CROWN PRINCE'S CONCUBINE

“Prakkkk!”

Bai Ying got out of bed and moved away from Chen Ming, holding onto his top that was almost completely exposed and fell off of his body.

Such a hard blow. The blow left an immeasurable feeling of pain, even though the kid in front of him looked weak he hit him quite hard.

Bai Ying gasped. He slumped back down on the other bed not far behind him, or else he could fall from exhausted and shocked.

Bei Yau who hear the commotion inside quickly entered.

“Your Majesty”

Bai Ying’s eyes widened, what happened to his brother? He was not Chen Ming he usually knew. He is another person with the face and body of his brother. His chest was tight imagining what had happened, why did everything turn out like this? His body still shaking, sitting in the other bed, curling his legs.

“Hoh”

.....

Chen Ming held his cheeks and widened his eyes at Bai Ying as if realizing what he had just done.

....

The wind blows cold. The sun looks dim even though it’s actually still noon. The cold wind in the Pai Hua valley indicated the winter that had come early that year. Soon it might snow. With living conditions of the villagers’ houses there, with lots of holes in the ceiling and walls, will obviously worsen for the poor residents who live in Lo Bu village, the name of the village where Bai Ying is now.

Bai Ying sat outside the temple building by the bonfire made by the little kids who after lunch had gone to be beggars on the city’s main streets. Including Xi er, the skinny little boy who had brought him there.

He was bored, and sitting in the room with his brother wasn’t such a good idea either, after what he almost did. His palms get hurt from being accidentally scratched by Chen Ming’s hairpin when he prevented him from kissing him earlier.

It was very painful, but the wound was not that big, and the bleeding had also stopped. Those scrapes pale in comparison to the wound in his heart. What was his brother thinking? How could he do that to him? What’s on his mind? Why, was he so different from Brother Chen Ming he had known so far? The question he can’t really get the answer to no matter how hard he thinks.

Bai Ying felt sorry for himself groaning from the small wound that bothered him enough that he didn’t notice that someone had approached and sat beside him. It was Bei Yau who came with a small box, that looks like it was the medicine and the like box.

“Your Highness, let me treat your wound”

Bai Ying didn’t move, as Bei Yau stretched out his hand in front of him. Until slowly he held out his injured palm.

Bei Yau took a clean cloth and moistened it with a few medicinal herbs, then slowly cleaned the wound on Bai Ying’s palm. The young man groaned slightly as the cold medicine touched his wound.

“Ah, take it easy Guard Bei”

“Forgive me, Your Majesty, but I have to clean it up first. It’s quite deep, thank goodness the blood has stopped”

Painstakingly, as usual, Bei Yu sprinkled powdered medicine over Bai Ying’s wound and then wrapped it in a dry cloth. Bai Ying looked at the Bodyguard’s face for a long time, seeing the sad look in his eyes.

“Guard Bei, in fact, what happened? Why did you abandon His Highness the Crown Prince? And, why when I asked him, His Majesty said that you were practicing, he didn’t say anything about your leaving the palace”

Bei Yau finished bandaging Bai Ying’s palm. Put the medicine and other clean cloth back into the box. Close it slowly. He paused for a moment and raised his head to see Bai Ying who seemed to be waiting for his answer.

“Eh, Your Highness has been unwell all this time, until perhaps You didn’t know what has happened”

Bai Ying looked at Bei Yau with a pair of big round eyes. That seemed to be the case, he had been sick for too long and was in Plum’s villa all the time, so any information can not reach him. He didn’t even understand how his perfect brother had to end up outside the palace, especially in a place like this.

“Guard Bei, could you please tell me about everything? How did Brother Ming Ming become like this, and, have you seen Elder Yi, and Lord Shin Ya? Where are they now? And, how, grandfather Wu Yi, could heal and become a Great King? Everything, how could this happen?”

Bei Yau looked at the confused Bai Ying with a puzzled look.

“Who are they, Your Highness?” asked Bei Yau.

“Elder Yi and Mister Shin? They are our friends, um, Elder Yi is the great master of the Medicine valley, Yi Man, actually, he was already around ninety-five years old and above, but his appearance had returned to that of a thirty-year-old youth. His hair was silver-white with a handsome face, he mastered a lot of great internal energy and also medicine. And, Lord Shin Ya, he is the Grandson of General Shin Lei who is also the head Shaman of Xin Hua palace…”

Hearing those words Bei Yau held Bai Ying’s hand, stopping him from speaking, and his eyes grew wide.

“Your Highness, don’t say that word here, we could all be beheaded”

Bai Ying widened his eyes. He furrowed his brows.

“What word? Devine Shaman?” he asked.

Bei Yau nodded.

“That’s right, all of us are forbidden from saying those words, the palace strictly forbids it”

Bai Ying was even more confused by Bei Yau’s words.

“Why is it forbidden? Wasn’t Devine Shaman one of the builders of Wah Ye? They were heroes, especially General Shin Lei, General Song, Minister Feng Xi, and Du Gu Ye Hua. You remember all the legends, right?” he asked.

Bei Yau was in deep thought until he shook his head.

It was then that Chen Ming appeared from within to approach Bai Ying and Bei Yau.

“I don’t know where you read all those fake legends from, Your Majesty, but there’s no such thing as a hero. Since long ago no one has been Wah Ye’s savior, all the efforts that great grandfather put in are just imaginary stories.”

Bei Yau stood up from his seat. Allowing Chen Ming to take his seat.

“Your Highness, please”

Bai Ying was actually still a bit uncomfortable with his brother after what he did earlier. But, he is his brother, he can leave everyone, but not with his own flesh and blood brother.

Chen Ming sat beside Bai Ying, nodding as Bei Yau excused himself to get inside.

Bai Ying watched the young Guards go inside, only to notice that his legs were slightly limping as he stepped away from them.

“Guard Bei, what happened to his leg?” Bai Ying asked.

Chen Ming sighed.

“What else, he got that from his Master, and after being so loyal that even didn’t hesitate to do all the dirty jobs for him, Bei still got the punishment for saving a little boy’s life.”

Bai Ying’s eyes widened.

“You mean, His Majesty The Crown Prince who did that to him?”

Chen Ming nodded.

“Yeah, how else”

Bai Ying still can’t understand what his brother saying, how come the very good and tender Crown Prince did that to his subordinate, that may be just some miss understanding, he should ask him again later.

Chen Ming brought something that was currently in his lap, a thick blanket which although the color and pattern were a bit worn but could still be used to warm Bai Ying’s back.

“The air is very cold, you better take care of your health, Brother,” Chen Ming said putting a blanket on Bai Ying’s back.

Bai Ying looked at the blanket that had covered his back, indeed, it felt warmer than before. Chen Ming also took something out from under his wide sleeves. Something wrapped in paper, and Bai Ying recognized the smell.

“Wow, boiled yams” he reached out his hand almost taking the potato from his brother’s hand, but, he stopped his intention, wasn’t he angry with him? Is it now that his brother try to bribe him with boiled sweet potatoes that smelled so tempting to his stomach? Is he that cheap?

But Chen Ming pushed the yam into Bai Ying’s hand.

“Here, I made it myself, the kids planted this sweet potato in the backyard, and today we harvested quite a lot.”

Bai Ying stared at the sweet potato for a while, then raised his hand and took the hot sweet potato from his brother’s hand.

“If you really have grown all this food yourself, is there any need for those poor children to go back to begging in the city? Everyone treats them very badly. Xi er was almost kicked by the johns who didn’t like having his clothes touched by him. Next time, he might really kick them, they are so small, poor young kids.”

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