Chapter 42 The Real and Fake Princes
On a stormy night at the Pei residence, a dark figure burst through the bedroom door and nimbly darted in.
Pei Shilin was awakened by a gust of cold wind while lying on the bed. When he opened his eyes, he saw a soaking wet man in black standing in front of his bed, which almost scared him to death. He tried to scream, but the man in black covered his mouth tightly.
"Don't make a sound." The man in black was masked, and his appearance was not visible in the dim light, but Pei Shilin was startled by the familiar voice.
His mind was still foggy from just waking up, but he felt that the voice sounded so much like his uncle Pei Heng. He asked softly under the damp palm, "Are you... are you my uncle?"
The man in black neither answered nor denied, but simply ordered, "Go to Yuqing Temple to fetch your wife."
Who? Is Xie Yushu being received?
Pei Shilin was puzzled, but after the man in black finished speaking, he let go of her hand, turned around, and leaped out of the window, appearing and disappearing like a ghost.
If it weren't for the puddles on the ground, Pei Shilin would have thought he was dreaming. He touched the wet raindrops on his face, still completely bewildered. Was that man his uncle, Pei Heng? Wasn't Pei Heng missing? How could he suddenly appear in Bianjing? And even instruct him to pick up Xie Yushu in the middle of the night?
Didn't Xie Yushu stay overnight at Yuqing Temple with Lady Yong'an tonight? What happened?
But even if something happened, it wouldn't be his uncle Pei Heng's place to inform him...
The torrential rain and cold wind blew in through the window, making Pei Shilin wide awake. After thinking for a moment, he put on his robe, got out of bed, and summoned his attendant, instructing him, "Go to Yuqing Temple and see if anything has happened."
But just as the attendant was about to leave, the man in black returned and reappeared at the door.
Amidst the lightning and thunder, Pei Shilin was terrified. He took a half-step back and asked again, "Are you really my uncle, Pei Heng?"
The man remained silent, staring at him as if angered. He stepped forward, grabbed the man's collar, and slapped him across the face, coldly saying, "You even have to slack off when it comes to fetching your new wife. Would it kill you to go to Yuqing Temple yourself?"
Pei Shilin was enraged by the slap, but despite his fear, he still said, "Who exactly are you? Do you need to concern yourself with my family affairs?"
Pei Heng, who was wearing a mask, really wanted to teach him a lesson, but he had no time to waste. He grabbed Pei Shilin and threw him into the rain, saying one last thing: "Go and pick him up yourself!"
But there was no way to keep an eye on him, so they had to leave first.
His men and Xiao Dao were waiting for him outside the Pei residence. He stormed out, mounted his horse, and heard Xiao Dao say coldly, "I told you Pei Shilin wouldn't go. He doesn't care about Miss Yushu's life or death at all. He only married Miss Yushu to climb up the ranks of the Yong'an Marquis's family."
Pei Heng didn't say a word this time, and spurred his horse straight to the palace.
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The rain was so heavy it felt like the sky was leaking.
Xiao Dao never expected to be taken into the palace. Squads of imperial guards stood outside a grand hall. Pei Heng led him inside and he saw alchemy furnaces and various bottles and jars.
This appears to be an alchemy room.
"Wait here for a moment, don't wander around," Pei Heng said in a low voice, then quickly went to the inner hall separated by a curtain.
Xiao Dao vaguely heard him talking to someone in the inner hall, saying something like, "The person has been brought," and "You may begin..."
What exactly are we supposed to do?
Xiao Dao looked behind him again, only to find the palace gates closed and the imperial guards looming outside.
A short while later, Pei Heng came out of the inner hall with two people: a man dressed as a eunuch and an old nanny.
The three walked up to Xiaodao. The old woman was holding a bowl of something, and the man dressed as a eunuch said very politely, "Please drop a drop of your blood into this bowl of water."
Xiao Dao glanced at the bowl of water and immediately thought of: blood test for kinship.
He was startled. It seemed that Miss Yushu was right. Pei Heng was going to take him to find out who his parents were. His parents were actually... the Emperor?
Xiao Dao felt a surge of joy. In fact, he never cared who his parents were, nor did he ever think about finding them again. In his view, the fact that his parents abandoned him when he was young meant that they didn't want him, so why should he bother to find his relatives?
But... if his father were the emperor, then he would have the absolute right to help Miss Yushu live a good life.
Without hesitation, he picked up the silver needle next to the silver bowl and pricked his fingertip hard, squeezing a drop of blood into the bowl.
The eunuch then led the old nanny back into the inner palace.
He guessed that they must have had the person inside drip their blood to verify it.
Xiao Dao couldn't help but look over, but the inner hall was extremely quiet, with only the rustling sound of fabric rubbing together, leaving him unable to guess whether the blood test for kinship had been successful.
When the inner palace curtain was lifted again, the eunuch said, "His Majesty ordered General Pei to bring him in."
Pei Heng then led him into the inner hall.
The lights in the inner hall dimmed, and the smell of medicinal herbs was so strong it was almost suffocating.
Xiao Dao finally saw the current emperor, who was reclining on a side couch. He was very different from what Xiao Dao had imagined. The emperor was so thin and weak, even though he was only over forty years old.
The emperor on the side couch also looked at him.
The two of them froze for a moment when their eyes met.
Xiao Dao saw a pair of eyes that looked very much like his own—slightly upturned phoenix eyes, brown pupils, and even the slight redness at the corners of their eyes was exactly the same.
Only the eyes are similar; the nose, mouth, and overall shape are completely different.
Pei Heng whispered a reminder for him to bow.
Xiao Dao silently bowed, then heard the emperor say in a weak voice, "No need for bowing, come closer."
Under Pei Heng's gaze, Xiao Dao approached the side couch and stopped beside it.
The emperor's gaze lingered on his face. The old nanny beside him spoke up, "Please trouble you, sir, to take off your right shoe and sock."
Before Xiao Dao could react, two very young eunuchs knelt at his feet to take off his shoes.
He took a half-step back, looking uneasy, and said, "I can do it myself."
The sight of slaves kneeling and serving him reminded him of himself, and he disliked it.
He bent down and quickly took off his soaking wet shoes and socks, revealing a foot with only four toes.
The emperor, lying on the couch, suddenly pressed his hand to his chest and began to gasp for breath.
"Your Majesty!" The eunuch and the old nanny hurriedly patted his back, brought him tea and medicine, and made a great commotion.
Pei Heng stepped forward, grabbed his arm, and asked, "When did you lose a toe on your right foot?"
"I don't know," Xiao Dao answered truthfully. "I've never had a little toe on my right foot since I can remember. My master said it was eaten by a wild dog when I was abandoned in the mountains."
Pei Heng frowned and asked again, "Your master is called the King of Song, right? He is missing his right arm and is skilled in swordsmanship with his left hand."
Xiao Dao looked at him in surprise: "How did you know?"
Pei Heng's face turned extremely ugly. He did not answer the question anymore, but knelt down on one knee before the emperor on the side couch and said, "Your Majesty, since the disciple of the King of Song is indeed Xiao Dao, then the claim of the prince as a hostage by the Great Southern Kingdom must be false. I beg Your Majesty to order troops to wipe out the Great Southern Kingdom and kill the two escaped kings together!"
The emperor swallowed the elixir on his couch, leaned back on the soft pillows for a long while before finally letting out a breath. He squeezed out a few words with resentment: "Granted. Suppress the Great Southern Kingdom, but capture the Song King alive within the Great Southern Kingdom... Bring the Song King back to me. I want to investigate thoroughly and get to the bottom of this..."
"Yes!" Pei Heng replied, then asked, "Your Majesty, before the truth is thoroughly investigated and Xiao Dao's identity is verified, he should not remain in Bianjing. I wish to take him to the army so that he can assist me in capturing the Prince of Song alive."
Xiao Dao frowned, about to say something, when he heard the emperor grant Pei Heng's request.
He felt a tightness in his chest, looked at the emperor with a frown, and asked, "What were the results of the blood test? Am I Your Majesty's son? Is Your Majesty trying to use sending me to the battlefield to get rid of me?"
Everyone was astonished by him.
Pei Heng immediately grabbed his arm, "Don't be rude, Xiao Dao."
Xiao Dao shook off his hand and said, "I know that if I want to live, I cannot disobey the emperor's orders. I will go with you, but before I leave, I must at least know the result of the blood test."
The emperor looked at him and sighed as if somewhat disappointed: "Since you've already guessed, I won't hide it from you."
He raised his hand, and the old woman handed the bowl of water with blood dripping into it to Xiao Dao. The blood inside had already mixed together, so it must have blended.
But the emperor said, "A blood test alone cannot confirm kinship. I need to see your master, the Prince of Song, to know whether you are truly my son. Before that, if you reveal this matter..."
Xiao Dao didn't listen to the whole story before turning around and leaving the inner hall.
"Xiao Dao!" Pei Heng couldn't stop him and said to the Emperor, "Your Majesty, please don't blame him. He was raised as an assassin by the Prince of Song since childhood and doesn't know these etiquette rules."
The emperor took a deep, suffocating breath and said helplessly, "He is temporarily in your hands. Take him away from Bianjing tonight, and do not let anyone know."
"Yes, Your Majesty, I understand." Pei Heng bowed and took his leave.
The emperor closed his eyes on his bed, feeling utterly consumed by grief. Was Zhen'er not his son after all...?
In the midst of heavy rain, dark clouds loomed overhead.
Pei Heng quickly left the palace with Xiao Dao, promising to let him see Xie Yushu one last time before leaving.
Unexpectedly, Xie Yushu was taken back to the Prime Minister's residence by Song Jie.
The Prime Minister's residence was heavily guarded, making it impossible to enter and see Xie Yushu without alerting Song Jie.
He could only go to the Pei residence again to bring over Xizhi, the old woman who served Xie Yushu, and bring her to Xiaodao. "If you have anything you want to say to Xie Yushu, tell the old woman and let her pass it on to her."
Looking at Xiaodao, he felt a pang of sorrow for him. Xiaodao was clearly a prince, yet he had been wandering outside for more than ten years, suffering endless hardships. Now that the emperor had found him, he had to go to great lengths to verify his identity and stay away from Bianjing before the verification was completed, all to avoid leaking information and to preserve the royal family's reputation. Anyone would think that the emperor did not want to find his son.
However, this matter concerns the royal bloodline, and there is no room for error.
Pei Heng understood the Emperor's pain, but he hoped even more that the Emperor and Xiao Dao would know that tens of thousands of his soldiers were fighting to the death on the front lines, waiting for him, and that every moment of delay could result in countless deaths and injuries.
He said to Xiaodao again, "Hurry up, we must leave Bianjing before dawn."
Xiao Dao remained silent. He knew that Pei Heng's anxiety concerned his soldiers, but to him, he had already listened to Miss Yu Shu's advice and made concessions time and again.
He did not disobey orders to leave Bianjing; he only wanted to see Miss Yushu before leaving, but this was also impossible.
He desperately wanted to ignore Pei Heng and rush into the Prime Minister's residence to find Miss Yu Shu, but then what?
Then the emperor will be furious and will not only execute him, but also blame Miss Yushu.
He couldn't bring such trouble upon her, so he yielded once again, saying to Granny Xizhi, "Granny, tell Miss I'll be back soon, right after the war..."
And then what? What could he possibly say?
Xiao Dao was disheartened to find that he couldn't even express the secret love in his heart. Miss Yu Shu was Madam Pei, and he was nothing now.
He pulled out a small knife from his sleeve, cut off a section of his black hair, tied it securely with a hairband, and handed it to Granny Xizhi: "Give this to Miss for me, tell her to take care and wait for me to return."
Xizhi had no idea what was going on. She just held the piece of hair and nodded blankly. She then hurriedly asked Xiaodao, "Where are you going? What kind of war are you fighting? Your leg isn't healed yet..."
Xiao Dao suddenly felt like crying. From childhood to adulthood, no one had ever cared about his life or death. His master seemed to hate him, beating and scolding him and using him.
Now that he has finally found his biological father, his father doesn't think much of him. How can someone like him be worthy of being a prince?
Only the young lady and the old nanny cared whether his leg injury had healed.
Xiao Dao gave the old woman a stiff hug, said nothing, and turned to walk towards Pei Heng.
In the heavy rain, Xizhi saw him get soaked quickly and walk away all alone.
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When Xizhi arrived at the Prime Minister's residence, it was already the hour of Yin (3-5 AM). Cangshu recognized her as Xie Yushu's nanny and, not daring to be negligent, brought her into the residence and settled her in a side room. He explained to her that Xie Yushu had already gone to sleep and that if there was any urgent matter, she could wait until she woke up.
Xizhi was unsure whether to wake her young lady and tell her that Xiaodao had left, so she said, "Which room is the young lady sleeping in? Please take me there, and I will serve her."
Cangshu hesitated for a moment and said, "I'm afraid it's inconvenient. Miss Yushu is resting in the Prime Minister's room."
"What?" Xizhi's eyes widened in surprise.
Even though Cangshu said again, "Don't worry, we will sleep in separate beds."
She was also extremely anxious. Sleeping separately was not an option. The Prime Minister had no intention of marrying their young lady. What if he took the opportunity to bully their young lady?
With a stiff expression, she said again, "Since we are sleeping in separate beds, please take me there. I will not disturb the Prime Minister, and will only serve the young lady by her bedside. The young lady will need tea at night."
Cangshu still said, "It's not very convenient. The Prime Minister doesn't like other people in his room."
Xi Zhi cursed inwardly: Why did they have to keep their young lady in the room if they didn't like other people in it!
"This matter is really urgent!" Xizhi was even more eager to accompany her young lady, so she said urgently, "It is of great importance. Please go and wake our young lady, or you can take me there."
Cangshu wanted to refuse, but then she saw a gray carrier pigeon fly to the eaves of the house.
It was a message sent from within the palace.
He immediately instructed the nanny to wait in the side room, turned around and went out to close the door. Then he raised his hand to summon the carrier pigeon, pulled out the paper bucket from under the pigeon's wet feathers, and tiptoed to the Prime Minister's door. He had only gently pushed the door open a crack when he heard the Prime Minister ask very softly, "What is it?"
The Prime Minister is still awake?
Cangshu pushed open the door and saw the Prime Minister emerge from the bed curtains, but the undergarment he was wearing was not the one he had worn to serve the Prime Minister that night.
The Prime Minister came out from Miss Yushu's bedside and changed his inner clothes.
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Author's note: Update!
I've started a new pre-order for "The Most Honest Person in the Cultivation World." The female lead is a huge fan of Sai and is known for her charm throughout the cultivation world. Those who are interested can pre-order it! [shy]
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