The Return of the King: A Generation of Prodigies

Chapter 492 Sending You on Your Way Personally

"I don't care, I want both my children to live."

Both are her flesh and blood; to lose either one would be more painful for Huang than losing her life.

"You no longer have the right to bargain with me."

“If you want to protect your son and your Huang family, you have to sacrifice yourself and your daughter. There is no other way.”

Liu Jingyu looked at Huang Shi; he had lost the patience and energy to talk to this woman in front of him.

"It's too cruel to make you watch your own child leave first."

"You should go first and wait for Zhenzhen on the road to the underworld. That way, you two can keep each other company and avoid being lonely."

Liu Jingyu turned around and walked to the table, picking up the poison that Liu Pengfei had prepared in advance.

Without the slightest hesitation, he took the poison and walked up to Huang Shi, saying expressionlessly, "Will you drink it yourself, or shall I feed it to you?"

Huang gave a bitter smile. She looked up at the man in front of her, her husband of several decades, who now showed her no affection whatsoever. She was filled with mixed feelings and didn't know what to feel.

She has no choice now; she can't save her own life, nor can she save her daughter's.

Since that's the case, she can only seek protection for her son.

"Liu Jingyu, I want you to swear before your Liu family ancestors that no matter what, you must protect Tong'er's life and let him live out his life peacefully and smoothly."

"If you dare to break this oath, you will die a horrible death, and Chen Xiulian and her two sons will also suffer misfortune and die tragically!"

The oath that Huang made Liu Jingyu swear was indeed a truly vicious oath.

Chen Xiulian was Liu Jingyu's childhood sweetheart. After Liu Jingyu abandoned her and married Huang, Chen Xiulian was forced to marry someone else as well.

What no one expected was that Chen Xiulian was already pregnant with Liu Jingyu's child when she married someone else.

Although Chen Xiulian married down, what man could tolerate his wife marrying him while she was pregnant with another man's child?

So at the time, this matter became quite ugly, but the Liu family managed to control it, and not many people knew about it, including Huang.

The Liu family gave Chen Xiulian's husband's family a large sum of compensation, which allowed them to move away from the capital, thus settling the matter.

However, because of Chen Xiulian's status and the presence of Huang Shi in her family, Liu Jingyu did not even have the right to elevate Chen Xiulian to the status of a concubine.

He could only keep her outside the home and make her his mistress.

Huang only heard about this incident by chance from someone else many years later.

However, by then it was a fait accompli and nothing could be changed. After Huang made a huge scene, she acquiesced to the matter.

Huang knew that in Liu Jingyu's heart, Chen Xiulian and her two sons held the most important place.

That's why she made Liu Jingyu make such a vicious oath at this time.

Liu Jingyu was taken aback. His instinct told him he should refuse, but his reason prevailed over his instinct.

He knew he had to swear this oath in front of Madam Huang today.

Although Huang is about to die, her maternal family still exists.

Moreover, Huang was not ordered to commit suicide by the Empress and announced to the world, so no matter how she died, she was not a sinner who implicated her family.

This means that her family will still acknowledge her as their daughter.

As long as her maternal family still recognizes Huang as their daughter, Liu Yitong will have a powerful backer, and her father will not dare to or be able to do anything to her.

Moreover, the Huang family will soon find out the true cause of Huang's death.

In other words, even if Huang died, she was still someone Liu Jingyu couldn't afford to offend.

He always had to leave himself a way out, so that he wouldn't be dealt with by the Huang family later.

"Alright, I swear, if I cannot protect Tong'er and let him live a peaceful and smooth life, I will die a horrible death, and Chen Xiulian and her two sons will also die a horrible death."

After making this solemn oath, Liu Jingyu felt completely weak and powerless, and cold sweat broke out instantly.

Although he wouldn't do anything to Liu Yitong, because Liu Yitong was still his son no matter what, he knew that Chen Xiulian would definitely try to harm Liu Yitong.

She had been tormented by Huang, both openly and secretly, for so many years, not to mention the hatred she felt for having her husband stolen back then.

Now that Huang is dead, given Chen Xiulian's personality, how could she not seek revenge on Huang's only son?

Huang looked at Liu Jingyu and sneered, saying, "Liu Jingyu, you'd better remember what you said today."

After saying this, Madam Huang took a gold hairpin shaped like two peonies from her hair.

"Give this to Granny Wang and have her take it back to my mother. That way, the Huang family won't make things difficult for you."

"Furthermore, all the dowry members from my family who came to my courtyard, whether they are Granny Wang or anyone else, must be allowed to return to the Huang family. Not a single one can be missing."

"And all my dowry, let them take it all. That's what I left for my son, no one can touch it!"

Huang was always a very calm woman. Even knowing that she was about to face death, she was able to calmly arrange everything afterward.

Without the slightest panic or helplessness, she had done everything she needed to think of and plan for her son.

"Okay, it's all up to you."

Liu Jingyu's ability to agree so readily and without the slightest hesitation was not because he still harbored any marital feelings for Huang.

It was because he knew that he had no choice but to agree to the conditions Huang had set.

Even if he doesn't agree to those conditions, the Huang family will step in and make him agree.

The only thing that surprised Liu Jingyu was the gold hairpin with twin peonies that Huang gave him.

What Liu Jingyu could never have imagined was that this golden hairpin with twin peonies would cost him his life many years later.

Seeing that Liu Jingyu had agreed to her conditions, Huang got up and went to her two children.

She reached out and touched Liu Yitong's head, her eyes revealing reluctance and heartache.

This son was born from the painstaking effort of her life. Although he was somewhat mentally challenged, he was still the apple of her eye. Now that she was gone, there would be no one left who could wholeheartedly protect him.

Huang turned to look at her daughter, realizing that it was all because of her momentary lapse in judgment that her daughter had been harmed.

But it's too late to say anything now; there's no going back.

To protect her family from being implicated and to ensure her son's future, the mother and daughter have no choice but to go to the afterlife together.

Holding her daughter who had fainted from crying, and looking at her son who was still sobbing softly, Huang's heart was breaking.

She didn't turn around, but instead ordered, "Have someone take Tong'er away now and make sure he's settled in properly."

"Also, have someone deliver that golden hairpin with twin peonies to Granny Wang right now."

Liu Jingyu hesitated for a moment, then went over, opened the door, and called over a trusted confidant to take Liu Yitong away.

At the same time, he handed over the gold hairpin with twin peonies in his hand, instructing the person to give it to Granny Wang.

When the ancestral hall door was closed again, Madam Huang said, "Bring me the poisoned wine."

"Weren't you already eager for Zhenzhen and me to die?"

"Now you've finally gotten what you wanted. But don't worry, even if I die, I'll keep my eyes open and watch what kind of retribution a villain like you, who killed his wife and children, will receive."

“Go tell Chen Xiulian that even if I die, she can forget about entering the Liu family’s gate. She’s not even a concubine, and she’ll always be trampled underfoot.”

After venting her anger, Huang looked down at her daughter in her arms, and the resentment on her face and in her heart vanished.

Adopting a gentle, motherly demeanor, Madam Huang lowered her head and stroked Liu Zhenzhen's face, saying, "Zhenzhen, it is your mother who has wronged you and dragged you down with her."

“Zhenzhen, don’t be afraid. Your mother is here with you. Even if your mother couldn’t protect you in this life, we’ll still be mother and daughter in the next life. Your mother will risk her life to protect you.”

After saying this, Madam Huang picked up the cup of poisoned wine, pried open Liu Zhenzhen's mouth, and poured all the poisoned wine into her mouth at once.

It's better to let your daughter die in her mother's arms while she's unconscious than to let her be poisoned and die while she's conscious.

After being forced to drink the poisoned wine, Liu Zhenzhen only struggled for a moment in her mother's arms before calming down.

Looking at her daughter who had died in her arms, Madam Huang finally couldn't hold back her heartache and cried uncontrollably.

"Bring me the other glass of poisoned wine on the table. I need to go with Zhenzhen. She's always been timid, and going to a place like that is too dark. She'll be scared if she doesn't see me."

Liu Jingyu stared at the resolute Huang Shi before him, and at his dead daughter, and stood there dumbfounded, as if he had gone mad.

"I told you to bring me that cup of poisoned wine, are you deaf and didn't you hear me?"

Although Huang's voice was not loud, it was quite forceful.

Having grown accustomed to obeying Huang's orders, Liu Jingyu's mind hadn't even registered what was happening before his legs and hands started moving.

Numbly, he picked up another cup of poisoned wine from the table, walked over to Huang, and handed it to her.

Madam Huang took the cup of poisoned wine, glanced one last time at her daughter in her arms, and said with a smile, "Zhenzhen, don't be afraid, Mother is coming to be with you."

“Let’s go to the Yellow Springs together, mother and daughter, so my Zhenzhen won’t be afraid.”

Without hesitation, Huang drank the poisoned wine in her hand in one gulp.

Soon after, a sharp, intense pain surged and tore through Huang's body, but she endured it without uttering a sound.

Liu Pengfei had prepared potent poisons this time, and soon after, Huang went with Liu Zhenzhen.

Seeing this scene, Liu Jingyu was truly shocked. He hadn't expected Huang to be so resolute.

Without crying, without pleading, without even hesitating, she resolutely faced death.

Is the woman in front of him still the same Huang Shi he knows?

Before Huang died, Liu Jingyu hoped she would die soon, but now that she is really dead, Liu Jingyu is panicking and doesn't know what to do.

Liu Jingyu stood beside Huang and her daughter, looking completely dazed, without moving an inch.

Meanwhile, Liu Pengfei outside was also busy. He personally carried a bowl of medicine to the courtyard where Madam Ma lived.

"Grandpa, what brings you here?"

Seeing the medicine Liu Pengfei was holding and the maidservant attending to Madam Ma, she couldn't help but feel nervous.

She had gone to the ancestral hall with Madam Ma, but although she was kicked out, she was unaware of what had happened inside.

But seeing the look on Ma's face when she returned, as if she had lost her own son, she knew that something serious had happened.

Now, seeing Liu Pengfei, who never comes to the Ma family's courtyard before, carrying a bowl of medicine, how could she not be afraid?

"My mother was frightened today, so I came to see her."

Looking at the flustered little girl, Liu Pengfei remained calm.

"Then, then, please be patient, sir, and wait a moment. I will go and report to the old lady right away."

Seeing Liu Pengfei's calm expression but the inexplicable heavy aura emanating from him, the little girl became even more frightened and could barely speak.

"No need to report. As a son, I'm just going in to see my mother. What need is there for a report?"

"Just back off."

Liu Pengfei's face was expressionless, but his words sent chills down everyone's spine.

The young girl didn't dare say anything more and silently stepped aside to make way for Liu Pengfei.

The Liu Pengfei of today is no longer the Liu Pengfei who could be bullied by anyone.

Liu Pengfei is now the head of the Liu family, and he has the power of life and death within the family.

Anyone who dares to disobey him has the right to use family rules to punish them.

Liu Pengfei carried the bowl of medicine and arrived at Ma's room without any hindrance.

"Sir, you're here. The old lady isn't feeling well and has already gone to bed."

"If you have anything to do, sir, why don't you come back tomorrow?"

The person who came out to stop Liu Pengfei this time was Madam Dai, who was part of Madam Ma's dowry. She had been by Madam Ma's side for most of her life and was the person Madam Ma trusted the most.

On the way back, Ma remained silent, but her expression suddenly changed and she staggered.

Having served Madam Ma for so long, Madam Dai knew what kind of person her mistress was.

If it weren't for a major incident, Ma would definitely not be in this state now.

Ever since her fourth master lost the election for head of the Liu family, the old lady has kept a low profile and locked herself in the courtyard all day.

I'm not going anywhere, and I'm not caring about anything anymore.

However, there are some things that you can't avoid just because you want to.