Liu Tián Qǔ immediately call for Sōng Hé Píng who had stayed close. Sōng Hé Píng hurried into the lounge, "Yes Young Master," Sōng Hé Píng bowed in acknowledgment and await Liu Tián Qǔ's orders.
"Hé Píng, I need you to go summoned Commander Jiang over for me. Tell Commander Jiang a Wēi Wò Yàn is requesting an audience with him."
"I will go immediately, Young Master." Zhou Yu bowed and retreated.
A nervous Wēi Wò Yàn sat waiting for Commander Jiang. He shuffled around in his seat and fiddling with his teacup as he waited. Not long after an anxious Commander Jiang who had seemed to have forgotten all courtesy or manners rushed into Liu Tián Qǔ lounge. Shouting Wēi Wò Yàn's name. "Wò Yàn? Wò Yàn, where are you? Shāo Wō Yán "
Tears suddenly exploded from Wēi Wò Yàn eyes the minute he heard Jiang Tài Píng's voice. Wēi Wò Yàn jumped from his seat and flew into Jiang Tài Píng arms as Jiang Tài Píng ran into Liu Tián Qǔ's lounge with his boots still on his feet. Jiang Tài Píng grabbed Wēi Wò Yàn in a tight hug and held Wēi Wò Yàn in his arms in joy and disbelief.
Jiang Tài Píng pulled back slightly he gently held Wēi Wò Yàn's face in his hand. He carefully took a good look at Wēi Wò Yàn's face and exclaimed. "You're little Wò Yàn! You really are Little Snail. You're alive, and well, this is good! This very good!" Jiang Tài Píng exclaimed as he laughed and cried at the same time. Jiang Tài Píng once again grabbed Wēi Wò Yàn in a tight hug and held him tightly for several heartbeats.
Suddenly Jiang Tài Píng froze, releasing Wēi Wò Yàn from his arms he pulled back. Liu Tián Qǔ stayed as still as a trapped mouse. She carefully watched the show in front of her. She was beginning to get an idea of what was going on. However, she stayed as quiet as she could so she could find out more information. It was clear that the two reuniting people were so lost in their emotions they forgot all about her.
In a hesitant manner. With a voice full of anxiousness and fear. Jiang Tài Píng asked "Little Snail, what about Wēi Yǒng Měng? What about your father and mother are they still alive?"
T/N: Wēi Wò Yàn - (威 )Wei in prestige the (瓁) Wò in uncarved jade and the (砚) Yàn in ink-stone Wēi Wò Yàn family members and close friends also called him Shāo Wō Yán (稍 蜗蜒) Little Snail when he was a baby.
With tears pouring down his cheeks, Wēi Wò Yàn said, "Mother got caught by Elder Chen's Death Warriors along time ago and was killed. Father is dying, he was hit by a poisoned arrow not too long ago, and we haven't found anyone who could heal him. Father sent me to carry a message to you."
"Father told me to ask you if Aunt Mín Yuè recently gave birth to twins?" the young boy asked.
With a face of confusion and sadness, Jiang Tài Píng said, "Yes, they were fraternal twins. The youngest twin died. But... I don't understand. How..."
"We know because he didn't die." Wēi Wò Yàn cut Jiang Tài Píng off.
"What?" The Commander roar in rage. Raw killing intent burst from the Commander giving Liu Tián Qǔ a glimpse of the general who almost brought the Tolling Lands to its knees in rage in the previous life of her predecessor. Looking at the Young Boy, who became slightly afraid in the face of the rage and extremely powerful killing intent that exploded from the Commander.
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Jiang Tài Píng looked at the Young Boy said in a voice of tightly controlled rage, "Explain what you mean so that I can understand you clearly."
"We are currently staying in a village not far from the Imperial City. Yesterday evening a midwife appeared. She was there to meet with a noblewoman. The inn she met in is the inn that father is currently running. Father have spy holes in all the rooms of the inn. However, he only spies on people who appear suspicious. Father was suspicious of the midwife the moment she stepped into the inn. So Father eavesdropped on the transaction between the midwife and the noblewoman." The young boy began to explain to the Commander.
"The midwife had an agreement with the noblewoman to sell your son to the noblewoman. The noblewoman wanted to purchase a baby of noble blood. Father overheard the midwife explaining that your child was of the Jiang bloodline and was just born as a fraternal twin to a brother." Wēi Wò Yàn told the Commander.
"However, when the noblewoman hear who the parents of the baby were. She quickly backed out of the bargain. She told the midwife to find a different baby of noble blood. The noblewoman forewarned the midwife that the Emperor cleared the name of the four families. Since the four families were proven innocent, the noblewoman didn't want to get caught in any conflict with any of the four families that happened to be still alive." The young boy continued to explain.
"The midwife accused the noblewoman of breaking the agreement and midwife, and the noblewoman got into a huge argument." Rage of the Commander seemed to cover the lounge in a shroud.
"Shortly after, the noblewoman left in a huff. Father detained the midwife. He also have the baby that the midwife claim is your child in his custody. Father said every Jiang child is born with a birthmark and that if the child is truly of the Jiang bloodline that you will able to verify it. So father sent me to summon you," the young boy concluded.
Liu Tián Qǔ thought that the Commander would immediately rush for the door to retrieve his son and kill the midwife who stole his child and tried to sell the child for profit.
Instead, the big man closed his eyes and stood as still as a mountain. Liu Tián Qǔ looked on in astonishment and admiration as the big man worked hard to calm himself down enough to think with clarity. Liu Tián Qǔ felt the shroud of rage and killing intent that covered her lounge slowly began to retreat.
The first words out of the Commander's mouth after he calmed down enough to think was, "What was your father poisoned with?"
Wēi Wò Yàn wasn't the only one to look at the Commander in amazement. Liu Tián Qǔ didn't think that she had the discipline to inquire about the well being of others if she found that her child she thought was dead. Was alive and was stolen from her to be sold for profit. Liu Tián Qǔ's admiration for the Commander only increase. She also became pleased that she made Jiang Tài Píng her Commander.
"We don't know. We have hired many doctors from all over, and none could identify the poison or heal my father." Tears once more began to fall from the young boys' eyes.
"Father found out from eavesdropping on the midwife that our names were cleared. We weren't aware until then. We had just come out of the mountains after hiding there for six months. Elder Chen's Death Warrior's had pursued us so aggressively and hard. However, we weren't able to run away with my father's condition being what it was. We were only able to hide and secretly find doctors to try to heal him." The Young Boy informed the commander.
"However, my father's condition continued to worsen. We knew that if we continued to hide in the mountains, he would die there. So we decided to take a chance to come out of hiding and temporary settle in a small town close to the Imperial City. That way, we could easily travel into the Imperial City to find doctors who could possibly heal my father. We never expected to find out that our names were cleared. With a bit more investigating, we found out that Elder Wang will be holding a memorial for all the families later this evening. Everyone really wants to come to the memorial, but my father's condition is very poor. We are afraid he won't survive the journey."
Jiang Tài Píng had maintained the same position as he listened to Wēi Wò Yàn. Suddenly Jiang Tài Píng's eyes popped open in shock, hope, and disbelief. Jiang Tài Píng looked down intently at the young boy. "Everyone? Who else is alive?" He asked in an almost desperate and pleading tone of voice.
Inwardly Jiang Tài Píng prayed desperately that his godson Little Snail would give him good news of others being alive.