kingnovel Chapter 118 Recognition
Chapter 118 Recognition
That night, Wei Yu returned to the city under cover of darkness. As he passed the crossroads of Xinzhou Village, he suddenly remembered how Li Xiaonuan had avoided him earlier that day. Perhaps it was time to untangle the knot in his heart.
Recalling the letter he had received the day before, Wei Yu felt uneasy. He also wanted to know why Chu Feng would personally apologize on Chu Lin's behalf. Logically, no one had told the Chu family about Chu Lin's matter. Could it be that a servant from the Chu household had secretly sent a letter to the capital?
Judging from Chu Feng's attitude these past two days, he seems quite dissatisfied with the Wei family's handling of the situation. Whether he's dissatisfied with Chu Lin, implicated, or upset that they didn't help Chu Lin smooth things over before dealing with Li Xiaonuan, Wei Yu really doesn't know.
The next day at 9:00 AM, a blue-curtained carriage stopped in front of the Zhao family's house. The servant jumped down and knocked on the door. After a moment, the Zhao family's gate clicked open from the inside. Uncle Lin stood on the threshold and asked, "May I ask who you are looking for, young man? Which household are you from?"
Prince Jing, who was getting off the carriage, stared at Uncle Lin for a long time before suddenly asking, "Uncle Lin, is that you?"
Uncle Lin looked at the man who had spoken, his face momentarily blank. But when he came to his senses, he was filled with deep fear. Ignoring Xiao Si's reply, he slammed the door shut and ran to the backyard.
Xiao Si pouted and asked, "Doctor Jing, young master, what should we do?"
Wei Yu glanced at Xiao Si dismissively and said, "What else can we do but wait?"
While waiting, Prince Jing glanced around Xinzhou Village. If he remembered correctly, the second house from the bottom right of the Zhao family's house should be Li Xiaonuan's house. However, Li Xiaonuan's courtyard was very small and quite dilapidated. The walls surrounding the courtyard were still bamboo rafts.
The Zhao family's house, however, had a five-foot-high brick wall. Its vermilion gate was quite imposing. Inside the wall, glazed tiles and gray roofs were faintly visible. This house seemed somewhat out of place in a village full of mud-walled, low houses.
Prince Jing and his entourage didn't have to wait long before the Zhao family's gates reopened. This time, it was Zhao Wangchuan, the young master of the Zhao family, who personally came out to greet them. Upon seeing Zhao Wangchuan, Prince Jing actually lost his composure, standing rooted to the spot and completely ignoring Zhao Wangchuan's greeting.
Seeing this, Wei Yu stepped forward and punched Zhao Wangchuan on the shoulder, asking, "Cousin Chen, it's only been a little over ten years, and you've grown so strong. I'm your cousin Wei Yu, do you remember me?"
Zhao Wangchuan noticed that villagers were starting to gather to watch the commotion, so he invited Prince Jing and his entourage inside, saying, "This isn't a place for guests. Please, you two, come inside. Let's talk inside."
Having finally entered the Zhao family's gate, Prince Jing and Wei Yu became somewhat nervous. They were afraid, fearing that this was all just a misunderstanding, and that the person they were looking for wasn't there at all.
After they were seated and tea and refreshments were served, Zhao Wangchuan dismissed all the servants from the courtyard. Only then did he address the two seated men: "If you hadn't come in the next two days, I would have come looking for you. Fifth Imperial Uncle, Cousin Wei Yu, what are your plans now that you've found my son and me?"
Wei Yu looked at Prince Jing and, seeing him lost in thought, replied, "What else can we do but take you back? This is His Majesty's decree."
Zhao Wangchuan shook his head and said, "It's easy to take us back, but what about after we get back? How does that person plan to announce our existence to the world? And what about that fire back then, and all those who perished in it? How do we explain that to the world?"
"If I remember correctly, the fire back then was attributed to a mistake by a palace maid. My son and I both perished in that fire. Now that it's been classified like that, what kind of reason can people give to explain to the world why my son and I were brought back to life?"
Wei Yu was speechless. His sole purpose had always been to find his aunt and cousin. But now that he had found them, he found it even more difficult. Anyone with eyes could see that the fire had come on strangely, engulfing the entire Lu Hua Palace almost instantly. Moreover, not a single person inside had escaped alive.
The most coincidentally, the Imperial Guards on duty that night were entangled outside Xuanwu Gate. Everyone who should have been the first to see the fire claimed to be fast asleep and hadn't heard a thing.
“Cousin, I believe you understand better than I do the dangers and struggles my son and I will face after we return. Don’t forget, the person currently in the Phoenix position was already so powerful back then. Now, does that person still have a way to protect my son and me?” Zhao Wangchuan’s voice was flat, as if he were recounting someone else’s story.
"Of course, I understand why that person sent you to find my son and me. He was only doing it out of a bit of guilt. Perhaps, it's also because of my grandfather and you, cousin. Anyway, we won't be going back for the time being. I also want to ask you, Uncle and cousin, to keep this a secret for my son and me. When it's time for us to go back, I will send someone to inform you."
Prince Jing listened quietly the whole time. Only after Zhao Wangchuan finished speaking did he abruptly ask, "Chen'er, I heard that your mother was injured back then, is that true?"
Zhao Wangchuan nodded and replied, "Yes, he was injured. His entire left cheek was ruined. Most of his back was burned beyond recognition. If we hadn't met a master, you would probably be seeing someone else today."
When it was confirmed that Wei Lu was injured and disfigured, Prince Jing revealed a sinister look completely different from his usual demeanor. His inherent kingly aura was already strong, and with this sinister expression, his entire persona changed.
Looking at Prince Jing, Zhao Wangchuan thought: Royal princes are all extraordinary. If it weren't for the legacy of the founding emperor, who left behind the instructions for succession, the emperors of the later generations would probably have had to pave their way to the throne with blood.
"Alright, you've learned everything you need to know. Now, what are your plans?" Zhao Wangchuan asked the two of them.
Prince Jing said, his anger barely contained, "We need to discuss a solution to this matter carefully; we can't rush things. I think it would be better if Wei Yu and I stayed at your residence for a few days until we came up with a plan before leaving."
Wei Yu readily agreed, saying, "Why don't we use the excuse of going into the mountains to hunt? I heard you caught a clouded leopard and a golden cat. We can use that as a pretext to go into the mountains to discuss things, so as not to arouse suspicion."
Zhao Wangchuan pondered for a moment before agreeing. He said, "Alright. I'll have someone arrange accommodations for you first, and we'll head into the mountains tomorrow once everything is ready."
And so, Wei Yu and Prince Jing moved into the Zhao family's residence without any apparent ceremony. The next morning, they each led their respective groups into the mountains. This time, the old Taoist priest didn't go with them; instead, he went to Li Xiaonuan's house to ask her some questions about her past life.