Chapter 341: As if separated by an eternity

Mu Yuanzhi gave the wet nurse a look; the wet nurse immediately understood and apologetically said, "Sorry, Prince, the young heir and the young duke need to nurse."

Pei Shangjue, hearing this, could only reluctantly withdraw his hand, full of regret watching the two adorable babies being taken away by the wet nurse; after the wet nurse had taken just a few steps, he called out, "Wait, I still have gifts to give to my two nephews."

Even if Mu Yuanzhi doesn't acknowledge it, he stubbornly insists on calling her Ah Zhi; this is their inseparable fate!

The wet nurse glanced at Mu Yuanzhi again, but receiving no signal, she did nothing else, allowing Pei Shangjue to slip the two valuable jade pendants, one each, into the babies' swaddling clothes.

The infants are curious, wanting to touch and play with anything; as the warm jade pendant fell, they eagerly reached out with their chubby little hands, and upon touching it, they broke into delighted smiles.

Pei Shangjue was delighted; he had already been imagining that once the children grew up, if they became close to him, he could seize the opportunity to mend his relationship with Ah Zhi!

The future is long; as long as we wait, there will surely be rewards.

"Prince, I won't send you off." Mu Yuanzhi issued the eviction order for the second time.

"You've seen the person; shouldn't you be leaving now?"

Pei Shangjue, however reluctant, had to leave; he didn't want to upset her, for the loss would outweigh the gain.

"I'm leaving; if anything comes up, I'll visit again."

"Have the steward see the prince out."

Her meaning was to prevent Pei Shangjue from sneaking around and finding another way to linger longer.

The steward naturally understood and politely saw Pei Shangjue out.

"Master, these jade pendants..." the wet nurse asked, unsure what to do.

As the wet nurse of the Grand General's manor, she naturally knew whom Mu Yuanzhi liked and disliked; Prince Zhuang was certainly among those she disliked.

Mu Yuanzhi said, "Since the gifts are for the children, let the children decide what to do with them."

The wet nurse understood: just put them away for now, and decide when the young heir and young duke grow up.

Pei Shangjue left the Grand General's manor, glanced back, and was about to get into the carriage when a child ran up, holding a bouquet and shouting, "Sir! Are you selling flowers?!"

The attendant dutifully stepped in front of Pei Shangjue and said, "This is Prince Zhuang; no one may approach him at will!"

"Wait." Pei Shangjue keenly spotted a hidden letter in the bouquet; looking at the child, his face showed that there was something going on—this was no mere flower-seller trying to make a living.

The attendant stepped aside while keeping an eye on the child, fearing this might be an assassin in disguise.

Upon seeing Pei Shangjue approach, the child's face lit up with relief; he shoved the bouquet into Pei Shangjue's arms, Pei Shangjue gave him some loose silver, and the boy sprinted away and vanished.

Only then did the attendant move his hand away from the sword at his waist.

Pei Shangjue was extremely cautious; he took the bouquet into the carriage, then pulled out the hidden letter inside—upon seeing it, his pupils contracted instantly.

It was his older brother!

Even his father had come...

They wanted to see him...

Pei Shangjue crumpled the letter; he understood what it meant, and he also understood what they were plotting.

But from the start he had been unwilling to meddle in these commotions; he went to the army camp to lead troops, and these were purely personal hobbies—his father never let him command troops alone.

"Master, should we return to the manor?"

The carriage had been silent for a while, and the attendant couldn't help but ask.

He knew the letter hidden in the bouquet must concern a major matter.

"Return."

"Yes!"

The attendant ordered the coachman to set off, but after the carriage had gone just half a street, Pei Shangjue changed his mind: "Stop!"

"Master, what are your orders?"

A muffled voice came from the carriage: "Go to the Moon-Viewing Tower."

"Yes!"

The Moon-Viewing Tower is one of the few taverns in Jingcheng that, despite being near the suburbs, does good business.

The attendant knew for certain that the mysterious person who sent the letter had arranged to meet their prince there.

The Moon-Viewing Tower has four floors; the private rooms are on the third floor and above. Pei Shangjue had the attendant stay downstairs, making the attendant even more uneasy about the mysterious person.

Pei Shangjue alone went up to the third floor; guided by the waiter, he reached the second-to-last private room named Listening Wind.

He knocked on the door, but no one answered; the people inside were very cautious.

So Pei Shangjue simply pushed the door open; the person with their back to him only turned around after hearing the door close.

A face that Pei Shangjue hadn't seen in a long time appeared before him.

It felt as if they were worlds apart.

"Father..."

Pei Shangjue called out.

"You've come, Jue'er." The Deposed Emperor gazed at his long-unseen second son, feeling a myriad of emotions.

This son, whom he had once liked very much, remained unchanged after their long separation, making him feel both happy and angry.

His happiness came from the son doing well; his anger also came from the son doing well.

He had endured exile and hardship; shouldn't the son be constantly thinking of him, worried to the point of losing appetite?

Yet the son lives a life of ease and comfort?

Moreover, upon seeing his living father, he showed no excitement—even if he were naturally cold-hearted, this is too callous.

"Father has grown thin." Pei Shangjue said.

"How could he not be thin?" the Deposed Emperor pulled out a chair and sat down, saying, "My realm has been overturned by treacherous ministers and villains."

He poured two cups of tea, gesturing for Pei Shangjue to sit.

"What about the elder brother—why isn't he coming out?" Pei Shangjue looked toward behind the curtain.

Pei Shangyan then emerged: "Brother Jue, we've been waiting for you a long time; we hope it wasn't in vain."

His words carried deep meaning, and the Deposed Emperor also looked toward Pei Shangjue.

Pei Shangjue, however, turned a deaf ear; he also sat down, but did not drink the tea his father pushed before him.

"How come, this tea doesn't suit Prince Zhuang's taste?" the Deposed Emperor asked with a smile.

"Father, since you call the son Prince Zhuang, you should know the son is merely Prince Zhuang." Pei Shangjue said.

The Deposed Emperor's face suddenly changed; he fiercely knocked down the tea cup, his eyes full of gloom, his voice low and cold: "Unfilial son! What do you mean by this?!"

"The son's meaning is obvious; the son is merely the current prince, nothing more."

"To live in such ignoble survival, to be laughed at for a thousand years as a prince—how interesting is that?!" the Deposed Emperor slammed the table.

Pei Shangyan's brows furrowed deeply, he advised: "Brother Shangjue, have you thought clearly about what you are doing now?!"

"I understand it very clearly; what's unclear is you all." Pei Shangjue remained as calm as ever, consistent with his usual character, unperturbed in the face of events: "Holding heavy troops, even mobilizing the nation's strength cannot resist; now it's merely a few scattered remnants, and you still want to overthrow the new policies? That's sheer fantasy!"

The Deposed Emperor gritted his teeth: "When the rebels raised troops, they were nothing more than a mere ten thousand, not worth fearing!"

Pei Shangjue: "Having favorable timing, terrain, and harmony is enough."

"Don't drag me into this! Victory makes a king, defeat makes a bandit—it's all because I made a mistake in chess, giving him an opportunity!" the Deposed Emperor stood up, "This time I will reclaim everything that belongs to me!"

Pei Shangjue looked toward Pei Shangyan: "Elder brother, why don't you advise father? Must you also persist in delusion together with him?"