Xie Lian felt the rims of his eyes grow hot, and his vision went blurry.
“I’m sorry,” he replied. “Forget me.”
The nameless ghost’s flickering flames flared brighter. “I won’t forget. Your Highness, I am forever your most devoted believer.”
Xie Lian forced down a sob. “…I’ve already lost all my believers. Believing in me won’t do you any good; it might even bring disaster. Did you know? Even my friend has left me.”
The nameless ghost declared as if swearing an oath, “I won’t.”
“You will,” Xie Lian said.
The ghost was insistent. “Believe me, Your Highness.”
“I don’t,” Xie Lian said.
He no longer believed in anyone, especially himself.
Chapter 96:
Hero Defeated by a Penny
FLEEING BEFORE THE ENTIRE CITY was locked down for a thorough search, Xie Lian and company traveled through the night and arrived at another city. Xie Lian once again settled the king and queen in a safe hideout, then he and Feng Xin went out to earn money. However, those who couldn’t earn much in one city wouldn’t magically be luckier in a new one.
Like always, they worked a full day’s labor for meager pay, but the once-inseparable trio were now suddenly missing one member, and the remaining two were having a hard time getting used to it. Mu Qing had always been responsible for looking after the money purse, and he had constantly kept track of their finances. Now that Mu Qing had left, Xie Lian had no choice but to keep the money on himself, as Feng Xin had admitted upfront that he might lose it by accident. Every time he counted that sad bit of money, he really couldn’t believe it was all he’d earned after a hard day’s labor. In his old life, he’d given alms to beggars that were more than this.
With Mu Qing gone, they had also lost the one who brought food to the king and queen, so Xie Lian had to personally deliver all sorts of daily necessities to their hiding place with the help of Feng Xin. The queen was very happy that she got to see her son so frequently, and when she was happy, she cooked. That day, she once again dragged Xie Lian and Feng Xin to the table to try her soup.
“You both need to fatten up! Look how thin you’ve become.”
Feng Xin was streaming cold sweat, and he bounced back to his feet the moment his butt touched the bench. He waved both hands and assured her, “No, no, no, Your Majesty, your humble servant Feng Xin doesn’t dare—I absolutely mustn’t!”
“What’s there to be afraid of, child?” the queen chided pleasantly. “Come, sit down.”
How could Feng Xin tell her? He simply didn’t dare, and the queen delivered the fruits of her labor after he forced himself to sit down. Xie Lian sat at the head of the table, and Feng Xin took a sharp breath before removing the pot cover. When the two of them saw what was in the pot, their expressions turned ghastly.
“This chicken…died a tragic death,” Xie Lian said under his breath.
Feng Xin’s lips trembled. “Your Highness, you didn’t see right. There’s no chicken in this.”
Xie Lian was flummoxed. “…Then what’s that thing floating in there that looks like a dead chicken?”
“I think it’s thick soup…but the shape is a little off,” Feng Xin replied.
The two spent a long time studying the pot’s contents but still couldn’t figure it out. The queen ladled a full bowl for Xie Lian, and Feng Xin hurried to serve himself. When the queen went to the back of the cottage to find the king, they instantly dumped the soup from their bowls and pretended to wipe their mouths, looking as if they had slurped it down in one gulp and enjoyed it so much that they couldn’t get enough.
“I’m full, I’m full.”
The queen was delighted at the sight. “Was it good?”
“It was, it was!” Xie Lian praised hollowly.
“If it’s good, then have some more!” the queen said happily.
Xie Lian almost sputtered a mouthful of the soup he hadn’t eaten and raised his handkerchief to pretend he was wiping at his lips.
The queen seemed to hesitate before she said, “My son, I want to ask you a question. Please don’t blame your mom for being nosy.”
Xie Lian stiffened and placed the handkerchief down. “What is it? Please ask.”
The queen sat down next to him. “Where is that child, Mu Qing? Why hasn’t he stopped by in the past few days?”
He knew it.
Xie Lian’s heart squeezed tighter at the mention of Mu Qing. “Oh, I gave him some tasks to do, so he’s set off elsewhere.”
The queen seemed to breathe a sigh of relief and gave him a nod. “When will he be back?”
“He may need to be gone for a long time… He won’t be back anytime soon,” Xie Lian replied.
The queen seemed troubled by this news, and Xie Lian noticed.
“Is something the matter?”
“Oh, it’s nothing,” the queen instantly replied.
Feng Xin had the sharper eye, and he spoke up. “Your Majesty, what’s wrong with your hands?”
Hands?
Xie Lian looked and was shocked at the sight.
His mother’s delicate, exquisitely maintained, upper-class hands looked awful. They were scraped and peeling at the knuckles, with faint traces of blood. Xie Lian stood up abruptly and grabbed her hands.
“What’s going on?”
“It’s nothing! I just washed some clothes and blankets, but I’m not very good at it,” the queen quickly explained.
“Why are you doing the washing yourself?” Xie Lian blurted. “You could’ve…”
But he didn’t know how to finish that sentence. Could’ve what? Could’ve had the palace attendants do the washing? Could’ve had Mu Qing do the washing? None of that was possible now.
Mu Qing had acted as their personal attendant on their never-ending road to escape, and his duties had included taking care of all personal necessities—including caring for the needs of Xie Lian, the king, and the queen. With him gone, there was no one to attend to all the mundane daily tasks.
No one to cook, no one to wash, no one to fold the blankets. The simple days of the past suddenly became difficult. Xie Lian could endure it, as there were far too many other things to worry about. But his mother had always lived a comfortable, luxurious life—when had she ever performed such crude labor? But how would it get done if the queen didn’t handle that work herself?
After some silence, Xie Lian said, “Don’t let this trouble you. I’ll take care of the washing.”
The queen smiled. “No need. You just take care of yourself. I’ve never done laundry nor cooked before, but I have nothing but free time every day, and doing the chores myself is quite fun. Especially since you both enjoyed the meal—that makes me quite happy.”
The pot of soup had been stirred by his mother’s battered hands, but they hadn’t drunk a drop and poured it away on the sly. Xie Lian and Feng Xin exchanged a look, and both felt rather horrid.
Just then, the queen added, “Oh yes, there was another thing. Is there any way you can bring some medicine back tomorrow?”
Xie Lian’s eyes widened slightly. “Medicine? What kind of medicine?”
The queen’s face was troubled, and she sighed. “I’m not quite sure. Why don’t you go to the pharmacy and inquire about what kind of medicine should be taken when someone is coughing up blood?”
“Coughing up blood?!” Xie Lian was shocked. “Who’s coughing up blood? You? Father? Why didn’t you say something sooner?”
He had raised his voice, and the queen immediately hushed him. “Speak quietly!”
However, it was too late—an outraged voice came from the back of the cottage. “I told you not to run your mouth!”
It was the king. Now that he had already overheard them, the queen didn’t worry about hushing anymore and called out toward the back room, “It won’t do if this keeps up!”
Xie Lian walked straight into the back room and saw the king huddled on a bed of ragged blankets. He hadn’t seen his father closely in a while, and observing now, he looked quite ill; his cheeks were sunken, and the ghastly gloom of the room made him appear even more sickly. He had no royal aura at all—he was nothing more than a defeated, scruffy old man.
