Hearing him mention medicine, Xie Lian turned around and looked inside the house where the king and queen were resting. After a moment, he said, "I can find another way to get the medicine. Please accept it."
He insisted on giving it to Feng Xin, who was confused and amused. He shrugged, picked up the broken cattail leaf fan on the ground, and continued fanning the fire with the medicine. "Okay, I'll keep it for you. Come back to me when you want it back."
Xie Lian shook his head and said, "I won't take it back. You can do whatever you want with it."
Becoming Hong Jing had brought him some financial comfort, and they finally managed to enjoy a few good meals. Given the Queen's impressive cooking skills, Xie Lian politely asked his mother to take care of his father instead and not to cook, leaving him to prepare the ingredients himself. Although he had no experience, he had seen pig's trotters walk, and his creations were palatable, saving everyone from hunger.
After the argument with the king that day, Xie Lian felt regretful, but he couldn't bring himself to do it to his father, so he just tried his best to take care of him. Since his father couldn't stand the cold due to coughing up blood, he bought him some quilts and a stove.
The Yong'an soldiers held the escaped Xianle royal family very tightly, and soon the city was under martial law. After finally settling down, they had to leave again.
This was the untold number of cities Xie Lian had passed through while fleeing with his parents. Honestly, everything he saw along the way was much calmer than he had imagined. The worst-hit area was Xianle Imperial City. However, many areas outside the city didn't seem to be as severely affected.
After all, the ruler, the crown prince, the imperial city, and the nobility were all extremely distant things to the common people, almost like gods that existed only in legends. Changing a ruler didn't seem to make much of a difference. Especially when the new ruler wasn't a tyrant and didn't issue any harsh laws after taking office. Besides being a topic of heated after-dinner conversation, there wasn't much else to express.
“If the king’s surname was Xie, I would still be cultivating these few acres of land. If his surname was Lang, I would still be cultivating these few acres of land!” Xie Lian heard someone say this.
That was true. But strangely, when it came to the rumored Crown Prince, who had gone from being invincible to being defeated repeatedly, everyone's attitude was surprisingly united. It was as if the mere mention of him instantly transformed them into people of Xianle who deeply loved their country. This made him puzzled and unwilling to accept it.
However, he didn't have much time to care about these things. The money he earned from pawning the red mirror didn't last for more than a few months before it was gone again.
Hemoptysis is inherently difficult to cure, and coupled with the king's pent-up anger, he needed copious amounts of medication to maintain his condition. Once he stopped taking the medicine, his condition would inevitably worsen. Xie Lian had nothing left to pawn. That day, he wandered the streets for a long time, pondering over his thoughts. Finally, he said to Feng Xin, "How about... let's give it a try?"
Feng Xin looked at him and said, "Then, let's try it?"
This wasn't the first time the two had hesitated to "give it a try," but they hadn't made up their minds before. Furthermore, when the King of the Kingdom heard their conversation, he flew into a rage and lashed out, determined not to allow Xie Lian to do such a shameful thing for money. Otherwise, he would rather not drink the medicine, so they had to give up. At this point, there was no need to explain it more clearly; everyone understood. Xie Lian nodded and wrapped his face more tightly with the white silk. Feng Xin said, "Your Highness, you don't have to come. I can come alone. That way, if the King asks about it, it won't be a problem!"
After saying this, he took a deep breath, held it for a long while, and suddenly shouted to the pedestrians on the street: "Dear fellow villagers, please don't miss it if you are passing by——"
People on the street were startled by him and gathered around him in twos and threes, saying, "Why are you yelling so loudly?" "What are you doing?" "Show me what you can do?" "I want to see a stone shattered by a chest!"
Feng Xin took the bow off his back and said with a stiff upper lip, "I... my nickname is 'The Archer'. I can shoot an arrow through a hundred steps. Let me show you my skills and make you look bad. If you enjoy watching, please give me some tips!"
They'd picked up phrases like "master archer" and "show off your skills" from watching other performers on the street. Although they'd always said they'd never perform, they'd already been paying attention to what others were saying. People were shouting, "Stop talking nonsense! Get started!" "We've been waiting for you for ages! Hurry up!"
Feng Xin put an arrow on the string and pointed at a man in the crowd who was chewing an apple. He said, "Uncle, please stand up and put this apple on your head. I can shoot it from three hundred steps away!"
The idle man drew his head back, retreated into the crowd, and said, "I won't do it!"
Feng Xin said, "Don't worry, I won't hit you! If I do, I'll compensate you no matter how much money you have!"
The idler said, "I'm not a fool! If you shoot me, no amount of money will help. Since you're just performing, don't you have any property? Shouldn't you shoot the one next to you?"
Everyone said, "That's right!" Xie Lian also said, "Let me do it." Someone in the crowd tossed a fruit to Xie Lian, who was about to put it on his head. But Feng Xin had no intention of letting Xie Lian get involved, so why would he ask him to join? In a hurry, he snatched the fruit and ate it in a few bites. Then he turned the arrow and aimed it at a corner of a colorful flag hanging from a tall building nearby. "I'll shoot that!" He said, and with that, he shot out. His archery was excellent, and he hit the target naturally. The onlookers laughed and said, "Not bad, you have some skills!" As they laughed and joked, a few people actually lost a few coins.
The small round coins rolled around on the ground. Feng Xin went forward to pick them up, and Xie Lian also squatted down to pick them up silently, but he always felt lost in his heart, as if he had lost something.
Feng Xin was once a retainer to the crown prince. Even ordinary officials and ministers had to be polite to him, even trying to curry favor with him. He'd been humiliated by being ordered around by a small-time leader just to move rocks and haul dirt, and now he had to endure being treated like a monkey. His ability to shoot through the arrows at a hundred paces wasn't used to kill the enemy, but rather for entertainment. It was truly unpleasant.
At this moment, a sharp female voice said, "Who is shooting arrows randomly in the street?!"
Xie Lian’s heart sank when he heard this. Everyone pointed at Feng Xin and shouted, “It’s him!”
Feng Xin was puzzled. The crowd parted, and several women came stomping over, holding an arrow, the same one Feng Xin had just shot. The women surrounded him and said, "You bastard! Did you shoot that arrow? You're so bold! You shot a weapon in broad daylight and broke the screen in our yard. Tell me, how are you going to compensate us?!" "Yeah, you scared away a lot of our guests!"
It turned out that Feng Xin's arrow had struck the colorful flag, and it continued its trajectory, landing directly in the courtyard. Feng Xin didn't like interacting with women to begin with, and these women were even more heavily made-up, their perfume suffocating. He feared they had hidden agendas, and he waved his hands repeatedly, retreating. Xie Lian quickly stepped in front of him, saying, "Sorry, sorry. He didn't mean to do that. As for compensation, we'll find a way..."
The women were furious and pushed and shoved him, "Who are you? You..." Unexpectedly, with this pushing and pulling, the white silk wrapped around Xie Lian's face slipped off accidentally. When the women saw his face, their eyes lit up and their tone suddenly became a little more coquettish, saying, "Oh, what a handsome little brother!"
Xie Lian: “???”
A woman clapped her hands and said with a smile, "Okay! It's decided! You two are in the same group, right? I'll use you as compensation!"
Xie Lian: “???”
Before he could react, he was dragged along by the women for a distance, arriving in front of a gorgeous little building. Looking up, he saw women dressed in glamorous attire, all chirping and slurring their words. Only then did Xie Lian realize he had been dragged away by a group of brothel owners!
He immediately got goosebumps all over his body and said, "Wait, I don't have any money, I really don't have any money!"
Several madams laughed and said, "Of course you don't have any money. We brought you here to make money!"
“???” Xie Lian: “I’m sorry, I’m a man?”
The madam said angrily, "We know you are a man, and we are not blind!"
Feng Xin, who was surrounded, finally broke through the crowd and rushed over, shouting, "Let Dian go... Let him go!"
The two men were so embarrassed that they ran away, but knowing they were in the wrong, they didn't dare to fight. The enraged madams called in twenty or thirty thugs and chased them all over the city. They had never seen such a scene before, and in short, they never dared to go near this area again.
However, the two men were convinced that performing arts could earn them money, so they moved to a new location, set up a stall, and began selling their wares. They were new to the area, and the locals were all curious about their new arrivals. Feng Xin was also a handsome, respectable man, so for the first few days, they actually earned a small fortune from performing arts, enough to cover their food and medical expenses. But the good times didn't last long. Within less than two weeks, someone approached them.
That day, after Xie Lian and Feng Xin had closed their stall, seven or eight burly men approached them. Xie Lian was extremely wary, fearing they were Yong'an soldiers. His hands were poised in his sleeves, ready to strike. He whispered, "Who are you?"
The leading man snorted, "You've been in our territory for several days, and you still don't know who we are?"
Xie Lian and Feng Xin were both baffled. Another man said, "They've taken away so much of our business, and now they don't give us an explanation. That's absurd, isn't it?"
The two finally figured out what was going on. It turned out that these were other local street performers.
Every quack in the land is organized into factions, each with its own territory. When they arrive, they drive away the original customers, and when others can't make money, they naturally look for trouble with them. They're not veterans, so how could they understand the ins and outs of this?
Xie Lian thought to himself, "If there's no other way, who would want to steal your business?" He said gently, "It's not a matter of stealing business. People will naturally go to see what they want to see. We're not forcing others to see our... archery skills."
The other party refused to listen and said in a gruff voice, "Haven't you robbed them yet? We haven't collected any money these past few days, and you two have taken all the profit!"
"Boom!" Everyone was startled and looked back, only to see Feng Xin taking his fist off a wall nearby. A huge fist mark appeared on the wall, and cracks spread out in all directions.
He said coldly: "Are you looking for trouble?"
This group of men had probably come here to cause trouble, and their fists spoke louder than theirs. However, Feng Xin's blow proved that his fists were undoubtedly stronger than theirs, and their arrogance instantly subsided. However, they were unwilling to give up. The leading man choked for a moment and changed his tone, saying, "Well, let's follow the rules. Let's draw a line and compete. The winner stays, and the loser quickly packs up and leaves. You are not allowed to set up a stall in this area again!"
Feng Xin was delighted when he heard about the competition. Of course he was. How could a mortal compete with them? A sure win!
Xie Lian also breathed a sigh of relief and said, "That's exactly what I want. How are you guys planning to compete?"
The man shouted, "Use our unique skills as street performers!"
As he was speaking, two other men brought in several long, rectangular stone slabs. The man patted the slabs and said, "A stone that can break my chest! What do you think? Do you dare to come?"
Seeing his expression of immense pride, it seemed this was truly his special skill. Xie Lian also squatted down and touched the stone slab, then looked up and said, "Of course I'm fine, but are you, too?" This stone slab was no fake. The man laughed and said, "With your physique, you should worry about yourself."
Feng Xin squatted beside him and said, "Your Highness, should I do it?" Xie Lian shook his head and said, "No. You've worked hard these past few days, so I'll do it this time." He had to put in some effort.
So, Xie Lian and the man both lay on the ground, a stone slab pressed against their chests. Feng Xin took a sledgehammer, weighed it, and was about to bring it down when Xie Lian suddenly said, "Wait."
Someone else said happily, "Why, are you going to admit defeat? It doesn't matter if you admit defeat now, we'll just let you go!"
Xie Lian said, “No. I want to add a slate.”
Hearing this, everyone was shocked: "Aren't you crazy???"
Xie Lian said slowly, "Didn't you all say so? This is a competition. If both of us are identical, how can it be considered a competition?"
The street performers were skeptical. Some thought he was stupid, while others thought he was bluffing. After a while of discussion, they really put another stone slab on his chest. But Xie Lian asked them to add another one!
Now, everyone thought he was being foolish, so they simply added another stone slab. Thus, Xie Lian's chest was now covered with three stone slabs, which looked quite terrifying.
In full view of the crowd, Feng Xin grabbed his sledgehammer and, without blinking, smashed it down, cracking the three slabs neatly into more than a dozen pieces! Amidst the roar of applause, Xie Lian calmly and unharmed climbed from the ground, dusting off his clothes with aplomb, leaving the onlookers stunned. The man in the lead had a pale, bruised face, and Xie Lian thought to himself, "This is the time to finally give in."
He thought that since the other party had admitted his victory, no one would bother him anymore. However, the man's expression kept changing. After gritting his teeth, he suddenly said, "Give me two more! No, give me three more!"
Everyone said, "Brother, this is unacceptable. This guy is definitely using some magic. You don't need to accompany him!" "Yes, he must be faking it!"
Feng Xin angrily said, "What the hell? You have no ability, so you accuse others of cheating or using magic?"
The leading man shouted, "The slate and hammer are ours. Isn't it clear whether they have any magic? This guy does have some skills, but it's nothing special that he can stack three. I can stack four! As long as we win, they have to leave!"
Feng Xin said, "That's impossible! Give up! Don't risk your life." But the man insisted on competing, and had four heavy stone slabs placed on him, saying, "Just watch!"
Xie Lian saw something was amiss and whispered, "Feng Xin, should we stop him? Four stone slabs, no mortal could possibly hold them." Feng Xin whispered back, "Don't move yet. It's not like he's risking his life. A few hits and he'll realize how powerful it is."
Xie Lian frowned slightly, then nodded, waiting to see what would happen. Sure enough, the younger brother with the hammer only gave a timid strike, and the man's expression changed. The hammerman immediately stopped moving, and the man cursed, "Use more force! Haven't you eaten? How are you going to smash it like that?"
The younger brother didn't dare to be careless. He used all his strength the second time. With a loud "bang", the man's face flushed red, as if he had swallowed a large mouthful of blood. Xie Lian and Feng Xin both saw something was wrong and hurriedly said, "Wait, don't force it!"
The man cursed, "Who's forcing yourself? This is my specialty! Watch me, I'll make you lose with conviction. Keep going!" The younger brother made a bitter face and struck again. This time, the man spat out a mouthful of blood and spurted all over the floor. The younger brother was so scared that he dropped his hammer. Everyone rushed over and said, "Forget it, big brother, if these two guys want to stay here, let them stay. Your life is more important!"
Veins bulged on the man's forehead, and he spit out blood foam from his mouth. "We can't let this go! We've all been going hungry for days. If you keep going like this, it's going to cost you your lives, right? Keep going! I don't believe it! How could I be no match for this delicate boy? This is my specialty!"
Xie Lian couldn't bear to watch this any longer, so he took the initiative and said, "Forget it. In that case, I admit defeat. From tomorrow on, we won't be coming back! Feng Xin, let's go!"
After saying that, he turned and left. Everyone behind him cheered. Feng Xin followed and asked, "Your Highness, are we just giving up here?"
After finally finding a way to make money, he had to give it up. Xie Lian sighed and said, "There's nothing else to do. He's already suffered severe internal injuries from those few blows. I'm afraid he's almost half-crippled. If we continue to compete, he'll really die. Then we won't be able to stay here either."
Feng Xin scratched his head and cursed, "This guy is really desperate!"
Xie Lian said, “It’s all about making a living.”
He felt a little regretful. If he had known this would happen, he shouldn't have stacked three pieces. He should have admitted defeat earlier. Otherwise, this person wouldn't have insisted on stacking four pieces. Although he was reckless and reckless, he also had his admirable qualities. He added, "Besides, it's not like he has to perform here and hang himself on a tree."
However, at night, when they returned to their hiding place, the queen told him with a worried look on her face that the king's hemoptysis had worsened and he was afraid that he could not withstand the fatigue of the journey and needed to rest for a while. In other words, they could not leave the city for the time being.
Xie Lian searched through his boxes again, but couldn't find anything useful to pawn. He sat beside the box, lost in thought. Feng Xin was simmering in the brewing of medicine, humming a tune that grew increasingly unpleasant. Xie Lian, who hadn't wanted to pay attention to him, couldn't help but ask, "What are you doing? Are you in a good mood?"
Feng Xin looked up: "Ah? No?"
Xie Lian didn’t believe it and asked, “Really?”
He had noticed that Feng Xin had been acting strangely in the past few days since he started performing. Sometimes he would suddenly giggle for no reason, and sometimes he would suddenly start to worry. When Mu Qing was around, the two of them were inseparable most of the day. After Mu Qing left, Feng Xin would sometimes have to go back to deliver food to the king and queen or do other things. He would be away for a period of time, and Xie Lian always wondered if something had happened to him, but he didn't have the energy to pursue it. Looking at the medicine jar in front of Feng Xin, after a moment of silence, Xie Lian said, "Is this the last packet?"
Feng Xin flipped through the medicine bag on the ground and said, "Yes. If I don't go tomorrow..." He remembered that the king was in the house and couldn't be heard by him, so he lowered his voice and said, "If I don't go to perform, what should I do?"
“…”
After a long moment, Xie Lian suddenly stood up and said, "Just stay here and I'll find a solution."
Feng Xin asked doubtfully, "Where are you going? What solutions can you come up with?"
Xie Lian walked out without looking back, saying, "Don't worry about it. Don't follow me."
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