Chapter 317: The One-Eyed Boy

Not far from the marketplace, there was a secluded alley.

At this moment, dozens of government soldiers had gathered outside the alley.

Inside, the two Princes and the Royal Prince lay sprawled on the ground, beaten black and blue, their bodies covered in wounds. They were barely conscious, their breaths weak and shallow.

The rotund Magistrate Lei took a damp handkerchief from his advisor, carefully wiping the blood off his hands.

Once he was done, he crumpled the now-bloodstained handkerchief and threw it at the Third Prince’s face.

Feeling the impact on his forehead, the Third Prince did not react at all.

If he had felt humiliated and furious while being beaten earlier—first by the soldiers, then by Magistrate Lei himself—now, all that remained was frustration at his own foolishness.

“Return as a commoner.”

At first, he hadn’t thought much of Mr. Gu’s words.

But when Magistrate Lei had taken out a proclamation with his portrait printed on it, held it beside his face for comparison, and still failed to recognize him as the Third Prince in the image—

That was when he finally understood.

Mr. Gu’s words were not empty talk.

They had been robbed by bandits, stripped of their luxurious clothing…

They had hoped to seek aid from the authorities, only to find that no one could recognize them for who they truly were…

It seemed that they really would have to walk all the way back to the capital as mere commoners. Step by step.

But the journey was long. Injured, hungry, and cold, could they even survive the trip?

The same thought weighed on the minds of the Fifth Prince and Royal Prince Ye.

The Fifth Prince had already sensed something was off in Magistrate Lei’s gaze before they were brought here. He hadn’t wanted to go, but he had been forcibly dragged along anyway.

At least, he consoled himself, the Third Prince had taken the worst of the beating, which made him feel a bit better about his own situation…

As for Royal Prince Ye, he was the oldest of the three, and his body was the frailest. Though he had received the lightest beating, the pain had hit him the hardest.

“Bring three bowls of porridge.”

At Magistrate Lei’s command, the soldiers immediately brought over three bowls of what had been prepared in advance—murky, yellowish broth.

Under everyone’s gaze, Magistrate Lei grabbed a handful of dirt from the ground and sprinkled it into each bowl. “Didn’t you complain the porridge wasn’t thick enough? Well, today I’ve added some extra ingredients for you. Eat up and fill your bellies.”

After adding nearly half a bowl of dirt to each serving, Magistrate Lei gave a single glance, and several soldiers stepped forward.

They hauled the three battered men up from the ground, forcing them to kneel before Magistrate Lei. Then, gripping their jaws, they pried their mouths open and poured the dirt-laced broth down their throats…

By the time the sun dipped westward, the “fallen” royals had finally endured the so-called “small punishment, great warning” of Magistrate Lei. Like beaten dogs, they were dumped outside the city gates by the soldiers.

The two gate guards—one tall, one short—immediately recognized them as the “lunatics” from earlier.

After hearing from the escorting soldiers what had happened, they couldn’t help but shake their heads.

The tall guard clicked his tongue, pointing at the three figures struggling to their feet and supporting each other as they staggered away. “I never thought they’d actually be crazy enough to pull a stunt like that—challenging the magistrate himself!”

“No kidding… But looking at their condition, I doubt they’ll survive for long. It’s actually kind of pitiful…” The short guard sighed.

The tall guard scoffed, withdrawing his gaze. “Pitiful? The world is full of pitiful people. What’s that got to do with us?”

“As long as we make sure we never end up like them, that’s all that matters.”

The short guard nodded. “You really know how to live, don’t you?”

…

The night sky was a curtain of darkness, suffocating in its heat. With no wind to stir the summer air, even breathing felt stifling.

By the side of a murky pond, the Third Prince and his companions stood hesitantly, staring at the stagnant water. No matter how desperate they were, they couldn’t bring themselves to take a sip.

The Fifth Prince reached out, cupping some water in his hands. He had deliberately chosen the clearest spot and even brushed aside some of the floating debris. But despite his efforts, the water in his palms was still filled with filth and carried a strong, foul stench.

Clenching his teeth, he steeled himself, preparing to drink the putrid water.

Strangely, in that moment, he almost missed the yellow broth they had been forced to drink earlier.

Even with sand mixed in, that so-called “porridge” had still tasted better than this foul-smelling water…

“Don’t drink it!”

“If you do, you’ll be stuck with a bad stomach all night!”

A voice rang out—one that didn’t belong to any of them. It was rough and somewhat hoarse.

Startled, they turned to look.

The speaker was a boy of about fifteen or sixteen. His upper body was bare, revealing a thin, bony frame, and he wore nothing but a pair of tattered linen shorts, with one pant leg completely missing.

His ragged appearance wasn’t unusual for a refugee. What stood out was his right eye—or rather, the absence of it.

Where his eye should have been, there was only a deep, hollow socket, the skin around it scarred and wrinkled like tree bark.

The Fifth Prince narrowed his eyes. The boy’s sudden warning made him instinctively let the filthy water slip from his hands. “Little brother, who are you?”

The one-eyed boy pressed a hand down in a calming gesture. “No need to be afraid. My name is Aqi. I was at the county relief station earlier today, getting porridge just like you.”

“You guys have guts, standing up for others like that. I respect that.”

“I also figured you’d end up like this. So after I followed the villagers out of the city, I doubled back to find you.”

Hearing this, the Fifth Prince was momentarily stunned, unsure of what to say.

Aqi continued, “If you three have nowhere else to go, come with me. At the very least, you’ll have water that won’t make you sick—and some food to keep you from starving to death.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the three exiled royals exchanged glances and replied in unison, “Then we’ll have to trouble you, little brother!”

Aqi chuckled. “We’re all just struggling to survive out here. No need for formalities.”

Without further delay, he turned and led the way.

They followed Aqi for the time it would take an incense stick to burn, gradually spotting flickering firelight in the darkness.

As they drew closer, they saw a vast gathering of refugees.

Their faces were dull and lifeless, their expressions heavy with despair. Some elderly, women, and children had already huddled together to sleep, while the able-bodied either sifted through grass piles for something or scraped at nearby trees with crude metal tools.

The return of Aqi and his new companions barely drew a glance from the awake refugees. Their eyes were hollow and numb, devoid of curiosity.

After leading the three to a quiet spot to sit and rest, Aqi ran off to rummage under a tree. A moment later, he hurried back.

In one hand, he held two large, folded palm leaves. In the other, a piece of pale-white tree core.

As he approached, he first handed them the tree core. Then, unfolding the palm leaves, he revealed a handful of plump, wriggling worms—each about the size of a pinky finger.