The moment he received the news that the man was conscious, Wei Wuxian went to Peony Dream to see him – the one who was previously the Emperor's shadow.
He wanted to know why the Empress imprisoned him without killing him. He was malnourished and weak from the lengthy time that he was underground, plus he was drugged with opium for so many years, so who would know if he still had his mind intact.
Sure he was conscious but no one knew what the long term effect of the opium would be, especially since he was already in his late fifties.
But Wei Wuxian was hopeful.
He wanted to find out the Empress' weakness, so he would do anything – including forcing the man to spill her secret and why he was held in the secret dungeon.
When he arrived at Peony Dream, he started to go off the palanquin with Wen Ning's help when he felt very dizzy. He needed to hold Wen Ning and stood still for a few minutes for the dizziness to subside before he shook it off and walked into the building.
Unfortunately, Wen Ning was still concerned about him.
"Are you alright, Your… Childe? Should we stop and sit down for a bit before continuing?"
"I'm fine, Wen Ning. It's probably because I stood up too fast." Wei Wuxian smiled to reassure Wen Ning. "Don't worry, I feel so much better now." He patted Wen Ning's shoulder. "But please ask Jiang Yanli to make some of the special tea for me?"
"Yes, Childe. Please let me know if you have any discomfort. Or anything at all."
Wei Wuxian nodded as he entered the room behind the bookcase where Jiang Yanli put the prisoner they saved, and he found out that the man was up and sitting on the bed while Jiang Yanli sat beside him with a bowl of porridge on her hand.
"Please, Miss, I can eat by myself."
The man's voice was hoarse, and his hands were trembling, but his gaze showed determination, and Wei Wuxian knew exactly how he felt – because not too long ago he was in the exact position as the man.
"Miss Jiang." Wei Wuxian made his presence known, although he knew that Jiang Yanli must have noticed the moment he entered the secret room.
"Childe. You're here." She bowed respectfully and the man suddenly became quiet as he turned his head to see Wei Wuxian.
When their eyes met each other, they displayed the identical reaction toward each other – shocked, disbelieved, denial.
The man's face was identical to Wei Wuxian – if he was thirty years older.
"You…"
Wei Wuxian's words were caught in his throat.
Now he knew why the Empress locked this man up in the darkest basement, why she treated him like he was unworthy, and her insistence to make him the Emperor.
It all made sense now.
But why?
Why didn't she just kill the man?
That way, her secret would be safe and no one could threaten her.
"Your mother did not kill me because she knew that the Emperor cared about me like his own brother, and it's her way to threaten the Emperor to make you the next in line as the Emperor."
The man spoke softly with his hoarse voice while his eyes filled with tears. But he did not approach Wei Wuxian, nor did he move at all.
"He was crippled from the waist down." Jiang Yanli whispered to Wei Wuxian before she left the room to give them privacy.
They were silent for a long time while looking at each other, when finally Wei Wuxian broke the silence.
"Do you mind telling me your name, Sir?"
It took the man a while to reply to Wei Wuxian.
"My name is Hei Changze, and I was the former shadow of Emperor Wei."