Chapter 1487: Brother Feifei Side Story (Part 1)
At dusk this day, a man in a gray robe arrived at the gate of the Earl of Pingyang’s Mansion, standing at the entrance.
Brother Feifei looked at the six gilded characters on the plaque. He used to pass in and out every day without a feeling, but now that he’s back and sees this plaque again, Brother Feifei feels an overwhelming sense of familiarity.
The gatekeeper of the Earl of Pingyang’s Mansion saw Brother Feifei standing at the gate looking at the plaque and thought it was odd. The previous gatekeeper was getting old, so the current gatekeeper was replaced at the beginning of the year. However, the rules of the Earl of Pingyang’s Mansion are very strict, and the gatekeepers are specially trained. They did not look down on Brother Feifei because of his shabby clothing; instead, they approached him and asked, "May I ask who you are looking for, young master?"
Brother Feifei smiled and said, "I’m not looking for anyone." With that, he walked in boldly, ignoring the gatekeeper.
The gatekeeper, seeing Brother Feifei’s manner, was about to stop him. The attendant behind Brother Feifei looked at him and said, "This is the Second Young Master." After that, he followed behind Brother Feifei.
The gatekeeper opened his mouth and then exclaimed, "Second Young Master?" Everyone in the mansion knew the Second Young Master had gone away to study and had not returned for several years.
It wasn’t the gatekeeper’s fault for failing to recognize him right away; Brother Feifei didn’t quite resemble Brother Shengsheng or Brother Xuxu, so it was understandable if he didn’t react immediately.
At this time, in the Main Courtyard, An Zhichen was muttering to Yueyao, "Feifei wrote at the beginning of the year saying he’d come back, but it’s almost June, and he’s still not back yet?" His son had been away for six years for his studies, and he missed him day and night.
Yueyao laughed lightly and said, "Perhaps something delayed him. There’s no need to worry; he’ll be back soon." Likewise, Yueyao also missed her son, who had been away for so long.
Upon hearing this, An Zhichen felt discontent. They had agreed that Brother Feifei would study abroad for three years and then return. But now, it had been six years, Brother Feifei was already nineteen, and Brother Shengsheng and Brother Xuxu had become fathers, while Brother Feifei was still wandering outside. Thinking of this, An Zhichen said irritably, "If it weren’t for you letting Feifei go abroad for his studies, would Brother Feifei be away for six years now?"
Yueyao understood that An Zhichen did not actually blame her but was worried about their son’s future. After all, at nineteen, many children from scholarly families have already passed the Palace Graduate exam, but Brother Feifei, being abroad, wasn’t even a Scholar yet.
Yueyao smiled and said, "Didn’t you also say that it would be beneficial for him to experience more outside? What Brother Feifei has learned in these six years out there cannot be exchanged for anything else." Yueyao, wanting to toughen Brother Feifei, only gave him five hundred taels of silver for his journey, without sending any money over the past six years. While five hundred taels is a lot for ordinary people, it wasn’t enough for Brother Feifei’s travel expenses, let alone his daily expenses while studying abroad.
Hearing this, An Zhichen uncharacteristically stayed silent. The attendant by Brother Feifei’s side was personally selected by An Zhichen to ensure Brother Feifei’s safety and report on his daily activities. With such a person in place, An Zhichen was well-aware of everything concerning Brother Feifei.
Yueyao, thinking An Zhichen was still worried about Brother Feifei’s future, quickly said, "Brother Feifei is a steady boy; there’s nothing to worry about." Most people believed that entering officialdom early to accumulate experience was beneficial, but the political arena was fraught with dangers, and without undergoing trials, a single misstep could lead to a catastrophic downfall. Therefore, Yueyao would rather have Brother Feifei endure hardships now than suffer setbacks in the future.
Before An Zhichen could respond, a maid outside loudly announced, "Old Master, Madam, Second Master is back."
Usually graceful and composed, Yueyao abruptly stood up at the maid’s words and hurriedly walked out, her usual decorum forgotten.
An Zhichen, seeing his wife vanish in a blink, couldn’t help but chuckle. As he stepped outside, he saw Yueyao holding Brother Feifei’s hand, tears streaming down her face. An Zhichen couldn’t help but shake his head, remarking silently at her usual façade of nonchalance.
Brother Feifei gently said, "Mother, I’m alright." Seeing Yueyao like this filled Brother Feifei with guilt. Being away for six years, he had left his parents worrying about him constantly, and he felt truly unfilial.
An Zhichen coughed lightly and said, "It’s good that the boy is back, so why are you crying?" Such is the way with women; they cry at the slightest thing.
Yueyao was not someone who usually displayed her emotions so openly, but seeing her son in coarse clothing, both darkened and thinned by experience, there was no need to ask; she could tell he’d endured much hardship outside. Seeing her son like this, Yueyao’s tears couldn’t be held back, pouring uncontrollably from her eyes.
