Chapter Text
▫Minghao's house; 1248; 3:42 PM
Minghao’s POV:
I hate these times. The wind blows cruelly.. add the rain to it, and I swear it’s a disaster! My feet, protected by boots, sink into the mud as my hands grip the wheelbarrow to push it forward. My hair takes the wind so much that I lose my hat. I must make sure it doesn’t fly away - it’s the only one I have. Cursed wind..
-Minghao, come over here! called my father’s voice from afar (I would recognize it among a thousand).
I push the wheelbarrow to the end, then exhale before stopping. That’s one thing done. The storage is almost full; I’m afraid my father will have to handle the rest.. This day is far from over.
-I’m coming right away! I answered him while emptying the wheelbarrow (it’s just a heap of plants).
Yes, my father is a peasant. To be honest, he doesn’t really have a choice, and I understand our situation. That’s why I help him. I take care of everything he can’t. My poor dad, he’s not twenty anymore. Most of the time, for harvesting and sowing, it’s me who does it.
I rub my hands, then head out of the field toward our house. Why is it so cold? Someone clearly has something against us, but all in all, I won’t name names. The cruelty of this world.. Art, they said! Those upper-class rascals must be praying for our misfortune. I wouldn’t even be surprised if that were revealed..
My eyes close under the gusts of wind, forcing me to shield them with my hands. I felt my hat fly off, but I caught it with one hand while trying as best as I could to keep my gaze fixed ahead. Suddenly, my body hit something, stopping me in my tracks. I felt something strike my arm.. which translated into immense pain. My body staggered back, my eyes widened, and that’s when I realized.
I was clutching my arm with difficulty. No doubt, my end was near. I could have run into anyone.. but no. It had to be him. The Emperor. I recognized him instantly. What was he doing here?
I saw him coming closer to me, accompanied by his henchmen, one of them holding a sword stained red. Is that my blood? This man will surely lock me up in the dungeon or execute me on the spot. His gaze was cold, fixed directly on me as if it was keeping me from fleeing.
My body trembled slightly, but never, oh never, would I have given up. Never would I have let it happen. Whether that person was an Emperor or a simple peasant!
With a wave of his hand, he cut short my thoughts and ordered his men to step back. Then, in a sharp voice, he declared:
-Make sure to stay out of my way. Next time, I won’t spare you.
His words echoed in my head, clear, unshakable. Impossible to reply. I was frozen, destabilized. One last look at me, then he turned on his heels and disappeared without another word. Me, I stayed there, short of breath, my arm bleeding. Drop after drop, my blood mixed with the damp earth. I watched him walk away, unable to understand.
Had I.. just been spared?
Can I know what just happened? Why, even after he’s gone, can’t I move at all? My body is wounded, and I could never show up before my father in this state.. We already have enough problems! I could have any reputation, any use, but not that of a burden. Never would I be treated as such, and certainly not because of this Emperor, as useful as a doormat.
-Minghao ! Minghao, my god, tell me you’re okay?! my father cried out in worry to my left. Had he witnessed the scene too?
I see him rushing toward me as I slowly regain my senses. He mustn’t notice.. The wind was still blowing, even stronger now. How could I forget it? It’s decided: from today on, I declare the wind my enemy.
-Minghao, come on, get inside! Don’t stay there, my father ordered, pulling me like a garbage bag back to our house.
We pass through the door and go inside without me being able to say a word. As always, even inside, it’s cold. What to believe? Nothing has changed; at the same time, if they stopped extorting our needs, we wouldn’t be here.
-You’re bleeding, Minghao. Go sit down, we must still have something.. in the kitchen, my father said, strangely anxious about the situation.
This is exactly EVERYTHING I wanted to avoid: sowing panic. I don’t want to add stress and another burden to my father; my mother is already sick.. I am by no means a priority!
-Dad, it’s fine, it’s nothing! I tried to make him understand as he rummaged through our cupboards.
-What do you want, Minghao? For it to get infected and have your arm cut off? he asked, turning to me with a box in his hand. No? Then go sit down.
I sighed, knowing full well I would have to give in. I sat down on a creaky wooden stool, reluctantly. I saw my father approach me without even looking at me. He had asked me to remove my shirt to treat me, which I did, thus revealing the extent of my wound. I hadn’t seen it from that angle.. That man hadn’t held back.
My father frowned as he brought cotton to my shoulder. Why so silent? I said I didn’t want it.. He doesn’t have to insist for me. It’s not a cut that will take my life…
-Don’t move, Minghao, otherwise it’s going to hurt more, my father warned me, as if the pain wasn’t already strong enough.
It burns, like acid being poured into my body. My breathing was rapid. I closed my eyes, thinking it would pass faster. What right did he have to raise his weapon against me? What a question.. Those rich people have all the rights over us.
-I’m sorry, I didn’t think he’d go after you, Minghao, he apologized as the pain became stronger when he pressed the cotton against my wound.
My mind stayed stuck on that last part. “Go after me”?
-I was stupid, Dad, I ran into him, I justified myself without understanding.
-I saw it.. he breathed, pausing. But you know, Dad has problems.. And yet.. the only thing I asked him was not to harm you.
Problems? With the Emperor? Why had he never told me? And why had he made that vow, specifically?
Is that why he spared me?