Chapter 142 Burial
one day ago.

Liu Xian was buried.

The Liu family mansion was dressed in mourning.

Pieces of white silk were hung on countless blue bricks and gray tiles, like mourning couplets, extending deep into the mansion.

Outside the mourning hall, more than 40 concubines of Liu Mingxian knelt in front of the hall and cried loudly. They cried for an unknown amount of time until their tears dried up and their voices became hoarse.

Inside the mourning hall, Lord Liu Gun, dressed in gray clothes and robes, sat silently on the armchair next to the coffin, staring at the Liu family members outside the hall who were in mourning.

He looked calm, as if he was watching a farce that had nothing to do with him.

At this time, the servant outside the door called out the name in a long voice: "Madam Jingfei of Prince Jing's Mansion has arrived!"

Liu Gun's expression finally showed some changes. He looked past the group of people who were prostrating themselves on the ground and crying, through the patio, and towards the long and dark porch opposite.

Concubine Jing walked into the mourning hall with the help of Nanny Chunrong, and knelt on the ground with a plop, crying: "Father!"

Several black-clad attendants slowly closed the eight vermilion doors of the mourning hall and led Nanny Chunrong away, leaving the father and daughter alone.

Elder Liu did not help Concubine Jing up, but slowly stood up, facing the coffin, with his back to Concubine Jing: "You are no longer a member of the Liu family, why did you come back?"

Concubine Jing walked forward on her knees and knelt at the feet of Lord Liu, begging: "Father, I grew up here since I was a child. I am your own flesh and blood. How can I not be a member of the Liu family?"

Elder Liu put his hands behind his back and stared at the coffin in the mourning hall: "Ever since you got pregnant with Prince Jing's heir and someone told you it was a boy, you didn't even want to go back to the Liu family mansion. Since you are determined to be Prince Jing's wife and not a member of the Liu family, why bother turning back?"

Concubine Jing begged, "Father, it's not that I don't want to come back, it's that Grandpa only has Liu Mingxian as his grandson in his heart. Every time I go back to the Liu family mansion, he never looks at me straight in the eye. What am I coming back for?"

Liu Ge Lao said: "You brothers and sisters grew up here since childhood. Your eldest brother went to Yuanjue Temple and cut off all worldly ties. Your third sister died early due to bad luck. Now your second brother has also been killed by the eunuch party..."

Concubine Jing was silent.

Elder Liu waved his sleeves lightly and said in a bleak tone, "Do you still remember what this room is called?"

Concubine Jing hesitated for a moment: "Tongxin Hall."

Elder Liu said, "This Tongxin Hall was built in the autumn of the twelfth year of Houde. At that time, the Liu family brought back eight golden nanmu trees from the South China Sea to serve as pillars, representing the eight brothers and sisters of the Liu family at that time. The Liu family has an ancestral precept that brothers and relatives should not harm each other. This is what I taught you since you were young, but you have all forgotten it."

Concubine Jing sobbed, "Father, I remember."

Liu Ge Lao asked: "You have met with the Secret Service, and you said at that time that your second brother wanted to plot against the Craftsmanship Bureau's firearms... Do you want me to continue?"

Concubine Jing's expression changed.

She turned back to look for Chunrong, but remembered that the black-clad servant had taken Chunrong away.

Concubine Jing suddenly turned around, looked at Elder Liu and said in a serious tone, "Father, my second brother killed my child and sent someone to kill Liu Shiyu, my only child! He was the one who wanted to kill me first!"

Elder Liu said calmly, "The current situation of the Liu family is all because of my failure to teach you well. Go back. The Liu family is about to be destroyed. Go back to Prince Jing's Mansion and be your princess. From today on, we are no longer related as father and daughter, so as not to implicate you."

Concubine Jing walked on her knees, prostrated herself at the feet of Elder Liu and sobbed, "Father, please don't say that. I won't go back. Do you still remember when I was a child, you took me to fly kites outside the house, you took me to go outings, you took me to literary gatherings, you taught me the arts of music, chess, calligraphy and painting... When I was twelve years old, you joked that when I grew up I would turn into a kite and fly to someone else's home. I said you only had to pull the string and I would fly back to you."

Elder Liu smiled and said, "I cut off your money, and when you went out you found that the Liu family no longer believed in you, so you started to miss the Liu family's kindness again, right?"

Concubine Jing's expression gradually calmed down, and she let go of Elder Liu's legs: "Father, I know I was wrong. This time, I will follow your instructions and will never disobey you."

Elder Liu returned to the armchair and sat down, saying with emotion: "You need to remember that the Liu family is not your and my Liu family, but the Liu family of thousands and thousands of Liu family members. You and I are on this big ship of the Liu family, and we can only accompany it for a short journey. The outstanding people of the Liu family from generation to generation are just ghosts escorting it. If the Liu family heads from generation to generation cannot figure this out, the Liu family will not be able to accumulate this thousand-year foundation."

Concubine Jing asked, "What does father want to do this time?"

Liu Ge Lao's expression flickered in front of the candlelight in the mourning hall: "Once the arrow is shot, there is no turning back. I want to do what your second brother has not finished."

Concubine Jing shuddered: "My second brother is so bold, why do you follow him in making trouble?"

Elder Liu sighed, "He left this mess behind, I have to clean it up for him... There is no turning back. I will send a maid to be with you, and at the critical moment, you need to cooperate with her to do something."

Concubine Jing asked, "What does my father want me to do?"

Elder Liu said calmly, "Don't ask questions that you shouldn't ask. You will know the answer when the time comes."

Concubine Jing struggled for a long time, then knelt down in front of Elder Liu and said, "Father, I am willing to help you, but after I succeed..."

Elder Liu's eyes were deep, and he gently stroked Concubine Jing's cheek: "You are the only daughter that Dad is with now. In the future, this world and this Liu family will belong to you and your child. This time, the Liu family has been forced to make a big bet by your second brother."

Concubine Jing slowly stood up, wiped the tears from her cheeks, and said calmly: "I should still be able to give birth to a child for the prince, but the prince has a son, Zhu Yunxi. Father, I need a promise."

Elder Liu smiled and said, "This is my Liu family's child. Why are you crying so much? You won't have to worry about Zhu Yunxi anymore soon. You may get news in a few days. Concubine Yun is connected with your second brother, and her child will be eliminated as well, so that you can vent your anger."

The corners of Concubine Jing's mouth curled up slightly.

At this time, Elder Liu changed the subject and said, "Tell me about the apprentice of Taiping Medical Clinic, the one you promised 2,000 taels of silver to buy your second brother's life, Chen Ji." Concubine Jing was stunned for a moment: "Why did father ask about him?"

Lord Liu did not answer.

Concubine Jing thought for a moment: "This man has a quick mind, or he found that there was something wrong with the cup that my second brother gave me. Later, I plotted to frame him, but somehow he saw through it, and I also lost an oriental pearl that you gave me."

Elder Liu said slowly, "Then you sent people to various pawnshops to look for the pearl. What was the result?"

Concubine Jing shook her head: "I haven't seen the Dongzhu, it should still be in his hands."

Elder Liu laughed, "This guy is quite patient. He didn't exchange such a valuable pearl for money. I think he must be the one who ruined the Liu family. Who would have thought that such a person is just an apprentice in a clinic... Come here."

Several black-clad attendants opened the eight red-lacquered doors, and Liu Ge Lao said to Concubine Jing, "You can go back now."

Concubine Jing hesitated for a moment, but finally stood up and left: "My daughter will leave first."

When they left the Liu family mansion, Chunrong, who was beside the carriage, came up to support her, but he raised his wrist and slapped Chunrong hard: "You are a traitor!"

Chunrong lowered her head awkwardly, not daring to say a word.

In the mourning hall, Elder Liu sat on the armchair without getting up. He just said to a black-clad attendant with a cold expression, "Tell Mr. Feng that before the seventh day after the death of the second son, bring back the Chenji and the golden pig's head to bury him with him."

"Master, where are the prince and the princess?"

"Bring it back alive."

……

……

At this moment.

Chen Ji was walking on the cinder road in the town. On both sides of the road were the sounds of drunken people playing rock-paper-scissors, prostitution, and dice rolling. No one noticed him at all.

But he suddenly discovered that the money used to buy and sell things in this town was not copper coins or silver, but wooden chips. Without these wooden chips, it would be useless even if he brought silver.

As a result, it is difficult for outsiders to enter the town.

Chen Ji stood in front of the clinic and watched silently. He had originally planned to buy medicine for Bai Li directly, but now he had the money but couldn't spend it.

I can only wait until the clinic closes before stealing.

Just at this moment, a group of people came in from outside the town. The leader was a middle-aged man in a green shirt, and behind him were dozens of black-clad followers with stern faces.

On both sides of the road, the soldiers immediately fell silent when they saw this group of people. They stood respectfully on both sides of the street with their hands hanging down, saying, "Mr. Feng."

"Good evening, Mr. Feng."

Chen Ji thought for a moment, then turned around and followed the group of people.

Mr. Feng rode his horse without looking around and came to a tavern where a group of soldiers were drinking.

But Mr. Feng pointed casually, and immediately the black-clad attendant behind him jumped off his horse and dragged a soldier out of the tavern by his hair. Seeing this, the other soldiers stood up one after another, but dared not say a word.

Mr. Feng sat on his horse and said nonchalantly, "General Li, it's already this hour, and you're still in the mood to drink?"

Li Pianjiang hurriedly got up from the ground and said, "Reporting to Mr. Feng, the search team has already gone out, and there is no news yet."

Mr. Feng smiled and said, "I am not satisfied with this answer."

As soon as he finished speaking, the black-clad attendant drew his sword and chopped off Li Pian's head.

Mr. Feng pointed at another soldier in the tavern and said, "From now on, you will be in charge of this place. Don't drink for now. Seal off the entire military town and search every house. Arrest any suspicious person you encounter."

The soldier hesitated and said, "Mr. Feng, our military town is heavily guarded..."

Mr. Feng laughed again: "I have been looking for him outside for a whole day but couldn't find him. Since he is not outside, he must be inside. Why did you change someone? He is still a noisy person. Change someone else to talk to me."

The next moment, the black-clad attendant rushed forward and chopped with his knife. Another human skull rolled on the ground, and blood splattered the entire tavern scarlet.

A soldier wiped the blood off his face, suddenly threw the wine bowl to the ground, and knelt on one knee on the porcelain slab: "Mr. Feng, I am willing to take on this important task. Before midnight, I will turn the town upside down. If I don't find the person, I will bring his head to you."

Mr. Feng looked at this person with interest and threw a stack of white paper portraits on his face: "Very good, I like ambitious people, and the master also likes ambitious people, go and do your work. The person in the portrait will be killed without mercy."

The soldier took the portrait and unfolded it, revealing a thin young man.

(End of this chapter)