The Foolish General's Mute Spouse - Chapter 80

80: The Beggar

The visitor didn’t explain what had happened, only saying that the prince had summoned him and that he needed to return to the residence immediately.

Qi Ren was still preoccupied with the lantern, wanting to secure it for Fu Yu’an first. But fearing that something might have gone wrong in the palace—given the urgency in the messenger’s demeanor—he hesitated.

There was only one riddle left. As the person on stage recited the clue, Qi Ren ignored the anxious servant and quickly pondered before jotting down the answer.

Summer Solstice—”As enduring as the earth and heavens.” just like me and Yu’an!

He was the first to hand in his answer, leaping onto the stage with a light flourish of his martial arts.

The guard, seeing him still in the mood for riddles, hesitated over whether to reveal the truth.

Never mind—the mission came first.

“General… actually…”

He stepped forward and disclosed the real situation. Upon hearing it, Qi Ren was shocked and immediately abandoned all thoughts of the lantern, sprinting back toward the general’s residence.

After a few steps, he turned back and snatched the lantern, handing it to the guard.

“Keep this safe for me!”

If it turned out to be a misunderstanding, he’d still want to give Yu’an this lantern.

…

“Sir, we’ve arrived!”

The coachman reined in the horses and stopped. Xiao Zhu helped Fu Yu’an alight from the carriage.

Before them lay an entirely unfamiliar town. Though not as bustling as the capital, it was brimming with the warmth of everyday life—clean streets, vendors, and pedestrians coming and going.

They had set out from the capital. Fu Yu’an had sobered up somewhat after leaving the city, but he still didn’t regret leaving without a word.

It seemed he was determined to cut all ties with Qi Ren, leaving no trace for him to follow. The carriage they had taken from the capital departed once they reached Lezhou, and they hired another coachman, changing carriages multiple times along the way.

Finally arriving at Sizhou City, Xiao Zhu asked if they should continue northward. Fu Yu’an shook his head, saying it wasn’t necessary for now.

The coachman drove away, while Xiao Zhu carried their bundles, scanning the streets for an inn.

“Stop the thief! Catch the thief!”

Shouts erupted from behind, growing louder. Fu Yu’an turned to see a beggar darting recklessly through the crowd.

A group of burly men wielding tools chased after him. The beggar moved nimbly, slipping through gaps in the crowd until he reached Fu Yu’an.

New to the area, Fu Yu’an exchanged a glance with Xiao Zhu—neither of them intended to get involved.

Originally, he had sneaked out, so it was best to keep a low profile.

He was just about to step aside when the beggar boy tripped over his own feet and stumbled, falling right at his feet.

Fu Yu’an: “…”

That had to be on purpose!

The burly men behind him immediately swarmed over, grinning viciously as they yanked the boy up from the ground and slapped him hard across the face.

“Keep running, huh? Little brat runs pretty fast!”

The man spoke in a strange dialect, and Fu Yu’an’s heart clenched at the sound of that slap.

The boy was probably another pitiful orphan—small and frail, looking no older than seven or eight. Despite the cold weather, he was dressed in thin, tattered clothes, his ankles ringed with bruises. His face was obscured beneath a mess of tangled hair, filthy and unkempt.

Fu Yu’an couldn’t bear it. He had been beaten and bullied by the Crown Prince’s faction in just the same way when he was young, just as helpless.

Xiao Zhu noticed his pained expression and sighed helplessly before stepping forward to mediate with a slight bow.

“Sir, please go easy on him. How much did this child steal from you?”

“Go easy? This little thief has stolen an entire basket of buns from my shop! The last few times, we let it slide out of pity, but he can’t just keep stealing every day!”

Fu Yu’an relaxed slightly—it was only a basket of buns.

He pulled out some loose silver and handed it over, negotiating politely, “This money is my compensation for the child. Please spare him, sir!”

The men exchanged uncertain glances. This city had suddenly gained a young master dressed in fine silks, speaking the official dialect of the capital—clearly someone wealthy or noble, not to be trifled with.

Assuming he was just a rich fool with money to burn, they took the silver, not wanting to offend him. Still, they glared at the beggar boy and issued a few more threats before finally putting away their tools and leaving.

The onlookers, seeing no further drama, dispersed as well.

Fu Yu’an helped the child up. The boy kept his head low, muttering a soft “thank you.”

Xiao Zhu looked uneasy and quietly urged him not to meddle in unnecessary trouble.

But Fu Yu’an paid no mind. Instead, he crouched down to the boy’s level and asked gently, “What’s your name? Do you have any family left?”

“N-no… none… They… they call me… Stutterer… I have… a dog.”

Stutterer—he really did stutter.

His words came out haltingly, and he shrank back timidly, afraid to get too close.

“Y-you’re… a good person, sir… but I… I had no choice… I stole…”

“How old are you?”

“Master!” Xiao Zhu raised her voice, sounding anxious. “You couldn’t possibly be thinking of having him serve you, could you?”

Although it was certain that new maids and servants would need to be hired, this one right here… didn’t look like he could handle heavy work at all.

And he had sticky fingers.

Fu Yu’an, however, didn’t seem to mind and waved his hand to stop her from continuing.

The little stutterer counted on his fingers and answered softly, “Twelve… almost thirteen… I… I used to study before… but my family… had an accident, so…”

His words were clear, without any strange local accents—perhaps he had once been a young master from some household.

Fu Yu’an wasn’t in the mood to lament the unpredictability of fate, but he couldn’t help feeling a sense of kinship, as if they were both souls adrift in the same vast world.

“How about becoming my study companion? I’ll provide food, lodging, and even pay you wages.”

Xiao Zhu clicked her tongue in despair.

There was no talking him out of this.

The little stutterer was overjoyed, his eyes reddening as he nodded emphatically.

Only then did Fu Yu’an finally get a clear look at his eyes—they were strikingly clear and bright.

“Bring your dog along, then! Did you go by ‘little stutterer’ before too?”

The boy shook his head. “I’ve… always stuttered… I probably… had a name before, but… no one ever called me by it.”

Fu Yu’an took his hand and sighed. “Then let me give you a name. How about Si Qi?”

Xiao Zhu: “?!”

He really couldn’t let go!

The child was delighted, sniffling as he cheered, “I… I understand! The teacher said… it’s from ‘when you see virtue, think of equaling it’… I know!”

Fu Yu’an froze for a moment, then smiled bitterly and nodded. “Yes, that’s the one. You’re very clever.”

Xiao Zhu followed behind, watching his despondent expression, unsure whether she should try to console him further.

But she had already said everything she could on the road. Since he had decided to leave, she figured he would eventually move on in his own time.

There was no point in saying more.

Originally, they had planned to travel further north, but now that they’d picked up this child, it seemed His Highness intended to stay put for a while.

Xiao Zhu knew it was useless to argue with him now, so she arranged for an inn where they could bathe and rest.

The General must be furious right now—His Highness’s reckless actions were surely driven by unspoken pain.

After closing the door and returning to her own room, Xiao Zhu weighed her options and finally decided to send a letter to the capital.

She would address it to Li Ke—that way, she could justify it to His Highness if needed.