Everyone was frightened for nothing in the end. One of the soldiers even took off his own clean clothes for Mu Xueshi to change into. After changing, Mu Xueshi still could not stop sneezing. He found a small dirt slope nearby and suddenly sat down without moving.
The soldiers’ expressions immediately became panicked again. What was this ancestor doing now?!
“It’s nothing. I just want to dry my hair first. Otherwise, if the Third Prince sees me later, I’ll definitely get scolded.” Mu Xueshi shook out his damp hair with his hand.
The soldiers exchanged glances, all wearing the same miserable expression. If the Third Prince really discovered Mu Xueshi’s hair was wet, the one getting scolded certainly would not be this overly worried fool.
Soon enough, his hair dried. But Mu Xueshi discovered that the ankle which had been faintly aching earlier had now started swelling. It was manageable when he did not put weight on it, but the moment he did, the pain became unbearable. He tried standing up, only to realize he could stand on one leg but could not walk at all. The slightest movement of that foot caused agonizing pain.
“What’s wrong, Young Master Xue?” One of the soldiers noticed something unusual and stepped forward to ask.
Mu Xueshi quickly hid the pained expression on his face and casually replied, “Nothing much. I just suddenly feel tired. Can someone carry me for a bit?”
The moment the soldier heard this, everyone rushed forward volunteering to carry him. After discussing among themselves, they selected the strongest soldier with the quickest legs to do it. They were not competing because they liked Mu Xueshi—they simply wanted the fastest person possible to return this troublesome ancestor as quickly as they could.
Completely oblivious to the disaster he was causing for others, Mu Xueshi happily sprawled across the soldier’s back, looking utterly content. Along the way, he even chatted cheerfully with the soldiers, asking where they were from, how long they had been stationed there, whether they had wives, if they missed home, and every other question he could think of.
Although the road was not especially long, there were many twists and turns, so it still took some time before they finally approached the estate. However, while still some distance away, Mu Xueshi suddenly heard people shouting his name—and not just one person.
He immediately told the soldier to put him down. The pain in his ankle caused him to stumble badly the moment his feet touched the ground, nearly falling over if not for another soldier quickly catching him.
The Third Prince soon strode toward them. Because of the darkness, Mu Xueshi could not clearly see his face.
“Where did you run off to?” The Third Prince’s voice was perfectly calm and emotionless.
All the soldiers beside Mu Xueshi immediately dropped to their knees, not daring even to breathe loudly.
Instead of answering, Mu Xueshi bent down and lifted the wooden bucket, holding it proudly before the Third Prince.
“Look, I caught fish for you. We can roast them tonight.”
The Third Prince showed no sign of happiness.
“You went out to catch fish? Without informing anyone?”
The excitement on Mu Xueshi’s face dimmed somewhat. Somewhat aggrieved, he muttered, “You were discussing important matters with Deputy General Mo, so I didn’t want to disturb you. I personally caught those fish for you to eat, and you don’t even look pleased.”
The Third Prince grabbed Mu Xueshi’s hand and immediately discovered it was icy cold. Then he touched Mu Xueshi’s clothes. Though dry now, they clearly belonged to someone else, meaning his own clothes had definitely gotten soaked earlier. Fortunately, nothing serious had happened. Though still angry, the Third Prince calmed considerably after hearing Mu Xueshi’s explanation.
“Do not go out alone again. If you want to go somewhere, tell me. I’ll accompany you.”
Mu Xueshi secretly stuck out his tongue. If I told you, would you even let me go?
“If I discover later that you caught another chill, I absolutely will not let you off lightly.”
After saying this, the Third Prince grabbed Mu Xueshi’s hand and strode toward the estate. Every step sent unbearable pain shooting through Mu Xueshi’s foot, but he did not dare cry out or ask to stop. He feared the Third Prince would become angry if he found out, so he could only grit his teeth and endure it. By the time they finally reached the estate, sweat had completely soaked through both the front and back of his clothes.
The Third Prince first took Mu Xueshi to bathe. After settling him into the wooden tub, he turned and left the room. Seeing the Third Prince refuse to even speak to him, Mu Xueshi felt wronged inside. I only went out for a little walk! Was there really any need to be this strict? Back then, even Mom never controlled me this much.
While bathing, Mu Xueshi suddenly thought he heard noises outside—many overlapping voices rising and falling together. Just as he was puzzling over it, the Third Prince returned. In the candlelight, Mu Xueshi could see his expression looked rather unpleasant.
“What’s that sound outside?” Mu Xueshi asked while the Third Prince dressed him.
The Third Prince did not answer. Nor did he put shoes on Mu Xueshi. Instead, he simply carried him outside. Stretching his neck forward, Mu Xueshi looked around curiously in search of the source of the noise. When the Third Prince turned a corner, Mu Xueshi finally recognized it—it was the sound of people crying out in pain.
His nerves instantly tightened. Looking ahead, he saw the group of soldiers sprawled on the ground being whipped.
Weren’t those the same soldiers who had taken him out earlier?
Mu Xueshi immediately turned anxiously toward the Third Prince.
“They weren’t the ones who brought me out! I insisted on going. They only followed behind me!”
“I know,” the Third Prince replied calmly.
“Then why are they still being punished?” Mu Xueshi asked, staring at the soldiers with overwhelming guilt.
“If I don’t punish them, should I punish you instead?”
Mu Xueshi felt the pressure radiating from above him, yet he stubbornly argued anyway.
“Then punish me! I’m not afraid. Spare them—they didn’t do anything wrong.”
“They deserve punishment. But you deserve it even more.”
As the Third Prince passed by the soldiers, their painful groans became even clearer. Listening to the sharp cracking of the whips, Mu Xueshi clenched his teeth so hard they audibly ground together. It felt as though every lash were landing on him instead.
“I’m begging you. It was my fault. I promise I won’t sneak out again. Just… please spare them. At least for the sake of the fish I caught for you. Please, please…”
For the very first time, Mu Xueshi rubbed his face against the Third Prince’s chest while acting spoiled. He truly had no other option left. The only thing he could do was temporarily throw away his dignity and try to soften the Third Prince’s heart—though, admittedly, he had never possessed much dignity to begin with.
The Third Prince remained silent the entire way. Only when they were nearly back at the room did he finally order the punishers:
“Stop.”
The soldiers who had narrowly escaped disaster immediately knelt in gratitude.
Nearby, however, Deputy General Mo still wore a dark expression. Bowing to the Third Prince, he said, “Your Highness, these men ignored Young Master Xue’s safety, allowed him to leave without permission, and even concealed it afterward. How can they be so easily forgiven?!”
Mu Xueshi had only just relaxed, but the moment he heard this, his expression twisted again. Why was Deputy General Mo adding fuel to the fire?! Easy for him to say—it wasn’t him getting whipped!
“When I say stop, it stops.” The Third Prince coldly dropped those words before carrying Mu Xueshi inside.
The Third Prince placed Mu Xueshi onto the bed, then turned and went back out, intending to fetch another blanket. But Mu Xueshi misunderstood completely, assuming he had gone to retrieve a stick or bamboo board to beat him with. Terrified, he burrowed under the blanket until he resembled a tightly wrapped cocoon.
When the Third Prince returned, he found Mu Xueshi curled into a large wriggling meat dumpling beneath the blankets.
“Are you cold?” The Third Prince reached over, trying to pull the blanket down slightly.
From beneath the blanket came Mu Xueshi’s muffled plea:
“Don’t hit me.”
Only then did the Third Prince realize Mu Xueshi was genuinely frightened. He suddenly did not know whether to laugh or be angry. When he had first discovered Mu Xueshi missing, he truly had intended to teach him a harsh lesson. But the moment he saw Mu Xueshi return safely, proudly showing off the fish he had caught, all such thoughts vanished.
“So now you’re afraid? Come out.” The Third Prince’s tone turned commanding.
Mu Xueshi instantly poked his head out, though the rest of his body remained tightly wrapped in blankets. He stared warily at the Third Prince. When the man leaned closer, Mu Xueshi shrank back—only to be dragged right back again. Immediately, he buried his head against the Third Prince’s chest and muttered pitifully:
“Don’t hit me anymore. I’ll tell you before I do anything next time, really, really…”
Hearing Mu Xueshi’s soft voice, the Third Prince’s expression finally softened. He ordered the servants to prepare medicinal soup, then wrapped another blanket around Mu Xueshi and held him in his arms on the bed, trying to warm him thoroughly.
As Mu Xueshi chattered about random things, all the unpleasantness from earlier gradually faded away. Once the Third Prince’s mood had completely recovered, Mu Xueshi immediately insisted on going out to roast the fish. Naturally, the Third Prince could not refuse Mu Xueshi’s well-meaning efforts, so he ordered servants to prepare firewood and iron racks before accompanying him outside.
The moment Mu Xueshi got to roast fish, his mood brightened instantly. But he soon discovered another serious issue—his ankle seemed to be swelling more and more, and any movement caused intense pain. Too afraid to let the Third Prince notice, he carefully adjusted himself into a single position, tugged his trouser leg down as far as possible, and then remained perfectly still.
Mu Xueshi had wanted to invite Deputy General Mo to join them, but the Third Prince stated that the deputy general was busy, so the matter quietly ended there. Naturally, Deputy General Mo was not foolish enough to intrude upon the private world of Mu Xueshi and the Third Prince. Who knew whether after eating a single fish caught by Mu Xueshi, he himself might end up roasting on the fire rack next?
After dinner, Mu Xueshi realized an even more serious problem—he could no longer stand at all. To hide the injury to his foot, he deliberately acted spoiled and asked the Third Prince to carry him back. Seeing Mu Xueshi rarely cling to him like this, the Third Prince was more than happy to oblige.
Mu Xueshi secretly sighed in relief. Avoiding a scolding truly required exhausting effort.
But that night, when it came time to sleep, Mu Xueshi was utterly doomed.
Even lying still, he could feel piercing pain drilling through his foot. The pain only worsened with time. At first he managed to endure it silently, eyes shut as he pretended to sleep. But eventually the agony became unbearable. He wanted desperately to curl up, yet one of the Third Prince’s arms pinned him in place. The slightest movement would certainly wake him.
Mu Xueshi felt there could be no one in the world more miserable than himself. He was injured, yet dared not tell anyone and could only silently endure the pain, terrified someone might discover it.
Gradually, his breathing grew heavier. A layer of cold sweat formed across his forehead, and his entire body began trembling.
Heavens, please spare me… I don’t want to be injured and still get beaten afterward… Mu Xueshi prayed desperately in his heart. He even briefly considered knocking the Third Prince unconscious—at least then he could scream in pain freely. Enduring it like this was worse than death.
At the exact moment the Third Prince opened his eyes, Mu Xueshi’s willpower finally reached its limit. Grabbing the Third Prince’s arm, he pleaded desperately:
“My foot hurts!!”
The Third Prince had already sensed something was wrong. Hearing Mu Xueshi’s cry for help, he immediately got up and lit the oil lamp in the room. Meanwhile, Mu Xueshi curled up on the bed clutching his leg, teary-eyed as he waited pitifully for rescue.
The moment the Third Prince saw Mu Xueshi’s ankle, his brows knitted tightly together. His eyes filled equally with heartache and anger. The ankle had swollen terribly, puffed up like a steamed bun several times larger than the other one. It was obviously sprained badly, the bone likely displaced. Yet somehow Mu Xueshi had endured all the way until now without saying a single word—even acting perfectly normal while eating roasted fish earlier.
A displaced bone was not truly serious. The Third Prince himself could probably set it back into place. But he feared he might hesitate because he could not bear hurting Mu Xueshi, thus delaying treatment. He ordered the servants to summon Imperial Physician Li, who had accompanied them, while he sat beside Mu Xueshi and supported half of his leg over his own arm, holding him steady.
Imperial Physician Li had practiced medicine for many years. Such a small injury should have been effortless. But the patient was Mu Xueshi, and the person standing nearby was the Third Prince. The moment the physician entered the room, he began trembling uncontrollably. The memory of examining that “certain area” of Mu Xueshi’s body last time still haunted him deeply.
“Young Master Xue, it may hurt a little. Please endure it,” Imperial Physician Li warned in advance.
Yet the moment his hand touched Mu Xueshi’s ankle, Mu Xueshi violently jerked his foot back and cried out:
“I don’t want pain! If it hurts, then I won’t treat it anymore! I’d rather endure it!”
Only Mu Xueshi himself understood how much he feared hearing those words.
The Third Prince forcefully pulled Mu Xueshi’s leg back again and instructed coldly, “Treat it quickly. Preferably with as little pain as possible.”
Imperial Physician Li had only been trying to reassure him. Normally, this kind of pain would last only a second. But now the Third Prince’s stare resembled someone glaring at an enemy, as though causing Mu Xueshi even the slightest bit of pain would make him fight to the death.
One try. Just one try, Imperial Physician Li desperately encouraged himself. I must fix it immediately. I’ve practiced medicine for years—surely I won’t ruin my reputation over something this minor.
But the instant he applied force, Mu Xueshi screamed prematurely. Startled, Imperial Physician Li lost control of the movement and twisted in the wrong direction instead, causing Mu Xueshi to shriek in agony.
“Can’t you be gentler?!” the Third Prince snapped furiously.
Imperial Physician Li panicked completely. The second attempt went even worse. Watching Mu Xueshi struggle and cry miserably, the physician nearly collapsed from sheer terror.
What should have been minor pain became magnified many times over through nervousness and chaos. During those short few minutes, Mu Xueshi practically suffered through hell itself. He fainted from crying two or three times. Each time he regained consciousness and realized it still was not fixed, he clutched desperately at the Third Prince’s robes and begged not to continue.
The Third Prince himself was hardly any calmer. Even while holding Mu Xueshi’s ankle, his own hands trembled uncontrollably. Watching Mu Xueshi suffer so terribly felt like knives repeatedly slicing into his own heart. In that moment, he seemed even more distressed than Mu Xueshi himself.
Finally, the Third Prince completely lost patience. He kicked Imperial Physician Li clear across the room toward the doorway, then firmly restrained Mu Xueshi himself. Hardening his heart, he twisted the ankle sharply back into place.
Mu Xueshi let out a miserable scream before collapsing sobbing into the Third Prince’s arms.
“How is it?” the Third Prince asked tensely.
Mu Xueshi wanted desperately to ask why he had not simply done this earlier. But he no longer possessed even the strength to speak. He could only nod weakly to indicate it was fixed. Then his lips trembled before he burst into loud crying again, hoping to avoid the inevitable scolding afterward.
At this point, the Third Prince had no mood left to scold him at all. After driving the innocent Imperial Physician Li out of the room, he spent the rest of the time soothing Mu Xueshi instead. Aside from quietly reminding him not to hide such things again in the future, every other word from the Third Prince was gentle reassurance—words he rarely ever spoke.
Once Mu Xueshi finally calmed down, the Third Prince carefully wrapped medicinal bandages around his ankle. After tossing and turning for most of the night, the two of them finally fell asleep once more.
Futile Devices Scans 
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