Chapter 148 She looked as if she were asleep, but she wasn't breathing; there wasn't a breath of air on her chest...
She looked as if she were asleep, but she wasn't breathing, and her chest didn't rise or fall at all, like a cold stone sculpture.
"What's wrong? Is anyone inside?" Lu's mother and father walked behind and couldn't help but ask when they saw their son and son-in-law standing there.
No one answered her.
Liu Xiangze took a difficult step to the bedside. He stretched out a trembling finger and checked under Lü Ruhui's nose, but there was no breath at all.
He was still not giving up, so he reached down to check her pulse on the side of her neck. When his fingers touched her neck, he only felt its coldness and hardness.
Her body was hard, as hard as stone.
At this moment, Mr. and Mrs. Lü also saw Lü Ruhui lying on the bed. Mrs. Lü asked in a trembling voice, "What's wrong with Ruhui? Is she sick?"
"Say something, you lot!" Mother Lü's voice was already choked with sobs.
Liu Xiangze slowly knelt by the bed and gently lifted the blanket covering Lü Ruhui, whose hands were folded and placed on her abdomen.
He held her hand; it was very, very cold.
Just last night, he asked her why her hands were so cold, since even in winter, her hands should be warm. She said it was different this year.
Why are they different?
Because... the hands of a dead person are cold.
At that moment, Liu Xiangze did not feel fear, but only a sudden emptiness in his heart.
He stared blankly at Lü Ruhui, who seemed to be merely asleep. It turned out that she was already gone back then.
Tears streamed silently down her face. Liu Xiangze held her hand, buried his head in his arms, and sobbed in anguish.
At this moment, Lu's mother rushed over and gently pushed Lu Ruhui, calling out again and again, "Ruhui, Ruhui, don't scare your mother, wake up."
Of course, she could no longer open her eyes.
At this moment, Mr. Lü also staggered forward, staring blankly at his daughter who seemed to be asleep.
"How could this happen?" Mother Lü asked, weeping.
Yes, how could this be?
"Xiangze, do you think Ruhui is still alive? If she were dead, she shouldn't look like this." Mother Lü grabbed Liu Xiangze's sleeve.
It took a while for Liu Xiangze to finally hear what his mother had said.
He couldn't deceive himself that Lü Ruhui was still alive, but he also wanted to know why she had become like this.
The owner of the incense shop said that Ru Hui was seriously ill, and the doctors who had treated her would know the reason.
Soon, the doctor who had previously treated Lü Ruhui was invited over.
The doctor was quite old, with white hair and beard. After entering the room and seeing the lifeless Lü Ruhui, he sighed softly.
He remembered this patient; they had met several times a few months ago, but when they met again, the patient had indeed passed away.
Even though he had seen so much life and death, the old doctor still felt sorry for every patient who passed away.
"Doctor, what's wrong with my daughter?" Mother Lü looked at the old doctor pleadingly, hoping to get a sliver of hope from him.
The old doctor frowned slightly upon hearing her words. His gaze swept over the people present, and he asked, "Are you all relatives of Madam Lü?"
"Yes, doctor, please speak freely."
The old doctor nodded, but his expression turned somewhat cold. He said, "About two months ago, Madam Lü came to see me for treatment, and I saw that she had osteomyelitis."
Upon hearing about the illness, the group turned pale.
The old doctor continued, "At that time, Madam Lü was already terminally ill, and I was unable to cure her. She did not come here seeking a cure, but rather to find a secret remedy for pain relief."
By then, ordinary painkillers were no longer effective for Madam Lü. Seeing her in such agony, I told her about a secret family remedy. Judging from the state of Madam Lü's corpse now, it was caused by that painkiller.
"Impossible, my sister has always been in good health!" Brother Lu suddenly said.
The old doctor glanced at him briefly before looking away. He said calmly, "Madam Lü must have seen other doctors before. If you don't believe me, you can find someone else, or you can find a coroner. Even if it's reported to the authorities, I'm willing to cooperate."
"Don't try to sweet-talk us. You knew my sister was sick, and you didn't have the ability to cure her, so why did you give her some secret formula? You're the one who killed her!"
After being reprimanded by Lu Erge, the old doctor's face turned completely cold. He looked at the silent people in the room and said, "Before you criticize me, young master, you might as well answer a question for me. Madam Lu has been ill for several months. Even the patients who often come to my clinic can see that she looks unwell and that she must be feeling unwell. As her brother, why didn't you notice it for several months?"
Senior doctors rarely lose their temper with patients' families unless they can't help it.
This family today really made him want to speak out.
Several months have passed, and not a single member of this family knows that Madam Lü is ill and dying.
It seems that Madam Lü had been dead for a long time, and their body was only discovered today!
"You don't need to investigate. I can tell you directly that Madam Lü ingested molten stone, which is used to relieve pain, but her body will petrify after death. You can appeal to the Mingjing Division and let the officials there judge."
After the old doctor finished speaking, the room fell silent.
His words not only made Lu Erge feel ashamed, but everyone else also felt as if they had been slapped in the face.
After a brief silence, Lu's mother's legs went weak, and she collapsed to the ground, exclaiming, "How could this happen..."
Seeing this, Lu Erge rushed forward to help her up, but Lu's mother held his arm tightly, crying and mumbling, "Ruhui is gone, your sister is gone. She's been sick for so long, how come I didn't notice?"
As she cried, Mother Lü's eyes rolled back and she fell straight down, but fortunately, her second brother Lü protected her head.
Seeing this, the old doctor quickly stepped forward to administer acupuncture to her. After a while, he got up and said to Brother Lü, "Your mother is just overwhelmed with grief. Put her on the couch to the side, and she will be fine after a while."
He then said to Mr. Lü, "If there is nothing else, I must go back to my clinic. If you have reported this to the authorities, you can have the officers come to my clinic to find me."
After saying that, he turned and left.
Some people are truly difficult to evaluate.
The old lady was genuinely heartbroken, but the family's neglect of Madam Lü was also real.
After the old doctor had walked away, Mr. Lü, who had been silent all along, finally spoke: "Second son, call someone over to take care of your sister's funeral arrangements."
Lu Erge nodded. He first carried Lu's mother to the couch on the side, and then hurriedly left the courtyard.
At this moment, only Liu Xiangze and Lü's father remained in the room, silently facing each other. Facing this son-in-law whom he had once admired so much, Lü's father could not utter a single word.
He wanted to blame Liu Xiangze for not taking good care of his daughter, but the old doctor's words still echoed in his ears: what had he done as a father?
When his daughter fell ill, he divorced her and returned home. He only cared about losing a good son-in-law and causing the Lü family to lose support in officialdom. He never cared about his daughter's health.
The Lü family acted quickly. When Lü Erge returned with his men, they found his brother-in-law kneeling in front of his sister's bed, while his father stood by the table, holding a letter in his hand.
The letter was filled with writing, and Lü's father read it over and over again.
That was his daughter's suicide note before she died. It described the conflicts between her and her sister, Lü Ruxin, how Lü Ruxin provoked her, and the truth about how she was framed by Liu Yu'an.
She said: In her final days, my daughter was too tired to argue about a useless truth anymore, so she simply chose to divorce.
She added: I don't know if my parents will believe what I'm saying. After all, you've always only believed my sister. If you don't believe me, then so be it. Just consider it me talking nonsense.
Mr. Lü's hand trembled violently as he held the letter. He had personally taught Ru Hui to write; her small, elegant calligraphy was exceptionally beautiful.
Tears blurred his vision, making it almost impossible for him to see the words on the page.
Mr. Lü recalled that when she returned home before the Lunar New Year to deliver New Year's gifts, she wasn't even allowed to sit down at home before he criticized her.
She said that Lü Ruxin and Liu Xiangze had an improper relationship, and he accused her of defaming his own sister's reputation.
He never calmly asked her why she wanted a divorce, nor did he believe a single word his eldest daughter said.
On the twelfth, she came to see them, but he did not see her.
Last night, the whole family was reunited. She came, but didn't even enter the door, and said she would never do it again.
It turns out she was saying that she wouldn't come again.
Father Lü looked at the date on the letter: the third day of the first lunar month.
His daughter died sometime during a time he was unaware of. He had refused to let her into the house while she was alive, and she never stepped foot inside the Lü family's gate again after her death.
When she was stopped at the door, was she disappointed in this family and in him as her father?
"Dad, what's wrong?" Lu Erge had never seen his father cry in his life, and he was stunned for a moment.
Liu Xiangze remained kneeling before the bed, staring blankly at Lü Ruhui lying on it, without turning around.
He had just read the suicide note; before she wrote it, she was still concerned about being framed by Liu Yu'an.
She never let go.
Perhaps, until the day she dies, no one will be able to clear her name.
Why did she come looking for me after she died?
Given her temperament, it must be because she was resentful.
What did he do next?
He apologized to her, told her the truth, and then said he had decided to give Liu Yu'an a chance.
An opportunity...
He was always so tolerant of others, but he was never tolerant of her.
She said at the time that she accepted his apology and forgave him.
Liu Xiangze gave a bitter smile. She had never forgiven him in life, so would she really forgive him in death?
Just like she told him yesterday, if he came to see her today, she would give him an answer.
But in this lifetime, he will never get that answer from her.
He will never know which of the things she said to him were true and which were false.
When she said she forgave him, was she still resenting him?
I hate that he is blind and heartless, I hate that he is cold-hearted and ungrateful.
He should have noticed her illness immediately and stayed by her bedside until her last breath.
Instead of letting her die alone here, arguing with her and speaking coldly to her before she dies.
He himself cannot forgive himself, so how can he expect Ru Hui to forgive him?
Lu Ruhui's death did not alarm anyone. Her body was taken back to the Lu family, who set up a mourning hall for her. No relatives or friends were notified to come and pay their respects. Only members of the Lu family were present at the mourning hall.
It is unheard of for parents to keep vigil for their children, as this is against custom. However, this time, Mr. Lü, who always adhered to the rules, kept vigil in front of Lü Ruhui's mourning hall.
On the last day of the vigil, Mr. Lü's health was failing. He was helped up by his son and walked out of the mourning hall, where he saw his youngest daughter kneeling there.
He stopped and turned to look at his youngest daughter, then suddenly said, "You resent Ru Hui for stealing your marriage, and you also resent your father for making you break off the engagement, right?"
Lu Ruxin slowly raised her head. Ever since Lu Ruhui's body was brought home, she had sensed the indifference of her parents and brothers. She guessed that Lu Ruhui must have said something to her father before she died.
Now that things had come to this, Lü Ruxin knew she was no match for a dead person, so she no longer hid her thoughts. She stood up, rubbing her aching knees, and said to her father, "Shouldn't my daughter be resentful? If it weren't for her, I should have been the one to marry Brother Liu. Brother Liu clearly liked me back then, and if I had married him, we would have been a perfect couple, the envy of everyone. Instead, I listened to you and married a short-lived husband, and now I can't even keep my own child."
"So you deliberately tried to sow discord between your sister and brother-in-law, and made us misunderstand her!"
"She was stupid enough to believe it." Lü Ruxin sneered. "Now that her sister is dead, does Father want to pin all the blame on his daughter? Weren't Father and Mother the ones who scolded her? It wasn't me who kicked her out of the house and wouldn't let her in again."
Finally, Mr. Lü could no longer contain himself and pointed at the door, shouting angrily, "Get out of here!"
Lü Ruxin took a step and walked outside.
Behind him, Lu's father's voice rang out: "I'll pretend I never had a daughter like you. Don't ever appear in front of your mother and me again."
Lü Ruxin turned around in disbelief: "Father, my sister died of illness, it wasn't me who killed her. It's not my fault that she's not doing well, so why are you treating me like this?"
Mr. Lü ignored her and simply ordered his servants to throw her and her belongings out of the Lü family home.
Mother Lü watched this scene silently without stepping forward to stop it.
During her lifetime, no one stood by Lü Ruhui's side. After her death, her parents finally stood up for her, but it was too late.
After driving his youngest daughter away, Mr. Lü did not feel any relief whatsoever.
Lu Ruxin was right about one thing: Ru Hui wasn't killed by her; all of them were the culprits.
Lu Ruhui's body was taken back to the Lu family, but the Lu family refused Liu Xiangze's offer to pay his respects.
Liu Xiangze took three days of sick leave and stayed in his room for three whole days.
Three days later, the steward of the Liu family was shocked when he saw Liu Xiangze.
"Master, your hair..." The butler pointed at Liu Xiangze's hair in shock. His once jet-black hair had turned mostly white.
Liu Xiangze ignored the steward, put on his official robes, and went to court as usual.
In the imperial court, the emperor waited for his officials to report as usual. When his gaze swept over Liu Xiangze, he felt something was wrong. After looking at him more closely, he realized that the emaciated man with gray hair was actually his Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies.
The other court officials had also noticed Liu Xiangze, but due to the court assembly, none of them dared to speak up.
"Has something happened to Minister Liu?" the emperor asked directly.
Liu Xiangze paused for a moment before stepping forward and saying, "Your subject... Your subject's wife has passed away."
Seeing his appearance, the emperor felt a pang of sympathy, thinking that Liu Xiangze must have had a very deep affection for his wife, otherwise he wouldn't have been so heartbroken that his hair had turned white.
"Alright, Minister Liu, you should go back and rest for a few days."
"Thank you for your consideration, Your Majesty." Liu Xiangze knelt and kowtowed, like a walking corpse.
After the court session, the emperor went to his study, still thinking about Liu Xiangze, and asked the eunuchs around him to inquire about it.
Not long after, the chief eunuch hurriedly returned and informed the emperor of the information he had gathered.
"Your Majesty, I have heard that Lord Liu divorced his wife a few months ago."
Upon hearing this, the emperor frowned: "Is Liu Xiangze lying to me?"
The head eunuch hurriedly said, "No, that's not it. It's not Lord Liu's fault. It was Lord Liu's adopted son who framed Madam Liu. Lord Liu believed his adopted son's words and argued with Madam Liu endlessly. Then, in a fit of anger, Madam Liu divorced him."
"And how did Madam Liu die?"
The head eunuch sighed: "She died of illness. In fact, Madam Liu had been diagnosed with a terminal illness long ago, but she never told anyone about it."
"That is indeed regrettable. Liu Xiangze shouldn't have reacted so strongly."
"What happened next was a bit strange," the head eunuch said in a low voice. "I heard that after Lady Liu died, she turned into a ghost and went to find Lord Liu. Lord Liu later found out that his wife had been wronged and begged Lady Liu to reconcile with him. Lady Liu told him to go to her the next day, but what he found was a corpse."
The emperor glanced sideways at the chief eunuch: "Are you joking with me?"
The head eunuch hurriedly said, "How dare this servant joke with Your Majesty? If Your Majesty does not believe me, you can send someone to investigate. Madam Liu's body is still in the Lü residence. The body has been petrified and has not decomposed to this day. Everyone in the Lü residence knows that Madam Liu has become a ghost. It is said that Madam Liu was still outside her home on the Lantern Festival to bid farewell to her family."
After listening to the chief eunuch for a long time, the emperor finally understood the matter.
He pondered for a moment, then ordered, "Summon Bai Xiu to the palace."
"yes."
About fifteen minutes after the emperor's order was issued, Bai Xiuming appeared in the imperial study.
"Your Majesty," Bai Xiuming bowed respectfully.
The emperor waved his hand, indicating that he did not need to be so polite, and then said, "Go and investigate Liu Xiangze's wife. I heard that her body did not decompose after her death. Go and see if there is anything unusual about it and whether it has any effect on people."
"Your subject obeys the decree."
Seeing Bai Xiuming's serious expression, the emperor added a reminder: "Be careful when you go."
Bai Xiuming twitched the corner of his lips: "...Your subject understands."
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