Last Wish

...Jiangnan - Dayu Empire...

...The Palace - Queen Gu Mingyue's room. Gu Mingque is on a small bed....

...KING LI CHENGJUE: Mother... Why did you dismiss the royal physician?...

...GU MINGYUE: My time... Has come (coughs)...

...LI CHENGJUE: No, not yet. You will watch me grow this empire. You and I must grow Dayu....

...GU MINGQUE: (Coughs) Son... You are the king of this country. You are wise... Blessed with wisdom. What more help do you need?...

...LI CHENGJUE: I want you by my side... Mother. Without you, this kingdom will fall. I am yet unwise to do it alone....

...GU MINGQUE: Son, my time has come. I and your father are proud of you and will forever be with you and watching from above. I am tired.. Of an unending disease... Let me rest....

...LI CHENGJUE: Mot-mo..mother... (Voice breaks)...

...GU MINGQUE: Chengjue... There is something you must know....

...LI CHENGJUE: What mother... What bothers you?...

...GU MINGQUE: Go (coughs) Go to... (breathes heavily as if losing air) go (gasps and wheezes)...

...LI CHENGJUE: Mother, Mother..!...

...GU MINGQUE: Cangwu... (Pulls down Chengjue's head and whispers) That (wheezes) is my last wish....

...Gu Mingque let out the ghost...

...LI CHENGJUE: Mother... (shakes Gu) Mother!.....

...Outside the room, the King's voice was heard by the crowd lined up waiting to get news about the Queen....

...Later, Li Chengjue comes out of the room and stands in the balcony as the crowd looked up at him...

...LI CHENGJUE: The Queen Mother... Is dead....

...The crowd begins to murmur at the shocking news, including other members of the palace....

...LI CHENGJUE: You may all leave... (leaves as everyone bows)...

...Later that day, the palace was quiet, calm... The queen's room was shut. Li Chengjue sat lost in thoughts in his chamber....

...GENERAL SHEN MO: Your Highness (bows) You summoned me....

...LI CHENGJUE: (Silent)...

...SHEN MO: (Head still down) Your Highness......

...LI CHENGJUE: We are going to Cangwu......

...SHEN MO: (Dazed) Ca-Cangwu? As in Cangwu Village?...

...LI CHENGJUE: We leave tomorrow...

...SHEN MO: But Your Highness... Cangwu.. That village is too dangerous. They practise dark sorcery and forbidden magic. It's too risky for you, Your Majesty... You must have a rethi......

...LI CHENGJUE: (Cuts in) We leave tomorrow Shen Mo... (pauses) It's my mother's last wish... And I must fulfil it....

...SHEN MO: (Uneasy) Yea.. Your Majesty (bows)...

...LI CHENGJUE: You may go...

...SHEN MO: (Bows and leaves)...

...LI CHENGJUE: Cangwu... Cangwu... (Continues his thinking)...

...The night was brightened up with the moon as soon the sun rose......

...LI CHENGJUE: (Ties his robe)...

...SHEN MO: (Enters the room and bows) Your Majesty, the chariot's ready......

...LI CHENGJUE: (Puts a little stone in his bag)...

...Outside the palace, but in a quiet zone. A chariot was seen loaded with some bags. Li Chengjue sits inside and Shen Mo was ready to ride the chariot......

...LI CHENGJUE: No one, not even Dayu must know about this. Secure my chamber and let no one in... Not even a member of the royal council......

...CAPTAIN LONGWEI: Yea, Your Majesty (bows as the chariot leaves)...

...Cangwu is a far village from Dayu but outside the empire, although an independent one. It's foggy nature made it more scary and risky to go. It's a busy village in Jiangnan. After some hours, King Li Chengjue and Shen Mo arrived with their chariot as it caught almost everyone's attention....

...LI CHENGJUE: They stare pitifully and can't even move a muscle to bow to their king!...

...SHEN MO: (Whispers) Uhm, Your Majesty... Here, we're just... Commoners.. Mere villagers of Cangwu...

...LI CHENGJUE: (Realises) oh......

...SHEN MO: (Recalls) Yea Your Majesty, I booked you a hut down the village. Shall we go?...

...LI CHENGJUE: Take me there...

...SHEN MO: Yea, Your Majesty (bows a little)...

...While Shen Mo moved the chariot down the village, the crowd looked and murmured, "Such wealthy villagers" "They must be foreigners"... Until suddenly, a villager came across them......

...BAI YE: (Bows) Your Highness!...

...Everyone turns to their direction......

...LI CHENGJUE: (Realises the scene) Ah... You must be mistaken young man. For I do not know this Highness you speak of. I am Shen Xuan and this is my brother and we are going to claim our... Lottery award. (To Shen) Go!...

...Chengjue and Shen Mo leaves immediately with their chariot leaving Bai Ye dumbfounded....

...Minutes passed and they finally reached their destination but had to take few more steps, forced to carry their loads through the narrow walkway....

...LI CHENGJUE: (Grunts) Why is this surprisingly heavy?! (Drops the baggage he carried) Shen Mo take this... (begins to walk further)...

...SHEN MO: But... Your Majesty...

...LI CHENGJUE: That is a royal order...

...SHEN MO: Yea, Your Majesty......

...Shen Mo barely carried the luggages as they strolled down the walkway where various kiosks and shops were...

...LI CHENGJUE: Maybe Cangwu isn't so bad after all... Right Shen?...

...SHEN MO: (Grunts struggling with the luggages) Yea, Your Majesty.. But don't be fooled by the innocence you see as they become wild Wolves at ni.......

...Shen Mo couldn't finish his statement due to a shocking lady who unintentionally bumped into Chengjue while running......

...SHEN MO: (Drops the luggages hardly) Your Majes...! Shen Xuan! (Rushes down to Chengjue as he immediately faces Ruoyun who was still trying to get to her feet) You! Do you know what you've just done!...

...RUOYUN: Darn... Screw you!...

...Ruoyun picked off in her run as Shen Mo helped Li Chengjue up....

...SHEN MO: I'm sorry, Your Majesty (bows) See? Cangwu is just that bad... Should I chase her down?...

...LI CHENGJUE: No, no... Let her be. (dusts his body) Let's Go......

...Shortly, they reached the hut and Shen Mo finally off-loaded the luggages inside. It was a small hut down the Cangwu Market Square....

...SHEN MO: Your Majesty (Bows) I should get back to Dayu... my thousands needs me to lead them......

...LI CHENGJUE: No, you stay here....

...SHEN MO: But Your Majesty......

...LI CHENGJUE: Longwei is always there to secure the palace and even Dayu as a whole and lead the thousands and his hundreds. Whereas, Shen Mo... You stay here and make sure... I get back alive. Shen Mo, this is a royal order....

...SHEN MO: (Bows) Yea, Your Majesty......

...LI CHENGJUE: And my quest to fulfil my mother's last wish... has just begun......

...LIGHTS FADES......

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