Seeing this, Xie Lian found him inexplicably amusing and pitiful. He asked, "Can this child's injuries be healed?"
An imperial physician re-bandaged the child's head and said, "He will be fine."
Xie Lian finally felt relieved. He nodded and said, "Thank you for your help."
At that moment, a palace attendant announced the arrival of His Majesty the King and the Empress. All the imperial physicians rose immediately and went out to greet them. Xie Lian carried the child to the bed and said, "Lie down and rest." Thinking the child was shy and might be frightened by the crowd, he lowered the bed curtain and then stood up.
A group of attendants and palace maids escorted the King and Queen into the palace. The Queen's face turned pale. "Why did the prince leave the palace and then return in such a hurry? Did he get hurt outside?"
Xie Lian said, “Mother, please rest assured. I’m not hurt. Someone else is hurt.”
At this moment, Qi Rong shouted from the corner, "Auntie, save me!"
The Queen was shocked to discover that Qi Rong had been held captive by Feng Xin. She was so worried about her son's well-being that she paid no attention to anything else. She asked, "Rong'er, what's going on?"
The King frowned and asked, "Feng Xin, why are you holding Little Mirror King like a criminal?"
His Majesty's arrival meant Feng Xin should have immediately bowed, just like Mu Qing and the others, but because he was holding Qi Rong, he couldn't free himself, which made him feel awkward. Xie Lian said, "I told him to take it."
Qi Rong held up her right hand and said, "Aunt, my arm is broken."
Before the Queen could even begin to feel sorry for him, Xie Lian sternly said, "You only broke an arm, but what about the child inside?"
The king asked, "What child?"
Xie Lian said, “A ten-year-old boy. He couldn’t even tie a chicken, and he was already weak to begin with. Qi Rong sent his men to beat him up. If it weren’t for that kid’s luck, he would have died on the spot!”
Qi Rong opened his eyes as if hearing something funny. "A ten-year-old child, powerless? Physically weak? Cousin, you have no idea how fierce, brutal, and powerful this little undead is. He's just pretending to be pitiful in front of you. I called five or six people, but we couldn't catch this brat. He beat and kicked him, bit him, and left him bleeding. If he hadn't angered me, why would I have dragged him behind the carriage?"
Upon hearing this, the King and Queen's expressions both changed. Xie Lian took a deep breath and said, "Shut up! Are these things you've done honorable?"
Qi Rong wasn't someone who disliked public appearances. How could the people of the imperial city not see him acting so arrogantly? And if they did, how could they not make him a topic of conversation after dinner?
The King glanced at the Queen, his face slightly green as he said, "Take Prince Mirror away. The Imperial Physician will heal his arm. The Golden Chariot will be taken back. He will be confined to his room for reflection and will not be allowed out for a month."
The attendant behind him immediately responded and went forward to lead him away, and Feng Xin finally let go. Qi Rong, however, no longer cared. He snorted and said, "Let it go. I knew today would be my last run."
Hearing his lack of remorse, the Queen sighed. Xie Lian said, "It seems that even a month of house arrest alone will likely lead to him reoffending again. He needs stricter discipline."
Qi Rong was stunned and said angrily, "Crown Prince, you..." Then, he rolled his eyes and said, "Alright. Then I admit that I was wrong in this matter. No matter what punishment Your Majesty gives me, Qi Rong will never shirk it."
In the next sentence, he changed the subject and said, "However, shouldn't the Crown Prince's subordinates also be punished? Uncle and aunt, my arm was broken by this Feng Xin!"
Upon hearing this, the King immediately looked towards Feng Xin, a look of shock and anger on his face. Feng Xin lowered his head slightly, while Mu Qing took two steps to the side without being noticed.
The King said coldly, "Feng Xin, you are the Crown Prince's personal attendant. The Crown Prince has indeed treated you very well, but have you forgotten your position and become arrogant? Your duty is to serve His Highness, and is this how you serve him? You even dared to attack the Crown Prince's cousin, Prince Xiaojing."
Feng Xin heard this and prepared to kneel down. But Xie Lian said, “No need to kneel.”
Feng Xin was definitely the one who obeyed Xie Lian. Even if His Majesty spoke, he would only give priority to His Highness's orders. He immediately stopped kneeling. Seeing this, the King's expression became even more unhappy.
Xie Lian said, "It's true that Feng Xin broke Qi Rong's arm, but the reason was to protect his master. And since Qi Rong was the one who committed the crime first, he's not at fault. Why should he kneel down?"
The King said, "No matter what his reason was, he has offended King Little Mirror. There is a difference between master and servant, between high and low. Let alone asking him to kneel, even if I were to punish him with a hundred lashes of the cane right now, there would be nothing wrong with that."
While the King wasn't as close to Qi Rong as the Queen, he was still a member of the royal family, inviolable. Qi Rong was well aware of this, and with a sidelong glance, he said, "There's no need for a caning. He's the Crown Prince's cousin's man, after all, and I don't want to embarrass him too much. I just want him to break his own arm, then kneel down and kowtow to me three times, and I'll let him go."
The king nodded slowly, as if he agreed that this was a feasible move. Xie Lian said, "If you want to punish Feng Xin, punish me first. He's my retainer. First, he hasn't done anything wrong. Second, even if he did, he was following my orders. I'll take the punishment for him."
Hearing him say this, anger flashed across the king's face.
Almost every father and son in the world goes through this transformation. When a son is young, he considers his father the greatest hero in the world, his role model, and idolizes him immensely. But as the son reaches a certain age, he gradually begins to doubt everything about his father, even developing a growing dislike for him, until both sides eventually refuse to acknowledge each other.
Xie Lian's fundamental purpose for cultivating himself in Mount Taicang was, of course, to pursue martial arts and the Way, a pursuit that truly resonated with him. However, he wasn't particularly particular about where he sought this path or under what identity.
The word "Tao" literally means "a path of progress." As long as one is devoted to the Tao, cultivation can be achieved anywhere, without the need for formalities like climbing a mountain or entering a monastery. Another reason Xie Lian persisted in his quest to ascend the mountain was because he felt he couldn't get along with his father.
As the Crown Prince of Xianle, Xie Lian's path was neatly mapped out by the Emperor of Xianle from the moment he was born. His childhood was simple, free from worries. Xie Lian only needed his parents to spend time with him, building gilded palaces and playing. But as he grew older, Xie Lian increasingly realized that his father was not only a father but also a ruler, and many of their ideas and practices were incompatible. For example, the so-called royal majesty was one of Xie Lian's greatest dislikes.
Since they couldn't get along, it was best to stay away from each other. Whenever he returned to the palace, he mostly chatted with his mother, never sharing a heartfelt message with his father. Neither of them ever initiated conversation, and it was always the Empress who mediated.
The father and son had been deadlocked for months. Now Xie Lian was insisting, refusing to give in. The King said, "Very well, then you will take the punishment for him. It depends on whether you can do it!" Xie Lian replied, "Of course!" The Queen, seeing the father and son clashing again, asked anxiously, "Why bother?"
At this moment, Feng Xin, who had been silent the entire time, suddenly raised his left hand and chopped down on his right arm. With a "crack," everyone was startled. Looking in the direction of the sound, they saw his right arm, like Qi Rong's, drooping limply. Xie Lian was both shocked and furious, and shouted, "Feng Xin!"
Feng Xin's forehead was covered with sweat. Without a word, he knelt before Qi Rong and kowtowed three times. Xie Lian couldn't stop him. Qi Rong was quite pleased with himself and laughed heartily, "Alright, I'll reluctantly forgive you. Wouldn't it have been better if I had done this earlier?"
Although his arm was also broken, he left feeling refreshed, as if he had won a victory. Feng Xin was still kneeling on the ground, while Mu Qing watched the scene from the side, his face slightly gray, his thoughts unclear. Xie Lian suddenly turned to his father and shouted angrily, "You!..."
Feng Xin grabbed him with his left hand and said, "Your Highness!"
The Queen also took his arm. Xie Lian knew that Feng Xin had followed him since he was fourteen and had been favored by the Queen. He couldn't bear to see him and his son argue, which would upset the Queen, so he did this. If he lost his temper now, it would be a waste of Feng Xin's will. He forced himself to hold it in, but his anger was already boiling inside. The King's expression finally softened slightly, and he left with a calm face.
The Queen had always been fond of Feng Xin and sighed, "Alas, my dear child, I am sorry for wronging you."
Feng Xin said, "Queen, please don't say that. It's just my duty."
Hearing this, Mu Qing's eyes flickered, and he sneered silently. Xie Lian closed his eyes and said, "Mother, if you really can't control Qi Rong, then lock him up."
The queen sighed, nodded, shook her head, and left.
Xie Lian called in an imperial physician and had him treat Feng Xin's right hand. He said, "Feng Xin, I'm sorry."
As soon as the others left, Feng Xin's expression changed immediately. He sneered, "What's the big deal? I dared to hit him, so why should I be afraid of his revenge?" After a pause, he advised, "Your Highness, it's right for you to teach Qi Rong a lesson, but you should not be angry with His Majesty. His Majesty is the king and an elder. He thinks differently from us. You and your son quarreled, and the Queen was unhappy watching you. She has her own difficulties."
How could Xie Lian not know that his mother was in trouble?
Qi Rong's mother, the empress's sister, shared a deep bond. In her youth, naive and naive, she fell in love, yearning for freedom. Believing sweet words, she broke off her arranged marriage and eloped with a palace guard. Unexpectedly, she married the wrong man. Within six months of living in a kennel-like room, the guard's true nature was revealed, leading to a life of debauchery. After Qi Rong's birth, he even began to assault and beat his wife. Finally, mother and child could no longer endure this, and when Qi Rong was five, she dejectedly took the child home. Having long since become a scandal among the nobility, she remained indoors, depressed and doting, doting only on her only son.
During a riot, Qi Rong's mother was unfortunately hit by a stray arrow while trying to save the queen. Before her death, she entrusted Qi Rong to Xie Lian's mother.
The Queen should do her utmost. However, other people's sons always present a challenge. It's hard to control them. Too much strictness feels like abuse, and considering their friendship, she can't bear it. It's also hard to ignore them. Too little care will lead to their current behavior, and if left unchecked, they'll only get worse. The Queen often puzzled. Her methods of raising Xie Lian and Qi Rong were clearly similar, yet why did the children they raised have such different personalities?
At this moment, Xie Lian suddenly remembered that there was a child lying on the bed in the room. He lifted the curtain and looked. The child had sat up again and seemed to be looking out through the gap. Xie Lian lifted the curtain and the child lay down again obediently. Xie Lian said, "Did the quarrel outside just now scare you? Don't worry about it. It's none of your business."
An imperial physician said, "Your Highness, the child's injuries have been treated. He just needs to rest."
Xie Lian nodded and said, “Thank you for your help.”
He bent down again and asked the child, "Where is your home? I'll take you back."
The child shook his head and said, "I have no home."
Feng Xin came up from the hanging arm and said, "No home? Are you really a little beggar?"
Seeing how thin and small the child was, and how dirty his clothes were, it wasn't impossible. If he had no home to call home, he couldn't be abandoned in the palace or on the street. Xie Lian pondered for a moment and said, "If that's the case, then take him back to Taicang Mountain with me first."
Unexpectedly, Mu Qing suddenly said, "He lied."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
