Longwei walked out of the Imperial Study to announce their departure, only to see Yu Han crouched on the ground, sobbing his eyes out uncontrollably. Both Lei Chen and the elderly servant desperately tried to comfort him but in vain.
"What is happening here?" Longwei asked in awe.
Lei Chen looked up at Longwei, "He just… suddenly started sobbing…"
The elderly servant continued to rub his back, "There, there."
Longwei scoffed in disbelief, "Let me see him," he uttered as he squatted before the crying boy, "What's wrong with you? Why are you crying?"
Yu Han looked at Longwei and shook his head, "If I…" he tried to speak, "If I knew…" he covered his face with his hands and sobbed into his face, "If I knew, I would be the happiest man alive!"
Longwei looked up at Lei Chen, "You deal with it. Something is up with his head."
Lei Chen shrugged dramatically, "I-..." he sighed before pushing Longwei aside to face Yu Han, "Can you tell me exactly how you feel? Does it hurt somewhere?"
Yu Han shook his head, "I don't know, bro, give me a break!" he shouted while sobbing dramatically. Even his speech felt out of place, kind of like Zhang Tao.
It was… a sight to say the least.
Longwei stood up with a frown and turned to look at the Imperial Study. His eyes narrowed, his thoughts in complete turmoil. He wanted to think nothing was going on, but something was going on for sure. He turned to the elderly servant.
"Deliver plum soup to His Majesty," Longwei suggested.
"What about Young Master?" the elderly servant asked.
"Just do as I say."
Although confused, the elderly servant immediately got to work. He went to the Imperial kitchen, asked the chefs to cook plum soup—the Emperor's comfort food—and instantly brought it back. He successfully delivered the soup to the Imperial Study.
By the time he walked back to the crying boy, Yu Han had already stopped crying.
"Woah!" the elderly servant exclaimed, "Commander, how did you know plum soup would make Young Master stop crying?"
Longwei was a little flustered, "Um…" he glanced at Lei Chen's suspicious gaze all over him, and the elderly servant's pure curiosity striking him. It was a difficult question to answer—one these laymen wouldn't understand.
"Yu Han was crying out of guilt for acting treacherous," Longwei glared at Yu Han, "Right?" he asked in a condescending tone.
Yu Han was perplexed, still rubbing his eyes dry. He nodded in approval, despite knowing it was a lie. Even he didn't know why he randomly started crying. The elderly servant understood it right away, but Lei Chen wasn't ready to accept such a lousy excuse.
Longwei glanced at the doctor, "It's best if you forget coming here at all. Stay safe out there."
Lei Chen frowned, "G-Got it…"
"Yu Han, let's go," Longwei uttered bluntly.
"Go where?" Yu Han asked while sniffing.
"To where His Majesty wants."
"Why…? He didn't even tell me who I was."
"I know who you are. I can tell you. Only if you quietly follow me."
Yu Han's eyes widened, "You know who I am?"
Longwei nodded.
"Then… What about your family?" Yu Han asked, "Don't you want to see them before we leave?"
"What family?" Longwei asked.
"The one His Majesty held hostage…?"
"Oh," Longwei cleared his throat, "I lied."
"What?"
"I don't have a family. I lied to make you go away."
"You… Can't be serious, right?"
"Take a guess."
Witnessing their conversation, Lei Chen was more and more confused about the whole situation. He could sense something off about both of them. It was strange, but he knew questioning further would get him killed. It was a miracle the Emperor let him go after mentioning the villagers anyway.
"In that case, may we see each other again, Yu Han," Lei Chen was the first one to accept Yu Han's departure—even though he didn't know where the kid was headed.
The elderly servant clasped his hands before Yu Han, "May Young Master live long and remain healthy."
Yu Han's eyes widened. With each passing second, his reality became imminent. To learn about himself, he could only rely on Longwei, and Longwei was loyal to the core. So, in the end, Yu Han was still a puppet, a dog, and a man without his own will. He still had no control over his life even after acting big before the Emperor.
He was at a great disadvantage—knowing nothing became his biggest chain. How could he have control over a life he knew nothing about? Lei Chen and the elderly servant seemed to have understood it before him, saying their farewells immediately.
Longwei poked at Yu Han's arm to get his attention, "Let's leave."
Yu Han felt defeated. He sighed and clasped his hands toward Lei Chen and the elderly servant. With a quick farewell, he turned around to follow Longwei in utter disappointment.
Coming to the Capital hadn't been worth the trouble. If he could go back in time, he would gaslight himself to stay at the Tea Village. At least he could control his choices there. The adults weren't imposing at all. They were understanding and patient.
As he followed Longwei, he uttered randomly with no emotions, "So, why was I crying?"
"Because His Majesty was sad, most likely," Longwei replied casually.
"Huh?" Yu Han stopped in his tracks, "What has his sadness got to do with me?"
Longwei turned his head, "I will tell you once we reach our destination."
Longwei was sly and witty. He knew his boundless knowledge of Yu Han's life could keep him chained to him. That way, Yu Han had no choice but to sheepishly follow Longwei into whatever prison the Emperor wanted to throw him to. It was unfortunate, but Yu Han didn't have many choices.
"Then can I ask you why am I being sent north?" Yu Han asked, "Just make me understand the purpose of it."
"The northern terrain is hard to navigate, making it a perfect hiding spot," Longwei explained as he continued to walk, "If people want to get your head, they would always think twice. In short, it's for your safety."
"Keeping me safe from what? The Other Side?" Yu Han asked straightforwardly.
"Not just the Other Side," Longwei clarified, "Everyone is a threat."