The third month of spring. The rain had only just cleared.
At the gates of the imperial capital, beneath the Son of Heaven’s feet, those waiting to enter the city had formed a long queue. Impatient people farther back kept craning their necks to see what was happening ahead.
“What’s going on today? It’s never taken this long before.”
“Keep your voice down. If the officers hear you, you’ll be the one paying for it.” His companion hurriedly stopped him, afraid of being implicated as well.
Standing behind them were Wen Qingyuan and Xie Ning, who had traveled all the way from Jizhou.
After days of exhausting travel by boat and carriage, Xie Ning’s small body could barely hold up any longer. His eyelids drooped with fatigue, and he clutched the corner of Wen Qingyuan’s robe to keep himself standing.
“Ningbao, hang on a little longer. Once we’re inside the city, we can find your father.” Wen Qingyuan bent slightly, his voice gentle.
At those words, Xie Ning immediately seemed to perk up.
That was right. He was about to meet the father he had wondered about for so long.
Excitement and curiosity instantly filled his heart. What would his other father be like? Would he be as gentle with him as his daddy was? Or would he be as strict as his teacher?
Xie Ning’s eyes brightened. He stood on tiptoe to look at the long line still stretching ahead of them, then visibly deflated.
He looked up at Wen Qingyuan.
“Uncle Wen, I’m hungry.”
Wen Qingyuan’s heart melted at the sight of those eyes.
He took a half-stale pastry from his robes and soothed him, “Have this for now to tide you over, all right? Once we’re inside the city, Uncle will take you to eat something delicious.”
Xie Ning accepted the pastry and obediently nodded as he nibbled on it.
Seeing him like this, Wen Qingyuan’s heart ached even more.
A month ago, his friend Xie Qingci—Xie Ning’s daddy—had told him that he had to leave for a very long time. With no other choice, he had entrusted Xie Ning to Wen Qingyuan and asked him to take the boy to the capital to find his family.
For a while, Wen Qingyuan had not known whether he should first grieve his friend’s departure or be shocked by the fact that Xie Ning had actually been born to Xie Qingci.
After hearing the whole story, he had simply stared blankly. It was completely beyond his understanding. His friend Xie Qingci liked men—and had even had a child with another man.
So Wen Qingyuan had cautiously asked, “Then Ningbao’s biological father is…?”
At that, Xie Qingci cleared his throat. Vague and evasive, he said, “Naturally, it’s me. The details are not convenient to discuss.”
“Take the token I gave you and go to the capital to find Pei Huaiyi. Once he sees it, he’ll understand everything. Just leave Ningbao with him. I’ve already sent him a letter explaining the situation. If you leave soon, you should arrive in the capital at about the same time as the letter.”
Seeing the disapproval on Wen Qingyuan’s face, Xie Qingci hurriedly added, “Lord Pei and I have been close friends for many years. His character is completely trustworthy.”
If they were truly such close friends, why had Wen Qingyuan never once seen the man come to visit all these years?
He grumbled inwardly.
Four years ago, Xie Qingci had arrived in Jizhou alone. He had remained bedridden for an entire year before recovering.
Thinking back now, that year had not been spent recovering from an illness at all.
He had been carrying a child.
At the time, Wen Qingyuan had lived next door to him. Seeing how alone and helpless Xie Qingci was, he had occasionally brought him food. Over time, the two had become acquainted.
Wen Qingyuan had thought he was merely thinking to himself. To his surprise, the words had slipped out.
When he looked up, he found Xie Qingci gazing at him pleadingly, his eyes faintly glistening with tears.
…In some ways, that father and son really were exactly alike.
Wen Qingyuan finally surrendered and agreed to take Xie Ning to the capital to find his family.
He had wanted to ask more questions—why not simply take Xie Ning directly to his father? What exactly had happened that made Xie Qingci leave so suddenly?
If there was anything he could do to help, he certainly would not refuse.
But Xie Qingci only shook his head. He asked Wen Qingyuan to take Xie Ning to the capital and refused to say anything more.
Seeing his old friend like that, Wen Qingyuan could not bring himself to refuse. Without another word, he packed his belongings, settled matters at home, and set off with Xie Ning.
An ordinary person riding hard could travel from Jizhou to the capital in half a month.
But with Xie Ning in tow, the journey was far less convenient. Wen Qingyuan was constantly worried that the child might trip, get hurt, or grow too tired. In the end, it had taken them more than a month to reach the gates of the capital.
Now that they had finally arrived, Wen Qingyuan was able to relax—at least a little.
During the journey, Xie Ning’s originally fair, tender cheeks had become dusty and grimy. He was obviously exhausted, yet sometimes he even comforted Wen Qingyuan instead, telling him not to worry.
Wen Qingyuan had watched Xie Ning grow up and sincerely regarded him as his own child. Seeing the boy suffer like this made his heart ache unbearably.
He was still full of questions, of course, but there was no one left who could answer them.
He vaguely sensed that Xie Qingci’s former identity must have been anything but ordinary. And the family they were seeking was probably someone important as well—otherwise, Xie Qingci would not have kept even the man’s name from him.
Wen Qingyuan sighed softly.
He would simply follow Xie Qingci’s instructions. Once he personally placed Xie Ning in Lord Pei’s care, he would finally be able to rest easy.
The number of people ahead of them gradually dwindled.
It was Xie Ning’s first time in the capital. A moment ago, he had still looked listless, but now that their turn was drawing near, he suddenly came alive, bouncing forward with excitement.
Wen Qingyuan followed closely behind him.
In truth, this was Wen Qingyuan’s first visit to the capital as well. He lifted his head to gaze at the towering city walls before him, and for some reason, unease stirred in his chest.
“Take out your travel permit.”
At the order, Wen Qingyuan hurriedly produced the document he had prepared in advance and handed it over.
The officer lowered his eyes and expressionlessly examined the information on the permit. Then he looked Wen Qingyuan up and down.
“All right. Go in.”
Wen Qingyuan immediately breathed a sigh of relief. He put away the travel permit and quickly took Xie Ning by the hand, hurrying into the city.
Only when he truly stepped into the capital did his heart finally settle.
Perhaps the delay on the road had simply made him uneasy, Wen Qingyuan thought.
But by now, the sun was slowly setting. Its remaining light spilled over them, while everyone on the streets hurried about their business.
Wen Qingyuan glanced at the sky.
It was already so late. Paying someone a visit now did not seem appropriate.
Besides, the two of them were burdened with bags and bundles and looked utterly travel-worn. After such a long journey, even their hair and clothes had become disheveled.
They looked for all the world like poor relatives who had come seeking refuge.
Better to rest for the night and find the man first thing tomorrow morning, Wen Qingyuan thought.
He could also make some inquiries first. Though Xie Qingci had assured him that Lord Pei was trustworthy, when it came to Xie Ning, Wen Qingyuan wanted to be especially cautious.
That way, he could set his own mind at ease as well.
Wen Qingyuan crouched down and asked Xie Ning, “Uncle will take you to eat first. We’ll rest for the night, and tomorrow I’ll take you to find your family. All right?”
The moment they entered the city, Xie Ning had begun looking around excitedly. His heart was so full of wonder at everything new that he barely listened to what Wen Qingyuan said. He simply nodded at random.
The capital was so huge!
Much bigger than Jizhou! There were so many more people, too. It looked like so much fun!
Xie Ning’s eyes shone, and his mouth fell open in amazement.
Whenever he caught sight of some strange new trinket at a roadside stall, he would stare as he walked. Even after they had passed it, he would keep turning around to look, his gaze practically glued to it.
Remember it. Remember everything. Later, I’ll ask Father to buy it for Ningbao. Hehe!
A moment ago, he had been hungry, thirsty, and exhausted.
Now all of that had vanished completely.
Xie Ning even felt that he could keep walking for much longer.
Before long, they arrived outside an inn.
“We need a room. One ordinary room will do,” Wen Qingyuan said, holding Xie Ning’s hand.
“Sir, my apologies. Please have a seat to the side and wait a moment. There are officers inside conducting an inspection.”
The inn servant hurried over with an apologetic expression.
Wen Qingyuan tilted his head and looked inside.
Sure enough, several officers carrying swords were inside. They seemed to be searching for someone. Their faces were expressionless, their demeanor fierce.
Wen Qingyuan had no desire to get involved in any trouble. If this inn was inconvenient, they could simply find another one.
But the moment he turned to leave, the servant hurriedly grabbed him and raised his voice.
“Sir, please don’t go! The officers are only carrying out a routine inspection. They’ll be leaving soon. It won’t affect our business!”
Those words immediately drew the attention of everyone inside.
Several pairs of eyes turned in their direction.
Wen Qingyuan could feel countless gazes settle on him at once. The sensation made his temple throb. He had no wish to create any unnecessary trouble, so he turned to leave.
Just then, a cold voice sounded behind him.
“Stop.”
By this point, Wen Qingyuan figured he had nothing to fear. He had never done anything wrong, and they had only just arrived in the capital. Surely they could not have gotten themselves into trouble already.
They probably only wanted to ask a few questions.
“Officer.” Wen Qingyuan turned back and bowed.
The lead officer swept his gaze over him from head to toe, finally stopping at his face. His right hand rested on the sword at his waist.
“What are you doing here?”
Still holding Xie Ning’s hand, Wen Qingyuan answered honestly, “I brought this child to the capital to look for family.”
“Look for family?”
At that answer, the officer’s expression immediately grew more guarded. His gaze shifted to Xie Ning.
After examining the two of them for a moment, the lead officer seemed to reach some conclusion. He gave one of his subordinates a meaningful look.
“Yes, Officer Guan!”
Before Wen Qingyuan knew what was happening, two officers stepped forward and twisted his arms behind his back.
“Officer, what are you doing? We only came to the capital to find family. Is that against the law?” Wen Qingyuan suppressed his emotions and questioned him calmly.
“Coming to find family is not a crime. But…” The officer narrowed his eyes. “Who knows whether that isn’t simply your clever disguise? Fortunately, this official has sharp eyes. I noticed your distinguishing feature and didn’t let you escape again.”
The lead officer was named Guan Shitou.
Recently, he had taken charge of a troublesome case involving a thief who had repeatedly stolen the clothing and stockings of young women in the capital. Guan Shitou had spent an entire month investigating before finally discovering the culprit’s physical characteristics.
With a cold snort, he pulled out a wanted notice from his sleeve. He unfolded it and held it beside Wen Qingyuan’s face, carefully comparing the two.
“And you still dare to argue? The mole on your face is in exactly the same place as the criminal’s on this notice. You’re clearly the same person!”
The officer frowned angrily, his voice stern and cold.
“If we don’t catch you, who knows how many more young women will suffer harm to their reputations because of you?”
Hearing this, Wen Qingyuan naturally knew they had arrested the wrong person.
Not only would he never do such a thing, but he had been in the capital for less than an hour. When would he possibly have had the time to commit any crime?
Wen Qingyuan struggled.
Then he remembered the proof that could clear his name and hurriedly said, “I have a travel permit! We only just entered the city. My permit can prove it.”
“Whatever grievances you may have, you can explain them at the yamen.” Guan Shitou’s reply was ice-cold.
He had practically decided that Wen Qingyuan was merely making excuses to escape. How could there be such a coincidence in the world? Even the mole was in the exact same place.
“…”
Wen Qingyuan knew there was no escaping this disaster today.
He looked anxiously at Ningbao and tried to reassure him even as he gave hurried instructions.
“Don’t worry. Uncle will be fine.”
“Ningbao, hurry to Yun Shuiyao in the western part of the city! Find an uncle surnamed Pei. He’ll take you to your father!”
Even as he was dragged away without mercy, Wen Qingyuan did not forget to shout at Xie Ning, emphasizing the important information.
“The west side of the city! Yun Shuiyao!”
Xie Ning anxiously tried to chase after him. But the men facing him were all tall, grown adults. After only a few steps, his little legs could no longer keep up.
He stood there blankly, repeating Wen Qingyuan’s words to himself.
“The west side… west… north is up, south is down, west is left, east is right!”
“Go to Yun Shuiyao and find… go find saltwater duck… go find Uncle Duck!”
Xie Ning muttered to himself as drool silently began to gather at the corner of his mouth.
Finally, he reached a conclusion.
“Ningbao understands! I’m going to find Uncle Duck!”
[1]Ningbao is Xie Ning’s nickname jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3277001_1_1').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3277001_1_1', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });
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