23.Countryside

"Aunt Qiu is it just you and the grandmother here? Where are your children?" ChengSangJY asked, sitting in the shade with Aunt Qiu, munching on melons and watching the children play in the distance.

Aunt Qiu sighed heavily, her sadness evident, and replied,

"If my son were still alive, his children would be your age by now."

ChengSangJY put down his melon, cautiously asking,

"What happened to him?"

"He died. He went to the city to sell medicinal herbs and was beaten to death by the officials," Aunt Qiu's voice trembled, her eyes reddening.

"Who would dare do such a thing?" ChengSangJY was incredulous.

Aunt Qiu took a deep breath, looking at the distant children, and after a long silence, continued,

"The land you see before you used to grow bellflowers. My daughter-in-law was clever and resourceful. She would dry the bellflower petals to make sachets, sell the good stems to pharmacies, and mix the average ones with pears to make dried vegetables to sell in the city."

"That sounds like a good business. How did they provoke the soldiers?" ChengSangJY asked.

Aunt Qiu, tears welling up, explained,

"My daughter-in-law was pregnant that year. She planned to sell the last batch of herbs and then rest at home. When she arrived at the city pharmacy, a group of soldiers accused her of mixing other substances with the bellflower stems, causing their master's illness. My daughter-in-law argued with them and was pushed off the steps, hitting her head. My son rushed to protect her and was beaten to death by the soldiers."

"Such lawlessness and disregard for life!" ChengSangJY was furious, nearly crushing the melon in his hand.

Aunt Qiu wiped her tears, resigned,

"We Amish people have always lived peacefully. When such things happen, we have no choice but to accept our fate. It's just our bad luck."

ChengSangJY clenched his fists, veins bulging with anger,

"This cannot be overlooked. Aunt Qiu, do you remember whose soldiers they were?"

Aunt Qiu looked puzzled,

"Whose soldiers? Aren't all the city's soldiers the Emperor's?"

ChengSangJY realized it was difficult to explain, so he simplified his question,

"What kind of uniforms were they wearing? Do you remember?"

"Uniforms? I wasn't there, but I heard from the villagers they wore crimson patrol uniforms," Aunt Qiu recalled.

"Crimson! Xiao's soldiers!" ChengSangJY's heart skipped a beat.

The city's military was divided into three: the Silver Lin Cavalry trained by the Lin family, dressed in silver and dark green. The Emperor's Royal Guards, in golden armor, commanded directly by the Emperor. And the Ministry of War's soldiers, under Xiao Yongnian, wore dark red and silver uniforms. It was clear that the soldiers who killed Aunt Qiu's son were Xiao's men.

In the dark dungeon of MoLan prince's mansion,

MuJinling strolled casually, fiddling with the torture devices, his face showing no fear, only a hint of enjoyment.

Soon, the cell door opened, and ChengSangMo entered, dressed in tight-fitting black silk. His men placed a chair in the center of the cell, and two men grabbed MuJinling's arms, kicking his knees out.

"Crack! Crack!"

With two sharp sounds, MuJinling's arms were dislocated, and he collapsed in front of ChengSangMo.

ChengSangMo dismissed his men and, resting his chin on his hand, mocked,

"No wonder you're the master of the Moon Chase Pavilion. You didn't even blink when your arms were dislocated. I underestimated you."

MuJinling, knowing why he was here, replied nonchalantly,

"Prince Mo, you're too kind. If it weren't for you sending me to the Moon Chase Pavilion, I wouldn't be who I am today. Besides, I've tried all these devices years ago."

ChengSangMo chuckled coldly,

"Indeed. As the MuJin family's traitor, I'm sure you were well-treated in prison."

"Is this why you brought me here, to show off these tools?" MuJinling asked, feigning indifference.

ChengSangMo shook his head, a sly smile forming on his lips. He suddenly grabbed MuJinling's neck, his eyes sharp and threatening,

"I'm not here to waste time. Where have you hidden JY?"

MuJinling, struggling for breath, continued to smile defiantly,

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

ChengSangMo tightened his grip, his eyes like a wolf's, ready to snap MuJinling's neck,

"I'll ask one more time: where is JY?"

ChengSangMo desperately hoped JY was still alive. He knew MuJinling well enough to believe he wouldn't harm the innocent, especially not the Crown Prince. But he was also furious that MuJinling involved JY, using his pent-up rage on him.

MuJinling's breathing became labored, his vision blurry, and he felt the blood vessels in his face and forehead straining. He whispered something faintly.

ChengSangMo couldn't hear clearly and leaned in closer.

"If you kill me, you'll never find him."

Hearing this, ChengSangMo threw MuJinling to the ground in anger, gripping the whip in his hand even tighter.

MuJinling coughed violently, catching his breath. Seeing ChengSangMo's anger, he mocked,

"Are you really going to beat it out of me? I'm so scared." He laughed derisively.

ChengSangMo realized that torturing MuJinling wouldn't work. Those who survived the dark chambers of the Moon Chase Pavilion had indomitable willpower. Even if it meant peeling off a layer of his skin, MuJinling had endured enough to reach his position as master.

"What do you want?" ChengSangMo asked, exasperated.

"What do I want? Isn't it clear, Prince Mo?" MuJinling replied.

"Didn't you promise not to harm the innocent?" ChengSangMo's voice trembled.

MuJinling laughed, then laughed louder,

"Who knew that the aloof MoLan prince had such a soft spot. Interesting, very interesting."

In the Amish village,

ChengSangJY was clearing the table,

"JY, having you serve me like this, I feel bad," LinHuaichu said, embarrassed.

ChengSangJY dismissed his concerns,

"If you hadn't risked your life to protect me, I'd be someone else's dinner by now. There's no need for formalities between us."

LinHuaichu scratched his head awkwardly, as if remembering something, and said,

"Come to think of it, how did we survive such a high fall without a scratch?"

ChengSangJY found it equally surprising. He remembered losing consciousness as he fell off the cliff and waking up in Aunt Qiu's house with LinHuaichu beside him. Suddenly, ChengSangJY walked over and knocked LinHuaichu on the head with his chopsticks.

LinHuaichu, who couldn't see, felt the solid thump on his head and quickly clutched it, wincing,

"Ouch, JY, why did you hit me? Ow~."

ChengSangJY grabbed LinHuaichu's nose and scolded,

"How dare you say that! When I fell, you jumped after me without thinking. Do you have a death wish?"

The scene from that day flashed through ChengSangJY's mind. He remembered falling off the cliff, thinking it was the end, but then seeing LinHuaichu jump after him without hesitation, reaching out as he fell. That was the last image before he lost consciousness.

"Ouch, JY, let go, let go. My nose is hurting." LinHuaichu pleaded.

ChengSangJY finally released him, reprimanding,

"That cliff was so high. You jumped without thinking. It's a miracle we're both fine. If something had happened, imagine how sad your brother and mother would be."

LinHuaichu rubbed his nose, taking the scolding lightly,

"I didn't have time to think. Besides, I'm your loyal and righteous brother. If something happened to you, the whole Lin family wouldn't last long either. It's either save you or die trying."

ChengSangJY smiled, appreciating LinHuaichu's unwavering loyalty. He felt fortunate to have such a devoted friend.

"By the way, Huaichu, I never knew your martial arts were so impressive. That day in the forest, you were amazing. Why didn't you show these skills before?"

Thinking back to that day, LinHuaichu's agility and strength were remarkable, especially since ChengSangJY had never seen this side of him.

LinHuaichu seemed reluctant to discuss it, evading,

"Well... I was just trying to escape. Naturally, I used all my strength."

ChengSangJY nudged him playfully,

"Come on, who can run on leaves? Do you take me for a fool? Tell me, when did you learn this? Who taught you?"

"There's nothing to tell. You must have seen it wrong," LinHuaichu insisted, trying to deny it.

"Come on, it's a good thing to be skilled. Why hide it?" ChengSangJY persisted.

As they bantered, the door slowly opened, and a familiar figure entered.

"Teacher! How did you know we were here?"

ChengSangJY leapt up with joy. LinHuaichu, hearing this, quickly asked,

"Teacher? Which teacher? Is it Mr. Li? JY, what's going on?"

Li Luoning smiled with relief upon seeing them safe but frowned slightly at the bandage over LinHuaichu's eyes.

"It's Li Taifu. I can't believe he's the first to find us," ChengSangJY explained to LinHuaichu.

LinHuaichu tried to stand up but was gently pushed back by Li Luoning, who then sat opposite him and asked ChengSangJY,

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," ChengSangJY replied, shaking his head.

Li Luoning noticed the change in ChengSangJY's voice, motioning for him to come closer.

ChengSangJY, puzzled, moved nearer. Li Luoning took his pulse and examined his throat, then swiftly pressed several points on his chest and neck.

ChengSangJY felt a warm current ease the pain in his throat. After coughing a couple of times, his voice returned to normal.

"Teacher, you're amazing," ChengSangJY praised.

LinHuaichu, hearing the change, quickly pointed to his own bandage,

"Teacher, what about my eyes?"

Li Luoning removed the bandage and examined LinHuaichu's eyes and pulse, then sighed with relief,

"No major issues. You'll recover in a few days with some rest."

"That's great! I thought I was going blind. Teacher, you're like a living Buddha, always appearing when we need you," LinHuaichu exclaimed, full of admiration.

ChengSangJY, remembering something, looked toward the door and asked,

"Teacher, what about Pure One and MuChuan? Didn't they come with you?"

"I sent them a message via carrier pigeon with your location. They should be on their way. I happen to know the villagers here and heard they found two injured people needing medical attention. I came to see, and it turned out to be you two. What happened?" Li Luoning asked calmly.

In the Empress's chambers,

"That ChengSangMo! He dares to interfere with my plans, disregarding the Xiao family. We should have eradicated him back then," Empress Xiao fumed, slamming the table in anger.

Xiao Yongnian sat to the side with a sigh, saying,

"I intended to use this opportunity to eliminate the remnant of the Mu family, but I didn't expect Mo Lan Wang to protect him. After all, his childhood friendship with Mu Jinling wasn't particularly deep. It doesn't make sense for him to go against the Xiao family for him."

Empress Xiao thought for a moment and said,

"Look at him now, looking sickly. Even if he stirs up trouble, what can he accomplish?"

"The Emperor is coming," announced a voice from outside the door.

ChengSangKing, wearing a worried expression, entered with his hands behind his back. Seeing Xiao Yongnian there, he seemed displeased.

"Your Majesty," Empress Xiao and Xiao Yongnian both greeted him with a bow.

"Mm," replied ChengSangKing, sitting down with a displeased glance at Xiao Yongnian, asking,

"Xiao Shangshu, have you figured out the cause of the Minister of Personnel's death?"

Xiao Yongnian bowed and responded, "I have dispatched people to investigate. We have yet to discover the cause."

ChengSangKing sighed and said with a hint of accusation, "Then continue to investigate. The Crown Prince's whereabouts are unknown, a court official has died mysteriously, and as my right-hand man, you must shoulder the burden. I am tired. You may leave. Do not enter the inner palace on non-audience days."

With his words, ChengSangKing effectively cut off Empress Xiao's power to summon Xiao Yongnian at will.

"Your Majesty is right. I take my leave," Xiao Yongnian complied, knowing the Emperor was angered by recent events concerning the Crown Prince. He left obediently.

Empress Xiao was visibly displeased but suppressed her anger, speaking in a conciliatory tone,

"Your Majesty, you don't look well today. Have you seen the imperial physician?"

Her question seemed to irritate ChengSangKing, who had been sleepless with worry. Seeing her casually chatting with her father in her quarters made him more irritable. He ignored her, closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose.

Empress Xiao continued despite his coldness,

"I have some new tea from the south. Would Your Majesty like to try it?"

ChengSangKing waved his hand dismissively without opening his eyes, not bothering to reply.

Empress Xiao felt confused about why ChengSangKing had come to her if he wasn't interested in talking. Not daring to ask directly, she tried to ease the tension with more small talk,

"Your Majesty, if you are feeling stifled, why not take a walk in the imperial garden with me? I heard the new peonies are in full bloom."

Irritated by her persistence, ChengSangKing snapped,

"Xiao Yun's whereabouts are unknown. He could be dead for all we know, and you're here worrying about flowers? Can't you be a little more concerned as his mother?"

The mention of the Crown Prince darkened Empress Xiao's expression. She replied, her tone full of unjustified blame,

"What's the use of worrying? He defied me over a mere commoner physician. Who knows if he truly fell or if he just wanted to escape and have a few days of leisure?"

"Bang!"

ChengSangKing slammed his hand on the table, startling Empress Xiao.

"The nation's heir is missing, possibly dead, and you're here saying such things? No wonder Xiao Yun doesn't often come to you. Look at your actions! If he truly wanted to escape, don't you want to know why? Xiao Yun has always been obedient and understanding. If he comes to harm, the ChengSang dynasty might be doomed. How can you be so heartless?"

With that, ChengSangKing turned and left, leaving Empress Xiao stunned and bewildered.

In the deep mountains,

Since Li Luoning's arrival, ChengSangJY hadn't seen Aunt Qiu or her elderly mother.

"JY, what are you looking for?" Li Luoning asked, coming out of the house and seeing ChengSangJY looking around the yard.

"Teacher, have you seen Aunt Qiu or her mother recently?" ChengSangJY asked.

"They went to help with a wedding in the village. This is their tradition. Whenever someone needs help, everyone pitches in," Li Luoning explained, making up an excuse.

ChengSangJY believed it and nodded.

Li Luoning thought it would be good for JY to enjoy some time outside the palace, so he suggested,

"JY, is there anything you'd like to do these days? It will take a few days for General Lin's people to arrive. Why not use this time to explore?"

"Sure!" ChengSangJY nodded eagerly, but then he hesitated and shook his head,

"Maybe not. Huaichu's eyes are still not good. I don't want to leave him alone."

"I'm just temporarily blind, not crippled. Go wherever you want. Are you afraid I'll hold you back?" Lin Huaichu said, appearing in the doorway.

Seeing Lin Huaichu at the door, ChengSangJY crept up, intending to startle him. But before he could get close, Lin Huaichu sensed him,

"Trying to sneak up on me?"

ChengSangJY was surprised and waved his hand in front of Lin Huaichu's eyes,

"Aren't you blind?"

Lin Huaichu smirked,

"I might be blind, but I can smell your sweat from afar. JY, how long has it been since you took a bath?"

ChengSangJY sniffed his clothes, feeling embarrassed,

"I guess... I haven't had a proper bath since we got here. Aunt Qiu's house doesn't have an extra tub, so I've only been wiping myself down."

Lin Huaichu pinched his nose and teased,

"No wonder it smells like pickled fish at meals. JY, you could marinate dumplings with that scent."

ChengSangJY, embarrassed, retorted,

"It's not that bad. I've been busy taking care of you. I didn't have time for myself. Besides, Aunt Qiu and her mother are women. I can't use their bath."

Lin Huaichu chuckled, shaking his head,

"Alright, alright. Thank you, JY, for taking care of me without bathing. Let's find a river and wash you up."

"You! Lin Huaichu!" ChengSangJY exclaimed, half-annoyed, half-amused.

"There's a river to the east. The water is clear, and the path there is fairly flat. It shouldn't take long to walk there," Li Luoning said.

After a short walk, they reached the river. ChengSangJY knelt by the water, testing it with his hand,

"Huh? It's warm! Should we really bathe here? What if someone comes by?"

Having never bathed in a river before, ChengSangJY felt shy about the open-air "bath."

"What's there to worry about? We're all men, and I can't see. Teacher won't mind either. Why are you so shy?" Lin Huaichu said nonchalantly.

ChengSangJY squatted by the river, playing with the water, still hesitating,

"The water temperature is nice, but..."

Lin Huaichu, standing behind him, grew impatient. He kicked ChengSangJY into the water,

"Stop dithering like a woman. Just get in!"

Before ChengSangJY could react, he was kicked into the water, swallowing a few mouthfuls before standing up, fuming,

"Lin Huaichu, are you crazy? I almost drowned!"

Lin Huaichu laughed from the shore,

"What's there to be afraid of? Teacher is here. He won't let anything happen to you. Besides, the river isn't deep. It probably only comes up to your waist."

ChengSangJY looked down and saw the water barely reached his waist. Still annoyed, he rolled up his sleeves, ready to drag Lin Huaichu into the water,

"You smell bad too. Come and wash up."

Lin Huaichu swung a bamboo stick defensively,

"Don't come near me. I'm warning you. I'm a patient! Teacher, help!"

Li Luoning watched the scene with amusement, giving ChengSangJY a knowing look.

Understanding the signal, ChengSangJY grabbed Lin Huaichu's ankle and pulled him into the water.

The two young men laughed and splashed, their joyful shouts filling the serene mountain air.