Just then, from somewhere nearby, someone suddenly called out. “Are you…the crown prince?”
Another immediately shouted, “Yes, yes, yes! That’s the crown prince! His mask fell yesterday, and I saw his face with my own eyes! That’s him!!”
“Catch him!!”
The three of them froze, their hearts stopped. Although Xie Lian didn’t think he did anything wrong at the Heavenly Ceremonial Procession the day before, he also knew that others might not agree. To cut short the God-Pleasing Martial ceremony was an ominous sign of misfortune; it was taboo amongst the nobility, and when all the excitement wore off after the fact and the people started to wonder what it all meant, they probably wouldn’t be as forgiving either. Added on top of that was the havoc on the streets caused by Qi Rong earlier in the day. The complaints must be endless. If they were surrounded now, it might end badly.
Before Xie Lian could dwell on it, Mu Qing grabbed him and shouted, “Your Highness, run!”
Feng Xin was pulling the cart and urged him too. “Your Highness, I have a broken arm, I won’t be able to stop anyone rioting. Go!”
However, outside the alleyway there was already a mass of people who were pouring in, their faces filled with excitement, blocking all viable exits. The four of them had nowhere to run, and they watched as they were surrounded by countless pairs of wide eyes.
Xie Lian braced himself and thought, If anything, I’ll just let them beat us down without fighting back.
But unexpectedly, although the crowd poured in, it didn’t pulverize them. Instead, a number of hands reached out and threw him into the air with cheers of, “YOUR HIGHNESS!” Xie Lian was thrown into the air multiple times but still maintained his calm and composure.
The people shouted, all talking at once.
“Your Highness, that leap on the Grand Avenue of Divine Might yesterday was spectacular!”
Someone praised in awe, “That was such an amazing jump! Really, really, I totally thought the Heavenly Emperor himself had descended! I had goosebumps!”
Another validated him. “His Highness was right to save that child! A life is a life—do they think kids from our poor families are so different? If it were me, I’d do the same!”
Another raged, “That’s right! Today there was talk of how His Highness had ruined the event, and I just couldn’t stand it! If it had been a royal or a noble who had fallen, they wouldn’t be saying those things! Your Highness, don’t mind those people!”
“His Highness is the one who truly cares about us…”
Xie Lian went from feeling guilty at the beginning, to disoriented halfway through, until finally he was affected by the enthusiastic, cheerful faces all around. The crowd clustered around Xie Lian, and when they emerged onto the main street, more and more joined them. Feng Xin, Mu Qing, and that young child were pushed away and separated, left a long way back without any way to get through, and they could only follow along behind the parade. This large assembly of people was surprisingly no smaller than the crowd from the day before. Every time Xie Lian made a move to leave, he was forcibly dragged back in and thrown in the air without any chance of being let down.
Xie Lian couldn’t help but find it both funny and reassuring, and he thought to himself, The people and the State Preceptor have completely opposite sentiments. It looks like I was in the right.
***
When they reached Mount Taicang, the setting sun was ablaze, burning strong as always.
Once they passed through the large entrance gates, they saw trainees and cultivators all along the long winding stone path, carrying water buckets and firewood and running up and down the road. They greeted Xie Lian and company as they went, but many watched the four-plus-a-cart with wonder. Feng Xin was pulling that handcart with one hand like a perfectly diligent young black bull. Xie Lian and Mu Qing laughed with as much restraint as they could muster at first, but since they couldn’t change his mind, they stopped caring.
The maple grove was vast, and the wheels turned steadily. As they hiked, Xie Lian helped push the handcart from behind. He was in a good mood and casually asked the child another question.
“Little guy, what’s your name, really? Hong what?”
The child gazed at him attentively and answered in a small voice, “I…I don’t have a name.”
Xie Lian was taken aback. “Your mother didn’t give you a name?”
That young child shook his head. “My mother is gone.”
Sympathy sprouted in Xie Lian. “Then what did your mother used to call you?”