Just as Yu Zhu had said, there was not a single soul around the wood - shed in the Prime Minister's Mansion.
Or perhaps, it was Yun Sheng who had deliberately arranged it this way, not wanting anyone to come into contact with the man.
When Yun Xi arrived at the wood - shed, she encountered no obstacles along the way. Thus, she was able to see the man's true appearance.
The man looked to be in his forties, with clear and handsome features. His water - green robe set off his extraordinary temperament. Even with his temples slightly disheveled and sitting in the wood - shed, he still sat upright with a straight back.
He didn't look like a fool who would come to the Prime Minister's Mansion to throw his life away for money!
The moment he saw Yun Xi, the man's originally dull eyes suddenly lit up. Although separated by the door panel and only able to see through a tiny gap, the man still managed to stretch out his finger and excitedly called out:
"A Yun! I'm here to pick you up!!"
Then, with a self - reproachful look on his face, he said:
"It's all my fault for traveling around. By the time I returned to the pavilion and read your letter, a year had passed! I let you suffer so much in this world, trampled by that heartless man."
The more Yun Xi listened, the tighter her eyebrows knitted.
Seeing the man with red - rimmed eyes and a sincere expression, she couldn't believe that he was a madman.
However, his mistake of taking her for her mother made her feel a bit melancholy. She asked in a low voice:
"Yu Zhu, do I really look that much like my mother?"
She had lost her mother at the age of four, and her memory of her mother's appearance was already very vague. Although she had seen dozens of portraits of her mother drawn by her father in his study, the portraits were on paper. Unlike her father, she couldn't see through the figure on the paper.
When Yu Zhu was asked this question, she carefully examined Yun Xi's eyebrows and eyes, then bit her lip and nodded vigorously:
"Miss's eyebrows and face shape are most like the mistress's, but the mistress was even thinner than the miss."
Among women, Yun Xi was already quite slender. As for Su Yun, she was the late - born child of the Su family and was also a premature baby. Since birth, her health had not been very good.
Therefore, compared to Yun Xi's heart ailment, Su Yun's body was even weaker.
"Yu Zhu, open the door."
Learning for the first time that she looked like her mother, Yun Xi felt a bit comforted and thus spoke.
"That's out of the question! What if he harms the miss?"
Yu Zhu stepped back while shaking her head, but Yun Xi directly pried the key from her hand and said firmly:
"He won't harm me."
This was a rare intuition she insisted on.
Because she could feel the man's deep affection and his guilt, but she couldn't feel any hostility from him.
The moment the door opened, the man immediately stepped forward with a smile. Just as he was about to hold Yun Xi's hand, he suddenly froze in place. With a hesitant look in his eyes but a certain tone, he said:
"You're not A Yun!"
Yun Xi smiled lightly and nodded:
"Yes, I'm not. I'm her daughter, Yun Xi."
Seeing Yun Xi's smile that resembled her mother's, the man looked lost, but he wasn't discouraged:
"May I ask Miss Yun, where is A Yun now?"
The man was very humble and polite, but he didn't shy away from his intimacy with Su Yun at all. In front of outsiders, he still insisted on calling her 'A Yun'.
Yun Xi couldn't help but sigh. No wonder her father had been so angry and locked the man in the wood - shed.
Imagine, the woman his father loved deeply was so adored by an outsider for many years, and they even seemed very familiar with each other. Any affectionate man would be jealous to the point of losing his mind!
At this moment, Yun Xi was almost 90% sure that the man had been used by someone!
Thinking of this, Yun Xi also spoke frankly:
"My mother has passed away. It's been eleven years. So, it's impossible for you to have received my mother's letter asking for help."
Seeing the man's pupils shrink in shock and pain, and then suddenly sit down on the ground, Yun Xi understood that her father had been too angry to admit that his wife had been dead for many years.
Because, for her father, this was still something he was not willing to admit!
"How is that possible? How is that possible!"
The man hugged his head, looking almost desperate. The next moment, he suddenly stood up and stared at Yun Xi:
"Are you just making up such a vicious lie because you don't want me to see A Yun!"
The man's soul - stirring questions made Yu Zhu so scared that she quickly wanted to pull Yun Xi back. However, Yun Xi stood there firmly, looking at the man seriously, waiting until his questioning voice finally choked with sobs.
She knew that although the man was in great pain, he had already accepted this reality.
"Can we sit down and talk about your story with my mother?"
Yun Xi spoke. Her voice carried the unique softness of the Jiangcheng dialect, which brought back the man's memories.
He covered his face with both hands, hiding his tearful eyes. In a gentle tone, he slowly recalled the scene more than twenty years ago.
The man's name was Xiao He. He was once a well - known lute player in the Liu Kingdom. The 'Purple Moon' lute that Su Yun had loved so much was a gift from Xiao He.
They had known each other a long time ago. At that time, Xiao He was in his twenties, but his lute skills had already reached the peak and he was very famous. Su Yun was only thirteen years old and was very fond of the lute. So, her parents found Xiao He for her.
At first, Xiao He was an arrogant man. He didn't like the Su family's attitude of spending a fortune on their daughter, so he had never agreed to take her as an apprentice.
However, Su Yun was a tenacious girl. She was not afraid of Xiao He's coldness and gradually moved him. Then, Xiao He taught Su Yun how to play the lute. As Su Yun grew up, he secretly fell in love with her.
Just when Xiao He was about to propose to Su Yun, the down - and - out Yun Sheng appeared. Su Yun fell in love with him at first sight.
Xiao He was heart - broken and left for Jiangcheng. Even though he never forgot about Su Yun, he didn't dare to inquire about her news.
Until the palace coup in the capital. At that time, the situation in the capital was very turbulent. He heard that Yun Sheng had become a high - ranking official in the capital, so he was worried that Su Yun might be involved. So, he asked someone to send a letter to her.
However, he never received a reply. He thought the letter had disappeared without a trace. But last year, he received a letter from Su Yun.
In the letter, she said that although Yun Sheng was now a prime minister, he was heartless and had found a new love. He not only favored his concubine over his wife but also didn't allow her to divorce and return to her family. He had imprisoned her in the mansion, taking away her freedom.
Although Xiao He didn't see the letter until a year later, he knew that although Su Yun was a woman, she was a firm and independent person and would never tolerate her husband's infidelity!
He had never been able to get her, and he was still unmarried. But Yun Sheng had been ungrateful and had let Su Yun down!
So, Xiao He traveled day and night, crossing thousands of miles to come to the Prime Minister's Mansion in the capital, determined to help Su Yun out of the sea of bitterness.
However, he never expected that what he got was the news that she had been dead for a long time! And he himself had been used by someone, almost ruining Su Yun's reputation!
Seeing a man who was so deeply in love with her mother, Yun Xi felt that fate was playing tricks on people. Naturally, it wasn't hard for her to guess who the person with malicious intentions behind this was!
"Have you ever thought that by coming here alone, you might not only fail to save my mother but also lose your own life?"
Although she was touched by Xiao He's actions, she still had to say that he was too reckless.
Hearing this, Xiao He gave a bitter smile and raised his red - rimmed eyes:
"No. I've already arranged for someone to come and pick me up. By my calculation, he should be here soon."
Yun Xi was surprised. She thought that Xiao He was so calm about it, which meant he had made preparations to retreat safely.
However, the Prime Minister's Mansion was not a vegetable market. Not just anyone could enter.
Just as Yun Xi was thinking this, there was suddenly a knock on the door outside. Hong Luo said anxiously:
"Miss, His Highness the Crown Prince is here!"