My qin teacher unfortunately met with a disaster, and when she was dying, she entrusted her child to me.
The identity of the child's father was never revealed, and she took that secret to the grave.
You already know what happened next, young master."
After Cece finished speaking, she seemed to feel it wasn't detailed enough and started to recount everything she knew from the beginning.
Yu Ziqing listened quietly and roughly understood that the part No.1 had mentioned was mostly true.
Such matters, involving people from those days, were mostly dead and gone, except for those still living, it was impossible for anyone to know too many details.
By now, he had a guess as to who No.1 might be.
Despite the power and influence, the way they cautiously dealt with their own relatives pointed to very few people within the whole of Daqian.
After talking with Cece, Yu Ziqing then found Yang and recounted the whole matter to him.
After listening, Yang pondered for a moment and then let out a cold laugh.
"Who else could it be but the Jinyiwei Commander of the Daqian Dynasty, Song Chengyue?
Considering all these factors, plus his capability to act this way, who else could it be other than Song Chengyue from South Qian?
The fact that he has come to you proves that he's got no other options, telling you as much as admitting his own identity."
"The conditions he offered were high, but I found it unbelievable that a Jinyiwei Commander could be driven to such an extent," said Yu Ziqing, somewhat puzzled.
"His reputation might be tarnished, but his power is indisputable.
Throughout Daqian, there aren't many who would dare provoke Song Chengyue.
Even the Crown Prince treats him with a certain distance – respectful but keeping clear, neither befriending nor offending.
Who could have pushed Song Chengyue to such extremes?
Aren't they afraid that in desperation he might do something drastic, like designing a Prince's death, which probably wouldn't be difficult for him?
Anyway, he must believe there's no good end in store for him.
A man who is unafraid to die and wields great power is like a mad dog – who, in their right mind, would dare to provoke him that far?
I don't understand," Yang said with a slight frown as he pondered.
"Don't say you don't understand; I don't understand it either.
But now someone is really cornering him.
From what you've told me, he seems to know that he doesn't have long to live.
The inner workings of this matter feel complicated and must be tied to shifts in the power dynamics of the Daqian Dynasty. You shouldn't get involved recklessly.
Even I, an outsider, can see that whoever dares to do this so fearlessly must have the tacit approval of Emperor Qian.
And it's someone from within the Jinyi Wei itself.
It's not about those two kids anymore.
Although you've brought back those two kids, we're not afraid, and nobody sane is going to pursue this to the bitter end."
"I understand, which is why I didn't respond at all; I just walked away.
I know this, Song Chengyue knows this, and so would anyone else who knows, they would also understand it all.
That's why I feel there's something off with this situation."
"How so?" asked Yang.
"It's too logical, too consistent. Why did you, Yang, upon hearing about this matter, immediately suspect Song Chengyue?
If you're so certain, wouldn't others who are more familiar with Song Chengyue think the same?"
"This…" Yang's expression grew serious in an instant.
He knew that Yu Ziqing's way of thinking wasn't like most people's and that he viewed problems from different angles.
But Yu Ziqing always managed to give him plenty of food for thought.
Indeed, why was he so sure?
Just because Song Chengyue was from South Qian?
While people from South Qian as a whole are like that, could he be sure that every individual from there was the same?
Could he be certain that Song Chengyue truly fit the mold?
After questioning himself, Yang suddenly felt lost.
Naturally, he had drawn a conclusion from the accumulation of information he had.
Or rather, that wasn't a conclusion anymore, it had become a fact ready to be used.
The fact that this matter fitted the profile of the Jinyi Wei Commander but did not seem problematic to him, seemed so normal, as if that was exactly how things should be.
Snapping back to reality, Yang felt a chill run down his spine.
It was only someone like Yu Ziqing, who knew nothing about Song Chengyue, that would pose such questions.
Watching the change in Yang's eyes, Yu Ziqing immediately understood that Yang had also sensed something amiss.
The matter was left at that.
Yu Ziqing had no intention of replying to No.1.
He only felt it was terrifying.
A person is complex, and that saying is true. Song Chengyue could be a despised minion, as well as a typical South Qian individual.
But when even someone like Yang knew this and instinctively felt it was normal,
Then the matter was not normal.
Because there's a huge loophole in all of this.
According to the information he had, the most widely circulated, and that always in the open, was that Song Chengyue had neither wife nor concubine, no children, no parents, no entanglements.
So, whether he's arrogant or ruthlessly cunning, as long as he remains in that position and Emperor Qian trusts him,
Song Chengyue is an impeccable minion with no vulnerability.
So then, the information that Song Chengyue is a typical South Qian man, how could Yang be so sure of it?
A typical South Qian man would be one whose family is well-fed; a thriving population is the most direct sign.
With elders above, wives and concubines in the middle, and a multitude of children beneath, that's what makes a typical individual.
In today's South Qian region, when establishing whether a family is large and influential, the most direct question is to ask how many children they have.