10. He was Mine First
"Your Highness.", Zicheng greeted the crown Prince with a bow.
"Sit.", the crown Prince said.
"It seems the left prime minister has someone tailing me. Last time I caught the shadow of one and told one of my guys to tail him back to where he came from, he reported back that the guy went into the guild of the left prime minister's right hand man.", Li Zicheng said.
"Huh. With they forcefully pushing forward with my marriage appeals to his majesty, I am very sure that they have prepared whomever they want me to marry.
Now, they're going to watch my every move including those of you close to me to make sure that nothing causes a hitch to their plans.
Always the same old tricks. It's at times like this that I really miss Yanyan. He would've told me what to do." the crown Prince sadly added.
Zicheng flinched at the last statement of the Prince. He had not mentioned that person's name for quite a long time so they too try to avoid that.
To think he would say this, the very day that he himself has just been told of that person's where abouts is uncanny.
"Why do you seem restless? Are you hiding something from me, because you're usually like this only when you're hiding something from me. So spill it out fast.", the crown may asked suspiciously watching Zicheng's reaction.
"It's not anything important your highness."
"If you actually believed that it wasn't important, you wouldn't be fidgeting. Now, out with it. I'm already in a foul mood. Do not add to it."
"We found him."
"Who?"
"Chen Yan. We found Chen Yan, your highness."
The room became quiet instantly for about ten seconds.
"Where is he?".
"I am sorry but I don't think that it's wise to tell you that now."
"And why is that? Do you think that I would harm him?", the Prince queried with tears in his eyes.
"No, not that you would harm him but you could bring harm to him. You know your every move is being watched now, what if I tell you and due to your impatience you go and see him while some unknown eye is watching you? What do you think will happen?", Zicheng said.
"Okay tell me, is he doing okay? Has he married someone else now? Do you think he's forgotten us already?"
Sigh. "I'm sorry but I don't know the answers. I myself I am yet to see him. Yunfeng just informed me before I came here.".
"Okay, tell me all what Yunfeng told you about him. Exactly as he said it."
"He said that he was found wounded and he brought him in to take care of him since last night. As for where he is, I will not tell you. He also said that he was yet to gain consciousness."
"Okay, but why do I sense that you're holding something back, Li Zicheng?"
"I don't know if I should tell you this or it not."
"Out with it."
"My brother said there was a may and two kids with him. He thinks he might have been married."
"Might?"
"Yes. The three had died before being transported to see the physicians. Their bodies are in the mortuary now."
"Now that complicates things."
"What do you mean, your highness?"
"If he has a family or that his family might be dead, how sad would he be when he wakes up. It will also mean that he had moved on while I am still in the past." the Prince said with eyes moistened with tears.
"Calm down, let's not jump into conclusions yet. These are only our assumptions. Let us wait and hope he gets better instead. Zicheng said.
Left alone in his room, the crown Prince, also called the crown may because he was a may, was deep in thoughts.
On one side he was beyond happy to receive the news of his beloved being found but on the other side he had a lot of worries with so many uncertainties.
There was only one way he could describe their future together at this point if someone were to ask him, he would say that, it was 'gloomy'.
He and his beloved's future together as a couple seemed very gloomy at this point. Gone were the days when everyday was bright and sunny.
After his beloved had disappeared from his life, his days for all these five years were not all that bright at all. Yet he now feels those days were better than how their future seems to look now.
At least in those days, it was him and his beloved against the world. So he didn't need to worry much as long as he had him by his side but now that was not the case anymore.
There is a chance what Zicheng said might be true and if that is so, he doubts he has a chance with him, whether his family was alive or dead.
He began to cry thinking of how the universe has been so unkind to him and his love. He doesn't know whatever he had done that made Chen Yan left him and totally vanished from his life.
He does suspect that his father, the King might have a hand in it. Either that or that annoying left prime minister who keeps butting in his issues.
Zicheng says he should stay put but he could not. Since it was Yunfeng who was taking care of his beloved now, then he would have surely taken him to his house around the guild.
Arriving at that conclusion, he changed into his usual disguise. He successfully sneaked out the palace, making sure to lose the one who had been tailing him for a couple of days now.
He looked just like any other commoner now so he wasn't out of place as he strolled on the street, and looking around the stalls that lined up on the streets with the wares of their owners displayed for business.
"Aah, it's been a while since I stepped out.", he said. In as much as he was desperate to go see his lover, he was also really worried.
Now that he had successfully sneaked out of the Palace and was almost close to Yunfeng's house, he wanted to not continue anymore.
He didn't think that he was really ready to face the situation but thinking he might regret it more if he were to go back now, he decided to go forward with it.
He managed to join a commercial wagon leaving for the Zhe village. He obviously could not dare to be caught. It takes about two and a half hours to get to Zhe village.
He would have to return before the next morning.
For the rest of the day his eunuch can cook up something to cover for him, but he cannot avoid the morning assembly so he would need to return before then.