PCA Chapter 131

Xuzhou City

 

Li Shi had just taken his medicine and lay down to rest when he was informed—Su Daren’s remains have been found.

 

Throwing on an outer robe casually, Li Shi stepped out to see Qi Lin directing several men carrying a stretcher covered with white cloth under the flickering lantern light. Qu Ling’er followed behind them, crying bitterly like pear blossoms drenched in rain.

 

A hollow feeling spread through Li Shi’s chest as an acrid sweetness rose in his throat.

 

He walked forward slowly and grasped the edge of the white cloth but hesitated to pull it back.

 

Qi Lin whispered cautiously, “Your Highness… it’s not a pleasant sight.”

 

Li Shi ignored him completely. No matter how unpleasant it looked—it was still his Zixu.

 

With deliberate movements, Li Shi lifted the cloth. The first thing revealed was a face mangled beyond recognition—bloodied flesh distorted horribly by decay under the summer heat. The body was severely decomposed, covered in livor mortis and swollen to twice its normal size. In several places, maggots crawled freely.

 

Li Shi frowned slightly. “This… is Zixu?”

 

Qi Lin replied solemnly, “The body was found at the base of the cliff where Su Daren fell. His horse was nearby as well. The person landed face down upon impact, so their facial features couldn’t be identified.”

 

Li Shi examined the corpse from head to toe carefully before remarking coldly, “Don’t you think this person looks taller than Zixu?”

 

Qi Lin was about to speak when Qu Ling’er suddenly dropped to his knees, wailing loudly, “Brother Su, you died so tragically! What am I supposed to do now that you’re gone?”

 

Qi Lin sighed. “…Ling’er personally identified the body; there shouldn’t be any mistake.”

 

Li Shi closed his eyes briefly before pulling the white cloth back over the corpse. “Have the body transported back to Xingqing Palace. Ensure it is preserved properly during the journey, and use the Eternal Beauty Pearl once we return.”

 

After giving his orders, Li Shi seemed to lose all his strength, standing dazedly in place for a moment before slowly turning to leave.

 

Qi Lin followed him for a couple of steps, but Li Shi raised his hand slightly, signaling him to stop. Qi Lin halted and watched as Li Shi ascended the steps, his pace slow and deliberate, carrying an air of weariness that made him seem almost aged.

 

—

 

The disaster victims fleeing Xuzhou were worse off than beggars.

 

Su Cen recalled his time stranded in Suzhou, when he had huddled with beggars in a dilapidated temple. Back then, Suzhou had been plagued by continuous rain, and the beggars couldn’t go out to beg for money. Instead, they set up a makeshift stove in the temple and cooked a pot of dog meat. Su Cen hadn’t eaten for a day at that point, and the beggars generously shared a bowl of soup with him—complete with scraps of meat at the bottom. That bowl of meat soup had satisfied him so much that he later reminisced about it fondly, thinking those beggars could rival professional chefs. If they ever stopped begging and opened a restaurant, their business might thrive.

 

With a quiet sigh, Su Cen raised his gourd bowl and took a sip of wild vegetable soup.

 

Uncle Cao lived up to his reputation as the village leader—decisive and authoritative. Having agreed to Su Cen’s proposal on the first day, he gathered everyone and set off on the second.

 

Er Ya’s fever had subsided, though she remained weak. Several strong men took turns carrying her on their backs. Huzi insisted on taking his turn as well, which conveniently spared Su Cen from having to drink any more worm soup.

 

After two meals of wild vegetable soup with the villagers, Su Cen realized it wasn’t much better than worm soup in terms of taste.

 

But he needed to replenish his strength—his body hadn’t fully recovered yet—and with the journey ahead, he couldn’t afford to faint halfway through. If Er Ya fell ill again, someone would carry her; but at his age, collapsing would be far too embarrassing.

 

Though their destination was only sixty miles away, the winding mountain roads made progress difficult. Many areas were still flooded, forcing them to take detours that added dozens of extra miles to their journey. After two days of travel, they finally reached the outskirts of Xuzhou City. From afar, they could see the city submerged in water—a sight that stirred complex emotions within them.

 

Though the rain had stopped, the night sky remained shrouded in thick clouds with no stars visible. Standing on a high slope overlooking Xuzhou City’s pitch-black silhouette without a single light in sight, Su Cen wondered where that person was now and what he was doing. Li Shi was known for being a light sleeper—did Qi Lin bring calming incense for him? He hadn’t slept soundly even back at Xingqing Palace; who knew if he could rest here?

 

Su Cen already knew Li Shi was safe before arriving in Xuzhou. The absence of national mourning or political upheaval proved that Da Zhou’s pillar of stability—the one holding everything together like an anchor—was still standing strong.

 

Yet he still wanted to reach Li Shi as soon as possible—to see him standing before him with his own eyes. Only then could he truly feel at ease and let go of his worries.

 

Unfortunately, haste often leads to trouble. In trying to rush things, he had nearly lost his life—and even now they remained separated by distance. It felt no different from being thousands or tens of thousands of miles apart like before.

 

“Big Brother, are you thinking about someone you like?”

 

Su Cen turned around and saw Huzi’s small head peeking out from behind him. Smiling faintly, he asked, “How did you know?”

 

“This afternoon while I was carrying Er Ya on my back she told me everything,” Huzi said with exaggerated seriousness as he stood with his hands clasped behind him. “Don’t worry—even though Er Ya liked you once—I won’t be mad at you.”

 

Although Er Ya’s high fever had subsided, her low fever still fluctuated, leaving her awake for only a few hours each day. Yet, as soon as she regained consciousness, she had managed to “sell him out.”

 

Su Cen chuckled lightly and changed the subject, “How’s Er Ya doing?”

 

Huzi replied, “She drank the soup and fell asleep.”

 

Su Cen nodded. “Once we find the right people and get proper medicine, she’ll recover quickly.”

 

Huzi nodded along earnestly. He realized that he had recently started following everything this Big Brother said without question. Despite Su Cen’s gentle demeanor, even feeding him bitter worm soup without eliciting complaints, Huzi felt that this was someone truly remarkable—someone who inspired trust and made people want to follow him.

 

Straightening his posture proudly, Huzi felt a sense of pride in having helped save someone so capable.

 

“Big Brother, is that person still in Xuzhou City?” Huzi asked as he sat down beside Su Cen.

 

Su Cen smiled wryly, thinking to himself how this topic seemed impossible to avoid. Shaking his head slightly, he replied, “Probably not.”

 

“Then he must be waiting for you somewhere else!” Huzi declared confidently.

 

Su Cen smiled and nodded toward the pitch-black silhouette of Xuzhou City.

 

Huzi pulled out a handful of wild raspberries from his pocket and handed them to Su Cen. The two of them ate together while chatting casually. At one point, Huzi asked, “How much do you like that person?”

 

Su Cen countered with a question of his own: “How much do you like Er Ya?”

 

Huzi furrowed his brows in deep thought like a little adult before raising the raspberries in his hand and saying, “If I had a handful of fruit, I’d give half to Er Ya.”

 

Su Cen laughed softly. As the night wind stirred and scattered the heavy clouds overhead, he caught a fleeting glimpse of long-lost moonlight. In that moment, he whispered gently, “I’d give him all of it.”

 

—

 

The next day brought rare clear skies. From their vantage point on high ground, they could see everything bathed in clarity. It felt like a good omen—the group was determined that today they would finally find the people of Xuzhou.

 

Things indeed went smoothly. As soon as they reached the outskirts of Xuzhou City, they encountered government officials rowing boats in search of survivors. The officials informed them that everyone had been relocated to the imperial lodge on Qifeng Mountain.

 

After thanking the officials, Su Cen led the group around the flooded city and took an alternate route up the mountain.

 

Every step was taken with utmost caution; even Su Cen’s legs trembled slightly under the weight of his emotions. After enduring countless hardships to reach this place, he couldn’t afford any more mishaps now. At the same time, excitement surged within him—he wished desperately for wings to carry him straight up the mountain so he could throw himself into that person’s arms. He longed to kiss him, touch him, and ask softly: “Did you miss me?”

 

But unexpectedly, they were stopped at the foot of the mountain.

 

Initially, it seemed like nothing serious—two government officials stationed at the base allowed them to pass without issue. However, upon noticing Er Ya and casually asking about her condition, someone responded offhandedly: “She’s running a bit of a fever.”

 

Su Cen’s brows furrowed immediately as he saw the two officials leap back two meters in alarm. They raised their spears defensively and blocked their path firmly, refusing to let anyone proceed up the mountain no matter what was said.

 

Su Cen spent a long time patiently explaining, insisting that it was merely a fever and not a plague. His lips were practically chapped from talking, yet the two guards remained unmoved, their spears pointed at him with a watchful and hostile gaze.

 

Exhausted and unwilling to waste more energy arguing with them, Su Cen simply sat down on the stone steps. “Call your governor.”

 

Seeing the two guards hesitate, he added coldly, “Just tell Liang Fang that if he doesn’t come down here, we’ll cry loudly at the foot of the mountain until we disturb Prince Ning. Let him decide what to do then.”

 

After waiting for the time it takes to burn an incense stick, Liang Fang indeed came down. He gave Su Cen a once-over, noting his refugee-like appearance that made him indistinguishable from the others behind him. With a frown of impatience, he asked, “You’re the one who wanted to see me?”

 

Su Cen didn’t bother with pleasantries. “We want to go up the mountain.”

 

Liang Fang glanced at the unconscious little girl behind Su Cen and asked, “Where are you people from?”

 

Su Cen hesitated for a moment, but before he could answer, Uncle Cao suddenly stood up straight and declared boldly, “We don’t change our names or hide our identities—we are…”

 

Before he could finish speaking, Su Cen shot him a sharp look that immediately silenced him.

 

Uncle Cao crouched back down and puffed on his pipe in frustration, wondering why even he had started listening to this young man without question.

 

Turning back to Liang Fang, Su Cen calmly replied, “We are from Cao Village.”

 

Liang Fang’s gaze turned icy, and the crease between his brows deepened. “Cao Village? Which Cao Village?”

 

Su Cen chuckled lightly. “Does Lord Liang govern so many Cao Villages under his jurisdiction?”

 

Though his words carried a smile, his tone was clearly hostile. Liang Fang flicked his sleeves angrily. “There’s someone with a fever among you—I cannot allow you up the mountain.”

 

“Cannot—or does Lord Liang dare not?”

 

Liang Fang glared at him furiously. “What do you mean by that?”

 

“I’d like to ask Lord Liang—why do you treat your citizens differently? Are the lives of Xuzhou’s people worth more than those of Cao Village’s? Are they not equally human?!”

 

“Impudent!” One of the guards behind Liang Fang stepped forward angrily. “Lord Liang hasn’t slept for two days because of his efforts to help Xuzhou’s people! How dare you slander him here?!”

 

“Is it slander?” Su Cen’s gaze turned icy as he fixed it on Liang Fang. “Does Lord Liang dare bring me up the mountain to present my case directly to Prince Ning? I have three major accusations against you—would you like to hear them?”

 

Without waiting for permission, Su Cen began listing them calmly:

 

“First: Embezzling court-allocated funds meant for river repairs—filling your own pockets instead of using them properly—resulting in dilapidated embankments that caused flooding and left Xuzhou’s citizens homeless.

 

Second: Forcibly altering river courses without regard for the lives of those under your jurisdiction—leading to flooding in forty-five counties, including Cao Village—destroying countless fertile lands.

 

Third: Using your position for personal vendettas—blocking Cao Village’s people from seeking refuge on the mountain because you’re afraid their presence will expose your crimes and ruin your bright future.

 

These three charges are enough to warrant confiscation of property and execution by beheading! Does Lord Liang admit to them—or not?!”

 

“You… You…” Liang Fang staggered backward in shock, nearly fainting on the stone path as he pointed a trembling finger at Su Cen. “Who are you? What evidence do you have to accuse me of such things? Why are you slandering me?!”

 

“I don’t have evidence,” Su Cen replied with a faint smile that didn’t reach his cold eyes. “But neither do you have evidence proving they have the plague—so what gives you the right to block them from going up the mountain? Or is Lord Liang trying to tell us that officials here can set fires while commoners aren’t even allowed to light lamps? Prince Ning hasn’t left yet—and already Lord Liang is eager to oppress his citizens. Once Prince Ning departs and the Emperor is far away—you wouldn’t be planning to establish your own regime and overthrow Da Zhou, would you?!”

 

Li Shi had been ill for several days, showing no signs of improvement. Qi Lin, knowing this couldn’t go on, gently suggested, “It’s been raining for so many days, but now the skies have cleared. The irises at the foot of the mountain are in bloom. Would Your Highness like to go see them?”

 

Li Shi sat in the shadows, drinking his bitter medicine without even raising his head. “No.”

 

Qi Lin was at a loss. After a moment of hesitation, he softly added, “By the way, today marks Su Daren’s seventh day.”

 

Li Shi’s hand paused mid-air, his knuckles stiffening slightly before he finally set the bowl down and stood up. “Let’s go take a look.”

 

The people of Xuzhou, seeing their prince finally recovering after being ill for so many days, were genuinely relieved. However, intimidated by his cold demeanor, none dared approach him to offer greetings.

 

When Li Shi reached the foot of the mountain, he came across two people in a heated argument. Though it wasn’t exactly a shouting match, one person was pressing forward aggressively while the other retreated step by step.

 

The sharp words and commanding presence were unmistakably reminiscent of that person.

 

When Li Shi finally saw the dust-covered face and those eyes that shone like stars amidst the grime, he froze in place.

 

Qi Lin’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Su… Su Daren’s spirit has returned on his seventh day?!”

 

Su Cen, who hadn’t felt this alive in ages after being sick for so long, was thoroughly enjoying himself as he argued. He paused to swallow and catch his breath before looking up—only to meet those familiar eyes filled with quiet amusement.

 

The eloquent and sharp-tongued Su Cen was suddenly rendered speechless.

 

 

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