CROWN PRINCE'S CONCUBINE

207 Leave the City

The sun was already up over the head by the time the Crown Prince and BaiYing finished their breakfast, which already been so late, the group was about to continue their journey to the Capital, BaiYing stood at the door while LuoXiang talked to BeiYau for their next move, BaiYing’s eyes stopped looking ShinYa who was busy tying his luggage to the saddle of his horse, he approached him.

“Um Mr. Shin, did you sleep well last night?”

ShinYa lowered his head seeing BaiYing approaching.

“Your Majesty, of course, I really enjoyed my sleep, and the food that the owner of this house cooks was so delicious, look at my stomach already rounded like this,”

BaiYing covered his mouth laughing at the young man showing his stomach, a man with a handsome face and clothes indeed a very unique man.

“Heheheh, it will be very troublesome if you need to go to the restroom later”

“No, Your Majesty, I really enjoy the food so I won’t throw it away quickly.”

When the two still jokes around, from the fence of the guest house, the guard stopped several people who try to enter.

“Sorry old man, but this is not a public place, earlier I gave some money for you, but you can’t enter freely like that...”

.....

BaiYing glanced at ShinYa, and saw LuoXiang who’s still inside the house, while the house owner already approached and talk to the old man in shabby clothes like a beggar who insists on entering.

“Old man, it’s you again, it’s been said that we don’t have a job for your daughter, you should just find another place, we are also having a hard time making a living, how can we pay your kid’s salary,” old man Wu, the house owner where the group was staying.

BaiYing was about to come closer and see what was going on, but LuoXiang’s already holding him.

“Where are you going?”

BaiYing turned his head, finding the tall man already behind him holding his hand tightly.

“Erm, Your Majesty, do, can we help them?” he asked,

LuoXiang took a breath, frowning deeply, the beggar and the old man yesterday, the city of MaYang which according to the annual report always gets a lot of city income holds a lot of secrets, if he doesn’t see it with his own eyes he won’t know how the real situation in the city is.

“We can’t do much Ying, not only the old man, but there are many other citizens, the problem is not with the people, but the government”

BeiYau approached.

“Your Majesty, last night I sent people to take a look at Governor BaoLi’s residence, it is located in the east of the city in the midst of a crowd, around the Governor’s house there are hardly any poor people or beggars to be seen, and the big house is also filled with all the furniture and decorations that quite majestic, there is no way this city doesn’t have a lot of money for its citizens,” said BeiYau

“The story is different from LiuYang, here the problem does not lie in nature” LuoXiang continued.

BaiYing clenched his fists, his eyes pitied seeing two people standing in front of the gate of the house, an old man whose body was almost bent over, and another behind him, wearing a shabby robe that covered her head, like a girl.

The house owner finally managed to drive the two people away, although, with the limp old man and the girl staggering away, BeiYau stopped the owner of the house who was passing them.

“Old man, what do they want?” asked Bei Yau.

Old man Wu sighed, the man wasn’t very rich either but at least he had a big and comfortable house that could be used as an inn for merchants or passers-by, enough to support his family.

The old man lowered his head in front of BeiYau and LuoXiang whom he knew as the young master of the rich man from SanPo who was out for a vacation.

“Young Master, the old man is one of the many people who are trying to find work to make a living, they are from the village around MaYang, and the old man always accompanied his granddaughter to look for work every day, such as cleaning the yard, or even farming and raising livestock, this year his granddaughter is growing up, according to the YueYang government, an eighteen-year-old girl can get married and have sex, if he doesn’t find a decent job for her, heh, it’s likely that her granddaughter will be recruited by a brothel house to work”

Hearing old man Wu’s explanation, BaiYing comes closer with his big round eyes looking at him.

“Why is that? Why should she go to the brothel? She can refuse it, right?”

Old man Wu held his breath and shook his head.

“Unfortunately she can’t Young Master, according to the governor’s regulations every child growing up must work outside and pay taxes, and if they haven’t found a job the brothel owners have the right to recruit them, and unfortunately, no one can refuse it, this is a written order from Governor that young people who don’t work will get fined up to prison”

“This is nonsense, how come there’s such a rule like that, eh, Y-Your...”

BaiYing held back his anger, he almost calls LuoXiang as His Majesty, his eyes looked at the Crown Prince who understood his anger, and the annoyance, that was clearly visible in his eyes.

LuoXiang held BaiYing’s hand trying to calm him down.

“YingYing”

“Can we do something? They are so unfortunate”

Old man Wu resigned, no matter what, they had to continue their journey back to the capital, this matter would be homework for him next time, although he couldn’t stay still now wasn’t the right time.

“Your Highness”

LuoXiang stroked BaiYing’s hair.

“Heh this matter really makes people very upset, we will come back again when we get an official order from father, or else this will all go to waste Ying, that person like other corrupt officials will certainly not admit his mistakes, we can’t be careless on this matter”

BaiYing held his tears, he just so sad to imagine how people have to survive in this way, this is tantamount to living in hell, growing up in this city is the most severe punishment, girls and boys, if he grew up in this city, he will also feel the same when he reaches eighteen years old.

LuoXiang put his arm around BaiYing’s shoulder towards him.

“Come on, we have to get ready to leave.”

Not much waiting, the group finally moved to continue their journey.

BaiYing sat in the carriage by himself while LuoXiang sat on his horse right beside him, the air was warm, the sun was hanging directly above their heads so it wasn’t that cold at that time, the group walked calmly and leisurely, out from the center of MaYang, after stopping in a small village not far from the hustle and bustle of the city.

Not long after, the group finally arrived at the rocky plains of WuFang, the border between MaYang city and their next city, along the way almost no one passed because the plains were large enough, that there were almost no plants around to make it impossible for people to cultivate or live there, along the dusty road, the group walked in one direction passing between small rocky and dusty hills with a fairly strong wind blowing without a hitch.

Because the wind was so strong that it caused high dust that blocked visibility, the group finally decided to stop for a moment to build a barricade between the high rocks to avoid the sandstorm, fortunately, before passing through this valley, the old man Wu had warned everyone to bring their own coats to cover up to their heads and faces, the Crown Prince and BaiYing already had the special coats that FengHan and his Mother had given them which were very useful for the situations like this.

“Here cover your head” LuoXiang helped BaiYing put on his hoody and tight the string, BaiYing smiled seeing the Crown Prince who was very paying attention to all the small details he didn’t think about.

“Hehe, Your Majesty too”

The sky turned dark, without they noticed their journey out from the center of MaYang City was far enough but not even passed the valley yet, while on their way to saves BaiYing, the Crown Prince didn’t think the journey was far enough because they rushed very quickly through the valley and the surrounding forest which makes the journey faster, but to go back through that path is impossible now, after a lot of rain that fell, and the earthquake that occurred when WahYe revived, made some roads crack and they had to go around big cities to get back to the capital city.

And that night, finally, inevitably the group had to stop because of the difficult terrain caused by the windstorm, BeiYau’s men made a bonfire to rest among the rocks and will continue their journey when the sky was bright again.

The sound of nocturnal animals such as mountain wolves and night birds to forest cats could be heard faintly from a distance, although no one approached the group, this was quite strange because their position was actually quite risky if that the wild animals were about to attack them, being among the high rocks for protect themselves from the windstorm but the tall rock around them could be a hiding place for hungry wild animals ready to look for their prey, the soldiers took turns guarding every corner, while BeiYau sat with his eyes closed on a rock not far from the carriage in where LuoXiang and BaiYing rested inside, Shinya was seen sleeping lying on his back with his head on the pile of his luggage, the exhaustion of the journey made anyone fall asleep quickly.

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