Green Mountain
Chapter 186 - 141, Accompanying Burial

Chapter 186: 141, Accompanying Burial

A day earlier.

Liu Mingxian was laid to rest in a grand funeral.

The entire Liu Mansion was draped in plain white fabrics.

Countless stretches of white silk hung from the black tiles and gray bricks like elegiac couplets, extending deep into the mansion.

Outside the memorial hall, over forty of Liu Mingxian’s concubines knelt and wailed tirelessly until their tears dried and their voices were hoarse.

Inside the hall, Official Liu, dressed in gray, sat silently on a Taishi chair next to the coffin, gazing at the Liu Family members who wore hemp and filial piety bands.

His expression was calm, like a spectator to a drama that did not involve him.

At that moment, a servant outside called out in a prolonged tone, "Princess Consort Jing from Prince Jing Mansion has arrived!"

A ripple finally crossed Official Liu’s stoic face as his gaze moved beyond the mourners on the ground, through the courtyard, to the long, dim corridor opposite.

Princess Jing entered the hall, supported by Nanny Chunrong, and knelt down with a thud, sobbing, "Father!"

Several black-clad attendants slowly closed the eight large red-lacquered doors of the hall, leading Nanny Chunrong away and leaving only the father and daughter behind.

Official Liu did not help Princess Jing up. Instead, he slowly stood, facing the coffin and with his back to her, "You are no longer a member of the Liu Family; why come back?"

Princess Jing, crawling on her knees, pleaded at his feet, "Father, I grew up here, and I am your own flesh and blood. How can I not be a member of the Liu Family?"

Official Liu, with his hands clasped behind his back, stared at the coffin inside the hall, "Since you bore Prince Jing’s heir and divination confirmed it to be a boy, you have been unwilling to return to the Liu Mansion. Since you’ve firmly decided to be only Prince Jing’s consort and not a member of the Liu Family, why bother coming back?"

Princess Jing implored, "Father, it’s not that I didn’t want to come back. Grandfather only had eyes for my brother, Liu Mingxian. Each time I returned to the Liu Mansion, he never even glanced at me. What was the point of my returning?"

Official Liu said, "You and your siblings grew up here. Your eldest brother renounced the secular world at Yuanjue Temple, your third sister was less fortunate and departed early, and now your second brother has been harmed by the Eunuch Party..."

Princess Jing fell silent.

Official Liu waved his sleeve gently, his voice melancholic, "Do you still remember what this room is called?"

After a moment’s hesitation, Princess Jing replied, "Tongxin Hall."

Official Liu spoke, "This Tongxin Hall was built in the Autumn of the 12th year of Houde, when eight pillars of golden nanmu, resembling poles that reach the heavens, were transported from the South Sea, symbolizing the eight siblings of the Liu Family then. The Liu family has a rule that siblings should not harm each other; I taught you this from childhood. But it seems you have all forgotten."

Princess Jing sobbed, "Father, I remember."

Official Liu asked, "You once met with the Spy Department, telling them your brother wanted to plot against the Craftsmanship Supervisor’s firearms... Should I continue?"

Princess Jing’s complexion changed.

She turned her head to look for Chunrong, then remembered that the black-clad attendants had taken her away.

Suddenly turning back, she faced Official Liu with a firm voice, "Father, my brother harmed my child and even sent people to kill Liu Shenyu, the only child of my sister! It was he who first attempted to harm me!"

Official Liu calmly stated, "The current plight of the Liu Family is my fault for not teaching you all properly. Go back, for the Liu Family is on the brink of destruction. Return to Prince Jing Mansion and be the princess. From today onwards, our father-daughter relationship shall end, so as not to implicate you further."

Princess Jing crawled forward and lay prostrate at Official Liu’s feet, crying, "Father, don’t say that. I won’t go back. Do you remember when I was a child, you took me outside the mansion to fly kites, to go on outings, to attend literary meetings, and taught me about music, chess, calligraphy, and painting... At the age of twelve, you joked that when I grew up, I would fly away like a kite to someone else’s house. I said that as long as you tugged at the string, I would fly back to you."

Official Liu chuckled, "Cut off from the silver coin and realizing that the Liu Family no longer supports you, you now recall the goodness of the Liu Family, do you?"

Princess Jing’s expression gradually calmed, and she let go of Official Liu’s leg, "Father, I understand my wrongs. This time, I will obey your orders completely, without any deception."

Official Liu returned to sitting on the Taishi chair, his words laden with emotion, "You must remember, the Liu Family is not just ours; it belongs to countless members of our Liu clan. You and I on this great vessel of the Liu Family can only accompany it for a short while. The Liu Family, thriving through generations, merely serves to escort it as spirits. If successive patriarchs of the Liu Family do not understand this, the family cannot maintain its legacy."

Princess Jing inquired, "Father, what do you intend to do this time?"

Official Liu’s expression flickered in the candlelight of the hall,"A bow drawn has no turning back. I will finish what your brother left unfinished."

Princess Jing shuddered slightly, "My brother was reckless; why would you follow in his folly?"

Official Liu sighed, "He left this mess, and I have to clean it up... there’s no turning back. I will assign a maid to stay by your side. At a critical moment, you will need to cooperate with her to carry out a task."

Princess Jing pressed, "Father, what task do you need me to do?"

Official Liu said indifferently, "If it’s not for you to ask, then don’t ask. You will know when the time comes."

After a long struggle, Princess Jing crawled up to Official Liu, "Father, I am willing to help you, but once this is accomplished..."

Official Liu’s gaze was profound as he gently stroked Princess Jing’s cheek, "Now, I only have you as my daughter. The future of this world, of the Liu Family, will belong to you and your children. This time, the Liu Family is forced by your brother to make a drastic move."

Princess Jing slowly stood up, wiped the tears from her cheeks, and said calmly, "I should still be able to bear a son for the Prince. But the Prince also has a son, Zhu Yunxi. Father, I need a promise."

Official Liu laughed, "That’s more like a child of the Liu Family. What’s all this weeping about? You won’t need to worry about Zhu Yunxi soon; perhaps in a few days, you’ll receive news. Consort Yun collaborated with your brother, and her child will also be removed to give you some relief."

Princess Consort Jing’s lips slightly curled up.

At this point, Official Liu shifted the topic, "Tell me about that apprentice from Taiping Medical Hall, the one you promised two thousand taels of silver to spare your second brother’s life, Chen Ji."

Princess Consort Jing paused, "Father, why are you asking about him?"

Official Liu did not answer.

Princess Consort Jing thought for a moment, "This man is quick-witted. It was he who discovered the problem with the cup my second brother gave me. I plotted against him later, but somehow he saw through it and I even lost an east pearl you had given me."

Official Liu slowly said, "Later, you sent someone to look for that east pearl in various pawnshops, what was the result?"

Princess Consort Jing shook her head, "I haven’t seen that east pearl, it must still be in his possession."

Official Liu laughed, "This boy really can keep his cool; such a valuable east pearl and he didn’t exchange it for money. It seems, the person sabotaging the Liu Family must be him. Who would have thought that such a person is just a medical apprentice... Bring people."

Several black-clothed attendants opened the eight red-lacquered doors, and Official Liu said to Princess Consort Jing, "You should go back now."

Princess Consort Jing hesitated for a moment, but eventually got up and left, "Your daughter will take her leave now."

After leaving the Liu Mansion, when she reached the carriage, Chunrong came up to support her, but she lifted her wrist and fiercely slapped Chunrong, "Traitor!"

Chunrong bashfully lowered her head, not daring to utter a sound.

Inside the mourning hall, Official Liu sat on the Taishi chair without getting up and coldly instructed a black-clothed attendant, "Tell Mr. Feng, before the seventh day after my second son’s death, bring back the heads of Chen Ji and Jin Zhu to accompany my son in burial."

"Master, what about the Princely Heir and the Commandery Princess?"

"Bring them back alive."

...

...

At this moment.

Chen Ji walked on the coal-dust road of the small town, around him were the sounds of drunken punch guessing, dallying with courtesans, and dice shaking, with no one noticing him.

But he suddenly discovered that the town didn’t use copper coins or silver for buying and selling, but wooden tokens instead. Without these tokens, even carrying silver was useless.

This made it impossible for outsiders to move around the town.

Chen Ji stood in front of the medical hall, silently observing. He had initially planned to brazenly buy medicine for Bai Li, but now he couldn’t spend his silver.

He could only wait for the medical hall to close and then steal.

Just then, a group of people entered the town from outside, led by a middle-aged man in a blue shirt, followed by dozens of grim-faced black-clothed attendants.

Along the street, soldiers saw this troop and immediately quieted down, respectfully standing with lowered hands, "Mr. Feng."

"Good evening, Mr. Feng."

Chen Ji thought for a moment, then turned and followed this group.

Mr. Feng, not looking sideways, rode to a tavern where a group of soldiers were drinking.

He casually pointed, and immediately a black-clothed attendant leaped down from his horse, dragged a soldier out by his hair from the tavern, while the other soldiers stood up but didn’t dare to speak out.

Sitting on the horse, Mr. Feng casually said, "General Li, with what’s going on, you still feel like drinking?"

General Li hurriedly scrambled up from the ground, "Reporting to Mr. Feng, the search team has already been deployed, we still have no news."

Mr. Feng laughed, "I am not satisfied with that response."

As he finished speaking, the black-clothed attendant drew his sword and thrust it, decapitating General Li.

Mr. Feng pointed at another soldier inside the tavern, "From now on, you are in charge here, and stop drinking for the time being. Lock down the entire Military Town and conduct a house-to-house search. Arrest anyone suspicious on sight."

That soldier hesitated, "Mr. Feng, our Military Town is strictly guarded..."

Mr. Feng laughed again, "We’ve searched outside all day without finding the person, if he’s not outside, then he must be inside. What’s the matter, you’ve changed the man and yet he’s just a babbler, bring another one to talk to me."

The next moment, the black-clothed attendants rushed forward swinging their swords, and another head rolled on the ground, blood splattering the entire tavern red.

A soldier wiped the blood from his face, suddenly smashed his wine bowl on the ground, and knelt on the shards, "Mr. Feng, I am willing to take on this task. Before midnight, I will turn the Military Town upside down. If I don’t find the person, I will come to you with my head."

Mr. Feng looked at him with interest and tossed a stack of white paper portraits onto the man’s face, "Good, I like ambitious people, and the master likes ambitious people too, go and handle it. The person in the portrait, kill on sight."

The soldier received the portrait and unfolded it, revealing a gaunt young man.