Chapter 177 I'm your friend

Chapter 177 I'm your friend

The second time he saw him, Xue Yubai slipped a few white jade marbles through the crack in the door.

Xie Yan hid inside the door. Although his clothes were still relatively clean, they had long since faded and looked old.

The cuffs and collar are also damaged.

He stared at Xue Yubai with his clear, bright eyes, "Why give it to me?"

Xue Yubai was dressed in an elegant manner, with a fair complexion, and was no different from those noble princes.

“I saw you peeking through the crack in the door for a long time last time, so I suppose you like them. I’ve come today to give you a few.”

The jade bead in her hand was cool and round, and Xie Yan's eyelashes trembled.

Are you a prince?

Last time, he carried him back and even applied ointment to his wounds.

Xie Yan hadn't had a chance to ask him yet.

Xue Yubai squatted outside the door and solemnly introduced himself, "I am Xue Yubai, the eldest grandson of Grand Tutor Xue and the eldest son of Minister Xue."

It sounded impressive, but Xie Yan looked at his own tattered clothes, a stark contrast to the imposing figure.

He kept his eyes down, not daring to introduce himself at all.

However, he saved him and even gave him such a precious jade bead.

He had no choice but to tell him, and he only dared to tell him his name: "I... am called Xie Yan."

“I know your name.” Xue Yubai flashed a bright smile. “I have to go now. I’ll come see you again next time.”

"Next time?" Xie Yan was somewhat surprised.

"Yes!" He nodded seriously. "We're friends!"

friend?

Xie Yan's eyes flickered slightly, and the corners of his mouth curved up; he had a friend now.

…

After Xue Yubai left, he stroked the jade bead in his hand.

In this abandoned palace, there were only him and his mother, and the palace servants who brought him food.

And occasionally, the princes would play and run past his door.

This is his whole world.

Ever since Xue Yubai said he would come again next time, Xie Yan has been looking forward to it.

Young children yearn for friends and for interaction with their peers.

He spent his days peering through the crack in the door, hoping to catch a glimpse of Xue Yubai.

He kept his word and arrived half a month later.

With his mother's permission, he crawled out and played marbles with her in the front yard.

That was his happiest day.

Later on, Xue Yubai would come to see him every now and then.

Sometimes it's delicious food, sometimes it's sketchbooks, sometimes it's toys...

In this way, Xue Yubai almost became a ray of light in Xie Yan's darkness, illuminating his barren and limited childhood.

And so their friendship lasted until they were eight years old.

Their affair was eventually discovered by the other princes.

They invited many sons of nobles and officials to the front of the Hall of Abandoned Splendor.

They began pressuring Xue Yubai to choose sides: either play with them or play with him, the sinner.

At that time, Xie Yan's hands were trembling as he stood in opposition to them.

He looked at their splendid clothes and their large numbers, while he was all alone.

He was so poor and had a criminal record; how could Xue Yubai possibly choose him?

He had already come up with a reason for Xue Yubai in his mind.

Xue Yubai was forced into it. Even if he chose the princes, he was still Xie Yan's best friend, and Xie Yan wouldn't blame him.

But when Xue Yubai walked resolutely to his side, his heart was shaken, and he stared at him blankly.

Xue Yubai took his hand. "He is my good friend."

Before Xie Yan could react, the princes' lackeys rushed over and started fighting with them.

The battle was fierce. When he saw Xue Yubai being pushed down onto the stone pot where flowers were grown, his head was smashed open and blood was flowing freely.

He went mad; his small body unleashed unprecedented power, and he single-handedly overturned everyone.

Including those pampered princes, every single one of them bled.

Of course, he didn't get any credit either; there wasn't a single good spot on his body.

His bloodstains were everywhere on the ground in front of the courtyard.

This matter quickly alarmed the emperor and his court officials, and a large number of people came to the front of the Qihua Hall.

His identity has once again come into the public eye.

It was then that he learned he was actually a prince!

He was just a guilty prince, but what was his crime?

His mother didn't say anything, but he later found out from Xue Yubai.

It was probably because his mother offended the emperor that she was punished and imprisoned in this Qihua Palace.

He was punished after this incident.

Go and apologize to each of the princes.

He refused to go, believing he had done nothing wrong.

In the end, he and his mother were subjected to even harsher treatment.

That was a report from the entire harem.

What used to be normal food has turned into spoiled leftovers.

The palace servants who delivered the food also became ferocious, and every time they delivered food, they would pour it on the ground like feeding dogs and make them eat it.

At first, he and his mother would rather starve than eat, but later they discovered that they had truly been forgotten.

The empress was determined to torture them to death.

Finally, the mother fell ill after eating spoiled food and became seriously ill and bedridden.

His mother whispered in his ear that he should go to the emperor, because she was dead and he would get his revenge.

At that time, he did not understand the meaning behind his mother's words; he was only afraid that his mother would die.

He crawled out through the crack in the door, wearing dirty clothes, and used the palace map given to him by Xue Yubai and the darkness of night to evade the palace servants.

They successfully appeared at the Emperor's banquet.

That day, he witnessed the world's splendor, so dazzling that he felt dizzy.

Brilliant lights, magnificent palaces, exquisite costumes, and a table laden with delicious food.

His world seemed to be shocked, or as if it had been shattered.

So that's how they all lived their lives.

His mother, suffering from a serious illness and near death, lay on a broken bed in the Abandoned Palace because of leftover food.

His disheveled and dirty appearance was quickly noticed by the guards, who seized him and forbade him from approaching the distinguished people.

He knew this was his only chance to save his mother, and he couldn't afford to lose it.

He didn't know anyone here; only one name was in his mind.

He shouted loudly, "Xue Yubai, save me!"

Before he could utter that one shout, his mouth was covered by the guards, his body was suspended in the air, and he was dragged to the side.

His eyes were red with despair. He had lost his only chance to rescue his mother and was so frustrated that he hated himself.

"Stop!" Xue Yubai's voice rang out.

At that moment, his voice, like heavenly music, resonated throughout his life once more.

He still couldn't see the emperor. Xue Yubai told him to wait outside the palace, then returned with his grandfather, Grand Tutor Xue.

Hearing the urgency in his words and the words his mother had spoken, Grand Tutor Xue returned to the palace.

Afterwards, his mother received medical treatment, and their lives returned to normal.

Xie Yan knew that all of this was thanks to Xue Yubai and his grandfather who loved him very much.

After that, Xue Yubai started looking for him more and more frequently.

He later learned that because Xue Yubai had chosen him, no one was playing with him anymore.

Xie Yan felt extremely guilty.

He said he was not afraid, and that once he grew up and achieved great things, no one would dare to underestimate them.

A true man makes his voice heard through his strength.

Xie Yan also had a small wish in his heart: he wanted to leave this Abandoned Palace and change the status quo.

Xue Yubai seemed to know what he was thinking, so he brought him writing brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, and gave him his books to study.

Xie Yan's mother was teaching him, so he didn't find it difficult to learn.

Xue Yubai even took his article back to show his grandfather.

On a bright spring day, Xue Yubai brought good news.