After about two hours, Yang Juyuan's screams, which had begun full of strength, gradually weakened until they finally fell silent. After a while, Ruan Xingzhu slowly emerged, her eyes red-rimmed from crying. It was impossible to tell whether she had wept in joy at avenging her great wrong or in grief while mourning her husband.
Seeing the patches of blood on her dress, Song Qingshu asked with concern, "Madam, are you all right?"
Ruan Xingzhu shook her head and forced a smile. "I'm fine. It's his blood."
Song Qingshu shuddered. Never provoke a woman. When women took revenge, they were simply too ruthless. Yang Juyuan had likely suffered something no less terrible than death by a thousand cuts inside.
Ruan Xingzhu took out a barrel of oil she had prepared beforehand and splashed it around the little hut. Then she took out a firestarter and set the house ablaze. "By the time anyone notices the fire, Yang Juyuan should have burned to ashes. No one will know it was him who died."
Song Qingshu said in a low voice, "Wouldn't it be better to let people know his identity? If they see him die so miserably before his elder brother's grave, perhaps they'll suspect that your husband's death was suspicious."
Ruan Xingzhu shook her head. "No. That would make it too easy for people to suspect me. These are extraordinary times. If the Yang family falls into internal strife, it will take a long time to determine the truth, and I don't have that much time. I need to take over the Yang family as quickly and smoothly as possible. So Yang Juyuan's crimes cannot be exposed. His reputation as a loyal subject must remain intact."
"You really are loyal to Han Tuozhou. Even now, you haven't forgotten to work