On the twenty-third day of the ninth month, the capital received its first snowfall. Drifting snowflakes scattered across the sky with the biting northern winds, landing coldly upon skin and making people shudder.
In the end, Ye Wang still left for Yunrong.
A representative from the Yin family came personally to fetch him, and Ye Zhili accompanied Ye Wang and Yin Hongye as far as the city gates. As they walked, Yin Hongye leaned against Ye Zhili, her eyes red and swollen from crying.
On the other hand, Ye Wang was young and more excited than sad about leaving home.His sword hung from his waist, a dagger tied to his calf, and he dressed in fitted attire beneath a warm fur coat, standing tall like a pine tree brimming with vitality. From atop his horse, he waved goodbye to his parents and Ye Yunting, calling out, “Father, Mother, E…Elder Brother, please go back!” When he called that last “elder brother,” his gaze darted away slightly, unable to meet Ye Yunting’s eyes.
Yin Hongye was naturally unwilling to let him go; her son had grown up under her care for sixteen years without ever leaving her side. Now, suddenly sending him off on such a far-away journey felt like cutting away a piece of her own flesh.
She dabbed at the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief and gave instructions to the escorting guards in a hoarse voice, “Please take good care of Young Master Ye. Once you arrive at Yunrong, send me a letter immediately.”
The guards nodded in agreement, but she still worried. She told Ye Wang, “When you arrive at your maternal grandparents’ residence, remember to write to your mother often. If it’s too difficult, don’t force yourself. Mother will send someone to bring you home.”
Ye Wang squeezed his legs against the horse’s flanks, smiling as he said, “Don’t underestimate me, Mother. Remember my words, and wait until I earn myself a royal title from the emperor.”
Yin Hongye recalled the things Ye Wang had said to her the night before his departure, and her hands clenched tightly into fists. In the end, she couldn’t bear to disappoint her son, so she forced herself to smile and nodded.
Seeing her promise, Ye Wang waved goodbye to them one last time, then turned around, raised his whip, and spurred his horse forward. The team of guards behind him saw that he had started his departure, bowed to Ye Zhili and the others, and rode up to follow.
Ye Yunting pulled his gaze away and instructed the driver, “Let’s return.”
The driver urged the horses back towards the city gates.
The carriage of the Duke of Qi kept pace with them, and from the window, Yin Hongye wiped her tears with a handkerchief. When she looked up, she caught sight of Ye Yunting’s profile.
Recalling why her son had gone to Yunrong, her fury swelled, and her nails dug sharply into her palms. “So you’ve finally gotten what you wanted?”
If Ye Yunting hadn’t convinced him with his schemes, why would Ye Wang possibly seek out success through military service? The Duke of Qi’s estate was so rich and powerful. He only needed to sit back and enjoyed the fruits of others’ labor, there was no need for him to struggle or strive on his own.
Ye Yunting turned slightly, meeting her gaze without retreating or avoiding it. “I never wanted him to go to Yunrong.”
The situation at Yunrong remained unclear; if Ye Wang went now, should the Yin family rebel, he would find himself stuck between two warring factions, facing an extremely delicate—and potentially lethal—situation.
Yin Hongye humphed coldly. “No matter what you’re trying to accomplish, remember this: what belongs to Wang-er is his, not yours.”
Her eyes were red and swollen, but her attitude remained arrogant and domineering.
For Ye Wang’s sake Ye Yunting refrained from escalating further. He glanced at Ye Zhili, who remained indifferent amidst their dispute, then shook his head. “Madam will understand eventually that I have absolutely no interest in anything belonging to the Duke of Qi.”
With those words, he signaled the driver to pick up speed, leaving them behind.
As Yin Hongye watched the carriage depart, she felt as if her chest were choked with an unbearable lump that refused to rise or fall. Unable to help herself, she turned to Ye Zhili and complained, “Ever since he entered Prince Yong’an’s palace, he’s become more and more unruly. He doesn’t care about his parents and elders at all.”
The night before he left, Wang-er had begged her not to make things difficult for Ye Yunting, saying they were all one family, and any harm done to him would hurt them all.
But even if she didn’t want to cause trouble, she still needed Ye Yunting to acknowledge her as his stepmother!
Yin Hongye’s expression was full of indignation, but she still hesitated out of consideration for Ye Wang’s plea, and only said a few roundabout words to him.
Ye Zhili’s gaze flickered slightly, but he smiled nonetheless. “Why bother arguing with him? Prince Yong’an is growing increasingly powerful, and I cannot afford to offend him at present. Whatever he wants, just give it to him.”
Though this suggestion had been made casually, Yin Hongye’s expression shifted, and she frowned toward Ye Zhili. “What does my lord mean by this? If he wants anything, give it to him… Th-then what about this title?”
In her eyes, everything belonging to the Duke’s Mansion belonged solely to Ye Wang, so how could anyone else lay claim to it?
“Technically, this title should have fallen to him…” Ye Zhili sighed.
Yin Hongye’s expression changed, and she nearly blurted out, Why should such an important title be given to a concubine’s son, but managed to hold back just in time. She bit her lip, knowing those words must never leave her mouth while Ye Zhili was present.
Yin Hongye was clearly the apple of her father’s eye, yet she willingly married Ye Zhili, who was a generation older than her and already had a legitimate son. First, she had genuinely fallen in love with him. And second…she knew more about Ye Zhili than he thought after being married to him for so many years.
Though Ye Yunting held the title of eldest son, Ye Zhili never favored him. Others assumed that this was because a child having a stepmother also meant having a stepfather1. Only Yin Hongye knew Ye Zhili disliked Ye Yunting due to his biological mother.
The boy wasn’t even born to Madam Wang at all.
While Madam Wang still lived, she had fallen in love with Ye Zhili at first sight.
Ye Zhili used to be the youngest and most promising son of the noble families in the capital. He was gentle and refined, full of scholarly knowledge, and single-handedly revitalized the declining Duke’s Mansion. Countless young women secretly admired him, but it was precisely for this reason that Ye Zhili himself sought out the unremarkable Madam Wang as his wife.
By then, Ye Zhili had already begun serving in court, though still as heir, his abilities were not overlooked by anyone. When he took Madam Wang as his wife, their wedding ceremony boasted a lavish red procession, and the halls overflowed with guests, enough to make many green with envy.
Yin Hongye, too, had once envied such splendor in secret.
But Ye Zhili had already taken a wife, and there was no way her family would allow her to become someone else’s concubine. Nor was she willing to share a man with another woman, so she had sealed away her youthful feelings deep within her heart.
Later, Madam Wang died during childbirth, leaving behind only a young son. When news of Ye Zhili’s second marriage spread, and her family began searching for suitable suitors for her, she once again entertained these thoughts.
However, her family objected upon learning that Ye Zhili already had a legitimate heir, fearing that if she married into the family, any children she bore would be at a disadvantage.
She refused to give up on her dream entirely and sought out information from former servants of the Duke’s Mansion, eventually discovering some internal details about the situation—namely, that the master did not particularly like his eldest son, who was cared for by only a wet nurse after birth. The old servant also divulged a secret: that the elderly members of the household whispered the eldest son likely wasn’t born of the late madam but rather the duke’s concubine.
But this old servant could only tell her what he heard from those closest to him, and there was no clear evidence. She questioned him further, but never managed to discover more about this concubine. All she knew was that the concubine conceived a child before the madam, and then abandoned the child, disappearing without a trace.
The old servant’s words were full of holes and couldn’t stand up to scrutiny, but after she finally married into the Duke’s Mansion, she gradually discovered some truths through her daily interactions with them.
For example, Ye Zhili appeared to be in a harmonious relationship with Madam Wang before outsiders, but in fact he had little genuine affection for her. Another example: Ye Zhili kept a half-burned portrait of another woman hidden away in his study. The woman depicted in that half-portrait had a bright and beautiful face. Ye Yunting bore neither resemblance to Madam Wang nor Ye Zhili, but strikingly resembled this woman in the portrait by about five or six parts of ten.
Over these years, she has uncovered numerous clues from clues, all pointing toward Ye Yunting as the son of Ye Zhili’s concubine. Perhaps Ye Zhili once greatly favored this concubine, but for some reason, they eventually parted ways, and the concubine disappeared, leaving only a child who had just begun breathing. Then, when Madam Wang had a difficult labor, Ye Zhili took this illegitimate child and recognized him under the name of the deceased Madam Wang.
When she first discovered these things, she wanted to confront Ye Zhili, but after the initial impulse passed, she calmed down again.
Yin Hongye had never heard anyone mention this concubine before. Ye Zhili must have kept her hidden within the Duke’s Mansion to ensure she remained unknown to others. If Yin Hongye were to ask about her now, she might only make Ye Zhili’s unhappy. Besides, she knew that Ye Zhili didn’t truly favor Madam Wang, so she just felt satisfied. As for this concubine… if Ye Zhili treated even their child with such coldness, it was likely he held her in utter contempt.
And so, over these many years, Yin Hongye pretended to remain ignorant and never pierced through this thin paper window between them.
However, this premise rested on the condition that Ye Yunting’s existence would not threaten Ye Wang’s status… Yin Hongye lowered her lashes, fingers clenching tightly around her handkerchief as she forced herself to smile. “What is taken for granted is not necessarily so. Now that the eldest son has married, regardless of how you look at it, it should be Wang-er who succeeds.”
Ye Zhili glanced at her, lips curling vaguely into a smile, then sighed. “But if he insists, there’s nothing I can do.”
With this, he patted Yin Hongye’s hand in what seemed like an attempt to comfort her.
Yin Hongye lowered her gaze, expression unreadable.
***
Ye Yunting returned to the palace only to discover Li Fengqi was nowhere to be found within its walls. Just as he was about to ask someone about his whereabouts, Yue Changgou jumped down from the roof and landed beside him.
“Are you back already? Teacher has something to talk to you about.”
—At this time, both Chang Yu’an and Yue Changgou had been staying at the palace.
Hearing that Teacher was looking for him, Ye Yunting changed directions mid-step. “Teacher is looking for me? Why?”
Yue Changgou crossed his arms, his clothes stained with snow. “We’re leaving the capital.”
At these words, Ye Yunting understood what was not being said aloud.
As he entered the guest courtyard, he saw the door to the room open wide. Inside, Chang Yu’an sat before a small table, brewing wine. He waved them over upon seeing their approach.
“Teacher.” Ye Yunting walked over and took a seat across from him.
“Have you thought this through?” Chang Yu’an poured him a cup of wine.
The freshly-brewed liquor gave off a warm fragrance. Ye Yunting lifted the cup and took a sip; the warm liquid slid down his throat, burning like fire.
Yet he seemed unfazed, draining the rest of the cup in one gulp.
Chang Yu’an studied his expression. “You’ve made your decision.”
He paused briefly, then couldn’t help but say, “I’ve been staying in Shangjing these past few days, and there’s much undercurrents stirring within its depths. The court is unstable. It won’t be long before chaos erupts.”
Ye Yuting lowered his gaze, his expression filled with apology. “That’s precisely why I must stay behind.”
The court was rife with undercurrents as multiple forces engaged in political gamesmanship. Li Fengqi was in this game, facing danger at every turn. how could Ye Yunting leave him to fend for himself?
Besides, he had promised…that he would think it over carefully.
===Author’s Notes===
77: ??? He kidnapped my wife again behind my back. : )
===Translator’s Notes===
Well well well, family ~drama~.
Thank you for all your hard work translating. I am really enjoying this story.
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