Chapter 225
“I am alright, now,” Li Hua assured him. On her insistence, Lóng Wei left to meet Xiaoming. He wondered what could be the reason that Xiaoming wanted to see him. Soon, he arrived at Xiaoming’s chamber and found him around the floor table.
“Why did the Crown Prince call me at this hour?” Lóng Wei sat down and looked at him.
“Someone attacked me today. I want to find out about this by tomorrow morning,” Xiaoming stated. “I need your help, Brother Lóng Wei,” he requested.
Lóng Wei’s brow furrowed in perplexity. “Both the Generals are investigating this matter,” Lóng Wei proclaimed. “Does the Crown Prince not trust them?” He asked amusedly.
“I want fast results. They both will take time.” Xiaoming had to meet Liu Jin Yu in the morning, and for that, he had to find out who did this. He could not let Liu Jin Yu marry any random man. He didn’t want her to marry anyone without his prior permission.
“Brother Lóng Wei finds out everything in a limited time. Please help me,” he pleaded again.
“I believe in giving and take. I need to go out early in the morning. Help me out,” Lóng Wei asserted. Xiaoming confusedly peered at him.
“May I know where Brother Lóng Wei has to go in the early morning?” Xiaoming asked.
.....
“To finish an important task,” Lóng Wei vaguely answered. He didn’t want to reveal it because he had no trust in Xiaoming till now. His hunch was telling him that Shui Xiaoqing would be harmed and to prevent it, he had to reach at the right time in the Capital’s Gate.
“Fine. I will help,” Xiaoming agreed to help Lóng Wei.
“How will Brother Lóng Wei find out who tried to kill me?” Xiaoming questioned him.
“That’s up to me. The Crown Prince must take a rest. I will see him later,” Lóng Wei said. His words assured Xiaoming that he would find the culprit. Lóng Wei stood up and turned to leave, but he stopped.
“It seems something is going on between the Crown Prince and Liu Jin Yu,” Lóng Wei said, and smiled in amusement. “The Crown Prince didn’t leave the palace for anyone. However, to meet her, he took the risk to go without bodyguards,” he asserted.
“Brother Lóng Wei knows that I never had friends. Liu Jin Yu filled that place. I was missing her, so I went out to meet her,” Xiaoming didn’t lie to Lóng Wei and got up from his seat.
“Crown Prince, can I ask you a question?”
“Sure,” Xiaoming allowed him.
“Will you be able to handle the consequences?” Lóng Wei’s question intimidated Xiaoming.
“Consequences of?” He inquired.
“The Crown Prince knows well what consequences I am talking about,” Lóng Wei clarified to him, “still, I will tell him. Liu Jin Yu is an ordinary woman, and you are the Crown Prince. She may lose her life if you keep acting timid and under others’ control. You need to show everyone who you are, or else you will never be able to marry her.”
Xiaoming widened his eyes at him. “How did Brother Lóng Wei find out that I wanted to marry her?” He was curious to know.
“The Crown Prince has delayed his marriage for a long time. He never showed any interest in noble women. He felt attracted to Li Hua, but it was too late to do anything. With Liu Jin Yu, he risked everything. He threw out Eunuch Lishi, which was an admirable step. He fought with his mother for Liu Jin Yu, and she fell into danger. She seems smart to have left the palace early, or else you and I both know what could have happened to her.”
Xiaoming could not refute Lóng Wei’s words. Indeed, he had done many things which he would never have done if Liu Jin Yu hadn’t appeared in his life.
“I won’t let that happen,” Xiaoming said.
“Are you sure? The Royal Father will never agree to your marriage with Liu Jin Yu. Mine was a different case. I am nobody in everyone’s eyes. Even if I had married a beggar, no one would have raised an objection to it. However, for you, everyone in the Kingdom will speak. Your position will be destabilized. Be practical before approaching Liu Jin Yu,” Lóng Wei advised him.
“I want to be happy,” Xiaoming replied. “I do not remember when I last smiled in happiness. I was forced to do everything. Can people not understand that I want to lead a happy life?” He questioned Lóng Wei.
“In everyone’s eyes, royalty has the most comfortable life filled with joy and happiness. I won’t go against their opinions towards us. We get everything which others will always lack in their lives, except one thing,” Lóng Wei pronounced.
“We have to fight for our happiness because the pressure of bureaucracy is the highest. They give us support if we maintain a good relationship with them. Marriage with any of their daughters is the simplest way. None of us princes are under the same amount of pressure as the Crown Prince. Liu Jin Yu will be killed even before she enters the Crown Prince’s life as his wife. So, the Crown Prince needs to show his authority rather than living as a puppet. If I had been at your place, I would not have even let anyone open his mouth in front of me.”
Xiaoming understood Lóng Wei’s words. He realised that Liu Jin Yu told him the same thing, that he didn’t have to listen to everyone since he was the Crown Prince.
Lóng Wei found Xiaoming lost and thought to help him further. “Shall I reveal a secret to the Crown Prince related to our father?” Lóng Wei asked Xiaoming if he was interested to know about it. He nodded his head.
“Royal Father married Noble Consort Xiuying despite her low status. She is the adopted daughter of a 6th rank official. The official is now one of the strong ministers in the court,” Lóng Wei stated.
“She should have been a concubine, but she has second highest power after your great mother,” he remarked, “be like our Father. His decision wasn’t opposed when he married the Noble Consort. If the Royal Father is capable of doing that, then his eldest son should easily pave his path too.”
Lóng Wei showed the direction to Xiaoming. The Crown Prince could not express his happiness as he realized what he had to do. He thanked Lóng Wei and stepped forward to hug him when he stopped Xiaoming.
“We aren’t close enough to hug each other,” Lóng Wei said and left the chamber.
~~~~~
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