Transmigrating Between Two Worlds

Chapter 5- Li Xian

Chapter 5- Li Xian

Li Xian grew up living a life of luxury in a big, loving family or at least to an observer, it would seem so. The dutiful second son of the crown prince of the Bai kingdom, the king's beloved grandson. The only son born to the crown princess who passed from a mysterious illness soon after his birth, he was raised by his father's noble consort, his loving stepmother and the mother to his elder stepbrother.

Li Xian was outstanding in martial arts and literature. None of his siblings were able to perform at par with him in terms of mental and physical strength. At the age of 17, on the recommendation of his royal tutor, he was sent to the more scientifically advanced neighbouring Chen kingdom as a delegate and academic representative to gain an education at their renowned scholarly academy. He was a top student and was able to become an honorary palace scholar. The King of the Chen kingdom, impressed by his political strategies and problem-solving skills, had bestowed him with the royal scholarly seal.

The Chen king wrote to the Bai kingdom praising the young prince. His presence in the Chen Kingdom was a testament to the diplomatic ties that the two kingdoms once had.

His father was soon to become the Bai king; Xian was set to be the Grand Crown Prince, no longer 3rd in line for the throne; he would have become the next king. He was adored by everyone around the palace. Upon returning to the Bai Kingdom two years later, Xian had won the favour of most of the ministers, he was supposed to marry the daughter of his nation's prime minister. Everything had been going in his favour with the exception of facing some fatigue. He was grateful to Budhha until one fateful night, the night of his 20th birthday day, on a day out with his little sister whom he doted on; an assassination attempt was made to eliminate him.

Narrowly avoiding a poisoned arrow to his heart, he succumbed to a poisonous arrow that pierced his right leg. Having his guards save his injured sister. Just Xian, his trusted bodyguard Liang and Ruzi were able to fend off the men sent to take Xian's life. Even with the poison slowly spreading through his veins, he was able to defend himself. Xian's guard and childhood best friend, Liang, lost his life that night in an effort to shield Xian from the attackers.

The assassin was never captured. He didn't know who had betrayed him, or rather, he didn't want to believe it; the young prince had snuck out of the palace, and his dear stepmother was the only person aware of his whereabouts that night. Xian knew he couldn't return to the palace, for he mustn't trust anyone or endanger anyone else until he was able to recuperate and investigate the matter.

How that night ended became a blur to Xian, but Ruzi was able to help Xian escape to his aunt's house, where his wounds were treated. For the next few days, the pair were chased, constantly afraid for their lives, but they made it to a remote village on the border of the Chen Kingdom, where Xian decided to lay low and recover.

He was safe in the Chen Kingdom, as the harsh military made it hard for outsiders to enter. They only let Xian in because he possessed their king's scholarly seal, which confirmed his identity as an asset to the country. His luck had favoured him one last time, and he was in possession of the seal on the night of the incident.

With the help of Ruzi and some of his loyalists, Xian was able to maintain some contact with the Bai palace; he was sure that his stepmother and stepbrother had conspired against him for the impending title of crown prince. His disappearance was marked as a tragedy carried out by hooligans who robbed the prince in the bazaar, and Xian valiantly saved his sister with his life. He had been declared dead, and a commoner's corpse was used to execute this plan. When he was first receiving treatment from the physician in the Chen kingdom city of Suzhou, he was informed that he had been slowly poisoned for months, perhaps through food. The ground beneath his feet felt like it was usurping him. He did not know how many people had been after his life. He couldn't simply return to the palace, for his life would still be in danger, and anyone related to him would also have to struggle.

Xian also felt his father, the crown prince, favoured his first son, Xian's stepbrother Junfeng. Perhaps his father always felt that he was the reason the crown princess passed. After Xian's birth, her descent into illness began. Xian was his grandfather's favourite, and his grandfather must have been devastated.

A part of Xian just wanted to peacefully spend the last of his days in the Chen kingdom, but his royal blood would boil at the thought of the betrayal he had faced. His friend Liang's death would be in vain if he didn't take back what was rightfully always his. How far would he be able to go with his lame leg? These thoughts plagued his mind. He was caught up in an internal battle. All he knew was that he had to avenge Liang. Liang was like his brother, who had accompanied him and Ruzi to the scholar academy. Growing up, Xian was always left out of the activities of the other royal children, Ruzi and Liang were his only true friends whom he spent the most time with. He met the two when he had snuck out of the palace to steal peaches. They were both children of laundry maids so they were generally in the vicinity of the palace Xian lived in.

Although they were both of low birth, they were the only kids who would agree to play with him. He had always been isolated in the palace. Once they were old enough, both Liang and Ruzi cleared the military exam and entered the palace. Xian was able to have them transferred to his side as his personal guard. The three of them were each other's family. The beautiful canals in the city of Suzhou always remind Xian of the simpler times he had spent in the Chen kingdom.

Xian tried his best to regain as much of his health as possible; he practised martial arts again with Ruzi's help. Ruzi was like a pillar in this chapter of Xian's life for he had also lost a brother, but he supported Xian through his recovery. It had been extremely difficult to help Xian rehabilitate his leg. An ordinary man would succumb to such grievous injuries but the inner strength Prince Xian cultivated through martial arts stabilised his core and his willpower kept him alive.

Xian could somewhat walk and even engage in martial arts again. He became an asset to the Litchi village, where he took refuge. The people were simple and kind additionally, his favourite tea was also grown here. He was merely a kind, sickly scholar with a lame leg to them. Some people took pity on him, and others respected him. For the last one and a half years every night secretly and ardently, Xian practised martial arts, and he had even taken more of a liking to archery as it eased the burden on his leg. Xian's right leg below his knee felt like he was carrying the weight of a rock that constantly burned like it was ablaze. The pain was no joke. It would always stay there, reminding him of everything he had lost. Xian didn't want people to know about his martial arts abilities He deliberately wanted them to stay unaware. He didn't want anyone to perceive him as a threat, so he exaggerated some symptoms of his poor health.

He had to use his real name, as the king's seal granted him access here, and scholar identity was tied to his actual name.

Only two nights before he was married to Lanhua, he had survived being looted by bandits on his way to the city. The wound that festered on his chest that was treated by Lan Hua was a result of that ordeal.

Who was Lan Hua anyway? He could not trust her so easily, and if he did trust her, she would be put in danger. His enemies from home were hell-bent on finishing what they started, so they would definitely come after him to finally eliminate him.

This woman had made him laugh for the first time in years. She filled his dark and desolate world with a certain vibrance. She was intelligent, undoubtedly, and most certainly motivated by something, but she was not conniving. He was certain she was not like the pretentious people he had grown up with. This girl wore her heart on her sleeve. He had noticed her actions; in her efforts to disinfect his wound, she had burnt her fingertips from the pot of hot water. The very first day she met him, she fed him half the pudding, though her stomach growled the entire night. She held her own when she disagreed with him; upon looking at his leg, she didnt hesitate in touching it. A lady from the village had mistakenly caught a glimpse of his leg and had fainted on the spot. She was of noble birth, yet she did chores without hesitation, emptying the chamber pot, bathing him, pushing her frail body to the limit, and drawing buckets of water; she even made meals for both of them.

 She always had this look of fierceness in her eyes that he couldn't ignore, like she was from another world. She made him feel strange.