After three days, she brings me a horse. We ride to the outskirt of the city. A beautiful lake. She show me, a hunting ground that only the royal members use. We walk and talk till a carriage arrive with soldiers and eunuchs. She bow and i follow. I hear someone step out of it and slowly walk towards us. A pair of hands hold me up. I raise my head to see a woman looking at me with tears in her eyes. "You have return. That is good. That is good." I look at Tang Li.
"She is your mother, the dowager of this nation. "
"My son Wen'er , you have lot so much weight. Why is he so skinny? Is he not eating?" She touch my face and move my head from left to right. Inspecting every inch of me. "To answer your grace, Dowager. I am fine. I have been eating. Thank you for your concern."I bow to her. I hear silence except for the birds chipping in the distance. I peep up to see her covering her mouth and looking so sad. She even cry. I hurry to look down the ground not to be discover that i saw her crying.
"Prince Xian, i have told you that she is your mother..."
"it's ok. As long as my son is alive nothing else matters.. Get up my son, no need to bow this low in my present."
She touch my arm and get me to stand up straight.
"Take your time to remember everything. General Tang, have you inform... her?"
"To answer your grace, no."
"It's better not to tell her anything. "
"I am still here, your grace and who is the 'she'?"
"My son, she is from the Su family. Do you remember anything? You used to go there with your brother to play."
"I have a brother? Where is he now? Is he doing well?"
The lady who claim to be my mother hold my hands. She look me in the eye.
"All thanks to you, he is living well. He is now... on the throne but what he is doing is according to our laws, you must not blame him for any wrong that is done . If you decided to return to the palace, most of it will be restore to you. He will no doubt to honour what you have done for him and this country." She reach out for Tang Li's hand. She place our hands together.
"Wen'er, your wife is doing all she can to protect what you have left behind. You have to be good to her."
I withdraw my hands "i search my feelings when i am with Tang Li, i don't feel anything. I don't remember ... this lady."
Once again i make her cry. The old lady look at me with her eyes scolding me. She comfort Tang Li.
"Tang Li spent nearly her entire life by your side.. She is your ..."
"But i am sure that i don't have that kind of man and woman's type of love. I just feel that i respect her."
We end our meeting when the eunuch inform the dowager that she have to return before other people notice that she is not in the palace.
I watch her in the carriage goes off. Tang Li with her back she yell that tomorrow she will bring me to another place. She hop on her horse and i in a hurry go on my horse and follow her.
The next day, Tang Li brings me out to the street. We walk for awhile and she stop infront of a mansion. The wooden plate reads the house of Su. She inform the guards at the gate and soon we are let in. Standing in the center of the courtyard is an elderly man. He looks impressive and a bit grouchy with his hands behind his back, he look at me up and down. While Tang Li greet him , i follow and bow too. Later he looks at Tang Li.
"Is there anything to prove that he is ..."
"He doesn't have but there can't be another person in this world that looks like him? Unless they are twins! Besides that the dowager's guards had question the villagers where he is found. It all matches."
He nod his head silently. He look at me with his beady eyes. "How much do you know about my daughter?"
I look at Tang Li and back to him. "I know nothing. I only have this hairpin..."
"Hum.. anyone can have a hairpin."
"Duke Su, this is the hairpin that cause the miscarriage also the issue with Consort Liu and her family. "
"This is the culprit ... i could have a grandchild if wasn't for this. Ahhh... this is destiny and fate. Nothing we can do about. Tell me, why are you here today?"
"I ... we hope you allow him to enter the bedroom before she got married."
"Wait what miscarriage? ... Tang Li!" I yell and follow them behind.
Duke Su's mansion is very bit magstic as the Xian mansion. We walk along the walk way, the garden path and the long stairs. Finally we come to a small yard. Duke Su push open the door. I walk in and look around. I see a portrait having on the wall. It have written the name Su Shung Yu. I turn around and look at Duke Su.
"Is she dead?"
"No." He said that while looking at Tang Li
"When where is she?"
"She is alive but it's difficult to see her. You can stay here for awhile. See if anything come back to your mind. " Duke Su and Tang Li leave me alone in the room. I look at around the room. The smell seems familiar. Outside the bedroom, i see some children running around but only one girl sitting down and she is laughing and clapping her hands. Inside the bedroom, a younger boy come running in.
"Shung Yu! Come let's go."
"Wen ger ger. I am not feeling good today. You go have fun with the others."
"Is your leg giving you problem again? Don't worry. I will be your legs when you need them."
My head start to swarm in pain. At that moment when i kneel on the floor something drop. When the pain stops, i stand up and walk to the scroll that had fallen on the floor. I unroll it and find a painting of two girls. They have the same face. One standing one is sitting. They have identical dress but the colours are different. I look closely only one of them have the hairpin that i am holding. i read the names written at the bottom of their skirts. Suddenly i understand something.