After three days of rest, Yan Si finally agreed to leave the cave with RongCheng. The two men's clothes were now extremely tattered and filthy, making them look no different from beggars.
Following RongCheng, Yan Si felt a sense of unease and worry, and asked, "Brother, where are we going?"
RongCheng pondered for a moment before answering, "To the imperial palace, but before that, we will go to another place."
"The imperial palace!?" Hearing this, Yan Si suddenly froze in his tracks. "Do... do we truly have to go to the imperial palace?"
That place was surely even more terrifying than the Shi General's Residence. He, of course, felt extremely uneasy.
Seeing Yan Si's reaction, RongCheng smiled and patted his shoulder, reassuring him, "There is no need to be afraid. As long as I exist, no one will dare to make things difficult for you."
"Why... why is that?" Who exactly was he? How did he hold such great authority? Thinking this, Yan Si stammered and asked, "What... what is your true identity, Brother?"
"Me?" RongCheng answered calmly, "I'm the First Prince of the Song Kingdom."
"The... the First Prince!?" Yan Si was immediately stunned, his head spinning. He couldn't believe he had come to know such a person and had even sworn a bond with him. It was truly unbelievable.
After a moment of thought, RongCheng asked, "I see that your medical skills are truly excellent. I plan to arrange for you to become an imperial physician. What do you think?"
"An imperial physician?" Yan Si felt a bit confused and asked again, "What's an imperial physician?"
RongCheng smiled and patted his head, saying, "You will find out soon enough. Though entering the palace has its share of strict rules, I won't let you suffer any hardship."
He spoke of a few rules to make it sound easy, but in reality, there were thousands of rules of conduct. If Yan Si were to know, he would likely refuse to enter.
After two consecutive days of traveling through the forest, RongCheng brought Yan Si to a relatively secluded villa on the outskirts of the city.
When the two arrived, a servant ran out to open the gate. Upon seeing RongCheng, the man's face first turned pale, then lit up with joyful cries, "Your... Your Highness!? Is... is it truly you? Have you truly returned?"
He must not be dreaming! For a while, rumors had spread that the First Prince had met with an accident while hunting and had been dragged away by a wild beast, his body lost. Who would have thought he would suddenly appear here, and in such a smelly, ragged, and tattered state.
Seeing the man weeping and babbling, RongCheng's expression became uncharacteristically solemn. He said in a cold voice, "Cease your nonsense. Go inside at once and tell the servants to prepare water and clothes. And also..."
RongCheng gave the servant a few more instructions... The man quickly wiped his tears, bowed, and ran off.
After the man had left, RongCheng's face returned to normal. "A Si, let us go inside together."
Yan Si nodded and followed RongCheng in, looking around curiously at the strange place.
The villa was not very large, but its structure was beautiful and it was extremely quiet. After observing for a long time, he asked, "Brother, where is this place?"
"This is my private villa. I come here whenever I'm too late returning from a hunt, and it is also…" At this, RongCheng suddenly hesitated.
"Also what?"
He walked and looked around the villa for a moment, his heart swelling with memories of the past. He did not know whether to be happy or sad as he simply said, "It is also where my wife was once held captive."
"Held captive?" Why did he call it "held captive"? Did Brother not love him very much? Why would he hold him captive?
Of course, Yan Si could not understand this. It was precisely because of love that he had to imprison, to bind the other to himself. Perhaps RongCheng had been wrong in the past, but now he felt it was utterly worth it—for he had gained the other's heart for eternity.
Thinking of this, the corners of RongCheng's lips curled up in a satisfied smile before he quickly returned to his previous calm demeanor, simply saying, "Let us not speak of this matter again."
Then, he pointed ahead. "We have arrived."
Before Yan Si stood a seemingly ordinary room. However, facing it was a magnificent and extremely lifelike rock garden.
Yan Si stood there, staring in a daze for a long time. RongCheng suddenly patted his shoulder, urging him, "Go inside, A Si."
Hearing the call, Yan Si flinched slightly, then nodded and followed RongCheng inside.
The room was incredibly clean and well-appointed. The air was filled with the faint, refreshing scent of incense, and a basin of water was steaming. A set of clothes was laid out on a nearby table.
RongCheng gently instructed, "I must return to the palace immediately. You will stay here for a few days while I make arrangements. I will come to fetch you... Now, go and wash yourself and change your clothes. Someone will bring dinner soon."
As he finished speaking, he turned his back to leave. Catching sight of RongCheng about to depart, Yan Si immediately grabbed his sleeve, clinging to it, seeming to be worried.
RongCheng turned back to face Yan Si and patted his hand reassuringly, "It is alright. It will only be a few days. Nothing will happen, so stay here without worry."
Yan Si was silent for a long time before asking, "Will you truly come back to get me?"
He had brought him all the way here, and yet he was still afraid of being abandoned. RongCheng sighed and reassured him, "Of course! Just stay here and don't worry about anything."
Only after hearing this did Yan Si finally let go of RongCheng's sleeve. RongCheng gently stroked his head a few times before hastily leaving.