Find What We Lost

...Dayu Empire - The Royal Palace...

...LONGWEI: I'm sorry, but His Majesty is not receiving visitors today....

...XIAO ZHAN: Visitors? Is His Majesty not aware there would be a Royal Council Meeting today? (looks back at his colleagues as witnesses)...

...MARQUIS JIN FUYAO: The hoodlums of Dayu are refusing to pay their taxes and His Majesty and the Royal Council must discuss specifically about this......

...SHEN WENYUAN: Is His Majesty in? Cut the shrade and let us in! (voice raised a little)...

...LONGWEI: I cannot do that. His Majesty is not receiving visitors today. Wait till he sends for you (bows)....

...SHEN WENYUAN: Why you little rat! (Attempts to meet Longwei but held back by Xiao Zhan)...

...LONGWEI: (Head down) Grand Chancellor Shen Wenyuan, Minister of Personnel, Law and Politics... You should understand, this is a royal order from His Majesty and I... Cannot do otherwise....

...SHEN WENYUAN: (Stares at Longwei)...

...Cangwu Village - LI CHENGJUE's hut...

...SHEN MO: (Enters) Your Majesty (bows), Is there anything you would like to eat?...

...LI CHENGJUE: No ... Aren't you tired and hungry from all the work? Then you should get some rest....

...SHEN MO: Yea, Your Majesty (bows and leaves)...

...LI CHENGJUE: (Brings out a tiny sack and unwrapped a little gold jade which he put earlier in his baggage before the journey) Why is this suddenly steaming hot? (stares at an empty space as he recalls his mother's last words before she passed)...

...PAST......

...GU MINGQUE: Cangwu (pulls down Chengjue's head and whispers) Find what we lost......

...PRESENT ......

...LI CHENGJUE: "Find what we lost" Mother... What could we have lost?...

...Dayu Empire - The Royal Palace...

...SHEN WENYUAN: You rascal! Do you want to be charged in the Royal Court! Do you utterly know what heinous punishment accompanies what you're doing!...

...LONGWEI: It is His Majesty's command! (To the rest members of the Royal Council)There will be meeting holding today! You all should go back home! Your matters can be discussed when His Majesty is ready to receive visitors. I can be charged but I command hundreds! don't let your own army fight you!... So please, Let us not war and simply obey the king's order! (Bows)...

...The little crowd murmured but Shen Wenyuan refused to comply......

...SHEN WENYUAN: What is this? Does the royal household think we're puppets that can be summoned anytime and dismissed anytime! Does his Royal Majesty consider us puppies he could utterly control without any objections!... Ok, I'll play your silly games... But it might not end this quiet next time......

...(Leaves)...

...The Members of Royal Council left and days passed as Li Chengjue and Shen Mo still stayed in Cangwu in their little hut......

...SHEN MO: Your Majesty (Bows) How long shall we stay here? For we have an Empire to lead......

...LI CHENGJUE: I must .. Fulfil my mother's last wish even if I don't know what it is. But we are here in Cangwu and that just means we're not far from finding out what it is... What possibly could have... Lost....

...SHEH MO: I'm saying because rumours have it in the last five days, there's been ten murder cases here in Cangwu. Your Majesty, please consider the fact you're the only successor of your father and if you die today, the LI bloodline... Will come to an end....

...LI CHENGJUE: Shen Mo, Are you uncertain about your protection towards me?...

...SHEN MO: Your Majesty... We are only two here. Foreigners... If anything happens, there is no thousand I can command to protect you. Not only will I be at war but also struggling to have you unharmed and I am just unsure... If I could do both. I insist we return to Dayu and focus on the future of the Empire and becoming a great King who can tell his children what is right and wrong.....

...LI CHENGJUE: Shen Mo, if I die today... I will be at peace... There is still one lost piece who will continue the bloodline... And until I find it... I don't plan on dying. Let us take a walk...

...SHEN MO: Your Majesty, It might be too dangerous out there. The moon is out and evil lurks....

...LI CHENGJUE: Do you now question my decisions!...

...SHEN MO: (Bows) I'm sorry Your Majesty...

...Later, Shen Mo and Li Chengjue stroll down the walkway towards the market square......

...LI CHENGJUE: (Inhales) It is such a nice place and the stars remind me of when I used to watch them with this little friend of mine....

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

...LI CHENGJUE: (Clicks tongue) But it is quite unfortunate... The evil ones has made the innocent difficult to identify. (Walks further) These villagers... Don't they know the curfew is on! (Stands)...

...SHEN MO: Uhm... Your Majesty... Cangwu is not a part of Dayu Empire, they... are autonomous of Dayu and your law stops at their borders.....

...LI CHENGJUE: I rule this entire country... And except it is another, no village is autonomous of my orders... (begins to walk towards the market square)...

...SHEN MO: Your... Your Majesty... Your Majesty! (whispers)...

...Li Chengjue walked fast and furiously towards the entrance of the market to intervene when he suddenly bumped into a girl who carried a luggage)...

...LI CHENGJUE: Aye can't you see!...

...SHEN MO: (Rushes to His Majesty)...

...LI CHENGJUE: Wait... (looks properly at the girl) You're that peasant who walked into me days ago and ran away... How dare you!...

...Everyone in the market suddenly turns to his direction...

...RUOYUN: And who are you to raise your voice at me! Some kind of royal bone?!...

...LI CHENGJUE: (Scoffs) Do you know who I......

...RUOYUN: (Cuts in) Who are you?! If not some other debtor.. Yes I bumped into you and ran away because I'm a debtor trying to get away from my creditor! And I'm not ashamed to say it... I am a debtor! Everyone is a debtor in Cangwu! So what makes you so special?! Gosh! (Grabs her luggage and walks away)...

...LI CHENGJUE: (After a while suddenly kneels to the ground in pain as Shen Mo rushes to check him) Argh... (grunts)...

...SHEN MO: Your Majesty... What's the matter (sees a gold jade smoking in his Majesty's hand) Your Majesty... (pushes it out)...

...LI CHENGJUE: Even if I don't grip unto it... It still burns... Argh! (Grunts in pain) What is this (Turns back to Ruoyun who was already half out the walkway) Why does it suddenly burns......

...LIGHTS FADES...

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