In the Imperial Study, Xiao Lie remained sleepless late into the night, staring intently at the secret letter whose hidden writing had only appeared after being heated over a flame. After a long silence, he handed it to Li Yuangui standing nearby: "Burn it. Relay my words—take no action for now and await further orders."
Li Yuangui acknowledged the command, took the letter, and walked to a Boshan incense burner in the corner of the hall, lifting its lid.
From the very beginning of his reign, the emperor had secretly dispatched Brocade-Clad Guards spies to the southern coastal regions where the Young Emperor was most likely hiding, conducting covert investigations. The Golden Dragon Island, domain of the Golden-Masked Dragon Lord, naturally fell within the emperor's surveillance. However, the island's location was well-concealed, and the Dragon Lord's organization was tightly controlled, rarely accepting outsiders. Gaining access to the island for reconnaissance proved impossible. It wasn't until a year later that a highly experienced spy finally infiltrated the periphery of Dragon Lord's forces as a low-ranking sailor, gradually gathering intelligence. Over time, suspicions arose that the Dragon Lord might be Dong Chengmao from the Tianxi era, but without closer access, this remained unconfirmed. It was only when Japanese Pirates attacked and the entire Golden Dragon Island mobilized that this spy, by distinguishing himself in battle, managed to board the Dragon Lord's flagship. Over half a month of covert observation, he finally uncovered some clues.
The secret report stated that the Dragon Lord's naval command tactics and signal flags bore striking resemblance to those once used by the Duke of Wei, further confirming his identity. Additionally, there was a young man aboard the ship whom the Dragon Lord treated with deference, yet the youth's demeanor suggested neither master nor servant. His age matched that of the missing Young Emperor, making his identity highly suspicious.
Li Yuangui dropped the paper into the burner. Amidst a burst of flame laced with black smoke, the document turned to ash amidst the incense.
"Your Majesty, the third night watch has already passed. You've been laboring tirelessly for days—it's time to rest."
Li Yuangui returned and urged gently.
Xiao Lie pinched the bridge of his nose and rose from behind the desk.
"Shall I summon the Noble Consort to attend you?"
Xiao Lie waved a dismissive hand and was about to leave when a palace attendant entered with a bow, announcing that the Crown Prince requested an audience.
Xiao Lie frowned slightly. "What is it?"
"This servant does not know. The Crown Prince only said he has urgent matters to report and awaits outside the hall."
"Admit him."
With the sound of hurried footsteps, Xiao Yintang entered swiftly. After performing the ceremonial kowtow, he rose and glanced at Li Yuangui.
Li Yuangui bowed to him and withdrew from the study.
"What brings you here so late?" Xiao Lie sat back down, his expression indifferent.
Ever since the incident involving the Crown Princess, the emperor's demeanor toward his son had remained cold.
Xiao Yintang maintained a respectful expression, though a flicker of suppressed emotion shone in his eyes. "This son knows Your Majesty is burdened with state affairs and should not disturb you so late. However, this matter is of grave importance and cannot be delayed. Does Your Majesty recall commanding me years ago to search for the Young Emperor Xiao Yu's whereabouts? Though my journey to Quanzhou yielded no results at the time, I never forgot Your Majesty's task. I left behind a trusted aide named Liu Yi—a meticulous man—to continue investigations in secret. Heaven rewards the diligent, and now we've finally uncovered some leads!"
He paused to gauge the emperor's reaction, but seeing no change in expression, he continued: "Your Majesty must also be aware of the notorious pirate in the southern seas known as the Golden-Masked Dragon Lord. Recently, Liu Yi discovered evidence suggesting this Dragon Lord may very well be Dong Chengmao from the Tianxi era!"Xiao Yintang looked at the emperor, who remained expressionless. After hesitating briefly, he continued, "Father, if this person is truly Dong Chengmao, who turned to banditry due to the tyranny of the rebellious Prince of Shun'an, and if he hasn't harmed coastal villagers these past few years, then it might be overlooked. But this Dong Chengmao—he may very well be hiding the Young Emperor from back then!"
Unable to suppress his agitation any longer, his voice rose slightly. "Father, according to Liu Yi's report, there is a fifteen or sixteen-year-old boy by the Golden-Masked Dragon Lord's side—nameless, of suspicious origin, referred to by others as 'Young Master.' I suspect this 'Young Master' could very well be Xiao Yu! Think about it, Father. Dong Chengmao was once an old subordinate of the Duke of Wei, and the Duke of Wei had deep ties to the Tianxi reign. If Dong Chengmao, now a bandit, has hidden Xiao Yu at sea, biding his time for a comeback—wouldn’t that make perfect sense?"
The emperor narrowed his eyes slightly but gave no response.
Xiao Yintang paused briefly.
"And I have another concern! Though I’m unsure if I should voice it."
"Speak," the emperor said, watching him.
"I know Father has always trusted Pei You'an, and I would never falsely accuse him. But I must remind you—Pei You'an is patient and profound, far beyond ordinary men. Dong Chengmao shares a history with him, and Pei You'an was once Xiao Yu’s teacher. If Xiao Yu truly still lives, Father must guard against Pei You'an, lest unforeseen troubles arise in the future!"
The emperor stared at Xiao Yintang, silent and contemplative.
Gradually, Xiao Yintang sensed something unusual in the emperor’s reaction.
He was too calm—unnervingly so.
From the very first day Xiao Lie, then the King of the Clouds, raised his banner under the pretense of restoring Xiao Yu to the throne, Xiao Yintang had known—though his father never spoke a word of it to him—that his father likely never truly intended such a thing.
Who in the world wouldn’t covet the Dragon Throne, given the chance?
Xiao Lie had only used that banner to rally support and hasten his rise to power.
The Young Emperor was most likely dead. Even if he still lived, he was nothing but a lone, powerless youth—a mere symbol to the few who might still cling to him. Before true power, he could never stir meaningful waves. To be found and then vanish—that was his most plausible fate.
That was why, upon receiving this news tonight, Xiao Yintang had been so exhilarated.
Amidst the deteriorating situation—where the Crown Princess, Zhou Jin, Empress Zhou, and even he himself had all fallen out of the emperor’s favor—he still hoped to leverage this newly acquired, critical information to regain his father’s goodwill and trust.
Even if that dream he once had was true—that Pei You'an was indeed his father’s illegitimate son—if Pei You'an dared oppose the emperor on matters of succession, the emperor would never tolerate it.
Xiao Yintang had been utterly certain of this.
But now, Xiao Lie’s reaction left him suddenly uncertain.
"If your information is true, then in your opinion, how should I handle this matter?"
After a long silence, the emperor finally spoke, his face unreadable as still water."To charge Pei You'an with conspiracy and treason? Then pursue and eliminate the Young Emperor? Yintang, have you forgotten how I once promised the world? From your tone just now, are you trying to force me to remove the Young Emperor and bear the infamy of being unrighteous before all?"
Xiao Yintang was stunned, hardly believing his ears. "Father! I don’t understand! The Tianxi Emperor resented you, confined you to Yunnan. You endured for over twenty years, weathered countless hardships, and narrowly escaped death before finally achieving this great cause. Do you truly intend to abdicate in favor of that child Xiao Yu? What virtue or ability does he possess to deserve such treatment from you?"
The emperor rose from behind the desk and strolled to the window, gazing into the night. After a moment, he turned back. "Yintang, if I were to honor my promise and return this empire to Xiao Yu, what would you do?"
His tone was gentle, as if engaging in casual father-son conversation.
Xiao Yintang stiffened for a moment before slowly kneeling. "Your Majesty, this empire is yours by right. Its disposition lies solely in your hands. Your son is loyal only to you and will obey your every command!"
Having said this, he lowered his head.
Xiao Lie looked down at him for a while before nodding. "I am heartened by your thoughts. Regarding the matters you reported, I will send someone to investigate further. You must not disclose this to anyone else, nor involve yourself further."
Xiao Yintang kowtowed, rose, and withdrew. As he stepped out of the palace housing the Imperial Study, his footsteps paused briefly. He turned back.
The night was hazy, his expression tense. His gaze fell upon the lit window behind him, a shadow swiftly flickering through his eyes before he turned away and strode forward.
...
After leaving the palace, Pei You'an returned to the Pei residence.
Madam Xin, Pei Quan, and others were unaware of his return to the capital that night. Surprised by his sudden appearance, they learned he had been ordered back alone, with Jiafu remaining in Quanzhou to care for her grandmother.
In such a short time, it seemed the emperor was about to recall him from mourning for official duties. Though envy and jealousy stirred within them, their faces remained cordial as they inquired after his well-being. Madam Xin instructed servants to return his luggage to his quarters, while Pei Quan engaged him in conversation. Once finished, Pei You'an retreated to the courtyard he once shared with Jiafu.
After bathing, he emerged in his Underwear and habitually moved toward the coat rack. After a few steps, he lifted his eyes to find it empty—no clean clothes prepared for him as she used to do daily. His steps faltered momentarily before he turned and approached the wardrobe. Opening it, he retrieved a set of casual clothes. As he moved to close it, his gaze fell upon a folded cloak tucked in a corner.
He remembered this garment. It was the very cloak he had used that night in the courier station of Chengjiang Prefecture, Yunnan, to wrap around the disheveled girl he rescued and brought back to his quarters.
The cloak had been old even then. In his subsequent travels, he had long forgotten its existence. Yet tonight, here it was, neatly folded and stored in the wardrobe. For a moment, he was lost in thought, the image of her barefoot and uneasy before him that night flashing before his eyes.
Pei You'an gazed at it for a while before setting aside the clothes in his hands. His slender fingers brushed over the old cloak, then he took it, shook it out, and put it on.
That night, after the third watch, a figure pushed open the slightly ajar study door and entered.The study was unlit, its southern window half-open. Pei You'an sat behind the desk, his figure outlined by the cold moonlight into a solitary silhouette of half-light and half-shadow.
After receiving his instructions, Yang Yun said softly, "Rest assured, my lord. I will send a trusted person to deliver the message to General Dong as quickly as possible. As for your wife, I will follow your instructions to the letter without any negligence."
Pei You'an nodded. "I appreciate your efforts. You've followed me through years of hardship, and now you're taking risks again. I am deeply grateful."
"If not for the Duke's mercy back then, my entire Yang family would have been executed. This life of mine belongs to you, my lord. There's just one thing I don't understand..."
Yang Yun hesitated.
"The matter concerning General Dong and the young master—the fewer who know, the better. I truly don't understand. Even if the Crown Prince's men have noticed something by now, they likely know at most twenty or thirty percent of the truth. Why did you deliberately arrange for them to learn everything? Won't this confirm the matter for His Majesty?"
After a moment of silence, Pei You'an answered obliquely, "Yang Yun, what do you think of the court's current Sea Ban?"
Yang Yun was taken aback. "Isn't it to guard against the Japanese Pirates?"
"That's merely the surface. His Majesty is ambitious, aspiring to emulate the virtue and influence of ancient sage emperors, seeking both martial prowess and cultural refinement, desiring all nations to pay tribute and showcase Great Wei's civil and military achievements. A single disturbance by Japanese Pirates would never make such a man retreat into defensive measures. When I was in Quanzhou, my greatest fear came to pass."
Yang Yun was shocked. "My lord, are you saying His Majesty already knows about the young master? Is the Sea Ban related to him?"
"Receiving His Majesty's urgent summons only confirmed my earlier suspicions. Even if he doesn't know the full truth, he's grasped eighty or ninety percent of it. Summoning me back is merely to test me. Even if I manage to conceal things this time, he'll likely verify the truth soon enough. Man proposes, but Heaven disposes. I thought the matter of the young master could be kept secret for some time, but the recent Japanese Pirate incident hastened its exposure. Now that it's leaked, time is running short. The emperor's mind is inscrutable—I fear I may not be able to protect myself in the future. If it were just me, I'd have no concerns, but now there's the Zhen family. If anything happens to me, the Crown Prince will never spare them. So I have no choice but to take a desperate gamble and force the Crown Prince to act first. Once he moves, we'll find his vulnerabilities."
Yang Yun grew even more confused. "My lord, I truly don't understand. How does this connect to you deliberately leaking information to the Crown Prince?"
Pei You'an smiled faintly. "You wouldn't understand. Between imperial fathers and sons, familial bonds are often as thin as paper. If my guess is correct, suspicion between His Majesty and the Crown Prince already outweighs trust. I'm placing a bet—I can only hope to win."
Yang Yun followed Pei You'an not only out of gratitude and admiration but also with unwavering faith in his wisdom and strategies.
Since he had made such arrangements, there must be sound reasoning behind them. Though still perplexed, Yang Yun refrained from further questions when Pei You'an offered no more explanations. He knelt before the shadowy figure behind the desk. "Lord Pei, take care of yourself."
After paying his respects, Yang Yun rose and swiftly departed, his figure vanishing into the night.Pei You'an sat alone in the dim light for a long while, gazing at the shadow of the water clock in the corner. Realizing it was already well past the Hai hour—the latest time she had previously set for herself to return to her room—she stretched lazily, rose to her feet, and walked back under the moonlight.
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