TSWPF -Chapter 239 Coughing Up Blood

After the ministers kept pleading, the Emperor looked slightly troubled and said, “Then each of them shall receive ten strokes of the cane, so they’ll remember. They must not act so recklessly again in the future.”

If the punishment was too severe, it would chill the hearts of these ministers; if too light, these little brats would never learn. Ten strokes—neither too harsh nor too lenient—was just right.

“Thank you, Your Majesty…”

After offering their thanks, Liu Zhishan and the other sons of noble families were taken out. Their parents followed, planning to tend to them once the punishment was over.

“Minister Liu, you stay behind.”

Hearing the Emperor’s words, Liu Zhen stopped in his tracks. He turned respectfully to the Emperor, asking what matter required his presence.

Once the door was closed, the Emperor spoke. “Minister Liu, have you heard any news of your younger junior apprentice over the past years?” He assumed the old man still didn’t know that his younger junior had passed away.

If the old man hadn’t opposed the young apprentice’s marriage to his brother-in-law, the junior would never have left the capital. And if he hadn’t left the capital, he wouldn’t have died so young.

In the end, all the blame came back to Old Master Liu.

Hearing a mention of his youngest son, Liu Zhen replied that he had not.

He had sent people searching over the years but found nothing. He didn’t know where his youngest son had gone.

Over ten years had passed, not even a single letter had arrived. Did his son truly hate him that much?

Of course, Liu Zhen’s actions were for his son’s own good!

How could that brat not see his sincere intentions?

“Your Majesty… do you have news of Jing’er?” Liu Zhen asked hopefully.

He reasoned that the Emperor wouldn’t ask about Jing’er without cause. The only possibility was that the Emperor already had news of him.

Thinking of his young junior who had died prematurely, the Emperor’s heart ached slightly. He briefly concealed his expression, then nodded. “Yes, I do have news of your junior apprentice.”

Liu Zhen focused entirely on that sentence, failing to notice the faint sadness in the Emperor’s expression.

“Then… where is he?” After more than ten years without word, hearing this news made Liu Zhen intensely emotional.

The Emperor was silent for a moment before looking at Liu Zhen. “Minister Liu, you must prepare yourself.”

Hearing this, Liu Zhen felt a chill in his heart. Raising his head slightly, he saw the Emperor’s faintly sorrowful expression.

A bad premonition settled in his mind.

“What happened to Jing’er? What’s wrong with him? He…”

Seeing Liu Zhen’s anxious expression, the Emperor sighed slightly. “My younger junior apprentice… is gone.” He hadn’t intended to tell the old man so soon, but then thought: his junior’s son would soon take the spring imperial examination. Once the Liu family knew, it could cause another big stir. Better to give the old man a heads-up now, so he wouldn’t do anything rash later.

Hearing this, Liu Zhen’s body jolted. He laughed nervously, “Y-Your Majesty… please don’t joke with this old servant! I… I cannot bear it!” His youngest son… could not be gone. Impossible.

The Emperor looked at the aged Liu Zhen, feeling a pang of guilt, but he had already spoken and could not take it back.

“Minister Liu, you know I never joke. When I learned this news, it was hard to accept as well, yet I had no choice.” Before Liu Zhen could speak, the Emperor continued, “My younger junior apprentice died several years ago in that epidemic. You know what the situation was back then.”

Hearing this, Liu Zhen stepped back in grief, clenching his fists. He whispered, “Where is my son? Where is he?”

He wanted to bring his son home—he could not let him remain a lost spirit.

The Emperor understood Liu Zhen’s intent, but regretfully, he didn’t know either. He had asked his master many times, but the master refused to reveal it, keeping the matter tightly hidden.

Of course, he could have someone investigate, but he didn’t want to upset his master, so it would have to wait until after the spring exam. Then, he would know the full truth.

“Minister Liu, I understand your feelings, but I’m sorry—I cannot tell you. At least, not yet.”

“W-Why?”

“Minister Liu… haven’t you considered that perhaps my younger junior apprentice has already made that place his home? That he doesn’t wish to leave it?” The Emperor frowned, meeting Liu Zhen’s gaze and decisively shattering his assumptions. “Do you still wish to, like before, act against his wishes and cause him sorrow?”

These words were the last straw.

Liu Zhen’s vision went black. With a pfft, he coughed up a mouthful of blood and collapsed to the ground with a thud.

The Emperor was shocked. He immediately rose, instructing that Liu Zhen be carried to a room to lie down and sent Gao Song to fetch the imperial physician.

The shock of today had been too great. If the old man were harmed, the Emperor would bear the guilt.

The imperial physician arrived promptly. Seeing Liu Zhen, he quickly said, “Imperial physician Xue, please examine Minister Liu!”

Xue complied, taking Liu Zhen’s pulse, then set it down after a while.

“Your Majesty, General Liu has suffered a sudden emotional shock, causing the collapse due to the heart-fire imbalance.” He quickly wrote a prescription and handed it to a young eunuch to prepare the medicine. “Your Majesty, Minister Liu must not suffer another shock. If he does, he risks a stroke.”

“Very well. Xue, please tend to Minister Liu.”

“This is my duty.” The old man had been so shocked he had coughed up blood—this was truly…

Before the physician could fully process it, Liu Zhen slowly opened his eyes. Weakly, he turned to the Emperor. “Your… Majesty, please tell this old servant—where is Jing’er buried? Until I know, I cannot rest.”

The physician glanced at the Emperor, realization dawning. No wonder the mighty Liu Zhen had coughed up blood—he had learned of Liu Siyi’s (Liu Zhen’s fourth son’s) death.

The Emperor, though with good intentions, had nonetheless caused this old man extreme distress.

“Minister Liu, I’ll be honest with you.” The Emperor’s voice was tinged with guilt. “I don’t actually know. All I was told is that your younger junior apprentice died during the epidemic several years ago. Nothing more. The master refused to tell me any details, saying the time would come, and he would reveal it himself.”

If the master wouldn’t tell him, there was nothing he could do.

“Your Majesty, I beg you, please tell me! I… I have failed Jing’er… pfft” Before Liu Zhen could finish, he coughed up another mouthful of blood.

The physician hurried forward, pressing on Liu Zhen’s shoulders, quickly performing acupuncture. He shouted, “Old Master Liu! Are you trying to kill yourself? Stop moving, or the needles will shift!”

Although the Emperor feared the Liu family, he could not watch this general die.

Especially after finishing the conversation… it would affect his reputation.

“Minister Liu, I’ll say it again: I truly do not know. If I did, I would not have hidden it from you. I cannot force the master to speak—he will only reveal it when he wishes.”

After speaking, the Emperor instructed the physician to watch over Liu Zhen, ensuring nothing further happened to him.

The physician nodded respectfully, turning to look at a Liu Zhen who seemed near death. Normally, he disliked the old man, but now he softened at the sight.

“Old Master Liu, the dead cannot return. Try to accept it.”

“I… I was wrong. If only I hadn’t forced him back then… he would never have left home. If he hadn’t left… he wouldn’t have… he wouldn’t have…”

Seeing Liu Zhen on the verge of coughing blood again, the physician was alarmed. “Old Master Liu, calm down! If you truly want to know, you can ask your eldest grandson—he knows.” For the sake of Li Zhimou and his siblings, he could not let Liu Zhen die.

With Liu Zhen alive, the rest of the Liu family would not dare harm Li Zhimou and his siblings.

Liu Zhen, trembling, gripped the physician’s hand, eyes filled with emotion. “You… know something too?”

“Stop moving, or you’ll learn nothing from me.”

Hearing this threat, Liu Zhen obediently released his grip. He stared at the physician, asking how much he knew.

The physician thought for a moment. “I can only tell you this: your eldest grandson knows everything clearly. You may ask him. But once you know, I hope you keep it secret—at least until after the spring examination. Reveal nothing, or you will regret it for life. I warn you for the sake of your fourth son.”

The Liu family was not as glorious as it appeared—its secrets ran deep.

Before Liu Zhimou’s spring examination, nothing should happen to him.

Liu Zhen closed his eyes slightly and nodded. Though he didn’t understand why, he trusted Physician Xue would not harm him.

“Physician Xue, when did you meet my eldest grandson? When did he learn of this? Why didn’t he tell me?”

The physician waved his hand. Several years ago, he had saved the boy’s life by chance.

Hearing this, Liu Zhen slightly opened his eyes. “The Liu family owes Physician Xue another debt.” This matter had reached him without a hint.

Before the physician could respond, the door echoed with loud shouting.