From his throat, there escaped a tragic howl.
Yin Zhan watched with an unbearable look on his face, he knew that such treatnt was devastating for Yin Zhili. But he understood his son’s temperant: his heart was too soft, which ant kind in a favorable view and indecisive to a fault in a less favorable one. Yin Zhili couldn’t stand up to hardships, and in doing so, he couldn’t harden his heart against the Empress Dowager.
Yin Zhan didn’t care if Yin Zhili hated him; he only worried that Yin Zhili would refuse to acknowledge Lin Roujia.
"Your blood carries the royal lineage," Yin Zhan said, short and decisive, "Listen, I am about to do sothing dangerous, and I might not return. If I don’t co back, everything of the Yin Household will be in your hands, and the Empress Dowager will be implicated. Promise , protect your mother."
Yin Zhili’s wailing halted, and he looked toward Yin Zhan, realizing sothing, and said, "What are you planning to do?"
"It’s ti to settle the grudges from the past," Yin Zhan said, "I am not afraid to face the consequences; I just can’t let go of you and your mother."
Yin Zhili shook his head: "No, don’t do it."
"There’s no turning back," Yin Zhan suddenly laughed, his smile as bright as ever, but there was a fanatical madness in his eyes, he said, "Ever since I t your mother, my fate was sealed. I have lived my life for no one else, only for her. Zhili, it’s the sa for you, your fate is such. I will clear the obstacles ahead of you, but you must do the rest. You must not fail, all of the Yin Household and my soldiers and horses will be yours eventually."
He spoke with such gravity, as if he knew he would never return. Sudden, profound sorrow welled up in Yin Zhili’s heart. Yet, he still shook his head and said, "No, that won’t do." Whether he was resisting the fate forced upon him or rejecting the unknown, an undesirable future, he couldn’t tell.
But at the sa ti, he also understood that Yin Zhan had begun making preparations years ago. He had taught him military strategies and the ways of governing people, all of which seed to be part of a plan that began long before, perhaps from his birth, or even while he was still in the Empress Dowager’s womb. Yin Zhan and the Empress Dowager had already plotted a future for him, one that in their eyes was extrely splendid—commanding the whole world.
"You’re lying to , aren’t you? Father," Yin Zhili looked at Yin Zhan, begging and lost, "I am not really the son of the Empress Dowager, am I? You just hope I will do as you say and are deceiving , right?"
This elegant and handso noble son, admired by all, had never known such abasent. But Yin Zhan remained unyielding and said, "I have not lied to you. The year Roujia gave birth to you, Consort Liu Shu frad her. To prove her innocence, she went to Red Mountain Temple to reflect and ditate on Buddha, and it was there she gave birth to you..."
As he spoke of the past, it seed as if images of those days erged before Yin Zhan. Indeed, those were heart-stopping tis, preventing the secret from leaking to the entire Red Mountain Temple; those trembling days have now passed, yet the future seed to head toward a dead end.
Perhaps that was his fate, from which he had no choice.
Yin Zhili couldn’t help trembling again. He had never felt so helpless before, and Yin Zhan said, "Zhili, regardless of what you think now, there’s no ti left. I must tell you what cos next; you must listen..."
Not a sound could be heard in Yin Zhan’s quarter. Outside in the room, Yin Zhiqing sat beside Madam Yin, anxious, and asked, "Did Yin Zhili cause a big trouble? I saw father’s face just now; it was truly frightening."
"No, he didn’t," Madam Yin soothed with a gentle voice, "Your father has always adored Zhili, even if Zhili really made a mistake, he wouldn’t be excessively blad."
Upon reflection, Yin Zhiqing realized Madam Yin was right and relaxed. This was certainly true. Yin Zhan’s affection for Yin Zhili was common knowledge — while it’s often said fathers favor their daughters, especially so with Yin Zhiqing being the youngest, the difference in treatnt between Yin Zhiqing and Yin Zhili was evident to everyone.
Fortunately, Yin Zhiqing had grown accustod to it, and besides, Yin Zhili was also very kind to her.
"But they’ve been in there talking for so long without coming out; it truly is worrying," Yin Zhiqing said, "Recently, Yin Zhili has been upset over the issues with Miss Jiang the Second; if criticized by father, he would certainly feel worse."
Madam Yin looked at Yin Zhiqing, and sighed in her heart. Everyone said Yin Zhili was distressed over Jiang Li, but what about Yin Zhiqing herself? The fool had grown thin and haggard, yet still pitied others. Just like her, born with a beautiful and astute face, yet more wronged than anyone. Madam Yin couldn’t help but feel a pang of heartache.
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