Gifted Bride of the Sinned Prince

Lóng Wei ignored her and ran away from the palace. He halted and rested his hands on his knees as he caught his breath. Monk Yuze was practicing martial arts in front of his house, holding a sword in his hand.

Lóng Wei stood straight as he saw the movements of Yuze’s hands and legs. They were synchronised and clean moves. With strong blows of his fist, Yuze broke the pots into pieces and withdrew his hands. He brought his right hand to the middle of his chest as a namaskara pose while he took his left hand behind his back.

He took a deep breath in and saw Lóng Wei at the entrance. He relaxed his posture and he gestured at Lóng Wei to come inside.

He walked in and asked Yuze if the prophecy was true.

“Yes, the prophecy is true, Lóng Wei,” Yuze said with a calm expression. He noticed the troubled expression on the prince’s face and read it. He knew that Concubine Yu Jun had returned from a long journey. He understood Lóng Wei had an argument with his mother.

Yuze put his hand on Lóng Wei’s back and took him inside. “Should the Prince not study at this hour in the palace?” He asked.

“I won’t study anymore,” Lóng Wei said in anger. “She is such a bad mother. I met her after a month and she didn’t even smile at me, Yuze. She asked me to die. Why should I die? Why doesn’t my mother seem like my mother?” He blurted his anger out and sat on the bench.

.....

Yuze was confused as to why Yu Jun acted that way as soon as she returned.

He handed a water glass to Lóng Wei, and he drank the water. Yuze went to the other side to wash his hands and returned after some time.

He sat next to Lóng Wei on the same bench. “Prince Lóng Wei shall not forget that to become a great prince, he must know about his kingdom. For that, he has to study like the other princes,” Yuze told him.

“Can she not smile once at me? I will be seven years old in two days. A month ago, when Prince Xiaoming’s birthday arrived, his mother was so excited about it. She started the preparation a month ago. My mother never did that. I hate her, Yuze,” Lóng Wei said, and tears poured down his cheeks. He fiddled with his fingers and lowered his head. “I wish she would not be my mother,” he muttered and sniffled.

Yuze caressed Lóng Wei’s head and he quickly turned to him. He hugged him tightly and shut his eyes. “I am not weak. I know, only the weak do complain and cry,” he said.

“Lóng Wei isn’t weak. He is the strongest of all,” Yuze stated, and caressed his back too. Lóng Wei quickly drew away and wiped his tears away with the back of his hand.

“I do not want my father to punish my mother. Last time when I complained about her, my mother was flogged,” Lóng Wei said, and wiped the tears using his thumb from his eyes.

“You are so thoughtful of your mother,” Yuze said. He decided to talk to Yu Jun tomorrow. He could not see Lóng Wei growing up in a strange way.

“You should teach me how to fight! I do not want to learn from the General. He is too strict and he always glares at me as if he also hates me,” Lóng Wei asserted, and requested Yuze to be his teacher. “I will study if you teach me,” he added.

“I will ask about it from His Majesty,” Yuze assured Lóng Wei and asked him to go back to the palace.

“I don’t want to,” Lóng Wei became reluctant to leave.

“It is not good to be outside the palace. Let’s go back,” Yuze said, and he stood up. He extended his hand and Lóng Wei held it. Yuze took Lóng Wei back to the palace.

As Lóng Wei reached the western palace, he saw his mother smiling with the Queen, consorts and concubines of the king. Other princes, except the Crown Prince and other princesses, were also present with their mothers. They all had gathered in the pavilion.

Lóng Wei let go of Yuze’s hand and ran to the pavilion. He had held enough and he didn’t care if he raised his voice at his mother in front of everyone.

“How could you laugh and smile here?” Lóng Wei roared. Despite being a young six-year-old kid, he understood everything.

Yu Jun turned her head from the Queen to look at his son.

“You asked me to go away to have fun here,” Lóng Wei said with a furious look.

“Prince Lóng Wei, apologize to your mother. Is this the way you talk to an elder?” Zhu Liling intervened.

“I am not talking to you,” Lóng Wei said, and clenched his tiny fists. He didn’t avert his gaze from his mother, not even for a second.

“I won’t die. I am the Dragon’s son, and I will fulfill my destiny one day. If you ever told me to die, I will kill you,” Lóng Wei pronounced in front of everyone. Yu Jun curled his fingers and a frown appeared on her forehead.

“What kind of language did Concubine Yu Jun teach her son?” Xiuying said, and mocked her off.

“Forgive Lóng Wei for his behavior,” Yu Jun said, and bowed her head as she apologized. “I will surely punish him for his wrong behavior,” she assured the Queen.

Lóng Wei got angry when he heard his mother’s words. He looked at the tea server and threw the tea set on the floor.

Everyone rose to their feet to see Lóng Wei acting like a mad child. He threw everything that came in his hand into the pavilion. The young princesses screamed in fear when they saw Lóng Wei acting crazily.

The Queen asked the maidservants to stop Lóng Wei, but they could not do that until Yuze arrived and caught Lóng Wei’s hand, which was holding a vase.

“That’s enough, Lóng Wei,” Yuze said and looked into his eyes. He then glanced at Yu Jun, who was confusedly staring at her son.