Langhua: The Codependence of a Prince and His General

Vision

"Huh? Where did that come from?"

Hua Yuheng looked out onto the lake. "I want to take the imperial examination by the time I turn sixteen."

"That's less than three years from now."

"Yeah. That's why I gotta study harder from now on."

Xuanyuan Lang tilted his head. "But don't you want to become a general like your father was?"

"I do. So I'll join the army as a strategist after my exam, and learn military tactics for a few years. Of course, I won't neglect my training while I'm studying, either. Or if there's an opening, I can work my way up, starting as a foot soldier. It shouldn't take me long."

Xuanyuan Lang had to smile at his confidence. "That's a lot to take on, though. Won't you end up becoming a jack of all trades and a master of none?"

"There is that possibility," Hua Yuheng admitted. "But I'd rather tell myself I'm aiming to be good at both the pen and the sword. A master of both wen and wu."

"Sounds hard," Xuanyuan Lang said with feeling. "But good luck. It's nice that you have a plan for yourself."

"What about you?" Hua Yuheng looked at him intently. "What do you want to do?"

"I want to see the world. You know that."

"Yes, but what about after that?" Hua Yuheng paused. "Qilang... Have you ever thought about becoming the Emperor?"

Xuanyuan Lang's head whipped around to look at him. "What are you talking about, Ah Heng? Don't joke about things like that. They shouldn't be spoken of so lightly."

"I'm not joking," Hua Yuheng insisted. "And no one's gonna hear us out here. Why are you so scared, Qilang?"

"You of all people should know." Xuanyuan Lang's smile was bitter. "I may be the seventh son, but I only have four living brothers. Even that is way too many.

"My first aim is to survive, Ah Heng, and keep the people I care about alive. I don't know if I can do any more than that."

"That's why I'm working hard too, isn't it?" Hua Yuheng said softly, almost to himself. "So I can be your right-hand man. I'll make it so that I can help you in anything you need help with, be it in the court or on the battlefield."

"What are you saying?" Xuanyuan Lang sounded positively alarmed now. "I never asked for that!"

"You didn't. It's my own decision." Hua Yuheng pulled his knees to his chest. "I saw the world out there, Qilang. Not all of it is beautiful. Even right outside the capital walls, the people are suffering.

"I want to do something about it. But there's only so much I can do on my own, isn't there? There's a limit to how high I can climb. One day, just like my father and Lord Lin, I'll be forced to choose.

"That's why before that happens, I want to swear my allegiance to you, Your Highness."

Xuanyuan Lang was shaking his head, looking vaguely panicked. "But I don't— I can't. I don't know anything. What you're saying, the people's suffering... I don't understand any of it. I won't be able to do anything."

"That's fine."

Hua Yuheng's determined answer caught him off-guard.

"Anything you don't know, I'll teach you. If I don't know either, we'll figure it out together. Like I said, I'll take you anywhere you want to go. Even if that means... to the top of the throne."

A cold spring breeze blew ripples across the lake. The rustling of the leaves around them seemed to magnify Hua Yuheng's voice rather than drown it out.

"You still don't get it." Xuanyuan Lang's voice rose. "I— I don't want to go there. I have no intention of becoming the Emperor!"

"Then who would you rather take the throne? Any one of your brothers?"

"I—" Xuanyuan Lang hesitated. "They would be better suited than me."

"Do you really think so?" Hua Yuheng pressed him. "After all that had happened, after all you know about them. Would you be content bowing, prostrating yourself to them and calling them your king?"

Hua Yuheng straightened up, his spine upright. After all that kneeling and kowtowing he had done in the palace, he was thoroughly sick of it all. He had his pride. But... "I wouldn't mind if it's you, Qilang."

He met Xuanyuan Lang's eyes. The prince stiffened, but he did not look away. After a while, Xuanyuan Lang's gaze turned complicated, and Hua Yuheng knew that he had finally struck a chord.

"Could you... give me some time? I've never really thought about it before."

"Sure." Hua Yuheng relaxed his posture, putting his hands on the grass behind him and leaning back. "Take all the time you want. Master tells me that things should stay relatively peaceful for a few more years, since His Majesty is still going strong. But we can't run away forever, Qilang."

"...I know." Xuanyuan Lang leaned back too, looking at the sky. "The officials are already pressing Father to choose a Crown Prince."

"I'm surprised he hasn't yet, after so long."

It was mostly because of the impasse in the palace political scene, both in the court and in the harem. The Empress' faction held more power, since she was the Emperor's lawful wife and her father was the prime minister, the second most influential man in the kingdom. However, the problem lay in the First Prince. He was not the Empress' biological son, and that put both his pedigree and his loyalty in question. On the other hand, the Noble Consort had both the Second and Fourth Princes. The Fourth Prince did not stand out, so the Second Prince was the prime candidate to become Crown Prince. The only issue with that was...

Xuanyuan Lang remembered what the Noble Consort had said to him at Benevolence Palace that day. Perhaps Xuanyuan Yao was not quite as ready as his mother would have hoped yet.

And then there was the Sixth Prince...

Xuanyuan Lang realized that in his mind, he had just naturally assumed that either his First or Second Brother would ascend the throne. Now that he was part of the Empress' faction, he should be hoping for Xuanyuan Chen to succeed. And indeed, Xuanyuan Chen had been the closest to him amongst all of the princes.

But the Noble Consort's words from that day still plagued his mind. Xuanyuan Lang had later confronted his First Brother about it, and Xuanyuan Chen had not denied it either.

Was he alright with calling someone like that his Emperor?

Xuanyuan Lang stole a glance at Hua Yuheng next to him. The latter had taken a handkerchief out of his sleeve to wipe his hands and mouth with.

"That's the handkerchief my mother embroidered for you."

"Yeah. I had my father's... my butler send it over to me from our residence at the border." Hua Yuheng folded it carefully. "I'm glad I didn't bring it with me when I was arrested. The journey would have definitely ruined it."

The white silk was already yellowing, though. It clearly saw a lot of use. Xuanyuan Lang thought about his matching handkerchief, which he had stowed away in the chest under his bed for safekeeping.

"I'll bring mine out next time, too."

Hua Yuheng's grin solidified the wisps of a thought that had been planted into his mind.

Xuanyuan Lang would be fine with kneeling to any of his brothers and calling them his Emperor. However...

He looked at Hua Yuheng's tall back as the boy stood up and stretched. Hua Yuheng was in the middle of his growth spurt, and Xuanyuan Lang could already see traces of the extraordinary man he knew Hua Yuheng would grow up to be.

And he realized with a jolt that he did not want to see that man kneeling before anyone else.

Author's Note: This marks the end of this arc, and starting next chapter there will be another time skip~ 

...I'm running out of chapters though so I'll be posting one every two days for now ><

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