Chapter 62: Lost Red Pearl; Inadvertent Eyes Red with Desire (Part 3)
Ahead of them stood four to five white robed trainees, each with a basket in hand, appearing to have come to pick fruits. However they weren't encircling any fruit trees, but rather some person. Even from afar, with their power of hearing, they could still clearly hear the the particulars of the quarrel. One of the young men said, "No wonder there seemed to be less fruits in the woods lately, so it was someone who's been squatting around stealing."
A soft voice replied, "The fruits grown on Mount Taicang can be picked by anyone who's a disciple at the pavilion, so how is it stealing? Besides, there's hundreds and thousands of fruit trees here. There's no way there'd be less fruits by my power alone."
The voice belonged to Mu Qing, and from the sleeve corner that could be seen through from that crowd, it looked like he had already taken off the black ghost costume and changed back to the usual plain training outfit. That trainee humphed, "Of course if it was only you picking for yourself the fruits wouldn't be noticeably less, but you don't just pick for yourself, do you? You sneak them down the mountain for other people. Exploiting the benefits, how shameless.
Xie Lian understood the situation immediately. The trainees that couldn't stand Mu Qing were picking on him again.
Mu Qing came from a poor family; his mother who lived at the foot of the mountain in the city led a meager life. In the past she could only make some money from seam-stressing here and there, but after her eyes went bad she could no longer do that work, and could only wait for Mu Qing to bring home the money he'd earn from running errands on the mountain. Sometimes he would pick up some fresh fruits from Mount Taicang and have her try, and it wasn't really anything major because there weren't any rules against it. Nonetheless, when spoken of out loud it still sounded bad. To have it brought up like this was even more insulting and embarrassing.
Mu Qing's voice was laced with ice, "Zhu-ShiXiong, we usually rarely talk, but you have picked on me again and again. Yesterday too you wouldn't let me through to The Si Xiang Pavilion to pass on word. How have I offended you?"
That young man named Zhu was indeed the trainee that guarded the door to the Si Xiang Pavilion, and when he heard the matter from the day before brought up his anger flared, "You're the one who wasn't mindful enough to do your job and almost botched the event, so why are you blaming me? You should blame yourself for acting all secretive, making other people think you're up to no good. If you had just said outright what you were doing, nothing would've happened. Thanks to you, His Highness almost messed up, and I got yelled at by the Guoshi!" He threw the basket on the ground as he griped, gesturing for everyone to go in to attack. Xie Lian couldn't watch anymore and shouted, "Stop!"
When the trainees heard his voice they were all shocked, turning their heads and called, "Your Highness!"
Xie Lian and Feng Xin approached, and by then that Zhu-ShiXiong had already grabbed Mu Qing by the shoulder and had him pushed against the trunk of a tree, the brawl not yet started. If they really did start, even if it was one against twenty Mu Qing would've gained the upper hand, but, if he wanted to stay in the Huang Ji Pavilion, then he must never raise his fist.
Xie Lian smiled, "What's everyone doing?"
That Zhu-ShiXiong was a decent, plain-looking young man and had looked up to the Crown Prince. He froze hearing Xie Lian's inquiry and hurried to let go of Mu Qing. "Um, this, we were..."
Xie Lian continued to smile, "Although I don't know for what everyone is quarreling, but Mu Qing is my personal attendant, so if he does anything it's generally under my command. I didn't realize there was some offense in having him pick some fruits for me?"
The trainees all bowed, "No, no! So it was His Highness that asked him to come! We misunderstood!"
On the side, Mu Qing leaned against the tree, and was first taken aback when he heard Xie Lian say him coming was under his command, then he quickly righted his collar, lowered his head and didn't speak. Cold sweat was rolling down the backs of those trainees as they profoundly apologized to Xie Lian then to Mu Qing, and finally hurried away after picking up their baskets, escaping the cherry woods.
Xie Lian saw the basket Mu Qing had brought on the ground, and bent down to pick it up and passed it to him, "Want some help?"
Mu Qing didn't take the basket, but raised his head and watched Xie Lian with an unreadable expression for a moment before he spoke, "Your Highness,"
"What is it?" Xie Lian said.
"Why must you always show up at times like these?"
Xie Lian: "?"
Feng Xin on the other hand became upset, "What do you mean? Is it wrong to come and save you?"
Mu Qing gave him a look and took the basket. Feng Xin stiffened and said harshly, "Listen up! What happened before was my fault! I didn't mean to accuse you, and everything was only said offhandedly. There's no need for you to think deeply about anything, suspecting this or that. I don't care for anything other than His Highness, and I'm not interested in gossip. That's all I have to say, so stop being so moody!"
"PFFFT!" At first Xie Lian thought his words were too aggressive, but towards the end, it was strangely funny. Mu Qing glared at Feng Xin, and Xie Lian waved his hand, "Alright, alright. Everything Feng Xin said is true. Let's just forget anything happened. Nothing's happened."
A moment later, Mu Qing said begrudgingly, "I'll look for that red coral pearl again later. Maybe it was dropped on the street."
It wouldn't be good for Xie Lian to look too much like he didn't care, so he replied, "Alright. Only if you have the time. But if it was dropped on the streets then it'll have gotten picked up by somebody by now."
It seemed Mu Qing had nothing more to say, so he picked up the cherries that were dropped onto the ground and put them back into his basket. He didn't pick that many in the first place, and moved to leave the woods. Xie Lian however, saw many enticing fresh cherries and casually picked a bunch and dropped them into his basket.
Mu Qing was slightly taken aback. Xie Lian said, "Next time you want to pick fruits for your mother, just say you're picking them under my command, and no one will say anything. The Guoshi told me to return to the palace for a few days so I plan on leaving tomorrow. Why don't you make your visit down the mountain too? Let's just head back for today."
It took a while, but at last Mu Qing said in a quiet voice, "Thank you, Your Highness."
The next day, Xie Lian descended the mountain with Feng Xin and Mu Qing in tow.
The moment they reached the foot of the mountain, right outside the giant mountain gates, they saw a shining, golden carriage. A young man dressed in a collared brocade had a whip in hand, lying just in the front seat of the carriage, his legs crossed, looking lively and important. The second he saw Xie Lian exiting the gates, he leapt to his feet and ran towards him in a mad dash, shouting in obvious joy, "Cousin Crown Prince!"
Naturally, it was Qi Rong. And only he would have the free time to wait for Xie Lian at the foot of Mount Taicang. He skipped over and cried, "My patience has finally paid off!"
Xie Lian grinned and ruffled his hair, laughing, "Did Qi Rong grow taller again? How did you know I was returning to the palace today?"
Qi Rong giggled, "I didn't. I just waited, and knew you'd have to come out sooner or later. I refuse to believe you wouldn't."
"You're quite free, aren't you?" Xie Lian said hopelessly, "Are you studying properly? What about sword practice? If mother asks me to test your studies again, I won't help you."
Qi Rong blinked, his eyes shifty, and suddenly jumped up and down, "Nevermind all that! Look at my new carriage! Cousin Crown Prince, come and board it, ride my carriage back to the palace!"
He grabbed Xie Lian's hand and pulled him to the carriage, but Xie Lian only felt danger, "You're driving?"
Feng Xin and Mu Qing approached too. Technically, servants must sit at the front, but Qi Rong's face dropped immediately, cracking the whip in his hand, "I asked cousin Crown Prince to get on, but I didn't say you two, too. Think I'd let low lives touch my golden coach? Get the hell outta here!"
Xie Lian quietly barked, "Qi Rong!"
Feng Xin had met Qi Rong many times before, and already knew of his potty mouth, vulgar and condescending character, but Mu Qing had never entered the palace before, and so had naturally never gotten the chance to go near Prince Xiao Jing. Qi Rong was feeling extremely aggrieved, but seeing Xie Lian about to walk away, he painfully and begrudgingly consented the two shitty low lives to board his precious golden coach.
However, they only just entered the coach, and all three of them immediately regretted the decision. Qi Rong drove like a madman, the whip in his hand lashing nonstop, screaming who knows what, and the white horse neighed in shock, the wheels spinning frantically, thrashing down the streets, refusing to stop no matter how much Xie Lian screamed for him to. They almost crashed into a number of pedestrians and stalls, and thank goodness for Feng Xin and Mu Qing who sat at the front and grabbed the reins to sidetrack the horse, otherwise this berserk journey was going to cost at least twenty lives. When they finally reached the palace and the coach slowed down, Xie Lian, Feng Xin, and Mu Qing all breathed a sigh of relief at the same time. Xie Lian wiped off his cold sweat, and the other two had been lashed by Qi Rong's whip a number of times, their hands covered in welts. Yet Qi Rong rose to his feet, one leg stepping on the white horse's behind, and proclaimed proudly, "What do you think, cousin Crown Prince? I drive pretty well, right!"
Xie Lian got off the carriage and replied, "I'm going to tell Father and Mother to confiscate your coach."
Qi Rong was shocked, "WHAT!"
By Xian Le culture, one they love gold; two they love precious stones; three they love beauties; four they love music; and five they love art. The Palace of Xian Le was thus the most distinguished place where all that they love was melted into one. Traversing through the large courtyard, walking down the crimson hallway, not everything was gilded or built of jade, as there were also masterpiece paintings hung all around, and soft music wafting in the air, creating the illusion of paradise.
The palace was Xie Lian's home, the place where he grew up. Feng Xin was chosen to be the personal guard at the age of fourteen, and had long gotten used to the sight. However it was Mu Qing's first time seeing such buildings, and couldn't help but be awed. Yet, the more awed he was, the more careful he became, and the more he didn't dare to have others sense what he was feeling, didn't dare to make a false step.
Xie Lian went to meet with the Queen the first thing. The Queen was resting at the Qi Feng Manor, leaning on a small tea table tasting new leaves. She had long received the message that the Crown Prince had returned, her eyes crescent shaped in joy, and extended both arms before her son even walked near and said, "Finally willing to come home to see mom?"
Feng Xin and Mu Qing were guarding outside. Xie Lian entered the chamber with Qi Rong in tow, and he reached out to hold his mother's hands when he approached, "Didn't I just visit two months ago?"
The queen grumbled, "What a heartless child. Even Rong-Er* knew to keep an old woman like me company but here you are sounding all self-righteous when you haven't come home for two months."
Xie Lian laughed, "And how is Mother old? You look no more than ten-something! Like we're of the same generation."
The queen was jubilant hearing those words of praise. Even if she had a son as old as Xie Lian, because of her status and wealth, she was very well maintained, and still looked the part of a noble beauty. Still, the word that left her lips was light admonishment: "Flatterer."
Xie Lian glanced at the small tea table and there was a jaded cup, its contents emitting a strange fragrance. He asked curiously, "What's this?" and picked it up, but the queen warned, "Don't drink it! You can't drink that!"
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●-Er is the word for "son" or "child", but added to a name it becomes an affectionate tag akin to meaning "Little" or "Sonny".