Chapter 313: Chapter 314: A Tiger on the Plains is Bullied by Dogs
Li Yan was forced to shed the fine robes that marked him as a Prince and change into a dusty, coarse linen tunic.
Having been accustomed to soft, smooth fabrics since childhood, he was incredibly pampered and found the rough clothing completely unbearable. Every part of his body felt uncomfortable, and he couldn’t stop himself from scratching all over.
In just a few moments, he had already scratched red marks all over his body.
But the official escorting him acted as if he didn’t notice, dutifully delivering him to the Imperial Ancestral Temple.
Laborers were hard at work rebuilding the Imperial Ancestral Temple, with officials from the Ministry of Industry pacing back and forth on-site. Li Ji would occasionally drop by to supervise.
When Li Yan was brought to the Imperial Ancestral Temple, Li Ji happened to be there.
Li Ji looked him up and down, a brazen smile spreading across his face.
"This look suits you quite well."
Li Yan glared at him with resentment. "What are you so smug about?!"
Li Ji casually swung the horsewhip in his hand and said lazily,
"Don’t misunderstand. This Prince simply can’t help but laugh at the sight of you."
Li Yan’s hatred intensified, but he was powerless against him. In the end, he could only swear a silent vow. ’Just wait until I get my status as a Prince back. We’ll see how I get my revenge then!’
Li Ji heard Li Yan’s thoughts but paid them no mind.
Perhaps Li Yan himself didn’t realize it yet, but Li Ji understood clearly: the Emperor was thoroughly disappointed in him.
What future could a Prince who had so utterly disappointed the Emperor possibly have?
Li Ji couldn’t be bothered to waste any more words on him. He turned directly to the official in charge of assigning tasks.
"Have this brat go quarry stones."
Quarrying stones was the most difficult and exhausting job of all, usually reserved for convicts serving their sentences.
Li Yan immediately grew frantic. "You dare?!"
Li Ji ignored him, merely casting a cool glance at the official.
The official’s scalp tingled under the gaze. Not daring to hesitate any longer, he quickly said to Li Yan,
"Come with me."
Li Yan stood frozen in place.
’I’m not doing such tiring work.’
’Even if Father has temporarily demoted me to a commoner, it’s only temporary.’
’Sooner or later, I’ll regain my status as a Prince.’
’These officials wouldn’t dare do anything to me for real.’
The next moment, however, he saw Prince Zhao swing his horsewhip. It struck Li Yan squarely on the calf.
Even through the thick fabric of his clothes, the pain made him jolt and cry out.
"AH!"
He squatted down, clutching his calf, and roared in a flustered rage,
"You actually dared to hit me? I’m a Prince!"
Li Ji raised an eyebrow at him. "This Prince is acting under imperial decree to oversee the reconstruction of the Imperial Ancestral Temple. This Prince has the authority to discipline anyone who dares to shirk their duties. If you’re not convinced, feel free to go and file a complaint against me with the Saint."
Li Yan was instantly silenced.
Never mind that he had no chance of seeing his father now; even if he could, his father probably wouldn’t stand up for him.
Li Ji smoothed the whip in his hand. "This Prince will count to three. If you haven’t moved by then, I’ll whip you again. Three... two..."
Li Yan’s heart filled with both grievance and resentment.
But he had no other choice.
His mother and uncle weren’t here. He was all alone. If he continued to defy Prince Zhao, he would be the only one to suffer.
When Prince Zhao reached the third count, Li Yan forced himself to his feet. Enduring the throbbing pain in his calf, he limped toward the stone quarry.
Seeing this, the official beside him quickly followed.
Quarrying stones was risky; a moment of carelessness could easily lead to injury.
To prevent Li Yan from getting hurt, the official specially selected a seasoned stonemason to guide him.
The stonemason didn’t know Li Yan’s identity. Seeing his delicate, fair skin, he assumed he was some young master from a wealthy family who had committed a crime and been sentenced to hard labor.
There was no need to be polite to convicts.
And so, everyone in the quarry could hear the stonemason’s scolding.
"You brat, how are you so useless? You can’t even move a single stone! Have all the meals you’ve eaten gone to waste?!"
"Put some muscle into it! Are you quarrying stones or giving them a massage?"
"What are you glaring at me for? Even if you glare your eyes out of their sockets today, you still have to finish all this work!"
"Hurry up! Stop dawdling like a girl! Can’t you see it’s almost dark?"
"Let me tell you, if you don’t finish your work today, you don’t eat."
...
Most of the officials present knew the Fifth Prince’s identity. Some of them wanted to step forward and intervene, to tell the stonemason to take it easy and not torment him too much. After all, he was the Emperor’s biological son.
But a single glance from Prince Zhao forced them all to back down.
Prince Zhao was the infamous Evil God; no one dared to provoke him. In the end, they all gave up the idea of intervening and quietly returned to their own duties.
Work finally came to a halt when the sun went down.
The officials had long since gone home.
The laborers’ homes were too far away for a daily commute, so they had built a few shacks next to the construction site.
At night, they would huddle inside the shacks to sleep.
A stove was burning inside, steadily radiating heat, so it wasn’t too cold.
Li Yan looked down on the crude shacks. He wanted to find a room inside the Imperial Ancestral Temple to spend the night.
However, a soldier from the Tiger Roar Camp guarding the temple stopped him.
"Unauthorized personnel are forbidden. Trespassers will be executed!"
Li Yan shouted furiously, "Open your dog eyes and see who I am!"
The soldier had received his orders from Prince Zhao long ago: he was to keep a constant watch on Li Yan and never let his guard down.
He replied stiffly, "The Saint has already issued a decree. You are now a commoner."
Li Yan was so furious he could have fallen over backward.
’Truly, a tiger stranded on the plains is bullied by dogs!’
’Now even a lowly soldier dares to look down on me!’
Li Yan wanted to argue further, but the soldier drew his sword. The sight instantly shut Li Yan’s mouth, and he turned and walked away resentfully.
He couldn’t enter the Imperial Ancestral Temple and had nowhere else to go for the time being. In the end, he had to hold his nose and step into one of the shacks.
However, all the good spots near the stove had already been taken by the laborers.
Li Yan could only choose a spot on the fringe to sit down.
In the yellow firelight, he looked down at his blistered, bloody hands. A wave of sorrow washed over him, and he couldn’t help but start to cry.
SOB, SOB, SOB.
’I miss Mother so much, I miss my uncle, I want to go home!’
Perhaps Li Yan’s prayers had worked.
The next day, when no one was looking, an official secretly sought out Li Yan.
"Fifth Prince, Mr. Liu asked me to bring this to you. It’s nothing precious, but it should help with your immediate predicament."
Li Yan caught the bundle the man thrust at him.
He opened it to find thick clothes, thick shoes and socks, and a roast chicken wrapped in oil paper.
The aroma of the roast chicken made Li Yan’s mouth water uncontrollably.
The previous night, he had disdained the poor-quality food provided at the worksite and thrown a tantrum, refusing to eat.
As a result, his portion had been quickly divided up among the others.
He had been forced to endure the entire night on an empty stomach.
