In the dark and damp sky prison, Taifu Sun was lying on the cold ground.
He tried to open his eyes in a daze, but the scabbed blood clots blocked his sight. He seemed to be able to hear the shouts and laughter from the jailers in his ears.
Several cockroaches crawled across his cheeks, and he didn't even have the strength to raise his hands to scare them away.
"Now, because of the reward you gave me before, I'll let you go in and take a look. But you have to hurry up. If someone finds out, the money you gave me won't be able to support me for a lifetime."
The jailer opened the cell door, turned around, spat, and left.
Sun Jinyao stood at the door of the cell, looking at the father he once admired and now in such a state of desolation, an indescribable sadness spread in his heart.
It felt like a huge stone was stuck in his throat, and the pain made him almost suffocate.
Sun Jinyao stood blankly, neither stepping forward nor speaking.
Taifu Sun's blurred vision saw his son's tall and slender figure. The corners of his mouth slightly raised, trying his best to show a smile.
"You're fine... just fine..."
Five words came out of his dry throat, and Sun Jinyao could only take a deep breath to hold back the tears in his eyes.
"In your heart, do you still care about me?"
Sun Jinyao has always been brooding over the fact that his father watched him being sent thousands of miles away without asking for mercy when he was hunting in the paddock.
"Ever since I was little, you have compared me with the second prince. You asked me to learn from him in everything, and you asked me to tolerate him in everything. You spent all your energy and time on him. Sometimes I even think
, he is more like your son than me."
Sun Jinyao's tone was very calm. After so many years, all the edges of his resentment have been smoothed away.
"It wasn't until..." A sharp light flashed in Sun Jinyao's eyes, "The emperor ordered the house to be confiscated, and I didn't know about your relationship with Concubine Liu from my mother's mouth. If you shed blood and find out that he is your son, that's it."
That’s all, but he’s not.”
Sun Jinyao's emotions became suppressed and forbearing, and there were faint tears in his eyes.
"But my son. Over the years, you have made me like a dog to please him and accommodate him. Even at the most critical moment, you would rather sacrifice me to save him. Why on earth?"
Taifu Sun didn't speak, he just snorted in pain. He closed his eyes and sighed helplessly.
"Is it because he is the child of the woman you love?" Sun Jinyao's voice was choked with sobs.
He looked at his father with final expectation.
Taifu Sun remained silent, his mouth slightly opened, but he just moaned silently.
Sun Jinyao waited for a long time, and asked quietly: "Dad, my mother has been married to you for more than 20 years, taking care of the housework and raising children for you. Have you ever truly loved her? Even if it is just for a day...an hour...
…Even, is it a moment?”
Many pictures that made him feel precious and warm emerged in Taifu Sun's mind.
But in every picture, his married wife was not there. He just couldn't forget the woman who lived in his heart when he was young and energetic.
Sun Jinyao's heart grew colder little by little.
He took a step back and snorted coldly. The tears in his eyes faded away, replaced by a biting coldness.
"You don't need to answer, I already have the answer."
Sun Jinyao did not step into the cell, but knelt down outside the cell and kowtowed three times to his father.
"My life was given by you, but the person who raised me is my mother. The only thing I can do for you now is to collect your body. You are not worthy of my mother, and you are not worthy of me calling you."
father."
After Sun Jinyao finished speaking, he stood up and turned around and left resolutely.
Taifu Sun's heart suddenly hurt. He tried his best to raise his hand to catch his son, but he didn't have the strength to lift it up.
He watched helplessly as Sun Jinyao disappeared from sight.
This time of separation, the fate between father and son has ended.
On the day when Taifu Sun was beheaded, Caishikou was crowded with people watching.
The crime announced by the Ministry of Punishment was corruption and perversion of the law, but many people did not understand how someone who held an important position as a tutor could suddenly collapse.
Sun Jinyao squeezed into the crowd and watched indifferently as the executioner slashed his father's neck with a knife.
Blood spurted out, and his body and head were in different places.
This image was deeply engraved in his mind.
After the crowd of onlookers dispersed, Sun Jinyao slowly walked to his father's body.
The executioner, who was looking at the big knife dripping with blood, sat aside, drank heavily, and looked at Sun Jinyao contemptuously.
"Come to collect the body? Do you know the rules?"
Sun Jinyao took out three taels of silver and threw it over with an expressionless expression.
"That's it?" The executioner was obviously very dissatisfied. He walked towards Sun Jinyao, pushed him, and said mockingly, "A skinny camel is bigger than a horse. Wasn't your Sun family very prestigious before? Why?
Are you here? Come and cry for poverty when you get to my place?"
"There is only so much, do you want love?" Sun Jinyao looked at his father, his heart still watering.
"How long have you been, why don't you pretend to be a master?" The executioner stuck the big knife on the ground, raised his fist and was about to beat Sun Jinyao.
Sun Jinyao's face darkened and he grabbed the executioner's wrist.
He pinched the opponent's pulse tightly, and the executioner screamed in pain.
The execution ground guards standing not far away all rushed over and stared at Sun Jinyao with eager eyes.
"You brat, do you think you are still the majestic prince? Today you either have to bring out the money, or... you get under my crotch. Otherwise, don't even think about taking away your father's body."
When had Sun Jinyao ever been insulted like this?
He clenched his fists and looked at everyone present one by one.
"stop."
There were scoldings, and the executioner saw a man dressed as a servant approaching.
He took out ten taels of silver and handed it over, saying: "Take it, don't bully others too much. You will earn money from dead people, be careful and there will be retribution."
The executioner glared at the servant, but he didn't know who the other party was, and he didn't dare to be presumptuous. He snorted loudly and left.
The servant turned around and saluted Sun Jinyao, and took out thirty taels of silver and three hundred taels of silver notes from his sleeve.
"Master Sun, this is my master's wish, please accept it."
"Who is your master?" Sun Jinyao was surprised that at this time, there was still someone who dared to help him.
The servant smiled lightly and said, "Please forgive me, Mr. Sun. I was just following orders. My master did not ask me to reveal my name. In short, my master did not harm others. Please take care of yourself."
The servant bowed and left.
Sun Jinyao looked at the silver and banknotes in his hand for a long time. He vaguely smelled a familiar fragrance on the bag containing the silver.
He was stunned and took out the handkerchief hidden in his arms.