Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
"Guanjing, this time you will personally lead the team to capture Xiao Feng. You must bring him back," said the middle-aged man seated high on the platform, his figure almost engulfing the shadows, making it impossible to discern his expression.
Standing below the platform, Pei Guanjing's silhouette was elongated by the light as he leaned forward and replied, "Rest assured, adoptive father. This time, it will be foolproof."
Upon hearing Pei Guanjing's response, the middle-aged man burst into loud laughter, his boisterous voice echoing in the empty room.
In Lan Prefecture, at Yongji Inn.
In the dead of night, the howling of wolves echoed from the distant desert when suddenly, a noise came from the door.
The person lying in bed abruptly opened his eyes, glancing towards the door with a hint of speculation in the darkness.
"Who is it?"
"It's me, Young Master," came a soft reply from outside.
Pei Guanjing withdrew his cold gaze, rose to put on his outer robe, and opened the door. "Come in."
As Mo Yu entered the room, he presented a letter from his waist with both hands. "Reporting to Young Master, I have investigated the boy from Sun Family Village. He indeed has issues. According to my findings, that boy's name is Ye Chen. His father, Ye Fang, moved to Sun Family Village with his wife Lin over a decade ago. Ye Fang passed away six months ago, and his biological mother died shortly after giving birth due to complications. Furthermore, I discovered some discrepancies regarding timelines; Ye Chen was born before Ye Fang married Lin Feifei and is not Ye Fang's biological son."
"As for Lin Feifei, she was originally the daughter of a wealthy merchant from Jiangnan but married Ye Fang after her family's decline. However, due to the passage of time, I could not uncover any details about her intimate contacts during her maidenhood."
"Oh?" Pei Guanjing paused momentarily while adjusting his sleeves, raising an eyebrow slightly. "That is indeed interesting. Is Lin Feifei from the Lin family of Jiangnan's royal merchants?"
"Yes."
As a member of the Tian Qian clan, Pei Guanjing was tall but not cumbersome; he possessed a physique that balanced between lean and robust. He took the letter from Mo Yu's hands and opened it under the moonlight, quickly scanning through the text.
"Interesting, truly interesting. This Lin Feifei turns out to be Kun Ze," Pei Guanjing said, pinching the corners of the letter as he stepped over and sat down in a chair. "I remember that the Lin family, a royal merchant, initially rejected King Huai'an's proposal because their daughter was promised to Zhong Yong. How is it that Lin Feifei is now Kun Ze?"
"Interesting, indeed. It seems another good show is about to unfold," he continued.
As he spoke, Pei Guanjing flicked his sleeve slightly, and somehow, the letter began to burn spontaneously.
In the dim and silent environment, the flickering flames revealed the sharp contours of Pei Guanjing's handsome profile.
Mo Yu watched Pei Guanjing's actions and after a moment of hesitation, spoke up, "There is one more matter I must report."
Pei Guanjing raised an eyebrow slightly. "Speak."
Mo Yu continued, "On the day I arrived at Sun Family Village, Ye Chen's stepmother, Liu Ya, was caught committing adultery and harming Ye Chen. She was reported to the local magistrate and sentenced to exile in Yongzhou for hard labor."
"And what about Ye Chen?"
For some reason, Pei Guanjing suddenly recalled the boy he had seen earlier that day.
He looked so much like him.
If it weren't for the fact that he sensed none of the aura of the boy from Sun Family Village on him, he might have thought this was indeed the same boy.
Mo Yu went on, "I did not find his remains, but the villagers unanimously believe that Liu and her lover Sun were responsible. Under interrogation at the magistrate's prison, they confessed that the body was thrown into Moon-Illuminated River. However, in the downstream area, officials found no trace of the body and ultimately concluded that it had been devoured by river fish, thus closing the case due to lack of evidence."
With the letter now burned to ashes, Pei Guanjing crushed the black remnants in his hand and faded back into the darkness.
In his indistinct silhouette, a flicker of malice flashed in Pei Guanjing's eyes as he slowly lifted his head to gaze at the shadowy screen ahead of him, remaining silent for a long time.
"Devoured with no remains?"
Mo Yu felt an inexplicable chill in the air around him but steeled himself to reply, "Yes."
Suddenly, a deep, resonant voice echoed through the empty, quiet room.
It was the unmistakable laughter of Pei Guanjing, difficult to suppress.
Mo Yu took a trembling step back. Was he having another episode?!
Just as Mo Yu attempted to escape, he was called back by Pei Guanjing.
“Mo Yu.”
Mo Yu felt a jolt run through him and stood up straight.
“Go back to the capital for me and inform my adoptive father about this matter. Then, investigate the situation between King Huai'an and Lin Feifei in Jiangnan.”
“Yes…” Mo Yu replied.
“Mo Sheng.”
From a shadowy corner, Mo Sheng quietly emerged from a dark crevice. “Here.”
“Go to Chongzhou and find King Huai'an. I’ve heard he hasn’t married in many years; he must still be thinking of his past. Deliver a significant gift on my behalf.”
Mo Sheng looked confused. “Young Master, what kind of significant gift?”
Pei Guanjing smirked. “Just tell him that he has a son, Kun Ze, lost outside, and now we have him.”
“What?!” Mo Sheng exclaimed.
“!!!” Mo Yu gasped.
No way, Young Master, you really dare to play it this way.
His son is dead, and you’re acting like this?!
If previously Pei Guanjing only suspected that Ye Chen was a Kun Ze, now he could be certain that he indeed was a Kun Ze.
That day, he sensed a fragrance that he initially thought was the scent of flowers in the mountains, but now he realized it must have been the Xin Xiang of that Kun Ze.
What a pity it was to encounter a Kun Ze whose Xin Xiang resonated so well with his own after so many years, and even from such a distance, it stirred the Xin Xiang within him. Yet before they could meet, he had already fallen into the underworld.
Just a face that felt somewhat familiar made him unable to forget an ordinary passerby. He had always found it puzzling, but now everything made sense.
The parents of a Kun Ze must be Kun Ze and Tian Qian, but Ye Fang was merely a Zhong Yong; how could he possibly give birth to a Kun Ze? Moreover, given that person's status, how could he allow anyone to lay claim to his Kun Ze?
Adding to this was Ye Chen’s profile that bore a striking resemblance to an old acquaintance; it seemed there was no mistake.
The corruption case in Jiangnan fourteen years ago implicated numerous royal merchants who were all imprisoned. It seemed that King Huai'an went to great lengths to protect Lin Feifei.
After all, the original decree stated that all families of corrupt officials colluding with royal merchants would be sent to Jiaofangsi. No one expected that King Huai'an would plead with Emperor Jing at the time to change the decree to demote them to commoners, with Jin Yin being confiscated and their children barred from serving in court—a rare act of mercy.
From the capital all the way to Jiangnan, many changes must have occurred along the way for King Huai'an to remain unmarried until now, declaring that he would only wait for one person who would never return.
At first, he wondered who that person could be; now it all seemed traceable.
Now that Ye Chen is dead with no evidence to contradict it, anyone could be found to take his place. King Huai'an would not know that the real Ye Chen had already met his end in the depths of the sea. Thus, he could gain an advantage in his adoptive father's plans and collaborate with King Huai'an.
Comment 0 Comment Count