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墨書 Inktalez
It was already deep winter, and from the morning, the sky was shrouded in leaden clouds, a gray haze stretching for miles. By dusk, a biting north wind rose, sweeping down a flurry of snowflakes like scattered jade and crystal.
The snow fell thickly, blanketing Chongzhou City in an instant.
From the direction outside the city, a grand procession was approaching, escorting a carriage that held his son—whom he had never seen before—born of the woman he loved most in this life.
Ye Chen had not yet reached the City Gate when he heard the distant commotion mingled with the cold wind.
Unconsciously, his fingertips brushed against the edge of the carriage curtain. He quietly lifted a corner and caught a glimpse of the townsfolk who had stopped to watch. Among the crowd, someone whispered in astonishment, 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 long-lost uncle, who was also his biological father.
In truth, Ye Chen felt a pang of regret and guilt. The regret and guilt stemmed from knowing that his real son had died long ago. Now, Ye Chen was merely a soul that had traversed time and occupied his son's body.
On the way here, he learned quite a bit about King Huai'an, even reopening letters that Pei Guanjing had previously withheld.
His brush flowed smoothly across the paper, each stroke relaxed yet deliberate. Judging by his handwriting, it seemed King Huai'an was indeed a man of both literary and martial talents. Furthermore, he had heard that he was a romantic at heart. It was said that he remained unmarried for life, waiting for Lin Feifei. However, what he did not know was that after Lin Feifei gave birth to Ye Chen, she passed away less than a year later, suffering from illness until her last breath.
When the carriage came to a halt, a middle-aged man dressed in dark blue court robes approached. He had sharp brows and bright eyes; the slight droop at the corners hinted at a refined elegance shaped by years. In his youth, he must have been an extraordinary figure.
For King Huai'an, also known as Liu Jin, one of his greatest regrets in life was that if only he had taken Lin Feifei away from Jiangnan back then, she would not have endured so much suffering. Now she was gone, leaving him with a son; how could he ever make amends?
Thinking of this, King Huai'an looked at his son with tears welling up in his eyes. He trembled as he stepped forward. Seeing this, Ye Chen hurriedly approached and bowed his head to call out, “Father.”
He had waited so long for this word—ever since learning of his existence to being captured by Ren Wang, an entire year had passed before they could finally meet. This truly felt like the best news in such chaotic times.
Liu Jin trembled as he spoke, reaching out to help Ye Chen up. "Alright, alright," he repeated several times before 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 group.
These individuals moved with steady steps, their footprints neatly arranged in the snow, indicating they were skilled martial artists 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 can he become your lady? Tell Pei Guanjing that the engagement he set up by threatening my son's 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 should dream on." With that, Liu Jin waved his sleeve and left without looking at them again, instead sitting in the carriage alongside Ye Chen.
Ye Chen stole glances at Liu Jin, unsure of what to say. After all, he had never met his father before.
The way Liu Jin looked at Ye Chen was gentle and warm, a stark contrast to his earlier attitude when he had driven people out of the city.
Trying to soften his tone, Liu Jin asked, "A Chen, do you remember what month your birthday is?"
Country folk 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; he simply added a year to his age every New Year.
Ye Chen pursed his lips and blinked. "I don’t know."
Liu Jin felt a pang in his heart; his son didn’t even know his own birthday. Had he never celebrated it? The thought made Liu Jin pull Ye Chen closer, wanting to examine him closely. But as he took hold of Ye Chen's hand, he paused. 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 softie? Ye Chen wanted to pull his hand away, but seeing the tears welling up in Liu Jin's eyes made him hesitate. In this world, Liu Jin might be the closest person he had left.
"I'm sorry, Ye Chen," he said, "I have taken your father's love for myself, but I promise to treat him as my own father and care for him in his old age. Please forgive my intrusion."
Ye Chen reached out to wipe away the tears on Liu Jin's slightly weathered face and softly said, "Father, don't cry. 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. The loved one was gone, but their beloved son remained.
He quickly embraced Ye Chen, crying as he said, "Alright, just stay with me. Don't go anywhere else."
Ye Chen paused in mid-air, then returned the embrace tightly, burying his face in Liu Jin's 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. Their royal family had always been passed down through a single line, and now Ye Chen was the only son of Kun Ze.
Liu Jin had initially thought about finding a suitable husband for Ye Chen. Even if that man mistreated him in the future, Liu Jin could keep an eye on things to prevent such occurrences. However, just a few 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 under that pretense.
He also had spies in the military camp of Lan Prefecture. As Ye Chen's master and someone who shared the same living space with him, it was one thing; but knowing that Ye Chen was Kun Ze’s son and still acting this way was truly disgraceful. To then propose a marriage between master and disciple—such a violation of human decency—was something even the high-minded Pei Guanjing could stoop to.
When Liu Jin saw the letter, he nearly spat blood in anger, splattering it across Pei Guanjing's face.
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