HHYL Shortfics

Jing and Lu Cang : The Beginning

Jing and Lu Cang: The Beginning

"Jing er, don't wonder off too far..."

Prince Yong Yi anxiously shouted at the willful Prince who insisted on following him all the way to Hangzhou while on his official duty.

It didn't take long for Jing to get bored to hear about the government matters. After giving a loud yawn to show that he was truly bored, he excused himself to take a look outside.

Truthfully, he loved being near his most favorite uncle. But listening to the boring discussion was another thing. Though for a boy his age, he was already mature enough to understand the politics, still, he chose to stay away from it until the time he had to deal with it.

Stepping out from the mansion, he walked to the busiest street. The aggressive vendors were busily shouting to offertheir merchandise. Jing disliked noise. He turned to another path. A less crowded path. A path that would lead him to the West Lake, the most beautiful lake in Jiangnan.

The gentle wavering willow was already within his sight. Jing impatiently quickened his pace. He didn't notice a little boy running towards his direction. They bumped and that little boy fell to the ground.

Initially, Jing thought that that boy would annoyingly start to cry. But he didn't, instead, he stood up really fast and looked at Jing with distinct pride in his eyes.

"You should watch where you're going." That little boy was about five or six, yet he talked as if he was older than Jing.

"Brat! You are the one who ran and didn't watch your way!"

"But this place belongs to us. I can do whatever here."

"The whole world including this place belongs to my father. You can't do whatever here!"

"No way!! Even if you are the Emperor, I still can do whatever I please. Freedom is something you can't restrain!"

Freedom... Such a word had never occurred in Jing's mind.

He also could do whatever he pleased as the Imperial Prince. Was it freedom?

"What do you mean by 'freedom'?"

That little boy was a little bit taken aback by Jing's question.

"Hmmm... Let's see. According to my brothers, freedom is when you can eat to your heart's content, and when you can drink to your heart's content. Freedom is when you don't have to worry about anything and just play to your heart's content. Freedom is when you are not limited by whatever bullshit laws. And freedom is when you can peacefully sleep no matter where you are."

The little boy was excitedly telling Jing with his big round eyes shining brightly.

What a crude life. If that was what freedom meant, --- to live a pitiful commoner's life, then freedom was such a nonsense talk.

For Jing, freedom was to be the most powerful man under Heaven. To be able to live in comfort, yet could set whatever laws and rules for his own convenience.

"Brother, you are too pale. You need to go out more often. Come, let me take you to look around." After he carefully looked at Jing's lovely features, that boy abruptly said that and without waiting for Jing to respond, he took Jing's hand and dragged him to his favorite places. Mostly insignificant places like an old hut and a very big tree. But that boy proudly told Jing that it was his secret hideout and no one had ever found him whenever he hid there.

Although Jing wondered for a bit about why a little boy had the need to hide, Jing chose to say nothing on the matter. This little boy was very amusing after all.

"I am hungry... I will go grab something to eat. Brother, you wait here..."

That boy ran in a very fast but light step. Jing was certain that that boy must be learning the martial arts too.

Not a very long while after, the boy came back. He brought some candies and two mantou in his hands. But his head was bleeding a little bit.

Jing frowned at the sight of blood. But that boy wiped it without even flinching.

"I was being careless. Not fast enough to dodge the stone that this candy seller threw. I still need to work a lot on my speed." Grinning while explaining the cause of his wound, he gave Jing the candy and the mantou.

"What did you do? Why did he throw a stone at you?"

That boy gave him a weird look. "Isn't it obvious? Because I stole this candy."

Jing raised his brows. "You what?!"

The boy innocently laugh. "I stole the candy. This mantou as well. Father said, we just have to take whatever we want."

"What are you? A thief?!"

The boy rolled his eyes. "Please... We are not mere thieves. We are..."

"Here you are little thief!! Give back that candy!!"

That boy hadn't finished his words when suddenly the angry seller appeared.

Without wasting any time, that boy ran away again, not even saying goodbye, leaving the stunned Jing behind.

"Are you his accomplice?" That seller glared at Jing with his accusing eyes.

Jing coldly looked at him, made the seller shudder involuntarily.

"Come out." Jing knew, he could never be alone. Uncle Yongyi must have ordered some guards to follow him.

"What is your order, Prince?"

Two Imperial Guards hastily came out and knelt respectfully in front of Jing.

"Deal with this insolent man."

Jing threw his glance to the place where that boy ran off to. As sudden as he appeared, he disappeared without any trace. Only the candy and the mantou in Jing's hands as the proof that the boy was real. Not only Jing's illusion.

'We just have to take whatever we want, huh?! Sounds nice.'

A cold and scheming smile floating upon the corner of Jing's lips.

-------

"Lu Cang!! Where have you been?! The Boss is calling for us! It is time for us to go back to the mountain." A man with a fierce look scolded the boy as soon as he appeared.

"Father... I was in my hideout as usual." Whenever the mountain bandits came down to 'claim' something from the citizens, if Lu Cang happened to tag along, he would hide himself in his hideout to avoid troublesome things.

"Have you been a good boy?"

"Of course I'm not!!"

"That's my boy." The bandit lovingly patted little Lu Cang's head. Though this child was not his real son, --- they found him and named him the same name with the mountain where they found him on Mount Lu Cang, during one of his hunting duties, he still loved this adorable child like his own flesh and blood --- little Lu Cang addressed the whole gang as his father.

"Father... I met a very beautiful boy..."

"Lu Cang, beautiful or pretty is not a word for boys. You should say handsome or good-looking."

"But he really is very beautiful. I want my wife to be as beautiful as him. Or better yet, I want him to be my wife."

Lu Cang's father was stunned. Pondering over whether to tell his son that it was impossible to have a man as his wife or not, he decided to keep silent. Lu Cang was still a naïve little boy after all. Eventually he would grow up and learn that fact by himself.

Little did he know that little Lu Cang had already set his mind, his wife must be as beautiful as that boy or he would rather not have a spouse at all.

"AHH!!" A sudden cry from Lu Cang startled the mountain bandit.

"I forgot to ask his name...too bad... I wish I could see him again in the future..."

End.