"That must be the case, so you don't care about your son, right?"
"We only have two sons. If both of them die, then the royal family will be extinct!"
Mrs. Hua became more and more excited as she spoke, and her expression showed a hint of madness and stubbornness.
Master Hua's face was filled with anger, his face was ashen, and he said sternly: "Madam, stop messing around, I don't have a concubine!!"
He looked directly into Madam Hua's eyes with a calm look.
He indeed had no mistress.
Even if he really had a son from another family, how could such a son's dirty blood inherit the Hua family's business! He only had two sons, and if he wanted to make the family prosperous, he had to sacrifice one. The eldest son, Hua Xi, was sick and weak. In the past 18 years, he had been lying on the bed most of the time. The doctors said that he might not live long.
But his second son, Hua Zhao, was the one he placed all his hopes on. He was the hope of the Hua family.
If their branch had no heirs, even if they adopted a son from another branch, he would not be his own flesh and blood.
But……
Mr. Hua's eyes were extremely complicated, showing heartache, hesitation, sadness, and determination. His right hand was still tightly holding Mrs. Hua's arm, like an iron clamp, and he refused to let go at all.
After being married for twenty years, Mrs. Hua could naturally see the hesitation in her husband's eyes.
She had just said that Master Hua had a concubine, but it was just an impulse and she blurted it out. After calming down a little, she figured it out: her master would not have a concubine. Even the illegitimate sons of his cousins in the Hua family were looked down upon by Master Hua, as he disliked the maternal bloodline as too lowly.
In the eyes of the Hua family, the direct line is the orthodox one.
Master Hua might have a mistress, but he would never allow the existence of a mistress's child to bring disgrace to the Hua family.
"Master!" Madam Hua looked at Master Hua with red eyes filled with sorrow.
She really didn't understand what the master was hesitating about and why he was unwilling to save their son.
What secret could be more important than their son?!
Thinking of this, her heart suddenly sank a little, and she had a very bad premonition...
The surroundings suddenly became dark, the thick clouds above covered the sun, and even the air became heavy, making Mrs. Hua feel breathless.
"Madam, this second Miss Gu is cunning. One moment she says she can save Zhao'er, and the next moment she says the talisman will only be effective for one day. She is clearly playing tricks on us. We can't trust her!" Master Hua turned his icy gaze to Gu Yanfei not far away, his eyes sinister.
He forcefully pulled Madam Hua towards the carriage again, "Let's take Zhao'er to Wuliang Temple. I heard that the temple master Xuancheng Zhenren is currently in the temple. Xuancheng Zhenren has profound Taoist skills, so it will definitely be more reliable to find him."
"Madam, just listen to my advice!"
"No, I won't leave!" Madam Hua gritted her teeth and refused to leave. She looked at Master Hua stubbornly, and Gu Yanfei's words kept echoing in her ears: "Madam Hua, your two sons are sick. I can save them."
Recently, she has been unable to sleep because of her eldest son's illness. Second Miss Gu is the only one who gives her hope. Only Second Miss Gu clearly told her that the eldest son can be saved! For Mrs. Hua, Gu Yanfei is the last straw.
She wanted to save her sons. She couldn't watch her eldest and second sons die at such a young age. Second Miss Gu would definitely be able to save them...
But my master didn't want to.
Why? If it's not because of the concubine, what else could be the reason? !
Sin...
She looked straight at Master Hua, her eyes flickering.
A month ago, the eldest son suddenly fell seriously ill. Every doctor they invited said that the eldest son had no hope of being saved and asked them to prepare for his funeral as soon as possible.
One day, Master Hua told her that he wanted to arrange a ghost marriage for his eldest son.
He said that it was so that his eldest son would have someone to take care of him in the underworld and to inherit his family line.
He said that he had chosen the third daughter of the Lu family because her horoscope was compatible with that of the eldest son. Once the two of them had a ghost marriage, the eldest son would be able to borrow some of his wife's fortune, and he would be healthy and live in peace in the next life.
She felt that everything the master said was for the sake of his eldest son, so she agreed without thinking.
The scene at that time flashed rapidly in Mrs. Hua's mind. She stared blankly and stood there.
etc!
After she agreed to arrange a ghost marriage for her eldest son, did the master smile? Did he smile?! Mrs. Hua's mind once again recalled the smile of the master at that time. His smile seemed to be relieved, expected, fierce, and ambitious... That smile was too weird.
"Master!" Madam Hua's eyes widened, red and swollen. She grabbed Master Hua's arm tightly and asked sternly, "Do you have anything to do with Xi'er and Zhao'er's illness?"
"Speak!"
Her voice was sharp and a little hoarse.
"Have you had enough of making trouble?" Mr. Hua was angry, his face turned red, and he shook off his wife's hand heavily.
Mr. Hua no longer paid attention to his wife and got on the carriage first.
"Walk!"
He uttered the word in a sharp voice, and then the coachman waved his whip and drove the carriage away without any reluctance.
Mr. Hua's reaction actually confirmed Mrs. Hua's guess.
Mrs. Hua felt cold all over, and her heart seemed to have several holes. The cold wind blew through those holes, making her feel cold and painful, and the pain went straight to her bone marrow.
Mrs. Hua looked at Gu Yanfei not far away in confusion and moved her mouth.
She wanted to ask something, but no sound came out. Her throat felt as if it was being strangled and was burning with pain.
Gu Yanfei seemed to see Madam Hua's intentions, and said calmly: "The sin on this soul comes from the family, from generation to generation. As long as the offerings continue, it will never stop."
"The surname is the original sin, and it will be repaid by the descendants."
"Your eldest son is sick because of this."
Every word she said struck Mrs. Hua's heart as gently as snowflakes falling on an ice river.
"..." Madam Hua was even more confused. She felt that she understood every word of Gu Yanfei, but why did she not understand when they were put together?
Gu Yanfei took another sip of hot tea leisurely before asking, "Have you ever seen the Hua family tree?"
Of course she had seen it! Mrs. Hua nodded hurriedly.
Gu Yanfei continued, "Do you remember the birthdays and death ceremonies of those clan members in the family tree?"
She spoke very slowly and meaningfully.
Madam Hua couldn't help but touch the string of beads on her wrist, stroking her fingers over the agarwood beads. Her memories were brought back bit by bit by Gu Yanfei's few words.
As a member of the royal family, she had read the family tree more than once, but not in such detail. In the past, she only glanced at it hastily when updating the family tree.
Not long ago, because she wanted to choose an adoptive son for her eldest son, she read it again carefully.
She tried hard to recall the contents of the family tree, and her brows furrowed little by little.
It seems that in this branch of the royal family, there are male descendants who die young in every generation.
It is not surprising that children die young, as children are difficult to raise. Even in the royal family, children often die young. However, the male descendants recorded in the Hua family genealogy were often between the ages of fifteen or sixteen and twenty, and all of them died of illness.
The clan would find a marriage for the young man who died young, form a ghost relationship, and then adopt an heir from a side branch...
When she first looked at the family tree, Madam Hua did not think much about it, as it was not uncommon to have a Yin-related relationship. But now, her mood was different, and the more she thought about it, the more frightened she became.
The color gradually faded from her face, turning as pale as paper, and her body began to tremble. She almost didn't dare to think any further.
"Do you understand?" Gu Yanfei suddenly stood up from the armchair, smoothed her dress casually, and then slowly walked towards Madam Hua.
The sky became even darker, and the thick clouds seemed to be about to fall at any time.
Under the dense shadows of the trees above, Gu Yanfei's face seemed even more blurred, but her eyes were very clear, bright and captivating.
She said softly as if singing: "It was no one else who harmed your son."
"There is no one else who can save your son."
"Only you."
Her voice is so soft and clear, with an indescribable charm that makes people involuntarily fall into it.
"Only you." She stared closely into Mrs. Hua's eyes.
These three words seemed to be engraved in the other person's eyes along with her words.
"..." Madam Hua nodded blankly and knelt down again, "Second Miss Gu, please teach me how to save my son!"
She kowtowed heavily to Gu Yanfei, then raised her head and looked at her almost devoutly.
Gu Yanfei took out a compass from his sleeve, turned the needle casually, counted with his fingers, and said, "Wuliang Temple. Take the Hua family tree to Wuliang Temple."
Having said that, she turned around and walked towards the gate. The maids in the Gu residence quickly moved away the chairs and coffee table.
Madam Hua did not try to stop Gu Yanfei, nor did she move. She just stared at her as she stepped over the high threshold, as if she had lost half of her soul.
"squeak--"
The vermilion lacquered doors on both sides were slowly closing.
When the door was halfway closed, Gu Yanfei on the other side of the threshold stopped and said lightly, "By the way, there is not much time left for your son."
"Now, their lives are linked together. If he dies, he dies too."
"He lives, and he lives."
"There are still twelve hours left."
The sound of the door closing with a bang echoed in Mrs. Hua's ears like thunder.
Outside the gate, only Mrs. Hua was left standing there alone. She stood there blankly for a long time without moving. Only Gu Yanfei's words just now kept echoing in her mind.
Is she the only one who can save her son? ! Yes, only her!
Only she, as a mother, can save her two children!
At this moment, this idea has been engraved in her heart, like a brand deeply engraved.
Madam Hua also turned around and got on another carriage, and resolutely told the housekeeper, "Let's go back to Anci County!"
The housekeeper didn't expect that the lady would not go to Wancaotang and would return home first, but she didn't dare to say anything.
Their carriage immediately set off and began the journey back to Anci County. Along the way, under the repeated urging of Mrs. Hua, they rode at full speed without stopping.
The servants in the Hua Mansion were very surprised to see that only the lady came back alone, but not the Master Hua and the Second Young Master.
An old maid heard the news and came hurriedly to the ceremonial gate to greet them.
Madam Hua asked anxiously, "Madam Zhao, how is the young master?"
Madam Zhao replied respectfully, "The eldest young master just woke up and drank a bowl of porridge. He was also supported by a servant to walk around the room. I saw that he looked much better."
Madam Zhao also felt strange. Doctor Wang had clearly said yesterday that the young master would not survive the day, but now the young master looked better. Could it be... a last gasp? "Really?" Madam Hua asked again.
Nanny Zhao responded repeatedly.
She thought that the first thing the lady would do when she came back was to go see the eldest young master, but unexpectedly, Mrs. Hua walked quickly in another direction.
Nanny Zhao chased after him in astonishment.
Mrs. Hua walked faster and faster, her chest heaving violently, and she felt an unbearable pain from her eyes to her heart.
Everything that Second Miss Gu said was true, and everything came true.
Miss Gu Er said that her two sons’ lifespans were now connected and they only had twelve hours left, which was also true.
No, it’s less than twelve hours.
Boom boom! Thinking of this, Mrs. Hua's heartbeat suddenly accelerated and her chest tightened.
The time limit was like a guillotine hanging high above Mrs. Hua's neck. Every time a quarter of an hour passed, the guillotine seemed to be pressed down an inch...
Mrs. Hua did not dare to stay for a moment and trotted to the Hua family ancestral hall to get the family tree.
The old woman guarding the ancestral hall naturally did not dare to stop Madam Hua. Madam Hua came to the back hall of the ancestral hall unimpeded, took out the family tree enshrined in front of the ancestral tablets, and began to flip through it quickly.
I found the pages related to their room and looked at them carefully.
Her face became increasingly ugly, and her fingers even began to tremble uncontrollably.
really.
She remembered correctly that in every generation of the royal family there would be male members who died young at the age of seventeen or eighteen. Looking back, Mr. Hua's second uncle died at the age of eighteen; his third great-uncle died at the age of sixteen; his great-fifth great-uncle died at the age of nineteen... After the death of each male member, he would be married to someone else.
Except for the previous generation, Mr. Hua is an only son.
This is definitely not a coincidence! Putting all these things together, and thinking about Master Shicai's strange behavior, the cruel truth is about to be revealed! If it is not a coincidence, then it must be human.
Mrs. Hua was in a state of dismay, her mind in a mess.
When she came to her senses, she found herself in her eldest son's room, which was still filled with a lingering smell of medicine.
There was a window on the east side. Hua Xi, who looked sick, was sitting by the window in a black cloak. Hearing the sound, he looked towards Madam Hua and called out, "Mother."
His eye sockets and cheeks were slightly sunken due to weight loss. He still looked very weak, his voice was hoarse, and he was short of breath, but he was no longer as dying as he was this morning.
This face was originally exactly the same as Hua Zhao's, but because of illness and weight loss, the two brothers only look 50% alike.
"Brother Xi!" Madam Hua called out in a trembling voice, her vision blurred and a few strands of messy hair stuck to her cheeks with cold sweat. The usually dignified woman now looked unusually dishevelled.
"Mom, don't worry," Hua Xi forced a smile and comforted her, "I took the ginseng soup prescribed by Doctor Wang and I feel much better. I will be cured soon."
These words were like a knife stabbing deeply into Mrs. Hua's heart. The knife repeatedly stirred in her heart, making her feel extremely painful.
She held Hua Xi's bony hand tightly, and tears rolled down her cheeks again.
In just half a day, she had no idea how many tears she had shed, and her eyes were already dry and burning.
"Mom, what's wrong with you?" Hua Xi asked with concern, noticing that her mother was holding the family tree in her hand. "Mom, what are you doing with the family tree?"
Mrs. Hua's tears flowed even more violently, her heart and soul were broken, and she told the story while crying, in a confused and jumbled manner, from the secret marriage with the Lu family, to the words said by the second Miss Gu, to her and his second brother's illness.
Finally, she said heartbreakingly: "Your father is so cruel!"
Hua Xi was weak but a smart man. He figured out the whole story in a snap and his expression changed instantly.
It turned out that the reason why he was dying at such a young age was not because of his weak body, but because he was harmed by his father. In every generation of the Hua family, there were male members who died young for some ulterior motive.
"Mom!" Hua Xi held Madam Hua's hand, his eyes, which had slightly turned yellow due to long-term illness, turned bloodshot. "Save me, I don't want to die!"
“Please!”
He is only eighteen years old, he doesn't want to die.
He should have had a bright and brilliant life. With his talent and knowledge, it would be easy for him to pass the imperial examination in the future. Why did he have to die because of his father's selfishness? He and his second brother were twins, so he was the eldest brother. But his father wanted to sacrifice him instead of his second brother? !
Why?!
Just because his second brother was healthier than him, did his father choose to sacrifice the sickly him? He was a 16-year-old champion, and he was obviously better than his second brother!
Hua Xi was filled with despair. He was shaking violently as he held Madam Hua's hand. He was so emotional that he showed no trace of his usual gentility.
"Brother Xi." Madam Hua gently stroked her eldest son's cheek with trembling hands, and her heart ached even more.
At this moment, her head was buzzing. An ethereal female voice sounded from near and far, with a bewitching power: "There is no one else who can save your son. Only you."
"Wuliang Temple. Take the Hua family tree to Wuliang Temple."
"Second Miss Gu said that only I can save you." Madam Hua murmured to herself, "She told me to take the Hua family tree to Wuliang Temple."
“She also said that the sins on the soul come from the family, from generation to generation, and as long as the offerings do not stop, they will never stop.”
"More than one offering?" Hua Xi thought for a moment, his eyes sparkling, and asked thoughtfully, "Mother, are those elders of the clan who died young being offered sacrifices in Wuliang Temple?"
"That's right." Mrs. Hua nodded.
Wuliang Temple is very famous in the capital, and no other temple or Taoist temple can match it. Like most of the prominent families in the capital, the Hua family also worships the tablets of their ancestors and clansmen in Wuliang Temple.
Madam Hua frowned tightly and speculated, "Could it be that Miss Gu wants me to go to Wuliang Temple and destroy the offerings, so as to stop this evil spell that harms people?!"
This is indeed something she can do, but it is inconvenient for Miss Gu to do.
Hua Xi thought so too, and eagerly agreed, "That must be the case."
He held Madam Hua's hand tightly and looked at her with admiration, "Mother, my father is so cruel... I can only rely on you!"
"Mom, you won't let me down, will you?"
At this moment, Hua Xi's eyes were unusually bright, as if a dying person had seen some panacea.
"I'll leave everything to you, mother." Madam Hua nodded, her voice hoarse, "Mother will definitely save you!"
Mrs. Hua seemed to draw strength from her son's gaze, and she became full of fighting spirit again.
Not long after returning home, she left again in a hurry.
This time, her carriage went to Wuliang Mountain.
When the carriage arrived at Wuliang Mountain, it was almost the evening hour.
Mrs. Hua hurried up the mountain. Although the weather was not that hot, she was already sweating profusely. There was only one thought in her mind: she wanted to save her brother Xi.
"Take me to the Hall of Rebirth!" she said to a little Taoist boy.
The little Taoist boy said with a smile: "My dear female believer, the Hall of Rebirth is under repair. The abbot has ordered the hall to be closed and will not be receiving pilgrims recently..."
He wanted to ask the other party to come back another day, but the anxious Madam Hua had no patience to listen to him finish his words, and asked anxiously: "Master...where is Master Xuancheng? I want to see Master Xuancheng!"
As she spoke, she searched for the trace of Master Xuancheng.
Madam Hua rushed into the temple without caring about anything, grabbed a Taoist priest and asked, "Where is Master Xuancheng?"
After asking several people in succession and getting no answer, Mrs. Hua became even more anxious. She seemed to feel the coldness of the guillotine on the back of her neck.
The Taoist boy behind her was panting and shouting "female believer" and chased after her, thinking that this lady was crazy.
Suddenly, Madam Hua's eyes lit up as she saw an old Taoist priest in a blue robe walking out of a temple. The old Taoist priest had an immortal look, white hair and a youthful face. It was obvious that he was very different from the other Taoist priests around him.
The old Taoist was surrounded by a dozen men who looked like scholars, and a young man in white with picturesque features was talking to him.
Madam Hua's eyes were fixed on the old Taoist priest. She could only see him and no one else.
That must be Master Xuancheng!
She didn't have much time left...and when it was up, both of her sons would die.
(End of this chapter)
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