Wish You All the Best - Chapter 85

Chapter 85

Pei You'an's gaze froze abruptly.

"You'an, in this lifetime, I originally never intended for you to know of this matter. But the situation is different now. After thinking it over, I believe it is better for you to know, so as to avoid deepening the misunderstandings and knots between father and son—that is why I summoned you tonight..."

"Your mother is Pei Wenjing, and I am your father. This is the absolute truth. You must believe me."

As Xiao Lie's voice faded, the room fell into a deathly silence.

For a long time, Pei You'an simply stared at the man across from him, his figure motionless, without uttering a word.

"His Majesty must still be intoxicated. This disgraced official will take his leave."

He said this suddenly, his lips pressed into a tight line, before turning around to stride away.

Xiao Lie darted forward in a flash, pressing his hand against the door to block him.

"You'an! Listen to me! Your mother and I were childhood sweethearts; I told you this when we met here before. She was pure of heart and brilliant of mind. I loved her deeply and once swore that if I were lucky enough to marry her in this life, I would devote myself only to her. I was seventeen then, and she was fifteen, having just performed her coming-of-age ceremony. I was about to ask my father, the Emperor, for permission to marry, when the Hu tribes beyond the borders invaded. I was a young man of fiery blood, eager to distinguish myself, thinking it would not be too late to ask for her hand after earning glory. So, I requested to follow General Pei to the border. The Duke of Weiguo was also in the army then, fighting side by side with me; we were comrades, closer than brothers."

"The fighting was exceptionally difficult. To seize the Hetao region, the Hu poured out their entire force—thirty thousand cavalry—and the war dragged on for over a year. It was only when a heavy snowfall hit and their supplies ran dry that they retreated. I was at the border when I suddenly received word that my father was gravely ill and that my eldest brother, the Crown Prince, had asked for her hand. My father, perhaps knowing his time was short and considering that a nation cannot be without a mother, made the decision and granted the marriage. Shortly after, the Crown Prince held his grand wedding. By the time I rushed back, disregarding everything, she was already another man's wife. My father passed away soon after, and before he died, he titled me Prince of Yunzhong and arranged a marriage for me with the daughter of a great clan..."

Xiao Lie stopped, his expression somber, his gaze falling upon the lotus stand on the table.

The lamp light was dim, and the pillar of smoke from the incense rose slowly, thin as silk, coalescing into a tangled white mist before the lotus seat, only to gradually disperse and vanish into nothingness.

"Not long after my father passed away, I went to Yunnan and never saw your mother's face again. I thought I would never see her again in this life. Later, I heard that an epidemic had broken out in the capital, and your mother, unfortunately, became infected. She was sent here alone to recuperate, her life hanging by a thread. When I received the news, I was frantic with worry. Bringing medicine from the local tribes, I sneaked here from Yunnan and secretly stayed with her for half a year. After she recovered, I had to leave, but I never imagined that she would subsequently give birth to you..."

Xiao Lie let out a long sigh, looking toward Pei You'an, who remained tense and silent.

"You'an, I know you must find this difficult to accept for the moment. It is all the fault of fate's cruel humor. Do you remember the scene when I found you in the pile of dead bodies when you were sixteen? I was delirious with joy; my only thought was that Heaven had finally treated me kindly. Though Wenjing is gone, she left you, her flesh and blood, to me. I wanted to treat you well; having you by my side was like having her..."

"I ask you, since my aunt did not die of the epidemic, how did she die?"

Pei You'an suddenly interrupted him.

Xiao Lie's despondency deepened.

"At the time, I was not by her side either. Before your grandmother passed away, I went to see her. According to your grandmother, after you were born, she bled incessantly..."

His voice trembled slightly, and he stopped.

"A hemorrhage?"

Red blood vessels slowly strained against the corners of Pei You'an's eyes, and he gritted his teeth.

Xiao Lie gazed at Pei You'an, whose face also seemed slightly twisted, and tears began to well up in his eyes.

"After your mother passed away, you were adopted by your uncle. By the time I knew of your existence, you were already the eldest son of the Duke of Weiguo. I had no way to bring you to my side and could only watch over you from the shadows. You'an, your appearance is strikingly similar to your mother's, and your talent is also inherited from her. You do not know that when you were a youth, famous throughout the capital, although I could not draw near to you, I felt such pride and such regret. I envied your uncle so much, able to spend every day with you, teaching you by word and example..."

"I ask you again. Back then, was it her own free will, or did you force her?"

Pei You'an spoke again, cutting off Xiao Lie.

Xiao Lie met Pei You'an's gaze, remained silent for a long time, and then turned to look at the lotus seat again.

"Why do you not speak?"

The expression on Pei You'an's face grew cold.

"You'an..." Xiao Lie closed his eyes.

"I dare not profane your mother's soul... Everything was my fault. That night, I overstepped the bounds..."

"That is because you have no right to profane her anymore!" Pei You'an suddenly lashed out in a sharp voice.

Xiao Lie was stunned, then his eyes filled with anxiety. "You'an, listen to my explanation! When I came, I had no impure thoughts. I only prayed that Heaven would have mercy and let her recover from her illness. It was just that night, facing imminent separation, I for a moment..."

He stopped.

"So you used 'emotion' as an excuse to overstep the bounds? When you were acting on your impulses, did you think even half a bit about my aunt? As a woman, given her state of mind at the time, how could she force a rejection of you? Not to mention that you forced her first; even if she had been moved by you and was willing, if you truly cherished her as you claim, knowing it was an improper act, how could you bear to treat her so?"

"The reason a human is a human is because they know reverence, they know shame, and they know restraint. Otherwise, how are they any different from a beast?"

Pei You'an's eyes were rimmed with red, his voice trembling slightly.

Xiao Lie was frozen, staring blankly at Pei You'an, tears shimmering. After a long while, he nodded and said, "You are right to scold me; I am no better than a beast. All these years, whenever I think of the bestial act I committed back then, I am filled with unbearable regret. If it were not for my fault, your mother would not have departed so soon. Now that Wenjing is gone, I can never make up for the debt I owe her, but fortunately, there is you. You'an, you do not know how much I hope..."

Xiao Lie took a step toward Pei You'an, reaching out as if to grab his arm.

"If I could trade my life for my mother's, I would rather never have been born into this world!"

Pei You'an said coldly, bypassing Xiao Lie. He walked to the altar, stared at the lotus seat for a moment, knelt, kowtowed three times, then stood up, opened the door, and left.

Xiao Lie pursued him, calling out to his back, "You'an! I have wronged your mother, and I have wronged you. I told you these things tonight in the hope that we, father and son, could be of one heart! I am your father! Since your mother gave her life to bring you into this world, she surely would not wish to see us in this situation today. I have already decided—this empire of mine, in the future..."

Pei You'an stopped abruptly, turned his head, and stared at the pursuing Xiao Lie, his eyes seemingly stained with faint traces of blood.

Xiao Lie stopped in his tracks, not daring to utter another word.

"My father is Pei Xian! Pei Xian, the Pillar of State and Duke of Weiguo of the Great Wei! Your Majesty, choose your words carefully. This disgraced official takes his leave!"

Each word and phrase erupted from between his teeth. Having said this, he turned and walked away. Exiting the gate of the courtyard, his figure rapidly disappeared into the night, never once looking back.

Xiao Lie took two more steps, then slowly stopped. Looking ahead, his breathing was heavy, and his entire body was shivering.

Li Yuangui hurriedly appeared from the shadows, stepped in to steady the Emperor, but dared not make a sound.

Supported, Xiao Lie stood for a long time in the isolated courtyard under the pitch-black night.

...

The day gradually dawned. Far away in Quanzhou, thousands of miles away, the Zhen household was busy early that morning, sending Jiafu off on her return journey to the capital.

When Jiafu made this decision and told her family, the entire household was still immersed in the joy of the auspicious treasure they had just unearthed. When Madame Meng heard her daughter propose returning to the capital, she was surprised and reluctant, trying to persuade her by saying that her son-in-law was not even in the capital currently, and that he had specifically instructed her to stay safely in Quanzhou when he left. There was no need to go back so soon. But Jiafu, using the excuse of serving her mother-in-law, insisted on leaving, so Madame Meng could not stop her and arranged her return. Zhen Yaoting had intended to personally escort his sister to the capital, but Jiafu talked him out of it, saying the family needed his support there. Finally, she chose a trusted manager to escort her. Madame Meng, Zhen Yaoting, Yuzhu, and the others saw her off, bidding farewell one by one.

Once inside the carriage, the smile on Jiafu's face vanished, and she became lost in thought. As the carriage gradually exited the city gates and reached the post road, it suddenly stopped; the manager reported that someone was blocking the path.

Jiafu peeked out and saw Yang Yun standing in front of the carriage. He quickly approached, saluting as he said, "Madam, the Master had previously given orders for you to remain in Quanzhou. I ask that you follow the Master's instructions and not make things difficult for your subordinate."

Jiafu stared at him: "I ask you, was the thing unearthed in our shipyard a few days ago arranged by you?"

Some days prior, workers at the Zhen shipyard had dug up an Imperial Seal, which was later claimed to be the Imperial Seal that had been missing for years. It caused a sensation in the entire city, and the Zhen family, unable to believe it, was ecstatic.

After hearing the news, Jiafu immediately guessed it must have been Pei You'an's arrangement. Her anxiety grew; how could she possibly stay?

After she finished asking, seeing Yang Yun remain silent, she sneered: "Whatever good deeds your Master has done, he does not tell me. I suppose if I ask you, you will not say either. I will not ask, so as not to embarrass you. But this road was not built by your Master. I am definitely returning to the capital! Since he will not let me go, tell him to come and stop me himself. If he does not come, I am going!"

After speaking, she lowered the curtain and ordered the manager to continue.

The carriage hit the post road and sped away, leaving a swirl of yellow dust behind.

Watching the carriage get further and further away, Yang Yun had no choice but to follow. He mounted his horse and gave chase.

Jiafu ordered Tanxiang, who was riding with her, to fetch her bundle. She took out the letter Yang Yun had delivered that day, pulled out the letter paper, and stared at it once more. Slowly, she tore it into two pieces, then four, eight—she did not stop. Under Tanxiang's astonished gaze, she shredded the paper into tiny bits, finally extended her hand out of the carriage window, and opened her fingers.

The small pieces of paper were instantly scattered by the strong wind on the post road, dancing wildly like butterflies before dissipating into the fields.