Hearing this, Yu Chi Cheng was startled for a moment and suddenly understood. "Xi He, you're right. No matter whether I'm their biological child or not, they've always regarded me as their own. They've even treated me better than Xu. I was so confused before."
Seeing that Yu Chi Cheng had finally figured it out, I was happy for him. Just then, Uncle woke up slowly. At the sight of him, Yu Chi Cheng called out, "Father, are you okay?"
Uncle looked at us tiredly. He couldn't move yet, but he first asked, "How's your mother?"
I glanced at Aunt and said, "Aunt hasn't woken up yet, but she should be waking up soon."
Seeing this, Yu Chi Cheng directly knelt down in front of Uncle and Aunt and said, "Your son is unfilial. I listened to the slander of villains and put you and Mother in danger. Please punish me, Father."
Hearing this, Uncle wanted to stop him, but due to his discomfort, he closed his eyes and took a moment to catch his breath. He rubbed his forehead and then slowly sat up from the bed. Seeing this, I rushed to help him, but Uncle stopped me. After sitting up properly, he said, "Get up, Cheng'er."
Yu Chi Cheng's eyes were full of guilt. He shook his head. "Your son has committed a serious mistake and really has no face to face you and Mother..." Then he told them everything that had happened at the hunting ground before, as well as the current situation in Chi Mo and Katar's conspiracy.
Frowning after hearing this, Uncle said, "I already know about this. Get up first."
Yu Chi Cheng was a bit surprised. "Father, aren't you blaming your son?"
Just then, there came a very soft sigh. Aunt had also woken up. Lying there calmly, she said, "How can this be blamed on you?"
The tenderness in her eyes flowed down like a gentle stream, which deeply touched both Yu Chi Cheng and me. Uncle helped Aunt sit up and asked, "Did you hear everything?"
Aunt nodded gently and then sat up with Uncle's help.
Yu Chi Cheng's guilt grew stronger. But Aunt said, "Good child, we kept your birth secret from you because we hoped you wouldn't have any psychological burden. It's normal for you to have some thoughts now that you know about it. But even so, you weren't bewitched by them. Your father and I should be grateful for your kindness."
Yu Chi Cheng lowered his head and said, "Your son is terrified."
Aunt continued, "I don't know what they told you, but the events back then were indeed quite complicated. You're grown up now, and it's time we told you. Your biological father was the eldest prince of Bei Han. But your mother wasn't the prince's wife. She was just an ordinary civilian. We saved you and your mother from your father's former subordinates. They were originally following the order of your father's wife to hunt you two down. But later, because something happened to your father, they wanted to welcome you back.
"Your mother caught a cold while fleeing in a hurry after giving birth to you. When we saved her, she was dying and entrusted you to us. She told me that she was forced by the eldest prince. Because she gave birth to a child out of wedlock, she was resented by the clan and was driven out of the family. She had no other choice but to go to your father, hoping that he would keep you. But she didn't get to see your father. Instead, she incurred the killing intent of your father's wife."
Yu Chi Cheng never expected the truth to be like this. He couldn't help clenching his fists. His eyes were slightly red, but he endured it and said, "So I'm not the noble person they claimed me to be. I'm just a person drifting with fate. They beckoned to me when they wanted to use me and kicked me away when I was of no use to them."
Aunt gently stroked his head and said, "No, who dares to say you're not? You're the noble young master of the Yu Chi family. You have the blood of the royal family of Bei Han flowing in your veins. You've been intelligent, studious, upright, and kind since childhood. You're your mother's darling and also the most precious child to your father and me. You've brought us a lot of happiness."
Perhaps Aunt's voice was too gentle. Yu Chi Cheng couldn't hold back a tear. I was also deeply touched. I said to him, "Brother Cheng, you've always been yourself. Why belittle yourself? Those who did wrong are them. You don't have to be so hard on yourself."
Uncle also said, "Cheng'er, you haven't forgotten what I've taught you since childhood. In today's situation, if you feel guilty, use your own abilities to resolve it."
Yu Chi Cheng collected his emotions and said softly, "Your son understands. Your son returned to Chi Mo to atone for his mistakes. I'll take you and Mother to a safe place first, and then mobilize the guards of Chi Mo to arrest Katar."
But Uncle said, "The people Katar brought are the elite troops who followed you and me all the way from Bei Han to protect our safety. What's the use of the local guards in Chi Mo who only maintain the order of the market? Haven't you thought about using the Tiger Tally to directly mobilize the main army of Chi Mo?"
Yu Chi Cheng said, "As far as your son knows, the Tiger Tally is split into two halves, one held by the chief of the Chi Mo tribe and the other by the local thousand - household official. Katar has already gone to force the chief to hand over his half of the Tiger Tally. If your son goes to get the Tiger Tally now, it's already too late. So your son wants to bluff Katar as an ally and arrest him before he can mobilize the troops. If so, the local guards will be enough."
Hearing this, Uncle laughed and took out a pair of Tiger Tallies from his bosom.
Yu Chi Cheng was shocked. "Father, when did you get the Tiger Tallies back?"
I was also stunned when I saw the Tiger Tallies. I never expected Uncle to be so well - prepared. But normally, when the king takes back the Tiger Tally from a general, it means a great distrust of the general. If the local thousand - household official had any intention of rebellion, this would have surely alerted him.
But Uncle smiled and said, "Don't be surprised. The chief here did something to let me down when he was young. But after I became the king of Bei Han, I didn't pursue his mistake. Instead, I made him the chief of his hometown, Chi Mo. Since then, to show his loyalty, whenever I'm in Chi Mo, he'll hand over his half of the Tiger Tally to me for safekeeping and take it back when I leave."
Hearing this, I couldn't help being surprised at Uncle's courage. He dared to appoint a person who had made mistakes. But the long - standing prosperity and peace in Chi Mo seemed to tell us that he had chosen the right person.
What Yu Chi Cheng was concerned about was the other half of the Tiger Tally. He asked, "Where did you get the other half of the Tiger Tally from the thousand - household official?"
Uncle smiled meaningfully. "Lu An gave it to me."
Lu An was Gong Zi An's name. It took me a moment to understand the cunning in Uncle's eyes. I guessed that Gong Zi An didn't get it through proper means. And it was interesting that the thousand - household official didn't report the loss of such an important Tiger Tally.
After thinking for a moment, Yu Chi Cheng said, "As long as the Tiger Tallies are safe, the chaos in Chi Mo won't get out of control. Father is far - sighted. Your son admires you."
Uncle just smiled faintly and threw the Tiger Tally in his hand to Yu Chi Cheng, saying softly, "Go."
The moment Yu Chi Cheng caught the Tiger Tally, I could see the shock in his heart. Uncle's obvious trust in him seemed to tell him that they had never blamed him. So Yu Chi Cheng kowtowed seriously and said, "Your son will surely not fail you."
Aunt helped him up and said, "Good child, we all believe in you. Because we've watched you grow up. Even if you were once lost, it's only human. As long as you're willing, you'll always be our child."