The bright banners fluttered, and yellow paper filled the sky. The Marquis’s mansion held seven days of mourning ceremonies, whether for the passing of the old mistress or to send off the unjustly deceased souls, no one knew for sure.
No one knew what had happened inside the secret chamber that day. The old Marquis only stated publicly that the “Princess” had suffered a sudden relapse of her old illness and couldn’t be saved. He insisted on not using the princess’s funeral rites and instead conducted the funeral in the name of the Marquis’s wife.
On the day of the funeral, the Emperor, dressed in plain clothes, came to bid farewell to his “aunt.” When the bright yellow imperial carriage stopped at the Marquis’s mansion, everyone knelt and cheered, while Xiao Du knelt behind the crowd, his back straight but never lifting his head to look at him. The Emperor walked past him, wanting to say something, but ultimately just gently pressed his shoulder.
As for the ugliness that occurred in the Buddhist hall, it was carefully concealed. All the missing people in the mansion were blamed on Madame Yu. The Ministry of Justice quickly tried her and threw her into prison awaiting execution. The old Marquis found the families of the missing maids and sent them money as compensation. But he knew in his heart that nothing could buy back a life. These actions were just a meager attempt to console himself.
In the late spring, swallows carried mud, and new bamboo sprouted green. But in the courtyard of the old Marquis’s mansion, all the springtime had long faded away, never to return.
Xiao Du stood in front of Xiao Yunjing. He noticed that his father’s hair had turned gray, and his once sturdy body was now hunched over as if he had aged overnight. Feeling a pang of sadness, Xiao Du advised softly, “The deceased has passed away. Father, please take care of yourself.”
The old Marquis was planting a new bamboo, becoming increasingly silent since the death of the “Princess.” Sometimes he would sit silently in his room for half a day, and when he occasionally went out, it was only to plant trees in the courtyard. Upon hearing Xiao Du’s voice, he spoke without looking up, “You still can’t let it go? Do you have to know everything?”
Xiao Du was surprised by his father’s words but stubbornly straightened his back and said, “As your child, I have the right to know my origins. Please, father, tell me the truth.”
The old Marquis sighed deeply and said, “So be it. I can’t hide it from you forever. After dinner, you and Xī’ér come to my room. I want her to accompany you to face this together.”
In the evening, Xiao Du and Yuán Xī arrived at the old Marquis’s room as agreed. The old Marquis dismissed the servants and personally brewed tea for the two. As steam rose and tea fragrance filled the air, the old Marquis gazed at the half-hidden moon outside the window, his gaze somewhat distant. He said, “Xiao Du, do you know that the Xiao Family Army was established by the late Emperor himself?”
Xiao Du furrowed his brows. He only knew that the Xiao Family Army was his father’s lifelong endeavor but had never known it was established by the late Emperor. The old Marquis boiled another pot of water and continued, “At that time, the late Emperor was just the seventh prince, overshadowed by the Crown Prince in terms of birth and favor.
When the Emperor reached old age, although the Mu Dynasty seemed prosperous on the surface, it was rotten to the core. In the 28th year of Chu Yuan, the Wuguo and Muren tribes began frequent border raids, breaking through several cities uncontested. The civil and military officials of the court were indulging in luxury, unwilling to fight, only compromising and retreating continuously.
This concession brought suffering to the border people, as the invaders plundered and ravaged, almost wiping out the cities along the border. The late Emperor saw all this but was powerless to change anything. He vowed to personally establish a cavalry force. This cavalry would become a sharp blade stationed at the border, making the barbarians too fearful to invade our territory.”
“Unfortunately, despite his fervor, he was constrained by his status as a prince. So he could only secretly recruit a group of death-row prisoners, secretly inserting them into my army, and spending a fortune on elite weapons, using the most rigorous training to forge them into a fierce battalion. In the 30th year of Chu Yuan, the Hangu Pass was in urgent need of reinforcements. The late Emperor personally led the troops into battle. Since then, the Xiao Family Army has risen to fame, achieving numerous victories in battles, striking fear into the hearts of foreign invaders.”
A glint of light seemed to ignite in the old Marquis’s eyes as if he had returned to that passionate era. He took a sip of tea and continued, “At that time, the late Emperor’s health was declining day by day. Although the Crown Prince was incompetent, he had the support of a group of powerful ministers behind him. Later, the late Emperor married the eldest daughter of the Xia Family as his queen, now the Empress Dowager. Although the Empress Dowager was a woman, her ambition and vision were no less than a man’s. She persuaded the entire Xia Family to fully support the late Emperor. Relying on the glorious military achievements of the Xiao Family Army and the support of the Xia Family, the late Emperor finally forced the abdication of the Crown Prince and ascended the throne.”
Xiao Du furrowed his brows slightly. Some of this he had heard many times before, but some of it was new to him. Yet he still didn’t understand why the old Marquis was telling him all this.
The old Marquis sighed and said, “Outsiders only thought that the late Emperor married a wise wife who could assist him both inside and outside the court. But after ascending the throne, the late Emperor realized that Xia Shi helped him ascend to power not to establish a brighter era but to eliminate dissent and gain greater authority. At that time, almost everything in the imperial court, from the palace guards to the six ministries, was controlled by the Xia family. The late Emperor wanted to establish a clean and just era, but he was constantly hindered by Xia Shi. Corruption in the court became even worse than before. The late Emperor fell ill with frustration and once angrily questioned me: ‘Is this realm ruled by my Zhao family or her Xia family?'”
Here, his words became somewhat stagnant, and after a while, he continued, “But what worried the late Emperor the most was the issue of his heirs. Xia Empress not only interfered in politics for her family but also controlled the harem. To ensure her own son’s succession to the throne, she forbade any concubine from becoming pregnant. If they were found pregnant, she would either force them to abort or have them executed. Therefore, the late Emperor dared not favor any concubine again. Despite knowing that his bloodline was being harmed, he had to endure silently for the stability of the state.”
Yuan Xi widened her eyes, feeling a chill down her spine. So this was the truth behind the palace favoritism and deep affection of the emperors. How much ugliness and disgrace lay behind the tales passed down through generations?
At this moment, the old Marquis suddenly looked up at them and continued, “But despite Xia Empress’s precautions, there was a woman in the harem who secretly became pregnant. She was the late Emperor’s most beloved Concubine Duan. Concubine Duan was gentle and never sought attention. But no one knew that such a seemingly weak woman dared to conceal her pregnancy. Until the months passed and she could no longer hide it, she secretly informed the late Emperor. That night, Concubine Duan’s palace caught fire. The late Emperor told the empress that Concubine Duan died in the fire, but in secret, he sent a guard to escort her and a close maid out of the palace.”
Xiao Du listened in shock. He didn’t understand why, but his hands holding the tea cup were trembling. The tea splattered on his robe, but he seemed unaware, his mind buzzing with the shocking revelation.
The old Marquis, seeing his reaction, sighed and said, “So now you should understand why I have always demanded so much from you since you were young, why I took you to the military for training before you turned sixteen, why the late Emperor was so eager to grant you a title and troops. Xiao Du, the late Emperor needed to leave behind an heir to fight against the Xia family and establish the dynasty he desired. Do you understand?”
Xiao Du couldn’t digest what he had just heard. He held onto the table, unable to move for a while.
The old Marquis, feeling a pang of sorrow, continued, “Your biological mother died for you… At that time, the Princess happened to be pregnant, with a due date similar to that of your mother. I planned to take them out of the mansion for childbirth and then bring them back in the name of having twins. But Concubine Duan’s maid, Yunniang, sensed the Princess’s resentment towards you. She was fiercely protective and, to ensure you became the only legitimate son of the Marquis’s family, she poisoned the fetus in the Princess’s womb. And with Concubine Duan’s weak postpartum condition, knowing that she would only bring danger to you as long as she lived, she entrusted you to me and then took poison herself.”
Xiao Yunjing’s gaze drifted away, remembering vividly how the delicate woman held her infant tightly day after day, unwilling to let go, clearly in pain but holding back tears, not wanting her newborn child to see any sadness. And how resolutely she ingested the poison, solely to ensure her child’s safety in this world.
Xiao Du’s lips trembled incessantly, tightly shutting his eyes, tears streaming down his cheeks. Yuanxi, by his side, felt her heart ache for him, quickly grasping his hand, trying to offer some comfort.
But she still couldn’t comprehend one thing: why would His Highness, knowing that Yunniang had caused the death of her and the princess’s child, still allow her to stay in the Marquis’ Mansion and raise Xiao Du? She didn’t know that His Highness, unspokenly, felt guilty towards the late Emperor and the princess because of the fake princess incident, and didn’t know how to face the child who shouldn’t have been born. He knew that Huayue would surely not treat Xiao Du well, so he spared Yunniang’s life, letting her take care of the young master to the best of her abilities. This was the greatest redemption he could offer for his and Huayue’s mistake.
As the night grew deeper, the faint cries of egrets echoed from outside the window. His Highness looked at Xiao Du and said, “Du’er, now that you know everything, what to do next is for you to decide.”
Xiao Du remained silent, his expression dazed as he stood up with some difficulty. As he rose, his body swayed slightly, and Yuanxi quickly reached out to support him, her eyes filled with concern and worry.
But Xiao Du didn’t look at anyone else, his gaze hollow as he walked out. He passed by the ornate arches and eaves, by the hanging gate and shadow walls. Suddenly, he felt an urge to burst into laughter. All along, the burdens he carried were nothing but lies, and the family he thought he had was non-existent. So many people had died behind his back because of his birth, and he didn’t even have the right to refuse.
He walked back to his room, his body trembling from the night breeze. Suddenly, a pair of warm hands rested on his shoulders. Turning around, he saw Yuanxi’s gentle and caring eyes. The tension in his heart finally snapped, tears streaming down his face as he said, “Yue’er, I have no home anymore.”
For the first time, Yuanxi saw him display such a helpless expression, and she shook her head vigorously through her tears, saying, “No, you still have me. Du’er, remember, wherever I am, is your home!”