Chapter (20): Fire 

The princess passed by a carriage of straw, she assumed that someone was following them since they left the drapery.

"Someone is following us."

Fu Liu neared his mouth to her ear, "Someone is following us since we left Xin province."

The princess smirked, "Let him do what he wants, we will catch him in a dark lane."

The eunuch nodded and they proceeded ahead. She would soon end this nuisance situation. Someone had killed a whole family which could be hundreds of people and was free walking around.

Getting close to the guesthouse, they saw the board, Tian Tavern was a part of the guesthouse. Yan Yuxi pointed to the cheerful man who was conversing with an old lady who was selling Xiaolongbao, even the scent of the food could make the princess have an additional appetite to give it a try. The lady also looked so masterful in cooking.

'Why don't we have her in the castle?' She thought!

"Fu Liu, go, get some for either of us, they look delicious, treat the people who will purchase food from her." She rubbed her eyes off the man, recalling her memories. She could clearly remember this eunuch who used to serve her late mother for around three years and before it was her grandmother who hired this person when he was very young.

But skipping this for now, out of a sudden, he disappeared years ago when she was a little girl.

People said that he died after drinking and eating too much as he had bad habits. This man had things that she should learn about soon.

Fu Liu noticed what the princess meant, thus with no pause, he slipped beside master Qin Jinhai.

"Grandmother, I want five dishes, we had earned an achievement, this grandfather and the rest of your customers will be treated by us." He wished and took out coins and handed her. The woman's face gushed out of eagerness.

"Wow, how generous young man!" The old man laughed loudly while complimenting her.

"Not me, My Lady is an expansive person."

He pointed to the princess who was now closer.

"I see, I see!" the man blankly looked at her but quickly wrapped that mean expression and replaced it with laughter.

Fu Liu's eyes fell on the child who was sitting beside the small carriage, he was eating slowly, "Is he your grandson?"

"Yes, he lost his parents three months ago and I am raising him."

The woman stated, preparing the dishes. The princess was close enough to hear them, her sight moved on the little child who was staring at her. Waving hand to him.

The old man devoured his food without letting it be cooled down and quickly dashed inside the tavern of the guesthouse.

"He is magnificent." Zha Gang stated, having a small bite, he burned his tongue and cussed, how the hell he just didn't feel how hot this was?

…

Later... The prince is playing Go board with master Qin...

"What do you want if you beat me?"

The prince tilted his head and moved a chain, "Nothing, I am here for business which I'm not sure you can help me."

The man giggled, slapping his lap, his forefinger waved in the air.

"You are interesting, tell me about your business, I know everyone in this guesthouse, perhaps I can help you,"... "no, no, I can help you." He corrected.

His cheeks had reddened but he was enough sober to let out words of his logic not from intoxication.

"Then, if I win you should answer my questions," the prince pointed to the board as it was the man's turn. But instead, the old man poured some more Baijiu for him to have.

The dismay shaped the prince's face; it was disrespectful not to drink but also dangerous as his consciousness would diminish. His eyes rolled on Chao then explored the place until reached the princess who now had two more unfamiliar people beside her. They were wearing newly coupled clothing which could be a cover.

Chaoxiang found his majesty at one table with the man that everyone used to say was crafty when the waiter who served them a while ago arrived.

"Sir, I heard you talking about that badge." He spoke ghostly, carefully his eyes rolled around checking to make certain no one was watching.

"Come to the room we took." The waiter nodded and he waited for Chaoxiang to go up the stairs.

Passing by the prince Chao bowed his head and the prince saw the waiter who moved after him.

"Ah, you are better than I thought, if it were those merchants, he had finished it a long time ago, but see this young man is playing differently, he had seen this term of moves somewhere. It was as if a piece of cake for him to beat Qin Jinhai.

"Hmm, the plot you plant on this board is as if dancing on a water surface!"

The prince smirked devilishly, bright man! He noticed that his terms of moving the chains were royals' species. It means he had worked in a court that he was familiar with it.

"How do you know this instruction, sir? Because I have learned it from a noble scholar." The prince didn't lie, he learned it from his father.

The man coughed, ah, this young man was playful. After this move, he would surely lose; after an hour of playing.

Master Qin Jinhai leaned back, his leg moved up on the table, he was caught up, caressing his long white beard. It was the first failure in this guesthouse and he was supposed to leave here with empty hands. Fortunately, his stomach was filled, but the air smelled of trouble and those people over there sounded troublesome though, the princess underestimated this old eunuch.

"Ask me," he moved his head back and poured the clean gleaming content of that white porcelain bottle into his mouth. There was a beautiful drawing of a red crane on it.

"I am looking for a unique fabric to buy it, all I have left from it is this mark." He put the drawing that he finished during his departure from Xin province.

The man gazed at it under his eyes, squeezing the bottle in his hand he sighed. It was fishy, why was this man after this fabric when there were many high-quality ones?

"The loom that made this fabric has been closed in the past twenty years go. You have two more chances, be careful with them."

Prince Wu Xiuying smiled, "What is your name? and where do you live?"

The man sat straight, this time he began to read this bright face in front of him. The queen had told him that once a noble youngster came to him asking about his identity, he could trust the person. If this man was dangerous, he could catch him in another way.

"Where are you from young man? Your accent is different."

"I came from Sheed kingdom, all for one motive."

Sheed? He was lying easily and masterfully, this accent belonged to Di's reign, he had encounters with those royals, and this one was one, a royal from Di.

"Give me your brush!" He directed to the small brush on his hip and the prince took it, handing him.

"I write my name and my address, but to people, I am always the mad minstrel." He laughed and after being done, he seated straight, peeking at his Erhu and placing it on his lap. This instrument could bring him some coins if he played a good song...

The notes danced with the air, there was an energy coming out of each cord that his fingers kissed. The man closed his eyes like he wasn't in this world. His song warmed the air and made the soul dace, with those soft moves it could embrace and caress the night. With this, the rest of the musicians exchanged glances and followed the man.

The prince averted his head to the full-length view and gazed out, why did it recall his mother? Perhaps he was resisting his emotions and the yearning to see her. People were passing by and the street was full of joy, but his heart was heavy.

"Fire…" the scream came from outside and made the prince fly out as soon as he saw a child caught up by the lash of flames.