Chapter 481: The Sole Son Gone

Jing Wan nearly cursed out loud. If this matter wasn’t human-caused, then she will have her name written backwards.

She didn’t mind someone doing something, but she didn’t plan on someone dying.

Jing Wan stood up, “There’s a bit of an issue, so excuse me for a moment.” Her expression was exceptionally cold, even carrying a bit of sharpness, directly leaving. This kind of Jing Wan was one that outsiders have never seen before.

Regardless of how the rumors regarding Jin Wangfei were outside, the person that the great majority of outsiders came in contact with was absolutely a gentle and good-tempered person. In fact, some even felt that she wasn’t at all like someone of the imperial family, damaging the imperial family prestige. Looking at it now, they’d completely misjudged. Then again, regardless of how she was in the past, having married into the imperial family, no matter how lacking, there would still be at least thirty percent.

Compared to Jing Wan, even if learning that someone died, Li Hong Yuan still didn’t have any intentions of getting up to go deal with it, just saying to hand over to wangfei to handle. Moreover, on their side, it wasn’t even the people below whispering in Li Hong Yuan’s ear, but rather directly saying it out loud.

Once Li Hong Yuan’s words came out, the people in the surrounding all began speculating, believing that Li Hong Yuan was planning on having his own wangfei take the blame. It was obvious, this matter, inevitably will be brought before Le Cheng Emperor, and based on Le Cheng Emperor’s bias towards Jin Qinwang, believe that he will also be happily willing to have someone shoulder the pot for his son, even if that person is his daughter-in-law.

The people that were still secretly delighted a moment ago, this while, couldn’t help but silently curse Li Hong Yuan shameless inside, yet they just never considered that if they were to encounter something similar, they most certainly will have their own wife pushed out. The ‘main culprit’ and the ‘accomplice’ definitely were two different concepts. Moreover, for ‘not being strict in discipline’, this kind of thing, one can’t even be considered an accomplice. After all, that was the wife, not one’s children. Their moral integrity and upbringing mostly still depend on their maiden family and not their husband’s family.

However, Li Hong Yuan’s gaze swept over the guard that reported to him. Someone dying in one’s own master’s territory, to directly blurt out, should say that this kind of person was blunt? Or was it something else? One has to know, even if the master doesn’t care, the one to make the final decision should still be the master. Sigh, if not a mole or rat, then this kind of person should be properly trained, but if actually one, then should further be disciplined to death.

When Jing Wan arrived at the site, the tiger had already turned into a corpse, the ground drenched with blood, the scent very heavy. Additionally, there was another woven mat. Below it was most likely that influential family’s son.

(T/N: Straw woven mats were commonly used to cover the deceased.)

The bloody scent made Jing Wan a bit nauseous. Using the handkerchief to cover her mouth and nose, “Tell me the specifics.”

“Replying to wangfei, the situation was like this, the scene originally was already under control, all unrelated people blocked outside. This subordinate and the others were working together to encircle the tiger, when unexpectedly, someone suddenly charged in. The tiger was already in a violent rage to begin with. Seeing this person burst in, the tiger directly lashed out. Before this subordinate and the others could even react, the person had already died at the hands of the tiger.”

Understood. This was just rushing to throw away their life on their own.

Jing Wan coldly hooked the corner of her mouth. Someone that doesn’t hesitate to use their own life to scheme against her husband, naturally don’t count on her having the slightest ounce of pity. “Which family’s?”

“Replying to master, it’s the Inner Cabinet Scholar Bai’s only son.”

Jing Wan slightly blanked, her brows furrowing. Things really were a bit troublesome.

The Bai clan although wasn’t some first-rate aristocratic clan, but its most outstanding branch at present was Le Cheng Emperor’s maternal clan.

The former Empress Dowager Bai was a smart person. At first, she didn’t let her own maiden family’s niece become her son’s wangfei. Afterwards, after Le Cheng Emperor ascended the throne, she also never once let any young lady of the Bai clan enter the palace, even suppressing her maiden family. Never mind not letting her maiden family stand out, she also never interfered in governmental affairs. And Le Cheng Emperor ascending the throne couldn’t have happened without that Empress Dowager, and it further didn’t lack the Bai clan’s contributions.

(T/N: The Grand Elder Princess inherited a lot from their mother. And also it’s easy to see how someone like that would be close with Sun Old Madam.)

Empress Dowager Bai’s actions naturally won Le Cheng Emperor’s good feelings. Prior to Empress Dowager Bai’s passing, their mother and son relationship had always been very good. When Empress Dowager Bai passed away, Le Cheng Emperor was greatly saddened, suspending the court sessions for as long as a month. And on her deathbed, Empress Dowager Bai didn’t have any other request, just hoping that Le Cheng Emperor can look after her maiden family, no need for great wealth and honor, or a high post and generous salary, as long as they don’t defy the law, then just shield them from being bullied.

Such a low request, would Le Cheng Emperor even refuse?

That’s why, don’t look at how the Bai clan wasn’t prominent and even very low-key, low-key to the point where many people didn’t even know of this clan. In the entire capital, of the families that can’t be provoked, the Bai clan absolutely was in the top three.

If the one that died was just an inconspicuous person from the Bai clan, then it was still okay, but the problem was that this branch of the Bai clan wasn’t abundant in heirs. Empress Dowager Bai just had an older and younger brother, and didn’t have any sister. And her younger brother’s age was just a few years older than Le Cheng Emperor. That was just an idle person that didn’t have any abilities, but also for the most part didn’t cause any trouble, and at present, still alive, although his descendants were actually not bad.

The problem was on Le Cheng Emperor’s elder maternal uncle, who further just had one son. That was precisely the current Scholar Bai. At the time, Le Cheng Emperor’s elder maternal uncle was also an inner cabinet minister. This person, after Empress Dowager Bai passed away, resolutely resigned from his post with the excuse of the body being unwell. However, ‘bravely retreating from the torrent’ was just one aspect of it. The other side of it was just yielding the way for his son.

And the current Scholar Bai similarly had a bit of difficulty with heirs. This difficulty of his rather wasn’t on the amount. In reality, for the sake of continuing the bloodline, he had quite a few concubines. After having more than ten daughters, he finally obtained a son with great difficulty.

As one can imagine, just how highly regarded such a sole son would be.

And now, this sole son was gone!

The Bai clan’s position was special, similarly not participating in the battle for the throne. Scholar Bai was adequately an old fox. As long as he promotes his existence at appropriate times, then in the future, he will undoubtedly have a seat among the four Cabinet Ministers of the Inner Cabinet. He can be considered to have obtained a son at old age——–although right now, at home, there was also a few years old daughter, still as busy as ever procreating, hoping to have more sons. His son at present was still less than twenty. That’s why, he didn’t need to be like his father, retiring early. He just needs to remain steady and have his son’s path firmly paved for him. By the time he is no longer able to move, it most likely will be more than enough.

As such, although the daughters that Scholar Bai married out already exceeded ten, not a single one had any direct relations with a prince. However, carefully examining, one would discover that aside from Jin Qinwang, for the most part, he all had some sort of connection with each one.

Under this kind of circumstance, this treasure of his heart dying was just equal to all his hard work all wasted, all the plans amounting to nothing. No matter how mentally strong of a person, all would go crazy.

That’s why, the Bai family won’t care how the person died, just knowing that the person was dead, and afterwards, go all out to seek justice.

Never mind that Scholar Bai was Le Cheng Emperor’s older cousin, Le Cheng Emperor’s elder maternal uncle was still alive at present. Although gradually aging, cooped up in the home, and for the most part not budging, with his only grandson gone, reckon that even if crawling, he will still crawl into the palace to look for Le Cheng Emperor to tearfully complain.

What will Le Cheng Emperor do? Lightly pick up and lightly put down? It will only be thundering rage.

Jing Wan at first also thought that the method used to scheme against them was really clumsy, but looking at it now, it was clearly very brilliant. Regardless of the method, as long as they have the person killed, dying in Jin Qinwang’s estate, then that was just a good method.

Don’t say that there were this many people that watched that young master Bai suicidally throw himself forward. As long as there wasn’t any actual evidence proving that someone was scheming behind their backs, then the Bai family will just bite onto Jin Qinwang and not let go. For example, saying something like, without this nuisance of a horse race, his son/grandson wouldn’t have gone to the estate. If not for Jin Qinwang’s guard not guarding well enough, his son/grandson wouldn’t have died. If not for Jin Qinwang raising tigers, his son/grandson further wouldn’t have lost his life. All in all, there were plenty of reasons.