Chapter 21 Chapter 21 Prince

Regarding the herbal medicine "Take me away" of the Qiwuda people, there is a local saying: one leaf sleeps, two leaves relieve pain, and three leaves mercifully send people to the grave.I finally dozed off toward dawn, only to be woken up by Luresh again.He pushed open the sliding door that served as my door and rushed in, holding a rattling bottle of liquid in his hand, wearing loose, flowing clothing that was obviously a nightgown.I rolled quickly out of bed and managed to stop, with the bed frame between us.I had nowhere to go, sick and unarmed except for a small knife in my belt. "You're still alive!" he exclaimed in surprise, and walked towards me with the bottle. "Quick, drink this!" "I'd rather not drink it." I said to him, he moved forward and I stepped back.

Seeing my wary look, he paused slightly. "You took poison," he told me carefully. "You are still alive. It is a miracle of Chiranzuli. This bottle contains laxatives, which can expel the poison from your body. If you drink it, you may still have a chance to live." "My body There is nothing to arrange here." I told him bluntly, then my whole body trembled, and I quickly supported a table. "I knew I was poisoned when I left you last night." "You didn't tell me anything?" He looked in disbelief, then turned around and walked back to the door, when Ke Tricken poked her head timidly by the door, her braids were disheveled, her eyes were red from crying. "Finally, there is still room for redemption, although it is not thanks to you." Her brother said to her in a stern tone. "Go, use the leftover meat from last night to make him a bowl of salty soup, and bring me a sweet cake, enough for the two of us. There is also tea. Go, you silly girl!" Ke Cui Ken scurries away like a child, and Ruresh gestures toward the bed. "Come on, please trust me and sit down. If you shake like that, you'll overturn the table. I'm being honest with you now, Fitz Horseman. You and I don't have time to distrust each other. We have There are many things that need to be discussed." I sat down, not entirely because I trusted him, but because I was afraid that I would lose my standing and fall down.Lu Ruishi was not too polite, and sat down at the end of the bed. "My sister," he said gravely, "is too impulsive. I'm afraid poor Verity will find her more of a young girl than a woman, and that's largely my fault, because I spoiled her. However, although this can explain her feelings for me, it cannot be used as an excuse for her to poison a guest. Especially since she is about to marry the guest's uncle, it shouldn't be. "From the perspective of the person who was poisoned, I probably think that this matter should not be done at any time." I said, Lu Ruishi raised his head and laughed. "You are very much like your father, and I'm sure he would have said the same thing under the circumstances. But I must explain things. She came to me a few days ago and told me that you came here to kill me, I told her it's none of her business and I'll take care of it myself. But, like I said, she's very impulsive, and she did it yesterday when she got the chance, without thinking about what a guest would do if she died. What is the impact of the carefully negotiated marriage? She only wants to get rid of you first, so that she will not be responsible to the Six Principalities after she makes the marriage vows. She can't do this kind of thing. She took you so quickly Go to the garden, I should have guessed something was wrong." "That herb she gave me?" He nodded, and I felt stupid. "However, after you ate the herb, you spoke to her very frankly and sincerely, which made her suspect that you could not be who she said she was. So she asked you directly, but you pretended not to listen. Got her word, so she started to doubt you again. But anyway, she shouldn't have waited all night to tell me what she did to you, and said she didn't know if it was right or wrong. A little apology." "It's too late to apologize, I've forgiven you," I heard myself say.Lu Ruishi looked at me. "That's what your father used to say, too." He glanced toward the door, and Kettricken appeared just a second later.After she came in, he closed the sliding door and took the tray from her hand. "Sit down," he said to her sternly, "and watch me deal with assassins in a different way." He picked up a heavy cup from the tray, took a long swig before handing it to me, and turned to Kettricken again. Glanced. "If there's poison in this cup, you'll kill your brother now." He broke an apple pie into three pieces. "You pick one," he said to me, and took the one I picked for himself, and handed the second one to Kettricken. "That way you can be sure that the food is okay." "Since you have come to tell me that I was poisoned last night, I think it is really unlikely that you will poison me now." I admit, but my taste buds Still, stay alert and look for any slightly off-kilter smells.But there was nothing wrong with the taste, a delicious, layered pie filled with ripe apple filling and spices that would have tasted delicious even if my stomach hadn't been so empty. "That's right." Lu Ruishi said inarticulately, and then swallowed what was in his mouth. "If you're an assassin"—he said, throwing a warning glance at Kettricken, telling her to shut up—"that's exactly what you're in. Sometimes murder is only murder when people don't know it's murder." Killing me is the way to go. If you kill me now, in fact, if I die in the next 6 months, Kettricken and Osmanthus will be screaming that I was killed Assassinated. This is not a good foundation for the alliance between the two countries, don't you think?"

I tried to nod my head.The hot soup in the mug has stopped my shivers, and this sweet pie is delicious. "So! We all agree that even if you are an assassin, it would be no good to kill me now. In fact, if I die, you will have a lot to lose, because my father is not as serious about this alliance as I am." Such a positive view. Oh, he knows it's wise to do it, at least for the time being; but I think it's not just wise, it's necessary." "Say that to Shrewd for me. Our population is growing , but there is only so much land that can be cultivated, and so are the number of people who can subsist on hunting wild animals. A country must one day be open to trade, especially one as rocky and mountainous as ours. As you may have heard, according to According to the tradition of Jieangpe, the rulers serve the people? Well, the way I serve them is this: I marry off my beloved sister, hoping to exchange grain, trade routes, and flat land for my people goods, and, wishing to give them the right to graze on your lands when the weather is cold and our meadows are covered with snow. For this I will also give you timber, which Verity will need with those large, straight lumber to build warships. Our mountains grow white oak that you have never seen. My father would have rejected this because he was old fashioned and would not cut down living trees He, like Regal, sees your shores a burden, your seas a great hindrance, but I, like your father, see the seas as a broad road leading in every direction, you The coast is the way we get on that road. And I don't see anything wrong with using up the trees that are washed down by the floods and blown down by storms every year."

For a moment I held my breath.This is a big concession.I found myself nodding in agreement with what he said. "So, will you take my words to King Shrewd? Tell him he would be better off with me alive as his ally?" I can't think of any reason to disagree. "Aren't you going to ask him if he meant to poison you in the first place?" Kettricken demanded. "If he answers yes, you'll never trust him; if he answers no, you probably won't trust him either, thinking he's not just an assassin but a liar. Besides, there's a man in this room who admits to poisoning , Isn't that enough?" Kettricken lowered her head, her cheeks flushed.

"Come on," said Lu Ruishi, offering her a conciliatory hand. "With a full day of festivities today, our guest doesn't have much time to rest and we shouldn't be bothering him anymore. And it's time for us to go to our room before the whole family starts wondering why we're here in our pajamas run." So they left, leaving me in bed wondering.What kind of person am I facing now?Can I trust their frank honesty?Or was it a great hoax, for God knows what purpose?I wish Chade was here, I feel more and more that all is not what it seems.I dare not take a nap, because I know that if I fall asleep, I'm afraid I won't be able to get up again until dark.A servant soon arrived with jugs of warm and cold water, and a plate of fruit and cheese.I reminded myself that these "servants" were probably all of higher birth than I was, so I treated each of them with great courtesy.Later I wondered if this was the secret to keeping the family harmonious, that is, treating each other with the same courtesy whether they were servants or members of the royal family.

This day is filled with many festivities.The main gate of the palace was thrown wide open, and the people came from every valley and valley in the kingdom of mountains to witness the princess taking the oath.Poets and minstrel performances, more gift exchanges, including those botanical books and herb cocoons and herb seeds that I also officially presented.Livestock brought in for breeding from the six duchies are exhibited and redistributed to those most in need, or most likely to succeed in breeding, for example a whole village may collectively receive a ram or A bull, plus one or two ewes or cows.All gifts, whether birds, beasts, grain, or metal, were sent to the palace to be displayed for all to admire and admire.

Burrich is here too, the first time I've seen him in days.He must have been up before dawn to have his horses so well groomed, every hoof freshly oiled, every mane and tail braided with bright ribbons and bell ties .The mare to be given to Kettricken was clad in the finest leather harness, with numerous little silver bells fastened to her mane and tail, which jingled sweetly with each flick of her tail.Our horses were not like the little shaggy things in the mountains, and they attracted a lot of crowds. Burrich looked tired but proud, and the horses he was in charge of stood calmly amidst the din.It took Kettricken admiring her mare for a while, and I saw Burrich gradually thaw out of her polite and respectful attitude, less reserved and cold.As I moved closer, I was surprised to hear him speaking in Chiuda, a little fluently but clearly.

But another thing that surprised me even more happened that afternoon.The food was laid out on long tables and was freely available to all, including those who lived in the palace and the visitors who came to visit.Much of the food was prepared by the kitchen in the palace, but more was brought by the mountain people themselves. They stepped forward without hesitation and set out rounds of cheese, loaves of dark bread, dried meat or smoked meat. Meat, pickles, or a bowl of fruit.I would have moved my index finger, but my stomach was still upset.But what impresses me the most is their attitude of bringing out food. Between royal family members and subjects, there is no doubt or hesitation whether it is the person who takes it or the person who provides it.I also noticed that there weren't any sentries or guards at the gate of the palace, everyone was walking around talking while eating.

At noon, the crowd fell silent, and Princess Kettricken walked up to the central dais alone.She announced to everyone in simple words that now she belongs to the six principalities and hopes to serve that land well.She is grateful for what her native land has done for her, for growing food to feed her, for drinking water from ice and rivers, and for the breeze and air in the mountains.She reminded everyone that she had changed her allegiance not because she didn't love the land, but because she hoped it would benefit both lands.There was silence as she spoke and stepped off the dais before the festivities resumed.

Lu Ruishi came to see me to see how I was doing.I did my best to assure him that I was fully recovered, despite the fact that I was craving sleep.The dress Master Ji Jingfeng made for me was the latest fashion in the court, with very inconvenient sleeves, long tassels that would get in the way of whatever I wanted to do or eat, and a waist that was uncomfortably tight.I really want to get out of the crowd and find a place to loosen a few straps and remove the collar, but if I leave now, when I report to Chade he will frown and demand that I should know what happened in my absence thing.I think Ruresh sensed that I needed a little quiet when he suddenly suggested that we go for a walk to his kennel together. "A few years ago, my dog ​​had a bit more blood from the six principalities. I'll take you to see the results."

We left the palace and walked a short distance to a long, low building.The fresh air clears my mind and lifts my spirits.He took me into the house, and there was a bitch in a pen with a litter of red puppies.They were healthy little things, with shiny fur, biting and rolling in a ball in the straw.They came running right away, not afraid of us at all. "These puppies are Buckkeep breed, and they won't lose their scent when it's pouring," he told me proudly.He then took me to see other breeds, including a very small dog with 4 lean, strong legs that he said could chase prey all the way up a tree. We came out of his kennel and out into the sun, where an old dog was sleeping on a pile of straw. "Go back to sleep, old guy. You've had enough puppies, and you don't need to hunt anymore, but you really like hunting." Lu Ruishi said to it kindly.Hearing the master's voice, the old hound stood up with support, came over and leaned against Lu Ruishi lovingly, and looked up at me.It is a big nose. I stared at it, and its copper mine eyes looked back at me.I approached it softly, and for a moment it was only confused, then a wave of warmth came over it, and it remembered the emotions we had shared.He definitely belongs to Ruresh now, and the deep, strong bond between us is gone, but he still returns me with an abundance of kindness and memories of when we were both puppies.I knelt down on one knee, stroking the shaggy red fur of my body, and looking into the eyes that were beginning to cloud with age.With physical contact, our deep connection was the same as before in an instant.I know he's dozing comfortably in the sun, but it won't take much to convince him to go hunting with him, especially if Ruresh is with him.I patted it on the back, backed away, and raised my head to find Lu Ruishi looking at me with strange eyes. "I've known him since he was a puppy," I told him. "Many years ago, Burrich gave it to a wandering clerk to bring it to me," Ruresh told me. "It brings me great joy, to be with me, to hunt with me." "You are lucky to have it," I said.We left there and strolled back to the palace, but as soon as Ruresh left me I went to Burrich.He had just been given permission to take the horses out into the open as I walked past, for even the calmest horses can become restless among many strangers who are in close quarters.I can see his problem: when he takes the horse out, the other horses left here are left unattended.I approached him and he looked up with a wary look. "If you allow, I'd like to help you lead them out," I said.Burrich's face remained impassive and polite, but before he could speak, a voice behind me said, "This is my business, my lord. You might stain your sleeves or overwork yourself if you try to tend the livestock. I turned around slowly, stunned by the bitterness in Cobb's voice.I looked at him, then at Burrich, but Burrich didn't speak.I watched Burrich steadily. "Then, if I can, I'll go with you, because I have something very important to talk to you about." I deliberately said it formally and formally.Burrich stared at me for another moment. "Bring the princess' mare," he said at last, "and the bay filly. I'll get the gray ones. Cobb, watch the other horses for me, and I'll be right there return." So I took the bridle of the mare and the reins of the filly, and followed Burrich, who slowly led the horse through the crowd and out the door. "There's a grazing meadow, go this way," was all he said.We walked in silence for a while.After leaving the palace, the crowd soon became less crowded.The sound of horses' hooves on the ground is sweet.We came to the grazing meadow with a little barn and a tack room beyond.For a while it almost seemed normal to be back at Burrich's work as I unsaddled the mare and wiped the nervous sweat off the mare while he poured the grain we had brought into the feed box for the mare. they eat. "It's so beautiful." I said in admiration. "From Sir Lynger's horses?" "Yes." He cut off the conversation. "You said you had something to talk to me about." I took a deep breath and said in simple words, "I just saw Big Nose, and it's fine. He's old now, but he's lived a happy life. Burrich, for all these years I've thought you killed it that night. Smashed its head, slit its throat, strangled it - I've imagined a dozen possibilities, thousands and hundreds of times. It's been that way for so many years." He looked at me incredulously. "You believe I'm going to kill a dog for something wrong you did?" "I just know it's gone, and I can't imagine any other way. I thought killing it was your way of punishing me." For a long time, he did not move.Finally he looked up at me and I could see his struggle. "You must have hated me." "And afraid of you." "All these years? Don't you know me a little better and never think, 'He wouldn't do that'?" I slowly Shake your head. "Oh, Fitz," he said sadly.One of the horses came up and nuzzled him, and he patted it absently. "I thought you were stubborn and awkward. You thought you were being treated terribly unfairly. No wonder we've been getting on so badly." "There's still time to fix it," I said quietly. "I miss you a lot during this time, you know. I miss you so much, despite all the differences we have." I watched him think, and for a moment I thought he would smile and slap me on the shoulder and tell me to bring the other horses.But his expression calmed down, and then turned firm. "But you did it all the same. You believed me to do something that would kill an animal you treated with wit, but you did it anyway." "My opinion on the matter Not like you," I said, but he shook his head. "We better separate, boy, it's better for both of us. If you don't understand at all, there can be no misunderstanding. I can never approve or ignore the kind of things you do. Never. Wait until you can Say you'll never do that again, come to me again, and I'll believe you because you've never said anything to me. But until that day comes, we'd better separate." He walked back to lead the other horses, leaving me standing by the grass.I stood for a long time, feeling sick and tired, and not just because Kettricken had poisoned me.But I went back to the palace, walked around, talked to people, ate, and even silently endured Cobb's mocking triumphant smile at me. That day felt longer than any two days in my life combined.If it weren't for my heartburn and gurgling, I must have found all this stimulating and appealing.In the afternoon and evening there were friendly games in archery, wrestling, and running, with participants of all ages and sexes, and it seems that there is a tradition in the mountains that winning such games on such auspicious and festive occasions brings a Good luck all year long.Then there was more food, and singing, and dancing, and something like a puppet show, but performed with shadows cast on a silk screen.By the time people start quitting and going back to their rooms, I can't wait to go to bed.It was such a relief to be able to close the sliding door to my room and be alone.I was taking off that annoying shirt, thinking what a strange day it was, when there was a light knock on the door. Before I could open the door, Sevron pushed open the sliding door and got in. "Regal summons you to meet him," he told me. "Now?" I said sternly. "Why else would he send me now?" Sevren demanded. Wearily I put my shirt back on and followed him out of the room.Regal's room is on the higher floor of the palace, it's not really the second floor, it's more like a wooden terrace built on the side of the hall.The walls of the room were curtains, and there was also a sort of balcony where he could stand and look down before going downstairs.These rooms are much more ornately decorated, with some motifs clearly in the Chiuddist style, such as brightly colored birds painted on silk screens and statuettes carved in amber, but many tapestry tapestries, statues, and draperies appear to me to be It seems that Emperor Zun got it for his own enjoyment.I stood in the front hall of his room waiting for him to take a shower, and when he came out in his pajamas, my eyelids were so heavy that I couldn't keep them open. "How?" he asked me. I looked at him expressionlessly. "You're the one who asked me." I reminded him. "Yes, that's right. I'd like to know why I need you. Don't you have some training in this? How long are you going to wait before reporting back to me?" I can't think of what to say.It never occurred to me to report to Regal.Reporting to Shrewd or Chedd was a given, as was Verity.But Regal? "Do I need to remind you about your duties? Report!" I hastily gathered my thoughts. "Do you want my observations of the Ziudans as a people? Information about the herbs they grow? Or—" "I want to know how your... mission is going. Have you taken action? You Have a plan? When will we see the result and what kind of result? I don't want the prince to die at my feet like this, but I am not prepared." I couldn't believe what I was hearing.Shrewd had never spoken so rudely and openly about my work, and even when we were completely alone he would hint in circles and let me draw my own conclusions.I had seen Sevren walk into his other room earlier, but I had no idea where the man was now or how sound proof his room was.Regal spoke as if we were discussing shoeing a horse. "Are you arrogant or stupid?" Regal demanded. "Neither." I replied as politely as I could. "I am trying to be cautious, Your Highness." I added this last sentence, hoping to make this conversation a little more formal. "Your prudence is too foolish. I trust my valet, there is no one else here, so go ahead and report, my little bastard assassin." Judging from the tone of the last sentence, he seemed to think it was clever And sarcastic. I took a breath and reminded myself that I was a citizen of my prince, and that he was the closest thing to a king at this time and this place.I choose my words carefully. "Yesterday, Princess Kettricken told me in the garden that you told her that I was a poisoned assassin and that her brother Ruris was my target." "She lied," Regal said immediately. "I've never said anything like that to her. Either you clumsily revealed who you were, or she was just snooping on you. I hope you didn't ruin everything by revealing who you were to her." His lying technique is much worse than mine.I ignored what he said, and went on, giving him a full report of how I was poisoned, how Ruresh and Kettricken came to my room early in the morning, and more. Our conversation was repeated verbatim.After I finished speaking, Regal looked at his nails for several minutes before speaking. "Have you decided when and how to do it?" I tried not to show my surprise. "Under the circumstances, I think it's best to give up on the mission." "No guts." Emperor Zun said contemptuously. "I told my father to send that old whore, Lady Thyme, who would have sent him to his grave." "My lord?" I said in a questioning tone.He referred to Chade as Lady Thyme, making me almost sure he knew nothing.Of course he was suspicious, but revealing Chade's identity was definitely not my thing. "My lord?" Regal imitated my words, and it was the first time I realized that he was drunk.In terms of appearance and movements, he maintained himself very well, and there was no smell of alcohol on his body, but the smell of alcohol clearly revealed his narrow-mindedness.He sighed heavily, seemingly speechless in disgust, and lay down on a recliner covered with blankets and cushions. "Nothing has changed," he told me. "It's been given to you, and you do it. If you're smart enough, you can make things look like accidents. You were so naive and honest with Kettricken and Ruris, neither of them expected you to be so open." Do. But I want you to hurry up and get it done by tomorrow night." "Before the wedding?" I asked in disbelief. "Don't you think the death of the bride's brother will cause her to cancel the wedding?" "If it does, it's only temporary. I've got her in good hands, and she's easy to coax. I'm responsible for that part of it, you The responsibility is to get rid of her brother. Well, what are you going to do?" "I don't know." That seems to be a better answer than "I'm not going to do it."I'm going back to Buckkeep to report to Shrewd and Chade, and if they say I'm wrong, then I'm at their disposal.But I remember Regal's own voice, long, long ago, quoting Shrewd.Don't do something you can't undo unless you've thought about what you can't do once you've done it. "Then when will you know?" he asked sarcastically. "I don't know." I pretended. "It cannot be done lightly. I need to study the man and his habits, explore his rooms' and know the habits of his servants. I've got to find a way—" "The wedding is only two days away. Regal interrupted. His eyes were a little out of focus. "I already know all the things you said you had to look up, so it's easier for me to plan for you."Come see me tomorrow night and I'll give you instructions.Remember, little bastard, I don't want you to do anything without coming to inform me.If you surprise me, I will be very upset and you will lose your life. ’ He looked up at me, but my face kept a careful blank. "You can go." He said to me with a regal attitude. "Report to me here at the same time tomorrow night. Don't let me send Sevron to you, he has more important work to do. And don't you think my father won't hear about your slack, he will I heard that he will regret not sending that bitch Thyme to do this little job." He leaned back heavily and yawned, I smelled the smell of alcohol and faint smoke, and wondered Did he start to follow his mother's habits too. I went back to my room, intending to mull over all my options and draw up a plan.But I was so tired, and not fully recovered, that I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.