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墨書 Inktalez
It was already deep winter, and from the morning, leaden clouds hung low in the sky, casting a gray pall over the land. By dusk, a biting north wind rose suddenly, sweeping down a flurry of snowflakes like scattered jade and crystal.
The snow fell thickly, like salt being scattered in the air, transforming the entire city of Chongzhou into a blanket of white.
From the direction outside the city, a long procession could be seen escorting a carriage, and inside that carriage was his son, whom he had never met before, born of the woman he loved most in this life.
Ye Chen had not yet reached the City Gate when he heard the mingled sounds of commotion carried by the cold wind from afar.
Unconsciously, his fingertips brushed against the edge of the carriage curtain. He quietly lifted a corner and caught sight of the townsfolk stopping to gaze. Among the crowd, someone lowered their voice in surprise, and the people turned their faces away, leaving only half their features visible to the carriage.
So many people!
Ye Chen silently lowered the curtain. He was about to meet his uncle by this body—his father's brother, whom he had never encountered before.
In truth, Ye Chen felt a twinge of regret and guilt. The regret and guilt stemmed from knowing that his real son had long since passed away; now, Ye Chen was merely a soul that had traversed time and occupied his son's body.
On the way here, he had learned quite a bit about King Huai'an. Even the letters previously withheld by Pei Guanjing had been reopened for him to read.
The strokes flowed smoothly as he wrote; with a relaxed grip, one could discern character through handwriting. King Huai'an appeared to be a man of both literary talent and military prowess. Moreover, he was said to be a romantic. It was rumored that he remained unmarried for Lin Feifei's sake, waiting for her return. However, what he did not know was that Lin Feifei had passed away less than a year after giving birth to Ye Chen, suffering from illness until her last breath.
When the carriage came to a stop, a middle-aged man dressed in dark blue court attire approached. With sharp brows and bright eyes that bore traces of elegance shaped by time, he must have been an extraordinary figure in his youth.
King Huai'an Liu Jin's greatest regret in life was that if only he had taken Lin Feifei away from Jiangnan back then, she would not have suffered so much later on. Now she was gone and had left him with a son; how could he ever repay her?
Thinking of this, King Huai'an Liu Jin looked at his son with reddened eyes. Trembling slightly, he stepped forward. Seeing this, Ye Chen hurriedly approached and bowed his head to call out, "Father."
This word "father" was one he had waited for far too long. From the moment he learned of his existence to when he was captured by King Ren and held in the capital for an entire year before they could finally meet—this truly felt like the best news amidst such chaos in the world.
Liu Jin trembled as he spoke, reaching out to help Ye Chen up. "Alright, alright," he repeated several times before finally assisting Ye Chen into the carriage he had brought. He then turned to look at the group that had accompanied him.
"Are you sent by Pei Guanjing?" Liu Jin scanned the crowd.
The individuals moved with steady steps, their footprints in the snow arranged neatly, indicating they were skilled fighters with considerable strength.
One person stepped forward and said, "It is Young Master's arrangement. We hope King Huai'an will grant us permission to stay in Chongzhou to protect the lady."
"The lady?" Liu Jin scoffed.
"My son has just returned to Chongzhou to inherit my throne. How does he become your lady? Tell Pei Guanjing that the engagement he forced upon my son with threats against his life may count in the eyes of the world, but in my eyes, Liu Jin, it means nothing. If he wants Chen Er to marry him, he can dream on." With that, Liu Jin waved his sleeve and left without even glancing at them, instead taking a seat in the carriage alongside Ye Chen.
Ye Chen stole several glances at Liu Jin, unsure of what to say; after all, he had never met his father before.
The look Liu Jin gave Ye Chen was gentle and warm, a stark contrast to his earlier harshness when driving people out of the city.
Trying to soften his tone, Liu Jin asked, "A Chen, do you remember which month your birthday is?"
Country folk typically only remember the year they were born, and since he had never celebrated a birthday, this question caught him off guard. He didn't know; every New Year, he simply added another year silently to his age.
Ye Chen pursed his lips and blinked. "I don't know."
Liu Jin felt a sharp pang in his heart; his son didn’t even know his own birthday. Had he never celebrated it? The thought made Liu Jin grasp Ye Chen's hand and pull him closer, wanting to examine him closely. But as he held Ye Chen's hand, he froze for a moment. This was...
Feeling the calluses on Ye Chen's palm made Liu Jin's eyes well up even more; his own flesh and blood had endured so much suffering.
Why was this good father such a crybaby? Ye Chen wanted to pull his hand away, but seeing the tears welling in Liu Jin's eyes made him reluctant. In this world, Liu Jin might be the closest person he had.
Ye Chen felt a pang of guilt as he acknowledged that he had taken away Liu Jin's paternal love. However, he promised, "I will treat him like my own father and care for him in his old age. Please forgive my intrusion."
He reached out to wipe away the tears from Liu Jin's slightly weathered face and softly said, "Father, don't cry anymore. I will stay with you from now on."
Liu Jin looked at the face that bore a resemblance to Lin Feifei and felt a mix of sorrow and joy. Though the loved one was gone, their beloved son remained.
He quickly embraced Ye Chen, crying as he said, "Good, just stay with me. Don't go anywhere else."
Ye Chen paused for a moment with his hand in mid-air before wrapping his arms tightly around Liu Jin, burying his face in his shoulder as silent tears flowed.
For the first time in this world, he felt a sense of home.
The first thing Liu Jin did upon bringing him back to the royal residence was to acknowledge their ancestry and update the family tree. The royal family had always been passed down through a single line, and now Ye Chen was the only son of Kun Ze.
Liu Jin initially thought about finding a husband for Ye Chen who would come to their home. Even if that man bullied Ye Chen, he could keep an eye on things to prevent such occurrences. Little did he know that just days after learning of Ye Chen's existence, Pei Guanjing and Pei Yongshang began sending letters proposing a marriage alliance, revealing Ye Chen's whereabouts only in exchange for this arrangement.
He also had spies in the military camp of Lan Prefecture. As Ye Chen's master, it was already questionable for them to share a room together, but knowing that Ye Chen was Kun Ze's son and still pursuing such a union was truly despicable. The idea of a master marrying his disciple was an affront to human decency, yet Pei Guanjing, who prided himself on his integrity, was capable of such actions.
When Liu Jin first saw the letter, he nearly spat blood in anger, wishing it would splatter across Pei Guanjing's face.
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