Ying Household
" I'll go back to work tomorrow!" I said to Ying Jie.
" Good decision!" said Ying Jie with a smile on his face.
Li Imperial Palace
" It's terrible! Wei disappeared!" said Princess Li Mei shouting.
"What do you mean by he disappeared? Have you checked everywhere?" inquired the empress dowager in an anxious tone.
"I have checked everywhere. He's nowhere to be seen" Princess Li Mei said worriedly.
"What's going on here? What's all the ruckus about?" Emperor Li Jun suddenly appeared.
"Your majesty, the crown Prince, Li Wei disappeared. We have searched every little corner of the palace, but we were unable to find him" advisor Dong Cong informed his majesty.
"Check again! He must be hiding somewhere in the palace. Where would he go otherwise? He's just a kid" the emperor said authoritatively.
" It's no use checking again and again. He has run away from the imperial palace" Princess Li Mei said worriedly while looking at her brother.
��� He ran away! Why would he do that?" Empress Dowager suddenly asked.
" I don't know about that, but everything proves that he ran away from the imperial palace" Princess Li Mei replied.
" Can you prove it? Can you prove that Prince Li Wei has eventually run away?" Emperor Li Jun asked questionably.
" I can prove it very easily. First, half of his clothes are missing from the cupboard. Second, his diary is also missing. Third and last, half of our provisions have disappeared as well" The princess said informatively.
" It doesn't prove anything!" the emperor said speechlessly.
" My little Wei, where have you disappeared to?" empress dowager asked.
The empress was so concerned and worried about her grandson's disappearance that she didn't notice the stairs in front of her and was about to fall. Hopefully, the princess and the emperor noticed her on time and were able to catch her before her fall.
" Mom, be careful! You were about to fall". The princess and the emperor caught her in time.
" What made him take such a drastic step?"
"Maid! Maid! Maid!" the emperor called out.
" Yes! Have you asked for me, your majesty?" Maid Martha Song appeared in front of the emperor.
" Have you cleaned Prince Li Wei's room today?" the emperor asked the maid.
" No, your majesty!" Maid Martha Song replied.
" Why is that?" the emperor asked the maid questionably.
"Well, I went in today to clean his highness room, but---------" said the maid reluctantly.
Flashback
" Your highness, I've come to clean up your room. I've also brought your clothes back from the washing machine. I'll put the clothes back into your cupboard. If you'll excuse me, your highness!"
Prince Li Wei(Scribble): No, you can't put them in!
" Why?" Maid Martha Song inquired.
Prince Li Wei(Scribble): I don't want to trouble you. Give it to me! I'll put them in myself!
" You don't have to, your highness. I'm the maid and it's my duty to serve you. I'll do it, but thank you. Your highness is so kind to me".
Prince Li Wei(Scribble): I insist!
" Your highness, don't make things difficult for me! If his majesty were to find out, I could lose my job".
Prince Li Wei(Scribble): No one will find out, especially the emperor. This will stay between the two of us. It'll be our little secret!
" Your highness, you're different today!"
Prince Li Wei(Scribble): In what way?
" This is the first time we talk, which is different from your usual self".
Prince Li Wei(Scribble): Someone taught me that when you love someone, you have to let them know, instead of hiding it. I can see that you're very tired, which is why I offered to help. You're very important to me and I don't want you to get sick.
The maid hugged the young prince upon hearing those words.
" Your highness, you care for me! Thank you! You'll become a great emperor once you succeed to his majesty".
Prince Li Wei(Scribble): Go to your room and lay down for a bit! You may continue working once you've rest!
" I'll do as his highness wishes! Thank you!"
Present time
" If his majesty wishes to fire me, I won't object," Maid Martha Song said reluctantly.
"You are dismissed!" the emperor ordered.
" Yes, your majesty!" the maid said and left.
" What now, emperor? Are you going to ask about the provisions too?" Princess Li Mei asked coldly.
" There's no need for that!" the emperor replied sadly.
"We don't have any other choice, but to inform the police," the princess said sadly.
"I refuse! The police won't interfere in this matter" said the emperor.
" Don't be so stubborn! We don't have any other alternative" replied the princess.
" Didn't you hear me? Neither the police nor the detectives will interfere in this matter. I hate them! I hate them!" the emperor said shouting.
" Get a grip of yourself, Jun! I won't contact the police if you don't want me to" said the princess by hugging her brother very tightly in her arms.
Li Imperial Garden
"What's going on here? What's all the fuss about?" Concubine Ah Lam suddenly appeared.
" Where were you?" Concubine Lucy Garden asked questionably.
" I was in the market! Did something happen while I was away?" Concubine Ah Lam asked questionably.
"Yes, you guessed it! Something terrible happened while you were enjoying yourself at the supermarket. Prince Li Wei disappeared!" Concubine Lucy Garden replied.
" What did you say? Prince Wei disappeared?" Concubine Ah Lam asked worriedly.
" Why do you look so scared, Lam?" Concubine Lucy Garden asked.
"What happened today shouldn't have happened? Tomorrow won't be a good day for us" Concubine Ah Lam replied.
" Why is that?" Concubine Lucy Garden asked questionably.
" The only thing I can tell you is this: Tomorrow, Ying Yue is coming back to work. She was at the supermarket, just like me. I'll let you guess the rest! Use your imagination!" said Concubine Ah Lam while leaving.
Concubine Lucy Garden didn't know why she was so terrified as she never met Ying Yue before. Based on what Concubine Ah Lam told her about the clash between Ying Yue and Concubine Chu Hua, she could guess without much effort what would happen judging on Ying Yue's temper and character.
"What's wrong, Concubine Garden?" Princess Li Mei suddenly appeared in front of the Concubine Lucy Garden.
"Your highness, it's nothing!" Concubine Lucy Garden replied while avoiding her gaze.
" Don't lie! I can see in your eyes that you're terrified" Princess Li Mei said worriedly.
"Your highness, just now, Concubine Ah Lam told me that tomorrow will be a horrible day" Concubine Lucy Garden replied.
" Why would that be?" Princess Li Mei asked questionably.
"Well, Ying Yue is coming back to work tomorrow" Concubine Lucy Garden replied reluctantly.
" Tomorrow?" Princess Li Mei said terrified.
" Prince Li Wei is missing and Ying Yue is coming back to work tomorrow. Can you guess what will happen when she'll come to know that Prince Li Wei is missing?" Concubine Lucy Garden asked the princess.
" She will be back tomorrow. We need to think of something. I know! Why don't we give her a vacation? That'll give us a bit of time to search for Wei" the princess suddenly said.
" That won't work!" Concubine Lucy Garden said confidently.
" Why is that?" the princess asked questionably.
" Think for a minute Princess! If we give her a vacation, won't she find it strange? After all, she already spent three days resting at home" Concubine Lucy Garden replied to the princess.
"You're right!" the princess said.
"There's another fact that we forgot. We don't have her contact information, so how are we going to contact her?" Concubine Lucy Garden said informatively.
" You're right again! We're back to square one!" Princess Li Mei said while sighting worriedly.
The following morning
Ying Household
"Brother, I'm leaving, or I'll be late for work. See you tonight!" Ying Yue said to Ying Jie.
" Wait a minute! I prepared a lunch box for you to celebrate your return to work. Give me a sec! I'll go get it for you!" said Ying Jie while going to the kitchen.
" It's getting late! I'll see you later, brother!" Ying Yue said while leaving.
Ying Jie came back with the lunch box but Ying Yue was nowhere to be found.
"It can't be helped! I'll drop it off before going to work" Ying Jie said.
Li Imperial Palace
" Ying Yue greets the Imperial Princess!" I said while bowing in respect.
"You may stand up!" Princess Li Mei replied.
" Thanks, princess! I was absent for the last three days. Sorry about that! I needed time to digest the truth" I said suddenly.
" What truth are you talking about?" Princess Li Mei asked me questionably.
" Don't play dumb with me, princess! I know the truth about the emperor. The truth that you've been trying so hard to hide from me" I replied angrily.
" How did you learn the truth? Who told you?" Princess Li Mei asked me questionably.
" It doesn't matter who told me the truth. Why did you hide it from me?" I suddenly asked the princess.
" I was scared! I was scared that on knowing the truth, you would leave. Forgive me, Ying Yue!" the princess replied.
" I'm not the one you should be apologizing to, but Wei. Putting that aside, where is he? I haven't seen him!" I asked the princess questionably.
"... He went on a vacation and will be back next week" the princess replied reluctantly.
" A vacation? So suddenly? I don't believe it!" I said speechlessly.
" I'm telling the truth! Believe me!" the princess replied.
" Princess, you lied to me once and you're doing it again. What are you hiding from me this time?" I asked the princess angrily.
"... I'm not hiding anything from you!" Princess Li Mei replied reluctantly.
" I won't leave until you tell me what you're hiding from me!" I said to the princess while gazing at her.