Li Wanming's lips turned deathly pale in the sunlight, and shock welled up inside her. Fang Zhi's words were like a barbed scimitar, mercilessly slashing open her calm that she thought was unshakable.
There were more than just a few strange things in this!
It wasn't that Marquis Huo shouldn't have remarried, but that he had done it too quickly, and his new wife had given birth to a daughter too soon! It was as if he was in a hurry to welcome a new woman into the house without any delay!
It was hard not to suspect the cause of the first wife's death - it was so timely, so opportune, as if she had died just to make way for the new bride.
And if even Li Wanming could think of this now, how could General Huo not have suspected it back then?
Fang Zhi glanced at her, knowing that she had also thought of this. Her eyebrows twitched slightly, and she continued on her own.
"General Huo was already fourteen years old at that time, and he had a twelve - year - old younger sister. How could he not suspect the cause of his mother's death?"
"During that period, he sealed the medicinal dregs, went through the medical records, and questioned one by one the imperial physicians who had treated his mother at that time. The whole capital was in an uproar... Unfortunately, he found nothing. And because he had made such a big fuss, he was severely scolded by the former emperor."
After hearing this, Li Wanming felt a tightness in her chest, as if a lump of wet ice had blocked her throat. She couldn't swallow it or spit it out, and only the cold, damp smell of blood kept surging up.
His mother had just passed away, but his father had married a new wife with great fanfare. And less than seven months later, the new wife gave birth to a daughter - such blatant and wanton behavior was like trampling on the memory of their dead mother and the dignity of the siblings under their feet!
Suddenly, she looked up at the swaying tree shadows outside the window lattice, as if she could see the fourteen - year - old young man kneeling in front of the vermilion palace gate.
In the cold winter months, the gold - paved bricks outside the palace must have been bone - chillingly cold. She wondered if the young man's thin back could withstand such cold and frost.
"Is this the reason why General Huo fell out with the Marquis of Guangyi's mansion?" Li Wanming lowered her eyes and asked softly.
"Humph!" Fang Zhi let out a soft laugh. "You underestimate the shamelessness of the Marquis of Guangyi's mansion!"
"Is there more...?" Li Wanming looked up in astonishment.
Fang Zhi lowered her voice, as if she were telling a fragmented story.
"After General Huo was scolded by the former emperor, although he was angry, he had no way to deal with his shameless father. So he went to the southern border to join the army... Unfortunately, when he returned to the capital four years later, he only brought back the body of his younger sister."
"Do you know how Miss Huo died? The new wife of Marquis Huo wanted to marry her to an incompetent cousin from her natal family. Miss Huo refused to obey to the death and hanged herself with a white silk."
"No one in the Huo family dared to tell General Huo about this. So when he returned to the capital that day, as soon as he entered the door, he saw the pitch - black coffin in the main hall."
Fang Zhi paused for a moment and said softly, "My mother told me that the Huo family had planned to bury Miss Huo hastily after keeping the body for one day. Maybe it was fate that made General Huo come back suddenly and see his sister for the last time."
Li Wanming's nails dug deeply into her palm, and her whole body trembled uncontrollably. Her anger and grief were like hot iron chains, almost tearing her apart!
"Why didn't General Huo take his sister with him back then?" Li Wanming tried her best to suppress her anger and asked hoarsely.
"I asked my mother the same question." Fang Zhi's knuckles tapped gently on the table. The red - gold dragon and phoenix bracelet on her wrist knocked against the edge of the table, making a soft tinkling sound. "My mother said, even a tiger won't eat its own cubs. Who could have expected this?"
"Yes, who could have expected that a marquis would marry his legitimate daughter to a good - for - nothing who indulged in drinking, whoring, and gambling; that a father would force his own daughter to death."
"At that time, General Huo thought that only he was making a fuss about investigating the cause of his mother's death. He thought his innocent sister would at least get some protection from their father. But he was too naive. He didn't know that there were many jackals and tigers in this world, and there were also many parents who regarded their children as tools."
The morning breeze carried the silk tree flowers, which seemed to be wrapped in faded rouge as they fluttered down.
Fang Zhi's bright red wedding dress was bathed in the pale morning light, looking extremely eye - catching. Her voice was even more aloof, like the unburned paper money in a mourning hall.
"The time General Huo returned to the capital, he came back with military merits. But he didn't ask the emperor for anything. He just carried the coffin and knelt in front of the inner palace gate. In exchange for his four - year military merits, he begged the emperor to deprive him of his title as the heir and sever all ties with the Marquis of Guangyi's mansion from then on!"
A rusty, sweet taste welled up in Li Wanming's throat, as if someone had stuffed broken ice mixed with iron thorns into her throat.
The ice shards with barbs cut through her throat all the way down to her lungs. She finally understood that "tearing out one's heart and crying blood" was not an exaggeration. At this moment, she truly tasted the taste of blood foam mixed with ice chips.
The pain was truly heart - rending.
...
"Princess Chengping was deeply in love with General Huo. Even after General Huo died in battle for so many years, she never thought of remarrying."
Fang Zhi's voice was still cold, but there was a hint of ridicule in the corner of her eyes. "Do you think, if she knew that you were sending Dragon Boat Festival gifts to the Marquis of Guangyi's mansion, what would she think?"
Li Wanming sneered. "Auntie would surely regard me as a traitor, thinking that I'm just like those old and muddle - headed people, trying to force General Huo to recognize his biological father!"
"Hahaha!" Fang Zhi clapped her hands and laughed. "I knew you were smart! You can figure out the seriousness of this without me having to say much."
How could she not figure it out?
Filial piety is the most important of all virtues. Throughout the dynasties, the country was governed by filial piety, and the Great Sheng Dynasty was no exception.
But Huo Xiaoyan, just because of two lives, openly carried a coffin in front of the imperial palace and demanded to sever the father - son relationship with Marquis Huo - this was not just unfilial, it was outright rebellious and immoral!
One could just imagine how much criticism Huo Xiaoyan had to bear for such a shocking act.
Suddenly, Li Wanming seemed to see again the young man kneeling in front of the imperial palace. His thin back was straight, bearing all the rumors and condemnations that rained down on him.
But this time, there was no longer his sister behind him.
And Xiao Yunhan - the legitimate daughter of the Xiao family who had not yet been granted the title of Princess Chengping at that time - still decided to fulfill her engagement with Huo Xiaoyan in the midst of all the uproar and walked towards him resolutely...
It's easy to add flowers to the brocade, but difficult to offer timely help.
This kind of unwavering affection in the face of public condemnation deserved the words "deep - rooted love and righteousness".
After their marriage, the couple was truly loving and affectionate, until General Huo died in battle in the southern border...
"Auntie and General Huo had a deep and unshakable love for each other, and this has never changed over the years."
Li Wanming's voice was cold, as if it had been frosted. "If Auntie knew that I was going to send Dragon Boat Festival gifts to the Huo family, the family that her husband hated so much that he wanted to devour their flesh and blood, she would probably vomit blood on the spot and kick me out of the house!"