Chapter 46: Hidden

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Wei Ying panics, looking at Lan Zhan.

"I'll use an invisibility talisman on both of us, but just to make sure, we can teleport behind the brocade curtains in the Emperor's room."

"Mn. Xiongzhang, we must go. Thank you for helping." Lan Zhan tells his brother.

"No need for thanks," XiChen replies firmly, and this time, he's not just being polite. "Safe travels, and hurry back."

"Mn."

"We will!" Wei Ying bows with Lan Zhan and then turns to Hao Bai. "You should tell Porta Daven where you are now."

And then they both vanish.

**************

Laughter is not what they expect, when they arrive back in Chang'An, inside the Emperor's bedroom. It's loud and restrained, bubbling out of the owner as if they're helpless, and having no control over themselves.

And more importantly, it sounds nothing like the cruel mockery of either Ciao Huji or Xue Nanping.

It is innocent, and happy.

Wei Ying peeks out of the side of the curtains, and is astounded to see the Emperor laughing, too. On the side of his bed is the Second Prince, the twelve year old Liu Wu.

"Baba, I miss you," the smile vanishes, replaced by trembling, pouty lips.

The boy genuinely looks distressed, and then he throws himself into his father's arms, knocking the wind out of his lungs with a whoosh.

"When are you going to get better?" The boy asks, trying valiantly not to cry.

Emperor Han holds him as tight as his weak arms allow, stroking his soft curly hair.

"Soon," he promises.

Wei Ying burns off the invisible talisman and pulls Lan Zhan out from behind the curtains then, and so Hui Gai immediately reappears with Healer Fei and Tang Pei.

The boy is stunned at all the extra people who are suddenly in the room with them, his eyes huge and filled with wonder.

"Baba, look! It's Hanguang-Jun and his loyal Sidekick, the Yiling Laozu! They came to see you, too!"

Emperor Han pats his head and uncovers part of the blankets on him so his son can cuddle down next to him. This action must be normal because the boy immediately crawls into the space his father invites him into.

But Wei Ying feels sad because the state of the Emperor's health is so bad that he looks more like the child's grandfather rather than his father. Colour has returned to his cheeks but overall, he's still far too pale and fragile-looking, as if a light breeze is all it would take to topple him over.

"How's he doing now?" He asks Healer Fei discreetly.

"Not as well as I would like. The laxatives aren't going through his system fast enough because he's not eating anything, and he won't eat anything because the poison has killed his appetite. It's a vicious circle." Healer Fei whispers this, not wishing to upset the child.

But the Second Prince has sharp hearing. "Poison? Baba? Is that true?"

However, before he can answer, the doorknob turns.

Like a lightning flash, Hui Gai grabs his friends, Tang Pei and Healer Fei, making them invisible with himself, while Emperor Han covers his son with the blanket, putting a pillow over his body to disguise the lump his little body makes. He closes his eyes to pretend he's sleeping.

Just in time, Wei Ying thinks, watching the First Prince enter the room, followed by his two Advisors.

The First Prince looks nothing like the friendly young man they met only yesterday, all guileless smiles and exuding an open, charismatic charm. His face is twisted in anger and he strides to the bed and slaps his father across his face, splitting his lip in the process.

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