She Became A Downfall Noble Lady
Chapter 455 - 453: Surge

Chapter 455: Chapter 453: Surge

Guan He led the three children in a fight so brazen that the news couldn’t be concealed within the capital; by the evening, what had happened after noon was known by nearly everyone, whether they were supposed to know or not.

While the details from within Duke An’s Mansion weren’t clear to anyone, the fact that two farm children were protected by Duke An, followed by the forceful intervention of His Highness Prince Yu demanding apologies from children of five distinguished families, was common knowledge.

This incident made two things clear. First, Miss Ye had returned; even with her newfound abilities, her nature remained the same, and so it was with the farm children she brought into the capital. Second was the appearance of His Highness Prince Yu, demonstrating an utterly one-sided stance, the motivation behind which was particularly thought-provoking.

The shock people felt over this was no less than that caused by Miss Ye’s ability to manage the operation of the Railway Carriage. If she could successfully operate the Railway Carriage, it proved that the unruly woman truly had the capacity to be a steward.

And why would His Highness Prince Yu personally step in for two rural children? That was harder to say.

Their speculations matched Duke An’s concerns: His Highness Prince Yu’s involvement couldn’t possibly be for those two rural children; it was very likely for Miss Ye Xinyan of the Ye family. This was probably why Prince Yu spent the time to enter the capital alongside Miss Ye’s carriage.

Could all of this be solely because of Ye Xinyan’s exceptional abilities? The unanimous answer was: Absolutely not!

Now there was plenty of excitement to witness. Ye Xinyan, even if she could rely on Duke An’s protection and possessed great skills, was a woman who had been married once, a divorcee scorned by others.

And His Highness Prince Yu was a prince; the royal family would never allow a prince to marry a widow, not even as a concubine or a high-ranking serving concubine. And in the prince’s mansion, a woman without status or title who relied solely on the prince’s favor, would have a hard time surviving.

Beyond their surprise at Prince Yu’s treatment of Ye Xinyan, many also took pleasure in her misfortune.

Before entering the prince’s mansion, Ye Xinyan was still the brash granddaughter of Duke An, and His Highness Prince Yu could shower her with all manner of affections. But once inside the mansion, a woman without status would be crushed by the myriad rules of the royal family, unable to raise her head or act defiantly, regardless of whether her grandfather was Duke An. A tragic end was certain.

While many guesses were based on the relationship between Prince Yu and Miss Ye, plenty of people also noticed that the three young children had won a fight against five sons of nobility from the capital.

In the capital, it was common for offspring of prominent families to clash if they didn’t see eye to eye. There were winners and losers in these skirmishes, and occasionally some would even end with broken arms and legs. But for three youngsters to fight and defeat five older children was not so common.

Keep in mind, children are not like adults, there’s a marked difference in strength among children three to four years apart in age, not to mention that one of them was barely six years old. Yet, they prevailed despite being outnumbered.

The Duke’s Mansion has been a Martial Family for many years, but when was the last time such a scene occurred?

Although Miss Ye often caused trouble in the past, she was a woman, and even if she gained the upper hand, people still mocked her afterward. Boys are different: even if they got into a fight and were spanked by elders at home, their parents felt a different kind of pride knowing their child didn’t cower and had beaten the other children.

Ye Tang’s sons and grandsons, none were known for fisticuffs, a fact well-known among acquaintances and an unspeakable ache in Elder Master Ye’s heart. But now, children of his household had taken up a fight and won, a classic example of the few defeating the many. That the Elder Master Ye would step in to protect them was undoubtedly the outcome.

The gossip amongst the prominent families in the capital was abuzz; unexpected events had transpired with the New Year approaching, giving everyone something to talk about during their holiday visits.

Xing Bin returned home, where Grand Tutor Xing was already waiting, joined by Xing Bin’s two younger brothers.

Although Grand Tutor Xing was aware that Ye Tang’s style meant he would never punish his children merely because their parents complained about a group fight, he had not anticipated Prince Yu’s presence, nor that his grandson would say such things in front of Prince Yu, giving the prince a hold over him.

Looking at Xing Zhonghe’s ashen expression, Grand Tutor Xing thought it over again and again. He couldn’t even contemplate punishing him for fear of drawing attention and prompting an inquiry into the root cause.

After staring at Xing Zhonghe for a long time, to the point where Xing Bin almost pleaded for his son, Xing Yuyue finally said, "This is not the right time to discipline you, so we’ll just make a note of it for now."

Xing Zhonghe had just breathed a sigh of relief when Xing Yuyue continued, "You will write two current affairs essays every day, and you can socialize and entertain as usual for the rest of your time."

"Two essays every day?" Xing Zhonghe immediately frowned. Writing two essays on current affairs every day was already daunting, let alone sixty... didn’t he also need to come up with topics for so many?

"What? Do you think the punishment is too light?" Xing Yuyue asked sternly.

"No, no." All he could do was deny it, or else he might have another sixty essays added.

Xing Yuyue then turned to Xing Yu, who was also kneeling on the ground and asked, "What about you? Do you still feel rebellious and resentful?"

Xing Yu lifted his head, indeed wearing a look of defiance, "Am I supposed to have been beaten by those few wild brats for nothing?"

Xing Yuyue asked, "Have you ever heard of the saying ’outskilled’?"

Xing Yu replied, "But I am the son of the Xing Mansion, the grandson of the Grand Tutor."

Xing Yuyue’s gaze grew increasingly stern, "That’s exactly what I want to ask you. Knowing their lowly status, why would you stoop to fight with them?"

"I..." Xing Yu was at a loss for words. It was because the guards from Duke An’s Mansion were formidable, rendering his own attendants immobile, and because he thought they could easily overpower the three lads.

"Write five large characters every day," Xing Yuyue said unequivocally. "Alright, the two of you can leave."

After the two grandsons left, Xing Yuyue’s expression darkened further. He shot a cold glance at his third son before finally speaking to Xing Bin, "It’s not good for me to intervene in this matter; you take the third son to the Crown Prince’s Mansion before dinner to apologize to the Crown Prince, and incidentally inform His Highness of the situation. Although those present would avoid making careless remarks for fear of implicating themselves, we must be prepared."

...

Ji Chengxian returned to Ji Mansion and had Ji Guangwen sent to the inner quarters before he reported to his father and mother.

Imperial Academy Libationer Ji Xiaoyuan listened to his eldest son’s account and couldn’t help frowning. Although he still held some scholarly pride, he also knew that those protected by His Highness Prince Yu were not ones their family status could contend with.

It was not a big deal that children lost in a fight; what mattered was who they lost to. If those few kids had really fought with reckless bravery, disregarding status to beat the children of influential families, seeking justice could be justified.

He was also annoyed by the fact that the peasant children living in Duke An’s Mansion seemed more important than his grandson from Ji Mansion. To have beaten someone yet not even provide an explanation—were those two peasant children more significant than the marriage ties between their two mansions?

Who would have known that just two peasant children could even involve Prince Yu himself?