Gifted Bride of the Sinned Prince

557 Mother, please be kind to me... to us

Lóng Wei slowly ate his meals, and in between, he looked at his mother.

“What happened, Lóng Wei?” Yu Jun asked and put a slice of meat on the plate before Lóng Wei. “Eat the sweets later. I made these,” Yu Jun asserted.

“Mother made these?” Lóng Wei was astonished and looked at the mooncakes.

“Yes,” Yu Jun replied.

“Why is Mother behaving strangely today? Mother always says that she despises me,” Lóng Wei said. “Is something going on?” He asked.

“Eat your meals,” Yu Jun stated.

Lóng Wei did not ask furthermore and silently finished his meals. He ate the sweets with gusto. “They are delicious,” Lóng Wei said and picked up another. He brought it close to Yu Jun’s mouth and asked her to eat that.

Yu Jun opened her mouth and took a bite. “Mother, forgive me for not behaving well. I will trouble you anymore,” Lóng Wei said with a smile. He took one more mooncake to eat when Yu Jun asked her to eat slowly.

Lóng Wei hummed and began to eat slowly. “Mother, please do not tell me to go away from the palace. I want to live here like the other princes and princesses,” he again requested Yu Jun.

.....

“I will not ask you to leave the palace. Finish the sweets,” Yu Jun asserted.

Lóng Wei felt relieved to hear his mother’s words. He finished the sweets and then the maidservant cleaned the table. Yu Jun told the maidservant that she should go to sleep after keeping the dishes in the kitchen. The maidservant obeyed the orders and left the chamber soon.

“Lóng Wei, show me your hands,” Yu Jun said. He extended his hands out and Yu Jun held them.

“You have grown up a lot,” Yu Jun stated.

Lóng Wei felt giddy with that warm touch of his mother. She was finally showing her motherly love toward him. She caressed his palms and said, “When you were born, there was no limit to joy. I have never been a good mother to you, but it was not what I wanted.”

Lóng Wei was bewildered by his mother’s words. She slowly withdrew her hands from her son’s hands and looked into his eyes again.

“Lóng Wei, listen to me carefully and promise me that you will do it,” Yu Jun said.

“What is it that mother wants me to do?” Lóng Wei asked. He was a little scared. He had many questions in his head, but he was unable to speak out those thoughts.

“Lóng Wei, a deep secret has been hidden behind your birth,” Yu Jun said.

“A secret?” Lóng Wei frowned.

Yu Jun nodded. “It is the time I should reveal it to you. His Majesty is not your father,” she said as tears appeared in her eyes. They were on the verge of falling, but Yu Jun did not let them fall.

“Pardon?” Lóng Wei chuckled and the color from his face blew off. “I was a fool to come here when you summoned me,” he stated and stood up in anger. He could not believe that his mother would say something like this to him.

“If you do not want to acknowledge me as your son, then it is fine. At least, do not say something like this,” Lóng Wei said with annoyance. He wanted to yell at his mother, but something was stopping him from inside. He turned to leave when Yu Jun asked him to stop.

“Lóng Wei, you have to leave the palace if you do not hear me entirely,” Yu Jun sternly said and she also stood up from the floor mattress.

Lóng Wei clenched his fist and turned to gaze at Yu Jun. “Only my dead body will leave this palace,” he said in a menacing tone.

Yu Jun walked up to him and slapped him hard. “Why did you say that?” Yu Jun reprimanded her son. Lóng Wei touched his cheek and his jaw clenched.

“I knew something was wrong when you called me out of the blue for the dinner, Is this what Mother has to say to me? I cannot believe that you hate me to this extent that you told such a lie to me!” Lóng Wei turned furious.

He was ready to leave when Yu Jun caught his arm and stood in front of him. “Lóng Wei, listen to me. I am not lying to you. The reason I could never love you was…” she paused as she realized that she was not supposed to reveal the truth to Lóng Wei. If Qiu Zedong found out that she told Lóng Wei what kind of person he was, then Lóng Wei’s life would come in danger.

“You hated being the concubine of the King. That is the only feasible reason that I can see for now,” Lóng Wei said and caught the hands of his mother to put them down.

“I will never come to see you. I have always sought your love and even today, my love for my mother brought me here. It will not happen here. I understood completely that my mother hates to see me,” Lóng Wei asserted. Yu Jun could not hold her tears and started crying. Lóng Wei walked past her when he heard his mother.

“Your father is Qiu Qizhen, the elder brother of His Majesty,” Yu Jun pronounced.

Lóng Wei froze at his place. He felt that the floor beneath his feet had slipped.

“Don’t lie to me,” Lóng Wei said.

“I am not lying. Qiu Qizhen is your real father, Lóng Wei,” Yu Jun said and slowly turned to him. Lóng Wei also turned to look at her and saw her face was covered in tears.

“Does His Majesty know about this?” Lóng Wei asked.

Yu Jun took a pause and shook her head. “Fortunately, he does not know. However, if he finds out about it, then he may kill us both,” Yu Jun affirmed.

“Why would I be killed?” Lóng Wei’s eyes turned misty. Was this the end of his life? No, that could not happen. He wanted to survive. He wanted to be happy like the people around him.

“I did nothing wrong. Then, why I must be punished? I do not even know Qiu Qizhen,” Lóng Wei said.

“Forgive me for complicating your life,” Yu Jun said. “There is a solution for it, Lóng Wei. You should kill me to live,” she opined.

“Mother! Please, stop!” Lóng Wei controlled himself from shouting at his mother again. It was already late night and if someone would hear this, then they both would come into danger.

“I will pretend that I never heard it. For me, my father is the King. I will not come here, so you do not need to bother about me,” Lóng Wei stated. Not seeing his mother was a million times better for him.

“I will reveal this truth in the morning. I cannot live like this anymore,” Yu Jun asserted. She wiped her tears and continued, “If you want to lead a happy and peaceful life, then you must kill me.”

“Mother, have you gone crazy?” Lóng Wei scowled at her. “Why are you doing this to us?” he almost shrieked at her, and then closed his eyes. Taking a deep breath, he opened his eyes and said, “Live as you were living all these years. Do not provoke me to do something which will destroy our lives. Mother, please be kind to me... to us,” he calmly said.

Yu Jun asked him to stay there and she went to the inner chamber. She brought the sword with her and forwarded it to Lóng Wei. “I do not want to have a tortuous death, Lóng Wei. His Majesty will not punish you because you are the dragon’s son. You should kill me tonight,” she stated as she handed the sword to Lóng Wei.

“You have gone insane. I should not have come here. Tell the King tomorrow. I do not care anymore. But do not ask me to take your life,” Lóng Wei stated. He wanted to relate to his mother’s frustration and wanted to calm her down.

“Lóng Wei, do you not hate me?” Yu Jun asked him.

Lóng Wei did not respond to her and threw the sword on the floor. “I am not a monster who will take your life. I still respect you. I am angry at you, but that cannot convert into hatred. You know this well. You need rest. This was the best meal that I had all these years,” Lóng Wei said and walked ahead to leave. He knew that his mother would turn calm after he would disappear from her sight. He had even planned to go to the other province so that his mother would not feel insecure.

He halted in his steps and slowly turned to check. Yu Jun had stabbed herself with the sword. Lóng Wei quickly ran to her and caught her from falling to the floor. “Mother,” Lóng Wei whispered, and his other hand rested on the sword’s hilt.

Yu Jun grabbed his hand and shoved the sword further inside her abdomen. She coughed the blood and tears fell from her eyes.

“This is the o-only wa-way you can live, Lóng Wei,” Yu Jun managed to speak. “D-do n-not tell anyone about this truth. I-I lov…” she could not complete her words and her eyes closed.