- Li Xun -
In the study hall, Li Xun sat across from his teacher.
He was currently being educated on the qualities that a great emperor should possess; morality, virtue and decisiveness. Such lessons were regularly conducted to prepare him for the time when the Emperor relinquished his throne to Li Xun.
Tasked with a quiz, he pondered about it for a moment, before dipping the feather quill pen into an ink jar. As he wrote his answer down in elegant calligraphy, he snuck a peek in the direction where his bodyguards were lined along the walls.
Long'Er stood among them in the corner, unmoving and expressionless. However, each time the teacher recited verses, the gleam of curiosity in his eyes would seem to shimmer a little brighter.
"The superior man, when resting in safety, does not forget that danger may come. When in a state of security he does not forget the possibility of ruin. When all is orderly, he does not forget that disorder may come. Thus his person is not endangered, and his states and all their clans are preserved." [1]
Ever since he started performing his duty as his bodyguard, Li Xun would notice the subtle changes in his expression. As much as the boy tried to hide it, his fascination would peek through his face. Be it a lesson on principles, archery or sword practice, it piqued his interest.
But Long'Er wasn't aware that he was watching him. Observing him.
He was relatively slimmer and shorter than average men. A possible result from his lacking meals when he was living in the mountains. Because of his delicate physique, Li Xun would often worry if the boy might fall apart while undergoing the harsh training.
But he didn't.
His strength was awe-inspiring.
Ever since Li Xun was a child, all his friends belonged to the noble clans. There was an unspoken rule that the nobles should never mingle with the commoners. As a result, he never had a friend from such a humble background, until Long'Er came along and changed that for him.
Their fated encounter only seemed to prove his belief right – that all humans regardless of their status, were equal in beings.
When his lesson ended, he headed back to his bedchamber where his lunch awaited him. Despite his constant reminders to his cooks to reduce his food portions, they still served him a table full of delicious food that was probably enough to feed a few people.
Shaking his head, he called for someone loudly.
"Long'Er."
The boy quickly entered, curious as to what he wanted. When Li Xun waved him over to where he was seated, he abruptly stopped.
"Come and join me at the table."
Long'Er's eyes widened in surprise. He cast a quick glance at the closed doors behind him, fearing that the guards or attendants on the other side of the doors would dislike him for receiving special treatment. Thinking that it would be best if he were to return to his position, he shook his head.
"Your Highness, I'm not hungry. I'll have my lunch later."
Li Xun dismissed his reason with a wave of his hand. "I can't finish all this food and we don't want them to go to waste, do we?"
If he were to speak honestly, it was because his big brother instinct was emerging. He wanted to feed Long'Er and have him grow healthily, lest he might get bullied in the outside world.
When Long'Er made no move to come closer, Li Xun grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the table. Despite his reluctance, the boy obeyed his orders and watched as he placed a bowl of rice and a pair of chopsticks in front of him.
"Eat," Li Xun ordered. "How is it that you have grown skinnier? I didn't bring you to the palace to be starved. And I heard about your excellent sword-fighting skills, but the sword master mentioned that your stamina isn't as good as the rest. Is the training putting a toll on you?"
"I'm fine, Your Highness," he reassured him, grateful for his concern. "I can endure the hardship."
He picked up his chopsticks, lifted the bottom part of his mask slightly and shoved the food into his mouth. As Li Xun watched him eat with vigour, he picked the vegetables and meat with his chopsticks and placed them into his bowl.
"Anyway," he carried on, "you should head to the library when you're free. I do believe that there are a lot of books you might be interested in."
Heat crawled up Long'Er's neck in embarrassment, up to the tip of his ears. He squirmed nervously in his seat, knowing that he was caught in his act. "My apologies, Your Highness. I didn't mean to be distracted during my duty."
A small smile tugged at Li Xun's lips. "You don't have to apologise. The desire to obtain knowledge is not a crime."
They continued eating. It wasn't often he could have the opportunity to share a meal with his friend and, he realised, that it definitely made his food taste more delicious.
"What do you say we head over to the library after this? I can show you the place," he suggested. After all, he didn't have any urgent paperwork to complete. Taking a few hours for a short break didn't seem to pose much of a problem.
Long'Er was hesitant, but his eyes betrayed him with a glow of interest.
"If you insist."
Li Xun chuckled at his response. As the boy resumed eating, he observed him with a curious grin.
"Where did you learn to read anyway?"
As much as he was aware of, education was only readily provided for the rich as schools were few in numbers. Villagers living in the rural areas would find it incredibly difficult to obtain such an opportunity. It was a problem he would address once he was made Emperor in the future, when he would wield more power over the ministers whom he knew were all strongly against this idea.
"My mother taught me," Long'Er replied. "She taught me everything that I needed to know."
"Sounds like an extremely intelligent woman. She must be so proud of you. Will I have a chance to meet her in the future?"
He froze in the midst of drinking from a bowl of watercress soup, looking at Li Xun with cautious eyes . "I'm afraid that would be rather difficult."
But being the nosy person he was, he probed further. "Why would that be?"
"It's...complicated."
Li Xun frowned. "What about your father?"
He had only begun asking, but Long'Er was quick enough to silent him. When he least expected it, a piece of rolled egg was shoved into his mouth to keep him busy, forcing him to drop the conversation.
Forced to chew his food, Li Xun shook his head at Long'Er disapprovingly.
As always, he was being his secretive self.
What exactly was he trying to hide?
"I'll let you go this once," Li Xun mumbled and swallowed hard. "But not the next time."
"Hm? What was that?"
Long'Er swatted the air with his hand, pretending to search for something. "Strange, I swear I heard a bee buzzing in my ears." Turning towards him, he spoke enthusiastically. "Your Highness, the fried fish is really good. Have more of this." He placed pieces of meat and vegetables into his bowl — a way of diverting the conversation from himself.
Whatever that he was trying to hide, Li Xun was determined to unravel his secrets.
Long'Er was a puzzle, one that he was going to solve.
Note: [1] An old proverb by Confucius.