Sakura's Petals
The Crown Prince's Plan
THE CROWN PRINCE'S PRIVATE RESIDENCE
“Oppa can go back to the room if Oppa is tired.” said Hwa Ryong who was lying on his bed after his leg was treated by a healer.
“No, I'm not tired. Being with you will not make me tired.” replied the Crown Prince, continuing to look at Hwa Ryong from next to the mattress.
Hwa Ryong clasped the Crown Prince's hand. “But I'm still worried about Oppa. I don't want you to get hurt because of me.”
The Crown Prince sighed. “How many times have I told you that I'll be fine. As Crown Prince of Joseon, no one would dare touch me carelessly.”
Hwa Ryong nodded. “Yes, no one would dare to touch the Crown Prince.” He then stumbled. “Crown Prince?”
“Iya. I am the Crown Prince of this country, Lee Yoon.”
Hwa Ryong fell silent, then woke up from his sleeping position. He looked at the Crown Prince with a look of disbelief. “Did Oppa know that a joke like this could get the death penalty in the police bureau?”
The Crown Prince sighed. “I'm not kidding.”
“Stop joking before anyone hears. Whatever Oppa's position in the palace, if I claim to be the Crown Prince, Oppa will not be able to survive.”
The Crown Prince smiled. “Easy Hyun!”
Eunuch Hyun stepped in, then immediately bowed respectfully. “Yes, Your Grace. Please give your command.”
Hwa Ryong was silent for a long time before then opening his mouth again. “So what I heard earlier is true. The people in this house call you by His Majesty's call. But how could Oppa, uh, no, His Majesty be outside the palace?”
The Crown Prince stroked Hwa Ryong's hair slowly. “Whoever may call me by His Majesty's call, but not by you. I want you to look at me as a man and not as a crown prince.”
“But..”.
“Oho! This is an order. Do you want to be punished by me for not obeying the Crown Prince's orders?”
“Well, Oppa.”
The Crown Prince smiled at Hwa Ryong's reply. “So, now, tell me who the man who brought you is.”
Hwa Ryong was silent for a moment. His heart that had been flowering had turned agitated. There was no point in hiding everything now, but somehow he still felt afraid. Even to mention Yunti's name alone, he was already scared to death. Afraid that Yunti's threat is really coming true. “Fourteenth Prince of Qing Dynasty, Prince Yunti.”
The Crown Prince could not hide his surprise for a moment. He had indeed thought of the possibility that the man was a prince. But not with the fourteenth prince, Prince Yunti. The favorite son of the current Qing Emperor. Fighting a prince from a foreign country alone was already a difficult matter. Especially if the prince was from China, plus his status as one of the emperor's favorite children. Not only that, the achievements he got from the military field made him not to be underestimated. Because the army and its followers will definitely not number a little. It was huge, in fact, considering he was the Prince of Qing. As a prince, he was also a figure loved by his people. A successor to the throne of the Qing Emperor. Clearly, making a little trouble or dealing with him was tantamount to looking to die. Not only death, it can even mean an invasion of the kingdom. Especially when the political conditions of Joseon are not good like this, he thought. The Crown Prince was silent for a moment.
One more thing, Yunti is his greatest enemy. He did not want to meet Yunti, even meeting him to humiliate him though.
Hwa Ryong could feel the uneasy feeling from the Crown Prince's face. He tried to smile even though in his heart he was so disappointed and sad. He already knew that even the Crown Prince would not be so helpless in front of Yunti. But still, sadness is inevitable. “It's not too late to take me home and end it all. Just by seeing Oppa safe and this country alone, I will be happy. I won't ask for more. So, Oppa doesn't have to worry. I do not love His Highness Prince Yunti, but I am sure I will be able to live with him. Love may grow in my heart, but only a little if I have married her. After all, we have been friends since childhood and that has gotten me used to it. We are also close friends. I'll try to be happy with him, because if Oppa feels we can't win, I'll let myself go with him. I'll never mind.”
“No!” the Crown Prince suddenly. His eyes half glared at Hwa Ryong. “Didn't you realize how horrible your sentence was? Married him?”
“Oppa!” call Hwa Ryong.
The Crown Prince shook his head loudly. “I'll never let that happen. Marry her? He had to step over my body before he got you. Please Hwa Ryong, don't ever say such a horrible thing in front of me again.”
“But Oppa..”.
The Crown Prince stood up. “Sleep. It's late at night. You have to recover your legs for the election tomorrow the day after tomorrow.”
“Optional?”
“Crown Princess Selection.”
Hwa Ryong was shocked. “But, Oppa..”
The Crown Prince had waltzed out, leaving Hwa Ryong still shocked on his bed. Hwa Ryong woke up from his shock, and then he tried to chase after the Crown Prince. But as expected, he fell.
The Crown Prince immediately ran back after hearing the sound of falling thumping from inside the room. “Hwa Ryong! You okay?” her tanyanya, worried, crouched down next to the fallen Hwa Ryong.
“Then what? You married her?”
“I'm not a stupid girl who doesn't know that Yunti will cause big trouble to Joseon, Oppa.”
“That's my job as Crown Prince, so your job is just to follow that election and become Crown Princess. That's the only way we can do to be together.”
“But..”.
“Only by becoming the Crown Princess, she will not be able to do anything to you. Since the Qing and Joseon Dynasties have a pretty close relationship right now, he would not be able to easily make trouble without getting permission from the Emperor.”
Hwa Ryong was silent.
“The sooner you become Crown Princess the better.”
Hwa Ryong could only be silent. Everything the Crown Prince said was true. This is the only way. Being the Crown Princess, something that never and never will come to mind even in her wildest dreams. A position so high that it felt impossible to reach it was now in front of his eyes. Will I be able to, Hwa Ryong asked inwardly.
THE TEMPORARY RESIDENCE OF PRINCE YUNTI
Yunti walked around in circles in front of his residence. A small guard ran towards him. The bodyguard looked so nervous.
“How is the result of the investigation? Did you get any information about that guy?”
The guard was silent. “On that, Your Grace... I...”
Yunti immediately glared at his subordinate.
“Don't waste my time. Quickly tell me the information you got now!”
“Ia.. he is His Highness Crown Prince, His Highness.”.
Yunti looked very surprised. “Crown Prince? How could Hwa Ryong know her, even love her?”
The guard interrupted. “What should we do now, Your Majesty? We cannot attack the royal villa. This will make the close relationship of the two countries destroyed instantly.”
Yunti was silent for a moment. He grunts. “For the time being, withdraw your troops. Instead, use the Joseon bandits to find a loophole so we can bring Hwa Ryong home.”
The guard nodded respectfully. “Good, Your Highness.”
Yunti stepped inside his room. He occasionally breathed a rough breath. “Crown Prince.” repeat, slow down. “How funny is fate to bring us back after that day.” Yunti also tried to remember those times.
FLASHBACKS
Ten years ago, a little boy dressed as the Crown Prince and another little boy in the Prince Qing's oversized attire played in a park guarded by a lady-in-waiting who was already in middle age.
The dayang was so attentive to take care of the two children. He helped the Crown Prince who had accidentally fallen stumbled to get up and comfort him. He also hugged the little Yunti warmly as he missed his home in Beijing. The two princes quickly doted on the lady, whom they already considered to be their own mother.
One day, they were fighting over the attention of the lady. The Crown Prince started a fight. He threw a cake at Yunti's head. Until then, the Crown Prince fell and got a head wound for losing a fight against Yunti. The dayang was also framed by the envoys of the Qing Kingdom who were sent to accompany the Prince, he was accused of being guilty of having made the Crown Prince injured. The envoys did so to save the name of the Qing Dynasty for deliberately injuring the Crown Prince. That day was also sentenced to death. From then on, Yunti and the Crown Prince grew even more resentful of each other. They accused each other of the death of the lady.
Yunti sighed again. He never thought this would happen again. They're fighting over the same guy again. But unlike the old ones, Yunti would never have the heart to make Hwa Ryong hurt. Never will, he thought.
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