nucmednet Chapter 276 Patriots
Chapter 276 Patriots
The news of the crown prince's appointment spread like wildfire throughout Xianyang. Ying Wuyou naturally wouldn't miss it. Not only was it hotly debated within the heavily guarded Xianyang Palace, but even ordinary people in the streets and alleys outside the palace were whispering about it.
In the bustling and lively Qin First Restaurant, guests savored fine wine and delicacies while enthusiastically discussing the matter of appointing a crown prince. One of them shouted, "In my opinion, our king is currently in the prime of his life, full of vigor and strength. Why is there such a rush to appoint a crown prince? It must be those pedantic scholars who spend all day writing nonsense behind our backs!"
He had barely finished speaking when another person beside him strongly objected: "You can't say that! The Crown Prince is the future ruler of the country. Establishing the Crown Prince as soon as possible is absolutely beneficial to our Great Qin!"
At this moment, someone else stood up and retorted: "Hmph, what does the appointment of a crown prince have to do with us commoners? You silly boy, do you think the king will reduce your taxes after appointing a crown prince? Don't daydream!"
However, the person who had previously insisted that establishing a crown prince would be beneficial immediately retorted, "That's a misconception! We are all people of Qin. Only when the country becomes stronger can we, the common people, live better lives. So how can the matter of establishing a crown prince be unrelated to us?"
Upon hearing this, someone in the crowd burst into laughter, pointing at the man who had just given such a passionate speech and teasing him: "Hahaha, Wang Laowu, you're always talking about national affairs all day long. I think you're just too idle and have nothing else to do!"
The man called Wang Laowu was so angry that his face turned red. He slammed his fist on the table and shouted, "Where have I been idle? Is it wrong for me to care about the future and destiny of the Great Qin?" For a moment, the entire Great Qin Restaurant was filled with heated arguments and hearty laughter.
The others smiled and chimed in, "That's right, that's right!"
Upon hearing this, Wang Laowu turned pale with anger, his chest heaving violently. He cursed inwardly at these uncultured and clueless fellows, wondering how they could possibly understand his thoughts. The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. He angrily picked up the food and wine on the table, strode over to another table, sat down, and began to eat and drink by himself.
Seeing this, the crowd not only didn't stop laughing, but laughed even louder and louder. Just then, Ying Wuyou, standing upstairs, witnessed this scene. She stared at Wang Laowu with great interest for a while, a slight smile playing on her lips, thinking to herself: This Wang Laowu is quite interesting. Living in this era, to still possess such a strong sense of patriotism is truly rare. This man must be a talent. Thinking this, Ying Wuyou turned to the guard beside her and whispered a few instructions. The guard, after receiving the order, quickly turned and left.
Not long after, while Wang Laowu was quite tipsy, he suddenly felt someone tap his shoulder. He looked up blankly and saw a burly guard standing before him. Before he could react, the guard grabbed him, held his arm, and forcibly dragged him away from his seat. Wang Laowu was terrified; his legs trembled uncontrollably, and he stammered, "M-Sir, where...where are we taking me?" However, the guards did not answer his question, but simply led him expressionlessly towards the stairs.
Wang Laowu was led to the third floor with trepidation. This was the first time in his life he had ever set foot on the third floor! In the past, he had never even set foot on the second floor, only daring to order cheap drinks and snacks in the lobby on the first floor to occasionally satisfy his cravings. At this moment, being able to climb to the third floor of this first-class restaurant in the Qin Dynasty was like a dream to Wang Laowu. He was so nervous that his heart was about to jump out of his throat, and his legs were shaking more and more violently, as if he would collapse to the ground at any moment.
He knew all too well that those qualified to ascend to the second floor were all prominent and wealthy individuals, supposedly of the "to be criticized" caliber. Although Wang Laowu was completely unfamiliar with the term "to be criticized," he had heard others mention that only those "to be criticized" were qualified to set foot on the second floor. But Wang Laowu was so penniless that he couldn't even afford a few taels of silver; he was just an ordinary commoner through and through.
When Wang Laowu was a child, an innocent and carefree boy, he loved to play and frolic around the town. Those days were always filled with laughter and endless curiosity.
One day, sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows. Wang Laowu was strolling around a large tree as usual. Suddenly, he spotted several small, delicate bird eggs hidden among the branches, and a surge of excitement welled up inside him. He began to climb the tree, using both hands and feet, to collect the adorable eggs. However, just as he was about to succeed, disaster struck—he slipped and fell heavily from the tree.
The fall left Wang Laowu dazed and confused, but when he finally came to his senses, he was surprised to find a little boy about his age standing in front of him. The child looked pale and somewhat thin and weak, but his clothes were clean and tidy without a single patch.
The little boy looked at Wang Laowu curiously and whispered, "Who are you? What are you doing?" After some conversation, Wang Laowu learned that the boy's name was Liu Youqian. Liu Youqian's parents ran a small shop in town, doing odd jobs to make a living. Because Liu Youqian was frail and sickly from a young age, his family was very strict with him, and he was almost never allowed to step out of the house.
Hearing this, Wang Laowu felt a pang of sympathy. From that day on, the naturally restless Wang Laowu decided to help his new friend break free from his constraints. So, every day when Liu Youqian's family wasn't looking, Wang Laowu would quietly climb to the wall and softly call Liu Youqian's name. And every time, Liu Youqian would eagerly run over, his eyes shining with a longing for freedom.
Gradually, the two became inseparable friends. Wang Laowu would vividly recount to Liu Youqian all sorts of interesting things he encountered outside, such as the wonderful performances of street artists and the bustling markets; while Liu Youqian would patiently teach Wang Laowu to read and write, letting him appreciate the charm of knowledge. In this way, they accompanied each other and spent a wonderful and unforgettable childhood together.
Later, due to a fight, Wang Laowu was severely punished by his father, so badly beaten that he couldn't get out of bed for several days, and naturally had no time to go see Liu Youqian. After waiting for about ten days, Wang Laowu was finally able to get up and hurriedly went to Liu Youqian's house, eager to see his friend. However, when he arrived, he only saw an empty courtyard, without a single person in sight.
Wang Laowu was extremely anxious and hurriedly searched everywhere to inquire about the Liu family's whereabouts. After asking around for a long time, he finally learned from others that the family had moved away from this place, but no one knew where they had moved to. From that day on, Wang Laowu lost contact with Liu Youqian and never saw him again for the rest of his life.