Chapter 18

Yang Shi smiled and said, "Xizi, don't worry. Younian isn't an unreasonable child; she won't blame you. You should go and come back soon."

Yang Shouwen responded with a nod, picked up his spear, and walked out of the courtyard gate.

Outside the courtyard gate, a carriage was waiting.

Yang Chenglie, wearing a bamboo hat, sat on the carriage and waved at him.

After Yang Shouwen got on the carriage and sat down, Yang Chenglie whipped the horse, and the carriage slowly moved out of the village.

Looking back, he saw Yang Shi standing at the courtyard gate, waving goodbye to him...

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The moonlight was hazy.

The stars twinkled in the night sky, like mischievous fairies.

There was no one on the official road. Yang Chenglie drove the carriage without speaking, and Yang Shouwen could only sit on the carriage, curiously looking around.

After about ten miles, Yang Chenglie suddenly spoke.

"Xizi, are you blaming me?"

"Ah?" Yang Shouwen was taken aback and quickly shook his head. "Father, what are you talking about? How could I blame you?"

"These past few years, you've been in a daze, and I haven't taken good care of you. According to the rules, I should have let you take up the position last year, but it was replaced by Er Lang. As for what Er Lang did... If I were you, I would certainly harbor resentment. But you understand the bigger picture, which makes me feel a bit awkward."

"Father, what are you talking about?"

Yang Chenglie fell silent and whipped the horse.

After a long while, he suddenly said, "Xizi, do you know that sometimes I wish you would continue to act foolishly?"

This statement left Yang Shouwen speechless.

He wanted to ask, but Yang Chenglie stopped him, "You don't need to ask me why. I'll tell you when the time is right. What I want to say is that after next spring, I plan to send you to Yingyang."

"To Yingyang?"

Yang Chenglie nodded, "If you continue to act foolishly, I would be happy to have you stay by my side in Changping. But from the events of the past two days, you have shown courage and intelligence. Staying in this small place, Changping, would hold you back. I don't want you to spend your whole life in this small place, like me. Next year, I will send you to Yingyang, to your mother's family. At that time, you will change your identity and start a new life. After this case is solved, I will find someone to teach you to read and write, so you won't be ridiculed."

Leaving Changping, starting a new life, and changing your identity?

Yang Shouwen felt more and more confused and had a sense of unease.

Am I not a royal bastard, or do I have some noble bloodline, which is why Father is making such arrangements for me?

"Father, who is my mother?"

"Your mother... is one of the most virtuous and beautiful women in the world."

Yang Chenglie smiled, a smile filled with a happiness that Yang Shouwen had never seen before.

He sighed and said softly, "Your mother comes from a prestigious family, the Zheng family of Yingyang. After your mother passed away, our family got into trouble, so we had little contact. However, I have always kept in touch with your uncle, and he knows about you... Your previous state of confusion was fine, but I only wished for you to live a peaceful life. But now...

Staying here would be a waste. It would be better for you to go to your uncle's house and seek a new identity. If you achieve success in the future, you can also revitalize the family."

The Zheng family of Yingyang?

Yang Shouwen was startled.

He knew what the Zheng family of Yingyang represented. In the middle ancient period, before the Song Dynasty, they were one of the famous noble families in China, or the aristocracy. In the Tang Dynasty, there were the Five Surnames and Seven Great Families, namely the Wang family of Taiyuan, the Li family of Zhaojun, the Li family of Longxi, the Zheng family of Yingyang, the Lu family of FanYang, the Cui family of Qinghe, and the Cui family of Boling, the largest noble families in Central China.

He never expected that his mother would come from the Zheng family of Yingyang!

Of course, since Wu Zetian's ascension to the throne, the noble families have been severely suppressed.

The Five Surnames and Seven Great Families are not as powerful as they were in their heyday, but a dead camel is still bigger than a horse, and the noble families remain noble families.

However, Yang Shouwen immediately thought that his surname 'Yang' probably also has a significant background.

To be able to marry into the Zheng family and maintain contact with them...

I can't be a bastard child living among the common people! For a moment, Yang Shouwen couldn't help but speculate wildly, and his mind became a mess.

Yang Chenglie didn't say anything more but continued to drive the carriage, allowing Yang Shouwen to calm down.

"Father, what trouble did our family get into?"

Yang Chenglie glanced at him and smiled bitterly, "You don't need to ask about this. Even if you ask, I won't tell you. I can only say that our family's enemy is too powerful, so powerful that we can't afford to offend them. Although it was a misunderstanding at the time, once we offended them, it was done. That's why I and your grandfather had to bring you to Changping to live in seclusion.

In any case, I will tell you when the time is right.

For now, you just need to follow my arrangements. Next spring, your uncle will send someone to pick you up."

"I won't go!"

Before Yang Chenglie could finish speaking, Yang Shouwen shouted excitedly.

"Father, we agreed to be a family, to be a family for life.

I won't go to Yingyang; I want to stay in Changping. Here, there's Father, Aunt, and Younian... I'd rather be a nobody all my life than change my name and identity. You are my father, and you will always be my father. If I were to seek wealth and honor and deny my father, even if I achieve success one day, I would feel guilty for the rest of my life.

I won't go to Yingyang unless you go with me."

Yang Chenglie's eyes reddened, and a glimmer of moisture appeared in them.

Fortunately, it was dark, and Yang Shouwen couldn't see clearly. He quickly lowered his head and secretly wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes.

"Xizi..."

"Father, don't say anything more. I will never abandon you."

Yang Shouwen was stubborn and turned his head, ignoring Yang Chenglie.

Yang Chenglie smiled bitterly, "Alright, alright, if you won't go, you won't go... Anyway, there are still a few months until next spring, so you can think about it."

"I don't need to think about it; I won't go!"

The more determined Yang Shouwen was, the more resolute Yang Chenglie became.

"Fine, if you won't go, you won't go, but I must tell you to be careful when you go to Guguzhu. Don't cause any trouble."

He changed the subject, but he had already made up his mind.

Such a sensible child, staying in Changping would ruin his life... Although Yang Shouwen is now determined, he won't have a choice when the time comes. Returning to Central China is the only way for him to have a stage to showcase his talents, not staying in Changping and dealing with a bunch of barbarians. Staying in Changping, he would have no chance to stand out and would be held back.

Thinking of this, Yang Chenglie suddenly raised his whip.

The long whip made a crack in the air, and the horse pulling the carriage immediately sped up.

After this, the father and son suddenly fell into a cold silence.

Yang Chenglie was lost in thought, and Yang Shouwen was also deeply troubled.

From his father's words, he gleaned a lot of useful information. First, he wasn't the kind of noble child he had imagined. Second, his family had a powerful enemy in the past, which forced them to move to Changping.

Who is this enemy?

Yang Chenglie's ability to marry into the Zheng family already indicates a noble background.

A family with a noble background, to avoid an enemy, would hide their identity?

And with such a large family, they didn't take any action? This is very strange.

This means that the enemy is very powerful and formidable!

Yang Shouwen sighed softly, already guessing the identity of the enemy.

Who else could make two major families tremble but the Holy Mother Empress, who now sits in the capital?

However, the Zheng family still exists, and Yang Chenglie hopes for Yang Shouwen to achieve success, which means it's not the Holy Mother Empress.

If not the Holy Mother Empress, the first female emperor in history, Wu Zetian, then it could only be Wu Zetian's relatives and family members.

Yang Shouwen vaguely remembered that the Wu family was very powerful during Wu Zetian's reign.

Wu Chengsi, Wu Sansi...

Right, it's said that Wu Chengsi recently died of depression because he didn't become the crown prince.

Wu Chengsi is dead, but Yang Chenglie is still so cautious. Could it be that our family's enemy is Wu Sansi?

It's possible!

Yang Shouwen couldn't help but subconsciously grip the tiger-swallowing spear in his hand.

If it's Wu Sansi, that's really a formidable enemy...

At this moment, the carriage suddenly stopped.

Yang Shouwen came to his senses and looked at Yang Chenglie in confusion.

Yang Chenglie's expression was serious. He pointed the whip forward and said softly, "Xizi, we've arrived at Guguzhu. Remember not to cause any trouble."

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