CROWN PRINCE'S CONCUBINE

297 The Mercenaries

“Your Majesty, who are they? They do like palace soldiers but not carrying any party’s flags or emblems, did they usually are?” asked BaiYing who was sitting on a very casual bed in a room no bigger than his bathroom at the Crown Prince’s palace, but, at least the room had a clean and thick blanket for them to sleep in tonight. He helped the Crown Prince remove his hairpin so they could sleep that night, Crown Prince’s thick black hair instantly fell down over his shoulder.

“YingYing also thinks they are soldiers? Hem, I think that too, their combat ability, although not as great as BeiYau’s mainstay warriors, but above the average of some palace soldiers, but, who are they? They gathered in quite large numbers, and wearing full armour as if they were heading to the battlefield”

BaiYing brushed the Crown Prince’s hair, that thick and dark colour shining hair.

“Em, are they might go somewhere? Ying heard from young master Xu, he thought those people might be mercenaries ordered by a group of powerful people to attack as ordered, but, could it be Your Majesty? Who has so much power to command this many people, other than the King or Emperor?” BaiYing thought, he furrowed his brows, and suddenly opened his eyes wide as if he remembered something.

“Yeah, that weapon, that crooked dagger, Your Majesty somehow I feel familiar with it, and that dagger is similar to Master FaLu’s that often hangs on his waist” BaiYing exclaimed as if he afraid that he would forget to convey the information that he kept thinking about since the first time he saw that weapon, he might forget about it again.

Crown Prince turned his head, he looked at BaiYing for a moment in deep thought.

“Master FaLu’s weapon? You mean Commander FaLu?” asked the Crown Prince.

BaiYing nodded.

“Yeah, who else Your Majesty, Master FaLu, Uncle FaLu, Commander or whatever, I’m pretty sure that I saw the same shape and size dagger hanging at Uncle FaLu’s waist, he once said if Ying wants it he can give it to me as a weapon to defend myself, but, Ying thought that would be wasteless, for what, Ying’er’s hand can never master any kind of weapon.”

.....

Crown Prince thought, he frowned in thought.

“But, what does that dagger have to do with Commander FaLu? Those people are very far from WahYe so, they couldn’t possibly go there on purpose to buy the dagger right?”

“The problem is Your Majesty, according to Uncle FaLu, that kind of dagger are not for sale in any market, residents who violate will receive customary punishment from village elders, because according to the WahYe tribe, the dagger is a symbol of strong descent, usually in one family there will be one or two exactly the same daggers were passed down for the next generation, or else the family head or an older person would intentionally order the dagger or forge it by themself as a gift to the younger child, that was according to Uncle FaLu, since Ying was a Viceroy so he didn’t mind to make another one on behalf of the FaLu family for Ying if YIng’er wants.”

Crown Prince glanced at BaiYing, looked at him for a while, then raised his hand to ruffle the boy’s hair in amusement.

“Ugh this kid, why did you suddenly become so smart like this? Are you still my adorable YingYing?”

The young man pursed his lips.

“This highness is always teasing Ying’er, indeed, this Ying has always been smart.”

LuoXiang couldn’t stop smiling at the face of the little boy in front of him, he really still couldn’t believe it until now, if this spoiled and whiny little boy in front of him was a young king with very great abilities, the little boy who basically only knows how to play.

“Hehehe yeah yeah, my YingYing has been smart from a long time ago.”

Crown Prince thought again.

“If that the case, these people, whether they are from WahYe, or each person has a different background, we can’t be sure of that, and it’s none of our business, tomorrow when the storm subsides we will continue our journey back”

BaiYing nodded.

“Yes, that’s right Your Majesty, I can’t wait to go home, look at now, we can’t even have a bath because of insufficient water, just rinses, then Ying’s body will definitely be itchy and smelly” BaiYing pulled his body closer to Crown Prince and hugging the big warm body, it feels so nice. Crown Prince smiled, he stroked the young man’s hair and kissed his forehead gently.

“Chup”

“The journey this time is indeed quite long, but, this is also fun Ying, let’s just say we are trying to enjoy a vacation that is difficult for us to get, The rotten Emperor is very stingy in giving time off, we have only been gone how couple days he already ordered us to go home soon”

BaiYing nodded, resting his head on the Crown Prince’s broad and muscular arms, faintly visible from his thin clothes as if it was a very comfortable pillow.

“Emm, well, let’s just say it’s our delayed vacation, sorry Ying has taken up Your Majesty’s time, hopefully, His Majesty the Emperor is not angry with Ying”

LuoXiang smiled.

“Hehe that old man, how could he be mad at you, Ying Ying is his favourite son-in-law.”

BaiYing laughed until his eyes disappeared.

“Hehehehe it’s because Ying is so cute right?”

“Of course, moreover, that rotten Emperor can’t bear to scold such a sweet YingYing”

BaiYing smiled until his cheeks were red with embarrassment, recently, Crown Prince become so sweet to him, that person turned from a cold man who rarely smiled to a much warmer man, though, he always felt that the Crown Prince had always been very gentle with him since long time ago.

“Oh yeah, Your Majesty, it is possible that Big Brother MingMing will stay for a while in the palace, can he occupy the Deer Pavilion which is not far from the lake?”

LuoXiang thought for a while.

“Why does he have to stay there? Normally he would occupy the guest pavilion at the front, he wouldn’t be staying for a long time right?”

“It might, Brother MingMing said he wants to practice the profound internal energy from Elder Yi, so we’ll be very busy later.”

Crown Prince took a deep breath.

“Heh just do what he wants, that brat, for some reason he seems to have eyes in the back of his head, everywhere we go I feel he is always there to watch our every move”

Hearing that BaiYing chuckled.

“Hehehehe that is no way Your Majesty, it’s just on Your Majesty’s head, brother Ming Ming is very relaxed, he doesn’t even want to know other people affairs, I already know my brother very well even though I only knew him briefly, Brother Ming Ming only cares about Ying’er’s safety, the rest he doesn’t mind at all.”

Crown Prince pursed his lips, pinching BaiYing’s nose in exasperation.

“This kid, of course, YingYing is his very precious little brother”

BaiYing smiled until all his eyes disappeared.

“Heheheh of course I am, Your Majesty, that’s for sure right?”

...........

The next morning, the sun was shining brightly, the storm winds seemed to have subsided, whether it was just around the inn.

A gentle breeze blew the old and shabby curtains over the bed, what a contrast the room condition was with BaiYing who sleeping soundly on the bed, with bright and shining faces, even some birds that had flown so far to that place perched for a moment on the window, singing one or two beautiful tones to fill that beautiful morning.

BaiYing had just opened his eyes when he heard the sound of the door opening from outside, it seemed, as usual, his two maids had slowly entered the room, careful not to wake him up, however, he was already awake.

“Please forgive us, Your Majesty, for waking Your Majesty up,” said Yan slightly lowering her knees. BaiYing smiled, he slowly pulled himself up.

“Hey, that’s no problem Sis, it’s already morning, right? Em” he did not find Crown Prince anywhere in the room.

“Em, where is His Highness the Crown Prince? Is it noon already?” he asked.

Yan and Bi looked at each other, both seemed to hesitate to speak.

“Em that”

BaiYing lowered his feet, grabbed his shoes ready to put them on.

“Your Majesty has gone downstairs already? Does, he hold daily meetings with Guard Bei? Or a discussion with Elder Yi? Or,... oh no..” BaiYing’s eyes opened wide, he remembered last night when he was nodding and almost fell asleep when he heard Crown Prince who said he would meet the troop leader and talk to him, did he really do that?

“Ouch, come on, Yan, where’s Ying’s water to rinse? We have to get down immediately to see what’s going on”

Yan and Bi stuttered, both trying to prevent the young man from descending as the Crown Prince ordered them earlier.

“B-but Your Highness”

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