Ling Chen’s scolding was as if it fell on deaf ears with Murong Xu.
When they left the city gates, Murong Xu was already on horseback. He swiftly pulled Ling Chen up and rode off at full speed.
Aside from riding with Little Seven, Ling Chen had never ridden with anyone else before. He was furious. “Murong Xu, I’ll charge you with disrespect!”
Murong Xu raised an eyebrow and smiled, “Your Highness, don’t say such things. How could I be disrespectful to you? I clearly hold you in high regard.”
The way Murong Xu said “high regard” was so casual, yet Ling Chen felt like his ears were burning, a faint redness creeping up.
“You, you—”
For a moment, Ling Chen couldn’t find the right words to describe the person behind him. Reckless, presumptuous, frivolous. He’d used those words countless times before, yet it was clear that this person never listened.
Ling Chen felt so angry his head was spinning.
After some time, they heard a “whoa,” and the white horse came to a stop in front of a house. Firecracker remnants littered the ground, red lanterns hung from the trees, and everything was decorated in festive red.
Red lanterns, red double-happiness characters, and a bride and groom dressed in red.
It was a wedding day, and the faces of the hosts and guests alike were filled with joy.
Murong Xu pulled Ling Chen along, offering a gift and managing to blend into the wedding banquet.
At the table were both elders and younger guests, chatting away. When the two sat down, the people at the table were surprised. An older woman scrutinized them and curiously asked, “Who are you two?”
“We’re just travelers passing by,” Murong Xu replied with a smile. “We saw a celebration and thought we’d stop by for a drink.”
“Oh, just travelers, I see,” the woman nodded, but couldn’t help asking further, “You both look so handsome. Do you have wives waiting at home?”
Murong Xu shook his head. “Nope, we’re both still single.”
The woman’s eyes lit up at that. “Would you like me to introduce you to some fine girls? I know all the pretty unmarried women from around these parts.”
Murong Xu smiled and politely declined, “Thank you, but I’m not in a hurry to settle down.” He hadn’t achieved great things yet and didn’t want to be tied down by family responsibilities.
The woman sighed in disappointment when he refused.
Soon, food and wedding alcohol were served.
The older woman, her attention now on the meal, started picking at the dishes with her chopsticks.
Ling Chen frowned at the food and didn’t touch his chopsticks.
Murong Xu, on the other hand, was quick to help himself, grabbing some dishes and placing them in Ling Chen’s bowl.
“Come on, young master, eat,” Murong Xu said, addressing him as “young master” instead of “Your Highness” due to the crowd. He had placed clean, untouched food in Ling Chen’s bowl.
Ling Chen didn’t eat.
Murong Xu leaned in and whispered, “Relax. The food is clean. The chicken and duck are raised by them, and the vegetables are home-grown. If the food were bad or unclean, the villagers would gossip about them for half a lifetime.”
Ling Chen: “…”
Hearing this, Ling Chen finally picked up his chopsticks.
The food was simple, but it tasted surprisingly good.
The alcohol on the table, which was said to be brewed by the family themselves, was sweet and not too strong. Though it wasn’t as famous as the alcohol from the capital’s inns, Ling Chen found it more enjoyable.
He drank two cups in a row and was about to pour another when Murong Xu stopped him.
“Don’t drink any more, young master. You’ll get drunk.”
Murong Xu knew Ling Chen’s drinking limits and wasn’t about to let him overdo it.
The wedding was simple but lively.
Ling Chen, who hadn’t wanted to come in the first place, now didn’t feel like leaving.
He liked the atmosphere here.
“If there’s another celebration next time, I’ll bring you again,” Murong Xu said as he peeled more wedding candies and handed them to Ling Chen. The candies were of a cheap kind, but Ling Chen didn’t mind.
They walked side by side as dusk slowly settled into night.
When Ling Chen had left the palace, it was still early. After spending some time at the wedding, it was dark by the time they were heading back.
The whole day, he hadn’t done anything of substance.
“Why the long face?” Murong Xu asked, noticing Ling Chen’s tense expression.
Ling Chen hadn’t intended to talk, but after being pressed, he pursed his lips and finally spoke.
After listening, Murong Xu’s lips twitched.
“My dear prince, aren’t you being a bit too hard on yourself? You’re a person, not a tool.”
“You’re already a diligent prince. You don’t need to keep pushing yourself so hard. Taking a break now and then isn’t a bad thing.”
“How can I relax with Qi Dynasty in such a state?” Ling Chen frowned. “I need to learn more skills and do something for the people and the country.”
Murong Xu: “…”
Murong Xu rolled the candy in his mouth. “I know you have big ambitions, but you can’t rush things.”
“Your Highness, don’t push yourself too hard,” Murong Xu said again, not wanting Ling Chen to live such a stressful life.
“Besides, once you’re on the throne doing things for the people and the country, I’ll be out on the frontier, protecting the people and the nation. With my family here, Qi Dynasty will be just fine.”
The two continued talking as they entered the city gates and eventually parted ways.
Ling Chen returned to the palace.
When he arrived, he ran into a little child who hadn’t gone to bed yet.
“Big brother, you’re home late.”
“Mm, yes, it’s very late. Why aren’t you asleep?”
“I’m looking for Daddy to sleep.”
The little one looked up with a beaming face, talking about looking for Daddy, but his little arms stretched out to be carried by Ling Chen.
Ling Chen picked him up and pinched his chubby cheeks.
“Big brother, sleep with me.”
“Alright.”
Ling Chen took the little one to his own chambers.
There, the two of them bathed together.
“Big brother, next time let’s visit uncle.”
The freshly bathed little one sat on the bed, letting his big brother dry him off and dress him in pajamas. He then made his request.
Ling Chen paused for a moment before replying with a quiet, “Mm.”
Time passed quickly, and soon the little one, who always wandered around the palace, went off to study far away.
The time spent studying was long—long enough for Ling Chen to miss him.
And it wasn’t just Ling Chen who missed him; Murong Xu, as the uncle, missed him too.
With the little one no longer serving as a bridge between them, Ling Chen and Murong Xu saw each other less frequently.
Eventually, Murong Xu left for the frontier to find Murong Xue, and they didn’t meet again.
Without the lively little one or the pesky presence of a certain someone, Ling Chen found palace life somewhat dull.
He threw himself into more studies and state affairs.
The emperor had already granted Ling Chen permission to handle some state matters.
Ling Chen’s abilities became more apparent, and the court ministers were very satisfied with him.
As the eldest son of the emperor and the empress, the ministers all tacitly treated him as the future crown prince.
But the empress was still uneasy.
As long as the crown prince’s position wasn’t officially secured, there was always the possibility of change.
Besides, everyone knew that the emperor’s favorite son wasn’t the eldest prince but the seventh prince.
The empress arranged a marriage for Ling Chen. She chose the daughter of a powerful minister.
Before Ling Chen could refuse, Murong Xu somehow got wind of the news.
After being away for a long time, Murong Xu returned abruptly—so abruptly that Ling Chen didn’t even know until he was standing in front of him.
“Your Highness, long time no see.”
Murong Xu’s face still wore that familiar smile, looking as carefree as ever. After greeting Ling Chen, he asked, “I heard you’re getting married?”
Ling Chen looked at the person he hadn’t seen in a long time, stayed silent for a few seconds, and then responded with a completely unrelated question, “Why are you back?”
“I was afraid if I didn’t come back, I’d miss your wedding,” Murong Xu smiled again. “So, has the date been set?”
Ling Chen stared at his smile, feeling a slight prickle of irritation.
“Who told you I was getting married?”
Ling Chen’s face hardened as he scolded, “There’s no truth to that. If someone hears you talking like this, it’ll ruin the girl’s reputation.”
Murong Xu: “…”
Murong Xu was stunned for a moment. “Huh?”
He was slow to react, but after a few beats, he finally caught on. “So, you didn’t agree to it?”
Ling Chen didn’t bother replying, “Whether I agree or not is none of your concern. Stop worrying about things that don’t involve you.”
“Alright, alright, if it doesn’t concern me, then it doesn’t,” Murong Xu continued to smile, though this time with a bit more sincerity in his disappointment.
Ling Chen rejected the Empress’s arrangement and made his stance clear to Emperor Ling. He told the Emperor that he didn’t want to start a family too early. The Emperor didn’t force him into marriage.
Murong Xu hurried back for a brief visit and left again in a rush. Before leaving, he cornered Ling Chen once.
“Your Highness, I wrote you a letter. Couldn’t you at least write me a few lines in return?”
“I don’t even have anyone to talk to outside. It’s so pitiful.”
Murong Xu mimicked his little nephew, acting both pitiful and adorable. “You didn’t even reply to my letter. What if I die on the battlefield one day? Won’t you regret it?”
“Stop talking nonsense!” Ling Chen’s face darkened. He didn’t like hearing talk about dying on the battlefield. “Matters of life and death shouldn’t be taken lightly!”
Murong Xu obediently took the scolding without talking back. After the reprimand, he left the capital again. This time, the letter he sent finally received a reply.
For those dissatisfied with life, time passes slowly, but for those busy, it flies by. Ling Chen finally became the Crown Prince. But with his new title, he lost his mother.
The Empress, to secure his position as Crown Prince and to elevate her family’s power, secretly took many lives! When it all came to light, Ling Chen couldn’t exonerate her.
The Empress was gone, and though Ling Chen appeared to hold it together on the surface, no one knew the torment inside. He began to suffer from insomnia. Every time he closed his eyes, he thought of the lives his mother had taken, and of his dead mother herself.
He felt all the blame fell on him. If it weren’t for him, perhaps his mother wouldn’t have done such things.
Wracked with guilt, Ling Chen couldn’t sleep through the night. Perhaps from such extreme strain, his once strong body began to weaken for the first time. Sometimes, he would hear nonexistent voices, like his mother calling his name.
And then, one day, not only did he hear things, but he also saw things.
He saw Murong Xu appear in his chamber. Quietly, Ling Chen looked at Murong Xu, and Murong Xu looked back at him. Their eyes met, and finally, Ling Chen reached out toward the figure in front of him.
“Murong Xu, I see you.” He assumed it was just a hallucination. “I didn’t see my mother, but I see you.”
How strange. At a time like this, shouldn’t it be his mother coming to condemn him in his visions?
“Your mother is gone. She can’t come to see you.”
“Ling Chen, I’m here.”
Murong Xu took the cold hand in front of him and softly said, “I came to see you.”
