Volume One, Chapter Four: A Mother's Love Is True, but a Father's May Not Be

"My Lord!"

The crowd greeted him with respectful bows as the Li family servants stepped forward to take the reins and assist him in dismounting.

Li Jin swung down from his horse. His wife, Huang Suqiu, reached out to steady him by habit, but her husband sidestepped her.

Huang Suqiu froze, glancing toward the road, but there was no sign of their son, Li Jize.

"Jin! What is going on? Anran just told me the whole town is whispering that Jize is planning a rebellion. Is there any truth to this?"

Old Mistress Li, trembling and leaning heavily on her dragon-headed staff, approached with the support of her concubine, Chen Anran, her voice filled with agitation.

"Jin-ge!"

Li Jin opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by his wife’s call from behind. Huang Suqiu ran up, grabbing Li Jin’s arm with a forced, plastered smile.

"People in town just love to spout nonsense! They are jealous of the service our Jize has rendered to the Great Qi, so they are trying to smear his name on purpose."

As she spoke, she winked frantically, tugging at her husband’s sleeve to signal him to agree. Li Jin sighed, neither confirming nor denying her claim.

Nearby, Chen Anran glanced down the road and said with a playful, mocking tone, "If he really isn't the malevolent spirit the Emperor saw in her dreams, why not have him come and clear his own name? Jin-ge, Jize has been gone for three days! What? Did he not return with you?"

Hearing this, Old Mistress Li realized the situation and turned to look down the road. The Li family servants began to whisper among themselves, casting sideways glances.

"Jin, why is Jize not coming home? My eyelids have been twitching incessantly today. Could it be... has something truly happened?"

Before Old Mistress Li could finish, Huang Suqiu hurriedly cut in.

"Pah, pah, pah! Mother, let’s have no such talk! Jize is a blessed child; how could anything go wrong? The Emperor must be busy with affairs of state and kept him back for questioning! You know how it is—Jize is the Emperor's fiancé, they are very close!"

Huang Suqiu’s words caused the servants to nod in agreement. Who didn’t know that their young master, Li Jize, was the illustrious General Tiance and the fiancé betrothed to the Empress by imperial decree?

"Enough!"

Seeing his wife still harping on the betrothal, Li Jin could no longer tolerate it and shook her hand off his arm.

"The Sage’s dream that our rebellious son intends to revolt is true! The Emperor left him out in the sun for three days and three nights to force a confession."

What?

At Li Jin’s words, everyone in the Li household was shocked, frozen in place, and struck dumb.

Old Mistress Li trembled, her lips turning pale, unable to utter a sound. Beside her, Chen Anran wore a sinister sneer, comforting the old woman while urging her to mind her health.

Huang Suqiu felt as if she had been struck by a bolt of lightning; she stood rigid, her face filled with disbelief. The skin on her face twitched as she forced a painful, difficult smile and grabbed Li Jin’s hand again.

"No... that’s impossible, Jin-ge! You’re joking, right? Jize has worked himself to the bone for the Great Qi and for the Emperor! When the barbarians attacked, he fought in blood and gore. As his mother, I have seen no fewer than ten arrow scars on his body. To provide disaster relief, I saw with my own eyes how he fell off his horse from exhaustion while trying to sleep in the saddle. It can’t be, it can’t be. The Empress is his fiancée—how could she treat him like this?"

"Hmph!"

Facing his tearful wife, Li Jin turned his back on her, ignoring her pleas.

Huang Suqiu had no choice but to turn to her mother-in-law. She grabbed the old woman’s hand, "Mother, Jize has been obedient since he was a child. He would never rebel. You believe he isn't a harbinger of doom, don't you?"

Old Mistress Li offered an awkward smile and looked at Li Jin. "Jin, our family has been loyal to the throne for generations. How could Jize possibly rebel?"

"Mother! This was the Sage’s dream; how would a subject dare to doubt the current sovereign? Furthermore... if the sovereign demands a subject's death, the subject must die! If that rebellious son truly intends to revolt, I, Li Jin, will be the first to disown him!"

Her husband’s declaration—"if the sovereign demands a subject's death, the subject must die"—terrified Huang Suqiu. Seeing that her son still hadn't returned, she looked at her husband with a trembling body and a face full of horror.

"Jin... Jin-ge, don't scare me! Jize... what happened to him?"

In her desperation, Huang Suqiu stepped forward and gripped her husband’s sleeve tightly. "Tell me! What has happened to my son?"

Li Jin’s face was grim. He looked up at the "Li Mansion" plaque.

"He could not withstand the pressure and has gone insane! He no longer recognizes even me, his father. In consideration of the Li family’s generations of loyalty, the Emperor has confiscated his titles and lands, and cast him out to live as a commoner!"

What?

At Li Jin’s words, the entire household was stunned. The future of the Li family, their most promising young master, had gone mad? This was simply too hard to believe.

Upon hearing that her son had lost his mind, Huang Suqiu stood frozen, unable to move. Seeing her strange state, Old Mistress Li called out in worry, "Suqiu, Suqiu! Are you all right?"

Huang Suqiu’s hair was disheveled. She let out a silly, hollow laugh and began to walk slowly toward the direction of the capital.

"Suqiu!"

"Mistress!"

Seeing her unstable state, the old woman and the servants rushed forward, anxious to stop her.

Li Jin barked a command, "None of you are to stop her!"

The crowd stood still. Old Mistress Li looked at her son with confusion.

"The entire Great Qi now knows that the rebel is a harbinger of doom! The Emperor is wary of him—none of you are to have any contact with him."

The servants stood frozen, looking from the General to their mistress. *Alas! At the end of the day, we can only blame the young master for drawing the Emperor’s suspicion. If he were brought back, it would surely implicate the whole Li family.*

"Heh heh..."

Huang Suqiu, disheveled and covered in dust, let out a mocking laugh and said calmly, "My son is a fool now! He remembers nothing; how would he know the way home? You have certainly played the part of a father well!"

"Mistress!"

With those words, she stumbled away under the anxious gazes of the servants.

"My Lord!"

The servants turned to look at Li Jin. He gritted his teeth, turned away, and said coldly, "Whoever wants to leave the Li family, go ahead and follow her. I shall consider the Li family to have no such person!"

He turned and strode into the mansion.

Chen Anran, supporting Old Mistress Li, watched Huang Suqiu’s retreating figure with a cold sneer on her lips.

...

On the main street, dark clouds gathered, and the rain began to fall. Huang Suqiu ran in a panic, looking around frantically. She kept muttering to herself, trying to deceive her own heart: "It can't be! Jize isn't insane. He was only temporarily traumatized; he will definitely find his way home."

As she finished speaking, she turned a corner and slammed into someone.

Pain blinded her, and she cried out, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"

Then, a voice—at once incredibly familiar and yet strange—rang out.

"Auntie, be more careful when you walk!"

Hm?

She looked up and was stunned. It was her "insane" son, standing right there.