Chapter 237 -

Chapter 237: Chapter

The early morning sun was just starting to rise over the Xi estate, painting the sky in soft shades of orange and pink.

Inside Duke Xi’s quiet study, the air was heavy with the scent of old paper and burning incense. Duke Xi sat behind a large wooden desk, patiently guiding Yunchen through military strategy and official court maps. Yunchen was trying his best to stay focused, but his eyes kept darting toward the window, itching to get outside.

The heavy wooden doors creaked open, and Wenzhe walked into the room.

Yunchen’s face lit up with instant relief the moment he saw his older brother. "Big Brother!"

Wenzhe smiled at him and nodded gently before turning his attention to his father. Duke Xi looked tired, the dark circles under his eyes showing just how heavily the burden of the Empress’s threats had been weighing on him.

"Father," Wenzhe spoke softly, bowing his head in respect. "Put the books away for a moment. Come ride horses with me in the open field."

Duke Xi frowned slightly and waved his hand dismissively. "Not today, Wenzhe. I am busy teaching your brother, and I have too many official matters to handle before tonight’s banquet."

"Please, Father," Wenzhe urged, his tone gentle but firm. "It has been years since we last rode together. Just one morning. The fresh air will do you good, and the court matters can wait for an hour."

Duke Xi looked at his eldest son’s determined face, then over at Yunchen, who was waiting hopefully for a break. The Duke let out a long, quiet sigh and finally nodded. "Very well."

He turned to Yunchen. "That is enough for today, Yunchen. You are dismissed."

"Thank you, Big Brother!" Yunchen said quickly, gathering his scrolls. He bowed to his father and headed straight out the door, eager to go hang out with Yunhao and Gu Xiao.

Duke Xi walked over to his inner chamber, changed out of his heavy official robes into lighter riding attire, and walked back out to join Wenzhe.

Together, father and son walked in silence toward the grand stables at the back of the estate. The morning breeze was cool and crisp. The stable master bowed low as they arrived, quickly bringing out two of the finest, strongest horses in the estate, a coal-black stallion for Wenzhe and a majestic grey one for Duke Xi.

They mounted their horses and trotted out of the estate gates, heading toward the vast, open grassy fields that stretched beyond the city border.

As their horses walked side by side, Wenzhe broke the long silence.

"Father, do you remember five years ago when the northern river flooded?" Wenzhe asked softly, his eyes fixed on the horizon. "The villagers had lost their homes and their crops. The court refused to send aid, but you used your own money to buy food and build shelters for them. Thousands of innocent people survived because you stood up for them."

Duke Xi kept his face completely blank, his hands gripping the leather reins tightly. He said nothing, deliberately ignoring any topic that might lead to a conversation about politics, the court, or the Empress.

Wenzhe looked over at his father’s hardened side profile. "Do you remember the young soldiers you saved on the battlefield? You always treated every man under your command like family. You have always been a good man, Father. A brave hero."

Duke Xi tightened his jaw, kicking his horse gently into a faster trot. "That was in the past, Wenzhe. Old achievements mean nothing today."

Wenzhe kicked his stallion as well, matching his father’s pace as they broke into a full ride across the open green field. The wind whipped through their hair, but Wenzhe refused to let his father run away from the truth any longer.

"Father, listen to me!" Wenzhe shouted over the sound of thundering hooves. "Doing this will not stop the Empress from the evil she is planning! You cannot divorce Mother, and you cannot join the Empress in her dark games!"

Duke Xi’s eyes flickered with pain, but he kept staring straight ahead, riding harder.

"I have always looked up to you, Father!" Wenzhe called out, his voice raw with deep emotion. "You were the one who taught me what honor means! Please, don’t do this... don’t ruin the lives of thousands of innocent people just to play her game! Don’t let her turn you into something you are not!"

"Shut up, Wenzhe!" Duke Xi growled, his voice tight and pained.

"No, Father! Make yourself powerful!" Wenzhe demanded, his horse pulling up right alongside his father’s. "Stand up to her! Fight her with us!"

Suddenly, Duke Xi pulled hard on his reins, bringing his grey horse to a sharp, sudden halt in the middle of the empty field. His horse neighed loudly, kicking up dust as Wenzhe pulled his stallion to a stop right next to him.

Duke Xi was breathing heavily, his hands trembling against the leather reins. He turned his head slowly, looking straight into his son’s fierce, desperate eyes.

The cold, distant mask on the old general’s face finally shattered, revealing the burning, dangerous fire hidden beneath it.

"Who says I will stand by and watch the Empress accomplish her plans?" Duke Xi said, his voice dropping into a low, terrifying rumble that carried absolute hatred for the woman who had threatened his family.

He stared at Wenzhe, his eyes dark and sharp as steel. "I will accompany her... but I will end it all."

Wenzhe’s expression darkened instantly. His brow pulled into a tight, worried line as he stared at his father.

"Father... what are you planning?" Wenzhe demanded, his voice dropping into a tense, urgent whisper.

Duke Xi slowly turned his face away, looking out across the vast, empty field. His jaw remained set, his eyes cold and unreadable. "You will find out when the time is right."

"No, Father!" Wenzhe urged, pulling his stallion a step closer. The sharp, secretive answer only made his worry grow heavier.

He took a deep breath, his voice softening as he brought up something far more personal. "Mother talked to me, Father. She told me everything about the past... about how you two met."

Duke Xi’s hand twitched on the reins, but he kept his gaze fixed on the distance.

"She told me that when she first met you, you were like a man without color," Wenzhe continued, his dark eyes filled with earnest concern. "You were living like a hollow shell, weighted down by duty and dark secrets. It was only when she came into your life that you found joy again. She gave you a real family. A real home."

Wenzhe leaned forward slightly, his tone laced with raw emotion. "She loves you, Father. And she is terrified right now. She knows you are planning to throw your life away just to stop the Empress. Don’t go back into the dark. Don’t become that man without color again... Please, let us fight this together."

Duke Xi closed his eyes tightly, a heavy silence settling over him as Wenzhe’s words pierced straight through his heart.

Duke Xi let out a long, ragged breath, slowly opening his eyes to look at his son. A rare, deep tenderness softened the hardened lines of his face.

"I love your mother, Wenzhe," Duke Xi said, his voice quiet yet heavier than iron. "And I love all of you. My children, my family... you are my entire world. And that is the exact reason I must do what I must."

Wenzhe opened his mouth to protest, but Duke Xi held up a hand, stopping him.

"You do not need to worry about my path," the Duke continued, his sharp gaze locking onto Wenzhe’s. "You just have to fight with all that you have. Years ago, when you wanted to fight along side the Third Prince, I stopped you. I locked you away and held you back because I was afraid of losing my eldest son."

Duke Xi paused, leaning forward in his saddle as a proud, fierce look filled his eyes.

"But this time, I am giving you the go-ahead," the Duke declared firmly. "Every general needs a kingdom to protect, and a royal to live for. The Third Prince is your royal, Wenzhe. Go and stand by his side. Build a bright future for this empire, while I make sure the past dies with me."

Duke Xi pulled on his reins, turning his horse back toward the direction of the estate. He was about to kick his mount into a trot, ready to end the conversation, when Wenzhe’s strong, clear voice cut through the quiet air.

"Father!"

Duke Xi stopped, keeping his back turned, but he listened.

Wenzhe looked at his father’s broad, burdened shoulders and spoke with every drop of sincerity in his heart.

"Don’t forget, Father... Mother never pretended you were a perfect man," Wenzhe called out softly. "She told me that from the very first moment she saw you after the war, she knew deep down that she was the only woman in this whole world capable of loving you. She loves you despite all your flaws."

The Duke’s hands froze over the leather reins.

"A woman like that will not just stand by and watch you destroy yourself," Wenzhe warned, his voice heavy with deep concern. "If you choose to walk down that dark path, she will go down along with you. She will not let you suffer alone. So if you throw your life away, Father... know that you are taking Mother down with you too."

Duke Xi’s shoulders tense tightly under his riding coat. For a long moment, he said nothing, standing completely still in the morning light. He didn’t turn around, but he slowly let out a deep, shaky breath before kicking his horse forward, riding silently back toward the estate.