Chapter 221 - A Slingshot
Nianzu had gone to the Capital's main office to meet The Department of Civil Services to ask for the report of military recruitment in Southern Province through civil services examination. After two hours of meeting with the Head, Nianzu went to the market.
As the Fourth Prince was passing by the commoners, the one who recognized him greeted him and cleared the way for him. Nianzu passed a smile to them. Today he was happy because the Emperor had talked with him regarding his mother. After talking with him, all his worries were gone but it did not mean that he had forgotten the vow he took the other day.
Han Wenji had told Nianzu that his mother would be given a special title that would protect her from the ill-treatment of Weng Wei. Thinking of all this, Nianzu got extremely delighted. At that moment, he recalled about Chuntao who had gone to her house for some time. Since it was the time of late noon, Nianzu thought to walk with her to the Palace.
He turned to go when he felt someone's grip on his leg. Nianzu lowered his head and saw a young boy was gripping his leg. Nianzu found that the boy had a grubby face, clothes covered in dirt, and mucky, torn-out shoes.
"Master, please buy these flowers from me for only twenty cents," the young boy requested from Nianzu as he pulled away from his leg. He had a basket which had flowers of Lily in it. The basket was also covered in dirt, depicting the poor condition of the family from which the young boy belonged.
Nianzu got on his knees and took out a handkerchief from his pocket. He cleaned the face of the young boy and asked, "Does your family grow these flowers?" Nianzu questioned.
The young boy gulped and blinked a few times before answering, "Yes, master." He looked behind and then looked at Nianzu. "Master, please buy these flowers. My mother needs urgent medicine and no one is buying them. I will be grateful to you if you buy these," the young boy requested again. His eyes had tears but he was acting strongly in that tough time.
"Keep them. Come with me. I will buy medicine for your mother," Nianzu assured the young boy when a loud voice interrupted them. Nianzu and the young boy looked in the direction of the source of the voice.
"Brothers, the thief is here," a man in his twenties with a bamboo stick in his hand delightedly said. He was joined by three more people. Nianzu looked at the young boy who tried to run away but Nianzu caught his arm.
"Master, let me go. My m-mother will die…" the young boy finally broke down into tears which he was holding for a long time.
The four men stood in front of them. "Young man, you look from an aristocratic family. Thank you for catching this thief. He stole these lilies from Lord Feng's garden," pronounced the man in his twenties. He then looked at the boy and glared at him. "You will be punished brutally today," he told the young boy and extended his hand out to grasp the ear of the young boy who tightly gripped the overcoat of Nianzu, hiding his face in it.
Nianzu caught the hand of the man and pushed him away. He placed his hand over the head of the young boy. "How dare you!" The other man shouted at Nianzu and attacked him when he was hit by a stone right in the middle of the forehead. The man cried in pain and stepped back.
Nianzu looked back and saw Lei Wanxi with a slingshot in his hand. Nianzu smiled seeing Lei Wanxi there. "Whoa! I did not know that I was good at this," Lei Wanxi said with glistening eyes. The people had surrounded them. "How dare you try hitting the Advisor of the Emperor and the Fourth Prince of this kingdom," Lei Wanxi loudly said as he came towards them.
Upon hearing that the four men were terrified. Immediately they bowed their heads. Lei Wanxi had put the slingshot inside his sash and took out the fan from it. He stopped in front of those men and hit their heads using his fan. "Brother, are you okay?" Lei Wanxi asked. "They should feel lucky that the Crown Prince did not see them attacking you but alas, he hardly comes to the market," Lei Wanxi pronounced.
The four men immediately got on their knees and asked for forgiveness. "Please do not tell the Crown Prince. We are extremely sorry for acting this way, your highness," one among them said as they bowed.
"Your highness, we would not have done this but this thief forced us to. He should be punished… ahh," he screamed as Lei Wanxi hit his head using the fan.
"At this moment, you should beg for your life. Brother, just give them a death sentence for raising a hand on the Royal Blood. If Brother will not do this then I will take the matter to the Crown Prince," Lei Wanxi affirmed. Nianzu smiled at how Lei Wanxi was terrifying those four men.
The people were whispering with each other seeing them. "I asked the young boy for these flowers. He is not a thief. I will spare you all if you promise me that you will give the lilies to this young boy daily," Nianzu declared his decision.
"Yes, yes, your highness. We promise to you," they said in unison.
"Tell your Lord that it is the order of the Fourth Prince. If he defies my order, then not only you four will be arrested but also your Lord will be arrested," Lei Wanxi warned them. Those four agreed to the Princes and apologized to the young boy.
Lei Wanxi looked at Nianzu and then at the young boy who was hiding behind Nianzu. "Let's go, Brother," Lei Wanxi said. Nianzu nodded and looked at the young boy.
"Kid, take us to your home," Nianzu stated. The young boy nodded and started walking while the two Princes followed him.