Jun Tianyi’s gaze toward Song Yun Chu was practically spitting fire. “Song Yun Chu, though you are a first-rank official in the court, this prince is a member of the imperial clan. How dare you speak back to me like this? Who gave you the right!”
“This humble official is merely speaking the truth. Why must Your Highness fly into a rage out of humiliation?” Song Yun Chu said calmly. “Your Highness asks who gave me the right? Naturally, it is His Majesty. This humble official’s marriage to Miss Jiang was bestowed by His Majesty, so I naturally have the right to protect Miss Jiang. Your Highness no longer has any relationship with her, yet you still come to her territory to be aggressive. How could I stand by and do nothing when witnessing this?”
“I’ve long heard that Minister Song is eloquent and skilled in sophistry. Today, this prince has finally witnessed it.” Jun Tianyi sneered. “This prince has also heard that Lord Song possesses exceptional martial arts skills, nearly unmatched among your peers. Would you be interested in a sparring match with this prince today?”
Upon hearing this, Song Yun Chu inwardly applauded.
At this stage, the dog scumbag was still no match for her.
He would only obtain the lost martial arts manual later in the plot—after Jiang Rumin was disfigured, when he took people to search for herbs by the cliff and unfortunately fell off.
Seeing Jun Tianyi’s confident demeanor now, she felt contempt inwardly but deliberately showed hesitation on her face. “Your Highness is of noble status. How could this humble official dare to raise a hand against you?”
“This prince permits you to strike.” Jun Tianyi said without hesitation. “Your hesitation—could it be that you don’t dare to accept the challenge?”
Seeing that he was using provocation, Song Yun Chu decided to play along. “Since Your Highness does not blame me, this humble official accepts the challenge. Shall we find an open space for our sparring? We mustn’t damage the plants and trees in Ru Min Courtyard.”
Naturally, Jun Tianyi had no objection to this suggestion.
Jiang Rumin hurried forward to dissuade them. “Both Your Highness and Lord Song are distinguished figures. Why resort to physical conflict over a few arguments? Please calm down first…”
“This prince is perfectly calm. It’s merely a sparring match—we’ll stop at the appropriate point.” Jun Tianyi had made up his mind to teach Song Yun Chu a lesson and wouldn’t listen to persuasion now.
Song Yun Chu raised an eyebrow slightly and made an inviting gesture toward Jun Tianyi. “Prince Yi, after you.”
…
That night, the breeze was cool, and the Imperial Study remained brightly lit.
Chief Eunuch Li took the freshly brewed tea from a young eunuch and brought it before Jun Li Luo. “Your Majesty, it’s late. You’ve been reviewing Official Documents for too long today. Perhaps you should rest now—don’t overexert yourself.”
Jun Li Luo had just taken a sip of the tea when a shadow guard entered to report. “Your Majesty, as you predicted, Minister Song and Prince Yi had a dispute. It wasn’t just a war of words—they came to blows within the Guogong Residence. Prince Yi was defeated and suffered some internal injuries.”
Hearing this, a faint smile curled at the corners of Jun Li Luo’s lips. “Royal Uncle has always been proud. It would be one thing if they fought privately, but they did so within the Guogong Residence, under the watchful eyes of many. With so many witnesses to his defeat, Royal Uncle must be quite frustrated inwardly, don’t you think?”
Though Song Yun Chu was a civil official, his martial arts were exceptionally high. Jun Li Luo still couldn’t gauge Song Yun Chu’s full capabilities, only knowing that none of the young military officers were a match for him. As for those seasoned veteran generals in the court who possessed considerable strength… they hadn’t crossed hands with Song Yun Chu yet.
Jun Tianyi had been overly confident, and now with this setback, he was likely to harbor even greater resentment toward Song Yunchu.
“Your Majesty speaks truly. After Prince Yi returned to his residence, the Imperial Concubine dispatched numerous guards to blockade the entrance of the Prime Minister’s Residence. She claimed that Minister Song had gone too far, stating that although they had agreed beforehand to stop at the appropriate point, he had still inflicted internal injuries on the Prince. She demanded that Minister Song personally visit to provide an explanation, otherwise the guards from the Prince’s residence would not withdraw.”
Jun Liluo chuckled softly. “The Imperial Concubine has always lived in seclusion and maintained a low profile. For her to make such a grand scene now shows she is determined to seek justice for Royal Uncle.”
Logically speaking, losing a sparring match and then causing trouble afterward would appear as poor sportsmanship. However, Song Yunchu had a notorious reputation to begin with. If Prince Yi’s residence seized upon this point, emphasizing Song Yunchu’s arrogance and audacity, and claimed that he was driven by jealousy toward Prince Yi, using the sparring match as a pretext to vent his resentment under the emperor’s favor, then Song Yunchu would face even more public condemnation and criticism.
The Imperial Concubine had long practiced vegetarianism and Buddhist devotion, and had on several occasions performed charitable deeds such as setting up porridge kitchens. Her reputation was excellent. In a confrontation between her and Song Yunchu, most people would side with her, moved by her maternal devotion.
“For Prince Yi’s residence and the Prime Minister’s Residence to have reached such an impasse, it seems it will require my intervention to resolve the situation.”
Jun Liluo set down his teacup and said leisurely, “However, Royal Uncle is, after all, my elder. Even though Minister Song is my right-hand man, the fact that he injured Royal Uncle is indisputable. If I were to show favoritism toward him, it would be difficult to justify.”
Chief Eunuch Li, upon hearing this, tentatively asked, “Does Your Majesty mean you do not intend to intervene in this matter?”
“If I am to intervene, there must be a suitable reason; otherwise, people will say I am biased. Minister Song has always been clever—perhaps he can devise a solution on his own? I believe he is not the kind of fool who sits idly by in his residence waiting for me to rescue him from trouble.”