As in previous years, the emperor began to reward those who obtained the most prey, until the end, when he specially praised Xiao Zhenting, who killed a tiger, and gave him generous rewards.
Seeing that the emperor seemed to like Xiao Zhenting more and more, all the civil and military officials began to flatter him.
For a moment, Xiao Zhenting was surrounded by all kinds of praise and applause, which made him a little too proud of himself.
He looked in the direction of Shangguan Wanning and found that she was also looking at him with a smile, which caused a ripple in his heart.
At this moment, only Sun Jinyao walked to the side dejectedly, standing alone under the moon with a pot of wine and drinking it alone.
He looked up at the night sky, all the past events came to his mind, and grievances and helplessness surged over him.
A hand handed over a pot of wine.
Sun Jinyao looked back and saw that it was Mu Jingrui.
Their fathers were close friends and they played together when they were young.
"A little drunkenness can make all worries go away." Mu Jingrui said with a gloomy look, "The Second Prince's honor tonight should have belonged to you. But... no matter what, think on the bright side. Maybe there will be another chance in the future."
Sun Jinyao didn't have a bad impression of Mu Jingrui, but after the Mu family fell, the two families no longer had any contact.
Such obvious keeping away made him feel ashamed to face Mu Jingrui.
He took the wine from Mu Jingrui and took a big sip, then looked off into the distance again. "How did you know?"
"Your Highness the Crown Prince and I saw it. But... Tutor Sun and the Second Prince are too powerful in the court. Even Your Highness the Crown Prince cannot contend with them. So, although Your Highness the Crown Prince sympathizes with your situation, he can do nothing to help you."
These words made Sun Jinyao even more sad.
"I remember you told me before that you had a wish when you were a child, which was to have your mother be conferred the title of First-Rank Lady with your ability. You had the chance this time, but it's a pity."
Mu Jingrui seemed to be nonchalantly persuading Sun Jinyao, but in fact every word he said deeply hurt Sun Jinyao's heart.
"Your father is the Second Prince's teacher. They spend a lot of time together and effort on him. It's normal for him to want to see his students become successful. You don't have to mind it."
Mu Jingrui's words reminded Sun Jinyao that his father had placed almost all his efforts on Xiao Zhenting over the years. In addition to handling state affairs, he also gave Xiao Zhenting advice and helped him solve his problems.
He even wanted to be dragged along to pave the way for Xiao Zhenting.
Which one of them is his son?
"You are injured. It's not good to drink too much. Go back and rest early."
Mu Jingrui saw that Sun Jinyao's face was flushed, with murderous intent flashing in his eyes. The corners of his mouth slightly raised, revealing an evil arc.
Sun Jinyao felt hot all over, dizzy and swollen, and the anger and resentment in his heart became more and more intense.
He glanced at Mu Jingrui, took a deep breath, and stumbled towards Xiao Zhenting.
Mu Jingrui did not stop him.
The closer Sun Jinyao got to Xiao Zhenting, the faster his steps became, and some people could already see that he was furious.
Two guards stepped forward to stop them, but were injured by Mu Jingrui with a hidden weapon.
Sun Jinyao walked to Xiao Zhenting smoothly, pointed his finger at Xiao Zhenting and cursed: "Xiao Zhenting, do you still have any shame? I was the one who killed this tiger. Not only did you bully others and steal my credit, but you also showed off so much... Have you read all the sage books?"
Sun Jinyao’s roar made Xiao Zhenting a little dazed.
When he realized what was happening, his face immediately darkened.
"Young Master Sun is drunk. Someone, take him downstairs to rest."
After all, there were so many eyes watching him, Xiao Zhenting could only hold his breath.
The guards stepped forward to pull Sun Jinyao, but were all fought back by Sun Jinyao.
He refused to give in and questioned, "Xiao Zhenting, ask yourself, who do you think you are? What ability do you have to fight a tiger? You are just a despicable and shameless idiot."
Sun Jinyao's noise finally alarmed the emperor, who sent the chief eunuch to inquire about the situation.
The chief eunuch brought the drunken Sun Jinyao to the emperor.
"What's going on?" the emperor asked with a frown.
Sun Jinyao sobered up immediately.
He regretted his impulsiveness and cold sweat broke out on his back.
Xiao Yujue, who was standing in the crowd, secretly winked at a few people.
Before Sun Jinyao could speak, a minister stood up and recounted what had just happened.
The emperor looked extremely embarrassed.
"Is it true?"
Xiao Zhenting immediately knelt down and answered with his hands clasped, "Father, please understand. I would never dare to take credit for someone else's work. This is absolutely not the case."
Tutor Sun was trembling with fear as he saw things develop to this point, and he hurried forward to plead for mercy.
"Your Majesty, it's all my fault for not disciplining him. My son was drunk and that's why he lost his manners in front of the palace. Please forgive me. I will take him back and discipline him strictly."
The emperor didn't say anything, but just stared at Sun Jinyao.
He found that there was still stubbornness and unwillingness to admit defeat in the eyes of this young man.
It seems that this matter is definitely not groundless.
"Lord Sun, your son seems very dissatisfied?"
"No, Your Majesty, he was just drunk and didn't know what he was doing." Grand Tutor Sun pushed Sun Jinyao to the ground, kowtowed several times, and lowered his voice to force him to admit his mistake, "Tell me quickly, do you want to kill your whole family?"
Sun Jinyao felt somewhat desperate.
He thought of his mother and choked up and said, "Your Majesty, please forgive me. I know I was wrong."
The emperor snorted heavily.
"Sun Jinyao made a scene in front of the palace and spread rumors to accuse the Second Prince. He must not be forgiven lightly. He must be severely beaten with thirty sticks, removed from his official position, and exiled to join the army three thousand miles away. He must not return to the capital in this lifetime."
This kind of punishment made everyone present feel the difference.
Sun Jinyao was completely sober.
"Your Majesty, please have mercy... Please, Your Majesty, please have mercy..."
"Drag him away and beat him!"
At the emperor's command, the guards came forward and dragged Sun Jinyao away.
"Dad, please save my child! It doesn't matter if you go three thousand miles away, but what should I do... Dad..."
Sun Jinyao's calls did not elicit any pleas from Grand Tutor Sun. He just stood there in silence.
Shangguan Wanning couldn't help but sigh that it was really unfortunate for Sun Jinyao to have such a father.
This little episode did not attract much attention. After Sun Jinyao was dragged out, the banquet was soon resumed with the sound of stringed instruments and the aroma of meat.
Mrs. Sun fainted on the spot when she heard the news.
The maids called a doctor to wake her up. She cried bitterly and forced herself to go find her husband, hoping that he could plead for her son.
However, her husband's response to her was desperate and heartless.
At this point, he can’t save her!
If he wanted to save Sun Jinyao, he had to expose Xiao Zhenting's fraudulent claim of credit. He couldn't affect Xiao Zhenting's reputation.
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