Chapter Four: Extraordinary Memory

The discovery of the thirteenth young master’s aptitude came as a blow to his parents. Still, they comforted themselves with the thought that as long as their son lived a peaceful, worry-free life, there was little need for regret. Of course, they would not neglect his upbringing; they firmly believed that diligence could make up for the lack of innate talent. Even if he could not become an outstanding figure, he should at least master a skill.

Fortunately, their other three children were all gifted, especially Ye Hui, the eldest and the only other son besides the thirteenth young master. His remarkable growth delighted everyone; he and his younger brother were complete opposites—a true genius. Because of him, the couple’s hearts found some balance, and they once again focused their efforts on cultivating Ye Hui. Their two daughters came next in priority. As for the thirteenth young master, they would never give up on him and continued to cherish him, but his education was approached with more leniency.

Had the thirteenth young master been merely as he appeared, his life would have passed tranquilly. With the Ye family’s influence, he might not have married the imperial princess, but he would certainly have found an excellent wife and lived happily ever after.

Why could he not marry the imperial princess? The truth was, under normal circumstances, both families would have canceled the engagement. Neither the Ye family nor the royal family would allow the thirteenth young master to wed the princess. Too many matters were entangled in this alliance. If the Ye family turned a blind eye and went through with the marriage, they would not have remained unshaken in the soaring empire.

As loyal subjects, the Ye family would never embarrass the royal house; even if the royals pressed the matter out of consideration or stubbornness, the Ye family would find a way to decline. Moreover, as soon as an opportunity to bow out presented itself, the royal family would seize it without insistence.

For now, as the children were still young, the matter was set aside. No one would touch upon it, and so the thirteenth young master and the imperial princess remained nominally betrothed.

But to return to the matter at hand: the thirteenth young master possessed a quality that set him apart, and this was not a question of intelligence—everyone was already aware of that. There were other things, inexplicable oddities, as mysterious as the glow that accompanied his birth. No one could fathom their origin.

The first to notice these peculiarities was none other than his lively sister, Lan Yu. One day, while playing with her little brother, she discovered that his memory was, in fact, the very opposite of his intellectual capacity.

At that time, the thirteenth young master could just barely communicate. Though his development lagged, it was still within acceptable bounds. No one expected great things from him; they only wished for his safety and happiness.

It mattered little if he could not care for himself—the Ye family would take care of him for life, and some had already made plans for that eventuality. Yet, it was Lan Yu who first uncovered his strangeness. She had been playing a puzzle game, one that tested memory and reasoning. She began with a simple version meant for children, but, believing herself cleverer than most, she switched to a much harder one, difficult even for adults.

Lan Yu was indeed bright, but a child’s intellect has its limits. After much effort, she failed to complete the puzzle and, frustrated, tossed the pieces to the floor and sat sulking.

As she fumed, her little brother made a move. He glanced at the puzzle, then at his upset sister, his expression somewhat dazed. Understanding, perhaps, that her anger stemmed from the puzzle, he picked up the pieces and began to assemble them carefully on the board.

“Don’t bother with that, little brother. This game isn’t any fun. Let’s do something else…” Lan Yu began, but as she looked over, she noticed something strange. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw that a corner of the puzzle was already complete. Shocked, she looked again and saw that more than half of the puzzle had been finished.

“This… this…” Lan Yu was as astonished as if she had discovered a new continent. She knew with certainty that only the two of them were in the room, and that her little brother had done this.

The puzzle she had struggled with for so long was nearly complete in his hands. It was almost unbelievable.

Lan Yu stared, lost in thought, as she watched her brother.

“Sister, look, it’s done. Don’t be angry,” the thirteenth young master said slowly, each word coming with effort as he tried to express himself.

Lan Yu was used to his halting speech—he had always spoken this way.

It had to be a fluke, she thought, still unable to believe it. First, she could not believe her “foolish” brother could do it; second, she could not accept that he had succeeded where she had failed. Where was her dignity as an elder sister?

“I’m not angry. Let’s play again, little brother,” she said with a smile, then scattered the puzzle pieces, wanting to see if it was truly a coincidence.

The thirteenth young master looked at her, then crouched down and set about the puzzle once more. As the image gradually came together, Lan Yu’s mouth fell open wider and wider.

“Mama, Mama, something amazing has happened—my brother…” Lan Yu rushed off to tell Long Anqi.

The whole Ye household was thrown into a small uproar. They discovered that the thirteenth young master’s memory was extraordinary—almost photographic.

After many tests, this astonishing conclusion was confirmed. Intellectually, he still lagged behind his peers, but his memory outstripped even that of adults.

Was this the legendary divide between genius and simpleton?

Perhaps. Or maybe there was simply something missing within the thirteenth young master that prevented him from using his abilities as he ought.