DBB – Chapter 76: Attending the Funeral

The steward received his orders and hurried into Shian to procure the necessary funeral supplies. Madam Gu, Ji Shi, had just undergone the traditional rite wherein the deceased is bathed and temporarily dressed before the formal encoffining. Her body was then moved to the main hall. At the head of the smaller funeral bed, a seven-star lamp was lit, and a path of bridge lamps extended from the doorway all the way to the entrance of Xiexiao Courtyard.

Gu Deshao still knelt blankly before the spirit tablet, unmoving. No one reminded him to change into mourning robes—he remained there, silent, guarding Ji Shi’s corpse without uttering a single word.

Jinchao cast a cold glance at her father, then turned back to her room to change into her mourning attire.

From Yizhu Pavilion, Gu Yi and Gu Xi arrived first. Concubine Guo followed soon after, and all of them quietly went to change into mourning clothes. It was only then that Concubine Song finally appeared, clad in a pale blue robe adorned with lilac patterns. Her eyes were red and swollen from weeping.

The moment she arrived, she rushed toward Ji Shi’s spirit tablet, sobbing with heart-wrenching grief. “Madam… How could you… How am I to go on now!”

At the sound of her voice, Gu Deshao suddenly looked up. His face contorted in rage as he seized Concubine Song by the throat and shoved her violently against the wall, his voice low and trembling with fury. “You have the audacity to come here? It was you—you killed Xiangjun! You drove her to death! Who asked for your crocodile tears here?”

Stunned, Song Yiniang was thrown into complete confusion. What on earth happened to Ji Shi? Just last night, Gu Deshao had still been tender and affectionate toward her. How had things changed so drastically overnight? Wasn’t Ji Shi bedridden with illness? What did that have to do with her?

Gu Deshao’s grip tightened around her neck. Song Yiniang struggled, clutching at his hands as she choked out, “Master… I did nothing… nothing at all. At least let me see her one last time… If I’ve wronged her, I should at least know what I’ve done…”

He flung her toward Ji Shi’s body, as though seeking release through this outburst. “Go on—look! Look closely! See for yourself how Xiangjun died!”

Caught off guard, Concubine Song stumbled into the side of the funeral bed, her hand brushing against Ji Shi’s icy corpse. The chill made her recoil instinctively. Then her gaze landed on the deep purple bruise encircling Ji Shi’s neck.

No wonder—no wonder… She had hanged herself!

In a panic, Song Yiniang dropped to her knees, clutching Gu Deshao’s sleeve in desperation and terror. “Master, this… this can’t be true. Madam was too weak to even stand—how could she have hanged herself? Someone must have done this! I was in Linyan Pavilion the entire night and never stepped out. It must’ve been someone else—someone else!”

Gu Deshao stared at her blooming, youthful face and was suddenly overcome with fury, remembering Ji Shi—withered and aged, barely older than this woman before him. Rage surged through him as he slapped her across the face, his voice seething with wrath. “You still dare to accuse someone else! She hanged herself beside her bed! If not for you summoning Yuping and accusing her of murdering Concubine Yun, if not for your lies about her lacing her medicine with rhubarb—would she have been driven to this?”

The force behind Gu Deshao’s slap was not something Jinchao could rival. Concubine Song was struck so hard she collapsed to the ground. Just then, Concubine Luo stepped through the door. Seeing what had just occurred, she hesitated, meaning to intercede, but Jinchao caught her by the wrist.

“Don’t go.”

Luo Su glanced anxiously at the furious Gu Deshao and, hearing Jinchao’s quiet warning, obediently stepped aside.

Jinchao’s gaze was icy as it fell on Song Yiniang, who now sat on the floor with her hair in disarray, humiliated and pitiful. She turned and instructed the maid guarding the entrance, “If anyone else comes by, take them to the flower hall. Do not let them disturb Father and Concubine Song.”

The maid acknowledged the order. Without another word, Jinchao turned and walked toward the flower hall, her expression devoid of emotion.

Song Yiniang sat frozen, cradling her burning cheek. Ji Shi hanged herself from shame… What did that have to do with her? It was Gu Deshao who had gone to question Ji Shi, and Ji Shi who had been too weak to bear the pressure. At most, she had merely fanned the flames. Except for the rhubarb… But how did Gu Deshao find out about the rhubarb?

Still weeping, she grasped his robe pitifully. “Master, please calm your anger. I called for Yuping… but I didn’t know the truth either. I never thought Madam would take offense. But… but the rhubarb… I truly didn’t…”

Gu Deshao stared down at her, his fury giving way to a cold, derisive laugh. “Still trying to defend yourself? Chao’er told me everything. You—you vile creature. You even colluded with the housekeeping office to bring harm to Xiangjun! Have you been managing the inner court for so long that you’ve learned every filthy trick in the book?”

At that, true panic finally seized her.

Was he going to strip her of her authority over the household?

Her voice trembled. “Master, that maid said she saw someone from my courtyard meeting privately with the housekeeper, but she was Chao’er’s maid. How could she be trusted? She must’ve been ordered to set me up…”

Gu Deshao’s voice turned frigid. “Do you really take me for a fool? If she meant to frame you, she would’ve dragged the maid to me right then. Chao’er didn’t say a word until after Xiangjun was gone—she endured it all until she couldn’t anymore. She tolerated you. But you—you repaid her with malice, slandering both the proper wife and the legitimate daughter. You, a mere concubine, dared to scheme against the main branch of this household! You’re utterly without propriety… I never imagined someone so vicious could exist by my side!”

“From this day forward, you are no longer to manage any matters within the inner residence. I never want to see you again. You will spend the rest of your life in Linyan Pavilion, offering prayers for Xiangjun’s soul until the day you die.”

He flung her off and pointed to the door. “Now get out! You have no place at Xiangjun’s spirit altar. Get out at once!”

Concubine Song was both terrified and despairing. She couldn’t understand how the world had overturned in just one night. With her authority gone, who would protect her daughter Lan’er now? Wouldn’t Gu Lan be bullied to death by Gu Jinchao?

She refused to accept it, clutching at Gu Deshao again as she wept bitterly. “Master, it’s all my fault! But even so… you can’t do this to me…”

Gu Deshao couldn’t even bear to look at her anymore. He kicked her away in disgust and barked, “If you don’t leave now, I’ll have the guards drag you out. Let’s see how much face you’ll have left to live on!”

Song Yiniang froze, her eyes wide in disbelief. Her lips trembled, and only after a long while did she finally realize—it was all real. Everything she had once clung to was gone with Ji Shi’s death. Gu Deshao, the man she had served so faithfully for years, now looked at her as though she were filth. Their years of affection? Worthless.

And now that Ji Shi was dead, she had nothing left.

Even the Song family… would not come to her aid now.

Concubine Song, disheveled and trembling, slowly picked herself up from the ground and staggered toward the doorway. Always so meticulous in her appearance, she now wore tangled hair and a bruised cheek, her face streaked with tears that had long washed away her carefully applied makeup. As she passed the maids in the corridor—servants of Xiexiao Courtyard, loyal to Ji Shi—not one of them spared her a hand. Some glanced at her in silence, but no one offered help. No one even acknowledged her presence.

The commotion in the main hall carried faintly to the flower hall. Gu Jinchao rose to her feet and turned to Gu Yi and Gu Xi, who were still weeping softly. “You should go pay your respects as well. When Gu Lan arrives, make sure she changes into full mourning attire.”

Gu Yi nodded gently. “Don’t worry, Eldest Sister. We understand.”

Jinchao tried to offer her a small smile, but the corners of her lips barely moved. No matter how she tried, she could not summon one. Without another word, she turned and left the flower hall, stepping onto the covered walkway—just in time to meet Concubine Song.

“Why does Aunt look so wretched?” Jinchao asked calmly, her gaze cool and unblinking.

Concubine Song looked up at her. In her heart surged a tidal wave of resentment, but beneath that was a weariness so deep it hollowed her out. She was too drained to even speak. “Look at me… What more do you want?”

Jinchao gave a cold laugh. “This? You think this is enough? This doesn’t even begin to compare to one-tenth of what my mother suffered. Do you really think it ends here? Being stripped of the household keys and confined to your courtyard—that’s nothing. What matters most… is Gu Lan. She doesn’t want to marry Mu Zhi Zhai? Very well, then she won’t. I’ll personally choose an excellent match for her. One far more appropriate.”

Marrying Mu Zhi Zhai would’ve been a blessing for Gu Lan. But now, to still let her marry him? That would be letting herself off too lightly.

Concubine Song couldn’t immediately grasp what Jinchao meant. She said… she wouldn’t let Gu Lan marry Mu Zhi Zhai?
She’s being… generous?

Her eyes narrowed, her voice low and bitter, laced with defiance: “Ji Shi hanged herself! She was weak—that’s not my fault. What I’ve lost… I’ll take back!”

Jinchao stepped closer, her voice soft and steady. “Take it back? Aunt, you’re far too naïve. Let me make this clear—so long as I’m alive, neither you nor Gu Lan will ever rise again. What you did to my mother, I’ll repay a hundredfold.”

Without waiting for a response, she turned and made her way to the mourning hall. Her father was in no state to manage the household—everything now fell to her.

Madam Xu had already instructed the steward to write the funeral notice, which was then dispatched by a guard riding at full speed to Qifang Hutong in Daxing. It took only a few hours.

When Gu Jinrong received the funeral notice, he collapsed to the floor in shock and sorrow.

When a parent passed away, a child—no matter how far—was expected to return home for mourning.

Without hesitation, Gu Jinrong took leave from Master Zhou, changed into mourning robes and placed the funeral crown upon his head. He traveled a hundred li in a single day, avoiding the bustling city roads. By the time he reached the front gates of the residence, his legs nearly gave out—he had returned from half a day’s journey in just a few hours.

By then, night had already fallen. The entrance was draped in white, a sea of pale mourning cloth fluttering in the wind. Visitors had already begun arriving to offer their condolences.

Steward Li was waiting at the gate. The moment he saw Gu Jinrong, he rushed forward to support him.

The entire residence was dressed in mourning. The maids all wore plain attire, with squares of hemp cloth sewn over their chests. Gu Jinrong, dazed and unsteady, grabbed Steward Li and asked in anguish, “How… how did Mother die? She was perfectly fine when I left. How could she have suddenly…?”

His hands trembled with fear, tears spilling uncontrollably down his cheeks.

Steward Li could say nothing. He could only gently console him: “Please, Young Master… control your grief. I’ll take you to her altar.”

Jinchao had already knelt before her mother’s spirit tablet for half a day, burning paper offerings in silence. The two concubines knelt behind her. Gu Lan had also come to pay her respects—wailing as she threw herself at the altar, never once daring to look at the corpse.

But Jinchao didn’t spare her even a glance.

Gu Deshao had gradually regained his composure from Ji Shi’s death—at least enough to greet those who came to mourn. But he didn’t acknowledge Gu Lan’s weeping either. His heart was still consumed by fury toward Concubine Song, and so even Gu Lan became someone he couldn’t bear to see.

After crying for a while and realizing no one was paying her any mind, Gu Lan withdrew to the side to kneel quietly. Strange, she thought. Why hadn’t she seen her own mother yet? She should’ve arrived long ago…

Just as she was wondering whether to go to Linyan Pavilion and look for her, a commotion broke out at the entrance.

Juju’s Note:

About the comments… I (belatedly) realized that the comment reCAPTCHA wasn’t working 😭 I tried fixing it multiple times, but technology won this round. So, I’ve disabled it so everyone can comment freely now! That also means… hello, spam 😩 I’ve been tricked a few times—got excited over new comments, only to find out they were spam bots dropping weird links 😂

While we’re here…
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