Ding Wenfu couldn’t decipher the emotions hidden deep in his gaze.
He flipped over and jumped into the well, gripping the well rope in his hand.
Li Fuxiang didn’t want to be caught by him. Curling his body, he sank further into the water, but Ding Wenfu was quick. He dove into the water in one swift motion, grabbed Li Fuxiang’s clothes, and hauled him up as if lifting a chick, pulling him into his embrace.
Kneeling in the well water, Ding Wenfu clenched his teeth and hissed sharply.
It was freezing.
The well water, after the onset of winter, was like being submerged in ice shards, piercing into the cracks of his bones. Even with his young, robust body, he could barely endure it—how could such a frail child withstand it?
Ding Wenfu held Li Fuxiang tightly in his arms, climbed up the well wall, and leaped out in one motion.
“Your Majesty, I’ve found him.” Ding Wenfu, dripping wet, carefully placed Li Fuxiang on the ground and said, “He was hiding in the well. The commotion might have scared him.”
Li Fuxiang, drenched from head to toe, barely touched the ground when warm clothes were immediately draped over him, wrapping him snugly.
Many hands worked to arrange his clothes and smooth his hair.
The emperor found the crowd before him too noisy, obstructing his view of the child’s face. With a wave of his hand, he dismissed everyone.
Li Fuxiang tilted his head slightly, studying the supreme ruler before him.
Similarly, the emperor’s gaze wandered over him.
As Lady Xu had said, “The son takes after his mother’s beauty.” Li Fuxiang’s brows and eyes bore a striking resemblance to his mother.
The emperor extended a hand, carefully cupping the child’s face. His gaze turned distant as he recalled the scene of a crescent moon rising from the horizon at nightfall in the desert.
The desert transformed into the Milky Way, a misty expanse, lofty and desolate, detached and solitary—just like that casual glance Zheng Yungou had given him while astride her horse when they first met.
It had been ten years…
If he had been willing to humble himself to see this child, even just once, it wouldn’t have come to this—to have Yungou’s own flesh and blood endure such torment.
The emperor removed his cloak, wrapped it tightly around the child, and carried him back to the Qianqing Palace.
The imperial guards, ever perceptive, moved quickly. As soon as the emperor departed, they packed up Li Fuxiang’s belongings from the Xiaonan and delivered them to the emperor. A chaotic pile filled with odds and ends—even the small silver charcoal heater from under his bed was included.
The emperor’s gaze swept over the heap, where a short white fox-fur jacket stood out conspicuously. It was clearly tailored in a feminine style, with silver-plated begonia flowers circling the collar and red rice-bead tassels dangling below.
The emperor found the fox fur vaguely familiar the more he looked at it.
Ding Wenfu roughly grabbed the fox fur in his hand and examined it. “I recall, Your Majesty, during the autumn hunt this year, you shot a vixen. The arrow pierced its eye without damaging its fur. Who did you reward it to afterward?”
The emperor summoned Gao Yuexing.
Ding Wenfu personally went to Jingmen Palace to fetch her. The moment he stepped into the palace gates, he saw Li Fuqiu sitting in the courtyard, staring blankly at the birdcage hanging outside his door.
Meanwhile, Gao Yuexing sat under the western corridor, holding a small bronze brazier in her hands, a thin blanket over her lap, and Fu Yun reading aloud to her.
Ding Wenfu instinctively felt the scene was somewhat eerie. His gaze lingered on Li Fuqiu for a moment. He saluted according to protocol but received no response. Li Fuqiu sat there in a daze, unsure if he had even heard him.
Gao Yuexing dismissed Fu Yun and, without waiting for the purpose of the summons to be announced, stood up and tidied her attire as if she had already anticipated his visit.
This little lady clearly wasn’t one to be easily pacified, so Ding Wenfu said nothing more and silently escorted her away.
Before meeting the emperor, Gao Yuexing deliberately took out the small fox pendant she wore close to her body. It was a gift from Li Fuxiang, and she let it hang prominently on her chest.
The emperor held her white fox fur short jacket in his hands.
As Gao Yuexing bowed, she caught sight of Li Fuxiang from the corner of her eye.
Finally, she saw him again.
Li Fuxiang was dressed in pale moon-white sleepwear, sitting in a chair surrounded by young and beautiful palace maids, who were feeding him a bowl of some unknown soup.
His expression was cold and indifferent. He ate whatever was brought to his lips, revealing neither pleasure nor displeasure, nor whether it suited his taste.
In the emperor’s presence, Gao Yuexing still had the leisure to marvel at how his noble air seemed innate. Even if his fate had been shattered and trampled into the mud, he never looked pitiful.
When Li Fuxiang saw her, a sudden light gleamed in his eyes, and he stopped eating the soup offered to his lips. Sliding off his chair, he ran straight toward Gao Yuexing.
The emperor was watching.
The palace maids and attendants were stunned.
Li Fuxiang didn’t understand the concept of decorum; he acted entirely according to his own will.
Seeing Gao Yuexing made him happy. Standing before her, he gestured and signed: “Wife.”
Faced with the emperor’s probing gaze, Gao Yuexing dared not respond for a moment.
Li Fuxiang looked at her for a while, his expression turning puzzled, not understanding why she was suddenly ignoring him.
So, he did something even more shocking in front of everyone.
He leaned his face close to Gao Yuexing’s and gently rubbed against her cheek.
It was a gesture akin to seeking affection.
Gao Yuexing couldn’t push him away.
She couldn’t do it—and she didn’t have the heart to.
Closing her eyes briefly, she hugged him tightly.
The emperor deliberately cleared his throat.
Li Fuxiang’s focus was entirely on Gao Yuexing, ignoring everything else. His gestures were wild and expressive, conveying a chaotic mix of thoughts that could all be summed up in one sentence: “It’s been a long time. I missed you deeply.”
Gao Yuexing touched his little finger, expressing the same sentiment in a gesture of affection.
The emperor could no longer remain seated. Setting aside his dignity, he actively inquired of Gao Yuexing, “What is he saying?”
It turned out the emperor didn’t understand sign language.
Gao Yuexing blinked, her face adopting a confused expression as she lied, “I don’t know either, Your Majesty.” Seeing his disappointment, she hesitated, then added, “But he’s very happy.”
“Happy,” the emperor repeated the word aloud, pondering it deeply. He beckoned Gao Yuexing to step forward.
Gao Yuexing wasn’t afraid of him. Lifting her skirt slightly, she approached the high seat step by step, the small copper fox pendant swinging at her neck. As she came closer, the emperor suddenly pressed her shoulder with his hand.
He had seen it.
Just as Gao Yuexing had calculated.
The emperor’s eyes flickered with uncertainty, and a trace of what could only be described as pain sank deep within his gaze.
Yet, even his pain could not dispel his suspicion. His eyes remained fixed on the pendant, though his words turned elsewhere: “Little girl, you’ve been in the palace for just over a month, yet you seem to have formed quite a bond with him?”
Gao Yuexing’s gaze was clear and unflinching as she replied, “Your Majesty, he and I simply became fast friends.”
The emperor did not press further.
He extended his hand and removed the plain, almost cheap-looking fox pendant from Gao Yuexing’s neck.
Before she could react, Li Fuxiang had already expressed his displeasure.
He immediately reached out, trying to take it back.
The emperor clenched his fist around it, his hand large enough to dwarf the child’s two combined. Li Fuxiang, helpless, stared up at him. The emperor lowered his gaze to the top of Li Fuxiang’s fuzzy head, his silence laced with patience and gentleness. It wasn’t until Li Fuxiang grew frustrated and bit down on his hand with all his might that the emperor’s hand trembled—but still, no anger showed in his expression.
The child’s sharp teeth didn’t break the emperor’s skin, showing he had held back somewhat.
Even so, the emperor refused to loosen his grip and return the pendant.
Ignoring the pain, the emperor wrapped one arm around Li Fuxiang and lifted him effortlessly, placing the child on his lap.
——”Your mother and I first met in the vast desert along the western frontier, and we fell for each other in the barren town of Xiangzhou. At that time, I was penniless and had nothing to my name. I spent the last two qian of silver I had to buy this crude little trinket from a market stall. It was, in fact, the best gift I could afford to give her then.”
The emperor’s fingers relaxed slightly.
The chubby little fox pendant tumbled out from his palm.
The emperor sighed with a sense of loss. “After your mother passed away, I searched for it for a long time. It turns out it has been with you all this time.”
He carefully placed the small fox pendant back around Li Fuxiang’s neck, kissed the top of his head, and exhaled deeply. “I’m sorry, my child.”
Li Fuxiang seemed to sense the sorrow in the emperor’s heart. He remained quiet for a while, sitting docilely in the emperor’s arms, offering no resistance.
Gao Yuexing, perceptive as ever, had already retreated to the side.
Before sunset, Consort Hui arrived with an entourage.
The palace had undergone a great upheaval that day, and even Consort Xian dared not casually appear before the emperor.
Only Consort Hui, undaunted by imperial authority, brought a physician along. She carried a bowl of clear water and presented it to the emperor, offering her counsel with steadfast honesty: “When it comes to the royal bloodline, this is no trivial matter. Your Majesty must exercise caution. If you wish to dispel the ministers’ doubts, mere resemblance to the Noble Consort’s features will not suffice.”
The emperor picked up a silver needle from the tray, pricked his own finger, and let a drop of blood fall into the clear water. He wiped the needle clean with a handkerchief, then took Li Fuxiang’s small hand and gently pricked it.
Consort Hui lowered her gaze, her expression solemn.
Two drops of blood merged into the water, and as they spread, they eventually collided and combined.
Consort Hui let out a long sigh of relief, then smiled brightly. “The bond of father and son, blood is thicker than water. Congratulations, Your Majesty.”
The emperor, however, showed no sign of joy. With a wave of his hand, the attendants carrying the tray withdrew.
For an emperor, there are no personal affairs.
Personal affairs are state affairs.
Despite the tight lockdown on information and the oppressive silence in the palace, where no one dared to speak recklessly outside, by the next day, after the morning court session, the line of ministers seeking an audience in the study stretched nearly to the palace gates.
The emperor saw only one person: Zheng Qianye.
When the grand general Zheng entered, his expression was grim. His graying hair was hastily tied into his coronet, with a few strands left unkempt, giving him a rather unruly appearance.
Zheng Qianye was not one for tactful words. After paying his respects and performing the formalities, he got straight to the point: “I hear that the child Your Majesty imprisoned in the Xiaonan for ten years has a hidden identity?”
Faced with his father-in-law, the emperor was too ashamed to offer an explanation and simply said, “I failed Yungou.”
Bloodshot veins quickly spread through Zheng Qianye’s eyes, and his voice nearly broke:
“At nearly forty years old, this old subject finally had the fortune of having such a precious daughter. For her entire life, I cherished her as though she were a pearl or jade, only to see her pass before me, the white-haired burying the black-haired…”
“Your Majesty, you must understand, the bloodline my daughter sacrificed her life to preserve was not left behind solely for the Li family’s empire.”