She Became A Downfall Noble Lady
Chapter 453 - 451: This is Cursing in the Street

Chapter 453: Chapter 451: This is Cursing in the Street

Xing Zhonghe paled with fear and quickly knelt next to his father on the ground.

He merely found it intolerable that the Sixth Prince protected those two little ones, acting rashly out of impulsive righteousness, and voiced what was a common reality in this world. But he never expected that it would provoke Jinrong’s response, which could somehow be linked to the Crown Prince. If these words were to be confirmed as those of the Crown Prince, wouldn’t it seem to the public that the Crown Prince lacked the qualities necessary to become the Son of Heaven?

How could he bear the weight of such an accusation, such a result?

Jinrong silently observed the Xing father and son kneeling on the ground. He, Xing Zhonghe, Xu Deng, and others had been friends since childhood, but as they grew older and their family backgrounds diverged, the understanding and purity of their friendship from their younger days were no longer the same.

As a member of the Imperial Clan, he had known from a young age what he was after. Yet in the realm of friendships, he never allowed personal ambitions to interfere. The friends he made were from families that steered clear of factions, but unexpectedly, Grand Tutor Xing later took sides, aligning with the Crown Prince’s faction, and Xing Zhonghe did not separate friendships from politics, becoming increasingly antagonistic towards him.

Duke An sat with downcast eyes, pretending to have heard nothing. He had seen too much of this kind of thing at the Imperial Court. Taking sides was a dangerous affair, and once one took a side, infusing one’s emotions into that alignment made it even more perilous.

Ye Xinyan, standing behind Duke An, widened her eyes, looking at Jinrong from a whole new perspective. Worthy of being the emperor’s son, and truly daring enough to harbor thoughts of challenging for the succession. This quick wit was admirable; to escalate a child’s quarrel to the point of placing such a heavy label on the Crown Prince.

And to do so in front of so many people.

Ye Xinyan’s surprised gaze swept over each person sitting in the reception hall, finally resting on Xing Zhonghe. This fellow had always been so arrogant; while many others had been silenced by the elder, even if he couldn’t make a logical argument, he still refused to admit defeat.

Well, now he had done it. He himself might not face much trouble, as it wasn’t the responsibility of a profligate son to answer to the court’s laws. But his family, and seemingly the Crown Prince who was on the same side as him, were now saddled with this blame.

With a god-like opponent like Jinrong and a pig-like teammate like Xing Zhonghe to assist, was not the Crown Prince unfortunate?

The Ji Family and others who came with the Xing family, seeing the normal everyday matter of seeking justice for a child who felt wronged suddenly entangled with the morality of the Crown Prince, held their breath and deeply regretted making this trip.

Fights among children, resulting in a black eye, are common, aren’t they? Why bother making this trip? Now they had provoked Prince Yu and sparked such a situation; if Prince Yu and Duke An didn’t let go of what Xing Zhonghe had said, they would become witnesses to the Crown Prince’s lack of virtue.

...They wonder if it’s still possible to faint from a sudden heart attack right now and avoid this predicament?

The crowd felt as if time had frozen, passing unusually slowly, but in just a few moments, Jinrong spoke, "Minister Xing need not behave like this. His Highness was merely providing a warning to Minister Xing and his esteemed son. The Xing Mansion is no longer like it used to be. What you said and did in the past concerned only you and your household, but now things are different. It’s always better to be cautious."

"Thank you, Your Highness Prince Yu, for your leniency," Xing Bin said, moved to tears. This good-for-nothing Xing Zhonghe, always so daring and seemingly quick-witted, turned out to be such a mess. It’s fortunate that he encountered Prince Yu. If it were the Imperial Censor or Prince Fu who had caught wind of this, although it wouldn’t be the end for the Crown Prince, it would nevertheless require considerable effort to clear his name.

Jinrong cast another cold glance at the people present before speaking, "Minister Xing, Zhonghe, rise. Zhonghe has been close to me since childhood, a forthright character, one who speaks and acts on impulse. It seems that his words today were unintentional. Let’s consider this matter closed and not speak of it further."

In the midst of winter, Xing Bin was sweating profusely. Climbing up from the ground, he first glared fiercely at Xing Zhonghe, then turned a stern gaze toward Xing Yu and said, "It was you who erred today, do you understand? Now go and apologize to Young Master Qi!"

With Prince Yu willing to let the matter slide, should he not take advantage and make amends, then leave? Was he hoping to stay longer for a reward?

Xing Yu didn’t understand what was happening. How had it suddenly come about that his great uncle and second brother were at fault and kneeling to admit guilt? He struggled to recall what His Highness Prince Yu had just said.

Moreover, he... apologize to those countryside boys?

Xing Yu was still hesitating when Ji Chengxian, along with Ji Guangwen, stood up. Ji Chengxian first bowed deeply to Jinrong and said, "It is we who have been nurtured in luxury and misinterpreted many matters." He then turned to Duke An and said, "Xiao Ke was rude today, I hope Duke An can forgive this."

Then turning back, he brought Ji Guangwen forward and said, "You are the elder child, yet you fought with Young Master Qi, who is much younger. That was inappropriate. Go and apologize to the young Qi brothers, won’t you?"

With Ji Chengxian and Ji Guangwen setting an example, everyone else felt relieved. Adults and children alike stepped forward one by one, some bowing, others apologizing. Their only thought was to settle the matter quickly, return to their respective homes, and show by their actions that the words of Xing Zhonghe today represented him alone. If there was any fallout, it affected the Xing family, and had nothing to do with them.

Such quarrels among young masters and spoiled heirs were common, as were verbal spats among families, each insisting they were right, but none had escalated to this level before. To encounter such an episode during the Chinese New Year was truly distressing.

Xing Yu’s face was full of defiance. He glanced at his stern-faced great uncle and then stole a peek at his second brother, who was making meaningful eye contact with him. Xing Yu immediately put on a mournful face, as his second brother was also directing him to apologize to the two boys.

Left with no choice, Xing Yu braved himself and moved forward to apologize to Qi Sanshun and Qi Jiaer, mumbling through his teeth, "We were wrong, sorry."

Although his attitude was far from matching the earlier four young brothers, Qi Jiaer was not greedy. When it came to fights, what did it matter if one took a few more or fewer hits? Besides, they hadn’t been at a disadvantage.

Qi Jiaer didn’t wait for Qi Sanshun to speak; with a wave of his small hand, he magnanimously said, "It doesn’t matter, forget about it. Just remember, don’t randomly speak ill of others in the future. We haven’t done anything wrong and haven’t provoked you. Insulting people without reason and fighting, you’re no better than those bad gossipy aunts in our village."

"..." Xing Yu, who was over ten years old, could probably understand that this toddler who had barely weaned compared him to a town gossip.

The expressions of both adults and children in the hall were awkward, and even Jinrong’s hand trembled slightly as he held his tea cup. This impudent child; was this not essentially cursing? It seemed he had lumped everyone in the hall, both adults and children, into the category of ignorant, gossiping townsfolk.