Chapter 302: Overnight in a Broken Temple

Chapter 302: Overnight in a Broken Temple

After counting, Orion Brother's eyes went wide: "Mom, mom, twenty taels! We have twenty taels!"

The old lady was also stunned: "That much?"

What does twenty taels mean to a family like Orion Brother's? Even if they ransacked the house, they couldn't scrape together one tael of silver.

Of course, it's not that Orion Brother couldn't earn a few taels after years of hard work, but earning and saving are completely different. Poor families already have a hard time making ends meet, not to mention the unexpected expenses that always arise.

"Son, we can't take this much!"

Orion Brother grabbed the bag and ran out, but soon returned, sighing: "I couldn't catch up; they were already gone."

While Orion Brother and his mother were fretting over the twenty taels of gratitude money, the two Jinlin Guards were also puzzled on their way to catch up with the main group.

"What did the old lady mean when she told our lord not to have kids too soon?"

"I didn't get it either. Our lord isn't even married yet."

"Maybe she was just babbling. Old ladies of her age love to say such things. We'll just relay the message as it is."

The two spurred their horses and rejoined the group.

Prince Xiu had brought a large entourage on this southern trip, so the quiet return of the two Jinlin Guards didn't attract much attention.

"My lord, it's been delivered."

He Qingxiao nodded slightly: "Good job."

"The old lady told us to tell you to live a good life and not to have kids too soon."

He Qingxiao fell silent for a moment after hearing this.

"My lord?"

"You may go."

After sending his subordinates away, He Qingxiao looked at Xin You as if nothing had happened: "Orion Brother and his mother will surely be fine. If we get the chance, we'll visit them together someday."

"Yeah."

With this matter temporarily settled, Xin You went to find Prince Xiu when the group stopped to rest.

"Does Xin You have something to talk about?"

"We've entered Ling County territory. Earlier, I gathered some subordinates waiting here and wanted to bring them back to the capital. I came to inform Your Highness."

Prince Xiu smiled: "Go ahead and do as you see fit, Xin You."

Over an hour later, Prince Xiu was stunned as he looked at the two hundred bandits.

"Xin You—" he slowly turned his head and asked Xin You, "Are all these your men?"

Wasn't 'some' a bit of an understatement?

Xin You calmly nodded: "Yes, every one of them."

Prince Xiu was silent for a long time, carefully choosing his words: "Xiao Wang recalls that the residence His Majesty granted Xin You isn't very big. All these people—"

How will you support them?

Xin You smiled, "After returning to the capital, I plan to buy a larger estate where they can farm."

Prince Xiu suppressed the urge to advise further, "As long as Xin You has plans, that’s fine. The capital is not like other places. If so many people are not properly settled, I’m concerned it might cause trouble for Xin You."

"Thank you for the reminder, Your Highness. I will bear it in mind."

The procession set off again, slowed by the dozen or so coffins.

Prince Xiu rode beside Xin You, with He Qingxiao and Bai Ying trailing behind.

"Your Highness journeyed south to find me. Now that I have returned safely, perhaps Your Highness should lead the group to avoid wasting time on the road," Xin You sincerely suggested.

Originally, the procession escorting the empress's coffin numbered over two hundred. Prince Xiu added another hundred, and with two hundred bandits, the group became excessively large.

Prince Xiu declined without hesitation, "While it’s true I came south to find Xin You, I also wish to honor the empress."

He spoke earnestly, his gentle gaze fixed on the young man in white robes, "I hope Xin You will permit me to fulfill this wish."

Xin You tightened his grip on the reins, "Your Highness’s words are too kind."

Prince Xiu paused for a moment, then said softly, "Xin You, there’s no need for such caution. In my heart, I regard you as a younger brother."

Hearing this, Xin You’s lips tightened slightly.

Prince Xiu was growing increasingly enigmatic.

Did he truly feel brotherly toward someone suspected of being the legitimate prince?

He Qingxiao and Bai Ying, who were a few paces behind, also heard Prince Xiu's words.

Bai Ying tilted her head, her gaze fixed on Prince Xiu’s back.

It seemed Prince Xiu was genuinely friendly toward Xin You.

She recalled her mother’s warning before departure: to protect Xin You’s safety and trust no one lightly.

Both mother and daughter knew 'anyone' primarily meant Prince Xiu.

Midway through the journey, the rain began anew. The fine drizzle soon became a curtain of beads, stretching endlessly between heaven and earth.

He Qingxiao glanced at the rolling dark clouds, spurred his horse, and rode up to Prince Xiu.

"Your Highness, the scouts I sent ahead have reported an abandoned temple up ahead. Let us hasten there for shelter."

Prince Xiu glanced at Xin You, who was wearing a bamboo hat, and nodded in agreement.

Xin You, He Qingxiao, Prince Xiu, Bai Ying, along with Wang Gonggong, and some guards, quickened their pace.

After less than a quarter of an hour of rapid riding, a dilapidated temple came into view.

The horses were handed over to the guards, and the group entered.

The small temple housed a collapsed Buddha statue, its spider webs swaying gently. The floor was covered in messy muddy footprints, indicating that passersby had rested here before.

Bai Ying directed the guards to inspect the inside and outside. When the main group arrived, they brought brooms and other tools to clean thoroughly, laying down mats for Xin You and the others to rest.

The rain showed no signs of stopping. A deafening thunderclap roared, and a dragon-like flash of lightning tore through the ink-black sky.

The dilapidated temple was filled with the smell of mud, and water droplets fell from the holes in the roof, dripping incessantly.

"It seems we'll have to spend the night here," Prince Xiu said, his hands clasped behind his back as he looked out of the temple door.

"We apologize for the inconvenience, Your Highness."

Prince Xiu smiled at He Qingxiao. "What are you saying, Lord Marquis? So many people have to spend the night outside, and I at least have a roof over my head."

As he spoke, he turned to Xin You, his eyes filled with concern. "It's Xin You I'm concerned about. Your health hasn't fully recuperated yet, and tonight will be tough for you."

"Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. My health is fine."

"Your Highness, Miss Xin You, Lord He, have some ginger soup to warm your stomachs," Bai Ying said, walking ahead with two guards carrying bowls of ginger soup.

In front of everyone, she tested the soup with a silver needle and smiled. "I oversaw the cooking myself."

"Thank you, Miss Bai," Xin You said, taking the bowl of ginger soup and sipping it with lowered eyes.

Having been caught in the rain and unable to bathe, the ginger soup brought instant comfort, and the muddy smell in the temple seemed to be overpowered by the spicy aroma of ginger.

As the night wore on, Xin You and the others closed their eyes to rest, while about twenty guards remained in the temple, taking shifts to keep watch.

Outside, hundreds of people camped around the temple in layers, forming a solid protective barrier.

The rain gradually lessened, and snores echoed outside the temple. Inside, the guards changed shifts and began their watch for the latter half of the night.

Despite this tight security, a small snake silently slipped through a crack in the temple, its body twisting and turning as it moved. It paused, flicking its tongue, then made its way directly toward Xin You.