"My son, Huang Shu, have you give proper consideration about it?" Imperial Concubine Ai talked to her son, Huang Shu, or with his imperial title, the Seventh Prince.
The handsome, eighteen years old, Seventh Prince. Adored for his handsomeness and track record as he was good in everything.Â
"Yes, Mother. I've been thinking about it, and I don't think I'm fit to be a scholar," Huang Shu said. He knew that his mother wanted him to be a scholar instead because he had a better chance of being selected as a minister or adviser, knowing that Crown Prince's position was unshakeable to be the next Emperor.
Huang Shu was a warrior, and he showed it ever since he was young. He was an amazing fighter, but he wasn't that good in military strategy.
What helped him was that'¦ he was an all-rounder instead. Huang Shu had no weakness in the academy, strength, and artistic skills such as writing poems.
But he felt that being an academic scholar wasn't his path. He didn't like it. Especially after he stayed with Xi Yue for almost two years, he got annoyed by her and her shameless stares.Â
"But, don't you want to be an Emperor? The son of heaven?"Â
"No, Mother. I think Imperial Crown Prince brother fits that better," Huang Shu said. He didn't have anything against his Imperial brothers as well. It was just his calling.
He had a strange dislike with the Imperial Palace, the Forbidden City, even the capital. Though his hate for the capital city wasn't that much, he just preferred when he went to the border or the countryside. That was why he disliked everything and preferred to stay outside.Â
Imperial Concubine Ai sighed full of pity. She was so lucky to be blessed by such a good son, very handsome as well, the most attractive out of all princes. He was also the most popular, even more than the Crown Prince.
But somehow, he had a certain dislike for the Imperial Palace.Â
"Aish, you don't know about filial piety to your mother," Imperial Concubine Ai said. "Fine, just go, you should go and study more. I will talk about this with your father, His Majesty Emperor."
"Thank you, Mother," Huang Shu bowed his head and left the Palace of White Swan.Â
Huang Shu was always the good prince. He knew that he was popular and preferred by the noble ladies, but he disliked everything about the Imperial Palace and Forbidden City. Let alone looking at the harem. He was, in fact, utterly disgusted about it, seeing his Emperor father had so many concubines, it disgusted him to the core.
Which was also one the main reason that Huang Shu had no interest in becoming an Emperor. Because he didn't want to marry many women!
"Ugh, just thinking about it makes me creeped out already," Huang Shu said while he was walking to the main hall. Truly, now that he said he didn't want to focus on his academic study, he was still trying to figure out what he wanted to do.
Even as a prince, his study did not lack, and he ranked quite high when he tried the Imperial test. Still, he didn't like it, though.Â
"Hm'¦ maybe it's because of that girl, Xi Yue?" Huang Shu pondered. He went to his small palace and used the peasant tunic that he used to disguise himself. He also used some kind of ashes to make sure that his facial features weren't too glaring.
Because he was very handsome, people said, even as handsome as Pan An.
[Note: Pan An - A real historical figure in Ancient China. The most handsome man and also a scholar. 'As handsome as Pan An' is a real saying to refer to his handsomeness.]
He did this because he wanted to experience the hustler of the busy capital city. The bustling market, and also the loudness of people. If he used the prince's carriage, he wouldn't be able to explore freely.Â
"Huh!" Huang Shu jumped from a wall and sneaked out easily. He crossed a small bridge before making it to the capital city.Â
Huang Shu, dressed as a commoner, was now walking in the Imperial City leisurely. He didn't have any real direction to go. He was just enjoying the city since it was his only entertainment.Â
"Ah, I remember that I'm now entering the red district," Huang Shu thought. He knew this place, although he would never visit it. It was still in the afternoon, though, so there was no activity here.
He walked until he stopped when he saw a man in blue hanfu. Which signifies that he was, at least, from a rich family, whether he was from a noble family or not.Â
Huang Shu couldn't see his face because Huang Shu was behind him. But that man had a lean body and looked very scholarly. He leaned to a little street girl, probably around nine or ten years old.Â
He then crouched and patted the girl's hair while the girl only stared in awe. Huang Shu could see the girl was awed by this man's look for no reason.Â
The man seemed to be talking about something, which made Huang Shu curious. He had a guess that the young man was actually a child predator. Although many immoral men wanted to touch little girls, Huang Shu wouldn't let it happen in front of him.Â
"Damn, what a shameless, immoral guy to take a poor street girl to satiate his beastly desire'¦" Huang Shu thought as he was about to protect that street girl.
But what he saw next was unexpected. He saw the man gave the little girl bao that he just bought, a warm one. He then got up, with his hand holding the little girl's hand. He really wanted to take the little girl with him.
They wanted to walk away, but there was a big and burly man who suddenly blocked their path. He glared at the man in blue hanfu and yelled in a loud and intimidating voice, "THIS KID IS OURS! HE IS PART OF THIS DISTRICT! IF YOU WANT TO USE HER, PAY ME FIRST!"
"I'm sorry, but I don't want to use her for something like that. I want to take her to my house instead. I want to take her as a servant."
"HAH! YOU NEED TO PAY ME FOR THAT!"
The man in blue hanfu asked the little girl, "Do you know this uncle?"
The little girl shook her head. Her body was trembling and hid behind the man. She was utterly terrified.
The man in blue hanfu took a deep breath and then told the little girl, "Go distance yourself. I will fight him."
The little girl hesitated. She didn't believe that the man in blue hanfu could beat the big uncle, but after the man in blue hanfu said, "Don't worry, I'm a martial artist."Â
The little girl finally believed, and she hid behind a tree.Â
Huang Shu was preparing himself. He also doubted this guy could defeat a big burly man. So he was ready to kick that burly man's head if something happened.Â
The burly man cracked his knuckles and grinned with his teeth showing, "You think a Ger like you can beat me? Aiyo, come on, you're such a beautiful ger man. Why don't you come with Laozi instead? We can have some fun."
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