“Child, Who Is Your Father?”
The man nodded with a light laugh.
“Few children in these years have received praise from Father’s own mouth. I have grown rather curious.”
Another man sat in the lower seat on the right and added with a smile, “Indeed. When we passed through Xiang Cheng, we received the letter you sent earlier this year. We had originally intended to remain in Xiang Cheng for some time. After reading the letter, however, we hurried back ahead of schedule.”
Nie Chouwen glanced toward the courtyard and instructed the steward to bring tea. He then turned again to the white-robed man seated to his left. His gaze carried both authority and faint kindness.
“That child resembles you somewhat, though not entirely. His temperament is resolute, and he knows when to advance and when to withdraw. You will understand once you meet him.”
Spring sunlight filled the courtyard. Throughout the Nie residence, peonies bloomed in abundance. Their fragrance drifted through the air as colorful butterflies danced above the blossoms.
Upon a stone table among the flowers lay an unfinished weiqi. Not far away, beneath a tree, stood an ancient guqin A seven-stringed zither of great antiquity, considered the most refined and literarily prestigious of the traditional Chinese instruments. Its sound is intimate and meditative, suited for private performance rather than public entertainment .
Seeing Chu Yuan observing the surroundings intently as they walked, Nie Siran explained with a smile.
“My father favors peonies, so many are planted here at home. They were playing the qin and chess here earlier this morning. When word came that the two of you were arriving, they had not yet had time to put everything away.”
Chu Yuan looked toward the guqin with clear admiration in his eyes.
“As I looked upon this garden filled with blossoms just now, I was thinking that such splendid flowers should be accompanied by the sound of the qin. What a marvelous scene that would be.”
Nie Siran laughed heartily.
“On the day of the Wanchao Hui, I already said that once my father returned, I would invite you to the residence to hear him play. Today is just right. Later I shall have him perform for you.”
Chu Yuan remembered the promise he had made that day. He had not expected Nie Siran to remember it so clearly.
Grateful, he felt his favorable impression of the man deepen further.
Standing beside him, Lu Ronghuai saw Chu Yuan smiling like a flower. He raised his hand and pinched Chu Yuan’s cheek.
“Ah-Yuan, that pretty-faced fellow speaks honeyed words. Do not fall for them.”
Chu Yuan immediately put away his smile and slapped his hand aside in annoyance.
“Your Highness judge a gentleman with the heart of a petty man.”
Lu Ronghuai: “?”
Nie Siran laughed with even greater abandon.
Inside the room, Nie Chouwen and the others heard the laughter. When Nie Siran entered, Nie Chouwen asked, “What has you in such good spirits?”
“Grandfather, Ah-Yuan is truly adorable.”
Lu Ronghuai was right behind Nie Siran, and on hearing this, nearly raised his foot to kick him.
“Oi. Watch your tongue around me. Is Ah-Yuan a name you may call?”
His arrogant declaration immediately drew the attention of the three men inside the room.
Among them, Nie Chouwen had the most dealings with Lu Ronghuai. Though they had spoken only a few times, his impression of Prince Li was exceedingly deep.
He said to the others, “That is Prince Li. An unreasonable sort. Pay him no mind when he speaks.”
“Grandfather, Ah-Yuan has arrived.”
Nie Siran stepped aside with a smile, allowing Chu Yuan to enter first.
Chu Yuan wore a wide-sleeved robe of pale blue cloud gauze today. His long hair was gathered up and secured with a silver crown. At his waist hung a pair of matching jade pendants.
His demeanor was tranquil and graceful.
The moment he stepped inside, that peerless face drew every gaze in the room.
“Chu Yuan greets Elder Nie.”
As he bent to bow, Lu Ronghuai stood beside him with one hand hovering protectively near his side.
At the same moment, the two men in the room, having taken in Chu Yuan’s appearance, rose to their feet simultaneously, staring at him in undisguised astonishment.
“It is you!”
Chu Yuan turned toward the voice and his whole frame went still.
Slowly his eyes widened as he stared at the vermilion cinnabar mark between the man’s brows.
The white-robed man strode forward.
“It is indeed I. That day at the entrance of Fuxian Tower, I accidentally bumped into you. Do you remember?”
Standing before Chu Yuan, he looked at him with surprise and delight. His voice softened greatly.
The plainly dressed man beside him also approached and regarded Chu Yuan with a kindly gaze.
At the reminder, Chu Yuan recalled the event and nodded.
Lu Ronghuai also noticed the cinnabar mark between the white-robed man’s brows. He frowned and looked toward Nie Chouwen in displeasure.
“Old man, what scheme are you playing at?”
Nie Chouwen gave him a withering glance and addressed the room at large. “Let everyone be seated first. We can speak at leisure.”
They all took their seats.
Nie Chouwen spoke first. “When I first saw him, it was that cinnabar mark upon his brow that drew my attention. It is identical to Xiao Ni’s.”
The simply dressed man shook his head. “There is a subtle difference. Xiao Ni’s mark is somewhat paler. This young friend’s mark is red as blood in full bloom, resembling the rubies I once saw overseas.”
Jiang Ni spoke almost impatiently. “Child, who is your father?”
He added openly, “What I mean is, the one who gave birth to you must be a man like myself, yes?”
Chu Yuan fell silent.
The plainly dressed man reassured him gently. “Do not worry. We mean you no harm.”
Seeing Chu Yuan glance toward him, he smiled warmly.
“My name is Nie Xuxing, Siran’s father.”
He gestured toward the white-robed man, his eyes carrying unmistakable tenderness. “This is my wife, Jiang Ni.”
After hearing their introduction, Chu Yuan’s bright apricot-shaped eyes widened slowly. He drew in a quiet breath, suppressing the turbulent waves within his heart.
Nie Siran’s parents were both men.
Just like his own situation.
He had always believed that the condition his mother possessed was extremely rare in this world. His Mother Consort, while alive, had always warned him never to speak of his body’s secret to anyone.
Yet now he discovered that men like his mother still existed in this world.
“Mm. You are not wrong. My mother was a man.”
“Ah-Yuan… may I call you that?” Jiang Ni asked carefully and expectantly.
“Of course. You may call me whatever you wish.”
When Chu Yuan met Jiang Ni’s gaze, he always felt as though his mother were looking at him. It stirred a sense of closeness within him.
“Ah-Yuan, may I examine your pulse?”
Chu Yuan blinked. “Ah?”
Lu Ronghuai refused without a moment’s hesitation. “Prince Li’s residence already has physicians. There is no need for you to examine him.”
Nie Xuxing noticed the subtle change in Lu Ronghuai’s posture. A moment earlier he had leaned back comfortably in his chair. Upon hearing Jiang Ni’s request, his back suddenly straightened.
Nie Xuxing spoke.
“Xiao Ni’s medical skill is quite good. During our travels these years, he has saved many lives.”
Chu Yuan looked at Jiang Ni’s gentle gaze and hesitated briefly before asking, “Why do you wish to examine my pulse?”
Jiang Ni exchanged a glance with Nie Xuxing.
“I must confirm something.”
This time Chu Yuan did not hesitate. “Very well. Then please examine it.”
Lu Ronghuai suddenly raised a hand to stop him.
“Wait. If you wish to examine his pulse, swear an oath first.”
Nie Siran laughed. “My father merely wishes to examine Ah-Yuan’s pulse. Is an oath truly necessary?”
Jiang Ni raised his hand without hesitation and swore a solemn oath before everyone present. He promised that nothing spoken today would leave this room. Should he break that promise, Heaven itself might strike him down.
Nie Xuxing immediately followed with the same vow.
Nie Siran: “?”
They had made the matter so solemn that he now seemed out of place.
Chu Yuan extended his wrist. Jiang Ni sat beside him and placed his fingers upon the pulse, concentrating deeply.
Throughout the process, Lu Ronghuai watched him with tightly furrowed brows and pressed lips.
After the time it takes for a stick of incense to burn, Jiang Ni withdrew his hand.
Nie Xuxing suppressed his excitement.
“Well?”
Jiang Ni exhaled slowly and nodded solemnly.
Everyone: “?”
Jiang Ni glanced once at Lu Ronghuai before turning back to Chu Yuan.
“Child, you are with child.”
Nie Siran’s folding fan slipped from his hand and fell to the floor with a sharp crack.
Chu Yuan answered calmly.
“Mm. I already know.”
Lu Ronghuai frowned and asked, “Then what exactly have you confirmed?”
Jiang Ni gazed at Chu Yuan with deep affection.
“Ah-Yuan, is your mother named Jiang You?”
Chu Yuan’s eyelashes trembled slightly. “My mother’s surname is indeed Jiang.”
“However, his given name was Jiang Wang. The Wang that means ‘to forget.’”
“Jiang Wang…” Jiang Ni repeated the name slowly.
In the next moment, his eyes reddened.
“Then it must be him. When he left, he knelt on the ground and kowtowed three times. He asked everyone to forget him, and not to come looking for him.”
“No wonder I searched for him for so many years without success. He had changed his name.”
“Ah-Yuan, your mother and I belonged to the same clan. We grew up together.”
“Is your mother well now?”
Seeing the expectation in Jiang Ni’s eyes, Chu Yuan’s voice trembled when he spoke.
“I am sorry. My mother… has already passed away.”
Jiang Ni went rigid where he sat.
Lu Ronghuai lowered his head to look at Chu Yuan. Seeing the faint tears gathering in his eyes, he wrapped an arm around his shoulders and comforted him quietly.
Nie Xuxing gently led Jiang Ni back to his seat.
Nie Chouwen sighed. “When the Empress of Chu died that year, you were still traveling overseas. The ruler of Chu also suppressed the news heavily. Even I only learned of it much later when His Majesty mentioned it.”
Jiang Ni sank into deep guilt. His voice was thick when he finally spoke.
“I left our homeland before he did and met Xuxing along the way. Later I secretly returned once and heard that your mother had fallen in love with someone and left home as well. Only he left more decisively than any of us, and never once returned.”
“I searched for him all these years. I never imagined he would be in the imperial palace of Chu or the person he loved was the ruler of Chu himself.”
“From childhood, he was the most outstanding among our clan. He learned everything quickly and possessed great intelligence. I always believed he must be living well somewhere in the world.”
Chu Yuan did not speak. He buried his face against Lu Ronghuai’s chest and rubbed it slightly, wiping away the tears that had slipped down his cheeks.
Lu Ronghuai feared seeing him cry most of all. In his anxiety he lifted Chu Yuan directly from the chair and settled him upon his lap, using a cloth to wipe his tears.
Seeing this, Jiang Ni quickly suppressed his own grief and said in a soft voice, “My fault, my fault. We shall not speak of your mother further. Ah-Yuan, you are now carrying a child. Your emotions must not fluctuate too greatly. I… shall I play the qin for you? Would you like that?”
“I am well,” Chu Yuan replied softly through a slightly muffled voice.
His eyes were red like those of a rabbit, yet he smiled at Jiang Ni.
“I feel sorrow, yet I feel greater joy. My mother still has family in this world.”
There was still someone who had been thinking of his mother consort. Still someone who remembered him.
His mother consort had not been forgotten after all.
Jiang Ni nodded several times in quick succession.
“Yes. Your mother and I were very close since childhood. You are his child, which makes you my child as well. If anyone dares bully you, I will fight them to my last breath!”
Upon hearing this, Nie Chouwen and Nie Xuxing exchanged amused glances toward Nie Siran.
Nie Siran opened his folding fan with a flourish and smiled freely.
“Very well. I have always wanted a younger brother. Now my wish has been fulfilled.”
“Ah-Yuan, younger brother, treat this place as your maternal home from now on. We all welcome you.”
“If Prince Li dares bully you, simply return home. Your family here will see justice done on your behalf.”
Lu Ronghuai: “???”
✧ A Word from the Author ✧
Lu dog: I step out for one afternoon and everything has become extremely complicated.
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