Chapter 129 Is this an illusion?
The royal court is located in the heart of Mobei, halfway up a towering mountain. There is a winding and rugged road from the foot of the mountain to the royal court.
Although it is spring, the land in this mountain range is barren, with only occasional hints of green scattered along the gray rocks.
Perhaps the royal family was unwilling to live in a harsh environment, so they tried to use wealth to enhance the presence of the royal court. Therefore, the royal court buildings were extremely luxurious, with glazed tiles and gilded walls everywhere.
The wind and sand are very strong, and on weekdays, men, women, young and old all wear veils when they go outdoors.
A circle of guards with swords stood around the yard, and several servants were kneeling on the ground in fear.
Not far away, a young man in a black robe embroidered with gold patterns was half-kneeling in the garden, digging the soil with a shovel in his hand.
Next to him was a sickly osmanthus sapling.
The old nanny stood at the gate of the courtyard, hunched over, reporting to the chief steward in front of her.
"You didn't see it. This morning, after the little prince woke up, he saw that the osmanthus tree he had planted a few days ago had withered. He immediately killed the two slaves who had been tending to the osmanthus seedlings. The other servants in the courtyard were also punished and have been kneeling until now."
Upon hearing this, the chief steward shook his head and sighed.
"This is the fifth one, right? Osmanthus trees aren't suited to the Mobei climate; they won't survive anywhere."
The old nanny also sighed, "Who says it's not true? But the little prince just loves osmanthus trees, and no one can stop him."
The chief steward said: "The king said that the little prince has suffered a lot in these years while living abroad, so we should all be more vigilant. As long as the little prince is willing, he can do whatever he wants."
The old maid nodded. "Yes. I'll remember that. But it's not a solution to keep going like this."
The chief steward responded, “Well, so the king specifically asked the royal gardener, and the gardener said that the osmanthus tree is a product of the Duan Dynasty, and that if the blood of slaves from the Duan Dynasty is used to nourish the tree, it will definitely survive.
The old nanny suddenly understood, "No wonder the slaves this time were chosen from the people of Duan Dynasty. It turns out they are here to tend the trees."
While the two were talking, twenty delicate female slaves of the Duan Dynasty were led to the gate of the yard.
The chief steward asked them to wait, then walked up behind the little prince with a hunched back and put on a flattering smile.
"My dear prince, the selected slaves have arrived at the door. Would you like to choose a few to serve the sacred tree?"
That cannot be said of the osmanthus tree. The one that the young prince carefully nurtured was the sacred tree of the Mobei royal court.
The little prince carefully planted the sapling into the dug hole and did not respond to the steward's words.
The chief steward was already accustomed to the little prince's cold temperament, and spoke shamelessly.
"Little Prince, the slaves we've chosen from Mobei this time are all beautiful women. Women have gentle energy and blood, so they're definitely the best at nurturing trees."
"The gardener said that if we water the sacred tree with the blood of slaves every morning, the tree will surely survive."
Hearing this, the half-kneeling little prince finally responded.
The little prince said hoarsely, "It's better this way, otherwise... next time I will use your blood to nourish the tree."
The chief steward was so frightened that he dared not say a word.
*
Outside the yard, Wen Wan looked pale and dizzy, almost unable to hold on.
The old lady glanced over and saw Wen Wan staggering, so she walked over and kicked her in the calf.
"Stand still! What are you moving around for?"
This kick finally made Wen Wan unable to hold on and she fell forward.
The little prince walked to the gate of the courtyard and happened to see this scene.
The little prince's face was half covered by a black veil, revealing only a pair of cold eyes.
He snorted irritably, scaring the people around him to their knees.
The old nanny thought that the fainted Wen Wan was an eyesore to him, so she kowtowed and apologized repeatedly.
"Young Prince, spare her! This useless slave of the Duan Dynasty can't even stand. I'll have her sent back to the sheepfold!"
The little prince had a fickle personality. Although he had only been back in the royal court for a short time, no less than a hundred slaves had been killed for angering the little prince.
There was once a slave whose eyes were gouged out just because he looked at him for one second.
The old lady was so frightened that she broke out in a cold sweat and was shaking all over.
There was no change of emotion in the little prince's eyes. He responded dully, then raised his hand and pointed at the two slaves standing in front of him.
"Let's just take them."
His voice was so hoarse that it gave people a creepy feeling.
After saying this, he raised his foot and prepared to turn around and go back to continue planting trees.
Suddenly, he stopped.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the unconscious slave being carried away by two guards.
The slave had very fair skin, and the nails of his drooping fingers were a rich light pink, as if he had dyed them with nail polish, but he had chosen the least conspicuous color.
Someone once said that this color is low-key, luxurious and meaningful.
The little prince collected his chaotic thoughts and called out to a few people in a deep voice.
"etc."
Several guards stopped immediately.
The little prince strode over, his steps filled with anxiety and trepidation.
When he got close, he raised his hand tremblingly and brushed away the messy hair covering Wen Wan's face.
These features were exactly the same as in his memory.
For a long time, he maintained this stiff posture, as if time had stopped.
"Another hallucination..."
He murmured softly, his eyes reddening for a moment. He smiled self-deprecatingly and said paranoidly, "So what if it's an illusion? As long as I can see her again, it's enough."
Everyone on the side didn't dare to breathe, and they all carefully observed the little prince's reaction.
The butler hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth and asked cautiously, "Little Prince...will you keep this slave too?"
The little prince collected his confused thoughts and stared at Wen Wan's face for a long time. He did not answer the steward's question, but squatted in front of Wen Wan and raised his hand to stroke her face.
He muttered to himself, "This hallucination lasted quite long, and the touch felt just like the real thing... It was wonderful."
Wen Wan woke up after being unconscious for a while this time. She was woken by hunger.
She hadn't eaten for a long time, and she vaguely felt a pig's trotter dangling in front of her.
Pig's trotters are her favorite spicy flavor, full of collagen and chewy. If you take a bite, the fragrance will linger on your lips and teeth, bringing you happiness for a hundred years!
"Pig's trotters, my roasted spicy pig's trotters..."
Wen Wan muttered, and instinctively bit the pig's trotter that was brought to her mouth.
Everyone around gasped as they watched the slave boldly bite the little prince's hand.
It’s over!
According to the little prince's temper, not only will this slave be stripped of his tendons and skinned alive, but those who serve him will also suffer!
Even the chief steward was so frightened that he stumbled and fell to his knees, and stammered in panic:
"W-What are you guys still standing there for? Pull this slave away! Can't you see that the little prince's hands are bleeding?"
The guard next to her reacted and tried to hold Wen Wan's hand.
Contrary to everyone's expectations, before the guards touched Wen Wan, they saw the little prince suddenly raise his eyes and roar fiercely.
"Touch her if you dare!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
