SC Chapter8

Shen Yunjie thought, How could he and Xie Yunyi have a future? Giving birth to this child was merely his selfish desire, a delusional wish to leave a remnant of remembrance for himself.

He only saw the child three times before the child turned five. The first time was on the child’s first birthday. He was returning from an overseas mission and, claiming the day was late, lodged overnight at a farmhouse on the outskirts of Jinling. The man of the house was a mute, who had an honest and simple-hearted wife and a fair-skinned, tender child.

That night, the mute man cooked and served food for the officials, while the woman stood by while holding the child and looking on timidly. Shen Yunjie removed his cloak and, as if casually, glanced at the child in the woman’s arms, then said, “Come, let me hold him.”

The woman obsequiously stepped forward and handed the child to the seemingly gentle official.

Shen Yunjie carefully took the child, his fingertips trembling, yet showing no sign of it on his face. He calmly said, “He is indeed well-behaved and adorable. What is this child’s name?”

The mute man gestured with his hands, and the woman quickly lowered her head and said, “The child is still young, he doesn’t have a name yet.”

Shen Yunjie extended a fingertip and gently touched the center of the child’s brow while chuckling softly, “By the Yuan River grows angelica, by the Li River grows orchid… how about taking the character ‘Yuan’? How about that?”

The woman quickly agreed: “A name chosen by Lord Official is, of course, excellent.”

“Xiao Yuan…” Shen Yunjie stroked the child’s tender, young face, while concealing the painful sorrow in his eyes.

Two years later, Shen Yunjie saw his Xiao Yuan again. Xiao Yuan had grown up and was already wearing split-crotch trousers while playing in the courtyard, patting at ants with a small shovel. He didn’t dare enter the farmhouse, he just watched from afar.

When Xiao Yuan was five, he fell seriously ill. When Shen Yunjie received the news, he rushed out of the city overnight. Fortunately, Tian Nanxing had come to Jinling to see him at that time. With Tian Nanxing present, Xiao Yuan’s life was barely saved.

Shen Yunjie sat by Xiao Yuan’s bedside all night with his eyes bloodshot, and then hurriedly left at daybreak. Despite his utmost caution, the secret couldn’t be completely hidden after all.

Xiao Yuan was gone. The mute servant stumbled and staggered to inform Shen Yunjie, he was so anxious that he didn’t know how to gesture anymore.

A chill shot straight from his feet to his heart. Shen Yunjie remained silent for a long time, then frowned and said, “Mute servant, you must leave immediately. Stop concerning yourself with Xiao Yuan’s matter. Leave Jinling, go as far as possible, and never return.” He shoved banknotes and scattered silver pieces into the mute servant’s hand, then turned and went to Tianyi Division.

At Tianyi Division, in the Fengling Study, Jiang Lingxin was feeding Xiao Yuan a snack. Xiao Yuan was very well behaved as he sat on his lap.

When Shen Yunjie pushed the door open and entered, Jiang Lingxin was gently wiping the snack crumbs from the corner of Xiao Yuan’s mouth. Hearing the movement, he unhurriedly raised his head and softly laughed, “Xiao Yuan, look, your father is back.”

Shen Yunjie immediately knelt down, saying bitterly, “Shizun…”

Jiang Lingxin opened the door and summoned a maidservant to take Xiao Yuan away to sleep. After Xiao Yuan had left, he beckoned, “Guan’er, come here.” Shen Yunjie shuffled on his knees a few steps to Jiang Lingxin, who then raised a hand to pinch his chin and lifted his face.

“Foolish!” Jiang Lingxin sighed, “How utterly foolish!”

“Shizun, this disciple knows his mistake, but Xiao Yuan is innocent…”

Jiang Lingxin gave a cold laugh: “Innocent? Secretly conceiving and giving birth to the remnant of a rebel faction, what were your intentions?”

The corner of Shen Yunjie’s eye turned red as he held back tears, saying, “This disciple has never dared to harbor disloyalty toward the court or toward Shizun. Xiao Yuan can live as an ordinary farm child. I only beg Shizun to be lenient and spare Xiao Yuan’s life. This disciple can swear never to see him again in this lifetime…”

Jiang Lingxin stroked Shen Yunjie’s cheek with his fingertips while saying, “I have been lonely all my life, with only you as my only disciple. I watched you grow up from a child, and I know you developed feelings for that young heir of the Xie family. A youth is hard-pressed to control their emotions, and I don’t blame you. But you cannot take one wrong step after another. Listen to Shizun; you must simply pretend this child never existed.”

“Shizun!” Shen Yunjie’s heart felt like it was being cut by a knife while trembling with pain. “Please, no… I beg you, no…”

“My Guan’er is extraordinarily clever and knows how to advance and retreat. You have always been Shizun’s pride. When I die, Tianyi Division will be yours. It’s only a child; what is there that you cannot have later on?”

Shen Yunjie heavily knocked his head on the floor before Jiang Lingxin while pleading, “Shizun, please release Xiao Yuan!”

Jiang Lingxin looked at Shen Yunjie kneeling before him and, after a long silence, he sighed, “You know the consequences of betraying Tianyi Division.”

Shen Yunjie raised his head, his forehead covered with blood: “As long as Shizun lets Xiao Yuan live…”

Jiang Lingxin picked up a Nine-Curve Mandarin Duck teapot beside him and poured a cup of wine. “I already gave you a chance.”

Shen Yunjie reached out and took the wine cup from the table: “This disciple has failed to live up to Shizun’s expectations in this life and does not dare to ask for Shizun’s forgiveness. It is just that after this disciple is gone, Xiao Yuan, he…”

“As you requested, I will find a small village, far from the capital, where he can live a life of peace and obscurity.”

Shen Yunjie smiled with his lips slightly pursed and was full of tenderness. As long as his Xiao Yuan was safe and sound, he was content. The poisoned wine was then brought to his pale lips, the spicy scent lingering at his nose. Jiang Lingxin suddenly reached out and clamped down on Shen Yunjie’s wrist, saying in a deep voice, “Guan’er, drink this wine, and our master-disciple bond will be severed.”

“In the next life, I will repay Shizun’s kindness in raising me.” Shen Yunjie watched Jiang Lingxin’s hand gradually relax on his wrist. The poisoned wine then flowed down his throat, and surprisingly, the aftertaste was long and mellow. But a moment later, a stinging pain exploded in his abdomen. Shen Yunjie felt a warmth in his throat as he spat a mouthful of blood onto Jiang Lingxin’s knees. The snow-white, luxurious fabric was soaked with black blood while his consciousness slowly began to fade.

Jiang Lingxin looked down at his most beloved disciple, who was spitting blood onto the hem of his robe, and finally collapsed onto his lap in silence.

“Your heart has already gone, so why should I keep you?” Jiang Lingxin sighed and gently stroked the top of Shen Yunjie’s head, just as he used to when Shen Yunjie was a child. It was a gesture of both helplessness and gentleness.