Your Highness, Pardon?

The Piece of Soul

Xu Rin runs forward for more than an hour. However, he still couldn't see the end of the darkness he was in. It was as if the darkness he was in had no end.

He stopped for a break and took a deep breath. This is all a dream; he knew it. However, he doesn't know how to wake up! How can he wake himself up if there's not even a single clue to come out of this place?

Xu Rin…

A voice calling his name out of nowhere came into his ears. He looked around crazily, trying to figure out who it was or if it was all inside this damn dream. He couldn't tell where it was because it was dark, and the voices he could hear were scattered and echoed all over the place. It was as if the voice were from outside the dream. Of course, it was possible to hear someone outside calling him, but the thing is, the voice he hears seems to be inside as well.

Xu Rin…

A call again. He looked around once again and saw a faint light not far from him. He started walking towards the light, and when he was near, he saw a perfectly beautiful man in front of him. His long lashes, fair and porcelain skin, deep red, small lips, big and bright eyes, and long brown hair all drew attention to themselves. This man in front of him is different from him. It wasn't him.

"You are?" he asked, seeing the person in front of him smile.

"I am you," he answered, "and I have no time left." He paused. "I will not beat around the bush. Xu Rin, you are in a difficult position in your past life because I am not with you. I am a fragment of your soul, and I was reincarnated in a different world and era. This may sound unbelievable, but believe me, if I were by your side, your family might be alive, and you and I would not suffer any humiliations. Xu Rin, since you are finally here, I can finally give up. I will merge into your soul as one, but I only have one wish…"

Xu Rin still couldn’t believe what he had just heard not to mention the fact that he was humiliated and his parents died because his soul was missing pieces.

"What is it?" Xu Rin asked.

The man in front of him smiled. "Xu Rin, I want you to leave the life you have had in your past lives. I want you to treat the family you have right now fairly and wish for their safety and happiness. They looked after your current body as well as the piece of your soul that has been residing in it for a long time. Please make them as phosphorous as possible and allow them to live without fear. Of course, those who have ill intent toward the family shouldn't have your mercy."

A chill ran down his spine when the last sentence was muttered by the person in front of him. "Are you telling the truth?" he asked.

Seeing the confusion in Xu Rin's eyes, the man who was shining in front of him smiled. "Yes. If you still have a question, you can answer it by reading my journal. It was hidden deep under my bed."

"Xu Rin… my child…"

A woman's voice could be heard from all over the place. This time, it did not echo. It was clear as day that it came from the outside.

A sad smile appears on the man in front of Xu Rin's face. He also has a little tear in his eye. "Mom really is a fragile woman. He could do everything for her children." He looked at Xu Rin. "Xu Rin, please take care of them. You would definitely feel their love once you took over the place as your own. Take your time getting to know them, and thank you for coming back. Thank you for letting me rest."

The man's body became even more blinding, and Xu Rin saw that his body started to dissipate. He panicked. "Wait!"

"Xu Rin, I'll get going now. I'm going to be one of your souls. Thank you."

Xu Rin opened his eyes all of a sudden, which made the madam jump into her chair. She was terrified and surprised to see her son open his eyes and gasp for air.

"Son, are you okay? You scared me!"

Xu Rin closed his eyes again when he felt dizzy. He sat down slowly as he started to massage his temples.

"Are you okay, Rin'er? Are you in pain?" The woman in front of him asked worriedly.

Lim Su Cheng, the third daughter of the Lim household, is from one of the most prestigious families in the capital city. Lim Su Cheng married the current patriarch of the Xu family, Xu Xiang Min, the Prime Minister and left hand of the Emperor. Xu Xiang Min saves the emperor from assassination by the other kingdom as well as its own cousin, who tries to take the throne. Because of the achievements of Xu Xiang Min, he was promoted and became the emperor's left hand, as well as one of the most respected prime ministers.

In this life, he has the same name, Xu Rin. He's currently eighteen years old and was assaulted by his aunt's adopted son. They beat him until he couldn't be recognized. A lot of his bones were fractured, and he also had a lot of bruises and wounds in his body. Feeling the pain in his body, he knows that the assault was really serious and severe.

He stared at Lim Su Cheng in front of him, and seeing his mother's worried expression, he couldn't take it. He smiled and tried to ease her worries. "Mom…" he called her.

Lim Su Cheng burst into tears when she heard her son call her affectionately. "Good, good. My son is finally free from his own."

Free from his own, meaning he was a retarded man. He is retarded because his soul is incomplete and only a fragment of it is in this body. Being recovered from retardation is no longer a question now that the entire soul is finally on the body.

"Mom, please don't cry," Xu Rin said. For some reason, he feels like he wants to cry. "Please do keep this a secret first, Mom. I don't want the enemy to be alerted."

"Good, good. as soon as you're good. Good little Xu Rin." Lim Su Cheng nodded her head spontaneously. "However, I want you to discuss this with your father when he comes home. Understood?"

Xu Rin nodded his head. "Yes, mom. Thank you. You can go and rest. I'm fine already."

Reluctant to leave, Lim Su Cheng couldn't do anything but leave. His son wants to rest, and since his son said he is finally okay, then there's no need to be worried.

Lim Su Cheng couldn't help but thank the gods for showing mercy to his second and youngest son. She even thanked God for curing his son's mind.

Meanwhile, on the east side of the Imperial Palace.

"Your highness, the second son of the Xu family, was severely injured by Lim Quan, the adopted son of Consort Lim. It was also said by the people who witnessed the beating that Lim Quan shows no mercy towards the second son of the Xu Family."

The person has been sitting on the sandal chair for three hours. One of his legs was straight, while the other was bent.

"Lim Qian is getting more and more bold as time passes," the person calling himself His Highness commented. He sucked on his pipe and blew smoke. "Hurting the second son, let alone the retarded one, will give Liam Qian a great headache," he added as he smirked. "Xu Xiang Min won't let go of this matter. I would like to see how Xu Xiang Min deals with this arrogant consort." He stood up and called on the people to help him get dressed.

"Your Highness, are you going to the courtroom today?"

"Of course, the show should have an audience, right?"

The man reported nodding his head. "Right."

His Highness, the Second Prince, Qin Liang, is currently the most favored person in the court. He is only second in power to his biological brother, who is now Emperor of the Qin Empire. He helps his brother succeed on the throne, and the emperor knows that he has no intention of being the emperor. Thus, he gave him the title of King Qin Liang. Qin Lang's words are as heavy as the emperor's.

Qin Lang does not want his own people to be bullied, and since Xu Xiang Min helped him push his brother onto the throne, it was obvious that he favored this man and his family. As long as they don't commit treason, Qin Liang will continue to support Xu Xiang Min and his family. It was the same with his brother, the emperor.