I Will Not Return
The prison was dim and forbidding. Along the narrow corridor, black-furred rats with sleek coats darted out at intervals, squeaking and scrambling into the rotting, damp straw before vanishing from sight.
The jailer holding a lantern led the way with eager attentiveness. “Your Highness, please walk slowly. Take care, this filthy place may soil your shoes.”
Lu Ronghuai lowered his gaze. Firelight flickered within his eyes, casting light upon a face so cold it bore no expression.
“Do not dawdle.”
Startled by the chill in that voice, the jailer forced a smile and hastened his steps. Only after escorting him to the innermost cell did he quietly let out a breath.
“Give me the key. You may withdraw,” Lu Ronghuai said, his tall figure standing before the door, blocking most of the candlelight at once.
The jailer dared not refuse. He took the key from his robes and presented it with utmost respect.
Lu Ronghuai turned and unlocked the cell door.
The door emitted a harsh, grating sound. The man leaning in the corner heard the movement and slowly raised his head, his eyes calm and without ripple.
Lu Ronghuai walked at an unhurried pace until he stood before him.
He cast a glance at the cold, untouched food upon the ground. “I heard Second Brother refuses to eat in prison?”
Leaning against the wall, Lu Rongluo raised a hand and brushed straw from his sleeve. “This Crown Prince wishes to see Father Emperor.”
Lu Ronghuai said directly, “Father Emperor has not agreed.”
Lu Rongluo froze, then shook his head. “That cannot be. Father Emperor would not be so heartless toward this Crown Prince. And this Crown Prince’s mother will surely find a way to help.”
“Empress Mother is now confined by Father Emperor within Fengqi Palace. I fear she cannot assist you.”
“What did you say?” Lu Rongluo’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“She is not only your Empress Mother, but also a member of the Liu family. Have you forgotten, Second Brother?” Lu Ronghuai regarded him with faint amusement.
“"Every member of the Liu household, servants included, has been imprisoned. The Liu residence has been searched and raided, and a great amount of illicit silver and evidence was found within. As for the final sentence, it will be decided within a day or two.”
“Impossible. Grandfather is meticulous in his thinking. How could you have found a weakness in him so easily? Those pieces of evidence must be false.” Lu Rongluo denied it flatly.
“The old fox did hide himself deeply. Yet there was no help for it. This Prince cast the bait earlier.”
Lu Ronghuai stepped forward, drawing closer with each step. He leaned down slightly, his gaze teasing yet unfathomable. “This Prince laid careful plans for over half a year before drawing in the net. How could I allow the great fish any chance to turn over?”
Lu Rongluo suddenly raised his head, grinding his back teeth. “Lu—Rong—huai! So it was all your doing!”
Lu Ronghuai raised a brow. “When Second Brother and Duke Liu plotted against this Prince, did you never consider that you might lose?”
“This Crown Prince will not lose! This Crown Prince wishes to see Father Emperor! Let me see Father Emperor!” Lu Rongluo lunged toward him in desperation.
The corner of Lu Ronghuai’s lips curved. He lifted his foot and delivered a light kick. The Crown Prince, having gone two meals without food, was struck to the ground and could not rise, his hair falling into disarray.
Lu Ronghuai walked forward and looked down at him from above. “Father Emperor will not see you. Lu Rongluo, what you have hidden in the deep mountains of the Northern Detached Palace will soon be known to Father Emperor.”
Lu Rongluo’s eyes trembled, his pupils contracting sharply. His chest struck the ground with pain, and though his mouth opened, no words came.
“This Prince is most curious. What expression will Father Emperor show when he sees them?” Lu Ronghuai smiled faintly, the curve of his lips cold and sinister. “At that time, will you be his good son or a chess piece that obstructs him? This Prince shall wait and see.”
“No… no… this Crown Prince is not…” Lu Rongluo could no longer maintain composure. It was as though his vital point had been seized, his eyes filled with fear and panic.
“How do you know these things?! Lu Ronghuai, is there one of your men among those beside me?”
“This Prince once upheld upright conduct. It was Second Brother who taught me to mend the silk before the rain comes.”
Lu Ronghuai brushed dust from his shoulder. A sliver of moonlight passed through the small window above, falling into his eyes, deep and still as an unfathomable sea.
He lowered his gaze and murmured to himself, “How did this Prince ever lose to you in the past?”
Lu Rongluo did not hear clearly. He reached to grasp the hem of Lu Ronghuai’s robe, but Lu Ronghuai stepped back and avoided his hand.
“Third Brother, Third Brother, I am your Second Brother. When you were young, none cared for you. It was I who helped you. For the sake of past affection, help Second Brother this once.”
Affection?
Lu Ronghuai pressed his tongue lightly against his palate, turning the word over with a hint of mockery.
In his childhood, were it not for the Crown Prince and the Empress, his days would not have been so difficult. They used every means against him in secret, yet on the surface feigned concern and came to greet him. It was enough to turn his stomach.
“Rest assured. Every single debt, this prince will collect from each of you in turn.”
Lu Rongluo stiffened. He saw the cold ferocity within Lu Ronghuai’s eyes and felt even greater alarm at the authority he now revealed.
“You… you…” In an instant, Lu Rongluo understood everything. “This was all your scheme! And Eldest Brother… his leg, you were the one who crippled it, were you not?!”
Lu Ronghuai crouched and spoke softly beside his ear. “He dared to covet this Prince’s Ah-Yuan. That this Prince did not gouge out his eyes is already his fortune.”
Lu Rongluo trembled from head to foot.
“This Prince’s Ah-Yuan, is he not beautiful?” Lu Ronghuai raised his left hand, his fingertips cold as they touched the corner of Lu Rongluo’s eye.
His voice was like a ghost, as though a soul-reaping spirit in the night had come to claim life, and it frightened Lu Rongluo into unceasing trembling.
“You… what madness is this? This Crown Prince does not understand you.”
“You would do well not to.” Lu Ronghuai gave a cold laugh, rose to his feet, and left without mercy beneath Lu Rongluo’s trembling gaze.
He stepped out of the imperial prison, the moonlight draped across his body.
“Your Highness.” A somewhat unfamiliar voice sounded from the side.
Lu Ronghuai turned his head and saw Ning Yuqiang approaching with a food box in hand.
His gaze swept over the box, his expression indifferent. He snapped his fingers toward Xian Feng.
Xian Feng understood and brought the horse tied beneath the tree.
“Has Your Highness just gone to visit the Crown Prince?” Ning Yuqiang asked. Seeing he received no reply, he smiled slightly. The youthful innocence of the previous year had long faded, replaced by a trace of calculation within his brows and eyes.
“What concern is that of yours.” Lu Ronghuai mounted the horse.
Ning Yuqiang raised his head. Hearing such cold words, he showed not the slightest disturbance. “Indeed, it does not concern me. Ride safely, Your Highness.”
With that, he turned and walked toward the prison.
He slipped a silver ingot to the jailer and was allowed entry.
He had barely stepped through the prison gate when he heard the sound of hooves beating a rapid retreat behind him.
Lu Ronghuai had already departed.
Ning Yuqiang tightened his grip on the handle of the food box until his knuckles turned white. He drew a deep breath and stared down the dim corridor ahead.
Do not be impatient. Take it slowly. He would make him regret it.
When Chu Yuan awoke, he discovered there were no traces of anyone having slept beside him.
He stretched his legs slightly and called softly toward the outside, “Le Shu.”
Le Shu quickly entered, smiling as he lifted the gauze curtain. “Your Highness has awakened. The weather is fine today. A yellow oriole even flew into the courtyard this morning. Its song was most pleasant.”
Chu Yuan turned his head toward the window, yet what drew his attention was not the oriole.
“His Highness did not return last night?”
“He returned in the early hours. After entering, he saw Your Highness sleeping soundly. Hehe, he kissed the Prince Consort once, then took a change of clothes and left,” Le Shu said as he helped him up.
A flush rose upon Chu Yuan’s face. He hurriedly asked, “Where has he gone?”
“His Highness said His Majesty ordered him to make a trip to the Northern Detached Palace. Even riding swiftly there and back, it will take four or five days.”
Chu Yuan puffed his cheeks slightly, feeling somewhat displeased by Lu Ronghuai’s sudden departure.
Yet he understood in his heart that an imperial order could not be defied. With Prince Qi and the Crown Prince encountering misfortune one after another, Emperor Hongjia had entrusted nearly all tasks to Lu Ronghuai. Not only would he be busier than before, the dangers he faced would also increase.
Chu Yuan let out a quiet sigh and pressed all his worries back into his heart.
He finished breakfast alone, then went to the small study to read for a while, yet could not calm his mind.
Xian Yu noticed something amiss with Chu Yuan and beckoned to Le Shu.
Le Shu glanced at Chu Yuan, who was lost in thought, and stepped over lightly. “What is it?”
“Let us accompany Master outside for a walk. When His Highness is present, he is always by Master’s side. Master has grown accustomed to it. Now that he is absent, Master must be feeling the absence.”
“We cannot leave Your Highness alone at home.”
Le Shu found this reasonable. He returned to Chu Yuan and said cheerfully, “Your Highness, shall we go see the shop? It will open by the end of the month.”
Chu Yuan came back to himself. He looked at the clear blue sky outside and nodded. “Very well. Since there is nothing to do, bring that box. The paintings I have completed are all inside.”
“Understood.”
The group soon set out. Xian Yu drove the carriage, Xian Shuang sat at the other side, and Le Shu remained inside speaking with Chu Yuan.
The Bu Xian Xian Pavilion had already been completed. Chu Yuan walked through it once. Everything that should be added had been arranged. The style was refined, and several paintings hung upon the walls. Looking at the shop before him, a gentle smile appeared in his eyes.
“Has the shopkeeper and the painting attendant been found?”
“The shopkeeper has been chosen, an old hand in the from Ye Jing with a great deal of experience. This subordinate has investigated him, and there are no issues,” Xian Yu replied.
“Good. As for the painting attendant, we may take our time. There is no need to hurry.” There were still around ten days before the opening, so Chu Yuan was not concerned.
They remained in the studio for half a day. As the sun rose high and the noon heat intensified, Le Shu feared Chu Yuan might suffer from the heat and asked whether they should return.
Chu Yuan set the painting aside. Tilting his head slightly, he said, “I will not return.”
Everyone cleaning the shop froze. “Ah?”
Xian Yu held a broom, his eyes nearly falling out. “M-Master, you would not be leaving home, would you?”
Chu Yuan pressed his lips together. A small dimple appeared upon his cheek. His eyes were round, his pupils dark and large, his nose delicate and refined. When he tilted his head to look at others, there was a youthful softness to his features.
“Leaving home? Very well, then I shall leave home,” he said, clapping his hands as he made the decision with ease.
“Xian Yu, trouble yourself to return and fetch two sets of clothes for me. If His Highness can leave, so can I.”
With a thud, the broom fell to the ground.
Xian Yu clutched his head and wailed, “It is finished. When His Highness returns, how is this subordinate to give an account?”
“Master, Master, where are you going? You must not leave home. This household cannot do without you.” Xian Yu sniffled and hurried after him.
The carriage soon arrived before the gates of the Nie Residence.
Chu Yuan stepped down, stretched with ease, and said to the stunned Xian Yu beside him, “Very well, this is where I shall stay after leaving home. Go and fetch the clothes.”
✧ A Word from the Author ✧
Lu dog: Went away on business and came home to find my wife gone.
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