THE NAME THAT WAS ERASED
1439 Words
Yichen followed the stranger through the narrow passage, barely able to see where he was going.
Behind them, the sound of boots echoed through the archives.
“They're coming,” Yichen whispered.
“I know.”
“Then move faster.”
The stranger glanced back.
“You're not very good at being quiet.”
“And you're not very good at explaining anything.”
Despite the danger, the stranger almost smiled.
Then they reached the end of the passage.
A wooden door stood before them.
The stranger pushed it open.
They emerged into a small courtyard behind the archives.
Yichen immediately looked around.
No guards.
No lanterns.
Only a stone path leading toward the outer palace.
The stranger shut the door behind them.
“We have to separate.”
Yichen grabbed his sleeve.
“Not yet.”
The man stopped.
“You said you knew about my mother.”
“I know some things.”
“Then tell me.”
“Not here.”
“Where?”
The stranger looked toward the palace.
“Tomorrow.”
Yichen's eyes narrowed.
“Why should I trust you?”
“You shouldn't.”
The answer surprised him.
The stranger pulled down his mask.
He was younger than Yichen had expected, perhaps in his early twenties.
“I wouldn't trust anyone tonight.”
“Then why help me?”
The man looked at him for a moment.
“Because your mother once helped someone I loved.”
Yichen froze.
“Who?”
The stranger stepped backward.
“Find the old plum tree outside the eastern wall tomorrow before sunset.”
“Wait.”
But the man had already turned.
“What's your name?”
He stopped.
For a moment, Yichen thought he would answer.
Instead, he said quietly,
“You've known my family for longer than you think.”
Then he disappeared into the darkness.
Yichen stood there, stunned.
His family.
Not his mother.
His family.
He looked back toward the archive.
The guards were still searching.
He couldn't return.
He had to leave.
Yichen hurried toward the outer wall.
But before he could reach it, voices sounded nearby.
He ducked behind a stone pillar.
Two palace guards walked past.
“Did they find him?”
“No.”
“Then search the residence.”
Yichen's blood went cold.
“The Shen residence?”
“Yes.”
“Why would he return there?”
“Because that's where a frightened boy goes.”
The men continued walking.
Yichen waited until they disappeared.
Then he slipped through the shadows and made his way out of the palace.
By the time he reached the Shen residence, the sky was beginning to lighten.
He approached through the servants' passage.
The moment he stepped into the courtyard, he knew something was wrong.
Too quiet.
No servants.
No voices.
No movement.
Yichen slowly reached for the door.
It opened.
Inside, the hall was empty.
He stepped forward.
A cup lay broken on the floor.
There were drops of blood beside it.
Yichen's heart stopped.
“Zhaoyan?”
No answer.
He ran toward the inner courtyard.
“Zhaoyan!”
Still nothing.
Then he heard footsteps.
Yichen spun around.
Rui stood at the end of the corridor.
His clothes were disordered.
There was blood on his sleeve.
Yichen stared at him.
“What happened?”
Rui looked at him.
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then Rui said,
“Where were you?”
Yichen's stomach tightened.
“Answer me first.”
“Yichen.”
“Where is Zhaoyan?”
Rui looked away.
“He's safe.”
“Where?”
“With Father.”
“Why?”
Rui didn't answer.
Yichen stepped closer.
“What happened here?”
“Someone came looking for you.”
Yichen went still.
“How did they know?”
Rui's eyes met his.
“I don't know.”
Yichen studied his brother's face.
There was fear there.
But this time, he couldn't tell whether it was fear for himself...
or fear of what Yichen might discover.
“What did they want?”
Rui's voice dropped.
“They asked about your mother.”
Yichen's heart pounded.
“What did they ask?”
“They wanted to know whether you had found anything.”
“Did you tell them?”
Rui looked almost offended.
“Of course not.”
Yichen looked down at the blood on his sleeve.
“Then whose blood is that?”
Rui became silent.
Yichen stepped closer.
“Rui.”
His brother slowly pulled his sleeve back.
The wound was shallow.
Someone had cut his arm.
Yichen's expression softened despite himself.
“You're hurt.”
“It's nothing.”
“You should have told me.”
Rui smiled faintly.
“You have enough problems.”
For a moment, Yichen almost forgot his suspicion.
Almost.
Then he remembered the document.
He was never your father.
His eyes moved to Rui.
There was one person in the world who might know the answer.
His brother.
“Rui.”
“Yes?”
“Do you know who my real father is?”
The smile disappeared from Rui's face.
Silence.
Yichen's heart sank.
“You do.”
Rui looked away.
“I know what everyone knows.”
“Don't lie to me.”
“I am not.”
“Then look at me.”
Rui slowly raised his eyes.
Yichen waited.
Finally, Rui said,
“You should ask Father.”
“I did.”
“And?”
“He told me to forget about it.”
Rui's expression changed.
Not surprise.
Something else.
Something Yichen couldn't identify.
“Then perhaps you should listen to him.”
Yichen stepped backward.
“You sound just like him.”
Rui didn't answer.
Yichen turned away.
He needed to think.
He needed to understand what was happening.
But then he noticed something on the floor.
A small piece of black silk.
He crouched.
His fingers touched it.
Jasmine.
His heart sank.
He looked at Rui.
“Where did this come from?”
Rui stared at the silk.
For the first time, Yichen saw something unmistakable in his brother's expression.
Fear.
Not suspicion.
Not anger.
Fear.
Rui whispered,
“Where did you get that?”
Yichen slowly stood.
“That's my question.”
Neither spoke.
Then footsteps sounded behind them.
Shen Rong entered the courtyard.
His expression hardened the moment he saw the silk in Yichen's hand.
“Give it to me.”
Yichen looked from his father to Rui.
“No.”
Shen Rong's voice became colder.
“Yichen.”
“You know what this is.”
His father said nothing.
“You know what happened to Mother.”
Still nothing.
“And you know who my father is.”
Shen Rong's face changed.
Rui looked at him.
“Father—”
“Enough.”
The single word silenced both of them.
Yichen's hands trembled.
For twenty-two years, he had believed he knew where he came from.
Now, in one night, everything had become uncertain.
Shen Rong looked at him.
“You were never supposed to find the archives.”
Yichen's eyes widened.
“You knew I went there.”
His father didn't answer.
“You knew.”
“I knew you would eventually search.”
“Then why didn't you stop me?”
Shen Rong's gaze shifted briefly toward Rui.
That tiny movement didn't escape Yichen.
He followed his father's eyes.
Rui stood perfectly still.
Yichen's stomach tightened.
There was something between them.
Something he didn't understand.
And suddenly, the question wasn't only whether Rui knew the truth.
It was what Rui had been doing with that truth all these years.
Shen Rong turned away.
“Go to your room.”
Yichen laughed bitterly.
“No.”
“Yichen.”
“No more.”
He held up the black silk.
“No more secrets. No more telling me to wait. No more telling me that everything is for my protection.”
His voice broke.
“I want to know what happened to my mother.”
Shen Rong closed his eyes.
For several seconds, nobody moved.
Then he said quietly,
“Your mother didn't disappear.”
Yichen froze.
Shen Rong opened his eyes.
“She was taken.”
“By whom?”
His father looked directly at him.
“The Emperor.”
Silence swallowed the courtyard.
Yichen's fingers went numb.
“And why?”
Shen Rong's expression became unreadable.
“Because she knew who your father really was.”
Yichen stared at him.
“Who?”
Shen Rong didn't answer.
Instead, he looked toward Rui.
And Yichen suddenly realized—
his father wasn't afraid of the question.
He was afraid of the answer.
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