PFC Chapter 148 The Tragic Prince
Chapter 148 The Tragic Prince
Two hours later, in the palace's back garden.
In the secluded and deep end of the back garden, in an inconspicuous corner, two mottled brick walls barely form an extremely simple pigsty. This pigsty is isolated from the world. A hundred meters away, two squads of soldiers in bright armor, holding long spears and sharp blades, patrol with firm steps, their figures appearing and disappearing in the interplay of light and shadow.
The surrounding environment, overgrown with weeds and swarming with mosquitoes and flies, stood in stark contrast to the idyllic scenery of the back garden. Yet this unassuming pigsty quietly bore the heavy burden of Liu Huan's fate, becoming his temporary refuge.
Witnessing this scene, Ruan Dianfu felt a surge of emotion, his heart overflowing with sympathy and pity. Without hesitation, he quickened his pace and hurried toward that forgotten corner.
"Stop! Who is it?"
Upon hearing this, Ruan Dianfu was immediately taken aback. He quickly looked closely and saw a burly Imperial Guard commander holding a spear, pointing it at him menacingly.
Seeing this, Ruan Dianfu forced a slightly awkward smile and said softly to the Imperial Guard commander in front of him, "Oh, hehe... Sir, I am Ruan Dianfu, the Prefect of Xiangyang. I have come here on His Majesty's orders to visit 'Pig King'... Your Highness."
Upon hearing this, the commander of the Imperial Guards first showed a hint of surprise on his face, then he sheathed his spear and burst into laughter: "Hahaha... He's being jokingly called the 'Pig King,' yet people still call him 'Your Highness' all the time, it's really quite amusing!"
Upon hearing this, Ruan Dianfu was filled with rage, but he restrained himself and cursed inwardly: "Bah! This dog who relies on his master's power is just a minor commander of the Imperial Guards, yet he dares to be so arrogant. It's outrageous!"
But then Ruan Dianfu thought again, "Alas... a wise man doesn't fight a losing battle. When you're under someone's roof, you have to bow your head. We're in Jiankang now, in Liu Kun's den of wolves. For our master's safety, we have no choice but to endure it!"
So, Ruan Dianfu forced out an awkward smile and said to the man, "Hehe... His Highness the 'Pig King,' after all, is a 'King' after all."
Upon hearing this, the commander of the Imperial Guards burst into laughter again, his eyes filled with contempt: "Hmph, this 'King' of 'Pig King' is worse than a pig or a dog, hahaha..."
Ruan Dianfu's face instantly darkened, and anger burned fiercely in his heart. He thought to himself: You bastard, just you wait, I'll make you pay one day! But right now, I have important matters to discuss with my master, so I'll spare your life for now and not stoop to your level.
So Ruan Dianfu put on a smile and said to the man, "Sir, I have received His Majesty's permission, that's why... Look, could you please let me pass?"
Upon hearing this, the commander of the Imperial Guards smirked and looked sharply at Ruan Dianfu, saying slowly, "Heh, new here, aren't you? It seems you don't quite understand the rules of the palace."
Upon hearing this, Ruan Dianfu was filled with mixed emotions, his helplessness evident in his expression. He cursed inwardly: "Damn it, what rules? In the end, they just want money! Hmph, these men of Liu Kun are all no better than their master! Oh well, oh well, I'll just treat this as giving money to a beggar!"
Thinking it over, Ruan Dianfu forced a smile, reached into his robes and pulled out a large, gleaming gold ingot, which he respectfully handed to the man. His face was plastered with obsequiousness as he said, "Hehe, Commander, please accept this small token of my appreciation..."
"Alright, alright, stop arguing and hurry up and go inside!" the official interrupted impatiently, while quickly stuffing the gold that Ruan Dianfu had handed him into his pocket.
Upon seeing this, Ruan Dianfu's face was plastered with a fawning smile, and he quickly said, "Hehe... Thank you for your leniency, sir!"
Having said that, he moved with lightning speed, running towards the pigsty like a gust of wind...
Ruan Dianfu crouched down beside the simple wooden fence of the pigsty, his gaze piercing through the dim light as he peered inside. The pigsty was a chaotic mess, the ground covered in mud, like a natural swamp recreated, mixed with rotting vegetable leaves and swill remnants. The pungent stench assaulted his nostrils, making his stomach churn and almost causing him to vomit.
In a corner of the pigsty, a dilapidated vat stood alone, filled with a murky mixture of swill and gruel on the verge of mold. Yet, beside this seemingly inedible food, several bloated pigs, each weighing two or three hundred kilograms, were munching away, as if it were a rare delicacy, completely oblivious to the appalling surroundings.
Beside this group of greedily munching fat pigs sat a ragged figure—a real beggar! He sat there on the ground, silent and isolated in this filthy place, a stark contrast to the surrounding clamor, adding to the indescribable desolation and absurdity.
The man looked quite disheveled, with messy hair like tangled weeds, tattered clothes, and covered in mud and grime. His unkempt beard was over half a meter long, clearly unkempt for a long time. He looked exactly like an old, filthy man, and a very fat one at that.
Witnessing this scene, Ruan Dianfu was overwhelmed with grief and despair, feeling as if he were suffocating.
Without a second thought, he leaped over the filthy pigpen fence and plunged headfirst into the muddy swamp. He struggled and crawled forward desperately until he reached the "beggar's" side. Tears welled in his eyes, finally overflowing. He choked back sobs, his voice trembling, "Your Highness... Your humble servant... Your humble servant has finally found you..."
After speaking, she burst into tears.
This "beggar" is none other than Liu Huan, the Prince of Xiangyang, now known as the "Pig King".
Upon seeing Ruan Dianfu, Liu Huan couldn't help but let out a silly giggle, then murmured weakly, "Ruan Dianfu, you've finally come..."
Upon hearing this, Ruan Dianfu felt as if his heart was being torn apart. He quickly stepped forward and replied, choking back tears, "Your Highness, you have suffered so much..."
Upon hearing this, Liu Huan's lips curled into a cold smile, a smile that concealed a hint of self-mockery and helplessness. He slowly said, "Hehe... Why should I suffer? This place is quite comfortable. Look, I can even enjoy white flour buns."
As Liu Huan spoke, he casually picked up a trampled, mud-covered steamed bun from the mud. He gently brushed away the dirt, seemingly intending to recklessly feed this coarse food to his thirsty lips…
Ruan Dianfu's expression changed drastically, his shock evident in his eyes.
Before he could think further, Ruan Dianfu suddenly reached out and slapped the steamed bun out of Liu Huan's hand, his tone filled with undisguised resentment and heartache: "Your Highness, how could you eat such a thing?"
Before he could finish speaking, the steamed bun, which had been somewhat clean and had its outer skin peeled off, slipped from Liu Huan's hand and fell back into the mud, instantly swallowed by the sewage and returning to its previous wretched state...
Upon seeing this, Liu Huan was instantly enraged. He roared at Ruan Dianfu, "What are you doing? That's my entire day's rations! They only give me one white flour bun every four or five days. Normally, I eat pig swill..."
Upon hearing this devastating news, Ruan Dianfu felt as if his heart was being torn apart, his internal organs being mercilessly ripped apart, the pain unbearable. He cursed silently in his heart, "Liu Kun, how could you be so cruel? Liu Huan is, after all, your brother and closest relative. How is your behavior any different from that of a heartless beast!"
You tyrant, one day you will surely reap what you sow! I, Ruan Dianfu, will dedicate my entire life to eliminating you, so that the legitimate bloodline of the Prince of Xiangyang may continue!
After speaking, Ruan Dianfu was already in tears. His body trembled as he knelt before Liu Huan, his voice choked with sobs, each word dripping with blood: "Your Highness, this humble servant... this humble servant is guilty, this humble servant is ashamed before you..."
After Ruan Dianfu finished speaking, he quickly took out two sesame cakes from his bundle and handed them to Liu Huan.
Upon catching a glimpse of the steaming hot sesame cakes, Liu Huan's eyes widened instantly, and drool involuntarily dripped from the corners of his mouth. He swallowed hard and roared at Ruan Dianfu beside him, "Why didn't you tell me sooner!"
After saying that, Liu Huan's dusty hands reached for the sesame cakes impatiently, grabbed two, and devoured them like a whirlwind, ignoring the heat.
The way he ate was like that of a seasoned, starving 19th-generation elder of the Beggars' Sect, who had been hungry for days in the wilderness, or a refugee who had just struggled out of a brutal famine, with an almost frantic desire and appreciation for food.
Watching Liu Huan devour the sesame seed cake with almost greedy gusto, as if he had instantly shed his former aristocratic glamour and transformed into a weary wanderer, Ruan Dianfu's heartstrings were deeply touched once again, and tears involuntarily streamed down his cheeks.
Looking back, in the past, Liu Huan, the Prince of Xiangyang, in his magnificent palace, when was there ever a lack of bird's nest, shark fin, and other delicacies on the dining table? At every meal, if the table were not filled with a dazzling array of dishes, he probably would have found it difficult to even pick up his chopsticks.
Now, however, he regards these dusty steamed buns as treasures. Two ordinary flatbreads can make him forget everything around him and revel in the rare feeling of being full.
How many hardships and inhuman torment did he endure to make this former king have such a deep longing for simple meals?
These contrasting scenes, like sharp blades, slowly sliced through Nguyen Tien Phu's heart, leaving behind wounds that were difficult to heal.
Overwhelmed with emotion, Ruan Dianfu burst into tears, lamenting to Liu Huan with deep remorse, "Your Highness, it is all my fault for being so incompetent that Your Highness is in such a desperate situation, suffering so much, that you are worse off than dead!"
Upon hearing this, Liu Huan seemed to ignore it completely, disregarding Ruan Dianfu's grief, and focused on devouring the sesame seed cake in his hand, looking like a hungry tiger pouncing on its prey, as if afraid someone would snatch it from him.
After finishing the sesame cakes, Liu Huan leaned leisurely against the wall, not even letting a sesame seed remain on his lips, carefully licking it off. Then, a faint smile appeared on his lips, his expression extremely pleased, and he slowly said, "Hehe... This is truly comfortable, truly comfortable... I haven't tasted such delicious food in a long time..."
Upon seeing this, Ruan Dianfu hurriedly stood up, turned around nimbly, and scanned the area around the pigpen with sharp eyes. After confirming that no one was listening, he quietly approached Liu Huan and said in a low voice, "Your Highness, I dare to speak frankly, but your current situation is not a long-term solution."
"That Liu Kun is muddleheaded and cruel, treating human life like dirt. Your Highness is in this dangerous place, and I'm afraid you will fall victim to his poison sooner or later. Besides, how long can Your Highness endure this living hell? Your Highness, please make plans as soon as possible; that is the best course of action!"