The named Crown Prince couldn’t help but shiver, his head that had nearly drooped to his chest forced to lift slowly.
Meeting the Jing Xuan Emperor’s gaze directly, his throat tightened momentarily. “Imperial Father…”
His opening words already revealed significantly weakened composure.
From the lower right seat, Consort Li glared coldly and immediately shot him a stern look.
Remembering his mother’s instructions delivered after the incident, the Crown Prince gritted his teeth, his courage returning.
Under public scrutiny, his face—so resembling Consort Li’s—instantly displayed profound guilt and self-reproach. Bending forward, he knelt before the Jing Xuan Emperor and kowtowed heavily:
“Imperial Father, this matter originated entirely from my fault. I acknowledge my wrongdoing and beg for your punishment!”
Seeing this, Shu Fei’s expression shifted slightly as she hurriedly glanced at the Third Prince, repeatedly signaling with her eyes.
Fortunately, though the Third Prince was slow-witted, he wasn’t foolish, following suit by kowtowing in admission: “Imperial Father, I too am at fault!”
The two leading princes taking initiative to admit their mistakes rather than immediately shifting blame and accusing each other—avoiding fraternal conflict—improved many officials’ expressions, indicating the situation still had room for redemption.
In the eyes of scholarly educators, acknowledging wrongdoing was of supreme merit.
The Jing Xuan Emperor’s lips curved, his phoenix eyes holding a mocking smile. “So now you’ve learned brotherly respect and mutual deference.”
“Then explain—where exactly did you err?”
Perhaps due to his tolerant nature, or perhaps because in the emperor’s eyes this was merely trivial, from beginning to end the Jing Xuan Emperor hadn’t shown the slightest anger.
The Crown Prince glanced sideways at the Third Prince, took a deep breath and declared: “I erred in forgetting my elder brother status by fighting with Third Brother. I erred in openly advising Third Brother to moderate his eating despite knowing he’s still young and growing, thus embarrassing him before everyone and hurting his feelings!”
“I also shouldn’t have retaliated in anger when Third Brother struck me. As both elder brother and Crown Prince, I ought to cherish my sibling. Today’s conduct was truly inappropriate—I recognize my fault and beg Imperial Father’s punishment!”
His voice rang clear, expression sincere and remorseful, regret overflowing beyond words. After speaking, he even bowed to the Third Prince: “Third Brother, today’s fault lies entirely with me. I beg your forgiveness!”
His words sounded earnest and sincere, yet they ignited the Third Prince’s fury.
Evading the Crown Prince’s bow, he glared furiously: “You’re lying! It wasn’t like that at all! You’re deceiving everyone!”
This outburst made several Scholars frown.
No wonder—although both princes were at fault, with the Crown Prince sincerely admitting error and magnanimously taking responsibility first, the Third Prince’s reaction appeared guilty and rash, his composure far inferior to the Crown Prince’s.
Shu Fei’s expression shifted unpredictably.
Lu Yuanduo’s face darkened slightly—the Third Prince was too impetuous.
Consort Li slowly smiled, her beautiful eyes flashing with disdain.
How could a prince born of a lowly maid compete with her Crown Prince?
Composing herself, she turned tearful eyes toward the Jing Xuan Emperor: “Your Majesty, the Crown Prince’s faults stem from my inadequate teaching. However…”
“The Crown Prince acted with good intentions. The Imperial Physician said the Third Prince’s excessive appetite truly harms his noble health.”
Her implication: the Crown Prince’s well-meaning advice went unappreciated by the Third Prince, truly disheartening.
Her words immediately drew loud rebuttal from Shu Fei: “Noble Consort, the Third Prince has always been robust! Normally he merely eats two extra bites—how could you and the Crown Prince view this as so deplorable?”
Consort Li: “You misunderstand, sister. That is not what I meant. The Crown Prince acted out of good intentions, merely concerned for the Third Prince’s well-being.”
Shu Fei sneered coldly: “Good intentions? If His Highness the Crown Prince truly had good intentions, why would he lay hands on his own younger brother, the Third Prince?”
Consort Li sighed: “You are mistaken, sister. Was it not the Third Prince who struck first?”
“………”
When immortals fight, lesser spirits suffer.
With the imperial consorts—the mothers of the princes—both high-ranking concubines, confronting each other, the officials present, though divided into factions, were not foolish enough to rashly interject.
This was Yun Wan’s first time witnessing such a scene firsthand. Watching the two noble-born consorts exchange verbal blows that struck at the heart with each round, she thought to herself how it truly lived up to the saying: the harem is a den of intrigue and deception, where blades clash without drawing blood.
Fortunately, none of this concerned her. Yun Wan collected her thoughts and redirected her attention to her son, A Sui, her brow furrowing with heartache.
When would this end? How long would these children have to kneel?
As she watched, Yun Wan suddenly gasped: “Sui’er, you’re injured?”
She hadn’t had the chance to check earlier. Now, as A Sui gazed toward the Third Prince, the scratches on the side of his neck were clearly visible when he turned his head.
Not only that, but there was also a scrape on A Sui’s palm, oozing traces of blood.
She had deliberately lowered her voice to a whisper, yet it still drew the attention of others, who cast glances their way.
Interrupted at a critical moment, Consort Li abruptly showed displeasure, shooting a glare toward the source of the disturbance.
However, she only caught a glimpse of a woman’s profile, her hair tied in a bun as she crouched before a child. It seemed she was the child’s mother, the wife of some official at court.
Before she could get a clear look, everyone’s view was blocked by Lu Yuanduo, who bowed respectfully to the Jing Xuan Emperor and said solemnly, “Your Majesty, a junior in my family has untreated injuries. As the weather grows warmer, delaying treatment may cause the wounds to fester. He is the only descendant of my late younger brother. May I humbly request an Imperial Physician to treat him?”
With his explanation, those who had doubts about Yun Wan’s identity suddenly understood.
So, the Yun Yin Fragrance that had been the talk of the capital today was created by this very person—Third Madam Lu.
They had expected a haggard, worn-out woman, but some people, even dressed in plain, coarse clothing, could captivate and leave a lasting impression with just a graceful silhouette.
Such a trivial matter. The Jing Xuan Emperor lifted his eyelids slightly. “Granted.”
Upon receiving the imperial decree, the Imperial Physician carried his medicine chest across half the hall to attend to Yun Wan and her son.
After examination, it was determined that the two wounds on A Sui, though appearing severe, were not serious. They only required ointment and bandaging, with regular dressing changes in the coming days.
“Thank you for your trouble, Physician,” Yun Wan said softly.
The physician waved a hand. “It is my duty, Madam. You are too kind.”
As the wounds were being dressed, Yun Wan stared at them, feeling as though a gap had been torn in her heart, letting in a rush of cold wind. The pain was almost unbearable.
Her child, from the moment he was born until now, had never sustained so many injuries. The sight nearly brought her to tears.
“Does it hurt?” Yun Wan cradled his small hand and gently blew on it.
A Sui shook his head, the soft flesh of his cheeks swaying with the motion: “Don’t worry, Mother. It doesn’t hurt anymore.”
Knowing her child was comforting her, Yun Wan kissed his forehead.
The intimate interaction between mother and son was inadvertently observed by others.
The Imperial Physician worked efficiently, and in no time, both of A Sui’s wounds were properly treated.
From his elevated seat, the Jing Xuan Emperor narrowed his eyes and suddenly spoke: “Was it you who struck first?”
His gaze fell upon the Third Prince.
The Jing Xuan Emperor’s voice drew the attention of both A Sui and Yun Wan, who turned their heads to look.
At that moment, Consort Li and Shu Fei were locked in a heated argument over who was at fault for the physical altercation. Suddenly hearing the Jing Xuan Emperor speak, both fell silent at once.
Consort Li was filled with regret—it was all that wretched Shu Fei’s fault for nearly making her fall into a trap and forget the Emperor’s presence.
Shu Fei, for her part, thought the same.
Faced with the Jing Xuan Emperor’s question, the Third Prince pursed his lips and nodded, saying, “It was I who struck first.”
This was plain for all to see, leaving no room for debate.
Shu Fei’s expression stiffened. Collecting herself, she hurriedly explained, “Your Majesty, you know the Third Prince has always been gentle-natured. He has never so much as quarreled with anyone, let alone resorted to violence! Surely the Crown Prince must have said something to provoke him into losing his temper!”
The Jing Xuan Emperor ignored her and pressed on, “The reason?”
The Third Prince suddenly lifted his head, his wide eyes glistening with tears. “Second Brother cursed me, saying I am fat and look like a pig!”