The Horror of Fetishes
The Royal Physicians remained at home because they'll recover a bit for their journey back home. Beiqing is a MONTH away with magical beasts and carriages. The Physicians came here the privileged way, thanks to WHY they have to be in Daxia for.
They also got to talk to Lingyue about her occupation.
She's mostly a Pharmacist as she cannot be a full-time Alchemist due to how expensive materials are that herbs are within her paygrade and she never financially relied on Feng Shen during their 'friendship stage'. She's also a Brewmaster for a lady friend, 6th Prince's Alchemy Tutor for one hour, and teaching her orphans back home for three hours. And now due to what happened in the capital, a Doctor now!
'I think once the chaos here is over, I can go back to just three jobs.' Lingyue laughed. 'My work at school barely counts, it's a daily one-hour thing!'
'A tutor huh? How far is 6th Prince now?'
'He learns too fast that by next summer that's one job off my list.' Lingyue said. 'He's indeed Crown Prince material before he went crazy at a young age. However given the situation, he can only do the basics to about 3rd Grade as he must put most of his time in royal studies. He's Crown Prince again as 4th Prince's position was deeply shaken because of his mother's very-publicized crimes and he has to catch up to all subjects required of an Emperor.'
'That's a pretty big news...what will they do to that Consort?'
'Well, after some deliberation, her crimes are huge, so she'll be executed in an unknown date as of now. Because the Consorts she killed are from big-time families, it's a lot of politicking to appease those furious families, especially as Consort Luo's background is unknown...by noble standards, she's a nobody compared to the blue-blooded ladies and the princes she's killed. 4th Prince is fighting for her life supported by his tutor so they're not popular any time soon. Gossip gets to the hospital thanks to the maids as due to extreme skeletal force, we couldn't leave our post unless needed...because we have a lot of patients.'
'Wow...'
xxx
Back at Hospital...
Word spread that 'Princess Yue came back with her hair AWFULLY SHORT!' that she got paid a visit by worried Dowager.
'Princess Yue, what on earth happened to your hair?!' the dowager cried as Lingyue's hair is a layered, rounded bob.
'Ahahaha, Dao Nu wasn't kidding when he said Feng Shen's frost attacks are worser in winter...' Lingyue said sheepishly. 'My hair was iced up when I pushed a terrified maid away I had to hack it off and I'll be reliant on Hair-Growing Pills till New Year's day! Feng Shen gave me apology gifts, so it's OK.'
'Oh dear, we have heard of his illness but we never knew its causing enough damages during winter.' the dowager tut-tutted. The lad was a medicine pot all his life because of his cold poison and he hides in winter...with good reason. Apparently Princess Yue paid for that with her hair when she got called for Home Service!
'Guess they keep it low-key...'
'Thank goodness no social events this winter, it'll be awful if you have to come with short hair!' the old lady exclaimed. 'You absolutely have to come for Spring's Season as well, hopefully by then your hair is long as you'll be debuting as Princess!'
'Yes, your majesty.' said Lingyue sheepishly. It was thus, a very odd sight in the palace indeed to see a young woman with short hair who got it short for ahem, legal reasons, as her shortened hair was 'neatly cut and shaped', unlike Consort Luo's hair that was hacked brutally short and left uneven as only criminals get short hair hacked off by a large knife that she has a bald spot exposing the entire back of her head.
At the clinic...
'You're the only doctor who gives good wine that actually heals!' the injured patients were enjoying Lingyue's Rainbow Treasure Wine that the room smelled aromatic of the delicious treat. Her wine heals thanks to sacred phoenix's blessings in her Water Tile. Her patients can drink all they want, while undergoing therapy.
'Well, the wine I make is medicinal too...and it encourages stubborn patients into taking their pills.' said Lingyue with a strained smile as comical arrows stabbed the patients. 'Honestly, a doctor blackmailing patients with wine just so they'd take pills is pretty hilarious in a black comedy way...and has everyone written a letter for home yet? The Royal Courier will be here soon!'
"Come to think of it, I must file for another holiday again soon..."
She keeps an eye on the Hong House.
She and little Mingyue are as different as night and day.
Both are beautiful girls. Both started out with water upon becoming Reincarnation Realm.
But Lingyue is a level ahead of her and she's catching up!
Out of the question, dearie!
Armed with Red pills to her Yellow, she develops faster and faster.
In the meantime, she took out Thousand-Face Phoenix, Jing'er whom she named after Chrome. Jing meaning 'calm'.
'Jing'er, I need a favor from you.' Lingyue smiled. This timing is perfect.
4th Prince is getting too bold...and people in Daxia are in an uproar due to their missing little boys. It won't be long before people piece out clues that only boys with 'good faces' are taken.
She gave Jing'er instructions.
xxx
To the Emperor and various high officials and nobles among the Civilian Faction, Jing'er, disguised as a child goddess would speak to them in their bedrooms.
'Please help...help me save the children...they all died crying out in pain...' and she gave them directions to the 4th Prince's manor outside of the city.
Following the guidance of the goddess they all saw in their rooms, the king and his people quickly passed through more than half the city before finally stopping in front of a luxurious villa.
Seeing the massive force coming their way, the two guards standing post outside the doorway were both shocked and stunned. 'Who dares! This is His Royal Highness the Crown Princes place, unauthorized people are to leave immediately!'
But the King strode forward making the guards squirm at his presence.
'Why didn't I know my son had such a luxurious villa?' Separating into two isles, the royal guards consciously made room for the king to step forward.
This building was extremely luxurious, yet the king himself had never once heard a word about such an estate from his son. Even so, this wasn't the main issue, its the fact that the boy didn't remain inside the palace every day in his quarters after politically fighting for his mother when he's on house arrest, yet blatantly breaking the rules. This sort of poor behavior left the king very dissatisfied.
When realizing who the man was, the two guards knew things were serious now. In their urgency, one of the men winked at the other in an attempt to signal they must send a warning to the inside. However, just as the clever one wanted to announce the king's arrival with a shout, Lan Yingwu had rushed over to catch them in a strangle hold.
With the obstacle out of the way, plus the goddess constantly hammering away at everyone's mind, the king finally waved his hand to signal the soldiers advancement. In one rush, the royal guards plowed through the closed doorway and into the estate.
Before long, the pained cries of various children had caught the king's ear once he reached the outer courtyard. The further he went inside, the more ominous and disturbing it became for the man and his people.
'Impudent, didn't I say no one is allowed to come bother me?!' When hearing his door being forced open, Prince Houhong immediately roared out his outrage. But upon seeing who it was and how many soldiers were barging into the hall, all shades of color had left his face.
The reasoning, he was hardly dressed while the poor child, the object of his lust, was still riding his lower half in a very disgusting position. Naturally, the crying kid too was stripped of all his clothes. But more than that, there are obvious signs of drip marks made from candle wax and whip lashes all over the skin.
Though everything was disgusting and worthy of outrage, the king's attention was more into the child's face than anything else. The little boy looked exactly like his sixth son Xia Houqi when he was young!
Regarding Xia Houhong's special interest, the king did have some knowledge from his many ears, just that he didn't have the courage to look deeper or even believe it for that matter. Therefore, its not hard to image how passionate his blood was boiling right now.
And apparently for the goddess that came to see him, this was the last straw.
In his fury, he rushed up and directly sent a deadly kick right into his sons chest, forcing the young man right out of the chair.
'Beast!' the king roared out his outrage.
'Father, please listen to my explanation!' scrambling up from the ground, Xia Houhong attempts to twist the story in his favor.
'Your Majesty, we've located dozens of other children currently detained inside the other rooms with their hands and legs chained to the cages. Furthermore. we've also found several bodies of some small children currently floating inside the fish pond. They too are stripped of their clothes with clear signs of torture.' Bringing with him another attachment of the royal guards, Lan Yingwu also rushes in from behind at this moment.
The general truly didn't know this place had belonged to the crown prince prior to today, nor did he expect to find so many children under the age of ten confined against their will.
Truth was, there had been many victims forcibly imprisoned inside this villa for many years. But due to the influence and power of the prince, none of the families involved ever dared to come make things public.
'Someone come, take this animal and lock him inside the prison!' Literally shaking from the intense rage flowing through his veins, the king never felt so foolish in his life: 'General Lan, go summon every official of the court, I'm going to abolish this beast in front of everyone! And somebody get Hong Fang! He surely knows of this no doubt! He's the Royal Tutor!' the king snarled. 'What a good tutor that bastard is!'
The other nobles and generals looked ill.
They have heard of rumors, NOW it's confirmed! His indecent act of forcible confinement, lusting after the same sex, forcing little boys to have sex with him and even murder.
Outside in the yard, the cries of the various children were getting even louder.
Monster, isn't this what they call a monster?
The great nation of Daxia would actually establish a monster like Xia Houhong as its supporting pillar, how laughable! He has a very good mother who killed many consorts and rival sons so her monster of a son can rule Daxia and make Pedophilia LEGAL?! And force future grandsons and nephews to cater to his lust as little boys?
There's no mistaking it, the king was convinced on disposing the boy even if he was his son.
Finally, the whole incident had come to a close with the sun rising over this land and brightening up the lives of those involved. It may be too late for the ones lost already, but its not too late yet for the living.
He had Crown Prince's soldiers who clearly know of this and preserving this secret put to death, and those with the King to take the poor boys home or if none?
'Princess Yue runs an orphanage with her own money last I checked, send the children her way in the Royal Hospital before she takes them in.'
xxx
By sunrise, Lingyue was summoned to the Royal Hospital.
'Your majesty, what's going on? What happened to these children?' Lingyue gasped out as soldiers with the dismayed led injured boys in just underwear to her clinic.
'My son Houhong happened.' said the King angrily. 'Please treat these boys well and after that, take them in into your orphanage...these boys had their families killed and taken to my 4th son's secret mansion...where heinous pedophilia occurs and they suffered so much, as did the boys who died suffering. I know you will do these boys right.'
'Of course.' Lingyue bowed. 'They will have a home in my orphanage.'
'If you need a resizing, let me know and I'll gladly fund it.'
'Yes, sir. And now that you mention Pedophilia...I may need your help as I've long since known, but powerless about this particular location...'
'Location?' the King's ears perked up. Was there another place of depravity in his city?
'...it's a brothel with little girls as young as these boys...' Lingyue glanced awkwardly at the boys. '...backed up by four nobles; one duke and three marquis, and their wealthy customers indulge in such a hobby...I cannot save any of them without any backing and the guards are all martialists. I'm just one commoner girl with no power. The current children in my care are the lucky ones I could save from the streets.'
'WHAT?!' the soldiers, patients and the boys winced at the King's outrage. 'Where and who?! First my son and now four nobles?! What goes on other than what's obvious?!'
'...education to be a first-rate whore that the poor girls believe that what they were taught and told to do is normal when it's not! Toddlers who could walk were educated and trained before starting work at age six...' Lingyue said in a pained, soft voice, utterly looking distraught. The silence followed was so still one can hear a pin drop at her words. 'The worst part? They all came from extreme poverty sold by their own parents for a few measly silver. They all became slaves upon being sold so the parents technically legalized their personal hells for a few days' worth of money. And once they're age ten, they're then sold to brothels for adult nightwalkers. It's been going on as long as sixty years.'
The king was furious, his face going purple in anger while the other men and children were horrified.
The King could see how distraught the newest princess was. Indeed, what can she, a commoner with no support do? Unable to act on her knowledge indeed lest she draws the ire of the relatives of those involved and bring harm to what she has under her roof! And his son's crimes just gave her the opening she needed for so long as with this, she has the KING HIMSELF as backup. He had her gather proof she had in her home and the rest is up to the court.
Once the King and the soldiers left, Lingyue quickly prioritized the kids first, leading them to baths, and summoned maids to fetch her specific rolls of fabrics, a roll of stretchable bands and materials for shoe-making. Then she called Cai'er for help in escorting the kids to her orphanage after making them clothes and shoes using alchemy. Lan Cai'er had heard from her father how his night and early morning transpired and now Lingyue is caring for the victims. The woman was horrified, to say the least that she came with her mother to help Lingyue out in escorting the kids home with boxes of clothes and shoes Lingyue made for them.
The whole day, was basically, a search and rescue, and judgment day. Hong Fang was lambasted in court by the furious King and he was stripped of his post as Royal Tutor as Houhong will get executed anyway. Not only that, he was to get 50 paddles and should he survive that, half a year's salary cut from his other job as Civil Servant!
The King wanted the trend of Pedophilia to end, and set example by killing all who indulges in the disgusting hobby. The first to die, being Xia Houhong himself. He didn't get the dignity to even dress up and his hair was already cut short before he was beheaded. The next to die, was Consort Luo who no doubt, indulged her son's depravity in secret after killing off their rivals for the throne!
And what, let Daxia be ruled by a monarch like him?!
Then the girls all under age thirteen came to the clinic. The rest of the victims are all adults already. Lingyue, after healing the girls, most of whom are ill with STD, gave the girls counseling, which she strengthened with her harmonic powers to make the lesson sink in. She told them what growing up should have been like. What they had the right to have that they were cruelly-denied of by poverty and monsters wearing human skins.
And the way she said it hit home hard, as some of her shaken patients, have sons, daughters, nephews and nieces at home, and they can't help but THINK how lucky they were to be born privileged, compared to the poor who are so horribly exploited, that they got the chance to grow up good compared to these kids!
As for Xia Houqi, he was at least innocent as he was insane for a decade due to qi deviation caused by poisoning...he's the only heir the King has and upon recovery, he was hard at work, endorsed by Lingyue to her patients as she was his Alchemy Tutor. He was a sweet, friendly kid.
'Yes, I said Kid as his mind and heart was stuck in his six year old self before his life was destroyed for the next decade that he had to quickly learn how to be a young man his age. He was also disoriented that one moment he was a little boy and suddenly finding himself looking so different. Try to imagine that onto yourselves...I was 'big sister' for a couple weeks, nevermind that he's three years older than me!' Lingyue giggled at the memory of their first few weeks healing Houqi. 'He quickly caught up, don't worry. But it'll be a while before he marries anyone any time soon. His heart has yet to catch up to things like falling in and out of love and he made a good friend in school. It helps that he's neutral so he'll learn a lot from an unbiased person.'
'Oh wow...'
'At least he's one prince with a good ending.'
xxx
Phoenix Manor...
Lingyue was the very picture of Stress, being doted on by her now fiancee.
'It's quite the ruckus...Dao Nu brought home interesting news.' said Feng Shen as his coachman spied on the palace going-ons. 'And you finally got backing to save those kids.'
'Yeah. The wait was worth it.' said Lingyue with a smile. 'Soon, Empress Dowager will relieve me of my post in Central Wing so I can focus on the orphanage and rehabilitation of the kids, as well as education. Their numbers filled up my space real quick so the orphanage will be rowdy in the coming days.'
'Well, at least you've done well...what of the Hong Family?'
'Well, as ardent supporters of their puppet, they got quite the flak that needed a lot of smoothing over...well, given Hong Fang's mighty blunder, I sent a long letter home. This should brighten mother's mood.' Lingyue chuckled, her head on Feng Shen's right thigh. 'For a man who lives and thrives on status that he uses, exploits and discards anyone and anything in his way, this should knock him off his high horse and that ol' Hong Master will be taking his ire on that literal bastard.' Lingyue chuckled darkly. 'After all, as one closest to the prince, he should have known...right?' she wondered aloud.
'And news is spreading that since he spends a lot of time with Hong Yulang for years and people know that for so long, those nobles are saying poor guy must be his catamite lover in secret until he's too old for his fetish. I'd love to see them get out of that one! 19 years old pedophile Xia Houhong to 13 years old Hong Yulang...I feel sorry for him.'
'Given how Hong House works and how your...father...values status and prestige and all means necessary to obtain it? Yeah.' Feng Shen grimaced. 'I wouldn't be surprised if Hong Fang gave such an order. What a monster.' he shook his head in disgust.
Unknown to him, Lingyue spread that rumor in the palace with voice-changing pills and the help of her cohorts.
xxx
Indeed, because word spread such that it was too late by the time Hong House got wind of it.
Hong Yulang was horrified.
Bad enough he was forced to admit to his father that he kidnaps little boys for Houhong and he chooses specific tastes and cleans up the corpses for him, he had to deal with rumors that he's a catamite next! 'NO I'M NOT!' he howled in horror.
Zhu Gerou was horrified she took her son by force to a doctor to check if he had sex...thankfully, he's a virgin down south. Naturally, old Hong Qingyun was furious with Hong Fang for the second time that day. His sister Yuying was shaken that she once tried to appeal as concubine to the prince they were supporting, only to learn she was the wrong age and gender to get his attention. Their mother was just as disgusted and look at where that got them now!
As for Houhong's 'wives', at least they weren't complicit with his crimes, but grudgingly admitted that for all their hard work appealing to him as a wives as their families supported him, they were horribly neglected and not even a scrap of attention that it was Consort Luo they mostly see to ease their dissatisfaction. 'Now we know why!'
They wanted a divorce posthumously in records as their husband was executed, so they can this time, get married to a man who actually cares about them and they want nothing to do with a sick-in-the-head dead husband! Requests granted.
Yulang and Yuying couldn't come to school out of embarrassment and mortification until their parents smooth this over.
From afar, Hong Mingyue can only sigh. She is unaware of what goes on at home as she was told to focus on her prestige in Three-Life Valley Sect so she's at least, clean in all this mess...
Since the establishment of the kingdom of Daxia, the Hong House had never been toppled. And unlike the other noble houses, which are increasingly declining, this one family only grew more and more prosperous. From the last ranking of the big four, they now stood at the very top and was trending towards matching the founding Qing House on equal footing.
As to how they did it, it has much to do with their arrangement of talents as far as Mingyue knew.
Different from the other noble children, the members of the Hong House are not permitted to do as they please. For the boys, they must begin their political career at fourteen, seeping into every nook and cranny as they see fit but due to their father's ties to 4th Prince, Hong Yulang was set up as his childhood friend. Then for the girls, their fate are far less fortunate. Forced into political marriages, their future are at the mercy of their family and future husband. Mingyue felt that while she somehow got away from being just a mere wife and that's it, Yuying wasn't so lucky. She was raised all her life to be an ideal wife, and how to get rid of rivals, if her husband has many wives.
That's not everything though. Like most big noble houses, the Hong family also had their hands dabbling in the underground powers not limited to the Sha Sect of course.
From all this, its easy to see how every chief of this family are very farsighted individuals capable of standing in the correct side of the throne's dispute, especially this generations chief who supported the current king well before anyone else.
But the past was the past, its not the present. In recent days, someone's attacking Sha Sect, causing them to lose eyes and ears, the Hong House suffered a major blow, thanks to the very prince they're now supporting. That's something the old marquis of the Hong House truly didn't expect. Discovered to be a Pedophile. His grandson whom they groomed to stay close to him by all means necessary for furthering their family's influence ended up as his supplier of little boys and cleaning up bodies once Houhong was done with them. And now people say he's a catamite lover in secret until he's too old for his fetish and turned gay by the prince, thus families now avoided them like they're lepers! Nobody's willing to be Hong Yulang's wife any day soon!
Yulang cannot act in politics any more. Old grandfather must decide where he's useful next.
Mingyue knew she must keep her star clean. It helps that nobody's seen her yet, being only twelve years old yet to make her social debut and her father got called...to be punished for this severe oversight, she thought.
Well, this isn't her mess. She'll only act when she's told to. For now she must focus on her seclusion to break through to the second level.
xxx
Flame of Hope Orphanage...
'This is quite the space you've got.' the Dowager with bodyguards, Queen Yunxiu and Xia Houqi admired Lingyue's orphanage.
Due to notification of visit, Lingyue sent Chi Lian out on a long errand and hid Lu Xian with strict instructions not to leave until the guests are gone, being promised an explanation later.
Lingyue had modified it over the weeks into a japanese-style residence, complete with paintings and various decor the queen swore she's in an art gallery. The furniture was luxurious-looking too and the old dowager wondered how Lingyue afforded all this. There's even a swing set where kids swing back and forth in glee, little toddlers either playing with toys or drawing on paper, the perfect picture of childhood, well-dressed children running around though the barbarian ones are training in martial arts.
'Yes...my starting foundation was thanks to Feng Shen. Since leaving home this midsummer, he was my first customer as a Pharmacist and doctor and I've been his doctor since.' said Lingyue. 'And then I have to sell pills left-and-right to make it in time for annual taxes at the end of the year since buying this property made taxes cheaper as opposed to renting it.' Lingyue shivered. 'The stuff you see aren't bought. I made them myself out of alchemy by refining and merging materials, so they still have my spirit signature.'
'Heee...she's right!' Houqi touched the table they sat around on and he felt her signature. 'This table has faint traces of spirit force!'
'Yanche simply brings me home logs from the forests, I simply buy some cheap materials and here we are!' Lingyue beamed with pride, patting her polished table and the chairs they sit on. 'Stylish furniture for free and cheap when in stores, they'd cost hundreds of gold easily! I'd rather spend my money on food!'
'Well, that's one way of living in style...' the royals were stunned. So basically all the decor and knick-knacks are all alchemy-make?! She 'looks' rich when she really wasn't!
'Well, I will not advertise my cheat code and let people keep thinking alchemy is what everyone knows...if people find out about this, a lot of people will lose business for sure.' said Lingyue, sipping her wine.
'That would be bad!' the queen exclaimed.
After some snacks, Lingyue took them around the orphanage. After the art gallery-like parlor room, is the literal art room where little kids are free to have fun with paper, colored writing materials and other stuff, then the large dining room...and the kitchen and pantry. By the backdoor is clearly, the laundry area as well as gender-segregated roomy lavatories.
Next floor through a very roomy stairway is merely the stockroom and a massive bathroom, and about four bedrooms and by the wooden nameplates, it's clear whose is who's, and yet another roomy lavatories.
'Erm, its not gender segregated?' the royals were wide-eyed.
'Nope, but we do have a schedule...boys go first for thirty minutes before we girls go next.' Lingyue shrugged. 'Next floor to this is the classroom.' upstairs, is one hallway with four doors with wide gaps apart between them and when they went in, its a single, large classroom with unusual chairs so students can both sit and write on them. 'Here, the kids study Literacy, Arithmetic, Literature, our country's Law, Herbalism, Sewing and Embroidery and Music. As for Art, that's only a weekend class. The rest of the hours before dinner, it's martial arts training in basics, before I chuck them to Civilian Martial Hall at thirteen. Though I'd rather chuck the kids to Apprentice Schools than waste their time, but alas, law is law...'
Next, is the boys' room. Like the classroom, it has four doors leading to just one huge room. It has many single beds, a drawer and a shoe rack beside each bed's left side. Some beds were smaller and lower in height and some were mattresses on the floor 'For the toddlers so they don't get hurt if they roll around too much.'
The first batch who were barbarian refugees from Central Plain conflicts used to have this room all to themselves, until so many boys came in that the two girls have to move upstairs and this floor became an all-boys' room. And then the two girls upstairs aren't so alone any more.
'I hope there are parents willing to adopt the kids, but given how salaries per job is so abysmal, was it a wonder that parents would rather sell their kids to slavery than raise them?' said Lingyue glumly. 'If only people's salaries are proportionate to taxes and monthly needs, these kids wouldn't experience something horrible. They'll grow up here and maybe here, I can teach them how good parents should be like despite being poor.'
'So the reason for these children's grief, is money.' the Dowager mused.
'Yes. And many people in the slums are jobless, but the state is fine and dandy with leaving the slums as is, so they're easy Brothel Playthings for later.' said Lingyue. 'Those scumbags knows those parents will sell them their cute kids for a few measly pieces of silver for a lifetime being a chewtoy for the bored wealthy. This will never end because of money and unfair salaries at work.'
'We will see what we can do.' the queen promised her. 'We will have to evaluate salaries based on prices of goods in the market, as well as services. But we'd want your point of view as a commoner who knows best on how much money is needed for an average family.'
Lingyue took out two spring booklets called 'Current Market Prices for Goods and Services for an Average Family of Six' and gave it to the dowager, as well as another titled. 'Comfortable Job Salaries to match Market Prices and Taxes for Commoners'.
She's prepared, they thought.
'So 6th Prince, this is your homework and you yourself must propose this, m'kay?'
Xia Houqi didn't expect that.
'EHHHHH?!'
'Now now, you'll make proposals once in a while in court. Your father did that himself once he sat on his throne.' said the Dowager. 'Now that you're Crown Prince again, people are now waiting to see what kind of ruler you'd be, should your father retire. He's forty now and you have little time to buck up.'
'No thanks to Consort Luo and 4th brother!' Houqi cried in aghast.
