Chapter 23: Bastard Child

Chapter 23: The Child of Adultery

Jiang Wangsheng was born in a remote village in Yunzhou, his family having been poor for generations.

It was no small feat that someone so gifted at scholarship had emerged, so nearly the entire clan pooled their resources to support his education.

Fortunately, Jiang Wangsheng lived up to their expectations. Young as he was, he made a name for himself on the examination lists, working his way up from Yunzhou all the way to the capital.

He arrived in the capital with the top score in the provincial examination, then caused a stir by placing first in the metropolitan examination.

Everyone assumed that even in the worst case, he would rank among the top three and bring glory to his ancestors. Yet unexpectedly, he performed poorly in the palace examination, barely managing to land at the very bottom of the second tier.

Many lamented his bad luck, but more believed that his humble origins limited his vision and that he lacked any real insight—that his earlier results were just a fluke born of rote memorization.

Moreover, the palace examination was where the finest talents gathered, and only then did his lack of depth show.

It was said that Jiang Wangsheng himself was deeply disappointed with the result, feeling too ashamed to face the elders of Yunzhou. He therefore refused to enter officialdom, turned down the offers from many aristocratic families, and chose to try again in three years.

During the three years Jiang Wangsheng was stuck in the capital, he barely scraped by copying manuscripts, running errands for bookshops, and writing letters for people.

"According to the bookshop owner, Jiang Wangsheng was an extremely talented man, and also kind, humble, and courteous."

"The innkeeper where he lodged also said that Scholar Jiang was incredibly diligent—burning the midnight oil was a common occurrence for him."

Lu Zhun had even managed to dig up several of Jiang Wangsheng's poems and policy essays to present.

Cheng Yi noted that Lu Zhun was as thorough and meticulous as ever as he carefully read through the pieces.

What surprised Cheng Yi was that Jiang Wangsheng not only had unconventional ideas about governing but also unique insights across many other fields.

His poetry and prose had backbone, and his literary talent flowed naturally. Even as a poor scholar from humble roots, his presence and knowledge far outshone most sons of noble families.

He was a once-in-a-generation talent.

His palace exam results should not have been that bad, by all logic.

Not to mention that in the next ten years, Cheng Yi never once heard his name.

Could he have met with some accident after Xie Yulin plagiarized him? Or was there something else shady going on behind the scenes?

With this in mind, Cheng Yi told Lu Zhun to find a quiet place and get Jiang Wangsheng settled there for now.

Even if he was overthinking it, a talent like that could be useful to him down the road.

——————

In the afternoon, Cheng Yi brought Fuzi to the Rain-Listening Pavilion to meet Lin Beixiao.

The moment he arrived, the manager came up beaming, and right behind him, Lin Beixiao appeared.

Cheng Yi watched coldly. A man who was usually aloof and self-possessed now had a fawning, ingratiating air about him—clearly, he was desperate.

"Ayi, I finally got to see you."

Lin Beixiao could barely hide his joy, though he deliberately reined it in, his tone tinged with melancholy.

"It's only been a year, and you've completely transformed. Compared to you, I'm nothing."

He looked dejected and self-pitying.

In the past, Cheng Yi would have comforted him at this point, but today he just gave two flat, dismissive words.

"Is that so."

His tone even had a hint of mockery in it.

Lin Beixiao's resentment churned beneath the surface as he remembered the humiliation of being turned away again and again these past few days.

In the past, it was always Cheng Yi who came looking for him, who pulled him into that circle of rich brats. Now he'd completely changed his tune.

Suppressing his rising irritation, Lin Beixiao put on a nostalgic look.

"Remember a year ago, when we used to ride and shoot together? When we got tired, we'd hit that roast chicken place north of the city, grab a few birds, and pig out. That was the life."

As he spoke, Lin Beixiao whipped out two oil-paper-wrapped roast chickens from behind his back like a magician pulling off a trick.

The moment they were unwrapped, the room filled with the mouthwatering smell of roast chicken, and even Fuzi couldn't help sniffing the air.

God, that smells good.

A smile lingered at the corner of Lin Beixiao's mouth. He'd expected to see some trace of their old bond in Cheng Yi's eyes, but instead found only a dead, cold stillness in those dark depths.

Cheng Yi's face showed absolutely nothing.

Lin Beixiao's face went stiff, and the anger inside him surged out of control again.

Yeah, these high-and-mighty young masters and noble brats were all the same—not a decent one in the bunch. They'd call you "brother" to your face, then turn their backs on you in a heartbeat.

Cheng Yi had talked a good game before, saying he treated him like a friend, but in reality, he'd never truly respected him.

What a hypocritical, disgusting face!

Cheng Yi watched expressionlessly as emotions flickered across Lin Beixiao's eyes. His face was quite the performance—he tried to hide and suppress it, but to Cheng Yi now, all that pretense was just ridiculous and laughable.

But the seventeen-year-old Cheng Yi from his past life had completely failed to see the hypocrisy and scheming, believing instead that Lin Beixiao was sincere and genuine—so much so that his whole heart was ultimately thrown to the dogs.

In his past life, when Cheng Yi returned to the northern border, he'd brought Lin Beixiao along.

He introduced Lin Beixiao to his uncle, and from that moment on, Lin Beixiao's life took a turn for the better.

From Cheng Yi's deputy, to a ruthless young general in his own right, and finally to the lofty position of Grand General Protecting the Nation—his rise was nothing short of meteoric.

But the future Cheng Yi had single-handedly built for him was repaid with a knife to the back.

In the golden throne hall, he'd stood beside Xie Yulin, face twisted and contorted, eyes churning with years of pent-up jealousy and the glee of watching Cheng Yi die.

In the past, Cheng Yi had never understood why—after everything he'd done for him—Lin Beixiao not only showed no gratitude but harbored such bone-deep hatred.

Until this very moment, watching the shifting expressions in his eyes, Cheng Yi suddenly understood with perfect clarity.

Because the man in front of him was inherently small-minded. The kinder you were to him, the more he'd envy and resent you.

Lin Beixiao was like a frozen snake in winter. He wouldn't feel gratitude toward the farmer who saved him; he'd just wait for his strength to come back, then strike without hesitation and swallow the farmer whole.

Cheng Yi's eyes grew darker, and a faint, unreadable smile curled at the corner of his lips.

He wanted to see, in this life, without him, just how far Lin Beixiao could get.

He probably couldn't even claw his way out of the mess he was in now.

After all, Lin Beixiao, as he was now, was still a despised, lowest of the low, a bastard son.

"Ayi, go on, try it. Does this roasted chicken still taste the same as it used to?"

Cheng Yi didn't move, and answered flatly:

"Young Master Lin, what exactly do you want from me today?"

Lin Beixiao was caught off guard, his shock too raw to hide. When he looked up, he met Cheng Yi's deep, sinister gaze, and he choked back the "Ayi" that was on his lips.

"Uh... Second Young Master," Lin Beixiao faltered, embarrassed, finally swallowing his pride and pushing on, "I hear the northern border's been plagued by constant war, with those Great Yan bastards constantly crossing our borders, slaughtering our people, trying to take our land. It's absolutely infuriating."

"As a citizen of Great Yao, I can't stand to hear this. I want to do my part for Great Yao, to protect our homes and drive out those Great Yan scum."

Lin Beixiao spoke with fire in his words, but Cheng Yi stayed stone-faced.

Lin Beixiao had to steel himself and push on:

"Second Young Master, you once said you'd put in a word for me to join the Zhenyuan Army. Is that offer still on the table?"

A faint smirk tugged at Cheng Yi's lips.

"Of course."

Lin Beixiao's face brightened instantly, but before he could even say thanks, Cheng Yi added:

"The Ministry of War's got a recruitment booth set up at the city gate right now. You can just head over and sign up yourself."

The smile on Lin Beixiao's face froze solid.

He'd bent over backward to win Cheng Yi's favor, and all he got was a "go sign up yourself"?

And even if they'd take someone of his lowly status, the Ministry of War puts new recruits through a brutal three-to-six-month training. When the hell would he ever get to the northern border?

Even if he got lucky and was assigned to the Zhenyuan Army, he'd start at the very bottom as a grunt. Forget the inner circle of command—even getting an audience with a chiliarch would be a pipe dream. All his talent would be wasted, and he'd just be cannon fodder on the front lines.

Climbing the ranks would be a brutal grind, and who knew how many years he'd have to suffer before catching a break.

But with Cheng Yi's backing, he could walk straight into the military's inner circle, get noticed by the top brass through the Cheng family's pull, learn how to command, and quickly make a name for himself with his skills—completely shaking off his lowly origins and scrubbing away the shame of being a bastard.

But he never expected Cheng Yi to just turn his back on him like that.

Rage boiled inside Lin Beixiao, and he barely kept his face from cracking.

Cheng Yi, though, played the caring type and pressed on: "Want me to give the recruitment office a heads-up?"

Lin Beixiao's face went rigid, but he swallowed his anger and gritted out:

"No need. Thanks, Second Young Master."

Cheng Yi let out a light chuckle. "It's just one word."

Each word was a knife.

Yeah, it really was just one word—but Cheng Yi chose to stand there and watch coldly.

This was nothing but a deliberate slap in the face.

The two had first met at that roast chicken joint north of the city.

Back then, Cheng Yi had gone to buy some roast chicken, only to be told they were sold out—the last one had just been bought by the young man standing next to him.

Cheng Yi turned and saw a thinly clad but upright youth staring intently at the chicken, clearly yearning for it yet hesitating to pay.

Before Cheng Yi could speak, the youth turned and offered the chicken to him with a smile.

Cheng Yi was curious, for the youth looked like he was about to drool and had enough money, yet he gave it up at the last moment.

The youth was none other than Lin Beixiao. When Cheng Yi asked, he learned:

Lin Beixiao came from a poor family, had no father since childhood, and his mother was chronically ill, so he had shouldered the burden of supporting his family from a young age.

He worked odd jobs—assisting at herbal shops, performing on the streets... doing every kind of menial labor.

He said that whenever he was dizzy from hunger, he'd rely on the aroma from the roast chicken shop to sustain himself, so he had saved up for a long time just to taste their chicken.

But at the last moment, he hesitated, standing before the shop for a long while, thinking the money could buy his mother another dose of medicine.

Fortunately, Cheng Yi appeared, leading to the moment of giving up the chicken.

Back then, Cheng Yi was both shocked and moved.

A youth raised in luxury could hardly imagine someone being so desperate over a roast chicken, yet he also admired Lin Beixiao for managing to support a family at such a young age.

What resonated most with Cheng Yi was that Lin Beixiao also grew up without a father.

Wasn't that just like him?

Youthful hearts are so simple and sincere.

Cheng Yi thought then, he'd look out for this brother from now on.

So from then on, Cheng Yi deliberately included him in everything and often gave him his unused belongings.

He even feared hurting the boy's pride, so he always made up clumsy excuses.

Looking back now, it was foolish and laughable.

It wasn't until after his death that Cheng Yi learned Lin Shoucheng was actually his father.

They must have recognized each other in the northern border long ago, yet Lin Beixiao had deliberately concealed his lineage.

The irony was that Lin Beixiao was a bastard son.

His mother had been violated and became pregnant out of wedlock, leading to her engagement being called off, being despised and abandoned by her family, then beaten and driven away by neighbors, nearly drowned in a pond. She eventually wandered to a refugee camp on the city's outskirts, where she struggled to give birth to Lin Beixiao.

His mother had endured immense suffering.

And Lin Beixiao, growing up under the stigma of being a bastard, had faced scorn and bullying since childhood.

Cheng Yi remembered how Lin Beixiao always spoke of his mother with tender affection, and his filial piety moved him. His hatred for that beastly father resonated deeply with Cheng Yi.

But ironically, Lin Beixiao could embrace his enemy as a father.

Presumably because that beastly father was the deputy commander of the hundreds of thousands of Zhenyuan troops, so he could set aside his hatred, disregard his mother, betray his principles, and become a treacherous turncoat.

Ha, wasn't that the true ingrate?

Cheng Yi rose to his feet. "If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave."

Lin Beixiao's heart lurched, and he hurriedly stepped in front of Cheng Yi.

He didn't know what had happened to Cheng Yi over the past year to cause such a huge change in how he treated him, but if he missed this chance, he was afraid he'd never get another opportunity to see Cheng Yi.

Fixing their relationship would only get harder, so he swallowed his pride and forced a smile:

"Second Young Master, hold on. There's one more thing."

Cheng Yi raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised—what other game was he playing?

But instead, Lin Beixiao held something out to him.

"Does Second Young Master recognize this?"

In Lin Beixiao's hand was a deep green jade pendant.

The material and craftsmanship were both exquisite and expensive—clearly not your average trinket.

The moment Cheng Yi's eyes landed on the pendant, he froze.

This was the jade pendant he'd given Xie Yulin back then—so why was it in Lin Beixiao's hands?

"How did you come by this?"

Cheng Yi's eyes darkened as the pendant landed in his palm.

So these two really did know each other from before?

Seeing Cheng Yi's face change, Lin Beixiao figured his gamble had paid off—that guy really did have something special with Cheng Yi.

He quickly explained himself.

Turns out, not long ago, he'd happened to rescue Xie Yulin from some bullies, and that's how they met.

Later, he found out by accident that Cheng Yi was a mutual friend, and that's how the two of them got to know each other.

Actually, when Lin Beixiao had said his name that day, he'd noticed Xie Yulin's surprised look, which made him push for more.

He hadn't expected this elegant young master to not only know he was Cheng Yi's close friend, but to talk about Cheng Yi with an unmistakably intimate tone.

His mind started turning, and an idea formed.

Everyone in the capital knew Cheng Yi had been forced into his marriage, so there had to be someone he cared about.

If it was this guy, he could use him to win back Cheng Yi's goodwill.

Now, seeing Cheng Yi's face change over a single jade pendant, he couldn't help but feel a little smug.

His gamble really had paid off.

Little did he know, Cheng Yi's mind was racing.

In his past life, these two hadn't met until three years later—and only because he'd introduced them.

But now, they'd already gotten tangled up with each other way ahead of schedule.

Knowing Xie Yulin the way he did, it had to be that Xie Yulin had approached deliberately, because he knew Lin Beixiao was Cheng Yi's best friend.

So who was really using who here?

While Cheng Yi was lost in thought, Lin Beixiao had already slipped out quietly.

He thought of himself as pretty considerate—not only had he given the two plenty of space, but he'd also posted himself outside the door to keep anyone from barging in and interrupting.

Cheng Yi looked up to see Xie Yulin walking in slowly, dressed in plain robes.

In just a few days, he looked even thinner, his baggy sleeves doing nothing to hide his frail frame.

His face was deliberately made up to look weak and haggard, the perfect picture of someone wasting away from lovesickness.

From the moment he walked in, his eyes were locked on Cheng Yi, the fake tenderness in them barely hidden. Only when he reached the desk did his gaze slowly drift to the warm jade pendant in Cheng Yi's palm.

"This is the birthday gift you gave me—the first gift I ever got in my life."

Xie Yulin's voice was soft, like he was lost in a beautiful memory, but his peripheral vision never stopped checking Cheng Yi's expression, quietly planning his next words.

Cheng Yi looked down at him coldly, watching the act.

His fingers traced the pendant, feeling nothing but a chill, and an uncontrollable wave of nausea rose in his chest.

In his past life, this very pendant had been the excuse Xie Yulin used to manipulate him, step by step luring him into the trap. Now, looking at it again, it just felt disgustingly tainted.

But Xie Yulin suddenly lifted his head, looking Cheng Yi straight in the eyes.

"Ayi, can you really be this heartless?"

His voice was already thick with tears, his eyes red just enough, like Cheng Yi was the heartless one who'd abandoned him.

But Cheng Yi was calmer than ever—almost to the point of finding it ridiculous.

Heartless?

I'm not even one ten-thousandth as heartless as you.

"Ayi, have you been okay these past few days?"

"Fine."

Cheng Yi replied flatly, his tone as cold as if he were talking to a stranger.

"But I've been living each day like it's a year."

Cheng Yi: "..."

Xie Yulin lowered his eyes, looking like he didn't dare meet Cheng Yi's gaze, yet his shoulders trembled slightly, as if he were in unbearable pain.

As if, for Cheng Yi—for the sake of their relationship—he'd rather throw away his pride and everything else, just to confess his love to the man in front of him.

"The words you said that day cut straight through my heart. I refuse to believe you could be this cruel. I was sure you had your reasons, that you were forced by circumstances. I thought that if you just came to me, I'd throw everything aside, like that day never happened."

"But can you really be so heartless as to break things off with me, each of us going our own way?"

As Xie Yulin spoke, tears started rolling down his cheeks. He bit his trembling lip, holding back the tears, his eyes brimming with emotion, like his whole world revolved around Cheng Yi.

He'd counted on the Cheng Yi of the past being soft-hearted and sentimental, believing this act would definitely move him again.

But Cheng Yi just watched coldly, not a flicker of emotion in his eyes.

He had seen this kind of put-on act countless times in his past life, and now, watching it again, he could only think how painfully amateur the other's performance was.

The former Seventh Prince, who once put on that air of cold purity and detachment from worldly affairs, fell apart so easily in the face of his cold, hard attitude.

Cheng Yi once again felt contempt for his past self.

"How can you utter words this cold and ruthless so easily?"

Xie Yulin stepped half a pace forward, his tone suddenly hardening, then abruptly going soft as he began to list off their shared history.

"Have you forgotten how you stepped in to save me from those vicious servants in the imperial garden all those years ago? Forgotten how, when you gave me this jade pendant, you swore with your own lips that the next year on my birthday, you'd fill the whole city with fireworks? My birthday is coming up, Ayi... have you truly forgotten all of it?"

Xie Yulin's voice shook as he grew more and more worked up, the picture of someone in agony, biting his lip to hide how pathetic he looked.

Cheng Yi's face turned grim as memories of the past flooded his mind against his will.

That time they'd met at an imperial banquet, he really had saved Xie Yulin in the imperial garden from palace servants who were tormenting and beating him.

At that time, Xie Yulin was thin and frail, bruised and battered, yet his good looks still shone through—the kind that easily tugged at people's heartstrings.

Back then, he was young and naive, couldn't stand to see people being bullied, so afterward, whenever he went to the palace, he'd often step in to help.

Before he knew it, he was gradually led along, step by step, until his heart began to stir, and he fell into the carefully spun web of romance Xie Yulin had woven.

But Cheng Yi had seen how he looked down on others once he held power, seen how he'd stop at nothing for power, and seen the vicious, merciless look on his face.

The tear-streaked face in front of him now no longer stirred even the slightest ripple in him—only bone-deep disgust.

So Cheng Yi stepped back and said coldly, "Seventh Prince, have some self-respect."

The words hit Xie Yulin like a public slap in the face.

He stumbled a step, the fragile look on his face cracking for a split second, embarrassment, fury, and unwillingness all twisted together on his face.

He'd already swallowed his pride to show weakness, doing everything to please, yet he never expected Cheng Yi to have a heart this hard.

"You're telling me to have self-respect?"

Xie Yulin's voice carried disbelief, the hurt in his eyes fading, replaced by a shadow of darkness.

"Cheng Yi, do you really have no sincerity at all?"

Xie Yulin demanded through tears, like some poor soul abandoned by a heartless man.

But in truth, the two had never made their feelings explicit before this—it had always been ambiguous between them.

Besides, Cheng Yi had already spelled it out for him clearly that day.

In two lifetimes, Cheng Yi had never owed Xie Yulin a single thing.

Instead, it was the man in front of him who owed him a mountain of blood debts.

"Sincerity?"

Cheng Yi let out a low laugh, his eyes brimming with scorn.

"Xie Yulin, ask yourself—how much sincerity do you truly have?"

The ruthlessness and murderous intent in Cheng Yi's eyes startled Xie Yulin into stumbling back a few steps.

A bone-chilling cold suddenly rose in his heart, and for reasons he couldn't explain, he felt a creeping sense of terror.

He had a gut feeling that the Cheng Yi before him wasn't the same naive young man from before—but what on earth had changed him?

What had happened in this past year?

"Ayi..."

"Seventh Prince," Cheng Yi coldly cut him off, his tone leaving no room for argument, "I already have a fiancé. The wedding is in two weeks."

Xie Yulin's face turned deathly pale in an instant.

Cheng Yi's repeated rejections were no different from grinding his carefully maintained dignity and last shred of self-respect into the dirt.

He'd deliberately gotten close to Lin Beixiao and gone out of his way to get in front of Cheng Yi, hoping to use their past feelings to get a grip on Cheng Yi again—only to land himself in such an embarrassing situation.

"Back then, I only helped because I couldn't stand seeing people get bullied," Cheng Yi said flatly, severing every tie to the past once and for all. "If it had been anyone else, I'd have done the same. It was never just you who got special treatment."

With that, Cheng Yi completely erased any connection between them.

Xie Yulin's lips trembled, fury and frustration boiling within him.

His schemes had completely fallen apart, and panic flooded in.

He kept asking himself over and over—why had things gone so far off the track he'd planned?

"No, that's impossible, it shouldn't be like this, this isn't right..."

Cheng Yi's eyes were cold, his tone final:

"From now on, please don't come bothering me again, Seventh Prince. There was never any real bond between us, was there?"

"And I don't want my fiancé to get the wrong idea. Got it, Your Highness?"

With all his schemes in ruins and his pride crushed to dust, Xie Yulin no longer had the face to stay and keep humiliating himself.

He turned around in a clumsy stagger and rushed out the door in disgrace.

Cheng Yi watched the direction he'd vanished in, his face cold, but his heart was anything but calm.

This confrontation today was a clean break from Xie Yulin, who'd been tangled up with him for two lifetimes—and put a final period on that dark chapter of being schemed against and used.

From now on, he and Xie Yulin would be strangers on separate roads, with no connection whatsoever.

And the new life that belonged to him, Cheng Yi, was just beginning.

——————

As for Shen Yichen, he'd just watched quite a show at the Minister's residence and was in a great mood.

But as he was walking up to the base of Tingyu Tower, a young man in plain robes suddenly came hurrying toward him head-on, seeming to be crying behind his sleeve. Caught off guard, he slammed straight into Shen Yichen's shoulder.

Shen Yichen was knocked off balance and was about to curse when the young man turned his head and looked back at him.

His breathtakingly beautiful face made Shen Yichen freeze for a moment, but the vicious, sinister look in those red-rimmed eyes made Shen Yichen shudder involuntarily.

Shen Yichen was stunned for a moment, and by the time he came to, the other man was already gone.

Just then, he suddenly heard Wei Xiao beside him let out a delighted cry.

"Huh? Isn't that my young master?"

Shen Yichen followed his line of sight and tilted his head up, just as Cheng Yi's gaze dropped down to meet his.

At that moment, even though Cheng Yi had spent half his life in military campaigns and was no stranger to court intrigues, the instant he saw Shen Yichen, his mind went strangely blank for a split second.

==========Author's Note:==========

Today's bonus update is here.