Blooming Flowers, Silent Sorrow

Translator: Silvery Butterfly
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He wore a purple-gold crown embedded with jewels on his head, a dark green arrow-sleeve robe, and a long-tassel palace belt with a delicate jade pendant at his waist. At first glance, he appeared to be someone of supreme status and nobility. His leisurely and indifferent smile always carried a touch of intentional elegance, and even the fine wrinkles at the corners of his eyes exuded an aura of arrogance and grandeur.NzyYlsDIgNHCPxnKzCCUURzfsQDDwz

The elder members of the Jin family cried out in shock, “Shen….. Wangye…..”EwSvSJcHavwwjEdKzgSOatnigCScbm

The person was indeed Zong Zheng Lihan, the third son of Emperor Jiayun, Prince Shen.rsaMPXmoGKJqUSUBQmACREBBSiIdZv

Xiao Bao felt his heart race uncontrollably. Only now did he realize that during that opera performance, Prince Shen wasn’t interested in any beauties; he had already known who Huai En was. His visit this time must be related to Huai En, as they shared the same surname. Xiao Bao had a vague idea about Huai En’s true identity.wdsJorPmzvOjiFeXUmwddolZPCqMoK

Prince Shen walked out of the shadows, followed closely by two black-clad guards who silently imposed a sense of pressure.FAKCkDjXLhwJIoiSUSzTqYDOMdzbhH

Xiao Bao threw himself against the bars, completely forgetting his manners, and shouted loudly, “Who is he? Tell me!”qPLaRiiAvnxVYbkoDpgTkdiaJghsmq

Prince Shen laughed mockingly, “Oh, Young Master Jin, how have you been? Have you and your beauty flown together?”aSipUiZLMAVtyZavqotNAATDEIIhjl

Old Master Jin pulled Xiao Bao back and whispered sternly, “Xiao Bao, don’t be rude.” He then pressed Xiao Bao’s head down and knelt to pay respects himself.tuxLAZpKsTOURVisUINHfRAITQlihK

Prince Shen waved his hand and laughed, “Given the current situation, Old Master Jin, there’s no need for such formalities. Or have you just become accustomed to it?”iYxYokKuMiSTvEWaYhFfyfcETzarUf

Old Master Jin’s face turned ashen. “This humble commoner is terrified at meeting Prince Shen. I wonder why Prince Shen has graced us with his presence…..”mRwVjAijQKBsnOJrXskduYJrKHMMBX

Prince Shen’s cold, slow chuckle interrupted Old Master Jin’s words.VBMFfLrrzmjqUaSqPYtqWSLVPEawWO

“Old Master Jin, you truly are terrified. You didn’t get to see the person you wanted, but instead, you welcomed me. Our families have a bit of history, and in these special times, if I don’t take the chance to visit you, there might not be another opportunity.”jlFWLgUohgAPGzZZgpMoAYczYNMHQV

Old Master Jin replied in a trembling voice, “This humble commoner….. does not understand what Your Highness means…..”HBqCatzThRuhXkrplfCIsurNDDIQbc

Prince Shen chuckled twice, “You used to guess my thoughts so accurately. Now, are you truly confused or just pretending?”DlKJSmcgHhwLEtAeUVFhbYKwYCMVqV

Old Master Jin knelt silently with his head bowed, while Xiao Bao’s face was filled with intense emotion, staring straight at Prince Shen.nrNFffPwmCkXbWqRAACUKSxJpTGIQq

Prince Shen grinned and teased Xiao Bao, “Did you enjoy the story your father told you?”GGadYNBPAPMQwmFGjFloxNItngQSqr

Xiao Bao was stunned.aXOxWOTsLgJDPCPggomlLndCCKAbXP

“When you were very young, about twelve or thirteen, I saw you once. You were timidly following behind my uncle’s little grandson. I could tell at a glance you wouldn’t amount to much. It’s a pity my judgment was wrong when it came to your family. I thought your father was just a crude villager, but he ruined my plans. And you, a useless wastrel, also ruined my plans. Tsk tsk, dealing with people like you is really beneath me, but it’s infuriating.”cOVECmMJXrnrJoeyeXtxSXJtEwqovB

Prince Shen’s words were spoken with ease, as if he were chatting casually, but they made the Jin family trio break out in cold sweat.akhTFvOoVPLdsehKHxXhbEEpxfRjLN

“Young Master Jin, your fate is peculiar indeed. You’re destined to enjoy only twenty years of good fortune. You must have many questions, like how you went from being a wealthy young master, hailed by everyone, to a prisoner. Actually, you can’t really blame Huai En for this. If you must blame someone, blame your father’s insatiable greed and numerous misdeeds.”NxTkCbxYSPxAtKYykNryJEBkSfOItY

Xiao Bao’s eyes widened in anger, “You’re talking nonsense!”HPbmYYVwVpUNRRXyQdOUlrqNuHpAHh

Prince Shen widened his eyes too, even blinking innocently, “Oh, you really know nothing?”vNmVruCvftGgzTKutqGopINdUNRtPz

Prince Shen shook his head and laughed, “Being born into the Jin family, I don’t know if you’re fortunate or unfortunate.” He paused and said, “What your father just told you was basically true, but the things your father did, he deserves to be executed a hundred times over.”heiXQRylYfpchmNIHakYuMTAJJxeBt

“To say your father is despicable is an understatement. To get rich, he did anything. During the war, he made a fortune from the nation’s suffering. When food was scarce and people were starving, he hoarded grain and had the nerve to raise the prices.”OxZrjdvIWpUDVJwBcsczbIVvFALuZB

Xiao Bao looked at his father in disbelief. His father had his head lowered, hands supporting himself on the ground, his pale lips trembling uncontrollably.wWUDKOaqfYpWKsHjbBVfxQQrtSwnCZ

“Back then, many people were doing such things, and the unscrupulous deeds your father did weren’t just limited to that. Take the dealings of the Furun Trading Association, each one more ruthless than the last. Let’s not talk about the distant past; let’s talk about recent years. For example….. oh,” Prince Shen clapped his hands childishly, “for example, your precious little sister. Haven’t you ever wondered why she, who originally bore the surname Xue, became your sister?”pwSntZHinXiUWKmZaFMfvPKXiRpAEG

“The Xue family were traitors, colluding with rebels. They were no better than your family. Their annihilation was indeed deserved, but before the court could act, your father struck first.”bQNIfZqUMeEwSrHfqchAoPZismLiZj

Xiao Bao felt his mind explode, a loud buzzing filling his ears. His vision filled with flashes of white light. Within a single day, he had endured wave after wave of shocks. Everything he had believed in was fragile and easily shattered. He couldn’t distinguish what was real anymore.NCQUFdPocmgdTRJRkevQBKzCIGXImK

He didn’t even dare to look back, pressing his head against the prison bars, “Father….. what does this mean….. the Xue family….. wasn’t your doing….. you said…..”loYVcTvooaTnbegYAVedEIkQFjlQyb

Old Master Jin’s eyes were filled with tears, “Xiao Bao….. I was….. forced…..” He couldn’t finish before breaking down in sobs, and Madam Jin threw herself onto him, weeping.TZenqGDGlLWzJznbOCpxfdpRMmDVOT

“Mm.” Prince Shen nodded seriously, “That’s the truth. They were forced. At that time, who knows how you got wind of it, knowing that the court was targeting Xue Wei. Just as I began my investigation, you had already destroyed the Xue family and erased all evidence. But you didn’t expect it, did you? Your precious son had a close relationship with Xue Wei’s eldest grandson and brought back their little granddaughter. Isn’t that ironic? That poor girl, first her family was annihilated in one night, and then she was unknowingly taken in by her family’s enemies.”lphfyatjcJBwfiOaIiQxbNQMqMFeRY

Old Master Jin raised his head and shouted, “Xue Wei was plotting against us from the start, using us to collect money for the Second Prince, pushing us into the fire. If he didn’t die, we would have!”PQpezbrNdaUyokQIUrjJooGYDhVEDS

“Tsk, why are you so agitated? I never said you were wrong. Anyone else would have done the same. Besides, it wasn’t just your family with grievances. Even if you didn’t want to act, would the other four families have agreed? But you did ruin my plans. You exterminated the Xue family so thoroughly and destroyed all evidence. I lost my lead. Keeping that little girl or not made no difference. I already knew she was with you. I never expected her to know anything. But this situation is interesting. I’ve always been curious to see how it would develop. My second brother was bound to come after you sooner or later, and that girl would eventually learn the truth. Wouldn’t that be fascinating?”DmQOnnazrANMTXvOJSdAZuFIyiLUbR

Madam Jin, who had been silent, choked out, “We didn’t expect….. Xiao Bao to bring her back. Maybe this is our retribution. We owe Xiao Yu. We thought raising her to adulthood was the least we could do. The rest is up to fate. Xiao Bao, we had no choice.”KbOCYKYvhhdLMCfVuSFpretuwBJExp

Xiao Bao collapsed to the ground, feeling completely drained. His eyes lost focus, staring blankly ahead. In his mind, the image of Xiao Yu’s radiant, blossoming smile floated before him.IduqBmirHCyGIUIjmOxEHoNhpnyATl

Prince Shen smiled at him, “And then there’s you, Xiao Bao. Do you know how much trouble you’ve caused me? Huai En stole something important from my mansion, and you saved him. The night at the opera, I went to kill him, and you saved him again. Then you let him stay in your mansion, preventing me from finding a chance to strike. When I finally had an opportunity, you accompanied him and put on a show, giving me a fake item to fool me….. Oh, that surprised expression on your face means you didn’t know, did you?”IVOEIlcfmrxICodcxPLDgKgetwHIUR

He really didn’t know. Even that was fake.IZrKDMVwkqmgYqEljbgkBMXfrkRztT

He thought Huai En was truly willing to accompany him to seek medicine for his father, and he was moved by Huai En’s willingness to exchange something important for his safety. It turns out that was all part of the plan.UZclQPdgzyTpIhyPOWhaqwWzELzJth

He played his part perfectly, providing a distraction, acting as a companion, being a source of amusement. He made grand vows, displayed unwavering devotion, and foolishly tried to be a hero despite his fear. What did it all look like in Huai En’s eyes?RsFbEZFojWafirwEGHIYQHmfDGvyrl

All those disgraceful moments, foolish words, and desperate attempts to seek affection were nothing but a joke.DxoKBAHMXjOEQUFQeoLqwCJaPmYorT

How could someone act so convincingly? The aloof and indifferent Huai En, who wasn’t skilled in romantic matters, the cautious and focused Huai En—these were all acts.YawknvkjeOpfSEQkCYcTAYEwkCPSur

The awkwardness when shy, the intensity when passionate, the sincerity during vows—how could it all seem so real? How did he believe it was genuine?pEhFjKVTJOkGsaQXYcQhTvgXticGUa

As the dream shattered, every secret hope and shameful wish were crushed to dust. For the first time, he understood clearly, more clearly than ever before. So many inconsistencies now had perfect explanations. But it was too late. Something had taken root within him long ago, now growing strong and deep, entwining his organs and bones, embedding in his veins and blood. To move it would be to take his life.sOLvbQRYFXvESyxprdNEpWrJLElFZO

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