The Dragon Prince's Warrior

Internal conflicts

From one of the windows of the grand Back Palace of the Forbidden City, the imperial family's residence, two men could be seen gazing at the eve of sunset. Their faces reflected a great deal of anguish, sorrow, and emotional exhaustion. It was the emperor and his son Shun, who throughout the remaining hours of the day, never ceased to be attentive to the time and the care of their beloved mother.

Several servants and healers moved back and forth with medicines and compresses, applying them every quarter of an hour, but An's condition showed no improvement. The palace was engulfed in words of discouragement, and with each passing minute, despair grew at an alarming rate.

Suddenly, Jin, the second prince, approached them from behind, with emotions mirroring those of his father and older brother. He had been on duty with the servants, watching over the state of his mother, and a bead of sweat traced its path down his forehead. His father noticed his presence and grew concerned; it seemed he didn't bring good news. With a sidelong glance at his son, his downcast and fatigue-worn countenance spoke volumes.

"How is she, son?" he asked without turning his gaze, which remained fixed on the horizon.

"Poorly, father... so bad," Jin replied in a faint voice, running a hand over his forehead. "And... is there still no word from Yun?"

"Nothing, brother. Yun left just a few hours ago, but it feels like an eternity," Shun answered with sorrow.

Heng let out a heavy sigh as he shook his head and, without uttering a single word, withdrew toward the prayer temple, as he had done frequently throughout the day. For him, it was incredibly difficult to reveal the pain and weakness that the mere thought of An's potential demise caused him, and the possibility that his son's efforts might end in a tragic death. He preferred to endure that suffering in solitude.

Their two sons knew these attitudes of their father all too well. Before them, he couldn't even pretend to smile. They knew his expressions like the backs of their hands. The pain in Shun and Jin's hearts hurt as if a row of thorns were slowly tearing them apart.

"This desperation is killing all of us!" Shun exclaimed with helplessness. "I think I should have gone instead of Yun. He's too inexperienced, and he has never led a battle in his life. I know we haven't needed wars or anything of the sort, but, remember, both of us went to fight when a band of thugs threatened the city."

"Brother, I understand your point, especially with mother on the brink of death," Jin responded. "But you should trust Yun a little more for once in your life. The old man saw bravery in him. Besides, there's no turning back now, and all we can do is wait."

"I think you're right," Shun sighed and brought his hand to his forehead. "I'm just too frustrated because you know what that old man suggested sounds like something impossible. It even sounds like a big lie, concocted for who knows what reason. People twist themselves into pretzels to hog the limelight, even if it means making fools of themselves."

"Well, to be honest... I don't have much faith in what that man told us either, but tell me, Shun, what alternative do we have?" Jin crossed his arms in frustration and helplessness.

"Question the old man," Shun replied without hesitation, turning to look at his brother.

"Well, then what... Do we head to the audience chamber and have him brought to us? I'll order it right away," Jin demanded as he turned to go call the messengers.

"No, you fool," Shun reached out to grab Jin's arm to stop him. "It's not an official meeting," he said softly. "If Father finds out that we're further questioning the old man and organizing extraordinary interrogations, he might undermine my authority in front of everyone. Understand, I've worked hard to earn the trust and power he granted me as the future emperor. We need to act discreetly."

"Hey, hey. Don't get so upset!," Jin responded, a bit offended. "So... What's the most sensible plan?"

Shun indicated with a look that they should walk towards the cell where they held the old man. Jin glanced at his brother with an approving gesture, and while no one was looking, as they were occupied with the empress, both princes walked through the long corridors and exited through the gardens. They traversed a lengthy hallway with large red columns, a ceiling adorned with golden designs, and gleaming wooden floors before finally leaving the palace. They followed a somewhat neglected alleyway until they reached the cells where they had taken the "wise sorcerer."

They had no trouble making their way through the narrow passages of that place, and the guards didn't object; instead, they greeted them with long respectful bows. Shun now had access to every place in the palace, just like Heng; he was no longer just a prince, his power now resembled that of Heng.

The two brothers approached stealthily and peered through the barred window of that metal door, observing the old man, known as Di. There was nothing particularly extraordinary about him; he sat on the floor with his legs crossed, as if meditating. He wore a worn hanfu robe on his plump body, and his head was nearly bald on the crown, with the tufts of hair on the sides slightly gray.

"So, then," Jin whispered, not wanting to be overheard by anyone else. "This was your idea, you should start, because there's no way I'd start a conversation with that man," he insisted while shaking his brother's arm.

"Let go of me, you're distracting me," Shun snapped, pulling away from Jin's grip.

As soon as Shun returned his gaze to the window and opened his mouth to begin speaking, old Di was already leaning forward, looking at the pair of princes. Jin jumped in surprise, but Shun held his gaze, not looking away from the old man.

"Sir," he took a breath, "I advise you to give us a heads-up before getting so close; you nearly scared me to death," Jin demanded, still recovering from the startle he had received.

"Well, you didn't exactly give us a heads-up that you'd be peeking into my window either, and that's bad manners too," the old man argued, and Jin made a subtle pout while Shun intervened to speak.

"Yes, you're right. We apologize; we didn't mean to intrude," Shun said with a firm and solemn voice. "You should know that we're going through a devastating time right now, and our minds are filled with accumulated doubts."

"It's understandable, Your Majesty," Di responded while giving a slight bow. "I don't blame you, as our dear empress is suffering, and therefore, all of us are."

"Indeed," Shun continued. "That's why we've come here to tell you that we find it hard to believe everything you said in the imperial court. We need a reaffirmation of your words, specifically regarding the riddle you presented to my father, which our brother took, accepting that life-or-death challenge. Understand that this is no small matter; it's the life of our own blood—noble and just blood on which all of China depends." Shun's tone of voice grew exasperated, and his hands clenched. "I demand that you tell us here and now how effective it will be for him to encounter that bird. Be a hundred percent honest; this is not a game, sir!"

Old Di listened calmly and serenely, like the wind blowing through the corridors. He patiently refrained from intervening until the prince had finished expressing his concerns and conflicts, then he sighed and began to respond.

"Your Highness, do you think I would come to risk my life to say this if the riddle weren't real? Of course not. Those words inscribed on the magical papyrus appeared when I myself communicated with the wisdom of Buddha, after years of experience, meditation, and training. I did not write that, I swear. The words manifested themselves, and I came to present a solution. If you didn't believe my word, you could have chosen not to take the alternative and instead waited for the natural balance between life and death; with all due respect, no one was forcing you to accept."

Faced with those words, Shun and Jin were left speechless, unable to debate what Di had told them. Even Jin, for a split second, thought that they might not have done well by imprisoning him, but his mother's and brother's lives were at stake. Both princes left in absolute silence, carrying an immense internal conflict and souls devoid of answers.

As they walked back to the palace, Shun merely turned to look at the clear sky. The first unwanted sunset was about to make its majestic entrance.