XH 88 - Little brother, thank you for being punished

When Long Lian finally arrived at her third brother's residence, she immediately headed straight to Xiao Hua's room and found a swollen eyed Xiao Hua with a subdued air clinging onto her. The smile on her face when she greeted Long Lian was so fake that it hurts to watch.

"Xiao Hua? What happened?" Long Lian hurried towards the younger girl that was seated on a stool, who she had long thought of as her own sister.

"No. Nothing is wrong." This time Xiao Hua managed to muster up a more genuine smile for Long Lian and added a few more words as she knew her friend would never accept her 'nothing' answer. "I'm just a little upset."

Her previously messy appearance was fixed by An Jing, who the Third Prince had called over after their talk. Fortunately, their swollen lips had returned to normal after a while, or else it would be harder to explain.

Xiao Hua's lips twisted in a self- mockery smile as she remembered what he said before leaving. 'I will find a way. Wait for me.'

Waiting for him was easy as she has plenty of time in this world. But it would be cruel to hope for an unrealistic future.

"What made you upset? Is it Eighth brother again?" Long Lian huffed in frustration as she gently rolled a warm egg wrapped with a handkerchief over her swollen eyes. It was supposed to be An Jing's task but Long Lian took over without any thoughts to her status.

Xiao Hua's laughter sounds forced to Long Lian ears. "We got curious about a Eunuch's body and the Third Prince stopped us before Eunuch Heng could show us."

"Xiao Hua!" Long Lian scolded Xiao Hua, scandalized. She was taught never to show her skin to people except for her future husband and yet Xiao Hua and eighth brother wanted to see a Eunuch's body!

"Third Prince had scolded me already," Xiao Hua whined.

"Fine, but never do that again! A lady must never see such a thing!"

"Alright, I know."

Satisfied that Xiao Hua gave her word with an earnest expression, Long Lian finally realized something was abnormal. "Where's Eighth brother?"

"Replying to the princess, this servant knows where the Eighth Prince is," An Jing spoke up.

"Where is he?"

"The Eighth Prince is currently copying Buddhist scripts as punishment," An Jing answered as she poured tea for the Princess.

"Good for him!" Long Lian exclaimed cheerfully without asking why her brother was given a punishment when Xiao Hua only got a scolding. What matters was he would not be following them!

Little brother, thank you for being punished! d(°∀°d)

"Tang Mei! Bring them out!"

Xiao Hua looked on curiously as Tang Mei placed a bag onto a table and untied it, revealing clothes inside it. "What are these for?"

"Let's sneak out to play!"

"Princess, please re-think your decision!" An Jing quickly interjected with a low bow.

"Ah Lian, going out without guards are dangerous, especially for you," Xiao Hua joined An Jing to change Long Lian's mind.

"It's not as if we will not be bringing any guards. Xiao Hua, today there will be interesting things to see because it's the New Year!"

"Will there be lanterns and New Year snacks?" Xiao Hua asked as her interest aroused.

"Yes!"

"Princess, there is no need to go there personally. If you wish to have lanterns and snacks, the servants will buy them for you," An Jing persisted, unlike her teammate that was won over by goodies!

"It's not fun that way," Long Lian complained. "We will dress like a commoner and no one will recognize us!"

"Princess-"

"Okay, I will go." Xiao Hua suddenly agreed. Perhaps this outing could distract her for a good while.

"You are the best Xiao Hua!"

"Elder Sister Hua!"

"Please, Sister An Jing. I've never been outside before. I promise we will only go out for a while," Xiao Hua pleaded, her swollen eyes and the sadness that clung onto her made her appear even more pitiful.

"Alright, but Elder Sister Hua must promise to listen to me and stay close to me or Da Bei. Don't go anywhere without us."

"I promise." Xiao Hua nodded solemnly.

"Yes!" Long Lian let out a loud whoop that unbefitting of a princess.

"Princess Long Lian, this servant will count on Princess to be aware of your own safety and listen to my instructions."

"Don't worry An Jing, I won't disobey you and lead Xiao Hua to danger."

An Jing inwardly wondered why would the Princess assume she was worried about Elder Sister Xiao Hua's safety instead of hers?

"Xiao Hua, quick! Change into these clothes!"

✿ ✿ ✿

When Duke Heng brought the King of Munzhu into the secret room, they found a half-drunk prince with a palm supporting his spineless head. The newcomers could see that the prince had been drinking for quite a while, judging from the empty wine bottles surrounding him on the table.

The prince's eunuch seems to have given up in stopping his prince from drinking and busied himself with relocating the empty wine bottle to a side of the room.

The King of Munzhu sat down on a chair and grabbed an unopened wine bottle to join the lonely prince in drinking.

"Such a rare sight, for the great Prince Long Zhu to use alcohol to overcome his troubles."

Long Zhu did not respond to his taunting, much to the disappointment of the King.

Duke Heng took a seat as well, snapped his hand fan shut. "Does it relate to your lovely maid?"

The King of Munzhu nearly choked on the wine that he had just swallowed when Long Zhu suddenly grabbed Duke Heng's clothes from the front and yanked him closer.

"Don't you dare talk about her."

Duke Heng looked calm despite he was the one that was being threatened by the Third Prince that had a demonic expression.

"I have no interest in what's yours, Third Prince."

"My prince, please calm down or you will hurt Duke Heng." Eunuch Lau Liu placed a hand on Long Zhu's, who was still grabbed onto Duke Heng's clothes.

"Ho?" The King of Munzhu turned to the Third Prince with interest. "Is this a fight for a girl?"

"King of Munzhu, please refrain from causing trouble." Eunuch Lau Liu gave the King of Munzhu a pointed look.

"Sir Lau Liu, you have wrongly accused me. I actually found this matter to be rather interesting for I thought Heng Zhen Gan is still in love with Long Zhu's mother."

Duke Heng glared frostily at the King of Munzhu. "Do not utter nonsense, Tian Liang."

The King of Munzhu, Tian Liang throws back his head to completely empty the bottle before moving on to the next one. "Her son was the one that told me. Surely that would be the truth?"

Tian Liang smirked at the Third Prince, who finally released the tight grip on Duke Heng's collar. Knowing it would not be a good idea to continue messing with Duke Heng, who could be revengeful, Tian Liang turned to his more interesting target.

"Who would have thought the great Third Prince of Guilin would have finally face love trouble?"

As the Munzhu country's King, Tian Liang was the one that leads his soldiers to fight with Guilin's army. Long Zhu, the Third Prince of Guilin, had volunteered to lead the war as the Second Prince of Guilin was in the midst of battling the bandits near the South Guilin Village. At first, Tian Liang respected him for able to hold his own against him, but after a month, he viewed the Third Prince as an annoying fly that could not be killed no matter how hard he tried.

But the one thing that pissed Tian Liang off was how Long Zhu kept on successfully sneaked into his camp, past his guards, and entered in his tent. He does not know if he should be glad that the annoying fly only wanted to talk about an alliance between both countries.

Tian Liang was not born as a prince or a noble. He was just a blacksmith's son that had seen how his family and the commoners had suffered under the control of the previous king.

It took years before Tian Liang managed to gather all rebels and successfully overthrow the previous King. He killed him, along with the rest of the bloodline, for he knew that if he left any alive, they would try to kill him once they get the chance to.

He killed all but one, because of his sick sense of humor.

Once he took over the throne, there was nothing but wars to look forward to, but the annoying fly told him they have the same enemy and after showing him undeniable proof, that was how the war between two countries ended.

"You knew the Emperor and Empress would not allow a lowly maid to serve you as a concubine, not to mention as a bed warmer," Duke Heng said with more venom as payback for messing up his clothes.

Duke Heng was very lucky that Eunuch Lau Liu saved his good-looking face from being smashed by the Third Prince's fist that was filled with raw spiritual energy.

Eunuch Lau Liu sighed in disappointment and does not look as if he had exerted most of his strength to hold back the Third Prince's fist with just a bare hand.

"Duke Heng, you are already past thirty years old. Do not act in such a manner unbefitting your age."

"I apologize. Thank you for your help, Sir Lau Liu."

"It would be bad if your brain got injured," Eunuch Lau Liu lamented. Duke Heng was the Guilin Kingdom’s previous prime minister, the youngest to ever obtain the position and the youngest to retire.

Tian Liang laughed loudly as he slammed his fist repeatedly on the sturdy table, fitting the image of Guilin's commoner towards him as a barbarian without manners.

Well aware that his brain was the only reason why the Third Prince added him into his secret group, Duke Heng just huffed in response. "Whatever your problem is, ask advice from your teacher."

The Third Prince snapped his head to Duke Heng's direction so quickly that the onlooker feared that movement had dislocated something inside him. His eyes shone with the beginning of hope. "Why didn't you offer your services?"

"I'm not a sage and a love expert. Moreover, my position is not enough even if I adopt your little maid."

The Third Prince's gaze was rather unnerving but Duke Heng could see his brain was working fast from his unsubtle hint. Finally, he laughed, and the depression in his eyes withdraws a large degree. "Unfortunately, that's true. Lau Liu, help me arrange a meeting with Imperial grandfather. This prince misses him."

"I will inform the old master that you wish to find out Doctor Bai's location," Eunuch Lau Liu helpfully translated his prince's order.

The Third Prince stared at Eunuch Lau Liu, who was previously his Imperial grandfather's eunuch, with brief annoyance before letting him be. Either way, that was the truth.

"Now, let's get back to what we are here for."

Tian Liang snorted rudely and swallowing a large mouthful of wine. "You are the one that's distracted, arsehole."

Long Zhu started the topic of why they were gathered here in the first place. "What did you manage to find out about the 'Sealed Gate'?"

"Too little but it's nothing good." Tian Liang grimly drowns himself with more wine to make the conversation more tolerable.