Chapter 53: The scene in Liuzhou is like a loving couple...
Liuzhou is located in the north of Liang State.
At this moment, the sky is slightly bright and the morning mist is thin and light.
Xie Yuting rode on his horse, circled Jiang Yueying in front of him, and the two of them galloped through the city gate.
The guards of the Eastern Palace followed closely behind, with each person keeping a distance between them to avoid attracting too much attention due to the large number of people.
After deceiving the accompanying officials, they rode all the way across the cold and rugged snow-capped mountains and arrived in Liuzhou after three days and three nights.
The main city of Liuzhou is naturally not as prosperous as Kyoto. The people on the streets are simple and honest. Many aunts and uncles selling vegetables nodded and smiled at them, and they were very welcoming to the guests who came from afar.
Xie Yuting was the first to find an inn, opened a room, and took Jiang Yueying in to rest.
Jiang Yueying's eyelids drooped with sleepiness, but she still said, "Why don't we go meet Master Du's family first?"
"Don't rush. Go to sleep first," Xie Yuting said, pressing her onto the couch. "You're almost sleepy, yet you're still trying to be brave."
“…No.”
Jiang Yueying wanted to refute. After all, how could someone who had lived in the cold palace for many years not be able to endure such a little hardship? Xie Yuting was looking down on her.
However, as soon as her head touched the bed, her whole consciousness fell into drowsiness and she just wanted to lie down on it and sleep soundly.
I'm so sleepy.
Her body reacted before her brain, and she gently closed her eyes. In a moment, the world returned to silence, her consciousness gradually faded, and her breathing slowly became long.
Jiang Yueying fell asleep as soon as she lay on the couch. Xie Yuting took off her shoes, covered her tightly with the quilt, sat on the edge of the bed, and reached out to tidy up the girl's messy hair.
She murmured twice in her sleep, and instinctively grabbed his wrist, holding it in her arms, covering her cold palm.
"Sleep..." she muttered in her sleep.
Hearing this, Xie Yuting lowered his eyes to look at her, slowly squeezed onto the couch, hugged her, and due to excessive fatigue, fell asleep unknowingly.
The two of them were like intertwined branches, snuggling silently.
A few hours passed like flowing water, and when I opened my eyes, it was already past noon.
Jiang Yueying fluttered her long eyelashes and found herself nestled in Xie Yuting's arms. They were tightly pressed against each other, their breathing clearly audible. This scene made them look like a loving couple.
The corners of her lips curled up slightly, and she whispered, "Xie Yuting?"
The other person's arm around her waist tightened, but the sleeping person was not awake yet.
Looks really tired.
She narrowed her eyes and rested with him for a while.
Until they both opened their eyes at the same time, staring into each other's eyes, their inseparable posture making them unable to move. The girl's radiant pupils flickered, reflecting his deep gaze, and every change in their breathing could not escape his eyes.
"Wake up...wake up?" she stammered.
"Well," he replied in a low, hoarse voice, "Are you still sleepy?"
Jiang Yueying recovered her energy quickly, and a short rest could get rid of most of her fatigue, so she blinked and suggested setting off now.
It was Xie Yuting who still took her on horseback, bypassing the main city of Liuzhou and heading all the way to the pine and cypress forest on the west side. The chirping of birds in the forest was drowned out by the sound of horse hooves.
The snow melts quickly here, there is little soil and rocks in the forest, and the land is extremely flat, making it a great open place.
But Jiang Yueying didn't understand why Grand Tutor Du was living in seclusion in such a remote place? Even if he retired and returned to his hometown, he didn't have to hide in the mountains and forests, right?
I asked the question unconsciously while I was confused.
Xie Yuting explained: "The Du Mansion is in the most prosperous area of the main city. Teachers generally won't put themselves in a difficult position, let alone live in a remote place."
He paused and continued, "The teacher was assassinated and killed. His wife, Madam Pang, quickly wrote a letter asking for help. Coincidentally, the letter never made it to the Eastern Palace. My senior brother intercepted it en route. He was worried something might have happened to the Taifu family, so he rode at top speed to protect them."
Jiang Yueying opened her mouth in surprise: "You still have a senior brother?"
The title of "senior brother" sounds very martial arts-themed. Jiang Yueying guessed that this senior brother was probably not another student of Master Du, but probably a man of the martial arts world.
"It's a long story. I'll tell you in detail when I have time."
As they were talking, they had already reached the end of the pine forest. At the end there was a house of medium size with a plaque but no inscription on it. Several tall and solemn gatekeepers stood on both sides, looking a bit majestic.
Several doormen recognized Xie Yuting and immediately bowed to him.
Xie Yuting took Jiang Yueying's hand and walked into the courtyard. After passing through the corridor, they saw an old woman with gray hair sitting in the courtyard. Her face was haggard and gray, her eyes were cloudy, and her reaction was extremely slow. It took her a long time to slowly turn her head.
"Mrs. Pang." Xie Yuting called.
When Madam Pang saw him, a smile appeared on her face, and she became kind and gentle: "I greet His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."
"Madam Pang, there's no need to be so polite. I should call you Master's Wife." Xie Yuting stepped forward to support her and pointed at Jiang Yueying. "This is my Crown Princess."
Jiang Yueying obediently called her "Old Madam".
Madam Pang nodded and said guiltily, "I didn't want to disturb your peaceful life, but before my master passed away, he told me to seek His Highness's protection. Otherwise, I'm afraid it would be difficult to save the lives of the children."
Facts proved that he was right. Not long after, the Du Mansion was besieged. Fortunately, they had already hidden in the deep forest and avoided disaster.
Xie Yuting's mouth was tight, his brows were as sharp as a knife: "Madam, who murdered the teacher?"
"Alas, I don't know..." Old Madam Pang sighed, "When I returned home that day, I saw the room in a mess, and the master lying in a pool of blood, dying..."
"Although I don't have any concrete evidence, I suspect it's the Third Prince."
Xie Yuting clenched his fists: "Why?"
Madam Pang recalled, "The Third Prince once sent someone with generous gifts to visit my master. Your Highness knows that many officials in the court are my master's disciples. The Third Prince wanted to win over these non-factional officials, so he came and offered bribes in every possible way."
"My master politely declined, but they used threats and inducements, and not long after, they ran into trouble..."
They had been in Liuzhou for many years and had never made enemies with anyone. Apart from the Third Prince, Madam Pang really couldn't think of anyone else she might have offended.
But she had no evidence, and could not sue the most favored prince of the dynasty.
As she spoke, Old Lady Pang lowered her head and wiped her tears. She was old and easily felt choked up in the chest when she was emotionally agitated. She almost fell to the ground. The two men hurriedly helped Old Lady Pang back to the room to lie down, and summoned the doctor from the East Palace to come and treat her.
Fortunately, it was just a case of blood and qi attacking the heart, and there was no serious problem. The doctor simply prescribed some medicine for me to drink.
Xie Yuting went out to arrange for people to thoroughly investigate the assassination of Tutor Du, leaving Jiang Yueying in the old lady's bedroom to watch over her while she took medicine.
Madam Pang took the medicine bowl with an apologetic look on her face.
To lighten the mood, she said in a gentle voice, "I've heard that the Crown Prince has married a Crown Princess. I never thought I'd have the honor of seeing her in person."
Jiang Yueying's ears blushed: "The old lady must have seen Xie Yuting when he was a child."
"Of course I have," Madam Pang's eyes twinkled. "When I first met His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, he was only eight or nine years old. Many years have passed, and His Royal Highness has already married."
"I'm so lucky to have married such a beautiful wife."
Jiang Yueying's cheeks turned even redder, and she became curious. She couldn't help but ask what Xie Yuting looked like when he was young.
Mrs. Pang was very talkative. She held her hand and told her stories from the past.
…
"I want to leave the palace." The little boy put his hands on his hips, his peach blossom eyes wide open.
The young man in brocade clothes beside him half-knelt on the ground, pinching a handful of lush green grass in his hand, and sneered in a smug manner: "Your Highness, how has His Majesty offended you again? He grumbled about running away three times in a month, but I haven't seen you actually run away."
"I'm serious this time! I've already packed my bags!" Xie Yuting raised her delicate face. "Father always favors my second and third brothers. I want him to lose me completely!"
The young man in brocade clothes rolled his eyes.
"Meng Shuzhang, stop pulling at the grass. Did you hear what I said?"
Meng Shuzhang chuckled: "This prince is picking herbs, what do you know? Besides, you are about to leave the palace and run away. You will no longer be the prince. Why should I listen to you?"
Xie Yuting was furious: "You are such a heartless person, what kind of brother are you?"
"Besides, who wants to be the crown prince? I quit!"
After saying this, Xie Yuting really packed his bags and stormed out of the Eastern Palace. Despite the ridicule, Meng Shuzhang, Xie Yuting's childhood playmate, still hurried after him.
"Where are you going?"
Xie Yuting said: "Leave Kyoto and run as far as you can."
Meng Shuzhang felt a toothache: "Then I won't go with you. I'm so tired."
"Don't you also dislike your father? Why don't you come with me?"
"My father always scolds me for being useless, saying that if I learn the art of medicine, I can only become an imperial physician in the palace. As the heir of a marquisate, I should study literature and martial arts and inherit the title as soon as possible." Meng Shuzhang was melancholy. "Sometimes I really get annoyed with him, but I don't want to suffer outside. If I leave the marquisate, I won't even have money!"
Xie Yuting said: "It seems to be true, alas..."
The two young boys sighed and groaned when they suddenly ran into a group of strong men.
The burly man in the lead yelled fiercely: "Where did you come from, little brat? Get out of here!"
Xie Yuting was already annoyed, and he yelled back, "Fuck you, get out of here!"
The strong man was about to teach him a lesson when the other men urged him, "Stop getting angry with the kid. It's more important to send this girl to the gambling house."
Hearing this, Xie Yuting and Meng Shuzhang looked at the middle of the group of strong men at the same time. There was a shivering little girl who looked younger than them and was looking at them with red eyes.
The little girl's lips trembled: "Help... Help me..."
The two teenagers looked at each other, Meng Shuzhang leaned over and grabbed a handful of sand and threw it into the strong men's eyes. The strong men screamed in pain. Xie Yuting grabbed the little girl and ran away. The two teenagers cooperated tacitly, protecting the little girl and getting into the alley, shaking off the men behind them.
After she was completely free from the strong men, the little girl burst into tears and immediately knelt down to kowtow to the two men: "Thank you for saving my life..."
"Why were you arrested by them?"
The little girl wiped her tears and said, "My father owes a lot of money to the gambling house and wants to sell me..."
Meng Shuzhang sighed: "How pitiful."
Xie Yuting was a good person to the end: "How about this, I know a farmer, a couple, but they don't have a daughter. Would you like to go to their house? At least they can have something to eat."
The little girl nodded hurriedly: "I can go anywhere, as long as I don't get beaten... Thank you both for your kindness. If I have the opportunity in the future, I am willing to work like a slave to repay you."
Xie Yuting was quite chivalrous: "It's just a small favor, don't take it to heart."
The two young men took her to the farmer's house. The farmer's wife used to be a maid in the Eastern Palace. She was gentle and kind. Xie Yuting gave them some silver and entrusted the little girl to them.
The childless couple was very happy and hugged the ragged little girl with a smile on their faces.
Before leaving, the little girl said to the two young men: "My name is... Meng Xiang. I will definitely repay you in the future!"
"Goodbye."
When they walked out of the village, it was already dusk.
Xie Yuting was worrying about where to go after leaving Kyoto when he suddenly saw a carriage that was parked for rest. The curtains of the carriage were wide open, and he could clearly see the people sitting inside.
He recognized these two people. They were Master Du, who had resigned from office a few days ago, and his wife Pang.
Ever since his father ascended the throne, the old tutor who was the teacher of the late emperor has frequently resigned.
If I remember correctly, they seemed to be going back to their hometown in Liuzhou.
Liuzhou is not a prosperous city. It is located in a remote area with forests stretching for thousands of miles. Its most famous event is the Thousand Lantern Festival in spring, which is often visited by tourists.
Xie Yuting said to Meng Shuzhang, "Why don't we go to Liuzhou for some fun?"
Meng Shuzhang shook his head: "If you want to go, go by yourself. I have to go home to make medicine."
"Then I'll go by myself."
Xie Yuting did what he said. When the carriage just started, he climbed directly to the roof, lay down lazily on it, rested his arms on it, and looked up at the clear sky.
The sunlight is gentle and the wind is soft. It is a good day to leave Kyoto.
The carriage was shaking, and Xie Yuting gradually fell asleep. When he woke up again, he smelled a foul odor in the air. Xie Yuting stood up and looked around.
The area nearby was deserted, and both sides of the official road were crowded with skinny refugees. They lay on the road with dull eyes, begging every noble person who passed by to give them some food.
Large groups of refugees, like dense and endless locusts, spread to every corner.
Cries of grief rang out one after another, and those who were snatching food fought each other until their heads were broken and bloody. In order not to burden the younger generation, some old people took the initiative to strangle themselves with a hemp rope, just to save a mouthful of food.
"Daddy, you can't do this!" A woman cried heartbreakingly.
"My old bones won't last more than a few days. Save your rations and find a way to get into the city... You must... You must survive."
Xie Yuting looked at everything in front of him stupidly, suspecting that he had come to the underworld, otherwise how could he see the bloody world with starving people everywhere and people living in misery.
The young prince left the prosperous Kyoto for the first time, and what he saw was the suffering of the people.
He accidentally fell off the carriage and felt no pain at all.
Wasn’t Liang State extremely rich? Why was there such a large group of refugees left homeless?
The boy had tears in his eyes and bit his lip.
The intense sunlight stung his eyes, and suddenly, a shadow covered his head. Someone was holding an oil-paper umbrella and holding it beside him.
Old Taifu Du Xunmei held an umbrella and said to him, "These are refugees fleeing the famine in Jiangbei."
Xie Yuting's lips trembled: "Didn't the imperial court allocate funds for disaster relief?"
"The bureaucracy is corrupt, with layers of embezzlement, leaving very little food for the people," said Grand Tutor Du. "To put it bluntly, it's all because of the emperor's lack of virtue and incompetence."
Xie Yuting felt extremely confused and powerless. Faced with tens of thousands of refugees, he was just a nine-year-old child and could do nothing.
Tutor Du suddenly asked: "Your Highness, do you want to change all this?"
"Can I...?" Xie Yuting raised his head and looked at the old tutor with a haggard face.
Master Du squatted down and tilted his oil-paper umbrella towards the little boy: "Of course, I can teach you anything you want to learn."
Xie Yuting stared at him blankly.
Du Xunmei had white hair on his temples, but his eyes were bright and lively, like a fire that would never go out.
After a while, he raised his tender little hand and placed it in his palm, his eyes becoming firm: "Teacher."
The people suffer mostly because of the emperor's lack of virtue, so why can't we replace him with a wise monarch?
The wailing is incessant and pierces the eardrums.
He opened his eyes wide and engraved the suffering of the people into his bones.
The little prince clenched his fists and vowed to become a wise and benevolent ruler.
He wants to return to Kyoto, and no one can take away his position as crown prince.
Tutor Du invited him into the carriage and gave him half a minute of advice. Every word he said was earnest and heartfelt, making the Crown Prince, who had fled the palace, feel ashamed.
"Master, I will never dare to sneak out again." He admitted his mistake obediently.
Madam Pang, who was brewing tea on the side, smiled faintly: "Your Highness, don't climb on the roof in the future. It's easy to get hurt."
"Hmm..." Feeling guilty, he pulled open the car curtain and pretended to look outside.
Suddenly, my sight caught a small, thin figure behind the carriage. The child looked like he had just learned to walk and was stumbling behind the carriage.
With a thud, the child fell to the ground.
"parking."
Xie Yuting immediately jumped out of the carriage, rushed over to help the child up, and said seriously: "It's very dangerous. Why did you chase the carriage?"
The child stammered: "I'm hungry...my parents don't want me anymore..."
In an instant, Xie Yuting's expression softened and he felt distressed. He touched the child's head and asked, "Would you like to come home with me? I'll give you something to eat."
"Yes...thank you, brother..." He blinked.
The word "brother" sounded quite pleasant. Xie Yuting thought that it was just right that he needed a younger brother, so he might as well go back first.
"Tell me, brother, what's your name?"
The child cried out: "No name..."
Xie Yuting had never coaxed a child before, and was instantly at a loss. He scratched his head and said, "How about this, I'll give you a name."
After thinking for a moment, Xie Yuting curled his lips and smiled: "Let's call him Yulang."
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