Chapter 1252 – The Prelude to War (Thirteen)
The sudden turn of events left Liu Ji and his son dumbfounded, as if their hearts had skipped a beat. They rushed to support the Old Matriarch.
Seeing the two of them so anxious, a hint of comforting relief appeared on the Old Matriarch’s face.
She knew that as the respected figure of the entire clan, no one dared to truly anger her or go against her will, especially not her own son and grandson. As long as she was in the Liu Residence, she was the one who made the final call, the revered Old Matriarch everyone respected.
With this thought, the Old Matriarch felt a wave of ease wash over her, her rising blood pressure and anger beginning to fade.
She tremblingly reached out to grasp her son’s hand, just about to smile and offer some words of advice when, alas, her earlier rage was too overwhelming. A thick, stubborn phlegm surged up to her throat, refusing to go down or come out. Before long, her once rosy, chicken-skin face turned pale, then transformed to a deep shade of purple, the color rapidly darkening. Her narrow, cruel eyes widened in horror, the whites showing too much—
This transformation caused Liu Ji and his son to grow even more terrified.
Liu Heng, with a pale face, remarked, “Father, Grandmother seems to be choked by phlegm.”
Liu Ji hurriedly urged his son to fetch the Young Doctor, one hand supporting the Old Matriarch upright while the other gently patted her back.
The Old Matriarch, struggling to breathe, made heavy, hoarse gasping sounds reminiscent of a distressed beast.
Liu Ji, panicked, felt his eyes redden, his hands and feet trembling as if he had fallen into an ice cellar.
No matter how much his mother had been at fault, the person before him was still his biological mother. Her suffering naturally weighed heavily on his heart.
Liu Heng, disregarding all propriety, hurriedly lifted his hem and rushed to summon the Young Doctor to the main hall.
When he arrived, he found many servants standing outside the hall, their hands clasped and expressions tinged with sorrow.
Liu Heng’s heart sank, his lips trembled, and his legs felt weak as he stepped inside, his toes catching on his robe, stumbling forward.
The Young Doctor, carrying his medical bag, quickly followed him in. Seeing Liu Heng almost stumble, he instinctively reached out to catch him.
“Th-this…” The Young Doctor was specially invited by Liu Ji to care for the Old Matriarch; he was responsible for her medical needs and knew her condition best. “This seems…”
Liu Ji, holding the Old Matriarch, finally came to his senses upon hearing the Young Doctor’s voice.
“Quickly, see to Mother!”
Liu Ji urged the Young Doctor. The doctor took one look at the Old Matriarch’s state and already formed a judgment in his mind, yet he still proceeded to check her pulse.
The skin was much colder than usual, and there was no pulse. The Young Doctor further lifted the Old Matriarch’s eyelids to check her pupils.
“Sir, please bear your grief with patience.” He shook his head in regret. Liu Ji was aging as well; he mustn’t succumb to a shock that could lead to an unfortunate outcome, transforming a single tragedy into two. Thus, the Young Doctor gently advised Liu Ji, “The Old Matriarch was already quite old; her passing can be seen as a natural end. She frequently consumed rich food, had a heavy diet, and did not favor activity, often experiencing headaches and dizziness. Just now, her anger triggered a heart condition, causing a buildup of phlegm and obstructing her breath… You should take care of your health and not let your emotions run wild.”
With years of experience, the Young Doctor realized her condition immediately.
The Old Matriarch had pampered herself too much; her body wasn’t suited for extreme emotions. Otherwise, it could easily lead to a heart attack, rendering medicine ineffective.
Having lived in the Liu Residence for many years, he understood the temperaments of several family members well.
If anyone claimed that Liu Ji had angered the Old Matriarch to death, the Young Doctor wouldn’t believe it. Everyone knew how filial Liu Ji was to his mother.
The Old Matriarch, however, had a reputation for being difficult; was there anyone in the entire residence who didn’t know this old lady wouldn’t allow anyone to slight her?
Even if she threw a fit and acted unreasonable, she expected to be indulged.
If one were to say she died from anger, it seemed more probable that Liu Ji would die of frustration from this old mother.
The Young Doctor took a glance at the Old Matriarch’s pitiful state. Her complexion had turned purple, now tinged with a deadened gray, her bulging eyes bloodshot, a mouthful of green phlegm hanging on the edge, with a puddle of regurgitated food remnants and sour liquid at her feet.
After a while, Liu Ji finally snapped back to reality, tears streaming down his face, biting his lower lip until it turned white, sobs escaping from his throat.
Liu Heng watched on in deep concern; his grandmother was already gone. If something happened to his father as well, the entire family would collapse!
After a good while of crying, Liu Ji was out of breath.
However, expressing grief was certainly better than keeping it bottled up inside.
After a moment, with a voice thick from tears, Liu Ji hoarsely instructed, “Send someone to prepare for mourning and arrange the memorial hall.”
Liu Heng hesitated momentarily, then awkwardly sought clarification from Liu Ji.
“If we prepare for mourning, what will be her cause of death? Was it peaceful in her sleep, or…?”
If it was a peaceful passing, that would be a natural death, commonly acknowledged as dying of old age.
Otherwise, if it was not, then that would imply an unnatural death.
Given the sensitive timing, the cause of the Old Matriarch’s death could stir tremendous waves.
Liu Ji raised his hand to wipe away his hot tears, composing himself as he slowly instructed Liu Heng.
“Mother passed due to old ailments, disturbed by the chaos of the thieves raiding the family, the clan members feeling anxious and overwhelmed, triggering her old condition, resulting in her unfortunate passing.”
Liu Heng’s eyes widened slightly, as though he were seeing his father in a new light.
Liu Ji seemed to understand his son’s thoughts, weakly tugging at his lips, half-crying, “If we don’t say it this way, do you propose we reveal the truth?”
Liu Heng instantly realized his father’s intentions.
As soon as outsiders saw the Old Matriarch’s body, they would know she had not died a natural death. At this sensitive moment, there was no telling how many would seize the opportunity to make a fuss. With Jiang Pengji establishing her own branch, if someone were to mislead the narrative, the “disobedient son, who caused his mother to die from anger” label would fall squarely on Jiang Pengji. Huang Song would surely jump at the chance to make a spectacle of it, using this point to slander Jiang Pengji and ruin her reputation.
If that were to happen, there would be no room for reconciliation between the Liu Clan and her; avoiding resentment would be the best-case scenario.
Although Jiang Pengji had established her own branch, they were still of the same ancestry; blood ties ran deep.
What good would come from aiding Huang Song against Jiang Pengji?
Of course, if the benefits Huang Song offered were greater than what Jiang Pengji could provide, one might consider switching sides.
The hard reality was that aiding Huang Song was far less advantageous than helping Jiang Pengji.
To prevent Huang Song’s people from exploiting the Old Matriarch’s death for their gain, the Liu Residence needed to preemptively solidify the narrative surrounding her passing!
“Understood, I’ll go arrange it now.”
Liu Heng’s mind raced with countless thoughts; he couldn’t afford to delay and immediately dealt with the funeral arrangements.
The Old Matriarch was already well into her old age. According to the Young Doctor’s words, at this age, her passing could be seen as a joyous occasion, and the family had already made preparations for a funeral. Although it happened suddenly, everything in the residence was still orderly, and the cause of the Old Matriarch’s death was already circulating.
Feng Jue and the others had long planted ears in the Liu Residence to prevent any clandestine moves by the Liu Clan members.
