"Oh, isn't this His Highness the Crown Prince?"

Mu Anheng's hand, which was holding the tattered quilt, suddenly stopped. His lifeless eyes looked through his disheveled hair at the person walking towards him.

He looked somewhat familiar, but he just couldn't place him. Back when he was the Crown Prince, his residence was always bustling with visitors, and people who wanted to see him lined up from the east street to the west street. Naturally, he wouldn't remember them all.

The man, dressed in fine clothes, walked step by step to Mu Anheng, then chuckled and stopped.

Mu Anheng could not possibly fail to hear the disdain and mockery in that laughter.

"Get out of the way."

"Ah, hahahahahaha?" The man suddenly threw his head back and laughed wildly, pointing at Mu Anheng and laughing until tears streamed down his face.

"Get out of my way? Order me around? Huh? Who do you think you are? You dare to order me around? You're just an unwanted dog now."

After saying that, he kicked Mu Anheng to the ground.

In an instant, the bedding in his hands scattered all over the floor.

Enraged, Mu Anheng scrambled to his feet, ready to fight, but the man easily kicked him to the ground, continuing his taunts:

"My Crown Prince, do you still remember when I knelt before you, begging for a chance? What did you say? You said, 'What am I?' Hahahaha, that's hilarious! What am I?"

He suddenly reached out and pulled the bedding out of Mu Anheng's hand, tearing it apart with force. In the blink of an eye, the already tattered bedding was reduced to a pile of rags.

"Your Highness, do you know that if I were to just open my mouth now, you would be dead? But I don't want that. I want to keep you alive and watch you become a beggar in this wealthy capital, begging for food every day. Hahahaha, how delightful!"

With hatred in his eyes, Mu Anheng roared, "A tiger fallen into the plains is bullied by dogs! If I hadn't been framed, I would have twisted your head off."

"This Empress? This Empress? Hahaha, everyone come and listen! A beggar calls himself this Empress! Hahaha, I'm dying of laughter! Who doesn't know you're ignorant, mediocre, and incompetent, yet you think you're the chosen one of heaven? Hahahaha!"

The man walked away laughing, his face full of disdain, but no matter how far away he was, Mu Anheng could almost hear the increasingly loud laughter.

Those people I once looked down upon, those I humiliated, those I bullied, came crashing down on me like raindrops, and anyone who came near would be trampled on.

He was powerless to resist; every word, every tone of voice, felt like a series of heavy slaps to his face, yet he could do nothing about it.

These taunts, mockery, and insults seemed to be etched onto my body.

"Oh, Your Highness? What happened? You fell to the ground and no one helped you up?"

Another person arrived.

"Oh, sorry, I forgot, you're not His Highness the Crown Prince anymore, so what are you? Judging by your attire, are you a beggar?"

As he spoke.

With a clang.

There was an extra copper coin on Mu Anheng's coarse cloth clothes.

"Here's a reward for you, no need to thank me."

After saying that, the man left, laughing wildly, just like before.

Mu Anheng gritted his teeth, threw the copper coin aside, and continued walking while carrying the bedding.

This scene repeated itself over and over again in the following week.

Many people tossed him coins.

At first he threw them all away, but not long after...

He remembered the first time he picked up a copper coin and put it in his pocket, he cried bitterly and roared to the sky, but all he heard from those around him was laughter that grew louder and louder.

He had expected to be angry, to roar, to hit and smash them with whatever he had, just like the first time, and to retaliate with the most vicious words. But he didn't. He was unusually calm, as calm as if he were dead.

A few straws were stuck in his messy hair, his toes were sticking out of his tattered shoes, his stomach had stopped growling but was still twitching, and he had vomited bile last night.

Suddenly, a shrill smile appeared on his lips. He tore aside his disheveled hair, picked up the copper coin, stuffed it into his pocket, raised his head, looked at the man, his bloodshot eyes wide open, and roared hoarsely, "Thank you, sir!"

His howls were like those of a trapped beast, indistinguishable as either laughter or tears, yet tears welled in the corners of his eyes, tinged with a hint of blood.

The man tossed in another coin, laughing so hard he almost fell over.

"Thank you, sir!"

Mu Anhen continued speaking, and he continued throwing.

He only got tired of it and annoyed at the end, so he cursed and walked away.

Mu Anheng used the copper coins to buy two steamed buns, which he devoured with gusto, tears streaming down his face.

He never knew that white flour steamed buns could taste so good.

Sometimes he would visit the restaurants and brothels he used to frequent, just to catch a glimpse of them. He couldn't quite tell if it was out of nostalgia or wistfulness, until he later realized that the wealthy people in the area were giving him even more tips.

I don't remember what the weather was like that day...

"Hey, here you go, a pig's tail."

The waiter in the restaurant suddenly beckoned him over.

Mu Anheng jogged over.

The waiter pointed to a table inside and said, "These are their tips."

Mu Anheng glanced at them and saw that they were his former retainers. He had often berated them. When they couldn't come up with a plan, he would call them pig-headed. Pigs can be eaten, but they are useless.

Mu Anheng looked down at the pig's tail in his hand. In restaurants, this kind of thing is usually just thrown away. They probably ordered it to be cooked to humiliate him.

He didn't show much expression; he just stood at the doorway and ate in front of them.

Well, the taste was pretty good; at least I'm full today.

On the way back, as they passed through a small alley, a group of people suddenly rushed out, pinned Mu Anheng to the ground, and beat him up without saying a word.

What are you doing?

A somewhat familiar voice suddenly rang out.

Mu Anheng raised his blood-stained face and looked over: Oh, Su... Su Yunyan, his former Crown Princess.

She's probably here to kick me when I'm down. Ever since she married into the family, I've never given her a kind look.

"Stop! The patrolling soldiers are just ten steps away."

The group scattered in a flash.

Mu Anheng was a little confused: Didn't you come here for revenge?

Su Yunyan looked at him, a hint of shock flashing in her eyes. The last time she saw him, he was still the high and mighty Crown Prince, looking down on everyone. But in just a few days, he had completely lost all his arrogance, like a rag on the street, someone anyone could step on.

Su Yunyan felt a mix of emotions.

She had already avenged herself, since he had become a commoner.

"Give."

Mu Anheng looked up and saw her carrying a lantern, slowly walking to his side, squatting down and stuffing the loose silver into his hand.

Mu Anheng wanted to speak, but the words stuck in his throat. Unlike those others, she didn't throw money at him. He could sense that she felt no resentment, no anger, only calmness—the calmness one shows to strangers.

Su Yunyan pushed open the door and entered a small courtyard.

Mu Anheng glanced at it: So this is where she lives.

After that, after he finished collecting the money, he would come here and stay for half an hour, tossing and turning, and he also learned that she wanted to open a shop.