Chapter 156: Kong Ru Is Thrown Into the Mass Grave

“Miss Ye and Prince Chen are a match made in heaven—the most perfect couple I’ve ever seen.”

“I heard the wedding date was chosen by the Imperial Astronomer. Only five days to prepare—that’s so rushed.”

“Exactly! There’s so much to take care of for a wedding. They probably won’t even have time to get everything ready.”

“The Ministry of Rites is handling the arrangements, so it’ll be ready in time. It just won’t be anything too extravagant.”

“How could it not be? The Emperor granted the marriage and the Ministry is in charge—of course it’ll be grand. It might even rival a royal prince’s wedding!”

“I agree. His Majesty has gifted Miss Ye many fine things—it shows how much importance he places on the ceremony.”

As Ye Chutang walked along the streets, she noticed that nearly everyone was talking about her upcoming wedding with Qi Yanzhou.

It was as if all the scandals that had once plagued the Minister’s Manor had never even happened.

She knew exactly who was behind this subtle manipulation—Ye Jingchuan, working his tricks in the shadows.

But it didn’t matter. On the wedding day, she’d deliver a gift that Ye Jingchuan would never forget for the rest of his life.

Ye Chutang found a quiet corner, changed back into her female attire inside her space, and returned to the Minister’s Manor.

Just as she reached the entrance, she saw the dignified and poised Qi Yanzhou walking out of the residence.

He had come to formally deliver the betrothal gifts.

Although the wedding was being rushed and the imperial decree had thrown the usual “Three Letters and Six Rites” sequence into chaos, the basic formalities still couldn’t be skipped.

Qi Yanzhou gave Ye Chutang a courteous bow and said, “The pair of wild geese I owe you—I’ll deliver them tomorrow.”

The Ministry of Rites actually had geese of their own, but he didn’t want those.

Wild geese symbolized loyalty and auspiciousness—hunting them himself carried far more sincerity.

Ye Chutang didn’t care much for such formal gestures, but she didn’t reject his sentiment either.

“Alright. Take care on the road, A’Zhou.”

After he left, Ye Chutang stepped into the manor.

Seeing her, Ye Jingchuan frowned and asked unhappily, “Where did you run off to? Why are you back so late? His Majesty’s rewards came—you weren’t here. Prince Chen came to deliver betrothal gifts—you weren’t here either.”

“I wasn’t here, but everything still got done. Why the fuss?”

“You’re about to be married—you can’t keep being so willful. That place will eat you alive if you’re not careful. No matter how capable you are, you won’t survive long.”

Ye Chutang knew he was talking about the palace.

She ignored him and stretched out her hand. “Where are the Emperor’s rewards?”

Ye Jingchuan was used to the fact that, in her eyes, everything came down to money.

“They’ve been delivered to Ningchu Courtyard. Don’t run around these next few days. Focus on embroidering your wedding veil.”

“Got it.”

After speaking, Ye Chutang suddenly remembered Kong Ru’s miserable fate.

“Father, what do you plan to do with Kong Ru?”

They couldn’t just leave her corpse lying around the manor without a proper funeral.

She certainly didn’t want a rotting, stinking corpse around when she got married!

Ye Jingchuan hadn’t yet decided whether to quietly bury Kong Ru or officially cast her off and send her back to the Kong family.

So he asked for Ye Chutang’s opinion.

“Chu’er, what do you think we should do?”

Ye Chutang gave him another massive eye-roll.

“Kong Ru, as a concubine, tormented the main wife and killed the legitimate heir. Later she even poisoned my mother. Not only did she break all seven grounds for dismissal, she committed actual crimes. If you don’t cast her off now, what—are you planning to keep her around for the New Year?”

Ye Jingchuan knew divorcing her was the best option, but he didn’t want to completely offend the Kong family—it would just be one more enemy.

“Chu’er…”

“Save it. If you don’t divorce Kong Ru and throw her out of the Minister’s Manor, don’t blame me if, once I gain favor in the palace, I no longer care about our father-daughter bond!”

Ye Jingchuan wasn’t about to offend the soon-to-be Imperial Consort over a dead woman.

He grumbled, “Whose temper did you inherit? Always flaring up the moment someone says a word. I never said I wouldn’t cast her off.”

“If someone poisoned Grandmother, you’d be even angrier than I am. The sooner she’s cast off, the better.”

After saying that, Ye Chutang glanced at the courtyard overflowing with betrothal gifts and returned to Ningchu Courtyard.

Jun’er was sitting on a stone bench in the courtyard, stretching his neck to peek outside.

The moment he saw her return, he rushed over and asked, “Big Sister, do you want to marry Prince Chen?”

The decree came so suddenly, and the wedding was happening so fast. He was afraid his sister was being forced into it, and wouldn’t be happy.

Ye Chutang crouched down, looked into his worried eyes, and smiled. “Of course I do. I was the one who brought up the marriage.”

Hearing that, Jun’er was relieved, though still sad.

After this, it wouldn’t be so easy to see his sister. He really couldn’t bear to let her go.

“Big Sister, I’ll eat well, study hard, train diligently, and grow up fast so I can protect you.”

Thinking of Ye Jingchuan’s eventual downfall, Ye Chutang asked him seriously:

“Would you dare speak the truth and come with me to Prince Chen’s manor?”

Jun’er stared at her in surprise.

But seeing she was serious, he nodded hard. “I dare!”

He turned to go find Ye Jingchuan immediately.

Ye Chutang pulled him back. “Not yet. When the time is right, I’ll tell you.”

Hearing that, Jun’er felt like something big was about to happen.

But he didn’t ask. He trusted his sister unconditionally.

Ye Chutang stood and looked at Jin Zhi, who looked like she had something to say.

“Aunt Jin, I’m hungry. You and Dan’er go make something to eat.”

“Yes, Miss.”

Dinner was prepared according to the medicinal diet recipe Ye Chutang had provided. It carried a light herbal aroma.

She casually explained, “This recipe nourishes the body. Eat up.”

Though the main purpose of the dish was to treat morning sickness, it also strengthened the spleen and stomach—anyone could benefit from it.

After dinner, Ye Chutang took Jun’er to the back garden for a walk to help digest the meal.

Then, the maids started gossiping.

“This is the first time I’ve heard of someone being officially divorced after dying. I’ve really seen it all now.”

“Lady Kong tormented the main wife and murdered the heir. Of course she doesn’t get to enter the Ye family’s ancestral tomb. She deserved to be cast out.”

“The Master sent her body, along with the divorce letter, straight to the Kong family. I wonder if they’ll even take it?”

“Kong Ru was just a concubine-born daughter. Now that she’s lost her value, the Kong family definitely won’t take her back.”

As the maids predicted, the Kong family, ashamed of the scandal, refused to claim Kong Ru’s corpse. They simply wrapped her in a straw mat and tossed her into a mass grave.

Ye Chutang heard about it from Qi Yanzhou.

By then, she had already left the city and was traveling with Qi Yanzhou toward the Nightshade’s hideout.

Of course, it wasn’t just the two of them. Qi Yanzhou had also brought his top-ranked shadow guards.

After traveling more than ten miles away from the capital, Qi Yanzhou turned to Nan Xiao and said, “You all go on ahead. Take down Nightshade. A’Tang and I will catch up shortly.”

Ye Chutang didn’t understand, but followed Qi Yanzhou down a narrow trail.

With the steady rhythm of hooves in the background, she asked, “A’Zhou, where are we going?”