When Meng Qi arrived, the fire was already under control and was gradually dying down.
The imperial guards and eunuchs were covered in mud and soot, looking like beggars wrapped in lotus leaves and clay, ready to be roasted like clay-baked chickens.
“…”
Watching these disheveled “clay chickens” scurrying around, Meng Qi wondered if his hunger had gotten the better of him.
When was his last meal, anyway?
Since transforming into a sand rat, he seemed to have spent two days eating nothing but snacks—without a single bite of meat.
Meng Qi glanced around, his thoughts drifting toward the imperial kitchen.
With the palace in such chaos, hot meals were unlikely, but surely there would be some plates of pastries!
How much better could the royal kitchen’s pastries be compared to those of a small town bakery?
Meng Qi pondered this deeply.
“What was that sound?” Mo Li turned sharply, alert.
“…Just a branch breaking underfoot.”
Feigning nonchalance, Meng Qi nudged some broken twigs and leaves aside with his foot.
—Whose stomach growled? The dragon vein’s stomach could never growl!
“By the way, who is that?”
Eager to shift the topic, Meng Qi naturally focused on the young man being fussed over by a crowd of attendants.
The boy was thoroughly exasperated. Already in pain and unable to move freely, the added commotion only made things worse.
“Everyone stop! What’s going on here?” Cheng Jingchuan arrived just in time and immediately put a stop to the chaos.
A guard stepped forward to salute, while the remaining eunuchs stole curious glances at Cheng Jingchuan, clearly unaware of who he was.
The imperial guards, however, had no such confusion. On a night like this, with someone moving freely through the palace, who would dare not recognize Cheng Jingchuan?
“Wait, isn’t that Captain Cheng from the Ningtai City Patrol?” whispered one eunuch hiding in the shadows of the Imperial Medical Bureau’s colonnade.
“I remember him! They say the Third Princess saw him at Tianshui Temple once and wanted to marry him!”
“Nonsense, she wanted him as a concubine! No way would the princess marry a mere captain. Still, is that the same Captain Cheng? Tsk, tsk, he does look impressive.”
Meng Qi raised an eyebrow. This was an unexpected revelation.
Mo Li, deep in thought, considered the implications.
Unless King Ning’s daughters were born unusually late or he had very few of them, based on the son’s age and ranking, the Third Princess should be at least ten years older than Cheng Jingchuan and already married.
If the eunuchs’ gossip was accurate, could she be widowed?
“The Third Princess’s tastes are different from others. What noblewoman wouldn’t aim to marry into a prestigious family? At worst, they’d settle for a scholar! But the Third Princess has such low standards—always peering down to pick out…”
“Silence! Look at him now. Does he still look like a lowly captain? Why are these imperial guards following his orders?”
“The winds have changed. Commander Wang and Commander Han are nowhere to be seen. The guards seem to be rounding people up all over the palace. And yet here’s the Seventeenth Prince casually wandering around. What do you think that means?”
The eunuch inhaled sharply, noticing that the young man’s gaze was off.
It was also a coincidence that the place where they were whispering was neither too far nor too close to where Cheng Jingchuan was standing. Despite the surrounding noise being a bit loud, Cheng Jingchuan still caught fragments of their conversation, and his expression immediately darkened.
“What’s wrong with the Little Prince?”
Upon seeing Cheng Jingchuan, the young man froze, struggling to steady himself. As a result, his injured waist gave out, causing him to grimace in pain.
King Ning had over twenty sons, around forty grandsons, and two great-grandsons. King Ning neglected his official duties and did not educate his sons. He was very impartial, neither spoiling the younger sons nor promoting the eldest, and he didn’t even care about their well-being.
The elderly emperor typically suppressed and harbored jealousy toward his increasingly talented sons, but this was completely absent in King Ning’s case. He indulged in daily revelries without feeling old at all, and he didn’t have any outstanding sons.
This made “King Ning’s sons” less valuable. The slightly older ones, due to their marriages into prominent families, often went out for banquets and social events, making them recognizable to officials. The younger ones were troublesome, mostly timid by nature, with some even too scared to leave the palace gates. As a result, eunuchs could barely distinguish between King Ning’s sons and grandsons based on their attire and accessories, let alone determine their ranks. To avoid offending the nobility, the lower-ranking officials simply referred to them all as “Little Princes.”
This was different from Meng Qi’s initial guess and vastly different from the perspectives of those without official backgrounds in the Jianghu. Generally, hearing such a title might make one think they were secretly designated heirs.
Originally, it was an improper and unorthodox title, but King Ning’s numerous aberrations made it common. For example, palace carriages following imperial regulations and the coexistence of royal household subordinate systems with the Three Departments and Six Ministries’ official ranks. Since King Ning was implicitly recognized as the emperor, not directly referring to them by their princely ranks was quite low-key, and princes being titled as marquises was not considered out of line.
“If I remember correctly, the Little Prince should still be at Fangting Pavilion now,” Cheng Jingchuan frowned, lowering his voice to interrogate the guards.
Mo Li recalled that the plaque on the pavilion on Hu Xin Island was indeed his name, feeling surprised. It turned out that Mr. Qiu’s people planned to confine not only his supported individual but also himself to the island?
“I escaped halfway out!” the young man angrily declared.
“Hmm?”
Cheng Jingchuan felt a headache coming on. He didn’t think the Little Prince could escape under their tight security; it could only mean that Mr. Qiu had tacitly allowed it.
“Cheng… General Cheng doesn’t believe it?” The young man had just puffed up his chest when his twisted waist caused him a sharp pain, and he cried out in agony.
Mo Li finally couldn’t bear it any longer. Twists and sprains were quite common, but if a sprain caused by overexertion wasn’t properly treated, it could easily lead to hidden dangers.
“If I were you, I wouldn’t keep forcing it.”
“Who?”
The young man was startled and turned around, only to see a person slowly approaching from the other side of the bushes. His hair was like frost and snow, exuding an extraordinary demeanor. In the reflection of the firelight, he looked like a celestial being, missing only a flowing Daoist robe.
The guards were about to encircle him all at once, but Cheng Jingchuan quickly stopped them.
“This is the renowned folk physician previously ordered by King Ning to be invited into the palace,” Cheng Jingchuan said skillfully. Most of his subordinates were not dim-witted; they were mostly intelligent. Upon hearing this, they put away their weapons but continued to keep a wary eye on Mo Li. Some even tried to search the surroundings, suspecting that Master Meng might be hiding nearby.
Meng Qi, who had long moved to the rooftop of the Imperial Medical Office, remained silent.
The Little Prince glanced around, keenly sensing a hint of something unusual on Cheng Jingchuan’s face.
“Is this elderly gentleman the folk physician invited by Father’s decree?”
Perhaps due to Mo Li’s appearance, the Little Prince immediately put on a smile, speaking softly and slowly to avoid making a quacking sound.
“There is no folk physician who can make you recover immediately,” Mo Li replied evasively.
The Little Prince’s face immediately fell. He waved his hand, allowing several guards to carry him away.
The group arrived at the Imperial Medical Office, where only a few medical officers remained, trembling and too scared to step forward. Cheng Jingchuan didn’t expect much from them either. He found some mugwort and fire tinder and asked Mo Li to set the needles.
“Cannot carry you to kneel and offer sacrifices at court the day after tomorrow.” Cheng Jingchuan set his face sternly, showing no sign of treating a future monarch.
The Little Prince remained silent, his eyes showing defiance.
Meng Qi found the situation increasingly interesting, so much so that he almost didn’t want to leave the palace to check Qiu Si’s arrangements outside. Mo Li swiftly treated the Little Prince’s waist injury, simultaneously noticing that the young man had only learned some rudimentary martial arts and was quite uncoordinated.
The doctor, with his crane-white hair and youthful appearance, made a couple of remarks, causing Cheng Jingchuan’s expression to change dramatically.
With outsiders driven away, Cheng Jingchuan became furious on the spot: “Your Highness, I’ve told you many times not to practice martial arts with those guards. They’re just here to play around with you.”
The Little Prince also became furious but didn’t voice it. He held his breath and said, “You all only know how to make me study, constantly making me read, not allowing me to leave the palace at will, not allowing me to talk to people freely. Whether it’s you or Mr. Qiu, everyone says I’m the only one among Father’s sons who can read and memorize the classics. But I don’t want to study. I want to be a general! A true man born into this world cannot be indifferent like rotting wood and bones, unable to leave a mark in history in the Western Regions.”
Mo Li paused his hand while arranging the silver needles, carefully observing the Little Prince. He was tall but still looked immature, barely sixteen years old.
Regarding the Little Prince’s words, Cheng Jingchuan might have heard them too often. Without blinking, he rebutted: “Do you think studying military books thoroughly will make you a general? Even during the Han Dynasty, General Fu Yan once said, ‘A true man in life should not be satisfied with just eating a simple meal, and in death, he should not be content with being cooked into a basic stew!’ Is a phrase like ‘rotting wood and bones’ enough to shock you? You should know that there are people willing to work hard for your meals! After years of studying, you’ve only learned that astonishing rhetoric that’s better than dying to impress others. Those who know will praise your lofty ambitions, and those who don’t will have to ask a doctor to check your brain! Do you really understand how far the Western Regions are?”
This time, the Little Prince was truly angry, crying out in distress: “How could I not know? I’ve looked at maps, and the Western Regions aren’t just a desert. As for thoroughly reading military books… can I even read military books? They treat me more strictly than prisoners—how to sit, how to stand, what books to read every day, and even which page to stop at are all regulated. Don’t mention the Wei Liaozi and Liu Tao, I can’t even find the Art of War!”
Cheng Jingchuan blurted out: “I think so too.” —At least those well-versed in military strategy understand how to achieve their goals indirectly.
The Little Prince widened his eyes, his frustration and anger unmistakable: “General Cheng, I thought…”
“Thought that because I’m well-versed in military strategy, I would teach you? Moreover, I’m not a general. You should address me as Cheng Xiaowei.” Cheng Jingchuan showed a pained expression.
The Little Prince lay down and stopped speaking, pitifully looking at Cheng Jingchuan, glancing left and right, and murmuring: “Recently, Mr. Qiu mentioned the people of Xiliang. Have they restored their country? Is there hope for restoration? Will I have the opportunity to raise an army and campaign against them in the future?”
Mo Li didn’t lift his eyes, sensing that the Little Prince was subtly sizing him up. From the beginning until now, despite his seemingly carefree and outspoken demeanor, it was actually a form of probing.
Cheng Jingchuan didn’t stop the Little Prince from speaking casually in front of Mo Li, which itself “indicated” many things. Either this renowned folk physician was one of their own, or he was someone they couldn’t afford to offend.
“Sigh, it’s all thanks to Marquis Jingyuan for destroying Xiliang too thoroughly.” The Little Prince’s eyes darted around nervously.
Cheng Jingchuan’s forehead throbbed with veins, and he endured it, saying: “Your Highness, please do not anger this humble servant. The consequences are something you wouldn’t want to imagine.”
The Little Prince immediately closed his mouth.
“And the Chu Dynasty army destroyed the capital of Xiliang, while the Chu Dynasty’s National Preceptor Meng destroyed the reverence and faith of the Xiliang people in their gods and Buddhas.” Cheng Jingchuan suddenly grinned at the young man, then spoke without expression, “There are too many things you don’t know.”
The Little Prince looked suspiciously, watching as Cheng Jingchuan and Mo Li left the room together.
“Huff.” After Cheng Jingchuan came out, he sighed in relief, shook his head, and clasped his hands towards Mo Li, saying, “Using the prestige of the National Teacher to intimidate the child, if there are any offenses against the National Teacher, please have the doctor apologize on his behalf.”
To the rat squatting and eavesdropping with the guards’ armor thrown aside: “……”
Cheng Jingchuan felt something was wrong and rushed up to take a look.
—Rabbits couldn’t possibly be lying on the beam. Was it really a cat?
Mo Li had a bad premonition. If things continued like this, Cheng Jingchuan would soon guess Meng Qi’s true identity.
“Cough, I observe that the Little Prince… is inherently straightforward…” Mo Li said calmly, diverting Cheng Jingchuan’s attention.
Cheng Jingchuan awkwardly said, “The Little Prince is very curious. With the information I just revealed, he could have spent three to five months on it, seeking peace. Although the Little Prince is impatient, he previously understood the gravity of situations, knowing that he wouldn’t need to feign timidity in the palace in the future. Today, he just made some fuss.”
Mo Li shook his head, whispering, “When he said the phrase about the Western Regions, it seemed sincere.”
Cheng Jingchuan sighed, “Compared to others who are stubborn, overambitious, lustful, greedy, incompetent, and foolish… the Little Prince is already outstanding.”
Mo Li looked at him and said, “With no king to use, why not take the throne yourself?”
Cheng Jingchuan was stunned and pressed his lips without responding.
Author’s Notes:
Mo Li isn’t trying to incite Cheng Jingchuan; he is genuinely puzzled.
Those restoring Chu need King Ning’s sons for their banner, but Cheng Jingchuan doesn’t need them.
