CROWN PRINCE'S CONCUBINE

69 The Wind That Pass

The wind was blowing hard in a green valley, grass as high as a human’s head was waving like a dancer, a small flag stuck on a high pole in white and a red crest roared in the direction of the wind.

A small child running in the middle of the valley pulled the string of his kite that had been flying high far above the sky, which was slowly starting to lose its light. His face was very cheerful as if flying along with a kite that was wider than his body. The sweet face of the boy who was about six years old was as beautiful as the late afternoon sun slowly showing its orange color, although he had run far enough against the wind so that his kite could soar high, and tired of it, he doesn’t care, from the look in his shining eyes it’s such a great feeling of satisfaction.

“Ying’er!” cried a woman running over, for a moment that beautiful woman with long hair that waved as far as the wind stopped and looked where the child was until she found his small body running among the tall grass that exceeded his height.

“This kid, Ying’er, it’s getting late now, let’s go home, time to eat! This brat!” cried the woman as she ran towards the meadow after little BaiYing.

“It’s not night yet Mother!” cried BaiYing.

“It is! Come on, let’s go home, you’ve played all day now”

Little BaiYing was ready to welcome his mother who was getting closer from her voice, but, as he stopped and look around, his mother’s figure disappeared, as if no one had been there before, only the sound of the wind howling, where was his mother’s shrill voice calling him just now?

BaiYing turned his body, looking among the tall grass, whether his mother was being ignorant and hiding from him.

“Mother? Mother, where are you?”

.....

BaiYing’s little feet walked while brushing the tall grass in front of him until he saw feet sticking out of the grass, red embroidered shoes on the grassy ground.

Little BaiYing stuttered, his eyes widened when he saw more clearly what was in front of him, his legs and arms froze, unable to move, his heart seemed to stop beating, he tried to lift his legs and back away, but fell down hard.

“Mo-Mother?” His mother’s figure, still in that beautiful red dress that was his mother’s favorite dress, but, redder than usual because of the blood that sparkled by the sun, the blood pool below her cover her whole body.

“No Mother!”

Little BaiYing shouted loudly to the limit of his voice, as loud as he could.

“Mother!”

And he woke up quickly in his bed with the Crown Prince ready to hug him.

“YingYing, calm down, it’s just a nightmare, calm down.”

BaiYing’s breath hitched, he had run so far that all of his breath was exhausted, his heart was racing so fast.

“Hoh hoh hoh Mom, Mom”

........

The situation on one of the palace officials’ residences, outskirts of the city.

The shattered pottery, screams heard almost in every corner, the special palace guards were seen escorting several young and old men out of the house and gathering them in the field, while the women and children were gathered in the living room of one of the palace terrace officials.

BeiYau was standing in front of the big door watching his men work, they got a hint from one of the arrested assailants regarding the warrant for the attack on the Crown Prince’s palace, which turned out to be driven by a palace insider, MaoYe’s terrace official, his order stamp was visible from the warrant permitting a group of people who were none other than assailants entered the palace as the palace’s new guards, although, the clue was a bit suspicious, thought Crown Prince, they still had to investigate it.

MaoYe, a stocky man who was now kneeling in front of BeiYau trying to restrain himself, was one of the officials who gave permission for the recruitment of young guards, so special privileges were granted to him granting an entry permit plaque, but, that man’s face didn’t look like any other criminal, he was famous so humble that he rarely comes to the surface and is only content as a terrace official, this is very strange because his warrant can appear as the mastermind of the attack.

“Please forgive this servant Guard Bei, I am innocent, the other day my seal disappeared but came back the next day so I just thought, maybe I was misplaced it, please forgive servant Guard Bei”

BeiYau looked at MaoYe, as well as his son, and his son-in-law and assistant who knelt beside him, he shook his head at his men to take the men out of the courtyard.

There was a loud scream from inside the house.

“No! Master Mao, please don’t take Master Mao, he is innocent, please don’t take him!” shouted Mistress Mao hysterically, MaoYe’s old wife, as well as two other girls and maids who were in the room, also the little child who joined in crying hysterically.

“Grandfather!”

“Huhuhuh Father”

BeiYau took a deep breath, this clue is very clear, are they being fooled again? What impudent people, he growled in his heart, he turned his body and left the gate leaving the front yard of Mao’s official residence which was a mess because of several people who had fought back when his guards pushed in.

“Let’s go back” he called, his little guards nodded in unison.

“Yess Guard Bei!”

....

The Crown Prince held BaiYing’s hand tightly, the two of them walked slowly enjoying the fresh air around the Peony Garden towards the evening, a few days after the attack, although BaiYing was still a little afraid that the attacker would break the Crown Prince’s palace defenses again, it was time for him to come out of his room and enjoying the fresh air, it was a relief to be able to draw in as much air as possible after these few days of being unwell.

The Crown Prince stopped his steps, pulled BaiYing in front of him, lifted BaiYing’s veil to cover his head as the air was getting colder, he smiled and brushed away the dry leaves that fell on BaiYing’s head, due to the gust of the wind knock it down.

BaiYing smiled, he also raised his hand slightly on tiptoe to pick up a dry leaf that was also attached to the crown prince’s head.

“Your Highness, there’s a leaf here”

“Um there’s too? I thought that leaf would only mischief to YingYing”

BaiYing chuckled, the Crown Prince’s face was so relaxed since earlier, he had been so gentle, and asked him out, enjoy the fresh air, and be romantic with him.

“Hehehehe there’s more”

LuoXiang lowered his body a bit so that BaiYing’s hand could reach the leaf above his tall head.

“Have you done yet?”

“There’s little more in here because Your Majesty is tall so more leaves will fall on you.”

The Crown Prince chuckled.

“Hehehe really? I think they like me more now.”

#########