The Imperial Guards cracked several crude and vulgar jokes, laughing loudly.
“That prince we’re escorting… wasn’t there a rumor that Chief Lu already…”
“Eunuchs don’t have that equipment. Can they even do anything?”
“Why not? The palace has plenty of clever tools that can make a person float between life and death.”
“Is this prince being sent as a hostage, or is he here for a political marriage?”
Another wave of laughter followed. Mu Jue smelled the scent of strong liquor in the air. The guards’ faces were flushed with wine, and their talk became increasingly reckless.
Everyone knew that a prince sent away as a hostage was merely a sacrifice for power. There was no need to fear or respect him.
“Rather than letting those Northern Di barbarians have him for cheap, why don’t we brothers have some fun first? I’ve never tasted what a man feels like.”
“Look at his skin—it’s whiter than a woman’s.”
Xia Ming sat beside Mu Jue and naturally heard what the guards were saying. Panic filled his face.
“Sixth Prince, they… they—”
Mu Jue’s palms were bleeding from his own fingernails. He looked at them coldly.
The guards stood up from the campfire and walked toward him, their smiles malicious and filled with sickening, animalistic lust.
“Isn’t the Sixth Prince sick? If you’re not well, go sit back in the carriage. The night wind is cold. It would be a shame for such delicate skin to become rough and cracked.”
As one guard spoke, he reached out to grab Mu Jue’s wrist, intending to yank him off the ground and drag him into the carriage.
The shackles on Mu Jue’s hands let out a sharp clank.
The young man tilted his face up. His eyes were stunningly beautiful, but the darkness in his pupils was cold enough to make one’s heart freeze.
He spoke softly: “You can try. Either you kill me, or I break your ‘thing’ and make sure you never have descendants.”
The guard froze. He felt a cold sweat break out on his back and immediately turned his fear into rage. “You—!”
Mu Jue was shoved violently. He lurched to the side, nearly falling into the campfire.
The young man’s black hair was covered in a layer of ash. He protected the bowl of porridge in his hands, tilted his head, and repeated with a smile:
“You can try.”
The guard moved forward to kick him, but his companions pulled him back.
“Forget it, forget it. Look how thin and sickly he is. If we actually kill him… how do we explain it to His Majesty or Chief Lu?”
“Yeah, don’t bother with a dying man. Let’s go. If you want to play with a boy, I’ll treat you next time.”
The guards walked away, cursing. Helped by Xia Ming, Mu Jue sat back up. He lowered his head and continued drinking the porridge. As he drank, he suddenly looked up, his brow furrowing tightly.
Xia Ming patted his back in concern. “Master, Master, what’s wrong?”
He turned his face away, his fingertips trembling, and vomited.
The white porridge he had just swallowed was mixed with startling streaks of blood.
Xia Ming’s face turned pale with horror.
The journey from the capital to the northern border would take over a month.
On the third day in the carriage, after Mu Jue vomited blood and fell unconscious, the convoy finally slowed its pace.
Fast horses brought several physicians from the palace to treat him. They had to ensure he arrived in Northern Di alive so as not to delay the peace negotiations between the two nations.
The shackles on Mu Jue’s hands and feet were removed. He struggled even to sit up and eat a meal, let alone try to escape under the watchful eyes of the Imperial Guard.
“The Sixth Prince’s constitution was already weak. He has been ill many times before without proper treatment, leaving behind many hidden ailments. This chill is dangerous. If the fever doesn’t break… sigh…”
The physician sighed repeatedly and said to Xia Ming, “Follow this prescription and brew another dose of medicine.”
Xia Ming wiped the cold sweat from the young man’s forehead.
“Doctor, the medicine he takes every day is more than the food he eats. If this continues, if this continues—”
“There is no other way. Travel is exhausting, and illness does not heal easily on the road. If he could rest quietly for a few days, there might be a turning point.”
“Please, talk to the guards. Find an inn and let the Prince rest for a few days… even if he just lies still in the carriage. He really cannot handle the bumps on the road anymore!”
The physician hesitated and sighed even more deeply.
“Any delay on the road will delay our arrival in Northern Di. That would be disobeying an imperial decree. No one can take that responsibility.”
Xia Ming cried, “The Sixth Prince is about to give up!”
“I might as well tell you the truth. The Imperial Physician’s office was ordered to treat him, but His Majesty’s meaning is this: if he can be cured, cure him. If not, use life-sustaining medicine to keep him going. We simply cannot delay the journey.”
Xia Ming wanted to say more, but Mu Jue turned his head and signaled with his eyes not to make things difficult for the doctor.
The physician bowed and left the carriage.
A bit of wind drifted in, and only then did Mu Jue notice the heavy scent of medicine filling his carriage.
Xia Ming sat beside him with red eyes. “Master…”
“Don’t cry. I know my own body.” Mu Jue propped himself up, the blanket sliding down. “I’m a little hungry.”
Xia Ming wiped his tears and quickly brought him a bowl of shredded chicken porridge.
Mu Jue ate slowly for half an hour until the bowl was empty.
“See? Didn’t the doctor say that as long as I can eat, I’ll get better?”
“Yes, yes, you will definitely get better. I’ll bring your medicine in a while. Do you want to sleep a bit longer?”
“I’ve slept so long already.” Mu Jue asked, “Where are we now?”
“I’m not sure… but it’s at least another month to Northern Di.”
Mu Jue nodded. “I want to go out. It’s too stuffy in here. Bring a horse for me.”
Mu Jue was wrapped in a very thick cloak. The heavy white fox fur pressed down on his thin shoulders. It didn’t make him look warm; instead, in the silent woods, he looked so cold he might merge with the frost-covered branches.
Xia Ming’s pleas were useless. He didn’t know what had gotten into the Prince—he had never ridden a horse before and was in such poor health, yet he insisted on leaving the carriage to ride for a while.
With Xia Ming’s help, Mu Jue mounted a horse. The guards gave him a gentle, old mare.
The Imperial Guards crowded around him, guarding against any sudden attempt to bolt.
Mu Jue quietly spent some time learning how to ride.
He was wearing many layers of clothing. Except for his face and the hand holding the reins, his body was shielded from the biting wind.
At first, Xia Ming was nervous and begged him to get down and rest, but after a while, seeing that his spirit was better than it had been in the carriage, he breathed a sigh of relief.
After half a day of learning, the convoy stopped to rest.
Xia Ming asked, “Master, would you like to have lunch now?”
Mu Jue nodded. Some of the guards sat down to drink water and rest, while others ate dry rations on horseback. He watched Xia Ming let go of the reins and walk away to get food. Then, he turned to a nearby guard.
“I want to ride for a short distance. You can follow me.”
He handed over a silver ingot. The guard weighed it, looked at Mu Jue’s face which was as white as paper and his thin wrists, and agreed without much hesitation.