“Where is this small token now?” I asked urgently.
My father looked somewhat surprised, probably not expecting me to remain calm upon hearing this incredible life story, but instead anxiously asking about the token’s whereabouts. He frowned, giving my mother a reproachful look. My mother continued to lower her head, her features twisted together, seemingly very guilty.
“A Yao, your parents have let you down,” my father sighed heavily. “This token was originally hanging around your neck. Later, when you grew older, your mother was afraid you might lose it while playing, so she put it away. Unexpectedly—
Ah Yao.” Mother finally raised her head, holding my hand, her eyes filled with tears. “It’s all my fault!
I shouldn’t have gambled, shouldn’t have been consumed by gambling… I lost my mind and lost something so important… I’m sorry to you…”
She began to wail uncontrollably, muttering curses at the heartless person.
That black gold token was actually lost by Mother as a gambling chip. It seemed that the saw the black gold token and knew it was valuable, deliberately setting a trap for Mother to fall into. Later, when Mother tried to redeem it with money, that claimed to have already sold it to someone else.
I quickly comforted her, saying it was fine and I would find a way to retrieve it. Miao Yin sensed something was amiss and curiously asked if this token was related to my birth parents. After a moment’s thought, I pulled them into the room, ensuring no one was listening, and repeated everything the Eastern Palace had told me – my background, the secret of this black gold token, and the Eastern Palace’s threats.
Father sighed, “Twenty years ago, the palace coup in Nan Rui was grand and spectacular. Everyone thought Nan Rui was about to change dynasties, but who would have thought…”
“A-Ah Yao, what do you plan to do?” Mother asked, her voice trembling.
“We’ll delay as long as we can,” I said, knowing we had no better option. With our limited power, escaping was impossible; we could only wait for an opportunity.
“Ah Yao is right,” Miao Yin quickly recovered.
