After Wei Lan left, it took Luo Wei a long time to come back to his senses. The little eunuchs in the courtyard all bowed their heads and dared not speak. Luo Wei, Luo Zhiqiu, and Long Xuan stood face to face, none of them speaking for a while.
This awkward silence was only broken when Shang Xi came to find Luo Zhiqiu. “Senior Chancellor,” Shang Xi bowed to Luo Zhiqiu, “the Empress Dowager asked you to go to Fengyi Palace.”
Long Xuan was present, and Luo Zhiqiu couldn’t ask Luo Wei about what happened last night. At this moment, the Empress Dowager called, so he had to say to Luo Wei, “I’ll come back to see you later, Prince.”
Luo Wei bowed slightly to see Luo Zhiqiu off.
“Senior Chancellor, please go see my mother.” Long Xuan looked at Luo Zhiqiu who was looking back at him, and then said to Luo Zhiqiu, “Prince Jin and I still have something to say.”
Luo Zhiqiu followed Shang Xi, looking back three times.
“Your Highness, please go back,” Luo Wei turned to Long Xuan after Luo Zhiqiu left, and immediately asked Long Xuan, “Aren’t you going to court with His Majesty today?”
“I am your brother,” Long Xuan said to Luo Wei, “The ‘Your Majesty’ you mentioned is your father.”
Luo Wei sneered, “Brother? Both of my brothers are outside. Your Highness doesn’t have to pretend here. The only people standing here are eunuchs. There’s no way for you to spread your flattering words to His Majesty.”
“You are not surnamed Luo anymore,” Long Xuan said, “Haven’t you realized this yet?”
“What surname I have has nothing to do with Your Highness,” Luo Wei turned and was about to enter the room, saying, “Your Highness, please leave.”
Long Xuan didn’t let Luo Wei leave, and he grabbed Luo Wei’s hand.
“What are you trying to do?” Luo Wei felt like he was pricked by a needle, and he tried to shake off Long Xuan’s hand with all his strength.
“I have something to tell you,” Long Xuan firmly grasped Luo Wei’s hand, “Let’s go outside to talk.”
“I have nothing to say to you!” Luo Wei struggled, “Let go!”
Ignoring Luo Wei’s resistance, Long Xuan dragged him outside.
“Where are you taking me?!” Luo Wei was no match for Long Xuan’s strength. Despite his desperate attempts to break free, he couldn’t loosen Long Xuan’s grip. In a panic, Luo Wei shouted at Long Xuan, “Long Xuan! Let go of me!”
“It’s none of your business!” Long Xuan glanced at the little eunuchs who were staring at them.
Long Xuan had always had a notorious reputation for being vicious. When he swept his cold gaze over the little eunuchs, they all lowered their heads again, not daring to look at the two princes.
“This is Changming Palace!” Luo Wei was dragged along by Long Xuan, shouting at him, “Are you going to be unruly here?!”
“You know this is Changming Palace,” Long Xuan walked briskly ahead, almost dragging Luo Wei along, “What can I do to you here? I have something to say to you, and I won’t harm you.”
“Then say it here!” Luo Wei said, “Where do you want to take me?”
Long Xuan didn’t answer, but continued to drag Luo Wei out.
A young eunuch ran to tell Zhao Fu.
Zhao Fu knew that Luo Wei and Long Xuan were not getting along, and he didn’t dare to delay, so he immediately told Emperor Xingwu, who was preparing to go to court.
“Long Xuan has already talked to me about this,” Emperor Xingwu, who had not slept all night, was now using camphor leaves to refresh himself. He said to Zhao Fu, “He wants to talk to Prince Jin, so let the two brothers talk. I have already approved Long Xuan’s leave today.”
Zhao Fu wanted to tell Emperor Xingwu that Luo Wei didn’t want to go with Long Xuan, but he thought again that Emperor Xingwu was now closer to Long Xuan, so he’d better say less. If Luo Wei was really wronged by Long Xuan, he didn’t need him, a slave, to say anything. After the young master came back, he would probably file a complaint against Long Xuan.
From time to time, palace maids and eunuchs saw Long Xuan dragging Luo Wei, but none of them dared to approach and ask.
After leaving Changming Palace, Luo Wei didn’t speak. He just wanted to break free from Long Xuan’s hand, but Long Xuan’s grip was like an iron clamp, and he couldn’t break free no matter how hard he tried.
“Aren’t you tired?” Long Xuan asked Luo Wei.
Luo Wei was so tired that he was almost out of breath. After hearing Long Xuan’s question, he stopped struggling and just looked at Long Xuan, wanting to see where Long Xuan was going to take him.
Feeling that Luo Wei had calmed down, Long Xuan relaxed his grip, but he still held Luo Wei’s hand cautiously.
“Slow down,” Luo Wei spoke up as he was trailing behind and had no energy to keep up with Long Xuan’s pace.
Only then did Long Xuan finally slow his pace. He had been leading Luo Wei to a wooden bridge not far from the Qīng Wén Palace. The two of them stood on the bridge and Long Xuan released Luo Wei’s hand.
Luo Wei looked around at the wooden bridge he was standing on. This bridge was called “Dream Return”. In his childhood, he often played with Long Xuan here during hot summers. He would wade into the shallow lake, while Long Xuan stood on the wooden bridge, enjoying the breeze and admiring the green leaves and pink lotus flowers in the lake. Luo Wei was in a trance for a moment. Many memories came flooding back to him, but they were too distant and had already passed away.
Long Xuan also surveyed the surroundings. It had been a while since he last came to this bridge, yet it remained unchanged from his memories. Few people visited this place. Thinking about it, Long Xuan smiled mockingly to himself. In the vast expanse of the imperial palace, there were countless secluded spots like this Dream Return Bridge. “On a clear rainy night, I dreamed of returning to my hometown,” Long Xuan said to Luo Wei. “I wonder which palace maid from which era wrote such a palace lament, hence the name Dream Return Bridge.”
Luo Wei frowned as the cold wind blew in from the lake. Winter had already returned. Even though the imperial palace was renowned for its flowery beauty throughout the four seasons, at this moment, it appeared desolate with its bare branches and fallen leaves. People couldn’t compete with the weather. Luo Wei looked up at the clear blue sky and the few white clouds drifting lazily. The sun shone brightly, yet he couldn’t feel a hint of warmth.
“Luo Wei,” Long Xuan called out his name, reaching out to take Luo Wei’s hand again.
Luo Wei stepped aside, placing his hands behind his back. “If you have something to say, just say it. I’m listening.”
“What are your plans?” Long Xuan asked.
“Plans?”
“After going to Northern Yan, how do you intend to handle yourself?”
Luo Wei replied, “Are you genuinely concerned about me?”
“You even let Wei Lan go,” Long Xuan remarked. “Are you planning to go alone? To confront Sima Qingsha alone?”
“You don’t need to worry about me,” Luo Wei said. “I won’t disgrace the Long family of Great Zhou. Even if I suffer, I won’t go around complaining. Does that make the Second Highness feel at ease?”
“That’s not what I mean,” Long Xuan replied. “Going to Northern Yan is unavoidable. Regardless, you need to have plan for countermeasures. You cannot let Sima Qingsha manipulate you.”
Luo Wei gazed steadily at Long Xuan. At this moment, Long Xuan’s face genuinely showed no signs of deceit. Luo Wei glanced down at the lake below the bridge, filled with withered lotus leaves. Suddenly, he burst into laughter, the laughter growing louder until his body shook with it.
“Luo Wei?” Long Xuan stepped back, startled by Luo Wei’s unsettling laughter.
“Long Xuan,” Luo Wei laughed heartily, addressing Long Xuan. “Is it you who brought me to this point and you still want to act like this with me? Why are you still acting with me?”
Long Xuan’s expression changed. He was suddenly finding himself unable to compose himself in front of Luo Wei.
“Do you want His Majesty to see how respectful and brotherly you are?” Luo Wei said mockingly. “Your methods are quite something. His Majesty is now getting closer to you, and he has grown tired of the Crown Prince. Should I congratulate you?”
“Luo Wei, I…” Long Xuan had always been a bold person, but today, when he saw the hatred on Luo Wei’s face, he found himself saying, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
As large clouds obscured the red sun in the sky, when the sunlight faded, shadows enveloped the two figures. Luo Wei and Long Xuan both knew that a harsh winter laid ahead.
Boundless Dao 
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