Zhanhua stood by the window with his hands behind his back, watching the heavy down pour. It had been raining the entire day. Lightnings flashed followed closely by ear splitting thunders. The evening was very gloomy and it forebode a heavy storm.
Cold drops of rain water slapped upon Zhanhua's face who stood by the window. But his eyes were fixed far away at misty mountains that rose like giant ghosts amid the rain. It looked as though he was in deep thought. His handsome face looked almost bloodless and pale.
The man dressed in black behind him knelt down. "Please, My Lord, this humble servant beg you! Please return with me. His Majesty is waiting for your return!"
Zhanhua turned back and helped him to his feet. "I really don't understand why you keep pestering me. I clearly told you once. I'm not any seventh prince of Xian Yan. I've been living here since I can remember. And I cannot be the person you're searching for."
"My Lord!" The man looked as if he was to cry. He was already drenched in water that dripped down upon the wooden tiled floor. It had been just a while ago that this stranger had sneaked into this room amid this rain. "Please don't pretend. You already know that you're not the true son of Minister Yue!"
Zhanhua frowned. To tell the truth, he indeed knew that his current father, the retired Minister of Revenue was not his biological father. He was picked up from the roadside by him when he was very small.
So he, Yue Zhanhua could be considered a common civilian. But still he rose through the ranks and became an Empire's Official of Revenue. Had not his Emperor being lenient and merciful enough?
And suddenly oneday some unknown stranger comes to him and says that he's a son of another Emperor himself and is being summoned back. Could he believe? He didn't have the mind to betray his Emperor anyway. He turned to look out of the window. "Get out! I won't repeat the same thing again. And I've already pledged my lifetime service to Emperor Li."
The man looked grave. "Do you still think that your father threw you away because he didn't want you? My Lord! Your father was the person who loved you the most. Everything he did was to save you! If not for His Majesty, you'd be already dead!"
Zhanhua stood adamantly. "Sorry, brother, I don't know who you are or where you are from. But you've found the wrong person."
"My Lord!" The black cloaked man cried out in a furious whisper. "Then forgive me for the offense, can you tell me how you know to manipulate beasts at your will?"
Zhanhua furrowed his brows. "I don't think I'm the only one with that ability."
The man smiled wearily. "My Lord spoke truly. My Lord isn't the only one. But beside My Lord, there's just one person in this world with the ability to communicate with beasts. And he's your father - His Majesty the Emperor of Xian Yan. Not even your six senior siblings have the ability..."
Zhanhua pursed his lips. He didn't speak for a long time.
"Your Highness, if you still don't believe me, then you have to believe in yourself! There's a silvery birth mark in shape of a fire flame in the back of your left shoulder!"
Zhanhua's face went pale.
"Only the descendants of the pure Xian Yan bloodline can be born with it. My Lord, do you still doubt yourself?"
"Impossible..." Zhanhua shut his eyes shaking his head slowly. "Birth marks are common. Anyone can have them..."
But the man in black didn't seem to give up either. "Then My Lord, I'll speak of something extremely secretive that you only know about yourself. There's no way for me to deceive Your Majesty that way, isn't it?"
Zhanhua looked at the man in black. "Speak!"
The man stepped closer and spoke almost in a faint whisper. "Your Majesty feels weak and suffers from a terrible cold every new moon night and releases an excessive amount of internal energy from your body."
Zhanhua was flabbergasted. He looked at the man in disbelief before he unfolded his fan at lightning speed and pressed it's sharp blade like end against the stranger's throat.
"Since how many years have you been following me?" Zhanhua asked narrowing his eyes.
The man made no attempt to move from the blade that was tightened across his throat. Blood seethed as the sharp end pierced his skin and that blood flowed down the fan slowly. The man gulped, closing his eyes. "Since the day you were born." He replied genuinely. "Don't feel troubled, My Lord, it's not a disease."
"Then what it is?" Zhanhua's asked coldly. "And how do you know about it?"
The man opened his eyes and they were suddenly frosted with tears. "It's normal for My Lord to undergo that cold every new moon. Because...because... My Lord isn't actually a pure human."
An earth shattering thunder smote down with an ear splitting roar, close to the window and even the black wood desk by the side shuddered slightly.
Zhanhua's fan tightened more and more upon the man's throat. He was shocked. The slender fingers that held the hand was slightly shuddering. Zhanhua gulped. "What nonsense are you uttering? What do you mean by not human? Do you know what you're saying?"
The old man took a deep breath silently. "You're a half human and a half dragon. The excessive amount of strange internal energy that your body releases is from the dragon core that's forcefully sealed inside your body. Once the core is unsealed and your true powers return, Your Majesty won't suffer from the cold any more. Trust me!"
Zhanhua stared at the man dumbstruck. He was no pure human? He was half a beast? And the Qi Deviation he had been suffering to near death every new moon was because...
He couldn't believe. His throat was suddenly paining. And still half his mind said to believe while the other half refused thoroughly.
"Of course these are extremely high secrets of the Xian Yan Royal Family that can bring death if revealed." The man said in a broken voice that was very low. "But this loyal subordinate knows everything. Because I'm the personal bodyguard that was secretly appointed by His Majesty the Emperor to protect you since the day you were born. This subordinate was taught every secret of your true identity before you were entrusted to me."
Zhanhua stood weakly. His eyes were strangely unfocussed as if digesting the things he heard. Then he suddenly gasped. He stared at the man like he had seen a ghost. "You -"
The man simply looked at Zhanhua's eyes, understood him and smiled nodding. "Your Majesty wasn't alone even for a single hour since the day you were born. This subordinate was protecting you. And yes, Your Majesty, it was me who carried you and fled the Palace under His Majesty's orders when your life wasn't guaranteed. Many plotted to take your life. So His Majesty gave the responsibility to this subordinate to keep you safe no matter what. This subordinate left Xian Yan with you when you were three days old. This subordinate did not have milk to feed you, so he fed you the juice of wild fruits and berries he found in the forests to keep you alive. And still the murderers tracked you. This subordinate realized he cannot keep you safe anymore, so... so this subordinate decided against his will. He brought you to Li Yang in disguise. And...and it was indeed this subordinate who threw you into a roadside ditch when the kind old Minister of Revenue of Li Yang was passing by the road. This subordinate had spent days and days in investigating a good home for Your Majesty and knew he would immediately pick you up. That's the truth. This subordinate was incompetent. Please punish this subordinate!"
Zhanhua was speechless. His face was paper white. After what seemed for hours, he slowly withdrew back the fan, helped the man in black to his feet.
"So all these times, it was you who used to protect me like your shadow even after I was adopted by my foster father." Zhanhua said in a trembling voice. "You used to secretly meet me and bring me sweets when I was a kid. It's true you disappeared suddenly when I turned seven. But still how do you wish me to forget it?"
The man was almost in tears. "Forgive me My Lord." He said in a hoarse voice. "But this subordinate didn't leave you. He was always protecting you!" He lowered his head. "Your father, His Majesty is seriously ill and he wants to see you one last time before he dies." The man said miserably. "There's a secret rule in Xian Yan. The crown can only be claimed by a descendant with a dragon core. You're our Crown Prince! Please return with me!"
But still Zhanhua looked reluctant. He was an important minister in a court of an empire that ruled over hundreds and hundreds of kingdoms. How can he leave like that? Besides, his adoptive family treated him too well.
He couldn't bear to part with his protective father, kind mother and his sweet sister. More than anything, there was a secret that he had been hiding for so many years. He couldn't leave because he can't bear to part with his childhood sweetheart Shen Nuo, his secret love for ten years.
Only he knew how much he suffered the day Shen Nuo married the Emperor. After attending the wedding, he locked himself in his room for three days and cried until he ran out of tears and his red eyes became swollen. His parents actually knew the reason behind but what could they do? They shook their old heads gravely and only could request the Emperor for a sick leave for their son...
Zhanhua pursed his lips. The person he loved can no longer be his but he was not a pervert. He'll still be contented if he can watch that person from afar... He cannot leave Li Yang...
The man understood quickly. "My Lord, is there anything holding you back? Like something or someone you like? This subordinate can help you to retrieve it. My Lord just have to name it. This subordinate will bring it to you so that we can leave immediately."
Zhanhua shook his head slowly. His heart was in a turmoil. This was too much for him to suit back to normal. He gulped.
The man looked at him and understood he was still reluctant to leave wth him. He looked at the handsome young prince whom he used to protect with the risk of his life.
"Your Majesty, this subordinate will remind you one last time. The Emperor of Li Yang might prefer you. But still you're the Crown Prince of Xian Yan. The Empires of Li Yang and Xian Yan are deadly enemies! One day your merciful Emperor will find your true identity. Will he still let Your Majesty go then?"
Zhanhua was speechless. But before he could reply, the door of his room was knocked. It was Zhanhua's bodyguard. "Master! Madam Yue summons you to the Study!"
The man in black leapt out of the window. He didn't mind the rain at all. He placed a little jade flute upon the window sill in a hurry. "This jade flute is special. No matter how far Your Majesty is, this subordinate can hear it. So if Your Majesty wants any help, please feel free to summon me!"
Then the black cloaked man disappeared into the rain.
Zhanhua stood still for a moment, staring at the jade flute with a heavy heart. Then he picked it up with shuddering fingers and tightened it into his chest.
🌸. 🌸. 🌸. 🌸. 🌸.