Pei You'an's gaze suddenly froze.
"You'an, this matter—I never intended for you to know in this lifetime. But circumstances have changed, and after much deliberation, I thought it best to tell you, lest the misunderstanding between us as father and son deepen, and the knot in your heart remain unresolved. That is why I summoned you tonight..."
"Your mother, Pei Wenjing, and I—I am your father. This is the absolute truth. You must believe me."
As Xiao Lie's words fell, the room plunged into dead silence.
For a long while, Pei You'an simply stared at the man opposite him, motionless, not uttering a word.
"Your Majesty must still be drunk. This guilty subject takes his leave."
He suddenly spoke, lips pressed tightly together, then turned and strode toward the door.
Xiao Lie stepped forward swiftly, blocking the exit.
"You'an! Listen to me! Your mother and I grew up together—I told you this when we last met here. She was intelligent and virtuous, talented beyond compare. I loved her deeply and vowed that if I were fortunate enough to marry her in this life, I would devote myself to her alone. That year, I was seventeen, and she was fifteen, having just celebrated her coming-of-age ceremony. I was about to propose to my father when the barbarians invaded beyond the frontier. Young and impulsive, I was eager to prove myself, thinking I could propose after earning merit on the battlefield. So I requested to accompany General Pei to the frontier—Duke of Wei was also in the army then, fighting alongside me. We were comrades, as close as brothers. The battle was exceptionally difficult. To seize the Hetao region, the barbarians sent out all their forces—300,000 cavalry. The fighting lasted over a year. Only when heavy snow fell, cutting off their supplies, did they retreat. While I was still at the frontier, I suddenly received news that my father was gravely ill. My elder brother, the Crown Prince, had proposed to him, and my father had arranged their marriage. Perhaps knowing his time was short, and considering the nation needed a mother, the Crown Prince married her soon after the betrothal. By the time I rushed back in desperation, she was already another man's wife, and my father had passed away. Before his death, he enfeoffed me as the King of the Clouds and arranged my own marriage to a daughter of a prominent family..."
Xiao Lie paused, his expression somber, his gaze falling on the Lotus Platform on the table.
The lamplight was dim, the incense smoke rising slowly, threadlike, coiling into a tangled white mist before the Lotus Tablet before gradually dispersing and vanishing.
"Shortly after my father's passing, I left for Yunnan and never saw your mother again. I thought I would never see her in this lifetime. Later, I heard that a plague had broken out in the capital, and your mother had unfortunately fallen ill. She was sent here alone to recuperate, her life hanging by a thread. When I learned of this, I was frantic with worry. I brought medicine from the locals and secretly came here from Yunnan, staying with her in secret for half a year. After she recovered, I had no choice but to leave. Never could I have imagined that she would later give birth to you..."
Xiao Lie exhaled deeply, looking at Pei You'an, whose expression remained tense and who had yet to speak a word.
"You'an, I know this must be difficult for you to accept. Fate has played a cruel trick. Do you remember when I found you among the dead at sixteen? I was overjoyed then, thinking only that heaven had finally shown me mercy. Though Wenjing was gone, she had left me this piece of my flesh and blood. I wanted to treat you well—having you by my side was like having your mother..."
"I ask you—if my aunt did not die of the plague, how did she die?"
Pei You'an suddenly interrupted, his voice cold.
Xiao Lie's expression darkened further."At that time, I was not by her side either. Before your grandmother passed away, I went to see her. From your grandmother's words, I learned that after your birth, she suffered from continuous bleeding..."
His voice trembled slightly before trailing off.
"She died from postpartum hemorrhage?"
Pei You'an's eyes slowly reddened with faint streaks of blood as he gritted his teeth and spoke.
Xiao Lie gazed at Pei You'an, whose face seemed slightly contorted, and a glimmer of tears gradually welled up in his own eyes.
"After your mother's unfortunate passing, you were taken in by your uncle. By the time I learned of your existence, you were already the eldest son of Duke Wei's Mansion. I could no longer bring you to my side and could only watch over you in secret. You'an, your appearance bears a striking resemblance to your mother, and your talents also come from her. You don’t know this, but when you were still a young man, your fame spread throughout the capital. Though I couldn’t approach you, my heart swelled with pride—and regret. I envied your uncle deeply, for he could be with you day and night, imparting wisdom and guidance..."
"Let me ask you again. Back then, was it her willing consent, or did you force her?"
Pei You'an interrupted Xiao Lie once more.
Xiao Lie met Pei You'an's piercing gaze and remained silent for a long while before turning his head to look again at the Lotus Tablet.
"Why won’t you speak?"
Pei You'an's expression gradually turned icy.
"You'an..." Xiao Lie closed his eyes briefly.
"I dare not defile your mother’s noble spirit... It was all my fault. That night, I crossed the line..."
"Because you no longer have the right to defile her!" Pei You'an suddenly snapped, his voice sharp.
Xiao Lie froze, then his eyes filled with agitation. "You'an, listen to my explanation! When I first arrived, I had no ulterior motives—I only prayed to heaven for her recovery. But that night, with our parting imminent, I momentarily..."
He stopped.
"So you crossed the line under the guise of love? When you acted recklessly, did you spare a single thought for my aunt? As a woman, in her state of mind, how could she have refused you? Even if you moved her and she consented willingly—if you truly cherished her as you claim, knowing it was wrong, how could you bear to treat her this way?"
"What separates humans from beasts is reverence, shame, and restraint. Without these, how are we any different from animals?"
Pei You'an's eyes reddened at the corners, and his voice trembled faintly.
Xiao Lie stood stunned, staring fixedly at Pei You'an, tears shimmering in his eyes. After a long pause, he nodded. "You’re right to rebuke me. I am worse than an animal. All these years, whenever I recall my beastly actions, I am consumed by regret. If not for my wrongdoing, your mother wouldn’t have left so soon. Now that Wen Jing is gone, I can never make amends to her. But fortunately, there is still you. You'an, you don’t know how desperately I wish..."
Xiao Lie took a step toward Pei You'an, reaching out as if to grasp his arm.
"If my life came at the cost of my mother’s, I would rather never have been born!"
Pei You'an spoke coldly, sidestepping Xiao Lie. He walked to the altar, gazed at the Lotus Platform for a moment, then knelt and kowtowed three times before rising, opening the door, and leaving.
Xiao Lie chased after him, calling to his retreating figure, "You'an! I wronged your mother, and I wronged you. I told you all this tonight in the hope that we, father and son, could be united! I am your father! Since your mother risked her life to bring you into this world, she surely wouldn’t want to see us estranged like this. I’ve already decided—this empire of mine, in the future..."Pei You'an suddenly halted his steps, turned his head, and fixed his gaze on Xiao Lie who had caught up with him. His eyes seemed to seep with a faint trace of blood.
Xiao Lie abruptly stopped, not daring to utter another word.
"My father, Pei Xian! Pei Xian, the Duke of Wei and First-Class Pillar of the State of Great Wei! Your Majesty, choose your words carefully. This guilty subject takes his leave!"
Each word was spat out from between his teeth. After speaking, he turned and left, passing through the courtyard gate, his figure swiftly disappearing into the night without a single glance back.
Xiao Lie chased after him for two steps before slowly coming to a stop. He stared ahead, his breathing heavy, his entire body trembling slightly.
Li Yuangui hurriedly emerged from the shadows and entered to support the emperor, not daring to make a sound.
Supported by Li Yuangui, Xiao Lie stood in the isolated courtyard under the pitch-black night for a long time.
...
The sky gradually brightened. Far away in Quanzhou, the Zhen household was bustling early that morning, sending Jiafu off on her journey back to the capital.
When Jiafu made this decision and informed her family, the Zhen household was still immersed in the joy of having unearthed a heavenly auspicious sign. Madam Meng was both surprised and reluctant when her daughter suddenly announced her intention to return to the capital. She tried to dissuade her, saying that her son-in-law was not currently in the capital and that he had specifically instructed her to stay peacefully in Quanzhou before leaving. There was no need to return so soon. However, Jiafu insisted on leaving, citing her duty to serve her mother-in-law. Unable to stop her, Madam Meng arranged for her return journey. Zhen Yaoting had intended to personally escort his sister back to the capital, but Jiafu persuaded him to stay, saying the family needed his support. In the end, a trusted steward was chosen to accompany Jiafu. Madam Meng, Zhen Yaoting, Yuzhu, and others saw her off, bidding her farewell one by one.
Once inside the carriage, Jiafu's smile faded, and she became lost in thought. The carriage gradually left the city gates and entered the post road when it suddenly came to a halt. The steward reported that someone was blocking the way.
Jiafu leaned out and saw Yang Yun standing in front of the carriage. He quickly approached and saluted, saying, "Madam, my lord previously instructed that you remain in Quanzhou. Please heed his words and do not put this humble official in a difficult position."
Jiafu stared at him. "Let me ask you—was that thing dug up from our shipyard a few days ago arranged by you?"
Some time ago, workers at the Zhen family's shipyard had unearthed a jade seal, which was later identified as the long-lost Imperial Seal of the Realm. The news caused a sensation throughout the city, and the Zhen family was overjoyed, hardly able to believe their luck.
Upon hearing the news, Jiafu immediately guessed it must have been arranged by Pei You'an, which only deepened her unease. How could she possibly stay after this?
After her question, seeing Yang Yun remain silent, she sneered. "Whatever your lord has done, he hasn't told me. I suppose asking you won't yield an answer either, so I won't bother, lest I put you in a spot. But this road wasn't built by your lord, and I am determined to return to the capital this time! If he doesn't want me to go, let him come and stop me himself. If he doesn't come, I will go!"
With that, she let the carriage curtain fall and ordered the steward to continue.
The carriage sped down the post road, kicking up a cloud of yellow dust in its wake.
Watching the carriage grow smaller in the distance, Yang Yun had no choice but to follow. He mounted his horse and gave chase.Jiafu instructed Tanxiang, who was in the same carriage, to fetch her bundle. From it, she retrieved the letter Yang Yun had forwarded that day. She pulled out the letter's contents and stared at them once more, then slowly tore it into two pieces, four pieces, eight pieces—on and on without stopping. Under Tanxiang's astonished gaze, she shredded the paper into tiny fragments before finally extending her hand out the carriage window and opening her fingers.
The small scraps of paper were instantly scattered by the strong wind along the post road, swirling wildly like butterflies before vanishing into the fields.
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