Chapter 505: If There’s an Afterlife
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Wei Liao threw the wet lamb chop back onto the plate and asked with a faint smile.
“Did Your Highness do it on purpose?”
Xiao Juan replied without changing his expression, “Would you believe me if I said no?”
The two of them did not show much anger, but there was a tense aura. When their eyes met, it was as if lightning was flashing and there was gunpowder.
Seeing that the situation was bad, Wang Jianan quickly stood up and said.
“Quickly change a plate of roasted lamb chop for Young Master Wei and make a new pot of tea for His Highness.”
The maidservants quickly walked forward and took away the roast lamb chop and empty teacups.
Then, Wang Jianan called the dancers to begin the performance, and the sound of music floated up.
Wang Jianan wanted to use the song and dance performance to dilute the animosity between Xiao Juan and Wei Liao, but the two of them did not even look at the dancers.
Wei Liao said to Yu Niaoniao.
“Don’t you want good food? Eat whatever you want on my table. Do you want to come with me?”
Xiao Juan said in a low voice, “Niaoniao is injured. She needs to keep to the food restrictions while taking medicine.”
Wei Liao sneered in disdain.
“What do you mean by food restrictions? That’s just a quack doctor’s trick. I was injured in the past and still drank and ate meat while recuperating. Aren’t I fine now?”
Xiao Juan said, “Niaoniao is different from you. It doesn’t matter how thick your skin is, but she’s delicate and needs to recuperate well. She can’t do anything rash.”
Wei Liao said, “These are all your excuses! You just want to control Yu Niaoniao and use this to satisfy your desire to control.”
Xiao Juan said, “I’m Niaoniao’s husband. I have an obligation to take good care of her. On the other hand, you’re not related to her. What right do you have to point fingers at our matters here?”
Wei Liao choked.
He was indeed in no position.
He was purely unhappy, so he wanted to make others unhappy too.
As for why he was unhappy? He didn’t want to think about it.
Instinct told him that the answer would be unacceptable to him.
Wei Liao pretended to be calm and said to Yu Niaoniao.
“Just you wait. At this rate, you’ll definitely be controlled by him in the future.”
With that, he turned around and walked away.
Looking at his back, he actually looked a little angry.
Yu Niaoniao was very puzzled. “What is this guy doing here?”
Xiao Juan replied indifferently, “Who knows?”
They were both men, but he could feel that Wei Liao’s attitude towards Niaoniao was very different.
In the past, Wei Liao would harass Niaoniao from time to time. He could even say that Wei Liao was deliberately provoking her, commonly known as looking for trouble.
However, now that Wei Liao was causing all kinds of trouble, it was more like he wanted to attract Niaoniao’s attention.
It didn’t take a genius to guess what a man wanted to do if he wanted to attract the attention of the opposite sex.
However, Xiao Juan did not intend to tell Niaoniao this.
He scooped up a piece of soft, tender white tofu with a spoon and brought it to her lips.
“Ignore him. Continue eating.”
“Yes!”
After the banquet ended, Xiao Juan pushed Niaoniao back to the guest room.
People were especially prone to sleepiness after eating and drinking their fill. Yu Niaoniao was like this now. She kept yawning on the way.
When Xiao Juan picked her up and placed her on the bed, she fell asleep almost as soon as she touched the pillow.
Xiao Juan could not sleep yet.
He had to change Niaoniao’s dressing. In order not to wake her up, his movements were extremely gentle throughout the entire process.
The next day, Yu Niaoniao woke up and did not realize that the gauze on her body had been changed once.
She was helped to sit up.
Xiao Juan wiped her face with a wet handkerchief and said.
“I’m going out later.”
Yu Niaoniao asked curiously, “Why are you going out?”
Xiao Juan had no intention of hiding it and said frankly.
“Although Princess Ni Yang has committed a heinous crime, she’s still my mother. I have to arrange her funeral.’
Yu Niaoniao immediately said, “I’ll go with you.”
She knew that she would definitely not be of much help in this state, but she was really worried about Xiao Juan. Princess Ni Yang occupied a very important place in his life. Now that he was going to arrange her funeral, he would definitely not feel good.
At a time like this, she had to be with him.
Xiao Juan looked up at her and saw that her expression was firm. It was obvious that she had made up her mind to leave, so he nodded in agreement.
“Yeah.”
Yu Niaoniao specially asked Chun Feng to choose plain white clothes for her.
In her current state, she did not have to consider hairpins or jewelry. She just had to casually tie her long hair up and stabilize it with a sandalwood hairpin.
Xiao Juan was still wearing his usual black clothes. He had a leather belt around his waist and black boots, looking deep and reserved.
After breakfast with Niaoniao, he left the County Governor’s Mansion and took a carriage to a temple in the city.
The abbot in the temple clearly knew Xiao Juan. When he saw Xiao Juan bring Yu Niaoniao over, he immediately led the couple to the back hall.
There was a black coffin parked in the back hall. Beside it were four monks kneeling. They were chanting scriptures as they knocked on the wooden fish.
Yu Niaoniao originally thought that they were chanting the Reincarnation Scripture. After asking, she realized that they were actually chanting the Calamity Surpassing Scripture.
This was specially instructed by Xiao Juan.
He lit three incense sticks and inserted them into the incense burner.
“Princess Ni Yang hurt many people when she was alive. She never repented for this until she died. I hope to use the Calamity Surrogate Sutra to make her turn over a new leaf and be a good person in her next life.”
Smoke curled up from the incense. The smoke misted his eyes, making them look a little blurry.
Yu Niaoniao said, “I thought you didn’t believe in ghosts and gods?”
Xiao Juan said, “I don’t believe in ghosts, but I hope that people can have a next life.
Yu Niaoniao became even more curious. “Why?”
Xiao Juan looked at her silently.
If there was really an afterlife, he might be able to meet her again.
He admitted that he was greedy. He felt that one life was not enough and wanted another.
Yu Niaoniao said, “Why aren’t you saying anything?”
Xiao Juan looked away. “If people can have a next life, I might be able to make up for a lot of regrets.”
Yu Niaoniao looked like she did not understand.
Xiao Juan walked to the side of the coffin and reached out to push open the lid, revealing the charred corpse lying inside.
Princess Ni Yang, who was once known as the number one beauty of Dayan, was now charred by the fire and unrecognizable.
Seeing this scene, Xiao Juan felt very complicated.
He had thought of many endings, but he had never thought that this would be the ending between him and his mother.
The host asked, “Your Highness, do you need someone to redecorate Her Highness?”
The local custom was that after a person died, they had to be washed up and buried in a coffin.
Xiao Juan replied indifferently.
“There’s no need.”
She was already charred. What else was there to dress up for?
Even if Princess Ni Yang was still alive, with her vain and strong personality, she definitely did not want others to see her unrecognizable appearance.
Xiao Juan covered the coffin and ordered someone to bring iron nails. He personally sealed the coffin.
When he was done, he let the Eagle Guards in to bring the coffin out of the temple..