Seeing this,
Xie Lian inexplicably felt that he was funny and pitiful.
"Can this child recover from his injuries?"
An Imperial Physician wrapped layers of bandages around the young child's head and said, "He will definitely be fine."
Only then did Xie Lian relax. He nodded and said, "Thank you."
At this moment, a palace servant came to report.
His Majesty and the Empress had arrived. All the imperial physicians stood up in unison.
He went out to greet them. Xie Lian carried the child to the bed.
He said, "Lie down and rest first."
The child was afraid of strangers.
If there were too many people around, it might scare him, so she put down the bedside curtain.
Only then did he get up.
A group of attendants and palace maids escorted the monarch and the empress into the hall. The Empress turned pale.
He said, "Why did my son leave the palace and return in a hurry? Did you get injured outside? "
Xie Lian said, "Mother, please be at ease. I'm not injured. It was someone else who got hurt. "
At this time,
Qi Rong shouted from the corner, "Aunt, save me!"
Only then did the Empress realize.
Qi Rong was actually being held tightly by Feng Xin, and was being held at one side.
He couldn't help but be taken aback. She was worried about the safety of her son.
He didn't pay attention to anything else. When he saw her, he asked, "Rong 'er, what's going on?"
The monarch furrowed his brows and said, "Feng Xin.
Why are you holding Little Mirror King like a criminal? "
With the arrival of His Majesty, Feng Xin should have immediately saluted like Mu Qing and the others, but because he was holding onto Qi Rong, he was unable to free himself and was in an awkward situation. Xie Lian replied, "I told him to take it."
Qi Rong held his right hand and said, "Aunt, my arm is broken."
Before the Empress could feel her heart ache, Xie Lian sternly said, "You may have lost an arm, but what about the child inside?"
The King asked, "What child?"
Xie Lian replied, "A ten year old child. He did not even have the strength to truss a chicken. His physique was weak to begin with, so Qi Rong sent his men to beat him up. If it weren't for that child's luck, he would have been beaten to death on the spot! "
As if he had heard a joke, Qi Rong opened his eyes and said, "A ten-year-old child who doesn't even have the strength to truss a chicken? Weak physique? Cousin, you don't know how fierce, how savage, and how powerful this little bastard is. He's just pretending to be pitiful in front of you. I called five or six people, but we couldn't catch the little rascal. He punched and kicked us, bit us, and made us bleed. If he didn't piss me off, why would I drag him behind the carriage? "
Hearing this, the King and the Queen's expressions changed. Xie Lian took a deep breath and said, "Shut up! Are you proud of what you've done? "
It wasn't as if Qi Rong didn't like to show his face in public. How could the common people in the Imperial City not see his arrogant behavior? After seeing it, how could he not use it as a topic of idle conversation?
The Monarch glanced at the Empress and said with a pale face, "Take Little Mirror Prince away. Imperial Physician, treat his arm. Take back the golden chariot and be grounded to reflect on your mistakes. You are not to be released for a month. "
The attendants behind him immediately acknowledged and went forward to lead him away. Only then did Feng Xin let go. Qi Rong didn't care anymore. He snorted and said, "Take it then. I knew that today would be my last run."
Hearing that he didn't have any remorse, the Empress sighed. Xie Lian said, "It seems that he will only be grounded for a month. I'm afraid he will do it again. He needs to be strictly disciplined."
Qi Rong was startled. He angrily said, "Crown Prince Cousin, you … …" Then he rolled his eyes and said, "Fine. Then I will admit that I was in the wrong in this matter. No matter what Your Majesty punishes me, Qi Rong will not refuse. "
In the next sentence, he changed the topic and said, "However, shouldn't Crown Prince Cousin's subordinates be punished as well? Uncle, Aunt, my arm was broken by this Feng Xin! "
Hearing this, the Monarch immediately looked at Feng Xin. His face showed shock and anger. Feng Xin slightly lowered his head while Mu Qing unnoticeably moved two steps to the side.
The Monarch coldly said, "Feng Xin, you are His Highness the Crown Prince's personal attendant. The Crown Prince has indeed treated you well. Did you forget your identity and become arrogant because of this? Your duty is to serve His Highness. Is this how you serve him? You even dared to attack His Highness' cousin, Little Mirror Prince. "
Hearing this, Feng Xin prepared to kneel. However, Xie Lian said, "No need to kneel."
Feng Xin's first priority was to listen to Xie Lian. Even if His Majesty spoke, he would only listen to His Highness's orders. Thus, he immediately stopped his kneeling posture. Seeing this, the Monarch'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. Moreover, Qi Rong committed the crime first. He didn't do anything wrong, so why should he kneel? "
The Monarch said, "No matter what he did it for, he still offended the Little Mirror Prince. There is a difference between master and servant, and there is a difference in seniority. Don't say that I want him to kneel, even if I beat him a hundred times right now, it wouldn't be inappropriate. "
Although the Monarch wasn't as close to Qi Rong as the Empress, Qi Rong was still a member of the royal family. Qi Rong was very clear on this point. He cast a sidelong glance and said, "There's no need to beat him. After all, he is Crown Prince Cousin's subordinate. I don't want to make things too difficult for him. I just want him to break his arm and kowtow to me three times. Then, I won't pursue this matter. "
The Monarch slowly nodded as if he felt this was feasible. However, Xie Lian said, "If you want to punish Feng Xin, then punish me first. He is my attendant. Firstly, he didn't do anything wrong. Secondly, even if he did, he listened to my orders. I will accept it on his behalf. "
Hearing him say this, the Monarch's face flashed with anger.
Most fathers and sons under the heavens would experience this kind of change. When the son was young, he would treat his father as the greatest hero in the world. He would be his role model and worship him. When the son grew up to a certain age, he would begin to gradually doubt everything about his father. He would even gradually resent his father until both sides refused to acknowledge each other.
Xie Lian's main purpose for going to Mount Tai Cang to cultivate was undoubtedly because practicing martial arts was his goal. However, in reality, he wasn't obsessed with where he sought it or with what identity he sought it.
The so-called 'Dao', when seen through the words, was' a person walking on the road '. As long as a person wholeheartedly pursued the Dao, he could cultivate anywhere. He didn't have to go through all the formalities and rigidly adhere to going up the mountain. There was another reason why Xie Lian insisted on going up the mountain. It was because he felt he couldn't get along well with his father.
As the Crown Prince of Xian Le, the moment Xie Lian was born, the Monarch of Xian Le had neatly planned out his life's path. When he was young, it was fine. He was a small child and didn't have many worries. Xie Lian only needed his parents to accompany him to pile up gold and play. However, as he grew older, Xie Lian began to realize that his father wasn't just a father, he was also a monarch. Many of their thoughts and practices were unable to be adjusted to each other. For example, the so-called majesty of the Imperial Family was one of the things Xie Lian disliked the most.
Since he couldn't adjust to it, then it was better to stay far away. Every time he returned to the palace, he would chat happily with his mother and never confide in his father. Both sides rarely took the initiative to talk to each other. Every time, it was the Empress who mediated.
The father and son pair had been in a deadlock for several months. Now that Xie Lian repeatedly insisted and refused to back down, the Monarch said, "Fine, then you can accept it in his place. Let's see if you can do it or not!" Xie Lian replied, "Of course!" The Empress saw the father and son pair at each other's throats again and anxiously asked, "Why bother?"
At this time, Feng Xin, who had been silent all this time, suddenly raised his left hand and chopped down on his right arm. "Kacha!" Everyone was startled and looked towards the source of the sound. They saw that his right arm was the same as Qi Rong's, limply hanging down. Xie Lian was both shocked and angry. "Feng Xin!"
Feng Xin's forehead was dripping with cold sweat. Without another word, he knelt down in front of Qi Rong and kowtowed three times. Qi Rong didn't even try to stop him. Qi Rong was quite proud of himself and laughed out loud. "Fine, this Prince will reluctantly forgive you. Wouldn't it have been better if you had done this earlier? "
Although his arm was also broken, when he left, he felt refreshed, as if he had just won a battle. Feng Xin was still kneeling on the ground. Mu Qing watched this scene from the side, his expression faintly turning gray. It was unknown what he was thinking. Xie Lian suddenly turned towards his father and angrily said, "You! … … "
Feng Xin's left hand grabbed him and said, "Your Highness!"
The Empress also grabbed his hand. Xie Lian knew that Feng Xin had followed him since he was fourteen and received preferential treatment from the Empress. He couldn't bear to see the father and son quarrel and make the Empress sad, so he did this. If he flared up now, it would be a waste of Feng Xin's good intentions. He could only forcefully endure it, but his heart was already burning with anger. Only then did the King's expression soften slightly. With a calm expression, he left.
The Empress had always liked Feng Xin. She sighed and said, "Ai, good child, I've wronged you."
Feng Xin said, "Empress, please don't say that. I'm just doing my duty."
Hearing this, Mu Qing's gaze flickered and he seemed to silently sneer. Xie Lian closed his eyes and said, "Mother, if you really can't control Qi Rong, then just lock him up."
The Empress sighed and nodded. Then, she shook her head and left.
Xie Lian invited an Imperial Doctor and had him treat Feng Xin's right hand. He said, "Feng Xin, I'm sorry."
Once the other people left, Feng Xin immediately changed his expression and sneered, "What's wrong with that? I dared to hit him, so why would I be afraid of his revenge? " After a pause, he advised, "Your Highness, you're naturally right to teach Qi Rong a lesson. However, it's better not to be angry with His Majesty. His Majesty is the King and also a person of the older generation. His way of thinking is different from us. You father and son quarrel and the Empress is unhappy. She also has her own difficulties. "
How could Xie Lian not know that his mother had her difficulties?
Qi Rong's mother was the Empress' younger sister and they had a deep sisterly relationship. When she was young, she was immature and had first awakened her love. She wholeheartedly pursued freedom and listened to sweet words. She ruined her arranged marriage and eloped with an imperial guard in the residence. Who knew that she would marry the wrong person. She was cooped up in a house that looked like a dog kennel. After half a year, that imperial guard revealed his true nature and indulged in debauchery. After Qi Rong was born, he even beat and kicked his wife. In the end, both mother and son could not endure it anymore. When Qi Rong reached five years old, she dejectedly brought her child home. Because she had long become a noble's scandal, she shut herself in the house and was unhappy for the rest of her life. She only doted on her only son.
During one of the riots, Qi Rong's mother was unfortunately hit by a stray arrow in order to save the Empress. Before she died, she entrusted Qi Rong to Xie Lian's mother.
The Empress naturally did her best. However, other people's sons always made things difficult for others. It was hard to control them. If she controlled them too much, it would seem like she was treating them harshly. Considering their friendship, she couldn't bear to do so. But it was also hard to ignore them. If she controlled them too little, they would become like this. If she didn't restrain them, they would only become worse in the future. The Empress often didn't understand. She clearly used the same methods to take care of Xie Lian and Qi Rong, but why did the children she raised have such different temperaments?
At this time, Xie Lian suddenly remembered that there was still a child lying on the bed in the room. He lifted the curtain and looked. He didn't know when the child had sat up again, but he seemed to be peeking out from the crack. Xie Lian lifted the curtain and the child obediently lay down again. Xie Lian said, "Did the quarrel outside scare you? Don't mind it, it's none of your business. "
An imperial doctor said, "Your Highness the Crown Prince, this child's injury has already been treated. He only needs to rest."
Xie Lian nodded and said, "Thank you for your trouble."
He then bent down and asked the child, "Where is your home? Do you want me to send you back? "
The child shook his head and said, "I don't have a home."
Feng Xin looked at his suspended arm and said, "You don't have a home? Could it be that he really is a little beggar? "
Looking at the child's thin and small appearance and dirty clothes, it wasn't impossible. If he didn't have a home to return to, he couldn't just leave him in the Imperial Palace or on the streets. Xie Lian pondered for a moment and said, "Since that's the case, then bring him back to Mount Taicang with me."