Matters of the Prince

As soon as Physician Gu and his men left, Li Wei efficiently rolled herself out from under the carriage. She almost didn't have time to take a deep breath before heading towards the farthest courtyard. In her haste, she didn't spare time to notice how the palace lights shone glamorously in the night or how the peach blossoms danced gently in the wind. In her mind, all she could think of was meeting him again.

Li Wei lived in the palace for five years and remembered the layout well. She expertly took the shortest route and hid away from maids and guards that came towards her direction. There was no rest until she stood in front of a large stone archway.

Khan Bojing's courtyard was the farthest from the palace gates. He enjoyed the little freedom and privacy the small distance provided. In its center, the gates were opened. On her way here Li Wei was worried about being able to enter Khan Bojing's courtyard, but to her surprised it was opened and unguarded. It was almost as if it's been planned intentionally... as if expecting someone to come.

Although it was risky, she pushed her worries away. It was either now or never. Who knows if she'll get this chance ever again?

Li Wei bravely walked through the archway and in its glory, laid Hundreds Garden. Her heartbeat quickened and her knees trembled slightly. It was hard to breathe.

This was where she died. No, this was where she was killed. Tears filled her eyes as her gaze stopped at the stone walkway towards the main house of the courtyard. Her hands turned into fists and she bit her lips to stop from screaming of anger.

Khan Bohai ran to meet her here. This was where he smiled happily and called her "mommy" for the first time in his life, but this was also where he witnessed his mother's death.

A strong gust of wind blew and she wrapped her arms around herself. Her feet felt heavy as she forced herself to take another step forward. When she finally stood in front of the doors to Khan Bojing's room, she calmed herself.

It was eerily quiet, there were no maids or guards around. The only places lit up were the kitchen and outhouse, so it was very dark. Li Wei questioned this weird setup. Based on what she noticed, there was nothing normal tonight. The gates were unlocked and unguarded, the courtyard was dark, and there were no servants.

She let herself into the prince's private chamber, noticing that even the doors were unlocked. There wasn't even a need for her to pick the lock. Once inside, she stood silently and took in the room. There were no candles or lanterns lit, but moonlight from the opened window allowed her to make out where things were.

Unlike other royal chambers, this room was quite small. There was a bed, a table and chairs in the center, and potted plants everywhere. In one corner, there was a desk setup next to a pair of large windows. Sitting there would allow one to see a beautiful view of the mountains.

She knew Khan Bojing liked simple. He only wanted the necessities and didn't care much about anything else. Thus, a large portion of his courtyard was filled with mostly plants and flowers. In comparison, his own bedroom was about the size of a small countryside thatched house. When she still resided here, Li Wei enjoyed being outdoors most. Being surrounded by nature, she didn't have to think about those who schemed to harm her in this place.

As her eyes moved from the desk to the bed, her cheeks turned pink. This was not the time to think of private matters, but she couldn't stop herself. While they were married, there were not many times when they were intimate. She could even remember the specific amount because they slept together exactly two times.

One detail that caught her attention immediately when she entered was that there was no one lying on the bed. Where could Khan Bojing be in the middle of the night?

From the wooden wraparound porch that acted as a pathway outside, loud foot steps could now be heard. Li Wei quickly opened the closet and hid inside. Looking through the small gap between the sliding doors of the closet, she saw two guards walked into the bedroom.

These two men were palace guards that patrolled the palace at night time. Right behind the two men, another man came running. Li Wei recognized him. This man was Ye Mo, Khan Bojing's personal assistant. He obviously knew of the reason for this outburst, but he played innocent, "What are you two doing, breaking into the prince's private chambers?"

The guard on the left was taller than the other guard. His eyes quickly scanned the room before he arrogantly replied, "Where is Khan Bojing?"

Ye Mo huffed angrily. First, they broke into the prince's room and now they were addressing him casually. They didn't even answer his question! "Don't let me repeat myself. What are you doing here, in prince Khan Bojing's private quarters, in the middle of the night?!"

The other guard on the right was nervous and didn't want to offend the elder man. Ye Mo held a higher status than them and he also had the crown prince behind his back. "Reporting to Ye Mo, we're here on empress Chu Fangyin's orders. The emperor have asked for his presence in the ancestral hall."

"Inform the emperor Khan Bojing will be there shortly."

The guard on the right nodded and was about to turn back, but the guard on the left was stubborn. He had empress Chu Fangyin on his side, he wasn't afraid. Also, the order he personally received was not only to retrieve Khan Bojing to the ancestral hall. He was privately asked to find out the whereabouts of the prince. "Say, Ye Mo, where's your prince? It's the middle of the night, what is so important that he can't be here?"

"That, is not your place to ask of the prince's personal information." Ye Mo was blunt and after so many years working in the palace, he knew many things he wished to not know. He was a serious man, but he also wanted to play with the arrogant guard. "You say, what else is there to do in the middle of the night? I'm just an old man wasting off my last days by the prince. You're young, perhaps you understand more."

The guard stiffened. Not many knew that he often snuck out to meet his lover. If he wasn't personally ordered to be here, he wouldn't be here either. He quickly excused himself, "I wouldn't know of the prince's personal matters. We'll be taking our leave."

Li Wei would've broke out laughing if she didn't pinch herself in time. She could only smile. Ye Mo didn't disappoint. He was still as entertaining as ever. Her smile soon stopped, when another voice joined in.

"Report to father that I'm not feeling well. I'm afraid I won't be able to follow with his orders until tomorrow," came a low voice from the side door connected to the outhouse. From where she hid, it was hard to see the man's face.

She could only see his backside when he walked into the other end of the room, which was also faced towards Ye Mo and the two guards. He had on a lose black robe and his hair was wet. One would naturally assume he was not here because he was taking a bath.

The man continued speaking, his voice was powerful and full of anger as he warned, "Never break into my personal space again or else you'll regret it. This is my message to Imperial Mother."

At this point, the two guards were too scared. They could only nod and quickly fled from the room. The crown prince was too frightening. No one would want to get on his bad side.

"Khan Bojing, where were you?" Ye Mo quietly whispered after closing the doors. "I was so worried. Empress Chu Fangyin abruptly ordered those two guards to question your whereabouts. It seems like she's suspicious--"

The man whose back previously faced them turned around.

Ye Mo stopped talking and Li Wei's eyes widened. They were both shocked for the same reason.

He was not Khan Bojing.