bayedsolid Chapter 629 The Prince’s Thoughts
Chapter 629 The Prince’s Thoughts
Li Jingyou staggered to a relatively flat open space with great difficulty. He could no longer hold on and sat down, breathing heavily. His clothes had already been soaked with sweat and stuck tightly to his body, outlining his exhausted figure.
He felt a burning pain on the inside of his legs, which became stronger and stronger, constantly attacking his nerves.
He didn't even need to lower his head to check; just from the unbearable pain, he could clearly feel that the skin between his legs must have been worn off.
At this moment, his pants had already been tightly stuck to his bloody flesh, as if they had become a part of his body. Every slight movement seemed to tear the wound, causing him to almost faint from the pain.
Li Jingyou clenched his teeth, veins popped out on his forehead, and cold sweat kept dripping from his temples.
He slowly stretched out his trembling hand and carefully lifted up the pants that were clinging to his skin.
As his pants were lifted up, the piercing pain instantly intensified, causing his facial features to twist together, his teeth to bare, and he couldn't help but let out a hissing sound, which was full of pain.
In this extremely difficult time, even though he was the Crown Prince of the Tang Dynasty and had an extremely noble status, no one came forward to serve him.
Those veterans who had been through many battles had seen countless lives and deaths, and were accustomed to this kind of pain. There was determination in their eyes. At this moment, they were busy sorting their equipment and turning a blind eye to Li Jingyou's pain.
The children of officials who usually lived a life of luxury were in an even more miserable state at this moment. They had grown up in luxury and had never experienced such hardship. Each of them was even more miserable than Li Jingyou. They were sitting on the side, cursing this damn march under their breath, and struggling to lift up their pants that were stuck to their skin, tears welling up in their eyes due to the pain.
Li Jingyou couldn't help but sigh in his heart. He had never felt that his identity as the crown prince was such a heavy burden as he did at this moment.
The peaceful and tranquil scene of Chang'an City involuntarily emerged in his mind. He wished he was just an ordinary citizen, able to move freely through the streets and alleys, return to his warm home, lie on the soft bed, have a good sleep, and forget all the pain he had suffered along the way.
But the reality does not allow him to escape at all. He is the crown prince of the Tang Dynasty and the future heir to the Tang Dynasty. He shoulders the face of the royal family.
Even though he felt remorseful deep down, he had to pretend to be calm in front of everyone, showing the dignity that a prince should have, and not letting anyone see his vulnerability.
In this difficult time, it is time for him to lead by example and set an example for everyone else. He must straighten his back and persevere.
At this moment, Wang Wen held a water bag steadily in both hands and shuttled among the exhausted crowd.
He had a gentle expression on his face and a simple look in his eyes as he was earnestly distributing water to the children of officials.
When everyone took the water, they couldn't help but look at him in a daze, their eyes full of surprise.
You have to know that Wang Wen is just an ordinary farmer's son. He seems out of place in this delegation full of children of high-ranking officials.
Moreover, several children of officials had previously made things difficult for him by relying on their family background, but at this moment, Wang Wen seemed to have forgotten all the unpleasantness and continued to distribute the water to them equally, which made everyone surprised by his behavior.
When Wang Wen arrived in front of Li Jingyou, he first bowed slightly to Li Jingyou respectfully, then bowed slightly, with a humble smile on his face, and said softly: "Your Highness, drink some water. We have to continue our journey later."
Li Jingyou nodded slightly and reached out to take the water. At the same time, he couldn't help but ask curiously, "Wang Wen, your leg doesn't hurt?"
Wang Wen bowed to Li Jingyou again, his expression calm and his words neither humble nor arrogant: "Your Highness, I am used to it."
"I grew up in a poor family. My family made a living by farming. Every day before dawn, I would go to the fields with my parents to work. In addition to the heavy farm work, I was also responsible for herding cattle every day."
"When I was little, I spent almost the entire day riding on the back of a cow, wandering around the fields in the village."
"Over time, a thick layer of calluses formed on the sides of my legs."
"So now, riding a horse doesn't feel strenuous for me, and my legs don't hurt anymore."
"Your Highness is in pain because of your noble status. You live a life of luxury and your skin is delicate. Once you ride more often and develop calluses, you won't have to suffer this pain anymore."
Hearing Wang Wen's words, Li Jingyou's mouth curled up slightly, revealing a smile of sincere appreciation. He smiled and nodded, saying with emotion: "Not bad, Wang Wen, amazing!"
"It seems that as His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, I still have a lot to learn. I'm far behind you!"
"His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is serious."
Wang Wen responded modestly, then added, "Your Highness, I still have to go distribute water, so I'll take my leave now."
Li Jingyou nodded again and said gently, "Go."
Looking at Wang Wen's back as he walked away, Li Jingyou frowned slightly, and a thoughtful glimmer flashed in his eyes.
Although he is still young, his intelligence is far beyond his peers and he is very mature and steady.
He could see the key to many complicated things with just a little thought. Even his grandfather Li Shimin often praised him for his natural intelligence and divine appearance.
At this moment, he was thinking to himself that a delegation originally composed entirely of children of officials suddenly had a farmer's child sneak in. There must be a hidden meaning behind this.
Moreover, he had previously specially ordered a thorough investigation of Wang Wen. Wang Wen was originally just an ordinary rural youth, who was selected by the Jinyiwei from among the common people to become a rural representative.
But what was unexpected was that he unexpectedly met his father, and was then directly arranged by his father to join this delegation with an important mission.
This series of events is too strange. What exactly is my father planning?
Are they really planning to reuse this seemingly ordinary Wang Wen?
Others may find it difficult to notice the subtleties, but Li Jingyou, as a prince who grew up in the palace and has a certain understanding of his father's style of doing things and how to employ people, knows in his heart that although Wang Wen is just an inconspicuous country bumpkin now, for Wang Wen, this may just be a test from his father.
If Wang Wen can perform well and complete the task successfully during this mission, when he returns to Chang'an, his father will probably arrange an important position for him soon because of his father's love for talents.
By then, it would not be impossible for Wang Wen to rise to prominence.
As the crown prince, what he has to do is to integrate all the forces that can be united as much as possible and make full preparations for governing the Tang Dynasty in the future.
And at this moment, Wang Wen in front of him is undoubtedly an excellent target to win over.
If he could be brought into his own camp, he would surely be a powerful force in the court, greatly benefiting his position as crown prince and even his future rule after ascending the throne.