Mysteries of the Great Zhou Dynasty

Chapter 127 Extra: The Sixth Prince (1)

The New Year is just around the corner, and the palace is decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations, creating a lively atmosphere. The horse farm is also quite "lively"...

"What's with the clothes on your stomach? Could it be that you're hiding something you shouldn't be hiding?" a fat coachman with a big head and ears asked, squinting his eyes.

The sixth prince shrank back, covering his stomach with his hands, trying to hide it.

Another groom, thin and with a pointed face, stepped forward and ripped open the sixth prince's robe. A large bag of beans and wheat spilled out and fell all over the ground.

The sixth prince lunged forward, trying to snatch the item back.

"Well, you actually stole things!" The fat groom kicked the sixth prince to the ground, then stepped on the pile of beans and wheat, grinding them with his foot. "These are the crown prince's most beloved horses, and you dared to steal their rations?"

The sixth prince lay on the ground, struggling to lift his head. The winter sun was so bright that he could barely open his eyes. A series of ringing in his ears made him dizzy, and he heard a cacophony of sounds around him.

"Please, I beg you, my mother is sick and hasn't eaten for two days..." The sixth prince struggled to open his eyes, pleading all the while, his chapped lips oozing blood.

However, such behavior served no purpose other than making the two men more smug.

The Sixth Prince knew in his heart that he was merely a product of that person's momentary mistake. That person had taken a whim and favored his mother, who was nothing more than a lowly, lowly maidservant, whom everyone mocked for her delusional fantasies.

Even after his mother gave birth to him, that man always regarded him as a disgrace, not only not giving his mother any status, but also ignoring him completely.

The sixth prince believed that human nature was evil, especially when those living at the bottom of society saw someone around them with the hope of climbing up the social ladder; the jealousy and anger would burn that person to ashes.

I can live in purgatory, but you can forget about climbing up there!

From childhood to adulthood, the Sixth Prince had seen far too many inexplicable cold stares and sudden sarcastic remarks...

"Isn't this the esteemed Sixth Prince? What are you doing here? And now you're giving us such a grand salute, how can this be allowed! Hahaha..." The skinny groom stepped on the wooden fence, picking his teeth with a blade of grass, making no attempt to hide the contempt in his eyes.

The fat stableman kicked at the scattered grain on the ground: "How about you call me 'Dad'... and I'll let you take this fodder, okay? Hahaha..."

Today, he truly couldn't bear it any longer. His mother, for some unknown reason, had offended a noble person and was punished by being forced to kneel in the courtyard all night. It was a cold winter night, and to make matters worse, it rained. His mother caught a cold and was bedridden, unable to work. The head maid, however, took the opportunity to withhold their food, even though it was just some dry, hard cornbread.

No matter how much the Sixth Prince pleaded, the head maid only said one thing: "Since we're going to die anyway, why waste any more food?"

The Sixth Prince had once seen a convoy delivering feed to the horse farm. It was such an impressive convoy, and the soybeans that fell from the sacks in the convoy were all of the highest quality.

Today, he was truly desperate, which is why he had the idea of ​​stealing feed from the horse farm.

The sixth prince lay on the ground, silently shedding tears. The grooms did not beat him severely, but their cold words left him feeling deeply hurt.

He lived a life worse than an animal. The sixth prince grabbed a handful of soil, stubbornly raised his head, and declared he would fight these two to the death! Living like this was worse than being dead.

Just then, a lazy voice rang out: "What's going on here!"

Upon hearing the voice, the two grooms immediately sprang to their feet, knelt on the ground, and trembled with fear: "Your...Your Highness the Crown Prince...Long live the Emperor..."

The sixth prince looked up and saw a man dressed in fine silk and satin, wrapped in a thick fur coat, riding a shiny black horse. The sun was behind him, making him look as if he were gilded.

This was his brother? He was like the sun, while he was nothing but a speck of dust. The Sixth Prince was momentarily dazed. Why, why was fate so unfair?

The fat groom raised his head and stammered, "Your Highness, someone stole the horse feed..."

"Stealing feed? Who is so bold as to steal feed from my beloved horse? Was it him?" The Crown Prince remained calm, not even glancing at the Sixth Prince lying on the ground, his expression revealing neither joy nor anger.

A servant whispered a few words in the prince's ear.

Upon hearing this, the Crown Prince's eyes gleamed with interest, and he sat up straight. He glanced at the stern-faced Grand Tutor Li beside him, rolled his eyes inwardly, and swallowed back the words he was about to utter. He could only feign a kind demeanor as he dismounted.

The Crown Prince helped the Sixth Prince, who was lying on the ground, to his feet: "Sixth Brother, it's you! It's the middle of winter, the ground is so cold, get up quickly!"

The sixth prince was flattered and widened his eyes in disbelief, hardly able to believe his ears. What had the crown prince just called him? Sixth brother?

"Sixth Brother, what's wrong with you? This is horse feed, not human food..." The Crown Prince flicked the sleeve that had been touched without showing any emotion, feeling annoyed and planning to throw the clothes away later.

"Crown Prince, please!" The Sixth Prince knelt down abruptly. "My mother has caught a cold, but the head maid not only refuses to give her medicine, but also cuts off our food. I... I really don't know what to do!"

A hint of impatience flashed in the Crown Prince's eyes. He turned his head slightly to look at Li Taifu's ashen face. He thought that he still needed Li Taifu to say a few good words for him in front of his father. This act had to be continued.

"Qingshu, take Sixth Brother to the Imperial Hospital to fetch the imperial physician first, then go and see what's wrong with that head maid! Hurry, saving lives is the most important thing!" The Crown Prince's performance was so sincere that he almost moved himself. This time, Grand Tutor Li would surely have to praise him for his "benevolence" in front of the Emperor! How well he acted, showing brotherly love and respect!

The Sixth Prince kowtowed several times in gratitude before following the attendant named Qing Shu to the Imperial Hospital. Qing Shu also said that the Crown Prince would send someone to deliver the food, and that he should go back and wait. The Sixth Prince got up, about to leave.

"Sixth brother, do you like playing polo?" the Crown Prince called out to him again.

The sixth prince turned around, shook his head blankly, and thought, how could he be worthy of such extravagant hobbies!
"How about I teach you horseback riding and polo another day?" the Crown Prince said with a smile. The attendant beside him was trying to suppress his laughter, but the Crown Prince rolled his eyes at him, and he stopped smiling.

The sixth prince finally smiled, nodded vigorously, his eyes sparkling, and kept turning back even after walking a long way.

As he reached the corner at the end of the alley, the Sixth Prince quietly loosened his grip on the soil. He wanted to live, and not only did he want to live, he wanted to live like the Crown Prince, like a sun!