CROWN PRINCE'S CONCUBINE

That city was not the same as what Bai Ying and the Crown Prince had imagined a large city in the ancient Yue Yang or Wah Ye would be. The city they never knew existed was actually very close to Wah Ye’s palace.

Luo Xiang led the thin malnutrition horse he bought from the market with Bai Ying sitting on it. Bai Ying who was still in a bad state sat down wearing a shabby robe that covered his entire body up to his head. Wearing a veil to cover his face prevented him from being chased by soldiers who might come back after him.

Along the way, the Crown Prince found so many children in shabby clothes who took to the streets to approach merchants or even rich passersby to ask for alms. He can see more than one on the side of the road, that’s what he sees at a glance, but there are far more beggars who sit begging for mercy even if they’re just asking for dumplings that have fallen to the ground.

“Have mercy on us Master, we haven’t eaten for two days”

“Get out of the way, you guys are dirty and smelly, don’t touch my clothes, don’t you see these clothes are so expensive!” exclaimed one of the rich merchants who was sitting at the dinner table with his friends. Finally, the man pushed the little beggar to the ground and threw his bread into their face. Pouring the soup which immediately wet some of the poor children’s faces.

Luo Xiang pulled his lips, what did they see at this time? Was this what happened before Great King Yen Hui came to rule? Looking at these barbarians, it could also be that this was also the time when his grandfather Luo Wang had not become the Emperor yet.

Luo Xiang saw some kids beg him. He also covered himself with a shabby robe so as not to attract attention. Wherever they are now, attention is the last thing they need now.

Luo Xiang led the slender horse to a tavern located by the roadside. Unlike the other taverns which were full of beautifully dressed people, the tavern was visited by wanderers who were more or less the same as him.

.....

“Come on Ying Ying, be careful,” Luo Xiang said holding Bai Ying’s hand to help him get off the horse. Bai Ying whimpered in pain, finally allowing the Crown Prince to carry him down.

“Your Majesty, where are we? Why are there so many beggars here?” whispered Bai Ying who could still see the beggars who gathered near the merchants and the rich men to beg.

Most of them are residents of Wah Ye from various tribes. Bai Ying and the royal family came from the Wah Ye tribe, who physically had much fairer skin, prettier and more handsome faces, smooth skin, and tall, well-proportioned bodies. Unlike the other Wah Ye people who consisted of men and women who were tall, rather dark-skinned, with curly hair, round faces and rough jaws. Luo Xiang only realized that when he saw them now because, in their time, the Wah Ye tribe had assimilated a lot with the other citizens and made them physically more or less the same as the people of Yue Yang.

Luo Xiang lowered Bai Ying to sit on the lounger not far from where they tied their skinny horses. This city was not an ordinary city they visited. The faces of the people they met on the street weren’t friendly either, they’d better be more vigilant.

“Does your leg still hurt Ying? Let me see it” Luo Xiang said as he lowered his body to open Bai Ying’s shoes and checked his ankles which were a bit reddish because the shoes he was wearing were so rough for him that he sprained while walking.

Bai Ying groaned as Luo Xiang’s hand touched his bruise.

“Ah, it hurts, Your Highness.”

Bai Ying’s innocent and white legs made several people sitting there turn their heads. They are like wolves, who stare at their prey, thought Luo Xiang who immediately covered Bai Ying’s legs with his body.

“We’ll look for a place to stay in after this and wait for the others to arrive. I’ve already told Bei Yau that if one day we split up he could try to follow the clues I left on a tree or a public place. Hopefully, they can find us” Luo Xiang said.

It wasn’t long before the servant approached them. All that could be ordered from the shabby tavern was plain noodles and local tea which looked more like plain water. But, at least it was enough to fill their stomachs that had been hungry since yesterday.

Luo Xiang fixed Bai Ying’s hair that was sticking out from under his hood.

“Your Highness, these clothes stink, should we always wear this?” he asked.

Luo Xiang looked around, the few rough and dirty eyes of the men sitting not far from them alerted him.

“It seems so Ying, we don’t know where and who we are dealing with now, it is better to prevent the same thing from happening again. No matter how strong my inner strength and martial arts are, we still can’t go looking for trouble here, at least before meeting the others.”

Some of the men who sat not far beside the two of them were heard talking quite loudly.

“Ever since the law was passed almost no young people aged sixteen to twenty can be seen roaming the streets, this is very scary, are they really going to gather beautiful young people to be used as gifts?” said one of the older men. The friend next to him looked around and nudged the old man’s arm.

“Don’t be so loud old man, they can hear you, you might lose your head later” whispered the younger man.

The old man looked around, even Luo Xiang who had subconsciously looked at them earlier. The Crown Prince averted his eyes in an indifferent manner.

“Your Highness, is that why those soldiers are after me? Why did the palace issue such terrible regulations and make the people in fear?” whispered Bai Ying.

Luo Xiang took the teacup, the taste was really abysmal, although it was much better than no drink at all.

As they were talking from the direction of the street, several people in Wah Ye warrior clothes, fully armed, approached. Arrogantly young men approached the people sitting in and around the tavern to remove their veils.

“Show your face!” cried the young warriors.

This is bad, the Crown Prince thought, if they forced him and Bai Ying to lift their hoods and see Bai Ying’s face, they could come back after him.

Luo Xiang held Bai Ying’s hand in one hand and his other hand held his sword. Be prepared to fight if necessary.

One of the soldiers arrived in front of Luo Xiang and Bai Ying. His eyes glared at Luo Xiang and talked quite loudly with him.

“What are you looking at? Take off your mask!” cried the young soldier.

Luo Xiang swallowed his saliva whole. If he and Bai Ying took off their headscarves it was clear the soldiers would come back after them. Chaos can ensue in no time. Just as the young soldier was impatiently waiting and was about to step forward, there was a groan from the table behind Luo Xiang.

“Ouch, how is this? I’ve been itching ever since I touched those two people, do they have a contagious skin disease?” cried the old man while scratching his hands and body.

“I told you to be careful, they do have a skin disease, I saw their badly disfigured faces!” exclaimed the rather fat young man.

Hearing the men’s words the guard who had been standing in front of Luo Xiang backed away, it was obvious that the people they were talking about the two people in shabby robes that covered their entire bodies up to their heads in front of him now

The young guard finally withdrew and joined his fellow guards on the other side.

“There’s nothing here, just some people with contagious skin diseases, it’s better not to go near them, my skin will be damaged, ichh”

The men sitting behind Luo Xiang had already saved them. Luo Xiang could only look at them and nod his head in thanks for helping him.

Not long after, Luo Xiang finished the bill and helped Bai Ying get back on their horse. Several old men who had been sitting behind them seemed to be observing the two of them until one of the old men approached.

“Young man, are you new here?” asked the old man who at first glance looked like an ordinary person, dressed shabbily like a commoner. However, Luo Xiang found something that caught his attention, the look in the old man’s eyes, was not the look in the eyes of an ordinary.

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