Xie Lian said, "Call him over immediately."
Feng Xin closed the index and middle fingers of his right hand.
Press against the temples.
He went to communicate with Mu Qing. On the other side, Qi Rong Ruo said, "So you came from that small corner of Yong 'an. Truly unruly people come from barren hills and unruly rivers. You think you can rob a deity's money just because you're poor? "
"Then I won't rob you," Lang Ying said. I am now worshipping the deity you worship. I am kneeling and kowtowing to him, begging him to give me money to save the lives of my people.
Will he save us? "
Qi Rong choked.
He muttered to himself that if he said yes,
This person wouldn't just take advantage of the situation and run away with the money, right? Thereupon he said, "Your Highness the Crown Prince is an immortal. Even immortals are extremely busy.
Who has the time to pay attention to unruly people like you! "
Hearing this,
Lang Ying nodded slowly and said, "I don't think so either. It's not like we haven't prayed before.
Wasn't it useless? Those who deserve to die will still die. "
Xie Lian's heart trembled.
A Daoist shouted, "How dare you say such disrespectful words in the Deity Hall.
Aren't you afraid of being punished by the deities? "
But Lang Ying said, "It doesn't matter. So be it. We're already not afraid that he won't save us, so why should we be afraid that he'll punish us? "
Qi Rong waved his hand.
A group of servants, who had been waiting for a long time, rushed forward and surrounded the young man, punching and kicking him. Feng Xin made use of every opportunity he had.
Reducing the strength of their punches and kicks.
Therefore, although Lang Ying looked like he was being pressed down and beaten, he had a blank look on his face and did not dodge.
Occasionally, he would raise his hand to protect the luggage on his back. Qi Rong, on the other hand, grabbed a handful of melon seeds, and as he ate, he shook his leg and said, "Beat him, beat him ruthlessly for this prince!" He was truly behaving like an evil person. Hearing the way he addressed himself, Lang Ying suddenly raised her head and said, "You are the King? What king? Do you live in the palace? Can you see the king? "
Qi Rong blurted out, "I'm your grandfather! Are you still hoping to see His Majesty? His Majesty is very busy every day, who has time to care about you? "
Lang Ying twisted her neck and stubbornly asked, "Why don't you have time for me? The immortals don't have time to care about me. His Majesty doesn't have time to care about me either. Then who has time to care about me? Who am I supposed to go to? Does the Monarch know that many people have died in Yong An? Did the people of the Imperial City know? If you knew, why would you rather throw the money into the water than give it to us? "
Qi Rong sneered and said, "We can spend our money however we want. Even if we throw it away, it won't be anyone's business. Why should we share it with you? You're in the right even if you're poor? "
Although there was some truth to this, it was really not appropriate to say it at this time. Just as Xie Lian was thinking of a way to seal Qi Rong's mouth, a black-clothed youth hurriedly came out from the back of the hall and said, "Your Highness, why have you summoned me?"
Xie Lian beckoned, "Mu Qing, come quickly. Have you heard any news about the Yongan drought in the prayers you've received these days? "
Mu Qing was also startled and said, "I haven't heard of it."
Feng Xin blurted out, "How could there not be? The refugees over there have all fled here! "
His tone was too certain, causing Mu Qing's face to stiffen. He stiffly said, "I'm telling the truth, there really isn't. Are you saying that I purposely didn't report it? Then did you receive it or not? If there really were people from Yongan who prayed for a drought, the Crown Prince Palace would have me on duty during the odd month and you on duty during the double month. It's not like all the drought-related prayers were gathered during the odd month and you didn't know about it at all. "
Feng Xin stared blankly for a moment. After thinking about it, he felt that this was indeed the case. He said, "I didn't say you did it on purpose. You're thinking too much. "
Hearing that they were about to start arguing again, Xie Lian made a 'pause' gesture and said, "Alright, that's not what Feng Xin meant. Both of you stop immediately. "
The two immediately stopped arguing. Coincidentally, Qi Rong was finally tired of watching his subordinates beat Lang Ying. He took a small bag and put the melon seed shells inside before saying, "Drag this thief to the prison and lock him up." All the attendants said, "Understood!" Several of them picked up Lang Ying. Xie Lian said, "Let's first solve the problem at hand. Save this person, then I'll properly ask him about Yongan."
Mu Qing's expression softened and he cautiously said, "How does Your Highness want to solve this? You can't casually manifest your spirit. "
After ascending, Xie Lian couldn't understand this rule at all. The Heavenly Officials said that they wanted to help the common people, yet they had to put on airs and place themselves above all living beings. They couldn't casually manifest their spirit, causing him to often feel his hands and feet bound, which made him extremely vexed. Fortunately, Xie Lian also had many countermeasures. He didn't hesitate and didn't turn his head as he pushed. The people in front of him felt the shadow on the ground faintly sway and turned around in confusion. In the next moment, Qi Rong screamed, "Cousin Crown Prince — —"
With this push, Xie Lian had actually pushed down his own statue of God!
That gentle and handsome golden statue wielding a sword and holding a flower couldn't help but slowly tilt to one side. Qi Rong's face looked as if he had seen his own mother being hung and kicked. He completely couldn't care about Lang Ying anymore as he madly ran over and tightly hugged the statue's thigh. Tenaciously holding it up, he cried out in a heart-wrenching voice, "What are you bunch of trash waiting for! Quickly help me hold him up! Don't let Cousin Crown Prince fall!! He can't fall!!! "
He tore his heart out, yet Xie Lian had a calm and composed expression as he brushed past him and walked out of the Crown Prince's Palace. Feng Xin and Mu Qing's faces were practically splitting apart. After a long while, Feng Xin finally spoke up, "Your Highness! That's your statue of God! "
For this kind of matter, the omen wasn't good. More or less, it would be a bit of a taboo. This kind of Heavenly Official who pushed his own statue of God was truly unheard of. What a weirdo of the three realms. Xie Lian said, "It's just a big lump of gold. No, this way, their attention won't be diverted. You guys go and hold down that golden statue. Don't let them free themselves. I'll go meet this person. "
Although Feng Xin and Mu Qing were speechless, they could only obey. Standing next to the statue of God, they each stretched out a finger and pressed down on the statue. They only needed to use this bit of strength, and it would be enough. Even if several people used up all their strength, they still wouldn't be able to lift the statue up. They could only forcefully hold it in a deadlock. Gnashing their teeth, they said, "… … Worthy of being called real gold.
Lang Ying, who had fallen outside, saw that the group of people no longer paid attention to him and instead stared at the resplendent golden statue of God for a while. Then, he stood up from the ground, patted the dust off his body, and ran out with his luggage on his back. Xie Lian followed behind him and waited for him to run for a while before entering a lush and verdant forest. After looking around, he finally sat down under a tree and rested. Xie Lian hid behind the tree and casually formed a hand seal, transforming into the figure of a small Daoist clothed in white.
After transforming, he looked up and down to make sure there were no flaws. With a flick of his horsetail whisk, he was just thinking about how to appear in a less obtrusive manner when he saw Lang Ying crouch down beside a puddle next to the tree. Then, he buried his head and used both hands to dig a hole in the ground.
"… …"
This young man's palms were wide and large. When he used his palms to shovel down, the hole was wide and deep. When he dug the hole, dirt flew up, making him look like a lean black wolfdog. Just as Xie Lian was wondering why he was suddenly digging a hole, he saw the young man wipe the dirt on his pants. Then, he used his hands to scoop up a handful of water from the puddle and brought it to his mouth.
Seeing this, Xie Lian couldn't hide anymore. He hastily walked out and blocked the young man's hand. Then, he took out a water bottle from his sleeve and handed it to the young man.
Lang Ying had already taken a mouthful of water from the puddle and swallowed it with puffed cheeks. Looking at this young Daoist who had suddenly appeared, Lang Ying didn't find it strange nor did he refuse. He took the water bottle and drank it all in one gulp. Only after he finished drinking did he say, "Many thanks."
Since he had already abruptly appeared, Xie Lian didn't pay attention to any natural opening remarks. He swung his horsetail whisk as much as possible, making it seem as if he was immortal and trustworthy as he said, "Friend, where did you come from and where are you going?"
Lang Ying replied, "We came from Yongan City's Lang 'er Bay. Originally, we were going to the Imperial Palace. But now, I've changed my mind. I'm not going. "
Xie Lian was startled. "We?"
Lang Ying nodded his head and said, "We. Me and my son. "
Xie Lian became more and more confused, but a faint chill emerged in his heart. He watched as Lang Ying untied the backpack on his back and opened it. He said, "My son."
What was wrapped in the backpack on his back was actually the corpse of a child!!!
That child's stature was extremely small, and he looked to be no more than two or three years old. His complexion was yellow, and his cheeks were sunken. A few sparse yellow hairs stuck to his forehead, and there were even a few rashes. His small face was squeezed into a strange expression. It looked as if he wanted to cry, but he couldn't. His eyes were already closed, but his mouth was open. However, he could no longer make a sound.
Xie Lian's pupils suddenly shrank. His mind was greatly shaken, and he couldn't speak. No wonder he had always felt that there was something wrong with this young man's demeanor. He couldn't say what was strange about him, but he felt that he wasn't like an ordinary person. When he spoke and did things, it was as if he didn't consider the consequences at all. He was reckless, and he didn't care about the consequences. Now, it seemed that this person didn't even need to consider the consequences.
After Lang Ying finished showing him his son, he once again wrapped the child up and carefully tucked in the corners. Looking at his focused expression and movements, Xie Lian felt a burst of pain in his heart. This was the first time he had seen such a small child's corpse. He stammered, "You … … How did your son die?"
Lang Ying finished carrying the backpack and said in a daze, "How did he die … … I don't know how he died either. He was thirsty, hungry, and sick. I think a little of all of them. "
He scratched his head and said, "When I carried him out of Yong 'an, he would still cough a few times and call me daddy, daddy, daddy from the back. After that, he slowly stopped coughing. After that, he stopped coughing, and I thought he had fallen asleep. When I found something to eat and wanted to wake him up, he wouldn't get up. "
This child had actually died on the way to escape.
Lang Ying shook his head and said, "I don't know how to take care of children. If my wife knew that my son was dead, she would scold me to death. "
After a moment of silence, he said again, "I really think my wife can scold me."
His expression was calm from beginning to end, like a section of a withered tree or a blackened pond. There wasn't the slightest bit of vitality or ripples. Xie Lian's throat tightened. After a while, he said in a small voice, "You … … you … … bury him."
Lang Ying nodded and said, "Yes. I want to pick a better place. This place is not bad. There are trees to block the sun, and there's water. I'll go back after burying him. Thank you for the water. "
He coughed a few times and bent down again, continuing to use his hands to dig the pit. However, Xie Lian muttered, "No. Don't thank me … … don't thank me, don't. "
At this time, Feng Xin and Mu Qing also rushed over. When the two of them saw one digging the pit and the other in a daze, they were both baffled. Xie Lian wasn't in the mood to say much, so he muddleheadedly repeated a few words. After a long time, he finally remembered that just giving him water wasn't enough. This person still had to return to Yong An. Thus, he reached into his sleeves and fumbled around for a long time. Finally, he pulled out an item and handed it to Xie Lian. "You can take this."
Lang Ying stopped his movements and carefully looked at the item in his hands. It was a deep red bead that wasn't even the size of a fingernail. Its color was lustrous, smooth, and breathtakingly beautiful. Even if he didn't know what it was, he only needed to glance at it to know that this little thing was definitely priceless.
This was the only remaining one of the red coral pearl earrings that Xie Lian had worn three years ago during the Upper Yuan Sacrifice. Mu Qing had a deep impression of this bead. When he saw it, his expression changed slightly. Lang Ying didn't refuse. As if he didn't have any of the etiquette and apprehensions that a normal person should have, he reached out and received it. "Many thanks."
He carefully put the bead into his belt and took off the luggage on his back. Gently placing it in the pit, he said, "Father will come back to see you soon."
After he finished speaking, he used his hands to solemnly push the soil away, covering the cloth bag. Xie Lian covered his forehead and closed his eyes. After a while, that youth walked in with large strides. Feng Xin asked in astonishment, "Your Highness, what did he bury? He said 'father'? Did he bury a person? "
Mu Qing, on the other hand, was concerned about other matters. "Your Highness, I just went to investigate a bit and clarified the matter. Yong An wasn't rich in the first place, so there weren't many temples and temples built there. Furthermore, the temple there seems to have a local rule that those who aren't worshipers can't enter the temple to pay their respects. Thus, those who go to the Crown Prince's Palace are all wealthy people. As for the poor who suffered from the disaster, they simply won't go … … "
Xie Lian didn't answer. Instead, he lowered his voice and said, "You guys, go to Yong An and take a look at the situation. I'll go see the State Preceptor and ask him clearly what's going on. "
His expression was unprecedentedly unsightly. The two maids didn't dare to be careless. They responded in unison and immediately set off. Meanwhile, Xie Lian turned around and rushed in the direction of Mount Taicang.