Langhua: The Codependence of a Prince and His General

Adventure

"That's rather rude of you, ordering me around like that," Xuanyuan Lang noted as Hua Yuheng dragged him across the garden. "And where are we going, anyway?"

"You don't mind, do you?"

"A bit too late to ask, don't you think?"

Hua Yuheng just shrugged and Xuanyuan Lang had to pull both of them to a stop before he trespassed into the Empress' private yard. It was not easy; the general's son was surprisingly strong. Xuanyuan Lang put his whole back into it. "No, not there! Do you have any idea where you're going?"

"Not at all!" Hua Yuheng turned around and beamed at him. "That's why I asked you to show me around."

"You didn't really ask, per se." But Xuanyuan Lang smiled despite himself. "What do you want to see? Many wondrous sights are gathered here for the imperial family's pleasure."

"Bit much for one family, if you ask me."

Xuanyuan Lang sighed theatrically. "Be careful you don't talk like that in front of the other princes or consorts. You'll get in trouble."

"I know, I know. But I'm not talking to the other princes, am I?" Hua Yuheng stuck out his tongue. "I don't know, what do you recommend we see?"

Xuanyuan Lang thought it over. "Mountains or flowers?"

"Mountains," Hua Yuheng replied immediately. "I get a lot of plains, but not that many mountains."

"This way."

Xuanyuan Lang led his new friend down the garden paths, having conveniently forgotten to let go of his hand.

"How long did it take you to get here from the plains?" the prince asked as he peeled a path for them through the bamboo grove.

"Oh, about a month and a half. We could've gone faster by horseback, but Father insisted on using a carriage at least half of the journey."

"A month and a half?" Xuanyuan Lang was surprised. "That's really long."

"It is," Hua Yuheng agreed. "The kingdom's huge, after all. Going from the western border to the capital in the south, I could see all the splendors of the nation!"

"That sounds nice. I've never even left the palace before," Xuanyuan Lang said wistfully. A bamboo branch slipped out of his hand and swung back; he ducked by instinct, only to see it whipping right toward Hua Yuheng. "Sorry, watch out!"

"You totally did that on purpose." Hua Yuheng did not bother evading, taking the branch straight to the face. "No matter, it doesn't hurt."

Not for the first time that day, Xuanyuan Lang thought to himself that Hua Yuheng was quite unlike the other children he had met before. "Aren't you worried about getting scratches on your face?"

"My skin isn't that thin," Hua Yuheng scoffed. "Besides, a man's scars are his pride!"

"A bamboo leaf scar wouldn't be, I'm sure."

There was nothing Hua Yuheng could say to that. Xuanyuan Lang sniggered.

"We're here." The bending bamboo parted, and the boys emerged into yet another garden, this one dominated by an imposing rock structure on the edge of a picturesque lake. Xuanyuan Lang gestured at it proudly. "This is the biggest fake mountain in the country! It was designed in my imperial grandfather's generation by the renowned poet and sculptor Master Su."

"What're you sounding so cocky for? No matter how big it is, it's still fake. Nowhere near as impressive as the real mountains up north." That was what Hua Yuheng said, but he was already clambering up the stone. "Come on! Race you to the top?"

"Fine by me." Xuanyuan Lang rolled up his sleeves and tied up the hem of his robes. He could not be sure that he would win in a fair race, but he had grown up climbing these mountains. In this, at least, he was confident he had the advantage over the general's son.

"Not bad, Your Highness!" Hua Yuheng laughed as he watched Xuanyuan Lang gradually catch up and even overtake him, finding all the best handholds. "But don't underestimate me just because you have the home advantage!"

"Less talk and we'll see!"

In the end, it was Xuanyuan Lang who got his fingers onto the topmost ledge first, though Hua Yuheng was not far behind, quite literally hot on his heels. By the time the prince pulled himself up onto the mountaintop and caught his breath, the general's son was already patting the dust off his clothes.

"I'll give you the battle, but that doesn't mean you won the war," Hua Yuheng said with a grin. "Still, you're not as soft as you look, Your Highness."

"Watch it," Xuanyuan Lang warned, but he was a little too winded to put much authority behind it. "And be careful. It can get slippery up here."

"Save it for yourself." Hua Yuheng saw that the prince was not going to get up any time soon, so he sat down on the rock next to him, settling down comfortably. "Nice view."

"I know, right?" The garden was already elevated compared to the rest of the palace, and from their vantage point on the rock structure, the boys could overlook the entire sprawling palace complex.

"I had a feeling when I saw those ridiculous gates this morning, but the imperial palace is truly enormous," Hua Yuheng said, a sense of awe seeping into the edges of his voice. "So this is the beating heart of the kingdom."

"Doesn't matter how big it is, I'm sure it's nothing compared to the plains." Xuanyuan Lang pulled his knees to his chest and rested his chin on them. "Tell me more about the border. What's it like out there?"

"What's it like? Nowhere near as fancy as this, that's for sure. Most of what we have is space, as far as the eye can see. The wind's harsh on your face, and the sand gets in your eyes sometimes, and the ground is so dry it's hard to cultivate anything really good to eat. But..." Hua Yuheng stood up again, never content to sit still for long, and stretched out his arms to catch the breeze. "When you're on horseback and going really fast, and your hair is blowing behind you, it feels like you can run forever. Like you can go anywhere."

Xuanyuan Lang looked up at him, and it was almost as though he could see it. This sun-kissed boy with his rough hair and rougher hands, with nothing tying him down and the entire vast world ahead of him.

Then Hua Yuheng turned to him and held out his hand, grinning. "I'll take you there someday."

Xuanyuan Lang swallowed. "Really?"

"Sure. Wherever you want to go, I'll take you."

Those were the words a boy emboldened by his youth and ignorance. He could only say that because he did not know what it really meant.

Xuanyuan Lang desperately wanted to believe him nevertheless.

He reached for his hand.

"Remember, a gentleman never goes back on his promise."