Chapter 15 The Enigma: Little did they know, madness led to war, and war, in turn…
That day, after parting ways with Bai Lian, Jia Xuanyu intended to go to his mother, Consort Liu, to discuss important matters, but his mind was uneasy, and he turned back halfway to the Prince Zhang's residence.
Although the fourth prince, Jia Zhang, was born in the same year as Jia Xuanyu, he was gentle and composed, and was always Jia Xuanyu's best listener.
Therefore, among the many brothers, the two of them got along quite well.
As usual, Jia Xuanyu began chatting about all sorts of things as soon as he entered the mansion.
However, today Jia Zhang was unusually quiet, his brows furrowed as if he were preoccupied. Before Jia Xuanyu could finish his conversation, he suggested they drink together.
Jia Xuanyu, who was looking to drown his sorrows in wine, naturally agreed.
In fact, Jia Zhang rarely drank alcohol, and even when he did, he was very careful with his drinks. But this time, he drank it down in large gulps. The two of them clinked glasses and drank, and before they knew it, they were both quite drunk.
When one is tipsy, it is easy to say things without thinking.
Xuan Yu poured himself another cup, tilted his head back and drank it all, swaying as he sneered, "What's so good about Jia Luolin? Father favors him, Miss Bai likes him, but I just can't stand his looks! My mother said that his mother only relied on her face, and what happened? A beautiful woman with a tragic fate! I think he'll be the same, sooner or later he'll follow in his mother's footsteps!"
With bleary eyes from drinking, Jia Zhang shoved Xuan Yu and scolded, "Why be so harsh? What's not yours can't be forced. Even if you get it temporarily, fate will separate you!"
Xuan Yu chuckled: "Separate? Hahaha! Are you kidding me? Who wants to separate from me? Tsk... You should be saying that to yourself, right? Your messy affair with Second Brother is so bad that even God can't stand it and has to break you up! Hahaha!"
Jia Zhang shuddered violently. Normally, even the most unbearable situation would have allowed him to maintain some composure, but now his eyes were bloodshot, and he grabbed Jia Xuanyu by the collar, demanding, "What do you know?!"
Jia Xuanyu brushed his hand away, completely ignoring his expression, and continued to laugh: "Oh, you usually act so gentle and refined, but you're already in a hurry? Did I hit a sore spot? Why didn't you think about this when you liked him back then? Even if Jia Yunqi isn't the Crown Prince, does he think he can be your wife? Hahahaha!"
Jia Zhang was trembling with rage, the alcohol rising in his head, and he stammered, "You... shut up! That's enough... get out!"
The smile on Jia Xuanyu's face vanished abruptly, and under the influence of the alcohol, his true nature, which he usually kept hidden, gradually came to light.
He pointed at Jia Zhang and said sternly, "Who do you think you are, daring to speak to me like that? I call you Fourth Brother every day, do you really think you're something special! Do you believe I'll expose all your dirty deeds?!"
He glanced at Jia Zhang, who was bowing his head, clenching his fists, and remaining silent, feeling even more pleased. He then spoke harshly, "Your sweetheart is about to get married, and the Crown Princess is a true beauty! While you're here wallowing in sorrow, she's having a blast! Why don't you go find Jia Luolin? His face is even more handsome than your sweetheart's. Once you two are married, you can leave Bai Lian to me, wouldn't that be perfect? Haha..."
Before he could finish speaking, a heavy punch landed squarely on Jia Xuanyu's face. Caught off guard by Jia Zhang's full force, the unsuspecting Jia Xuanyu staggered a few steps and fell to the ground.
Jia Xuanyu scrambled to his feet, enraged: "You dare hit me?!" With that, he drew his sword and lunged forward. Jia Zhang, in the throes of fury, did not back down and turned to meet him with his own sword.
The two men, who once called each other brothers, were now locked in a fierce battle. Seeing the situation was dire, Jia Xuanyu's attendants hurriedly dispatched several groups of men to seek reinforcements.
Soon after, the guards of the Jade Prince's Palace rushed to the scene. The bloodthirsty Jia Xuanyu pointed at Jia Zhang in front of the guards and roared, "Kill him for me! Anyone who disobeys will be executed!"
On the other side, Prince Zhang retaliated in kind, ordering a counterattack without hesitation.
The guards raised their swords, no longer caring about etiquette or propriety; they only knew that taking the lives of their opponents was the only way to save themselves, and for a moment they fought to the death...
The flesh and blood of everyone present seemed to have lost their value, allowing them to be slaughtered at will.
In an instant, the mansion was awash in blood, but the madness showed no signs of abating.
After clearing away the obstacles in his path, Jia Zhang finally pinpointed Jia Xuanyu's location. Taking advantage of Jia Xuanyu's distraction, and fueled by alcohol, he unleashed his full power, knocking the sword from Jia Xuanyu's hand with a single palm strike.
Before Jia Xuanyu could recover, he saw Jia Zhang, consumed by rage, raise his sword high and slash at him! Jia Xuanyu, now unarmed, instinctively raised his arm to block.
Unexpectedly, Jia Zhang's attack was all-out, and with pent-up resentment, he slashed off half of Jia Xuanyu's arm. The force of the attack was not yet exhausted, and he even left a deep, bone-revealing bloodstain on Jia Xuanyu's face!
Jia Xuanyu was instantly covered in blood. Overwhelmed with fear and terror, she fainted before she could even utter a sound.
The dull thud as he fell to the ground finally brought Jia Zhang to his senses. The drunkenness and anger subsided, and he stared at his blood-stained hands, trembling uncontrollably...
Was he controlled by alcohol, or did he unleash his true self? In any case, the mistake has been made and cannot be undone.
Just then, a message suddenly rang out from outside the door:
"His Majesty has arrived!"
This piercing announcement tore through the bloody night, ending this absurd war, and everyone was jolted awake from their daze...
As Jia Fengtian stepped into the mansion, he saw the fourth prince kneeling on the ground, his face ashen, and the third prince on the verge of death.
He was heartbroken to see his nephew and son in such a terrible state.
The air remained still, and the people lying or kneeling on the ground were filled with terror. Their heavy breathing and the sound of blood dripping from the knife tips could be clearly heard.
Jia Fengtian frowned, unable to bear the sight of his son's miserable state any longer. He closed his eyes and said in a deep voice, "Guards! Send the Third Prince back to his residence immediately! Issue my decree: all the imperial physicians from the Imperial Hospital are to come to the Jade Prince's residence for a joint consultation! If anything happens to the Third Prince, I want them to come back with their heads!"
He suppressed his emotions and continued to issue orders: "If even a single word of what happened today is leaked, the person responsible will be executed without mercy! All guards in both mansions who carry swords must immediately commit suicide to atone for their sins! Anyone who disobeys will be killed without exception!"
Those who had just brandished their knives were now forced to place the cold blades against their own necks...
-
As the dramatic scene gradually subsided, only Jia Fengtian and Jia Zhang, who was kneeling on the ground, remained in the room.
Jia Fengtian gazed at his nephew for a long time, a thousand words stuck in his throat, which finally turned into a long sigh.
"Zhang'er, get up. I will give you one day to reflect on what happened today. Tomorrow, I want you to give me an explanation."
Jia Zhang remained silent with his head bowed, completely still, as if he had already disregarded his life.
Even so, faced with this stubborn face that so closely resembled the person in his memory, Jia Fengtian ultimately couldn't bring himself to be ruthless.
"Guards! From this day forward, strictly guard the Zhangwang Mansion. No one is allowed to enter or leave!"
Jia Fengtian issued the decree and then turned and left. Only desolation remained of the Zhangwang Mansion.
As early autumn approaches, the air is slightly cool, and the last warmth of summer is blown away by the wind.
What's meant to happen will happen eventually.
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