Chapter 26

"Second master, second master!"

Yuan Sikong did not know how long he took to come back to his own senses. His sight gradually changed from confusion to clarity, and a pair of red eyes appeared in front of him.

It’s a bit familiar.

"Second master. Now is not the time to cry. Please wake up."

Ah, is it Liang Huiyong? He was obviously disguised, covered in a black cloak, and looking at him anxiously.

"Father..." Yuan Sikong called out softly in a daze.

"Second master, Lord Qianhu is already gone, but you must pull yourself together. You must not be caught up by them anymore. Sober up!"

Yuan Sikong asked in an almost praying tone: "My father...is really gone..." He hoped that the person in front of him could give him the opposite answer.

Liang Huiyong said with tears: "Second master, Lord Qianhu wanted you to live well. You have to get revenge for him!"

Revenge...Yes…Revenge!

A frightening light suddenly burst out of Yuan Sikong’s eyes. He grabbed Liang Huiyong's lapel: "Who is that beast Han Zhaoxing’s maternal uncle? Who is it!?”

"The Directorate of Ceremonial’s zhangyin court eunuch*, Xie Zhongren. This person is the emperor’s most favored and trusted and has great power." Liang Huiyong looked around with vigilance and said quickly, "Second master, I'm afraid it’ll be disastrous if you stay here. You should run. Anywhere is fine." He took out a small purse and put it into Yuan Sikong’s hand. "This is the money collected by the soldiers. You find a place to hide first, and I'll lure them away. When you sneak out of the city late at night, I'll take care of the city gate guards."

Yuan Sikong choked with sobs: “If I leave, what about my mother?"

"It makes no difference if you stay." Liang Huiyong grabbed Yuan Sikong’s shoulder and shook it hard. "Second master, you must live. When Lord Qianhu was around, he often praised you in front of us and said that you would become an outstanding talent in the future, and one day, he hoped that you would get rid of evil, support the righteous path, and return a clean world to Dasheng.”

Yuan Sikong bit his lips, looked at Liang Huiyong miserably, and nodded gently.

Outside the street came the voice of the guards. Liang Huiyong wiped his face and said sternly, "Hide well." He took off his cloak, put it on Yuan Sikong, and strode out.

"Liang Zongqi, have you seen that child?"

"He seemed to have headed south..."

Yuan Sikong wrapped the cloak tightly. His body was still as cold as an ice cave, and every pore was chilled to the bone. He hid in the depth of a narrow alley with high walls on both sides. When he looked up, he could only see a small narrow, dark sky, which was like an invisible shackle strangling the light that once shone on his heart, making his fiery spirit weaker and weaker.

He suppressed his cries. The boundless loneliness and despair was eating away this already empty body.

-----

Yuan Sikong didn't dare to stay here for a long time. Relying on his familiarity with Guangning’s terrain, he escaped the pursuit of the guards and went quietly to the stable, intending to hide until dark before leaving the city.

After all the trouble, he finally endured until dusk. Yuan Sikong, who was hiding in a pile of hay, suddenly heard a sound from outside. His heart tightened.

"Second brother..." There was a familiar and faint call.

Yu’er!

Yuan Sikong pushed the hay away and said in a trembling voice, "Yu’er."

Yuan Nanyu pounced and hugged him firmly. He choked with tears, "Second brother..."

"Yu’er..." Yuan Sikong also embraced him tightly. The warm body in his arms finally gave him a little bit of warmth.

At this time, only endless tears could denounce the great pain in their hearts.

Yuan Nanyu sobbed: "I knew you would be here..."

"Yu’er, h-how’s mother?" Yuan Sikong suppressed his fear and asked with much difficulty.

Yuan Nanyu shook his head: "Mother is unconscious. The doctor said she was attacked by some heart disease..."

Yuan Sikong took out the money bag Liang Huiyong gave him: "Yu'er, there’s some silver in here. You take it back and get medicine for Mother. Make sure she gets better."

"You... What about you..."

"Second brother can't go home anymore. They are all over the city trying to catch me." Yuan Sikong touched Yuan Nanyu’s face. "Yu’er, you’ve grown up. You should also take responsibility in the future and take good care of mother on behalf of second brother. You must be obedient to big brother and sister. Second brother is leaving.”

"Where are you going?" Yuan Nanyu grabbed Yuan Sikong's hand tightly with fear in his eyes.

"I don't know, but I'll live." Yuan Sikong’s eyes were full of surging hatred, "I'll avenge father and clear his name!"

Yuan Nanyu burst into a flood of tears: "Second brother, Yu’er hates parting with you..."

Yuan Sikong wiped his tears, but he couldn't wipe them clean: "Yu'er, one day, you and I will see each other again."

"But..."

"Go over there and search, quick!"

Suddenly, the shouting of the guards came from outside the stable, and the two were surprised.

Yuan Sikong pulled Yuan Nanyu into the pile of hay: "Shhh..."

Yuan Nanyu listened to the footsteps coming from far to near, and his heart was drumming. He pursed his lips, and his eyes had the determination of a man. He suddenly pulled the hemp rope that bound the hay and caught Yuan Sikong's two hands.

Yuan Sikong was stunned and subconsciously wanted to resist, but he was not the opponent of Yuan Nanyu, who had been practicing martial arts throughout the year, so his hands were tied up rapidly and nimbly.

"Yu’er, what are you doing?" A hunch rose in Yuan Sikong’s heart.

Yuan Nanyu was holding Yuan Sikong's face. He made an effort to smile at him: "Second brother, you are the smartest person I have ever met. You will be more promising than me in the future."

"Yu’er, no..." Yuan Sikong’s whole body was trembling beyond recognition.

"You said you would avenge our father. I believe you. You must not get caught." Yuan Nanyu put the money bag back into Yuan Sikong’s arms. His eyes were misty with tears, “Second brother, I often felt that you and I are like two peas in a pod. Although you don't want me to wear the same clothes as you, but... " He pulled his clothes, which were identical to Yuan Sikong’s, “sometimes it’s advantageous.”

"Yu’er, you are not allowed to go. I will hate you. Yu’er... I beg you..." Yuan Sikong desperately wanted to break free from the binding rope and make Yuan Nanyu stay. This person beside him was the only warmth he had left!

"Second brother, you also said Yu’er had grown up and should take responsibility." He hugged Yuan Sikong. He was hugging him tightly, and he choked with sobs, "If you are happy, I will be happy. If you are suffering, I will also be suffering. You are my most important person. As long as you live well, I’m willing to do anything."

"I don't have a father anymore. Yu’er, I can't lose you..." Yuan Sikong was about to lose his strength, and his great grief completely crushed him. All he had left was pleading, "Yu'er, don't do this... I don't have a father anymore. Yu'er, don't leave me..."

Yuan Nanyu whispered, "Second brother, take care."

Yuan Sikong only felt pain and numbness in the back of his neck. His body went limp and fell.

----

When Yuan Sikong woke up with much difficulty, a night had already passed. The sky brightened up suddenly, and the dark clouds were hanging low. It seemed that there was a blizzard coming, which was extremely depressing.

He looked around blankly. He only felt his like body was frozen to the point of stiffness, and his mind was blank.

Yu’er…

He struggled in a panic. The rope was tied so hastily that he broke free after a few moves. He struggled to get up and scrambled to his home.

Yu’er!

When he rushed into the house, Yuan Sikong shouted: "Yu’er! Yu’er! "

He hoped that everything was fake, and this was just a nightmare. When he woke up, Yuan Mao would still be here, Yuan Nanyu would also be here, and the whole family would still be here. He just had a cruel dream!

He prayed to God that he would exchange everything for Yuan Mao and Yuan Nanyu to return home safely.

The door of a room was pushed open violently. It was Yuan Shaoxu who came out from inside. His expression was as cold as the river during the coldest days of winter.

Yuan Sikong said in a trembling voice: "Big brother, where’s Yu’er......"

Yuan Shaoxu rushed over. With a foot on his chest, he kicked him to the ground and shouted: "What nerve did you have to come back!? Why weren’t you the one who died?!"

"Shaoxu!" Yuan Weiling rushed out and grabbed him. "Don't do this. What are you doing!?"

"It's him! It’s him who killed our father! It’s him who caused our father to offend Han Zhaoxing. It’s all because of him!" Yuan Shaoxu rushed over crazily and kicked Yuan Sikong again.

Yuan Sikong only felt a sharp pain in his chest and abdomen, and his internal organs seemed to be overturning inside.

Uncle Chen and his wife also came running over. They were pleading while pulling Yuan Shaoxu, "Don't do this, young master."

"You killed our father!" Yuan Shaoxu's eyes were red. He had a deranged look, like a beast at the end of the road. "Yu’er was captured for the sake of replacing you. IT’S ALL BECAUSE OF YOU!!!”

Yuan Sikong was curled up on the ground. He felt cold and painful, and his heart was like dead ashes*.

"Shaoxu! Are you crazy!?" Yuan Weiling hugged his waist tightly and cried, "He’s our younger brother!"

"He's not my younger brother!" Yuan Shaoxu cried, "Big sister, his surname is Yan, not Yuan. He was adopted! He's a jinx! He brought disaster to his parents and then brought it to our Yuan family. He caused our father to be beheaded. He caused our mother to be seriously ill. He caused Yu'er to be exiled to the northwest. He caused you to be withdrawn from your marriage! He ruined our Yuan family! You get out, get out of here. Don’t ever come back again. GET OUT!!!"

"Don’t say anymore, Shaoxu." Yuan Weiling was hugging Yuan Shaoxu while crying loudly. "It's not Kong’er’s fault. Don't say anymore. Father is already gone. Yu’er is also gone. There are only a few people left in our family... "

"GET OUT!!!" Yuan Shaoxu roared at Yuan Sikong, "Father shouldn't have picked you up at that time. He should have let you freeze and starve to death in the street!"

Yuan Sikong climbed up from the ground stiffly. He lowered his head and dashed out of the Yuan residence.

"KONG’ER!!!"

Yuan Sikong was running insanely. He ran until his tears were frozen into ice on his face. He ran until his heart and lungs were on the verge of shattering. He ran until his legs were gradually losing their senses, and then he toppled down on the ground heavily.

He was lying on his back in the thick snow. Looking at the white frost all over the sky, it was like paper money being sprinkled on the way to the funeral. Was God also holding a memorial ceremony for the person who had been wronged and died?

Yuan Shaoxu was right. He was probably a jinx. If Yuan Mao didn't take him home and let him die on the street, would all of this not have happened?

At least he would not be like this right now: living was worse than dying.

No, he couldn’t die yet. Yu’er was banished to the northwest to suffer. He must go and save him. Yuan Mao had a bad reputation and died from false accusations. He must rectify his name and take revenge for him.

Xie Zhongren, Han Zhaoxing, Ge Zhong.

Yuan Sikong repeated these names between his lips and teeth as if chewing their flesh and skin fiercely and bitterly. He must live. One day, he would swallow and peel these people alive. He would watch them fall into the infernal hell, suffer from the burning karmic fire, and never reincarnate forever!

 

SQC’s notes: This is the last chapter of the first volume. Kong’er will have grown up in the next volume and Feng Ye will appear very soon. Going to rest for 3 days and organize my train of thought. Second volume will start on Sunday. Thank you everyone for your support.

----

PS: Time to have some sweetness in the next volume :3

 

The Directorate of Ceremonial’s zhangyin court eunuch* [司礼监掌印太监]---is the most powerful position among the 12 directorates. In charge of the imperial treasury and completion of the final examination and seal of the "red approval" part of the national policies of the Ming Dynasty.

heart was like dead ashes*[心如死灰]---utterly dissipated

 

Edited on 15 July 21 (Emzie)

 

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