Chapter 5

Chapter 5

It snowed heavily for three days straight, so my adoptive father couldn’t go out to set up his stall. The three of us stayed shut indoors at home, devoting ourselves to the study of food.

I stewed a pork knuckle, braised a fish head, made meat buns, simmered noodles, cooked chicken soup, and even bought my adoptive father some wine.

The Ninth Prince also got into the spirit of things, so I kept him company. Between the three of us, we drank four pots of wine.

My adoptive father got drunk. He grabbed the Ninth Prince and poured out his grievances, saying how hard it had been to raise me, how even when he didn’t have enough to eat, he would still buy steamed buns for me every day. He also said that when he sent me to the prince’s estate, all he wanted was to curry favor with the Ninth Prince so the Ninth Prince would help him get promoted. Even if he only got to be a high official for half a year before being dismissed, that would be fine.

My adoptive father said he had made a promise to his late wife: in this life, he would earn her an honorary title no matter what. If he failed, he would be too ashamed to face her even after death.

After saying all that, my adoptive father clung to the Ninth Prince and burst into loud sobs. He even said the prince was useless, that despite knowing he had been framed, he wouldn’t prove his innocence and had instead hidden away in this mountain ravine.

Seeing the Ninth Prince’s face darken with anger, I hurriedly poured another two bowls of wine down my adoptive father’s throat. Only then did he finally topple over and fall asleep.

“Your Highness, shall I keep you company and build a snowman?”

I wanted to coax the Ninth Prince a little so he wouldn’t be angry at my adoptive father. The Ninth Prince glanced at me. “Wang Dachui, between me and your adoptive father, choose one!”

I lowered my head and didn’t dare answer, afraid he would get angry again.

My adoptive father had raised me for five years. I had eaten countless meals from him. But I had only eaten one meal at the prince’s estate, and the debt of that one meal really could not outweigh five years.

The Ninth Prince still got angry. He shoved his chair aside and walked out. “What snowman? Snowball fight!”

I liked snowball fights.

The Ninth Prince threw snowballs at me. I let him have three throws, and then I hit him on the head so hard it raised a big lump. The Ninth Prince stood in the snow with a hand pressed to his forehead and cursed me.

“Wang Dachui, I won’t speak to you for the next three days.”

The Ninth Prince really did ignore me. On top of that, he became mysterious, often sneaking out by himself and refusing to let me follow.

My adoptive father said, “I think I heard that His Majesty has fallen ill. Who knows if he’s truly ill, or if it’s a ploy to lure the Ninth Prince back?”

My adoptive father couldn’t be sure, so he didn’t dare advise the Ninth Prince either.

“After all, Duke Wen is still in court. His Majesty trusts the Ninth Prince, so Duke Wen definitely won’t let things go.”

Duke Wen was the maternal grandfather of the Ninth Prince’s rival for the throne. He seemed to be a treacherous official.

That evening, I was sweeping snow in the courtyard. The Ninth Prince was bathing in his room, and my adoptive father sat at the table counting the ten copper coins he had earned that day, muttering as he counted. I said,

“Dad, you earn more writing than you ever did as an official.”

My adoptive father ignored me too.

I was just about to explain when I suddenly saw a flash of cold light in the woods across from us. Looking more closely, I could make out quite a number of people crouching among the trees.

“This is bad!” I dropped the broom and went back into the house. “Dad, pursuers are here! Run!”

My adoptive father was so frightened that his hand shook, and three of his ten copper coins fell to the floor. While he was still hesitating over whether to pick them up, I had already charged into the Ninth Prince’s room. “Your Highness, pursuers are here!”

The Ninth Prince was soaking in the bath barrel. Hearing me, he shouted, “Get out!”

“They won’t listen to you telling them to get out!”

“This prince is telling you to get out!”

“There’s no time, Your Highness!”

I grabbed the quilt, hauled the Ninth Prince out of the bath barrel, wrapped him up in a few swift motions, slung him over my shoulder, and rushed out the door.

The people in the woods across from us saw us and immediately rushed out from among the trees.

“Stop! Stop!” they roared.

There were at least twenty of them, each holding blades and swords, all fierce and menacing.

“Run!”

I snatched up an iron shovel and swung it so hard it whistled through the air. Those people couldn’t get near us at all.

It got dark early in winter. My adoptive father and I ran through the snow, but those people chased after us relentlessly. This couldn’t go on, so I handed the prince to my adoptive father and decided to go back to meet them head-on.

Those guards were decent fighters, but I was strong. After I broke two of their arms, they finally became afraid.

Just when I thought there would be more fierce fighting, I heard the Ninth Prince roar, “All of you, get lost!”

Those people all ran off. As expected, the Ninth Prince was amazing. His lingering authority still remained.

I picked up the Ninth Prince again. “But we can’t stay here for long. Let’s go!”

“Wang Dachui!” the Ninth Prince roared. “Go back!”

“Don’t shout, Your Highness. They might hear you.”

The prince seemed very angry. I understood how he felt. After all, being hunted down by your own father and brothers would put anyone in a bad mood.

But he was really too noisy, so I knocked him unconscious.

That night, I carried the Ninth Prince on my shoulder and my adoptive father on my back, running eighty li through the night.

Only after we had completely shaken off the pursuers did we hide in an old cave deep in the mountains.

I pulled the Ninth Prince’s head out from under the quilt. His face was ashen as he stared at me. I patted him reassuringly.

“Don’t worry, Your Highness. As long as I, Wang Dachui, am here, no one will ever be able to hurt you.”

The Ninth Prince’s voice was hoarse, his expression full of sorrow.

“Wang Dachui, in these past three double-hours, did it never once occur to you that those people just now might not have been pursuers?”