"A man was beaten half to death, and you call this disciplining a child?!" the queen shouted angrily.
Seeing that the Queen and the Second Prince were accompanied by their entourage and that they exuded nobility in their every move, these people concluded that they were definitely not ordinary people. When they heard that the Second Prince had reported the matter to the authorities, their arrogance immediately subsided.
"You don't understand, sir. We country folk are rude and this is how we discipline our children," said one of the old men.
"Why should we report this to the authorities? The county magistrate is very busy and would never bother with our family affairs."
"Shut up and stop quibbling." The second prince shouted angrily, pushed away the crowd, pulled the beaten young man over, and helped him sit on the riding stool.
"Tell me, what is going on? We are here, don't be afraid, just tell me the truth." The second prince said, and gave a wink to several guards, who immediately stood in front of the young man.
"My name is Han Qingbo, and I'm from Laowang Village nearby. My parents are both dead, and I live alone, farming to make a living and studying at the same time."
What's your name? Han Qingbo?
Xia Miaoyuan was held in Yingxue's arms, and she shuddered when she heard the three words "Han Qingbo".
[I remember in the book, one of the advisors in Liang Chaozong's think tank was named Han Qingbo. Could that be him?]
When the Queen and the Second Prince heard Xia Miaoyuan's thoughts, they were secretly surprised and thought that they should pay more attention to the affairs of this young man.
Han Qingbo wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with his sleeve and continued, "Yesterday, the village chief asked me to help write a few words. After I finished, he invited me to dinner."
"During the meal, he and his son kept toasting me with wine. I couldn't hold my liquor and passed out." Han Qingbo wiped the blood from his nose.
"When I woke up, it was already midnight. I turned on the light and saw that I was in the boudoir of the village chief's daughter. The village chief's daughter Caifeng and I were lying on the same bed." Han Qingbo paused here, as if he was trying to adjust his emotions.
"I was terrified and hurriedly got up and walked out, but found that the door was locked."
The Queen was shocked. “You mean, the door was locked from the outside?”
"That's right." Han Qingbo nodded.
[Wow, this is clearly a scheme by the village chief's family! This family is truly unscrupulous, tsk tsk tsk.]
Xia Miaoyuan curled her lips.
"At this time, Caifeng woke up and shouted loudly, and the village chief and others came."
"They opened the door and without asking any questions, they said I had raped their daughter after drinking..." Han Qingbo said with difficulty.
"They told me to marry Caifeng, otherwise they would sue me at the county government office for raping a decent woman, put me in jail, and ineligible to take the imperial examinations again..."
The Queen's face darkened. "Did you rape Caifeng?"
"Madam, I, Han Qingbo, swear to God that I was drunk and unconscious last night and I really didn't do anything!" Han Qingbo said, and tears actually fell from his eyes.
"Since they said that the matter would be over as long as you married Caifeng, why did they beat you?" The second prince looked puzzled.
"Caifeng is a fool, and I don't want to marry her. As soon as it got light this morning, I used the excuse of going to the toilet and climbed over the wall to run away. They chased me all the way, and..." Han Qingbo wiped his tears.
Upon hearing this, Xia Miaoyuan revealed a look of delight: "No wonder Caifeng is such a fool. No wonder she resorted to such despicable tactics."
The village chief and his family are simply inhumane. They're clearly bullying Han Qingbo because he has no parents and no power. They're setting him up to trick him.
"Who reported it to the authorities?"
Suddenly, a middle-aged man's voice came.
I saw two yamen runners riding towards me.
The Second Prince bowed to them and said, "My lords, I asked this servant to report to the authorities."
"My mother and I were on our way when we encountered a group of people beating a young man, nearly killing him."
The leading bailiff frowned: "How could such a thing actually happen?"
At this moment, the gray-haired old man in the crowd rushed over, walked up to the yamen runner, and said with a smile on his face: "Li Bantou, it's me."
"Oh, isn't this the village chief of Laowang Village? Were you the ones who beat him up?" The yamen runner surnamed Li raised his eyebrows and spoke in a very familiar tone.
"It's just a small matter. The young man is ignorant and the elders in the village should educate him." The village chief said lightly.
"How shameless! Calling a group fight a lesson? Even if this princess says you're rude, she'll teach you a lesson every day!"
Xia Miaoyuan clenched her fists in anger.
"You..." Han Qingbo was so angry that his face turned red and he couldn't speak.
"So that's what's going on! Okay, okay!"
Li Yayi smiled as he spoke, then turned to look at the Second Prince and said, "Young Master passing by, you're reporting this trivial matter to the authorities! Well, just get in your carriage and continue on your way. A word of advice to you: mind your own business!"
The second prince was so angry that his eyes widened and veins on his forehead throbbed.
He took a few steps back and rushed towards Li Yayi, then jumped up and kicked Li Yayi off his horse.
"You bastard, how dare you confuse me in front of me! You must be tired of living!" The second prince said gritting his teeth.
Because the kick happened so quickly, everyone present was stunned.
The queen's face turned pale: "Chengnian, calm down."
[Wow! Second brother is so handsome! That kick was so cool and awesome!]
Xia Miaoyuan looked up at the second prince with admiration, stars twinkling in her eyes.
Li Yayi fell off his horse, and he was hit really hard. The village chief and others stepped forward to help him up, but it took them several attempts to get him up.
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