Once, I Was a Legend | Chapter 61 | The Pavilion of Blowing Rain | Novela.app

The sky had turned completely dark, and the room was brightly lit. Song He and Minister Qian had been invited by Ye Zhao to stay for dinner. Now, sated with food and wine, Ye Zhao leaned back in his chair, slowly sipping tea, too lazy to move. "Has there been any progress?" Song He asked suddenly. The Minister of Justice wiped his mouth with a handkerchief, shot him a sidelong glance, and said unhurriedly, "Isn't Lord Song asking what he already knows?" He was right; Song He was indeed asking despite knowing the answer. Seeing the Minister’s stiff expression, the smile on Song He’s face grew even more pronounced. "It seems you all have a busy night ahead of you." The Minister of Justice clearly understood the old minister's temperament well. He accepted the schadenfreude with grace, his expression remaining unchanged. "Not as pleasant as your leisure, Old Minister." "Hahahaha..." Song He couldn't help but laugh. He had watched this Minister of Justice rise through the ranks and often felt the urge to tease his junior just to see him lose his composure, though the man rarely gave him the satisfaction. Song He was enjoying himself, but the Crown Prince and the others felt the sting of his words as well. They looked on helplessly, while Ye Zhao wore a particularly pained expression. "Uncle Song, that’s not very kind of you," Ye Zhao said, his brows drooping. Song He looked at Ye Zhao with a smile, denying his own mischievous streak with a look of pure innocence. "How is it unkind? This old man is merely concerned about the progress of the case." Seeing his "old urchin" act, Ye Zhao joked back, "You are clearly building your own happiness upon the pain of others. Careful, or Lord Du might beat you up." The Minister of Justice didn't quite catch the humor in Ye Zhao's last sentence and said modestly, "I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare." Song He, however, froze. He looked at Ye Zhao sitting behind the desk with a smile, and his mind began to wander. Once, someone else had sat in that very spot and said something very similar to him. It seemed to be because he had accidentally said something about Wei Xiyang, and the other person had smiled and told him: *'Song He, building your happiness on the pain of others... careful, or Wei Xiyang might beat you up.'* He remembered... how had he replied back then? Right, he had said: "If he beats me and doesn't kill me, I'll dare to report him. Then he'll be beaten even worse." Unconsciously, those very words escaped his lips. He stared at Ye Zhao, his face clouded with a daze he hadn't even noticed himself. Ye Zhao leaned back against the chair, eyes half-lidded, laughing brightly. "You’ve said it now! Aren't you afraid Lord Du might throw a sack over your head one day?" The moment the words left his mouth, Song He’s pupils shrank violently. He stood up abruptly, looking as though he had received a massive shock, his eyes fixed unblinkingly on Ye Zhao. "What... what’s wrong?" Ye Zhao was startled. The others were also baffled by Song He’s sudden movement. The air remained silent for a long while. The Minister of Justice, who had been pulled into the center of the topic, looked confused and was the first to break the silence. "Lord Song?" Called by his name, Song He snapped back to his senses and hurriedly said, "Oh... oh, it’s nothing. I just suddenly remembered something..." He sat back down, but the lingering panic on his face made his words highly unbelievable. The group was puzzled, but after a moment, Minister Qian and Pei Shian slowly began to recall the reason. Looking at the distracted Song He, Minister Qian thought for a moment and stood up. "It is late. We must leave the palace, so we won't delay you further." Although it was still early before the palace gates would be locked, looking at the sky outside, it was indeed getting late. With that, he pulled Song He along to pay their respects, and both sides bid their farewells. Just as they reached the door, Song He looked back. He saw Ye Zhao reluctantly picking up a dossier, and his gaze suddenly fell upon the three large characters on the plaque outside the door. He stood still and suddenly called out, "Ye Zhao, there is another hall in the palace whose name is taken from the same couplet as the Pavilion of Blowing Wind. Guess what the other one is called?" Ye Zhao looked up at Song He outside the door. The old man stood on the steps, looking back at him. Behind him was pitch-black darkness, and the light from inside the room reflected in his eyes like light hitting a lake, shimmering with ripples. After thinking for a brief two seconds, Ye Zhao blurted out an answer. "The Pavilion of Blowing Rain?" *Deep in the night, I lie listening to the wind and rain; armored horses and frozen rivers enter my dreams.* However, while "Listening to the Wind" sounded fine, using "Blowing Rain" as a name... wasn't it a bit too cold and bleak? Ye Zhao thought to himself, his mind wandering. But then he heard Song He let out a low chuckle—a sound that seemed both joyful and sorrowful. The old man wiped the corner of his eye, turned abruptly, and strode into the darkness. Minister Qian gave Ye Zhao a strange look, then his gaze shifted inexplicably to the person beside him. Without a word, he turned and chased after Song He. "What happened to Uncle Song?" Ye Zhao asked blankly. The room was silent; no one could answer his question. Song He’s strange reaction had left everyone puzzled. But Pei Shian understood Minister Qian’s final look. The man seemed to have guessed something. Pei Shian walked over slowly and closed the door. Turning around, his voice was very calm as he asked, "Do you know what kind of place the Pavilion of Blowing Rain is?" He was asking Ye Zhao. Ye Zhao answered honestly, "I don't know." Beside him, the Crown Prince and Prince Rong both showed a flash of realization. "That was where Lord Tianxu lived when he was here. It has been vacant ever since," the Crown Prince explained. He pondered, "I suppose because Young Master Ye guessed it instantly, Lord Song couldn't help but feel distressed remembering Lord Tianxu. However, as for why he would ask you this question, I do not know." He spoke the truth, but he was also curious about the reason behind the question, so he used the opportunity to probe. Whether Pei Shian caught the trap in his words or not, he remained calm and changed the subject. "Speaking of which, the residence Eunuch Babao arranged for you is the Pavilion of Blowing Rain. You can go see it tonight." Ah? Only then did Ye Zhao realize the significance of the Pavilion of Blowing Rain. No wonder the Crown Prince and Prince Rong had looked surprised when Babao mentioned it earlier. He felt a bit apprehensive. "That place... is it really alright for me to stay there?" From the way they described it, it sounded like one of those memorial sites in stories—kept empty and dusty to honor a predecessor or important person, where ordinary people weren't allowed to enter. Pei Shian looked at him, a smile in his eyes that no one else could decipher. "It’s fine." Ye Zhao suddenly let a comment slip: "Is it because you think I'm Tianxu's son?" The room fell into an eerie silence. Ye Zhao had imagined how the other might respond—either a direct admission or a tactful affirmation. The answer couldn't possibly be a denial. He knew all too well why Pei Shian and the others had gathered around him, yet this was the first time he had asked so directly. To his complete surprise, Pei Shian let out a light chuckle. He looked at him with a smile and said, "I have never thought that." Ah? That answer... Ye Zhao was stunned on the spot. "You are you. You are only you. In my eyes, being you is enough." He walked over slowly, his expression gentle. It was impossible to tell if he was being serious or joking. The others were completely bewildered, and Ye Zhao was even more dazed. Pei Shian reached Ye Zhao and suddenly smiled. "When I said it was like meeting an old friend, I wasn't lying to you." This situation was a bit beyond his expectations. Ye Zhao stammered a few responses, "Oh... okay..." He didn't quite know what to say, so he picked up the dossier, and the topic was dropped. Pei Shian's words, however, sowed seeds of doubt in the hearts of the others present. The Crown Prince was sharp-minded. He vaguely sensed something off about the words, but he couldn't guess the underlying reason. He discreetly scanned the two men who had returned to their work, his thoughts like a tangled ball of yarn he couldn't unravel. Prince Rong frowned, also sensing the shroud of mystery surrounding Ye Zhao. What secret... was hidden within him? While everyone there had their own thoughts, on the other side, Song He had walked briskly all the way to the palace gate before suddenly stopping at a corner. Facing the wall, he took several deep breaths. Just looking at his back, one could feel his extremely unsettled state of mind. Minister Qian stood three paces behind him. After a moment, he spoke: "Are you calm now?" Song He’s heart was still pounding wildly, though it was much steadier than before. His blank mind was finally able to think again. His expression was more serious than it had ever been. "Do you know what I'm thinking right now?" Minister Qian replied calmly, "I know. You think Lord Tianxu has returned. That Ye Zhao is Tianxu." As soon as he said this, Song He turned around abruptly. "And you? You don't think so? You can still act so nonchalant?" His expression was a mix of shock and suspicion as he looked at Minister Qian, looking completely baffled. By the light of the lanterns along the palace path, Minister Qian took in his every expression. Yet he remained where he was, hands tucked into his sleeves, unmoving. He lifted his eyelids to look at him and suddenly asked, "Are you certain? Are you certain he is Lord Tianxu?" Song He was choked by the question. He desperately wanted to say yes, but for some reason, he couldn't make a sound immediately. After a long while, he only said, "Those words... Lord Tianxu once said them to me as well. I couldn't be mistaken." "So what?" Minister Qian asked. Song He’s eyes widened. "So what?" He suddenly became agitated. "The names of the two pavilions, Blowing Wind and Blowing Rain, were personally chosen by Lord Tianxu. Ye Zhao is unfamiliar with the palace; he couldn't have heard those names before. Why did he guess it correctly on the first try?" "Ye Zhao knows the origin of the names," Minister Qian stated. Song He nodded firmly. "Yes." But Minister Qian added, "But don't you think Ye Zhao knows too much?" He spoke with a heavy, solemn tone. "Lord Tianxu told him. It’s not strange," Minister Qian thought, remembering that Ye Zhao had indeed said as much before. Song He was stumped by this. After a silence of two seconds, he spoke seriously: "It’s not like him." "What isn't like him?" Song He weighed his words and suddenly said, " I just feel that what Ye Zhao knows doesn't seem like something Lord Tianxu would have told him." Silence fell between them again. Minister Qian looked at him, his expression rippleless. "You simply believe Lord Tianxu has returned." His voice carried a deep sense of disagreement. Being watched like that, Song He felt as though he were being unreasonable. He remained silent for a good while. Minister Qian suddenly sighed. "If the Old Chancellor knew what you were thinking, he would surely be very happy." Reminded by this, Song He suddenly remembered—right, hadn't Pei Shian hinted at such thoughts before? And there was Xie Mingyuan! His eyes lit up. "Didn't Duke Mingde also say something similar?" "Yes." Minister Qian nodded, recalling that day as well, yet his expression remained indifferent. "But look at them. Has any of them announced to the world—'Lord Tianxu has returned, Ye Zhao is Tianxu'?" Song He froze. Minister Qian answered for him, "No." "Admittedly, there are some things in this world that only Lord Tianxu would say. From that perspective, Ye Zhao is indeed very much like him. But don't forget, there are also many ways in which Ye Zhao is *not* like him. The most obvious point is: if they truly are the same person, how could their temperaments before and after be so vastly different?" This was the hardest point to explain. They all felt a bone-deep awe and fear toward Tianxu, but would they fear Ye Zhao? No, they wouldn't. After Minister Qian finished speaking, Song He fell silent. So... Minister Qian summarized, "Perhaps the Old Chancellor and the others have the same thoughts as you, but at least until they find evidence to prove it, they wouldn't dare speak of it aloud." He continued, "If I hadn't stopped you just now, what were you planning to do?" Knowing his old friend, he would surely have made a huge scene looking for evidence everywhere. While his intentions were good, it would certainly have become common knowledge. By then, would it even matter if Ye Zhao was Tianxu or not? Just the spread of such a rumor would inevitably stir up a storm in the city, putting Ye Zhao at the center of a whirlwind he couldn't escape. Regardless of whether the truth was 'yes' or 'no,' it would bring Ye Zhao no end of trouble. The loss would outweigh the gain. Song He’s heated head cooled down. He mused, "I want to find Wei Feng and look at his investigation records on Ye Zhao from these past few months." Everyone knew the Yulin Guards carried "little black books" with them. Anyone they targeted would have their daily activities recorded with absolute clarity. Given Ye Zhao’s current awkward status, the Yulin Guards must have had their eyes on him early on. There was no more convenient place to learn about Ye Zhao’s affairs. Hearing this, Minister Qian had no objections. He only said, "Then you should go ask His Majesty for that favor." Song He nodded, agreeing completely. Then he suddenly paused. "What about you? What do you think?" Indeed, after talking for so long, this man hadn't directly revealed his own thoughts on the matter. Ask him? Minister Qian smiled slightly. "Me? I am naturally waiting to see the result. Once the truth comes to light, everything will be clear." Was there any need to be so conflicted? Seeing the unspoken half of his sentence, Song He gave a deadpan "Heh." How could he have forgotten? This man was a master of sitting still on the fishing platform; his patience was comparable to a tortoise. He replied sarcastically, "You old fox..." Minister Qian raised an eyebrow. "Wasn't that what you called Imperial Father-in-law Yin?" Song He immediately changed the label: "You old tortoise." Very well... Instantly, the wind died down and the trees went still. The two men stood face to face, staring each other down, unmoving. Suddenly, without knowing who started it, the two of them burst into a shouting match. They argued all the way out of the palace, gave each other a cold huff, and turned to go their separate ways. It was another day where both were so angry at each other that they were still cursing even after they got home... *** Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation ---|---|--- 吹雨阁 | Pavilion of Blowing Rain | A palace building, formerly the residence of Lord Tianxu. 杜大人 | Lord Du | Refers to the Minister of Justice (刑部尚书). 魏风 | Wei Feng | Likely a high-ranking officer or commander of the Yulin Guards. 羽林卫 | Yulin Guards | The elite Imperial Guard. 明德公 | Duke Mingde | The title of Xie Mingyuan. 老王八 | Old Tortoise | Literally "old turtle/bastard," used here as a jab at Minister Qian's extreme patience and as a general insult.