After bidding farewell to Ziyan, Ye Qingcheng walked through the streets, thinking, "Who poisoned Taizi? This poison feels a bit familiar. Where have I seen it before?"
"Come on, you dogs, fight amongst yourselves. If you entertain me today, I'll make sure you have plenty to eat." Ye Qingcheng watched as four servants hovered around a fair-skinned, chubby young boy in the distance. The boy had a fine jade pendant hanging from his belt, and his silk brocade garments shone brightly. Before him knelt a group of beggars in tattered clothes, their garments showing legs or arms through the holes. Sitting beside them, held by a servant, was a small dog already wearing a light autumn jacket, lazily observing the spectacle.
"Alas, what a world, where humans live worse than dogs."
"Say less, and worry about yourself first."
"Indeed. They are also pitiable people. Young Master Wang has always enjoyed playing tricks. It's tough luck for these folks to encounter him."
"Stop talking. Let's leave quickly. If Young Master Wang hears you, you'll have a hard time."
Ye Qingcheng watched as the young Master Wang, with his soft, plump hands, grabbed a beggar's ear and sat on one of the beggar's backs. "Da Ma, you run, but it's not exciting at all. Hurry up! Dawdling like this will mean no food for me if I get impatient!"
The chubby boy was followed by four servants, all fearing their young master might fall. An older servant spoke, "Young master, please come down. If you fall, this old servant cannot bear the responsibility. These beggars are filthy. If the young master falls ill because of them, they deserve death. Little young master, please come down!"
"No! Father never plays these games with me. I want to play to my heart's content today, and no one is allowed to stop me. Giddy up!" The chubby boy tightly gripped the beggar's ear, his legs bouncing on the beggar's back. "A Fu, go find me a stick and hang this steamed bun on it. Let's see if he can run faster then."
The chubby boy was rather stout, and the beggar soon began to pant from exhaustion, his speed slowing. Seeing that the chubby boy was about to whip the refugee,
Ye Qingcheng could watch no longer. "Stop! In the capital, is there no law? Who taught you to disregard human life like this? Didn't anyone teach you at home? Then I, an outsider, will teach you." With that, Ye Qingcheng snatched the whip from the chubby boy's hand and kicked him off, sending him tumbling to the ground. A Fu and the other three rushed forward to help their young master up. Ye Qingcheng, however, wouldn't let them succeed. "If any of you four step any closer, I will whip this little brat."
The four looked at each other, afraid to take another step. If anything were to happen to their young master, they would be the ones punished. "Young lady, speak kindly. Do not dare to harm a single hair on my young master. Do you know who my young master is? I'll scare you to death by telling you." A Fu said to Ye Qingcheng.
Ye Qingcheng played with the whip in her hand. "Oh? Is there someone I dare not hit? Today, you will open your dog eyes and see clearly." The chubby boy was slowly getting up from the ground. Ye Qingcheng kicked him again. The boy spun a few times on the ground before lying prostrate. Ye Qingcheng then whipped his backside with the whip. "Judging by your attire, you are from a wealthy family. Didn't your elders hire a tutor for you, or send you to school? Have you studied the sacred texts in the wrong places? If my child were as ignorant and disregarded human life as you, I would personally discipline him and would absolutely not allow him to run amok and act recklessly." As she spoke, her hand didn't stop, delivering several more lashes to the boy's backside.
"Waa! I'm going home to tell Grandma! You're dead! Grandma will never forgive you! A Fu, let's go!" The chubby boy burst into tears, motioning for A Fu to help him. Ye Qingcheng did not stop them, watching quietly as the chubby boy and A Fu left to fetch reinforcements.
The issue with the chubby boy was easy to resolve, but how should she handle so many beggars?
"You have hands and feet, why aren't you working? Begging here, relying on amusing the wealthy – what is this about?"
"Madam, you don't know. Who wants to be an amusing spectacle? We truly have no choice. The harvest was poor this year, and we fled here. We haven't eaten in three or four days and are too weak to come here for relief. We heard people were distributing food, so we came, only to find this kind of distribution."
"Are all of you like this?" Ye Qingcheng looked at the group of ragged people before her, their faces grimy, their hair disheveled. Her heart ached. In the apocalypse, she had been like this too, suffering from food shortages, sometimes experiencing hallucinations from hunger. How had she overcome it then? Ah, yes, by sleeping. When one slept, one wouldn't feel hungry. Ye Qingcheng dared not sleep too soundly; she had seen too many people who never woke up after falling asleep.
Seeing people suffering from hunger just like before, Ye Qingcheng couldn't bear to let them perish. But with so many refugees, what could she do?
"Grandmother, it's her! She hit me! She whipped me several times! Grandma, you must support me. This debt must be repaid." The chubby boy, who had gone to fetch reinforcements, grabbed an old woman and slowly walked towards Ye Qingcheng.
"Greetings, Your Highness Consort. I am the mother of Wang Quji. My little grandson is a bit spoiled and his actions are indeed inappropriate. Today, thanks to you, he did not commit a grave offense. I thank you here, Your Highness Consort." Old Madam Wang bowed.
"Old Madam, please rise. There is no need for this." Ye Qingcheng breathed a sigh of relief. This old madam was a sensible person.
"Your Highness Consort, my son, Wang Quji, went to war a year after his marriage and has never returned home. My little grandson has never seen his father since birth. My daughter-in-law's health declined day by day after giving birth to him, worrying constantly about my son on the battlefield. She passed away less than a year after giving birth to Wang Goudan. The Wang family has always been a single lineage, with few descendants. I dote on this child and have raised him a bit too indulgently," Old Madam Wang said calmly. "I also heard from A Fu just now that Wang Goudan treated people like horses. My little grandson is not inherently bad."