wouldn't have come to her. So she smiled and said, "We're all family, Auntie Er, if you have something urgent, you should have said so earlier, no need to be so polite. Please wait a moment, I'll get Dan Hong to bring the silver ticket over."

  An Xianhou's wife gave two thousand taels of silver, while the three wives, Bian Shi and others, did not spend a single penny.

  Although the division of the house is imminent, in the future each household will have its own life, and it's normal for people to have private thoughts. Moreover, other households know that most of the silver in this public purse was embezzled by Yang Shi of the main house, so filling this hole won't make a sound, and it's unknown whether they can get it back later. Since the second house has inherited the title, they should take on the responsibility of giving General Pei a grand funeral, and their thinking is understandable. However, the one lying in the coffin is still their father, and at this moment, it only feels that although there are excuses for emotions, they are somewhat indifferent to kinship, which makes people sigh.

  Ming Xuan had money in her hand, and she also appreciated the feelings that Pei Jingzhen had for Pei Xiang. Without saying much, she directly let Dan Hong take out 10,000 taels of silver notes to give to Mrs. Pang. This amount of money could allow Mrs. Pang to cope with things calmly, and neither Ming Xuan nor Pei Jingzhen cared whether Mrs. Pang would be able to repay it in the future. This was their intention for Pei Xiang.

  With this money, Mrs. Pong was no longer constrained in her actions and arranged everything in an orderly manner, and soon it was the day of the funeral procession.

  The Zhou Dynasty had a strict funeral system, and originally, the national duke was supposed to be buried after 49 days of mourning. However, before his death, Taizong ordered his descendants to simplify the funeral rites, only requiring them to pass the seventh day before burying him. In the memorial presented to the emperor, he emphasized that the deceased was great, and it was Taizong's will that his sons and grandsons should follow. If they did not comply, they would be unfilial. Therefore, on the seventh day after his death, at noon, the two coffins were carried out of the Pei residence and headed west to the western suburbs.

  The ancestral home of the Pei family was originally in Xining, but later moved to Huai Ping. However, by the time of the founding of the country, the Zhen Guo Gong Fu lineage had already relocated to Shengjing. The first generation of Zhen Guo Gong was buried at the foot of the Western Mausoleum due to his contributions to the state, and a tomb was established there. Over several generations, this place became the ancestral cemetery of the Pei family's Zhen Guo Gong Fu. When Pei Xiang passed away, his coffin would be laid to rest here.

  The funeral procession had just left the west gate when a cloud of dust rose and the sound of horseshoes echoed, and a troop of iron cavalry came from afar.

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