“Your Highness, how…？”
Xie Lian raised a hand. “He’s probably afraid of strangers. It’s fine, let me.”
The child was sitting in a chair and Xie Lian couldn’t be level with his eyes, so he bent forward and tilted his head.
“What’s your name?”
The child’s large eye stared at him intently, his obsidian-black pupil reflecting a snow-white silhouette. This gaze, if it must be described, was exactly as Feng Xin had said—possessed by the devil. It shouldn’t be the gaze of a child.
It was a while before the child bowed his head.
“…Hong…”
His voice was tiny and soft, a little mumbled. It was like he didn’t want to tell or that he was slightly embarrassed. Xie Lian only sort of heard the word “hong,” the color red, then asked another question.
“How old are you?”
“Ten,” the child replied.
Xie Lian was only asking offhand, hoping to lower his guard, but hearing the child’s shy response of “ten,” he was taken aback. I thought he was only seven or eight, but he’s ten? This child is extremely malnourished and emaciated.
After a pause, Xie Lian smiled softly. “The doctors will see to your wounds now. Don’t be afraid and lower your hands, okay?”
That child heard but hesitantly shook his head.
“Why not?” Xie Lian asked.
He was silent for a long time before replying, “Ugly.”
His response was just that one word, and no matter how Xie Lian coaxed, he refused to remove his hands. Xie Lian promised that he wouldn’t think him ugly, that he wouldn’t look, but not even turning around would do the trick. What obstinance at such a young age! Without much choice, the imperial doctors could only ask him a few questions, have him recognize a number of fingers, make sure he didn’t feel faint or have any headaches, check that he was perfectly conscious of what he saw and what he thought, and attend to his physical wounds.
As the imperial doctors worked, they all appeared confused, clicking their tongues in awe. Xie Lian stood guard on the side, and hearing their sounds of wonder, he asked, “How is he, everyone?”
One of the imperial doctors asked, in spite of himself, “Your Highness, did this child really get beaten and dragged along the roads in a sack?”
Xie Lian was speechless for a second. “Why would that be false?”
The imperial doctor replied, “If that really is the case, then…amazing. I have never seen anyone so tenacious. He has five broken ribs and a broken leg, and many other injuries big and small. But despite all of that, he’s remained conscious this entire time and can even hold a conversation while sitting upright. Even adults would find that difficult, never mind a ten-year-old child!”
Hearing how severe the injuries were, Xie Lian inwardly became even more furious at Qi Rong. He looked at that child and saw that he was sitting there on his chair as if he felt no pain, stealing glimpses at Xie Lian with that large, obsidian-black left eye. When he noticed he’d been caught staring by Xie Lian, he immediately turned his head away.
Seeing this, for some reason Xie Lian thought the boy was both silly and pitiful. He asked, “Will his injuries heal?”
One of the imperial doctors wrapped new layers of bandages around the child’s head and replied, “Not a problem.”
Only then did Xie Lian relax. He nodded. “Thank you for all your hard work.”
Just then, an attendant entered to notify them of the imminent arrival of His Majesty the King and the queen. Each of the imperial doctors immediately stood up and exited the imperial medical office to greet them.
Xie Lian moved the child to the bed and said, “Lie down and get some rest.”
It occurred to him that the child was afraid of strangers, and all the people who would be crowding in shortly might scare him. So Xie Lian lowered the bedside curtains before rising to his feet too.
A number of guards and attendants escorted the king and the queen as they walked into the hall. The queen’s face was pale.
“My dear child, why did you return so suddenly when you just left the palace? Were you hurt outside?”
“Please be at ease, Mother,” Xie Lian said. “I wasn’t hurt. It was someone else who was injured.”
Just then, Qi Rong cried out from the corner, “Yimu, save me!”
Only then did the queen notice Qi Rong to the side, firmly held by Feng Xin and under arrest, and she was shocked. She was focused on the well-being of her son and had completely ignored everything else, but now that she saw, she asked, “Rong-er, what happened?”