First Prince of the Flowing Sands#

Though hairless, strength prevails, Sturdy and bold, never frail. Madness hides in mountain, where winds sing, In dark gutters, reigns as king.

The yellow-furred rat had quelled the calamity caused by Fuban, earning the king's deep respect and being appointed as the Royal Sage. No matter the state affairs or the minutiae of daily life, the king would first seek his counsel.

At the sage's suggestion, the king issued the "Rodent Reverence Edict," prompting rodent guais from all around to migrate into the city. The First Prince, having distinguished himself in battle, was conferred the title of Brave General and was basking in his success. However, he was deeply displeased that a guai sage had stolen his shine. Using the pretext of the rodent guais causing trouble, he rallied court officials to petition for the Royal Sage's removal.

Several upheavals ensued in the court, resulting in the deaths of many loyal to the prince, and even the Third Prince left in anger. Yet, the king's trust in the sage remained unshaken.

On the sage's birthday, the entire kingdom worshiped his statue, and even the king paid a visit to the Temple of Royal Sage himself to offer incense and prayers. Unable to contain his fury, the First Prince overturned the incense table in public.

Such an affront to royal authority could not be tolerated. Enraged, the king imprisoned the prince. The sage, however, was not angered and even spoke many good words for the Brave General. Learning of the sage's intercession, the prince became even more convinced that he was a deeply scheming evil guai, cursing him incessantly in his cell. The king, upon hearing this, grew more antagonized by his unruly son. Hence, he decreed that the prince needed strict discipline, ordering that his meals be delivered to the cell door thrice daily, with no visitors allowed.

Initially, the prince was very stubborn, but over time, he softened and began to plead for mercy. Yet, he remained defiant in his heart, constantly plotting to kill the rodents and avenge himself once he was free.

One day, his meal was late, and he was growing anxious. Then he heard the sound of a key turning, and the cell door unexpectedly opened.

After waiting for a while and seeing no one enter, he walked out himself. To his astonishment, the guards and officials bustling about outside were no longer human. They all became rats dressed in robes.

The prince thought it was that the sage had led the rodent guais to usurp the throne, and in his panic, he charged into his father's golden hall A short, stout rat, speaking in his father's voice, called out to him. This must be an imposter! The prince grabbed a guard's sword and struck at the king.

Chaos erupted in the hall, only the Royal Sage brought forth a bronze mirror for the prince to see himself. In the reflection, there was no trace of the Brave General, only an enormously fat rat.