Chapter 103 Chapter 103 “Not crying doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt. …
"Saburo."
"Where's my Saburo?"
The old lady coughed violently, and suddenly a lot of blood gushed out.
Her breathing was extremely weak, her dry and pale lips moved a few times, and her lips were slightly open. Every breath she took seemed to drain all her strength.
The turbid gaze moved slowly, and finally fixed on Sheng Puzhu's face with difficulty.
"Grandmother, Sanlang has gone to the palace to meet the emperor. I've sent someone to invite him. He'll be back soon."
"Don't talk. Nanny Jiang has made some new medicine. Drink it and you'll get better." Sheng Puzhu said, suppressing the pain in her nose and the tightness in her throat.
"good."
Upon hearing this, the old lady's gloomy eyes slowly spread into a smile: "Then I'll take the medicine... wait, wait for Sanlang to come back..."
The handkerchief on his hand was covered in blood and could not be wiped clean. He was fed half a bowl of medicine with difficulty, but he vomited out most of it mixed with reddish-brown blood.
The old lady didn't feel anything at all. She shook her head and let out a very light breath, her voice as ethereal as a thread: "Puzhu, I've already taken the medicine, why are you still crying?"
"Good boy, don't cry."
"Grandma, I didn't cry." Sheng Puzhu smiled reluctantly. She changed the handkerchief in her hand several times, but still couldn't wipe away the blood on the corner of her lips.
The old lady closed her eyes and opened them again. Her distracted gaze fell on Nanny Jiang, who was kneeling in front of the couch. "Where's Juyuan?"
Nanny Jiang shuddered: "The master is kneeling outside the room. He doesn't dare to come in unless you see him."
"Um."
"Huai Qian and Xu Zhang are also... here, right?" the old lady continued to ask.
Nanny Jiang knelt closer and nodded, "They are all here. The Second Master and the Third Master and their spouses have been taking turns guarding you these past few days."
"Shall we ask them to come in?"
"No."
"Why hasn't Sanlang come yet?" The old lady was dying, and the color of her lips gradually changed from pale to a little bloody, and her cheeks were also two abnormal bright red spots.
Nanny Jiang's face changed drastically. She probably guessed that this was a last gasp of life.
"I'm going to invite you."
"My husband will be here soon, you should get better." Nanny Jiang fell to the ground crying, her face pale, like a dead leaf about to wither in the wind.
"I'm afraid it won't get better..."
At this point, the old lady summoned strength from nowhere, tightly grasped Sheng Puzhu's wrist, and struggled to get up: "Puzhu, you must remember this."
"Grandmother... I entrust you with this task. Only Zhiyan is capable of shouldering this heavy responsibility."
"Xie's family... in the future... you must take good care of them."
"Being kind... is a good thing, but don't be soft-hearted."
"After I leave, you will separate the family. I have already told your father and the princess that the first and third wives should move out of the Duke of Jingguo's mansion. Don't... don't get involved..."
"Where's Saburo..."
The old lady was breathing heavily and intermittently, trying her best to speak each word clearly. She coughed continuously, and blood choked out of her throat. She was no longer able to swallow the medicine.
"grandmother."
"Sanlang is here, please look up." Sheng Puzhu shouted, bringing the old lady's scattered thoughts back to normal.
The door was wide open, and although it was midsummer, the air was cold. Every time I took a breath, my lungs felt like they were being scraped by a sharp weapon.
Her breath was as weak as a thread, and she looked towards the door curtain again and again.
until--
The door curtain was suddenly opened, and a tall and straight figure, covered in frost and dust, suddenly rushed in.
It’s Xie Zhiyan.
He hadn't changed his clothes, his hair was slightly disheveled, and his usually cold face was now bloodshot under his eyes.
"grandmother."
"It's my grandson's fault for being unfilial. He's late."
Xie Zhiyan didn't even have time to see the people in the room clearly. He quickly walked to the bed and knelt down heavily.
"Is it Zhiyan?"
"Come closer... It's too dark in this room and there's no candle." The old lady opened her eyes and stretched out her hand.
In the brightly lit inner room, Sheng Puzhu felt a chill running down her spine. She dared not move, allowing the old lady to hold her hand in panic.
"I'm glad you're back."
"Grandmother just wanted to see you one last time. You're the Crown Prince, and the Xie family has been around for a hundred years... Now it's time to divide the family. Don't delay. Wait until I'm gone... Once I'm gone, we can divide it."
"Don't talk, let Master Yundeng take your pulse first." Xie Zhiyan's voice was hoarse.
"No."
"Over sixty is considered a long life."
The old lady laughed, her breathing gradually steadied, and her dilated pupils became clear, as if she had seen through the dust on the tent ceiling and saw the distant desert. "Your grandfather is here to pick me up."
"He didn't come to the wedding."
"He wasn't there when our first child was born."
"Every time he went to war... I saw him off from afar in Chang'an."
"This time, it's different. Now that I'm leaving, he's the one who comes to pick me up."
The old lady murmured, the smile on her lips deepening, as if she were mumbling in a dream: "When the time comes..."
"Change my clothes into something brighter... I want one with twined branches and crabapple blossoms on the cuffs... If I marry him again, I'll definitely want to dress nicely."
"Waiting too long is not good."
The last few words slowly dissipated into the air.
The old lady closed her eyes with a faint smile on her lips, as if she really saw the old friend she missed, who was traveling through the vast yellow sand and long years, and coming as expected to take her home.
Xie Zhiyan was kneeling, there were no tears in his eyes, and he wasn't even choking.
It was just that the heavy silence enveloped him, as if an invisible giant hand was cruelly crushing his heart. The sharp pain was suppressed in his seemingly calm body. His eyes were bloodshot, and only his clenched fists were so tight that his knuckles were white.
Outside the door.
The third wife, Mrs. Dou, was the first to burst into tears, followed by Mrs. Qin, the eldest wife, and the maids who were kneeling on the ground.
The sound of weeping became louder and louder.
Sheng Puzhu bit her lips tightly and forced herself to calm down. Now was not the time to cry.
"Mammy, ask the kitchen to prepare some hot water."
"Find the clothes that grandma instructed me to wear before she died. The funeral hall needs to be decorated quickly."
"Also, the funeral invitations to each government office must be sent out immediately."
She gave the instructions in an orderly manner, wiping the tears from her eyes again and again, but soon, Sheng Puju calmed down completely, and swept her emotionless eyes over the people in the first and third houses.
She didn't know how real Qin's sorrow was, and as for the third wife, Dou, she didn't know whether she was mourning her uncertain future.
Xie Zhiyan held the old lady's hand, which was still warm, his eyes red.
After a long pause, he spoke in a deep voice, his voice hoarse but filled with unquestionable determination: "Grandmother left a will before her death, requiring each branch of the family to separate. I'm sure everyone has heard it."
"After the funeral is over, please ask your eldest uncle and third uncle to move out as soon as possible."
Xie Juyuan's expression suddenly changed, but when he met Xie Zhiyan's icy cold eyes, no one dared to refute him.
The old lady of the Duke of Jingguo was personally bestowed with the title by the late emperor when he was still alive, and her funeral was lavishly honored.
Everything in the Duke's Mansion was painted plain white, and the gorgeous decorations on the doors and windows were removed one by one, creating a solemn atmosphere.
Looking at the deafening cries in the Duke's Mansion, Sheng Puzhu felt a deep sadness welling up from the bottom of his heart for some reason, which was difficult to suppress.
What she felt sorry for were the wise and kind elders like the old lady, who would rather risk their lifespan for the hundred years of the Xie family. She hated her eldest son's ambition, but couldn't bear to see the brothers turn against each other. In the end, they were unable to achieve complete happiness.
In the solemn mourning hall, white banners hang low.
There was an endless stream of guests coming to pay their respects, all dressed in plain clothes with sad faces.
Sheng Puzhu was kneeling on a mat with the other women on the side. When she heard strange footsteps, she subconsciously looked up. Just one glance and she was frightened.
Princess An arrived, accompanied by an old man who was leaning on a cane and looked very frail.
His hair was gray, his face was haggard, and he walked very slowly, needing the support of a man dressed as a eunuch beside him.
"Your Majesty, please be careful."
Prince?
Sheng Puzhu never imagined that this man who was old enough to be Princess An's father was actually the Prince An who was rumored to be so sick that he was only breathing his last.
Prince An is obviously younger than the sage, so how come he looks so old?
Xiao Xuan'an, the prince of Prince An, is handsome, tall, and full of vigor. Standing side by side like this, they look more like grandfather and grandson than father and son.
What aroused her curiosity more than Prince An was the attitude of Princess An.
She seemed to be following Prince An respectfully, but her expression of aloofness and disdain was unconcealed.
Prince An handed her the incense stick, but Princess An didn't take it directly. Instead, she glanced at the maid beside her until the maid handed her a white handkerchief. Only then did Princess An use the handkerchief to cushion her hand and take the incense stick through the cloth, as if she was afraid of getting it contaminated by something unclean.
After the worship, she casually threw the handkerchief aside without even looking at it again.
On the other hand, Prince An didn't care at all about the princess's attitude. His cloudy eyes occasionally fell on the princess, and he even had a calmness that was almost indulgent.
Prince An and his wife left, and Prince An's son Xiao Xuan stayed with Xie Qingshu.
Xie Qingshu's belly was already noticeable, and Qin was reluctant to let her kneel. She opened her mouth several times, but Sheng Puju ignored her expressionlessly.
As a husband, Xiao Xuan was not considerate at all. He didn't care whether his wife could hold on or not. Instead, he relied on his status, put his hands behind his back, and strolled around.
"Does he treat you like this at home?" Qin asked in a low voice, holding Xie Qingshu's hand.
Xie Qingshu forced a smile and said in a low voice, "I can't talk to him. He's often not at home and I can't find him."
"Since I got pregnant, my mother-in-law has been very kind to me."
"The mother-in-law got very angry and sent all the unclean concubines away."
Qin felt distressed, but when she thought of what her husband had said, her heart burned with passion: "You must remain patient. As long as you can give birth to a healthy eldest son, there will be even greater prosperity in the future."
Xie Qingshu lowered her eyes and nodded. In just less than a year, the innocence and arrogance in her eyes seemed to have disappeared overnight.
After the first seven days, each family will separate.
The eldest and third branches did not move far away, but bought the vacant courtyard next to the Duke Jingguo's Mansion. The three families were only separated by two walls.
So the division of the property was done very quickly. The account books were counted, and all the household items that needed to be moved out, including the maids and servants who went with them, were checked.
Qin cried for a few days and soon recovered. However, the third wife Dou cried until her eyes were red and swollen, and she was very sad. Not only was she useless, but she also often held things back. Xie Lingyi, on the other hand, had grown a lot. She took her sister Xie Lingxi and younger brother Xie Huizhi to give orders calmly and clearly.
Dou cried as if she was going to die. When she thought about losing this illustrious family name after the family split up, she was afraid that her daughter would not be able to find a good marriage in the future. In addition, her son was not good at studying and had no hope of passing the imperial examination. In the past, she had relied on the title of grandson of the Duke's Mansion to maintain some dignity, but what could she rely on in the future?
What made her even more despair was that her husband needed to observe mourning, so she followed her brother and the whole family back to Boling to observe the mourning period.
The prosperity of Chang'an and the connections of various prefectures will probably be gone in three years.
Among all his descendants, only Xie Zhiyan received the special decree of the emperor to allow him to stay in the army and not have to observe mourning.
At this point, the huge Jingguo Mansion was left with only Princess Shoukang to guard it. Sheng Puzhu, as Xie Zhiyan's wife, stayed in Chang'an with the emperor's special permission.
*
Half a month later, the fate of each family was settled.
The days of vigil and weeping, the separation of the family, and the previous journey to the border completely exhausted Sheng Puzhu's energy.
The sorrow of the funeral died down completely, and Sheng Puzhu's strong breath also disappeared. She fell ill that night, and her condition became as bad as a mountain collapsing and a sudden downpour.
This cold wind is both sudden and severe.
Sheng Puzhu's whole body was burning hot, his lips were pale, and he occasionally muttered incoherently, but his words were all fragmented.
The medicine was brought to his lips, but he didn't even have the strength to swallow it. The silver spoon pried open his teeth, and the thick black medicine flowed down the corners of his lips, making it impossible to swallow it.
"I will go to the palace now to invite Master Yundeng." Princess Shoukang stood up, not caring about the curfew.
In the inner room, the lights were dim.
Sheng Puzhu was sunken into the brocade quilt with her eyes closed, her breathing so light that it was inaudible, her cheeks pale and almost transparent, like a fragile bone china doll.
"Pearls, jade..."
"What jade?" Xie Zhiyan put down the medicine bowl, knelt on the bed, and picked up the person.
Sheng Puzhu was so feverish that his mind was blurred. He could only hear a buzzing sound in his ears and could not hear anything clearly.
My throat felt bitter, as something was being forced in little by little, and I couldn't swallow it. I tried to push it out with the tip of my tongue, but it was resisted by something wetter and stronger. My lips were pressed against hers, and I couldn't refuse. I could only swallow the medicine instinctively, and my long eyelashes trembled slightly, like butterfly wings.
"My dear."
"My lady, I'm afraid you're looking for this." Nanny Du stood behind the screen, not daring to come forward, holding two things carefully in her hands.
Xie Zhiyan raised his hand: "Give it to me."
"yes."
One was the white jade abacus he was familiar with, and the other was a string of pearls. He felt vaguely familiar with it, but he didn't know where he had seen it before.
Madam Du explained in a low voice, "The white jade abacus is what Madam is used to playing with. When she's in a bad mood, she always likes to hold it."
"This pearl necklace, as far as I can remember, was given to my wife by a noble man the year she was born."
"When the eldest lady gave birth to my wife, the fetus was in an abnormal position, with her feet pointing downwards, which was very dangerous. Later, she was lucky enough to meet Madam Sun, who could turn the fetal position around, and that turned the danger into safety."
"So every time my wife is seriously ill, the eldest lady will tie pearls around her wrist."
"Grandma." Sheng Puzhu breathed rapidly, as if she was suffocating from a nightmare.
She held the white jade abacus in her hand and the pearl necklace around her wrist. She didn't forget to count the beads even when she was sick, which showed how much she loved him.
Xie Zhiyan reluctantly sipped half a bowl of medicine, then picked up a towel soaked in warm water and carefully wiped the cold sweat from her neck.
Sheng Puzhu subconsciously tilted his head, his lips moved slightly, and his words became unclear.
Xie Zhiyan immediately leaned over and listened closely.
"itch."
"Don't kiss."
Xie Zhiyan gently kissed her hot forehead: "Well, no kiss."
Sheng Puzhu was so sick that he was confused. He seemed not to hear clearly, or perhaps he did not believe it. He was just feeling very uncomfortable. Two whimpers like a baby animal escaped his lips.
“It’s bitter.”
"I want caramel."
Xie Zhiyan didn't give it to her, but instead fed her some warm water mixed with honey.
The honey water was sweet, although not as sweet as malt sugar, but it also made her wake up from her drowsiness.
With half-open eyes, light and shadows flickered in the blurry vision: "Sanlang."
"Yes, I'm here." Xie Zhiyan's eyes darkened and he tossed the person into his arms.
"Where is my pearl?" Sheng Puzhu asked in a daze.
"Where is Pearl?"
Xie Zhiyan felt as if his heart was being tugged at tightly, and he softened his voice to coax her: "The pearl is on your wrist, Puzhu, open your eyes and take a look."
Unable to open his eyes, as if a heavy lead block was pressing on them, Sheng Puzhu frowned, struggling between nightmares and reality. His half-closed almond-shaped eyes were watery, and his eyelids were burning red, revealing a rare fragility.
"I dreamed about my grandmother."
"She said...said...My dear, don't be sad."
"Not crying doesn't mean I'm not heartbroken."
"Grandmother said she saw my husband's heart bleeding."
Xie Zhiyan stood still as a mountain, but his straight back suddenly trembled, his thin lips were pressed into a pale, sharp line, his jaw was tense, and he did not move for a long time.
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