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墨書 Inktalez
As Pei Guanjing had said, his subordinates indeed arrived quickly.
That afternoon, the sun was shining brightly, and most of the villagers were still taking their afternoon naps.
Suddenly, a group of soldiers burst into the village. Some villagers who were visiting their neighbors immediately rushed back into their homes, while others locked their children in the cellar. It wasn't until the soldiers explained they were looking for Pei Guanjing that the villagers felt relieved.
Ye Chen packed his belongings and bid farewell to the warm-hearted farmer's sister before setting off with Pei Guanjing on the road back to the capital. He had never been to the capital before, but it was said to be the most prosperous place in Tianqi, so he imagined there would be plenty of delicious food and fun things to do.
Ye Chen initially intended to return to Chongzhou, and Pei Guanjing had agreed to this. However, after seeing a decree from the Regent in Pei Guanjing's hidden compartment, he changed his mind.
"I'm going back to the capital with you."
Suddenly, as Pei Guanjing held a scroll in one hand and sipped tea with the other, Ye Chen leaped into his arms like a little rabbit and softly said, "Pei Guanjing, I want to go back to the capital with you."
Pei Guanjing was momentarily taken aback, pausing his movements. He lowered his head, gently set down his teacup, and instinctively pulled Ye Chen closer, sitting him on his lap. With a puzzled expression, he asked, "Why is that? Didn't we agree I would send you back to Chongzhou to see your father? Why do you want to enter the capital with me instead?" As he spoke, he gently stroked Ye Chen's back, his eyes filled with affection that could almost melt anyone.
Ye Chen buried his face in Pei Guanjing's embrace and refused to look up. After a while, he murmured, "Pei Guanjing, were you planning not to tell me about this if I didn't say anything?"
In the next moment, Ye Chen threw the decree he had hidden in his sleeve forcefully in front of Pei Guanjing.
The decree fell onto Pei Guanjing's clothes but he did not reach out for it. Instead, it dropped onto the carriage floor and unfolded to reveal its contents.
"Entering the capital together with Ye Chen is mandatory; any violation will be punished. — Regent Pei Yongshang’s personal decree."
The simple phrase "any violation will be punished" sent chills down Ye Chen's spine.
He dared not think about what punishment Pei Guanjing might face if he did not accompany him into the capital. Although he did not fully understand the current situation in the world, it was clear that King Ren's rebellion in Yunzhou stemmed from him; he could not let Pei Guanjing bear the consequences alone.
Seeing this, Pei Guanjing smiled faintly and gently pinched Ye Chen's cheek, teasingly saying, "A Chen, what's wrong? Are you afraid of me being punished by my adoptive father?"
Ye Chen smirked. He was now dressed in the elaborate attire of a noble scion. Although the fabric was light and far more comfortable than the coarse robes he had worn before, the intricate design made it difficult for him to adapt while walking. Just as he intended to sit beside Pei Guanjing, he accidentally stepped on the hem of his own robe, causing him to stumble forward and fall into Pei Guanjing's arms.
He certainly didn't want to acknowledge such an embarrassing moment, so he pretended that he had willingly thrown himself into Pei Guanjing's embrace.
Pei Guanjing, on the other hand, was quite pleased with Ye Chen's sudden closeness. He held him with one arm while gently stroking his ear with the other, savoring this rare moment of intimacy.
Ye Chen tilted his head back, creating some distance between them, and said, "It's not that I'm afraid you’ll be punished; I just think that the marriage between my father and your adoptive father is rather suspicious. I want to go to the capital to see your adoptive father. Besides, I've never been to the capital before. I'm curious and want to see more of the world."
Reluctantly, Pei Guanjing rested his chin on Ye Chen's forehead and softly replied, "Alright then, we will enter the capital together."
Of course, Pei Guanjing couldn't bring tens of thousands of troops from Lan Prefecture into the capital, so he entrusted all of Lan Prefecture's forces to Feng De, He Mu Ming's deputy general, while he brought back He Mu Ming's remains.
The journey was long. Ye Chen had thought that no matter how far it was, they would reach the capital in just a few days. However, due to the current turmoil, their route along the Official Road was blocked, causing significant delays. By the time they finally entered the capital, they realized winter was nearly upon them.
Contrary to Ye Chen's expectations of a grand welcoming ceremony, waiting at the city gate were only a few civil officials who did not seem there to greet him and Pei Guanjing; instead, they appeared to be there for He Mu Ming.
He remained in the carriage without disembarking, listening as Pei Guanjing spoke with those officials about arrangements for He Mu Ming’s funeral. When He Mu Ming’s elderly mother and wife saw his coffin from afar, they were overwhelmed with grief and nearly fainted from sorrow.
Ye Chen felt quite conflicted about He Mu Ming.
This man had dedicated his life to serving his country and its people on the battlefield; yet in the end, he did not die in battle but at the hands of a prince from the enemy nation of Kun Ze. Such disgraceful circumstances were not something that should be widely publicized, especially since He Mu Ming had imprisoned and humiliated an enemy prince beforehand.
Ye Chen’s gaze drifted over the crowd outside the carriage. The common people stood closely packed together at a distance from the procession, unable to approach. As he scanned their faces from afar, something suddenly caught his eye.
He froze when he recognized a figure in the distance—familiar and strikingly so. Those deep blue eyes were unmistakable; Ye Chen knew he could not be mistaken.
That was Muer.
Muer's abdomen was flat, indicating that he must have terminated the pregnancy; otherwise, by now he would have been over nine months along. After all, if he could kill He Mu Ming, he certainly wouldn’t have cared about bearing a child for him.
It seemed that today’s secret entry into the capital was also to take one last look at an old acquaintance like him. Whether that glance held longing or resentment, he could not tell.
When Pei Guanjing returned to the carriage, he saw Ye Chen still gazing out the window. Curious, he leaned closer and followed his gaze, asking, “What are you looking at?”
Just as Pei Guanjing leaned toward Ye Chen’s line of sight, Ye Chen quickly pulled down the curtain, pressed his lips together, and shook his head with a hint of panic in his expression. “Nothing.”
Seeing that Ye Chen had no intention of saying more, Pei Guanjing didn’t press further. The convoy set off again, heading toward the Regent’s residence.
Pei Guanjing held Ye Chen’s hand tightly, lowering his head as shadows began to gather in his eyes.
The Regent’s mansion had long prepared a family banquet to welcome Ye Chen and Pei Guanjing.
Ye Chen followed behind Pei Guanjing; it was his first time being stared at by so many people, making him feel anxious inside.
But there was nothing he could do; after all, he was currently the “top star” of Tianqi. Naturally, these people were curious and wanted to see what this rumored “vixen” looked like.
However, to your disappointment, I don’t possess such great charm.
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