On one side, various people were lost in their own speculations. On the other, Wei Xiyang ran headlong to Pei Shian and dropped a sudden remark: "I’m starting to believe what you said."
"What?"
Pei Shian was in the lounge, tidying his things and preparing to head home. When Wei Xiyang burst in with such a statement, he failed to react in time, looking utterly bewildered.
"I said, I’m starting to believe your theory that Ye Zhao is Tianshu."
His face was seventy percent serious and thirty percent perplexed. He spoke almost one word at a time. Pei Shian was stunned for a moment before regaining his composure.
"What made you suddenly believe me?" Pei Shian asked calmly, smoothing his sleeves and setting down his belongings to face him.
"Just today—just a moment ago—Ye Zhao said something exactly like that man would have."
Yes, *again*! This wasn't the first time such a thing had happened. It seemed that ever since the day of the Eldest Princess’s funeral, after returning from the palace, Ye Zhao had become increasingly similar to that man. It wasn't just his appearance anymore; it was more about the details of his daily life.
Wei Xiyang might be thick-skinned and blunt, but he wasn't stupid.
When such occurrences reached a certain frequency, it was hard for him not to notice. Once or twice could be called a coincidence or paternal instinct, but how could two people in this world be so alike to this extent?
It was simply preposterous!
"I asked Ye Zhao today if he had ever met Tianshu, and he said no. He didn't look like he was lying. If that’s true, then doesn't that mean..."
Ye Zhao really was him—Tianshu!
Otherwise, how could one explain how Ye Zhao knew things only Tianshu knew? There were even so many similarities between them, though the differences were just as glaring.
Compared to Wei Xiyang’s heavy expression and tangled confusion, Pei Shian appeared much more composed, even finding the leisure to joke. "I was wondering when you would finally notice the connection between Ye Zhao and Tianshu."
Wei Xiyang choked on his words. He awkwardly withdrew his hand from the table and crossed his arms over his chest, emphasizing, "I said I *somewhat* believe Ye Zhao is Tianshu; I haven't fully committed to it yet!"
"The similarities are many, but the differences are just as numerous. It’s enough to make one’s head spin!" Wei Xiyang’s brow was knitted so tightly it looked like a knot; his expression was the picture of distress.
Pei Shian lowered his eyes, thinking for a moment before saying, "Wei Xiyang, do you truly believe in the concept of reincarnation?"
Wei Xiyang was taken aback by the question. "You believe in it?"
"I do, and I don't."
"What do you mean by that?" Wei Xiyang was thoroughly confused by Pei Shian’s words.
"They say that after a person enters the cycle of reincarnation, they forget everything from their past life. If Ye Zhao really is Tianshu, has he also forgotten everything? Since he remembers nothing, he naturally behaves differently than before." Pei Shian had long suspected this, though he had never been certain.
"But then I feel that he recovered a specific fragment of memory—that time he fainted in the palace. Yet, in the memories he recalled, there was no sign of us. Can a reincarnated person truly remember their previous life? I do not know."
Thus, deep down, he was also half-doubting this theory. Nothing was certain.
Pei Shian finished speaking in a low, haunting voice and let out a long sigh.
"Then is he Tianshu or not? Or is he..."
Was he a reincarnation? Or were they truly just two people who were far too similar?
Wei Xiyang spent a moment caught between internal conflict and contemplation. Before he could finish his question, he waved his hand irritably. "Regardless! If he really is Tianshu, then he’s far too useless in this life!"
Thinking of the one day, two days, three days... N days Ye Zhao had spent infuriating him...
Wei Xiyang felt unwell all over, as if he had swallowed a fly.
Pei Shian fell silent for a moment. "How is he useless?"
Recalling the battles of wits between Ye Zhao and Wei Xiyang, he sighed. "You only see his surface. Try to truly understand him as a person; you will find that there are even more things about him that are identical to Tianshu."
"Of course, I don't expect you to have a profound understanding of Tianshu, but based on what you *do* know, you should be able to find those traits in Ye Zhao," Pei Shian added at the end. He wasn't trying to discriminate against the man's intelligence, merely stating facts, but Wei Xiyang still caught a different flavor in the words.
"What do you mean by that?! Are you calling me blind?"
Before Pei Shian could explain, the bristling Wei Xiyang began to shout without a second thought. "Oh, you’re the observant one! You’re the capable one! I’m just a crude old soldier, fine! Hmph—you look down on me? Well, I can't be bothered to waste my breath on you!"
With a loud *slam*, he threw open the door and stormed out.
Pei Shian stared blankly at the vibrating door frame. The first thought that popped into his head was—*how many more times can this door survive Wei Xiyang’s slamming before it’s scrapped?*
"As expected, a stubborn, foul-tempered mule!" Pei Shian muttered to himself, his anger dissipating.
With Wei Xiyang’s rotten temper, it was no wonder Ye Zhao infuriated him every other day. He deserved it!
***
Ever since Wei Xiyang’s perception of Ye Zhao’s identity shifted, his attitude toward the boy changed accordingly.
Specifically, he no longer roared at Ye Zhao or chased him around to hit him. Instead, he constantly watched Ye Zhao with suspicious little eyes—staring, always staring, staring with all his might. The expression on his face was always indescribably strange, leaving everyone who saw it utterly baffled.
*Has the Duke of Zhen—old man Wei—taken the wrong medicine?*
That was the thought shared by everyone, including Ye Zhao.
For the past few nights, Wei Xiyang had been tossing and turning, unable to sleep. A single question kept looping in his mind: *Is Ye Zhao actually Tianshu?*
One moment he felt it was likely, and the next he felt he was talking nonsense. How could it be possible?
Is he? Is he not?
In the end, he successfully managed to confuse himself entirely.
"I say, what has been wrong with you lately? You’ve been distracted all day," Old Madame Wei asked, her own sleep disturbed by his constant shifting.
Then she heard Wei Xiyang say, "I’m wondering if Ye Zhao is actually Tianshu."
As soon as he said it, he felt a pang of regret, thinking he shouldn't have uttered something so preposterous.
Indeed, to anyone unfamiliar with Tianshu, such words would sound like a fairy tale. Old Madame Wei was no exception. She asked in surprise, "What kind of sleep-talk is this?"
Thanks to Wei Xiyang’s shocking statement, she was now quite awake. She turned to look at Wei Xiyang’s back. "Didn't you say before that Ye Zhao was Lord Tianshu’s son? Why has that changed now?"
She reached out and patted Wei Xiyang’s back. "Hey, you haven't gone senile, have you?"
Lines of frustration appeared on Wei Xiyang’s forehead. He snapped back, "You’re the one who’s senile! Do you even know what kind of person Tianshu was?"
After saying this, he suddenly sighed and fell silent.
In the dark room, his back was turned to Old Madame Wei, so she couldn't see his expression. However, from that single sigh, she could still sense the complexity in her husband's heart.
The couple remained silent for a long while. Finally, Old Madame Wei spoke. "I don't know what kind of person Tianshu was, but over the years, I’ve heard you talk about him plenty. He was a hero; that much I know. Among the older generation of the Great Wei, no one will ever forget his deeds."
Back then, the Great Wei was consumed by the flames of war. Old Madame Wei had lived through that era herself, and she felt a deep, personal resonance with the man who was nearly deified in the hearts of the common people.
Wei Xiyang was silent for a few seconds before suddenly asking, "What if I told you I see Tianshu’s shadow in Ye Zhao?"
Old Madame Wei replied, "What of it?"
Currently, all signs pointed to the high probability that Ye Zhao was Tianshu’s son; the matter was practically settled. What was so strange about a son resembling his father?
But the words that followed made Old Madame Wei realize she had misunderstood.
"It’s not the natural bloodline resemblance of a son to a father, but the similarity in speech and behavior between one person and another."
He tried to organize his thoughts, but still felt his words failed to convey his meaning. He struggled, saying, "It’s... the way he talks, and certain details. It’s as if the two of them are the same person."
"The most crucial point is that Ye Zhao has never even met Tianshu. So where did the words he says and the various things he knows come from? There are things that even those of us who were so close to Tianshu didn't know—how does he know them? That exchange he had with the female assassin—he said he made it up, but I don't believe it for a second! Who besides Tianshu himself could know so much?"
"But... isn't Ye Zhao too unlike Lord Tianshu in some ways?" Old Madame Wei was also a bit stunned. Those who had heard the rumors assumed Ye Zhao must have had contact with Tianshu, but who would have thought he hadn't?
Although she hadn't met Ye Zhao, based on the fact that eight out of ten times Wei Xiyang came home from the academy he spent his time complaining about the boy, the "unlikeness" was truly more than just a little...
Speaking of this gave Wei Xiyang a headache. "He *is* unlike him! That’s exactly why I’m thinking myself into a migraine!"
Old Madame Wei: "..."
"Then, what does the Duke of An think?" she asked tentatively.
Wei Xiyang gave a light scoff. "That fellow? From the very first moment he saw Ye Zhao, he was convinced the boy was Tianshu! What is there for him to be conflicted about?"
Old Madame Wei fell into a speechless silence. After a while, she mused, "And now?"
"It’s still the same!"
Old Madame Wei carefully considered the information in her mind, then said with utter incomprehension, "But how could Ye Zhao be Lord Tianshu?"
Could there really be reincarnation in this world?
She paused, then turned her head to look at the back of her husband's head. "I say, don't overthink it. Let nature take its course and take things one step at a time. The truth behind Ye Zhao will come to light one day. When that time comes, everything will be clear."
Wei Xiyang knew there was no other way, yet he couldn't help but want an answer sooner. The image of that man had been settled in his mind for over half his life, yet it remained vivid.
He wanted to know the answer so badly...
He sighed. "That old fellow Pei Shian said that Ye Zhao forgot everything, which is why he doesn't remember us. He also guessed that Ye Zhao might have recovered a certain segment of his past memories..."
"If he really is Tianshu, when will he be able to remember his lost memories?" Wei Xiyang rolled over and spoke softly, his eyes slightly vacant as he stared at the canopy of the bed.
Old Madame Wei glanced at him in the dim light. She felt that Wei Xiyang was actually leaning more toward the possibility that Ye Zhao *was* Tianshu, but he hadn't realized it himself yet; he was still agonizing over finding more definitive proof to convince himself.
Having finally vented the thoughts he had been holding in made him feel a bit better. Before long, the sound of snoring echoed within the bed curtains.
Old Madame Wei: "..."
She sighed and turned over to sleep.
She had listened to this snoring for most of her life; even if she wasn't used to it, she had to be by now.
Wei Xiyang’s abnormal behavior over the past few days was noticed by the whole family. The next day, after he left the house...
Old Madame Wei recounted the previous night’s conversation to her son and daughter-in-law to put their minds at ease. Sure enough, after hearing it, they also looked incredibly skeptical and bewildered.
From the bottom of their hearts, they simply did not believe Wei Xiyang’s suspicion. It was truly too incredible to be true.
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 镇国公 | Duke of Zhen | Wei Xiyang's noble title. |
| 安国公 | Duke of An | Pei Shian's noble title. |
| 驴三臭 | Stubborn, foul-tempered mule | A colloquialism for someone with a very stubborn and unpleasant temper. |
| 魏国 | Great Wei / State of Wei | The name of the country. |
