Even though it was Jiang Chengyu who recklessly hit the eldest prince, he insisted on stepping forward to take responsibility. He didn't explain himself when he was mistakenly hit, and just silently endured it.
Consort Ju and her son were still complaining on the side, watching as the emperor's brows went from furrowed to relaxed, and then back to furrowed again.
"Zhu Changyu, what exactly happened?" He shouted, looking at this descendant he had almost never paid attention to.
The second prince pursed his lips, his voice bitter, "Your subject happened to see the eldest prince halfway there, but I don't know what happened. I only know that the eldest prince opened his eyes and attacked me..."
"The first thing I see when I open my eyes is you. Who else could it be but you?" The eldest prince almost immediately retorted.
The second prince innocently raised his hand, but then let it fall limply to the ground.
The feeling of being wronged and slandered, yet powerless to defend oneself, overwhelmed everyone present.
Some of the young ladies looked on with pity and tenderness, while even the usually carefree Qi Yue showed a hint of shame.
Jiang Sheng's heart skipped a beat.
She seemed to understand that the second prince was playing the victim to gain the young lady's sympathy, and perhaps even hoping to use this opportunity to find a good marriage.
This man was incredibly cunning, yet he genuinely helped several young women, such as Yao Siqing and Dou Jingyi, who saw through the truth but didn't show any contempt for him.
They gained both substance and prestige.
The price was a beating.
If Jiang Sheng didn't have a fifth brother she loved dearly, she might have sympathized with the second prince, or even admired him.
She pursed her lips, hesitating whether or not to remind Changyan.
Consort Ju, who was complaining, seemed to realize something and asked warily, "Hong'er, did you see clearly? Was it really the Second Prince who hit you?"
Even if they were targeting the women of the Jiang and Dou families, it wouldn't be the turn of the timid and taciturn Second Prince to stand up for justice.
The eldest prince seemed stumped by the question and hesitated for a moment.
First, he was ambushed and struck on the back of the head. He fell to the ground, already dizzy. Then he was slapped so hard that he couldn't open his eyes. He didn't even see who it was. He could only vaguely hear the girl's voice.
But if he said it outright, he wouldn't be able to explain why he was in the side hall, and even being unable to beat the girl would make him a laughingstock. It just wasn't worth it.
It would be better to pin the blame on the disliked second prince and extinguish the ignorant boy's ambition to compete.
The eldest prince didn't hesitate for long and nodded decisively, "It's him!"
"Your Majesty," Consort Ju immediately turned around and cried, "They are clearly brothers, how could they kill each other, especially at this special selection banquet for concubines? I really couldn't control them."
These words were like two veiled insults to the Second Prince.
First, fratricide is a major taboo in the royal family, proving that this person lacks tolerance and is not fit for the throne.
Secondly, making a scene on the day of the concubine selection would not only embarrass the Zhu family but also make them a laughing stock among the ministers.
Finally, he could say he was difficult to manage, thus removing the problem and gracefully extricating himself from the situation.
Judging from the heaving of the emperor's chest, the second prince was likely to be punished.
"You... go back to your princely residence to reflect on your actions. Don't come out for at least six months. Leave the affairs of Fengtian Prefecture to others. We'll talk about it again when you've figured things out."
In short, the Second Prince was stripped of his official position, which he had worked so hard for for years.
The boy was clearly only seventeen years old. At this moment, his hands hung limply at his sides, and his eyes were dull and lifeless. "Your subject... Your subject obeys."
He bowed deeply and retreated in a disheveled manner under the watchful eyes of the crowd.
They were all princes, so why did some receive so much favor while others had to be humbled to the point of being insignificant?
Jiang Sheng hid in the crowd, unsure whether the Second Prince had won or lost this time.
When he said he had lost, many of the court ladies looked on with pity, especially the girls from the Jiang, Dou, Yao, and Qi families, who all felt indebted to him.
If he wins, he will lose his livelihood and be blatantly neglected, making it even harder for him to find ministers willing to support him in the future.
Especially after Consort Ju found a handkerchief on the eldest prince and, upon closer inspection, discovered it belonged to a girl from the Min family, the situation became increasingly unfavorable for the second prince.
"How did Min's handkerchief end up on Hong'er?" Consort Ju asked in surprise, then smiled. "If Hong'er is so inclined, he might as well speak frankly in front of everyone."
The eldest prince stammered, glancing at Dou Jingyi out of the corner of his eye. After confirming there was no response, he lowered his eyelids in disappointment. "Your subject is in love with Miss Min."
In the distance, the Third Princess's little cousin frantically searched her entire body, and after confirming that her handkerchief was indeed missing, she almost collapsed to the ground.
It seems that after losing sight of the Jiang and Dou families, Consort Ju and her son have set their sights on the Min family, who are the easiest to control.
With the Third Princess and Consort Min working under Consort Ju, and the handkerchief serving as evidence, the Min family will likely be forced to take sides this time.
Why is it that women are always sacrificed in the process of gaining power and support?
Jiang Sheng didn't want to look anymore, so she turned away from the crowd and returned to the deserted banquet hall.
Xu Mo seemed to have anticipated this, and stood tall and elegant in the center, waiting.
"Big brother!" She rushed over in a few strides. "What are you doing here?"
"I just finished talking with the young master of the He family." Xu Mo patted her head. "How are you? Are you able to protect your girlfriends?"
Jiang Sheng smiled and said, "I only protected Sister Dou, I couldn't protect the other girls."
Judging from the way things are going, it seems like a marriage is about to be arranged.
Given that the Jiang, Dou, and Yao families are out of reach, the Fang, Zhu, and Tao families are on our side, the Chu family's intentions are unclear, and the He family has no eligible girls, the Min family is indeed the only option.
By binding the eldest prince to the Min family, he is essentially binding himself to the third princess, as well as the family of the third princess's future husband, thus killing two birds with one stone.
As for the girl Min who lost her handkerchief, who cares?
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