Xie Lian turned his head.
He asked, "What do you mean?"
Mu Qing said, "The homeless street children in the Imperial City are all in the same group.
I know all the people who come to my house to beg for food, but I've never seen this child before. "
The child looked at Mu Qing without saying a word. Feng Xin asked suspiciously, "Who do they always ask for food from? You know what? Will you give it to me? "
Mu Qing glared at him and said, "You're so annoying, what can I do if I don't give it to you?"
Feng Xin still found it inconceivable.
He stopped talking.
"Oh."
Xie Lian watched them talk.
He felt like laughing. Mu Qing continued, "Moreover, there are several patches on his clothes. Judging from the stitches, Daren must have patched them up recently.
There was at least one older person in his family. Perhaps his family was not very well-off.
But he is definitely not a beggar. "
Xie Lian naturally didn't pay attention to the stitches on the patches, and he didn't know if it was done by an adult.
However, Mu Qing used to be a servant of the Huangji Monastery.
He also did a lot of odd jobs at home. He took a closer look.
Sure enough, he asked, "Are there any adults in your family?"
The child shook his head.
Mu Qing said, "There must be. If he doesn't go back, his family must be looking for him in a hurry. "
The child said, "No, no! No one! "It was as if he was afraid of being sent back.
After saying that, he opened his arms.
It seemed like it wanted to hug Xie Lian. His body was still covered in mud and blood. Feng Xin couldn't bear to watch any longer and said, "What are you doing, kid? It was fine if he was anxious just now.
Were they still not sensible enough? This is the Crown Prince. Crown Prince, do you understand? "
That child immediately withdrew his hand, but he still looked at Xie Lian and said, "My family quarreled and I was chased out. I've been walking for a long time, and there's nowhere to go. "
The three of them looked at each other. After a long while, Feng Xin asked, "What should we do?"
One of the imperial physicians suggested, "If Your Highness finds it difficult, you can leave him here and have a few palace maids take care of him."
After pondering for a moment, Xie Lian shook his head.
In the end, he was still afraid that Qi Rong would not give up and would sneak out to look for trouble, so he said, "I think it's better for me to look after him until he recovers. It seemed that his family would not be able to take good care of him. When Feng Xin goes back to deal with the stalls that Qi Rong knocked over, send a few people to find out where the child's parents are. It's good to inform them so that they don't have to worry. "
Feng Xin nodded. "Alright."
With one arm still in a sling, he reached out to grab the child with the other. Xie Lian smiled and said, "You're an injured person. You should just forget about it."
Feng Xin, however, was unconcerned and said, "Even if one is broken, there's no harm in the other. Even if both my hands are broken, I can still grab his collar with my teeth and bring him up the mountain. "
Mu Qing secretly rolled his eyes and said, "Forget it, let me do it." However, he had only taken one step when the young child jumped down from the bed and said, "I can walk by myself."
Mu Qing's second step became extremely awkward, and he didn't know whether he should continue or not. Seeing this little friend with five broken ribs and one leg, yet still so lively and lively, Xie Lian really didn't know whether to laugh or feel heartache. He said, "Don't run around!" After saying that, he bent down and picked him up.
The three of them brought the child out of the palace gates. Because Qi Rong had just caused a ruckus on the main street, disturbing pedestrians and knocking over quite a few stalls, Xie Lian felt a deep sense of guilt. He didn't have the face to see the citizens of the Imperial City. Their group of people were all crestfallen, not daring to show their faces in public. Along the way, the young child nestled in the crook of Xie Lian's arm obediently. When he told him not to make a sound, he didn't make a single sound. Feng Xin glared at him and said, "This brat kicked me yesterday, yet today he's acting like this. He really does look down on people."
Mu Qing then said, "His Highness the Crown Prince is naturally much more likable than the average person."
He didn't know why, but even if he said something nice, his words and sentences would always make people feel uncomfortable. Feng Xin didn't want to pay attention to him anymore. After walking for a while, Feng Xin said, "That won't do. I still feel that Your Highness, you can't just carry a child of unknown origin for people to see. "
Xie Lian said, "What's the big deal?"
Feng Xin said, "You're the Crown Prince!"
As he said this, he caught a glimpse of a dilapidated handcart resting at the entrance of the alley in front of them. He said, "Put the child over there and drag him!"
Mu Qing immediately said, "I'll say this first, I won't drag this thing up the mountain."
Feng Xin said, "No one expects you to drag him." After he said this, he reached out and pulled the young child out of Xie Lian's arms. Once in his hands, the young child began to struggle again. Xie Lian said, "Forget it, forget it. There might be people who want this cart! "Meanwhile, Feng Xin had already put the child on the cart. At this moment, a person not far away suddenly said, "Are you … … the Crown Prince?"
Someone immediately shouted, "Yes, yes, yes! That's the Crown Prince! Yesterday, his mask fell off, and I saw his face with my own eyes! It's him!!! "
"Catch him!!!"
The three people's hearts all thumped. Although Xie Lian didn't think that he did anything wrong during the Heaven Worship Ceremony yesterday, he also knew that the others didn't have the same thoughts as him. The interruption of the Yue Shen Wu ceremony was an extremely ominous sign. It was a taboo for the royal family and nobles. After the commoners had experienced yesterday's excitement, they would go around asking what this accident represented. They probably wouldn't be very lenient. In addition, Qi Rong had caused trouble on the streets today, provoking complaints everywhere. If they were surrounded right now, it wouldn't be good. Before he could think carefully, Mu Qing fiercely pulled him and said, "Your Highness, run!"
Feng Xin also dragged the handcart and urged him, "Your Highness, I've lost an arm. I can't stop these rioters. Let's go!"
However, outside the alley, the commoners on the main street had already rushed over with excited expressions, blocking all the paths. The four of them had nowhere to retreat. Seeing the countless pairs of eyes staring at them, Xie Lian braced himself and thought, "At worst, I'll just get beaten up. I won't fight back!"
Unexpectedly, although the crowd had rushed over, they didn't surround and beat him up as he had expected. Instead, seventeen or eighteen pairs of hands stretched out and tossed him up. In unison, they cheered, "Your Highness the Crown Prince!"
Xie Lian had been tossed up and down several times, but he still maintained a very calm appearance. Everyone was talking at once, "Your Highness the Crown Prince, your jump on Shenwu Street yesterday was really wonderful!"
Someone exclaimed, "That jump was also amazing! Really, really, at that time, I thought it was the Shenwu Heavenly Emperor himself, I had goosebumps! "
Someone affirmed, "Your Highness is right to save the child! Other people's lives are lives, but our poor family's child is not a life? If it was me, I would have done the same! "
Someone was indignant, "Yes. Today, I heard someone say that Your Highness is messing things up, I can't stand it anymore. If the person who fell was a relative of the Emperor, I'm afraid those people wouldn't say that. Your Highness, please don't pay attention to these people! "
"Your Highness is the one who really thinks for us …"
From the initial guilty conscience, to the confusion along the way, and finally, he was infected by these enthusiastic faces. The crowd clustered around Xie Lian, and when he reached the main street, more and more people gathered. Feng Xin, Mu Qing, and the child were separated by the outer layer and could not squeeze in at all, so they could only swim behind the long line. This sea of people was actually not smaller than the scale of yesterday's worship to the Heaven. Every time Xie Lian wanted to leave, he would be forced back and once again crowded to the highest point, not letting him down.
Xie Lian couldn't help but feel amused and relieved, "The opinions of the people and the State Advisors are completely opposite. It seems that I am right."
When they returned to Mount Taicang, the sunset was burning hot as usual.
Passing through the tall mountain gate, the long bluestone mountain path was filled with Taoists carrying buckets of water and firewood, running up and down the path. One by one, they greeted Xie Lian and his group, and many of them looked at the strange carriage of four people in amazement. Feng Xin pulled the carriage with one hand, like a diligent young black bull. Xie Lian and Mu Qing were still laughing at first, but later they couldn't resist.
The wheels of the carriage turned slowly in the maple forest. When climbing the mountain, Xie Lian pushed the carriage behind. Because he was in a good mood, he casually asked the child, "Little friend, what is your name? What's Hong? "
The child stared at him and whispered, "I … … I don't have a name."
Xie Lian was startled and asked, "Your mother didn't give you a name?"
The child shook his head and said, "My mother passed away."
Xie Lian felt pity in his heart and asked, "Then what did your mother call you in the past?"
The child hesitated for a moment and said, "Hong Hong 'er."
Xie Lian smiled and said, "Your nickname is quite cute. Then I'll call you that."
Hong Hong 'er seemed to be shy when talking to him and lowered her head. At this time, dusk had already fallen. On the various mountain peaks in the distance, clusters of lights from various temples lit up. Among them, the brightest was the highest peak of Mount Taicang, Shen Wu Peak.
The Shen Wu Peak's Shen Wu Palace Hall was as bright as day. Specks of light gathered at the peak. Xie Lian let out a sigh as he looked on.
He sighed not because he was sad, but because this scene was too beautiful and spectacular. Every speck of light was a bright lamp enshrined in the Shen Wu Palace Hall. Every lamp was a believer's most sincere wish. The more eternal lamps in the Shen Wu Palace Hall, the stronger the spiritual power of the priest. If one wanted to enshrine a lamp in the Huang Ji Temple's Shen Wu Palace Hall, it was hard to obtain even with a thousand gold. Money, power, ability, affection, and fate. Only one of the five could enter the temple and enshrine a lamp. However, there were many people in the world who didn't have any of the five.
The four of them stopped and looked at the Shen Wu Palace Hall that was as bright as the sun with different expressions. At this time, they suddenly heard a familiar voice shout, "Your Highness the Crown Prince!"
Xie Lian turned around and saw a white-faced youth rushing towards him. It was the Taoist guarding the gate of Four Titans Palace. He sternly asked, "Senior Brother Zhu, why are you in such a hurry?"
Senior Brother Zhu saw Mu Qing behind him and his expression became slightly awkward. He pretended not to see him and said, "The State Preceptor has asked for you. He has been looking for you for a long time and is now waiting for you at the Shen Wu Palace Hall."
Xie Lian was stunned when he heard this. He knew that it was most likely because of the accident during yesterday's worship. He said, "Alright, thank you, Senior Brother."
He ordered Feng Xin and Mu Qing to bring Hong Hong 'er back to Xian Le Palace first while Xie Lian went to Shen Wu Peak alone.
Outside the main hall, the smoke coming from the incense tripod made the entire Shen Wu Palace seem like an illusion. On both sides of the incense tripod, rows of eternal lamps floated in the air, neatly stacked together to form a wall of lamps. Every eternal lamp had the name and wish of the person who enshrined the lamp engraved on it in a dignified official script. After entering the hall, both sides of the main hall also had rows of eternal lamps suspended in the air. The eternal lamps enshrined inside the Shen Wu Palace were even more precious than the ones enshrined outside.
In front of the huge Shen Wu Palace, the main State Preceptor was currently offering incense in front of the statue of the Shen Wu Heavenly Emperor. The three Deputy State Preceptors were behind him, worshipping the statue together.
After Xie Lian entered, he slightly bowed and said, "State Preceptor."
After the State Preceptors finished paying their respects, they turned their heads and motioned for him to come forward. Thus, Xie Lian also walked over, took the incense, and devoutly offered it.
After a long while, the State Preceptor finally said, "Your Highness the Crown Prince, we have discussed this matter. There are only two solutions to the matter regarding the worship to the Heaven."
Xie Lian said, "State Preceptor, please speak."