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墨書 Inktalez
"Guanjing, this time you will personally lead the team to capture Xiao Feng. You must bring him back."
The middle-aged man seated on the high platform was shrouded in shadows, his expression obscured, yet his figure seemed to dominate the darkness.
Standing below the platform, Pei Guanjing had a tall and slender silhouette accentuated by the light. He leaned forward and replied, "Rest assured, adoptive father, this time there will be no mistakes."
Upon hearing Pei Guanjing's response, the middle-aged man burst into loud laughter.
His boisterous voice echoed endlessly in the empty room.
Lan Prefecture, Yongji Inn.
In the dead of night, the howling of wolves could be heard 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 lurking in the darkness.
"Who is it?"
"It's me, Young Master."
The voice from outside answered softly.
Pei Guanjing withdrew his cold gaze, rose to put on his outer robe, and opened the door. "Come in."
As Mo Yu stepped inside, 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, son of Ye Fang, who moved to Sun Family Village with his wife Lin over ten years ago. Ye Fang passed away six months ago, and his biological mother died shortly after giving birth due to complications. Additionally, I discovered some timing discrepancies; Ye Chen was born before Ye Fang married Lin Feifei, making him 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 fell into decline. However, due to the passage of time, I could not uncover any details about her intimate contacts during her time in seclusion."
"Oh?" The hand of Pei Guanjing, who was adjusting his sleeves, paused for a moment as he raised an eyebrow. "That’s quite 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; rather, 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 its contents.
"Interesting, truly interesting. This Lin Feifei is actually 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 engaged 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 inexplicably, the letter began to burn spontaneously.
In the dim and silent environment, the flickering flames revealed the striking profile of Pei Guanjing's handsome face, illuminated in stark contrast.
Mo Yu watched Pei Guanjing's actions and after a moment's hesitation, he spoke up, "There is one more matter I need to 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 of Ye Chen?"
For some reason, Pei Guanjing suddenly recalled the boy he had seen earlier that day.
He looked so similar.
If it weren't for the fact that he sensed none of the aura of that boy from Sun Family Village on him, he might have thought this was indeed the same youth.
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 the Moon-Illuminated River. However, in the downstream area, officials found no trace of a corpse. Ultimately, they concluded that it must have been devoured by river fish and closed the case due to lack of evidence."
With the letter now reduced to ashes, Pei Guanjing crushed the blackened remnants in his hand before disappearing once more into the shadows.
In his indistinct silhouette, a flicker of malice flashed in Pei Guanjing's eyes as he slowly raised his head to gaze at the dark and obscure screen before him, remaining silent for a long time.
"Devoured with no body?"
Mo Yu felt an inexplicable chill in the air around him but steeled himself to reply, "Yes."
Suddenly, a deep, resonant voice echoed in the empty, quiet room.
It was the unmistakable laughter of Pei Guanjing, difficult to suppress.
Mo Yu, trembling slightly, took a step back. Was he having another episode?!
Just as Mo Yu was about to escape, Pei Guanjing called out to him.
“Mo Yu.”
Mo Yu jolted 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. Bring him a significant gift from me.”
Mo Sheng looked confused. “Young Master, what kind of significant gift?”
Pei Guanjing smiled slyly. “Just tell him that he has a son, Kun Ze’s son, who has been lost for years and is now in our hands.”
“What?!” Mo Sheng exclaimed.
“!!!” Mo Yu gasped.
No way, Young Master, you really dare to play it like this.
His son is dead, and you're acting like this?!
If before, Pei Guanjing merely 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 in the air, which he initially thought was the scent of flowers in the mountains. Now, reflecting on it, he suspected it was actually the Xin Xiang of that Kun Ze.
What a pity it was; after so many years, to encounter a Kun Ze whose Xin Xiang resonated so perfectly with his own, even from such a distance it stirred the Xin Xiang within him. Yet, before they could even 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, yet Ye Fang was merely a Zhong Yong; how could she give birth to a Kun Ze? Moreover, given that person's status, how could he allow anyone to interfere with his Kun Ze?
Adding to this was Ye Chen's profile, which 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 King Huai'an went to great lengths to protect Lin Feifei.
After all, the original decree stated that all family members 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, changing the decree to demote them to commoners while allowing their children not to serve in court—a rare act of mercy.
From the capital all the way to Jiangnan, many changes must have occurred along the way that led King Huai'an to remain unmarried to this day, declaring that he would only wait for one who would never return.
At first, he wondered who that might be; now it all seemed traceable.
Now that Ye Chen is dead with no witnesses left, 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 belly of a fish. Thus, he could gain an advantage in his adoptive father's plans and collaborate with King Huai'an.
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