I had intended to post this last night, but I was so tired I just went to bed. Sorry for the one day delay. Ling Ge Ge just breaks my heart, he is an Emperor, but was without much authority, riches, without love, without a true friend. At least 4th prince had 13th prince. Liu Fu Ling had no one.
Update: CHAPTER COMPLETE.
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Too many things happened after that, his father died, his mother pa.s.sed away, Second Brother died and Third Brother appeared.
Too many things happened at court too. No one could have imagined that Emperor Wu of Han would not choose his adult sons, but an eight year old infant, risking the loss of his throne to pa.s.s it to him. Too bad his mother was already dead by then, if not, once she witnessed the death of Lady Gouyi, sentenced to death because of the ascension of her son, his mother wouldn’t have hated him so much until the day she died. It was hard to say whether that small boy’s father weathered the storm peacefully. The day on the apricot tree became a lost memory, buried under all the happenings of his life. It was only he ate apricots did he think of that small boy who wanted to be his friend, but even moments like these were rare, and merely flashed across his mind.
Liu He said “That year everyone said his majesty was sick and needed to rest on his pallet. So no one managed to see his majesty, or imagined that his majesty would be playing around elsewhere in the palace.” “It was my mother who told me to act sick, but I ate so many apricots that day that I really was sick after that.” Most of his brothers were already fully grown adults and it would have been hard for his mother to go against them directly, so she decided to hide her cards instead, making them fight to the very end with each other first. Liu He sighed “The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind [5]. At that time, among all the uncles, who cared about Lady Gouyi?”
Liu Fu Ling was silent. If his mother knew in advance that the price of her plans was her death, would she still have fought as hard for the throne? “You lost, so you must do something for me.”
Liu He sighed with emotion “That’s too unfair. Your subject here was already eleven then, even if my features changed, there would still be traces of what I used to look like. Your majesty was only four back then, your features would have changed far greater than mine would ever have. It would have been very normal for your majesty to recognize me but not the other way round.” “Do you really think that I only recognized you after meeting you? After you left, I spent all my time learning how to draw from my teachers, and after a year I finally managed to draw your portrait. I was planning to ask around secretly, but the palace maid cleaning my study recognized you straight away from my drawing, and told me teasingly ‘your highness might draw well, but have failed to bring out He Nu’s charm fully.’ I tore the portrait immediately.”
Liu He was at a loss for words, it was just an adult would never take a child seriously; he never took his promise seriously. “If you had wished to find out my ident.i.ty, it wouldn’t have been difficult for you based on your status. How many officials brought their children into the palace, and how many of them were only four or five years of age?” Liu He looked apologetic, and said “Your subject was the one at fault, I’ve lost. Please tell your subject your request and your subject will definitely do his best to fulfill his promise.” Liu Fu Ling said “When I made this bet with you, I was thinking of the far future when I met you again, would you be willing to be my friend? So I thought if I won, I would request for you to be my friend. Seventeen years has pa.s.sed and my request is still the same, please be my friend.” Liu He was silent, after a long while, he knelt and said “Since there is an excellent Emperor on the throne, your subject is willing to be an idle prince.” Although the young boy below the apricot tree was matured beyond his years and knew how to set a trap within his words, he had yet to learn that there were some distances in human relationships that just couldn’t be bridged.
Liu Fu Ling seemed to have heard ‘idle’ as ‘wise’, he turned to leave with a flick of his sleeves “I hope you will be able to show me the talents you once boasted about on this apricot tree during the time you remain in Chang An. Also, as there is no one living here and I liked quiet places, I came here quite a bit after our encounter. I heard from an old eunuch who looked after this hall that Zhao Yang Hall was once Madam Lee’s residence.”
When Yun Ge, Hong Yi and the rest came back holding hands, they only saw Liu He sitting alone under the apricot tree, all his romantic charm and elegance gone, his expression dazed, sadness in his features. Si Yue glared at Yun Ge, then contemplated Liu He. She was just about to say ‘Your highness’, when Hong Yi pulled on her sleeve, mentioning her to be quiet. Hong Yi gazed at Liu He, her eyes understanding, as if she truly understood what he was going through right now. Her eyes slowly glazed with tears, but just as they were about to fall, she quickly rubbed them away with her sleeves. When she raised her head once again, all that was left was her tender smile. She walked lightly up to Liu He’s side and knelt down, holding his hand. When Liu He saw her, his hand lightly brushed across her smiling face, like he was searching for warmth in her pure, smiling face. After a while, he smiled, then that smile slowly took on the careless air that was a part of him, finally becoming the man Yun Ge was familiar with. Just as Yun Ge was about to leave quietly, she heard him call her “Yun Ge, come back. I’ve got questions for you.” Liu He dismissed Si Yue and Hong Yi, and mentioned for Yun Ge to sit opposite him. “My next few questions are very important to me; you must definitely tell me the truth.” Although he said ‘important’, he still smiled carelessly. Yun Ge looked into his bright, clear eyes and solemnly nodded her head.
“Did you know his majesty when you were young? Did you meet in Xi Yu?” Yun Ge was stunned. Yes, she had once told Xu Ping Jun that she and his majesty met when they were little, but she had never told her where they met. After a while, she replied “Yes.” Liu He shook his head and laughed bitterly, mumbling to himself “So I was wrong! I had always thought it was Third Brother…No wonder…No wonder… Now I finally understand…..” “What were you wrong about?”
Liu He smiled “I was wrong about a very important matter; it might even become a serious mistake in the future. Yun Ge, do you still remember the youth his majesty and you saved?” Yun Ge c.o.c.ked her head and grumbled, though with a smile “What did Ling Ge Ge tell you? Why, he even told you Yue Sheng’s story.” All the doubt Liu He had vanished, he stared at Yun Ge. “So many years had pa.s.sed, yet you still remember his name. If Yue Sheng finds out, he would definitely be very happy.” Yun Ge replied “Ling Ge Ge remembers it even more clearly! He had always felt that he let Yue Sheng down, he always wanted to be a good Emperor so that there wouldn’t be any one else like Yue Sheng.” Liu He’s smile froze on his lips. Yun Ge asked “Are you willing to stay in Chang An to help Ling Ge Ge?” Liu He sighed, his mind made up, and smiled happily “I will stay until you chase me out of Chang An.”
Yun Ge leapt up in joy “I always knew you looked like a rake, but in fact had a heart of gold.”
Liu He smiled bitterly.
[5] To covet gains without first being aware the danger behind.