Once, I Was a Legend | Chapter 29 | The Alleged Son | Novela.app

Thanks to Wei Feng, Ye Zhao stayed cooped up at home for several days. His lower leg wasn't fractured, just badly bruised. Ye Zhao claimed he had simply taken a clumsy fall, but this still left his father, Old Master Ye, heart-stricken with worry. Eventually, through some unknown game of telephone, the rumor morphed into Ye Zhao having broken his leg and being confined to bed for recovery. This prompted a stream of visitors coming to offer their sympathies. When Ye Zhao first heard the news from their own mouths, he was speechless. Since when did he have a broken leg? Old Master Ye, looking at the mountain of condolence gifts, also fell into a state of profound confusion. When had he become so well-acquainted with so many high-ranking officials in the imperial court? He then wondered if they were merely showing face because of the retired Grand Chancellor, Lord Pei. After all, he knew his son had been on good terms with the old man lately. At least, that was Old Master Ye’s logic. The rumor only began to dissipate once Ye Zhao finally took a stroll through the streets to prove his mobility. However, he didn't expect that just after the New Year celebrations, the "truth" would come crashing down, striking the Ye parents like a bolt from the blue. On the first day of the Lunar New Year, the great drum in front of the Jingzhao Prefecture Office was beaten with thunderous force. "I, a woman of the Qi family, accuse the Ye couple of stealing another's child for decades, changing his lineage, and forcing him to acknowledge his enemies as parents under a false name! I beg your Honor to investigate thoroughly! Return my child to me!" ... In the back garden, Prefect Jiang was eating breakfast when he heard the commotion out front. Annoyed, he sent the housekeeper to turn them away. "The office isn't open today. Tell them to come back in a few days." Who on earth brings a lawsuit on the first day of the New Year? Where was the sense of propriety? Even officials deserved a holiday! The housekeeper hurried off, but he returned even faster, his aged face pale with terror. "Ma... Ma... Master! Something terrible has happened!" Prefect Jiang’s face darkened as he slammed his chopsticks down. "Your master is perfectly fine! To say such unlucky things on the first day of the year—are you trying to curse me?" "No, no... it’s not that! Something truly massive has occurred!" Prefect Jiang turned, his expression turning grave. "What is it?" He thought to himself: *You’d better have something significant to say, or else...* To his utter shock, the housekeeper took a deep breath and blurted out, "The woman claims Ye Zhao is the son of her and Lord Tianshu! She’s accusing Master Ye’s family of kidnapping her son!" *Clack—* The other two people at the table froze mid-meal and whipped their heads around. The food Jiang Ziqi was holding in his chopsticks fell onto the table. Prefect Jiang was equally stunned. "What did you say?!" The housekeeper repeated his words. In the next instant, Prefect Jiang bolted from his chair and sprinted toward the prefecture gates, still dressed in his casual robes. Jiang Ziqi reacted quickly, swallowing his food in one gulp before racing after his father. With a heavy *creak*, the main gates swung open. Standing in the open space outside was a woman dressed in plain clothes and a white cloak. She was exceptionally beautiful. A crowd of commoners had already gathered around her, clearly having overheard her proclamation. Prefect Jiang stood at the threshold, looking down at the woman below the steps with an expression of disbelief. "Whom are you accusing?" "The Ye couple. Ye Yuan, the Vice Minister of Revenue, and his wife!" the woman replied. "And who do you claim your son is?" "Ye Zhao." "And Ye Zhao is the son of you and... whom?" After the three-part interrogation of the absurd, the woman calmly uttered a name. "Tianshu." The crowd erupted. A wave of shocked murmurs and heated discussion broke out instantly. Prefect Jiang was dazed. Over the years, many people had come to him claiming to have seen Lord Tianshu, but this was the first time someone had dared to claim they had bore him a son! And the protagonist was Ye Zhao, the very person who had recently been rumored to be Lord Tianshu’s child! Prefect Jiang’s face turned beet red, his head spinning so fast he nearly fainted. Jiang Ziqi quickly supported his father, shouting anxiously, "Dad! Dad! Are you okay?" Prefect Jiang took a sharp breath, his brain finally resuming normal function. He asked the woman sternly, "What evidence do you have to prove your words are true?" She drew a letter from her robes. "Tianshu is my husband, and Ye Zhao is the child I bore. I dare to undergo a blood-bond test. I have the letters my husband wrote to me back then. I wonder if they may serve as evidence?" Heavens! Surrounded by the gazes of the multitude, the woman stood there without a hint of panic, looking utterly confident. Prefect Jiang was about to have someone take the letter, but then he realized he couldn't verify the handwriting himself. He needed someone who had actually seen Lord Tianshu’s script. Making up his mind, he decided to bring her inside first. Even if this case were to be tried, it wasn't within his jurisdiction. As a Vice Minister of the fourth rank, Ye Yuan’s status was far above his own. Furthermore, since this involved Lord Tianshu, it was more appropriate for the Ministry of Justice to handle it. As he reported the matter upward, Jiang Ziqi had already vanished, running like the wind. Before long, the peaceful Ye household was shattered by Jiang Ziqi’s voice echoing from the heavens: "Ye Zhao! Your mother has come for you!" The voice reached the ears of the three family members before the boy even crossed the threshold. *What?* Ye Zhao looked up at Madam Ye, who was sitting across from him. *Who is looking for me?* *Bang!* Jiang Ziqi threw open the door, leaning against the frame and gasping for air. In the main hall, the three members of the Ye family stared at him. "You..." Before Ye Zhao could finish a sentence, Jiang Ziqi wheezed out, "Ye... Ye Zhao, I knew I was right! You... you really are Lord Tianshu’s son!" "Your... your birth mother has come knocking!" Jiang Ziqi swallowed hard, his heart pounding wildly. The run had nearly killed him! "What are you talking about?" Ye Zhao still hadn't processed it. Jiang Ziqi ran to his side, grabbed the teapot from the table, and began chugging. After a few gulps, he finally caught his breath. He shouted, "Your mother! She just went to the Jingzhao Prefecture gates and beat the drum, accusing your parents of stealing her child! That’s you! She says you’re the son she had with Lord Tianshu, and she even has evidence! The Ministry of Justice will probably be at your door any minute!" Several seconds passed before the three members of the Ye family realized what Jiang Ziqi was actually saying. "Huh?!" Three faces of pure shock and confusion... Sure enough, Jiang Ziqi’s prediction came true. Officials from the Ministry of Justice arrived shortly after. By the time the Ye family was brought to the Ministry’s main hall, a circle of onlookers and information-seekers had already gathered. They were the last to arrive. Jiang Ziqi had followed Ye Zhao, immediately snagging a prime viewing spot, his face flushed with excitement as he watched the drama unfold. Ye Zhao caught his expression and thought: *...I have no words.* Scanning the room, he saw that almost everyone he recognized was there. A woman stood in the center of the hall. As Ye Zhao looked at her curiously, she happened to turn around. "Zhao'er..." Ye Zhao’s footsteps froze at that cry. Seeing the beautiful woman looking at him with tear-filled eyes sent a shiver down his spine. *Big sister, don't be so quick to start calling names. We haven't cleared this up yet!* Ye Zhao gritted his teeth and swallowed his words, his face stiff with awkwardness as he squeezed between his father and mother. On the way there, the Ye parents had finally calmed their emotions and understood the situation. Seeing the current setup, their expressions were grim as they wordlessly shielded Ye Zhao between them. The cast was assembled; the show was about to begin! "It is indeed Tianshu’s handwriting." Pei Shian spoke softly, returning the letter to the Minister of Justice before sitting back down in silence. The Minister of Justice glanced at the people below, unfolded the letter, and read it aloud in front of everyone. It was a farewell letter. It wasn't long, essentially telling his wife and child to take care of themselves. It could indeed be considered evidence. Once he finished reading, the woman standing opposite the Ye family began to recount the past. "Back then, shortly after I gave birth to Ye Zhao, our family of three was pursued by assassins. My husband led away a portion of the pursuers and vanished. I fled toward the State of Wei to seek help, but I was cornered at the foot of Mount Bushi. With no way out, I had no choice but to hide the infant Ye Zhao and lead the enemies away. I thought that if I lived, I would come back for him. If I didn't, I could only hope a kind soul would find him. "As it turned out, I survived by a stroke of luck, though I fell from a cliff and was gravely injured. It took me several years to recover. I refused to believe my child was dead, so I searched bitterly until now." She closed her eyes, her face full of sorrow. She turned to Ye Zhao. "It was only after hearing some rumors recently that I found my way back to the Celestial Capital." "Ye Zhao, the fan on your person is the token your father left for you!" As she spoke, the woman’s voice broke into a sob, and she began to wipe away tears. "That... that is the folding fan my husband used back then!" Ye Zhao’s hand, which had been reaching for the fan, shook with fright. He quickly looked down at the folding fan tucked into his waist, his mind screaming: *No! Way!* *This fan...* Everyone simultaneously looked at Ye Zhao, specifically at the "evidence" at his waist. "Wait!" Madam Ye suppressed the rising shock in her heart and asked rationally, "How can you prove that belongs to Lord Tianshu? Even if the object is real, how can you say my son is his son?!" The woman steadied her voice and said earnestly, "Regarding this fan, those who were close to my husband can verify its authenticity. If Ye Zhao were not the child of my husband and me, why would my husband leave him the fan he never let leave his side? Furthermore, he looks so much like me and my husband!" Once she mentioned the resemblance... The crowd’s gaze shifted back and forth between her and Ye Zhao. They thought, *He really does look a bit like her...* Then they looked at the Ye parents. At the very least, the woman looked more like Ye Zhao than they did. "This..." The Minister of Justice looked toward the row of officials sitting to the side. These were the men who had worked closely with Lord Tianshu in the past. Receiving his questioning look, Minister Song and Minister Qian glanced at each other. Finally, Minister Song spoke impartially: "The fan is genuine." He said nothing more, choosing instead to watch the situation develop. The Ye parents were choked up. They truly hadn't expected this! Master Ye stepped in front of Ye Zhao, stating firmly, "That still doesn't mean my son is your son!" "Exactly! The object being real is one thing, but the person definitely isn't!" Madam Ye declared confidently. "What’s the use of looking alike? Ye Zhao is exactly like me and his father to his very core." Of course, the "father" she referred to was the man beside her. Madam Ye raised a hand and gestured toward Master Ye. "Don't look at how my husband is covered in fat now; when he was young, he was as thin as Ye Zhao. If you trim the meat off his face, you can see his bone structure is very similar to Ye Zhao’s!" She then grabbed Ye Zhao’s arm, standing the father and son side-by-side. "You say Ye Zhao looks like Lord Tianshu, but it’s only his face that’s similar." Her expression was sincere, her voice rising and falling with dramatic flair. "What kind of man was Lord Tianshu? A phoenix among men! He was a master of the four arts, a genius at military strategy, and a peerless martial artist! He was the greatest man under heaven." She praised him to the skies, nodding in self-agreement. No one else contradicted her; it was the truth, after all. But then, her expression of admiration shifted into one of slight disgust. "But look at Ye Zhao. He hasn't mastered a single one of the four arts! He’s incompetent at everything! He can't even eat as well as his father! At least when his father eats, he puts on weight. But him? He’s so thin a single push would knock him over!" Ye Zhao, who was actually nearly pushed over by his mother, looked bewildered. *Huh??* "They call him the number one dandy of the Celestial Capital. It’s a bad reputation, but over the years, he hasn't actually harmed anyone—he only brings trouble upon himself. That’s because he’s a coward just like his father; he doesn't dare stir up real trouble. If he did, I’d whip him myself!" Ye... Ye Zhao: *Wait... wait, something feels wrong here?* "His father has been a Vice Minister of Revenue for nearly twenty years and is still just a Vice Minister. To put it bluntly, he has no ambition. And look at Ye Zhao—he’s even worse than his father. He can't even land an official post. He’s already planning to just eat and wait for death his whole life." "He’s been dim-witted since he was a child. While other children took first place, he swept all the last-place spots. This is just like his father, whose performance reviews at the Ministry are the lowest every single year." "His father’s monthly salary isn't enough to spend, so he relies on family subsidies and loves to pinch pennies. Ye Zhao learned this perfectly. Not only is he stingy, but he’s also sold everything he could possibly sell. Between this father and son, they barely have a few items left from all these years!" "And also... mmmph!" *Don't say 'also'!* Master Ye couldn't help but cover Madam Ye’s mouth, pleading in a low voice, "Wife! Wife! Please stop talking... let’s talk about this calmly! Calmly!" *Aaaah!!!* Ye Zhao clutched his head, letting out a silent, internal scream. *Is this really my biological mother?!* While the Ye father and son were on the verge of tears, the onlookers had varied expressions. Some were stifling laughter, while others looked bewildered, likely stunned by Madam Ye’s "indiscriminate fire" tactic that spared neither friend nor foe. Jiang Ziqi, acting as a perfectly qualified spectator, was howling with laughter. He tried hard to hold it in, but failed miserably. Ye Zhao shot him a glare, making a mental note of this debt. ***