Chapter 1 -  A Youthful Teen

"They ran away!"

The guard's urgent cry pierced the cold night air, giving shivers down to the guard's spines. It was rather a windy and chilly atmosphere.

After putting in a great deal of effort and finally ran away, amidst the biting chills and tense atmosphere, cold sweat came, it had just completed a daring sudden and accidental "rescue" mission. The rescued person pleaded with An Xin not to leave the person alone in their desperate state, and the weight of responsibility bore heavily on An Xin's shoulders as they ensured the person's safety. A frigid wind and atmosphere, The person was pleading with a nervous looking face to stay with him and not leave them alone in their distressed condition. The young man who helped the person, currently on a run with that person too, was rather wearing a black cloak and a hood, with a veil and a mask. A silver mask. They were running and heading back to the Kingdom of Yǔ Xié, the harmonious kingdom from rainfalls. The name is quite exaggerated indeed... But it was more of a peaceful term. The person looked quite younger than him. Ān xīn wanted to ask the youthful teen, since it's quite concerning a youthful teen is in trouble and needs help.

"how old are you? You seem quite young" Ān xīn, perhaps feeling more comfortable and secure away from potential danger, eventually have the courage to ask a question. It happened when they were at a safe distance from any potential enemies, allowing Ān xīn to speak more freely without fear of being overheard or interrupted. The youthful teen hesitated at first but then gave a quiet reply, "I'm thirteen years old."

"ah, I'm only fifteen years old-"

The teenage boy directed his eyes towards Ān xīn, and the intensity of his stare brought a sense of curiosity and conspiracy. His youthful features highlighted the uprightness of his age, yet his gaze carried a hint of maturity that hinted at a deeper sense of the world around him.

"You're fifteen only..?"

"yes, I am"

The youthful teen was surprised at first but then didn't ask further questions. The youthful teen was rather "poor", As they travelled through the wild terrain, Ān xīn noticed something abnormal about his companion's appearance. Upon closer inspection, she realized that their eyes were of two different colours - one a deep shade of brown, and the other a striking grey mix blue. After several days of travel, they finally arrived at the splendid Kingdom of Yǔ Xié, where they were greeted by one of Ān xīn's loyal servants.

"Your Highness, where have you been? It's more than midnight!"

The servant appeared to be deeply concerned as he addressed his Highness. He explained to Ān xīn, which An Xin himself is the 17th prince and princess, not a well-known figure and wasn't much favoured by the public. While on contributed to the current situation, which prompted the servant's concern and prompted him to bring the matter to the attention of His Highness... Ān xīn wasn't born illegitimate, he was born legitimate but was last before his mother's death. No changes to the throne but oh well... He didn't even bother to care about fighting for the throne. Ān xīn's father died when he was two years old. Then it was passed to the next princes. Unfortunately, princesses or rather daughters were not preferred as rulers at that time. So, the 1st Prince became the ruler but he suddenly and abruptly died for unknown reasons, ruling for only a few months, which is just 9 months. Then the 4th Prince... Died from illness shortly after he was on the throne, only lasting 1 year. In the rough history of the Yǔ Xié Kingdom, several princes have ascended to the throne, only to be forced to resign due to corruption and crimes. One such prince was the 7th in line for the throne, who ruled for a mere two years before being compelled to step down due to corruption charges. Another was the 12th Prince, who managed to hold on to the throne for three and a half years before being charged with crimes. However, amidst all the chaos, there was a glimmer of hope for the kingdom when the 14th Prince ascended to the throne. Under his rule, the kingdom finally experienced a feeling of peace and stability that had been absent for far too long. Still on the throne but ageing. Ān xīn as the 17th Prince and the last one of the princes and princesses, saw the rulers to be quite a drama show as it only took a short amount of years about how many rulers kept changing.

"Your Highness, who is this young teen with you?"

"I just suddenly came across him. Just pleading for help. I can't help but our enemy's kingdom seems quite cruel."

The servant, who is Jìng qíngquán, has many doubts about this young teen. His Highness described him as quite a poor teen but he didn't look like so in Jìng qíngquán's eyes. Jìng qíngquán was not easily deceived but kept quiet about it for his highness since his highness ordered so.

. . .

The morning was refreshed and crisp, with the sun just beginning to rise over the horizon. As the young teen bid farewell to Ān xīn, felt a sense of gratitude for all the help and support provided. The cool breeze added a refreshing touch to the current moment, and the young teen said goodbye.

"It was just a small act, no need to thank me very much-"

The young teen's response was filled with a mixture of awe and gratitude as he spoke to Ān xīn, who was wearing a white veil and silver mask. "Still, it's a big impact for me," he said, his eyes sparkling with excitement and wonder. Despite Ān xīn's wearing the veil and the silver mask, Ān xīn could sense the genuine appreciation in the young teen's voice, which made her feel happy and fulfilled. As they parted ways, the young teen made his way towards a safer area, while Ān xīn couldn't help but think about the positive impact she had made on someone's life.

Jìng qíngquán's tone was rather sour as he spoke, "Geez, I don't trust a bit of that youthful teen and have doubts about him." Ān xīn, who was standing beside him, side-eyed him and chuckled. "It's just a young teen, nothing much to worry about," he replied in a reassuring tone.

Jìng qíngquán seemed hesitant but replied, "Really? If you say so." And with that, they just moved on. As they strolled through the busy streets of the city, Ān xīn felt a rush of excitement and thrill. The hood of his jacket fluttered in the swift wind, but he caught it just in time before it fell off. Though it was a minor inconvenience, he was grateful to avoid it. As they walked, Ān xīn couldn't help but marvel at the vivacious colours and sounds of the city. The energy of the place was a delightful experience, despite the occasional gusts of wind that threatened to disrupt their journey.

"Let's just head back" Jìng qíngquán added later on. Ān xīn nodded his head and went back to the infamous palace of Yǔ Xié. Where nobles and royals were there, staying there.

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<->

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In the Kingdom of Yǔ Xié, a sudden tragedy struck just seven months ago. The 14th Prince, who had been managing the kingdom for quite some time, suddenly passed away from an illness. His sudden demise came as a shock to everyone, as he had been in good health until then. The kingdom was left in a state of confusion and despair, as he had been a beloved ruler who had brought stability and prosperity to the land.

With the Prince's sudden death, the question of who would succeed him on the throne arose. The last princes, who were still alive, were now in line for the throne. However, since they were all daughters or princesses, there was no male heir to the throne. This created a sense of uncertainty and unease among the citizens of the kingdom, as they wondered who would lead them in the future. The kingdom required a strong and capable leader to guide them through this difficult time. Ān xīn, the 17th Prince of the kingdom, found himself standing among the other princesses as they attended the funeral of the late ruler, who was once the 14th prince. The atmosphere was solemn and heavy, with tears streaming down the faces of some of the princesses who were either married or unmarried. Ān xīn, who was standing behind them, was also grieving the loss of his cousin, whom he greatly respected.

As the prince stood there, he couldn't help but think about how sudden it all was. It had only been seven months since his cousin's death due to illness, and unfortunately, he had not achieved his immortality core before passing away. Ān xīn was not expecting to become the heir to the throne so soon, as he thought he had an extended period to prepare himself for the role. He had never fought or competed for the throne, as he had other things to deal with.

Under his white veil, Ān xīn tried to keep a straight face, but he couldn't help feeling sad about the loss of his cousin, whom he admired. The wind blew softly, adding to the melancholic atmosphere of the funeral.

Soon, the 12th princess approached Ān xīn and requested him to follow her. He nodded in agreement and went outside with her, where they could talk in private. As Ān xīn stood, a hushed conversation ensued between him and the 12th princess, YíngLián. She advised him to be cautious in enemy territory and specifically mentioned the Kingdom of Xuě Ān, indicating that she suspected the current ruler of Xuě Ān had sent secret assassins or spies. She cited the example of their 14th cousin, who had suddenly passed away from an illness, though his medical records never mentioned that he had shown symptoms of any illness. It was indeed strange, and Ān xīn agreed that it was wise to be careful.

"Since you are next to the heir of the throne..."

"What about it-?"

"Well, I really do suggest being careful with our enemy territory."

"Which one you are referring to, 12th cousin?"

"The Kingdom of Xuě Ān."

"Ah-?"

"I suspect that the current ruler of Xuě Ān had somehow sent secret assassins or spies. We already caught all of them after our 14th cousin had suddenly passed away from illness although his medical records never mentioned that he had shown symptoms of illness."

"I see, I already do find it weird of his sudden death."

"I suggest to be careful, you already survived a disastrous illness but somehow survived."

"I will, you shall not be worried much. You should be worrying about your children and your spouse."

"I know, I know. But most of our children are still quite young. Plus, you are about to achieve the immortality core. So I do hope you can stay longer."

"Alright."

The 12th princess, YíngLián, who is just 29 years old, patted Ān xīn's shoulders. Signed.

"I hope you do well"

The princess expressed her concern for her children and spouse, who were still quite young, but also acknowledged that Ān xīn was about to achieve the immortality core, which would help him live longer, or maybe make it to Godhood where all the people of Yǔ Xié hope for. She wished him well, and Ān xīn nodded in response, his white veil fluttering in the light breeze.

He then proceeded to the courtroom, where he was greeted by a minister. Ān xīn returned the greeting, displaying his discipline and manners. The minister wasted no time and went straight to the point, advising Ān xīn to prepare himself for the throne as he was next in line. The discussion continued for a while, and Ān xīn found it quite tiring.

The courtroom, with its grandiloquent Chinese and English design and architecture, was indeed an interesting sight to behold. Despite the fatigue, Ān xīn remained focused on his duties, knowing that he had much to learn and prepare for as he continued his journey towards becoming the ruler of the land.

"Your Royal Highness," a minister greeted him. Ān xīn greeted him as a form of discipline and manners. "Greetings Minister,"

As the potential heir to the throne, Ān xīn had many duties to attend to. One of the ministers spoke up, reminding him that he needed to prepare himself for what was to come. The discussion between the ministers went on for a long time, discussing the various responsibilities that came with being a royal. Finally, the meeting was over, and Ān xīn retreated to his room, exhausted from the long discussions.

Ān xīn was a person who loved sleeping, and it was his favourite pastime. So, he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep. The room gradually grew dark as he slept, but he was abruptly awoken by the sound of birds chirping outside his window. It was then that he remembered that he had an important meeting and coronation coming up.

Ān xīn rubbed his eyes and sat up in bed. He touched his head with his left hand, a habit he had developed to remind himself of his duties. Slowly, he mustered the courage to get out of bed and prepare for the day ahead. He quickly changed out of his yesterday's robes and went about his daily routines.

As he made his way to the courtroom, he was greeted by a high-ranked servant, who addressed him with a calm tone of voice. Ān xīn nodded in response and followed the servant inside. Once inside, he was greeted by a group of ministers, each with their own rank and responsibilities."Your Royal Highness, as you're to the throne, you might as well prepare yourself too" another minister spoke out. They discussed and discussed, just for duties. Finally, the discussion and meeting is over. Ān xīn just went into his room and lay on the bed, he is just more of a sleeping person. He just likes sleeping, and he prefers to do so. Ān xīn closed his eyes, and it turned dark. He jolted up when he heard the bird chirping, he suddenly remembered he had a meeting and coronation coming up. Ān xīn used his left hand and touched his own head, sometimes... He has to remind himself of that. An Xin somehow got the courage to get out of bed, still in his yesterday's robes or you can call it an outfit, he just quickly changed. Who cares anyway? Doing all those random things, which are daily routines, he went out to the courtroom again for a meeting. As Ān xīn was a step away from the courtroom, he was greeted by the same high-ranked servant.

"Your Royal Highness, you are here. Do come inside," the servant asked in a calm tone. Ān xīn just nodded, he did not want to say anything much. He entered so, then was greeted by ministers, rank and rank.

As the clock struck noon, Ān xīn could finally breathe a sigh of relief as the long meeting and discussions had finally come to an end. Feeling the need for some peace and tranquillity, he left the palace of Yǔ Xié and headed out into the open air. The breeze carried a soft and warm wind, which seemed to soothe his troubled mind. Ān xīn was dressed in a black cloak and hood, with a white veil and a mask to conceal his identity. He walked towards the hill where the small towns of Yǔ Xié were mostly located, enjoying the feeling of freedom and release from the stress that had been weighing him down.

As he walked, Ān xīn suddenly stumbled and almost fell to his knees. It was a reminder of his illness, which had left him with scars on his most basic physical abilities and some parts of his face. Although he had survived the illness in a state of horrific distress, it had left him with some lasting effects, including difficulty in walking. Despite this, he had been fortunate enough to recover and regain his ability to walk, run, and move his right arm again. This was all thanks to the late state preceptor, who had the patience and belief in Ān xīn to teach him how to walk again.

However, even with the progress he had made, Ān xīn still experienced moments where he would fall unexpectedly. It was a constant reminder of the fragility of his physical condition and the struggles he had endured to overcome it. Nonetheless, he remained determined to continue on his path, even if it meant facing challenges along the way.

Ān xīn signed and continued to walk back to the Palace of Yǔ Xié