In the Orange blossom courtyard, the exterior of the place was well taken care of despite the absence of Qin Fuhua. But, the bed-chamber, study room, and bathhouse were not maintained. Areum and Wu Fei walked down the corridor near the bed-chamber, taking notice of the Prince as they bowed.
"So this is what the Prince meant when he said to 'organize' his courtyard." Wu Fei whispered next to Areum. She had a couple of towels dangling from her right forearm. Areum, after shaking her head to greet Qin Fuhua, nodded in agreement.
"I thought he was supposed to be the Prince, but why didn't anyone touch his belongings here?" Areum was carrying a wooden bucket filled with clean water. The two had noticed that when they arrived, Weizhe had instructed them to clean the room and study room. The bathhouse was maintained by the servants in the Palace, but it seemed like no one dared to handle any of the Prince of Qin's belongings.
Qin Fuhua turned around after standing outside in the cold for a while and entered his bedroom, gliding the door close. Weizhe followed him until he left to his room, closing the bamboo umbrella.
"W-Wait!" Areum called out to Weizhe, who spun around to see why she intercepted him. Areum rushed to Weizhe, standing shoulder to shoulder with him. "Why isn't anyone taking care of the Prince's belongings? Isn't it wrong that we are doing their job?"
Areum wasn't one to complain about cleaning, but she couldn't comprehend that the Prince, Qin Fuhua, someone with so much power, had no one taking care of his belongings.
Weizhe bobbed his head, "Ah, right." He pointed around the courtyard, "Everyone is too much of a coward to touch the Prince of Qin's belongings. Some people are frightened to mess with his things because they believed that Qin Fuhua would kill them."
Areum tilted her head in bewilderment. Why would Qin Fuhua do that?
"Ah. Yes. I forgot to note before the Prince left the Palace, his parents ordered the maids and servants to just take care of the courtyard and not his belongings. It was requested by Qin Fuhua."
"Strange," Areum whispered to herself, just enough for herself to hear before she looked at Weizhe, patting his shoulders. "Okay. Well, thank you for letting me know then." Areum rotated around to Wu Fei. "Feifei."
Wu Fei lifted her head after Areum called her. "Let's go clean." Wu Fei nodded, as the two scurried to the study room to clean out the dust.
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Qin Fuhua was sitting in his room, peacefully sipping on his tea, calmly. Despite his calm behavior, he was wondering how his little sister was doing. He would go see Princess Chuhua at this moment, but then Qin Fuhua knew that his father would have mandated the guards to not permit him to enter since this was his father's only way to get his son (Qin Fuhua) back to enter the Palace.
The only way for him to be able to see how his little sister was doing was to patiently wait.
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[Han Suyin]
"It seems like she's finally sleeping now." Suyin softly spoke, sitting next to Zheng An who peacefully slept, her hands on her stomach. Suyin shifted to look at the younger brother, who was still fixated on his older sister.
"Zhelan."
He turned to glimpse up at Suyin, who then lit a small smile at him. "You should be resting also. You need to sleep so that you have the energy to take care of your sister."
Zhelan lowered his head, biting his lips as he shook his head. He grasped his hands, turning them into a fist. Regret began to eat him up, as he frowned. "If I knew she was going to do that..." He slightly quivered in anger. He then gazed at his dozing sister, then back to Suyin.
"Miss Suyin."
Suyin glimpsed up at him, her eyes wide as if she had been wakened.
"There's something that my sister had been concealing from me." He then looked at his older sister again. "Let's go outside and build a fire."
Suyin nodded. She didn't want to disturb Zheng An, and this matter seemed like this was important to the siblings.
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Sitting outside not too far from the entrance of the little broken-down home, there was a small fire pit lit as the rain had halted. Although it was still cloudy, it was still durable enough for a fire to start. As Suyin sat down next to Zhelan on a large tree stump, he turned to take a look around the grassland and the city of Shu Qin. Gazing at the grassland and the gates, he broke the silence.
"At a young age, Zheng An and I were just simple kids living in a small little town not too far from here." Zheng An grabbed a stick, moving around the wood that crackled in the fire. "Although it felt like everyone knew each other, our land was great for farming. That's when the Emperor brought his men and burned down the village, without our consent." A sad smile was brought upon Zheng An's face. "I was too young to even know what was going on. As a fire broke out and men began to kill our people, Zheng An was able to escape with me before we could get caught." He then looked up at Suyin in the eyes.
"Didi (older sister; meaning Zheng An) was trying to find an answer to why they had to kill our people. Our family. Why did bloodshed have to occur? There were so many unanswered questions, and we had to become orphans." He shook his head, laughing sarcastically, "I don't understand why Didi needs to go to the extent of getting hurt like this. What was her plan and why did she do this?"
Suyin couldn't respond to him. She didn't know what to say, but she admired him telling her about their lives.
"Maybe your sister is looking for an answer. She probably didn't mean for this to happen." Suyin replied to Zhelan, who then calmed down. He nodded his head.
"The only thing that I could do is to learn poison. After we escaped, an old man saved us and was kind enough to let us stay with him-- at the cost of helping him around the house. He was an expert at poison, so he was kind enough to teach me until now." He had a nervous laugh, scratching his head, "Although I'm still not the best, this is all that I can do." He took out his hands and looked at them. "I'm not strong like Didi, so I always hoped that I can help her in a different way."
Suyin frowned at what he had said. Suyin then got up and then pointed at his palms. "Hm. It seems like your palm tells me that you are a hard worker and you've always tried your best to help your sister so that you two wouldn't suffer together. Is that right?" Suyin wanted to cheer up Zhelan. "If you two weren't there for me, I wouldn't have been alive," Suyin added. "Don't think that you're helpless. You saved me, just like how we will save your sister if she is blinded by revenge."
Suyin figured that Zheng An was always leaving, from the mornings until night time came. It was more than likely she would try to get revenge on the Kingdom, but it would only cause a bigger problem if she did do something. "
"How about this, I'll go to town and see if there was any commotion or gossip if anything went on. Would that help ease your mind?" Suyin asked Zhelan.
"I should be the one going..."
"You will stay with your sister to keep an eye on your older sister. Does that sound fair?" Suyin patted his shoulders. "Take this as a thank you for saving my life." She grinned.
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[The next morning]
In the Orange Blossom Courtyard, the exterior was carefully maintained, a testament to the dedication of the groundskeepers, despite the prolonged absence of Prince Qin Fuhua. However, the same care was not extended to the interior spaces. The bed-chamber, study room, and bathhouse had fallen into a state of neglect.
As Areum and Wu Fei walked down the dimly lit corridor near the bed-chamber, they noticed the figure of the Prince and respectfully bowed in his direction.
"So this is what the Prince meant when he said to 'organize' his courtyard," Wu Fei whispered to Areum, her voice barely audible as she clutched a few towels draped over her right forearm. Areum, after a slight nod of acknowledgment towards Qin Fuhua, mirrored Wu Fei's sentiment.
"I thought he was supposed to be the Prince, but why didn't anyone touch his belongings here?" Areum wondered aloud, balancing a wooden bucket brimming with clean water.
Upon their arrival, Weizhe had instructed them to clean the bedroom and study room. The bathhouse, maintained by the palace servants, seemed untouched, as if an invisible barrier prevented anyone from handling the Prince's personal space.
Qin Fuhua, after standing outside in the biting cold for a while, finally turned and entered his bedroom, sliding the door shut with a soft yet decisive motion. Weizhe followed closely, closing his bamboo umbrella as he prepared to leave.
"W-Wait!" Areum called out, her voice tinged with urgency. Weizhe spun around, his expression curious. Areum rushed towards him, closing the distance until she stood shoulder to shoulder with him.
"Why isn't anyone taking care of the Prince's belongings? Isn't it wrong that we are doing their job?"
Areum wasn't typically one to voice complaints about chores, but the situation puzzled her. How could someone as powerful as Prince Qin Fuhua have no one tending to his personal quarters?
Weizhe nodded, understanding her confusion. "Ah, right," he began, gesturing around the courtyard. "Everyone is too much of a coward to touch the Prince of Qin's belongings. Some believe that if they interfere with his things, Qin Fuhua would kill them."
Areum tilted her head, bewildered. Why would Qin Fuhua do that? The idea seemed preposterous, yet the fear among the servants was evident, woven into the very fabric of the courtyard's eerie stillness.
"Ah. Yes, I forgot to mention," Weizhe began, his voice lowering as he leaned in slightly. "Before the Prince left the palace, his parents instructed the maids and servants to maintain the courtyard but not to touch his belongings. This was at Qin Fuhua's request."
"Strange," Areum murmured to herself, her words barely audible. She patted Weizhe's shoulder in thanks. "Okay. Well, thank you for letting me know."
She turned to Wu Fei. "Feifei."
Wu Fei lifted her head at the sound of her name. "Let's go clean," Areum said, determination in her voice. Wu Fei nodded, and the two girls hurried to the study room, prepared to sweep away the layers of dust that had accumulated.
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Qin Fuhua sat in his room, the steam from his tea curling into the air as he sipped it slowly, maintaining a calm gesture.
Yet, beneath this serene exterior, his thoughts were occupied with concern for his little sister, Princess Chuhua. He longed to see her, to ensure she was well, but he knew his father's tactics all too well.
Any attempt to visit her would be thwarted by guards stationed specifically to keep him out. It was his father's way of manipulating him, trying to draw him back into the palace fold.
As he took another measured sip of tea, Qin Fuhua contemplated his predicament. The only way to see his sister was to wait, to bide his time until an opportunity presented itself. Patience was his ally, and he would need to rely on it, despite the yearning that tugged at his heart.
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[Han Suyin]
"It seems like she's finally sleeping now," Suyin softly remarked, her voice gentle as she sat beside Zheng An, who lay peacefully with her hands resting on her stomach.
Suyin turned her gaze to Zhelan, the younger brother, who remained fixated on his slumbering sister.
"Zhelan," she called softly.
He looked up at Suyin, his eyes meeting hers. She offered a small, encouraging smile. "You should be resting too. You need to sleep so that you have the energy to take care of your sister."
Zhelan lowered his head, biting his lips as he shook his head. His hands clenched into fists. Regret gnawed at him, a visible frown deepening the lines on his young face.
"If I knew she was going to do that..." His voice trembled with barely contained anger. He glanced back at his sleeping sister, then returned his gaze to Suyin.
"Miss Suyin," he began, his voice tinged with urgency.
Suyin's eyes widened, sensing the gravity of his words. "There's something my sister has been hiding from me," he continued his voice barely above a whisper. He looked at Zheng An again, his expression conflicted and pained. "Let's go outside and build a fire."
Suyin nodded in agreement, understanding the need for privacy. She didn't want to disturb Zheng An, and it was clear that this matter was of great importance to the siblings. Quietly, they slipped outside into the cool night air, the sounds of the night enveloping them. As they prepared to build a fire, the flickering flames would soon shed light on the secrets that had been kept hidden for far too long.
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Sitting outside, not too far from the entrance of their small, broken-down home, a small fire pit flickered as the rain had finally halted. Although the sky remained overcast, it was dry enough for a fire to take hold. Suyin sat down next to Zhelan on a large tree stump. Zhelan glanced around, taking in the view of the grassland and the distant gates of the city of Shu Qin. Breaking the silence, he began to speak, his voice soft but steady.
"At a young age, Zheng An and I were just simple kids living in a small town not far from here." He picked up a stick and stirred the crackling fire, his face illuminated by the dancing flames. "It felt like everyone knew each other, and our land was perfect for farming. Then the Emperor sent his men, and they burned down our village without warning." A sad smile appeared on Zhelan's face, his eyes reflecting the flames. "I was too young to understand what was happening. As the fire spread and men began killing our people, Zheng An managed to escape with me before we could be caught." He looked up, meeting Suyin's gaze.
"Didi (older sister; meaning Zheng An) has been searching for answers ever since. Why did they kill our people? Our family? Why did bloodshed have to occur? There were so many unanswered questions, and we were left as orphans." He shook his head, laughing bitterly. "I don't understand why Didi feels the need to go to such lengths and get hurt like this. What was her plan, and why did she do this?"
Suyin sat silently, her heart aching for him. She admired his courage in sharing their painful past. "Maybe your sister is looking for answers," she suggested gently. "She probably didn't mean for this to happen."
Zhelan nodded, calming down a bit. "The only thing I could do was to learn about poisons. After we escaped, an old man saved us and let us stay with him in exchange for helping around the house. He was an expert in poisons, and he taught me everything I know." He laughed nervously, scratching his head. "I'm still not the best, but it's all I can do." He looked at his hands, turning them over as if searching for strength. "I'm not strong like Didi, so I always hoped I could help her in a different way."
Suyin frowned, her concern evident as she listened to Zhelan's words.
She stood up and pointed at his palms.
"Hm. It seems like your palms tell me that you are a hard worker and you've always tried your best to help your sister so that you two wouldn't suffer together. Is that right?" Suyin's voice was gentle, aiming to lift his spirits.
"If you two weren't there for me, I wouldn't be alive," she added. "Don't think that you're helpless. You saved me, just like how we will save your sister if she is blinded by revenge."
Zhelan looked at Suyin, a flicker of hope in his eyes. Her words seemed to penetrate the cloud of despair that had settled over him. Suyin had noticed Zheng An's pattern of leaving every morning and returning late at night. It was likely she was plotting revenge against the Kingdom, a dangerous path that could only lead to more trouble.
"How about this," Suyin suggested, her tone practical and reassuring. "I'll go to town and see if there's any commotion or gossip about what might be going on. Would that help ease your mind?"
Zhelan started to protest, "I should be the one going..."
Suyin interrupted him gently but firmly. "You need to stay with your sister and keep an eye on her. Does that sound fair?" She patted his shoulders, trying to convey reassurance and determination. "Take this as a thank you for saving my life." She grinned, hoping to lighten the mood a little.
Zhelan nodded slowly, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly in response to her grin. "Alright, Suyin. Thank you. Just... be careful."
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[The next morning]
"Are you sure?" Zhelan uttered, his voice small and filled with worry. He was anxious about Suyin taking this task for the siblings, but Suyin shook her head, her expression resolute.
"I'm sure. I have my ways of surviving, too," she assured him. Handing him a piece of paper, she added, "These are the mixtures to help with the fever. We have enough medicine, so there's no need to worry. Plus, this will help you learn how to mix medications, right?"
Zhelan's eyebrows knitted together in embarrassment at his perceived fragility. He nodded, taking the paper from her. "Yes, Miss Suyin. If you need help, please let me know."
Suyin nodded, giving him a thumbs up—a gesture that left Zhelan puzzled, as he was unfamiliar with its meaning.
"I'll be okay!" she said with a reassuring smile before hurrying off towards Shu Qin.
Zhelan watched her go, the unease still lingering in his heart. He looked at the instructions Suyin had given him, resolving to do his part while she was away. For now, his focus would be on taking care of Zheng An and learning more about the medicinal mixtures, trusting that Suyin would uncover the information they needed in the town.