Farce Interlude
With two resounding slaps, Jing Yao raised her hand and slapped both sides of her face. Although her skin was delicate and her fingers were white, her hands were not small. On the contrary, her thinness made them appear broad, with distinct finger bones.
Two consecutive slaps made Si Yun dizzy. Jing Yao didn't have much flesh on his hands, but the pain of the bones hitting his face was real.
Si Yun screamed and cried at the top of her lungs.
"Grandma Royal! Wuwu... Grandma Royal, save me!"
The onlookers looked at each other in bewilderment at the tragic scene, but many people also felt that the Fifth Princess was a domineering and arrogant ruler who bullied women and men in the city, and now there was finally someone who could control her.
Others whispered that Jing Yao's methods in this regard were much more powerful than the Fifth Princess's, and the two of them could truly be described as "evil will be punished by evil."
The maid from the princess's mansion who had just been knocked down covered her face with her hands and fell to the ground. She rolled her eyes and made up her mind to get up and run away secretly, but before she could take two steps, she was suddenly stopped by Bo Yue Zhiyue on both sides.
"Get out of the way!" The maid had been following the Fifth Princess for a long time, imitating her arrogant demeanor perfectly. "Who gave you the guts to stop me?"
Bo Yue and Zhi Yue followed Jing Yao for no reason. Bo Yue was also used to seeing these scheming tricks while working in the palace. After sneering twice, he raised his voice and rebuked in a serious tone:
"Your princess is right here. Why are you running around like this, you unruly servant, when you're not waiting to serve her? You have no idea of etiquette!"
"you!"
The maid blushed and almost suffocated.
The people around her either watched the show coldly or pretended to be passing by and nothing happened. No one helped her.
Si Yun struggled hard, but she was half a head shorter than Jing Yao, and Jing Yao clamped her two claws that were intended to strangle her with one hand.
"Save your energy, Fifth Princess."
Jing Yao pressed her shoulders tightly with his other hand, preventing her from moving. His smile was gentle, but his words were chilling: "Or... the Fifth Princess just likes this and wants to be slapped a few more times?"
Si Yun didn't dare to argue with her anymore, and she stopped being stubborn. She was so anxious that she begged for mercy again and again: "No! Don't!"
Jing Yao sneered a few times and finally let go of the hand that was pinching her.
Almost at the same time, Si Yun's legs trembled like soft noodles and she collapsed to the ground, completely terrified.
Si Pei, who had been watching from the side, finally walked towards them. Before Si Yun could even call out "Royal Brother", Si Pei walked towards Jing Yao with tender eyes and whispered, "Does your hand hurt?"
Jing Yao shook off his hand that was about to grab his palm for a closer inspection: "It's just a few slaps, my hands are not that delicate."
Si Pei didn't think so: "Your hands are red and you still say it doesn't hurt... Don't do that next time, Yaoyao."
Si Yun's eyes lit up, but she didn't expect to be poured with a basin of ice water from head to toe. Si Pei coaxed her nonchalantly, "It's the same if you ask the maid to fan you."
Jing Yao chuckled a few times after hearing this, and Si Yun's face turned blue and red. She didn't expect Si Pei to treat her like this, embarrassing her by helping the evil in front of so many people! She was the most noble princess in Xijing, and at the very least, she and Si Pei were blood brothers and sisters. How could he help an outsider?
"Royal brother, you have truly been bewitched by this witch! You even stood by and watched your own sister suffer, applauding and cheering!"
Si Yun's childish and unrestrained hatred was revealed clearly. Si Pei lowered his eyes and looked at her, finding it ridiculous.
He didn't even take the bedridden emperor seriously, nor his mother, who was now pretending to be powerful, seriously, let alone this childish girl. No one in the entire Si royal family had ever truly treated him, and now everyone could use the excuse of blood being thicker than water and being a family to pressure him.
But Si Pei doesn't care about these "relatives" at all.
I don't know if the predictions of the astronomical supervisor back then were true, or if they mistrusted the divination and forced him to become what was "prophesied." Just as they wished, he really was now a man with few kin, cruel and ruthless.
There is no true love among the royal family; they are all driven by interests.
Si Yun was smug about her past as a useful mascot for the Emperor, but she didn't realize that Si Pei didn't need these fake things at all. To him, she was of no use at all.
It would be fine if Si Yun had been obedient, but she just couldn't see the situation clearly and still fantasized that she still had power.
Si Pei was feeling a little angry, but he heard a clear young man's voice outside: "What's going on?"
Hearing the voice, Si Pei first frowned with a look of disgust, but Si Yun on the ground was the complete opposite. She quickly got up and threw herself into the arms of her good brother as if she had seen a life-saving straw: "Sixth brother!"
"Little sister, you...what's wrong with you!?"
Although Si Yun is the fifth among the princesses and Si Jue is the sixth among the princes, Si Yun is the youngest in the palace in terms of age, because Si Jue also calls her little sister.
They were both the most beloved children of Queen Dowager Xuan, and seemed to have a good relationship on weekdays, but Si Yun had really learned all the hypocritical behavior of her father and grandmother. She did not often take the initiative to interact with Si Jue, and even took the initiative to get close to Si Cheng, who had been in power for a while.
After Si Jue went to his fiefdom, the two of them had almost no contact at all.
Moreover, Si Yun only called the Empress Dowager Xuan every day, but in fact, even though the princess's mansion was in the east of the city, she was too lazy to go into the palace and visit with the Empress Dowager Xuan.
Si Yun was snobbish and childish, and Si Jue knew it. But at this moment, they were still allies, so he could only stare at the two obvious red handprints on Si Yun's face with exaggerated eyes wide open in surprise. Anyone could tell at a glance that she had definitely been beaten, and the blow hadn't been light.
Si Yun didn't think too much at the moment, and sobbed and complained: "It was her! It was this crazy woman who beat me! Sixth brother, you have to make the decision for me!"
Si Jue raised his eyes and met Si Pei's emotionless eyes.
For a moment, the atmosphere between the two became tense, and there was a sense of tension.
Jiang Wen was bandaged, and Wen Renyou was left to tend to the wound. Jing Yao pointed at Jiang Wen's tightly wrapped arm, and was so angry that he couldn't help but say, "Fifth Princess, why are you pretending to be pitiful? You went crazy for no reason and poured boiling water on the Jiang family's second wife in public, causing her such serious injuries. What right do you have to cry?"
Jiang Min was not only covered with medicine from her shoulders to her palms, but also had burns on her face and behind her ears. The burns on her face turned bright red after the medicine was applied, which was shocking.
Si Jue couldn't help but twitching his forehead when he looked over. He thought to himself, is Si Yun really so bold that she dared to throw a tantrum and make trouble at the Chunshu Banquet, and she even had to make trouble for Jing Yao's good friend.
Given Jing Yao's personality, he will not let this matter go.
"Sixth brother! Please speak!" Seeing that he didn't speak, Si Yun became so anxious that she stopped crying and her stubborn and cold appearance was exposed: "Take me to see the Empress Dowager! I want the Empress Dowager to seek justice for me!"
"Oh, where's your justice?" Jing Yao sneered and shouted, "No need to invite the Queen Mother. First, tell me the reason for that nonsense you mentioned. Otherwise, if you can't explain it in front of the Queen Mother, I will slap you."
Jing Yao's arrogance was now even greater, and she wasn't afraid of Queen Dowager Xuan. That woman had been using the power of others to bully others for half her life, but the Xuan family was still a pile of mud that couldn't be helped, without troops or people. What little influence she had accumulated in the palace had long been eliminated by Si Pei, and even if Si Yun brought her to Queen Dowager Xuan's attention, she wouldn't be able to get anything out of it.
Upon hearing this, Si Jue first tried to save herself: "Little sister, you've really gone too far. If you have any grievances or inner feelings, please speak out first. We will all help you seek justice."
As soon as he finished speaking, he saw Si Yun staring at him angrily. How could Si Jue not know Si Yun's character? He really didn't want to get involved in her mess.
Si Yun was silent, and everyone around her held their breath, waiting to hear her speech.
Jing Yao folded his hands in front of his chest, with his eyebrows raised, as if he was waiting to see the show.
Si Yun couldn't utter a word for a long while. She bit her lower lip tightly as if ready to fight to the death. One hand pointed resentfully at the pavilion with the curtain drawn on the other side:
"It's all Wen Renyou's fault!"
She finished shouting, tears welling up in her eyes: "It was this heartless man who deceived me!"
Wen Rencuo, who had just sent his younger brother to the imperial physician for bandaging, suddenly became even uglier after hearing this. How could this brat Wen Renyou provoke the Fifth Princess, who is like a big Buddha?
Wenren Ju looked at his elder brother and shook his head slightly.
Although Ayou is a bit playful and naughty, he is definitely not someone who plays with women's emotions. He is not a fool, so how could he treat Princess Songyan like this?
"What do you mean, Fifth Princess?" Wen Rencuo's voice was low and serious, just as solemn and silent as he was on the battlefield.
Si Yun was intimidated by his aura. After a two-second pause, she replied, "It was Wen Renyou himself who said he loved me. I originally wanted to ask the Empress Dowager for an imperial decree to grant the marriage. But now he's turned around and is having an affair with someone else. He's toying with my feelings like this, and I can't swallow this! So... I'm thinking of taking revenge on him."
After saying that, Si Yun raised her eyes and looked at Si Jue and Si Pei with tears in her eyes: "Royal brother, I am the victim! They teamed up to deceive me!"
Si Yun changed the subject and stared at Jiang Wen, who was standing there dumbfounded. "And her! Jiang Wen, you bitch! You knew Wen Renyou liked me, so why did you seduce him?"
Two girls of similar age stood face to face, Si Yun was hysterical, while Jiang Min remained silent and let tears flow down her face.
"Awen?" Jiang Jing and Huo Zhuxin stood by her side, worried and a little bit unbelievable that Wen Renyou would actually do such a thing.
"You...shut up!"
The young man's angry roars seemed to have reached the point where he could no longer endure it. Wen Renyou hastily put on his coat and walked out from behind the curtain. The imperial physician behind him wanted to call out to him but was helpless: "Fifth Young Master, your wound has not been bandaged yet. You can't... Alas."
Jing Yao didn't care about the mess between Wen Renyou and Si Yun. She only sided with Jiang Wen and spoke only for Awen.
"Si Yun, are you crazy? You keep saying that you hate Wen Renyou and didn't intentionally splash Jiang Wen, but the hatred on your face just now really doesn't match your words. Are you trying to cover up something or are you just lying?"
Jing Yao turned around and looked at Wen Renyou who rushed over: "And you! Explain yourself properly. If you really let A-wen down, neither of you will be able to escape."
Princess Si Yun's temper flared up again: "Who are you threatening?"
Jing Yao didn't even bother to look at her, just sneered. Si Jue saw the situation change and stopped Si Yun: "Little sister, calm down."
Si Yun gnashed her teeth in anger. Was Si Jue here to help her? Before she could glare at him, she saw the disgust and indifference in Si Jue's eyes, which instantly suppressed her momentum.
Si Yun couldn't help but feel a shock in her heart. When did the useless Si Jue become so completely different from the soft persimmon he used to be?
Facing Jing Yao's questioning, Wen Renyou's hands were shaking with anxiety as he hurriedly explained, "Don't listen to her nonsense. I have nothing to do with this Fifth Princess! If I really liked her, I wouldn't have been so indifferent when Lady Jing hit her just now! Could I have acted so well?"
Jing Yao glanced at him suspiciously. Come to think of it, if Wen Renyou, this big fool, was really a heartless man who could pretend to be so innocent, then all the actors in the opera troupes in Shanghua City should learn how to act from him.
But it's not impossible. What if?
This matter concerns Jiang Wen, so we must not make a hasty decision.
Wen Renyou was no longer shy and turned to face his sweetheart: "Awen, I, Wen Renyou, am willing to swear to heaven that the only person I love in this life is you. Only you."
"No one else."
When Wen Renyou said the last sentence, Jiang Wen, who had been avoiding his gaze, finally raised her head with tears in her eyes: "Ayou..."
"Awen, you believe me, right?"
Wen Renyou approached Jiang Min cautiously, step by step.
"Wenren You, stop lying! Why don't you admit it? Do you think it's difficult for you to speak up as the Fifth Princess of Xijing?" Si Yun couldn't bear to listen any longer. She wanted to run over and grab Wenren You, but was stopped by Jing Yao's maid.
Jing Yao knew that her daughter A Wen was an introvert, and it was not easy for her to meet a man with similar interests and complementary personalities and who she loved. Although she didn't know much about Wen Renyou, she could see the boy's sincerity. At least at this moment, she still didn't want to doubt the authenticity of his feelings for Jiang Wen.
On the contrary, the Princess Song Yan in front of him was full of doubts. Seeing Si Yun's face flushed with anger, Jing Yao laughed inwardly: "You said that you and Wen Renyou were a couple who loved each other, but why did Wen Renyou deny it? No one in Shanghua City has heard of it. Do you have any evidence?"
Jing Yao felt strange from the beginning. If the Fifth Princess really had a relationship with Wen Renyou, how could no one know about it given her high-profile personality?
Although Wen Renyou wanted to continue comforting Jiang Wen, he also knew that he had to say a few words to prove his innocence. "I really don't know how I offended the Fifth Princess to make you risk your own reputation by telling such a lie. I only know that you and I have rarely spoken to each other, and we have only met from a distance at a few banquets hosted by aristocratic families in the capital. Apart from that, we have no other interactions."
"You...how can you say that! You obviously like me! You should like me, how could it not be me!" Si Yun covered her ears and screamed, "That woman lied to you! How could you like someone else!"
"Song Yan, that's enough." How could Si Pei not understand at this point? This was all a farce caused by Si Yun's self-conceit.
Jing Yao was very familiar with this kind of plot. In the past, there were many young men in the capital who liked her. Among them, there was someone who was overly imaginative and confident to the point that he thought the whole world should like him.
Si Yun has been pampered and used to being the center of attention. She lost her mother at an early age and was spoiled when she was growing up. It is common for such people to be conceited and arrogant.
She didn't really like Wen Renyou. After all, the Fifth Princess never lacked men to serve her. She just stubbornly thought that Wen Renyou "should" belong to her because he was the one she liked.
From this point of view, Wen Renyou was lying. Perhaps they were not completely without any connection. It was more likely that Si Yun took the initiative to approach him but was rejected by him.
People like Si Yun are the most conceited and how could they accept their own failure? So it was normal that this matter was not known to outsiders. Wen Renyou didn't mention it just now, probably to protect her last bit of face, and also because he was afraid that others would say he coveted the princess.
However, Si Yun was obviously a very vengeful person. She had always been brooding over the fact that Wen Renyou rejected her. Later, when she found out that Wen Renyou, whom she didn't get, gave up on her and instead liked this girl from a small aristocratic family who meant nothing to her, Si Yun was furious and the evil desire in her heart rose up again.
Jing Yao shook her head. Si Yun might not really care whether Wen Renyou liked her or not. To her, he was just a plaything driven by possessiveness and competitiveness.
Si Jue knew that he had been tricked by Si Yun. She had caused the royal family to lose face at the Chunshu Banquet, which was inappropriate no matter what the reason was. What's more, it was discovered in the end that it was just a farce, and the other two people were just innocent victims.
"Song Yan, your actions today were insane and extreme, insulting the royal family. This is totally unbecoming of a princess. I'm worried that the Fifth Princess has developed hysteria from excessive grief and needs treatment as soon as possible."
Si Pei said the second half without changing his expression, and no one else had any objection.
"Come here, transfer the Fifth Princess to the Imperial Hospital."
As soon as His Royal Highness the Crown Prince finished speaking, the guards waiting on the side rushed up and took away Si Yun, who was struggling violently and still crying out for grievance.
"Wait, there's one more thing I need to return to her."
Jing Yao smiled with his eyes curved, and Si Yun stopped crying and screaming immediately. Fear took over everything.
"You...you can't do this! Sixth brother, save me!"
Jing Yao shook her head lightly, saying nothing, but simply took the hot water that Bo Yue handed her. Meanwhile, Si Jue, whom she had called out to, had already stood beside Wen Rencuo, whispering something to him.
"How dare you! I'm a princess! The Fifth Princess of Xijing! You can't do this to me!"
Jing Yao didn't care about what she said: "Princess, you are not afraid of the scalding water, right?"
"you!"
This double entendre made Si Yun speechless with anger. She also threw the jar into despair: "Jing Yao, you bitch, do you think you are so powerful? You just climbed up by relying on the favor of the prince! Wait until the day when your beauty fades and your love fades, you will regret treating me like this today! You will definitely regret it! But I...Ahhhhh!"
Screams continued to be heard. Jing Yao was too lazy to listen to her nonsense and poured a plate of hot water over her.
In comparison, Jing Yao was much more merciful. Not only did her face not get hurt, but the water wasn't completely boiling hot either. However, the Fifth Princess' delicate skin was still burned red.
"That's perfect. We're going to the Imperial Hospital anyway." Jing Yao wiped his hands clean. "The Imperial Physician can also treat the burns at the same time."
Looking back, Si Pei was still standing behind her, smiling gently at her.
The ladies and gentlemen from the surrounding noble families had been sent away by Si Pei a long time ago. Now that the inexplicable farce was finally over, the injured boys and girls also resolved their misunderstandings. They leaned against each other quietly and slowly walked to the other side of the garden.
Jing Yao knew that they should have a lot more to say.
But some people... seem to be saying something.
With her sharp eyes, she noticed that Si Jue had stood next to Wen Rencuo without her knowing when. When did the two of them become so familiar with each other? She looked at Si Pei with confusion, feeling somewhat worried.
So many things happened suddenly today, and Jing Yao didn't know why he felt a vague sense of unease.
Si Pei lowered his brows gently, held her hand lightly and nodded at her, saying nothing yet it seemed as if he had said everything.
Phew, don't worry. Wen Rencuo, who has no real power, and Si Jue, who has lost his magic power, can't make any waves.
The military power of Xijing is not entirely in the hands of the Wen family.
Just then, the person she was thinking of came rushing in from outside the garden, exhausted.
The young man took off the silver armor he usually wore and put on an indigo-blue belted brocade jacket that was both solemn and youthful. His long hair was tied up high and fastened with an ice-blue headband.
"Yuan Wu!"
Jing Yao was naturally delighted to see him coming. She turned around and said something quickly to Si Pei. Before anyone could respond, she hurriedly lifted her skirt and walked forward to greet him: "Why are you here so early?"
I thought he would wait until the banquet was about to start before coming. After all, he didn't like to hang out and chat with people from other families, and he never participated in garden parties.
Zuo Yuanwu's handsome face immediately showed two suspicious blushes, and his eyes wandered: "I have a new dress made, and I want Miss to help me see if it is suitable for me?"
After saying this, he seemed to feel a little embarrassed and raised his hand to scratch his head. I don't know if he was hiding his embarrassment or out of genuine emotion, but he laughed foolishly twice.
Jing Yao didn't think too much about it. He walked around him, looked him over and over again, and nodded with satisfaction: "It suits you very well! It looks great on you!"
After receiving her affirmative answer, Zuo Yuanwu became visibly happier and excitedly told her about the interesting things that happened while making this dress.
The two of them didn't notice the pair of eyes on the other side that never moved away from them.
Seeing them chatting happily, Si Pei couldn't help but sigh. Why on earth? Jing Yao had clearly seen through Si Yun and the others' emotional entanglement and explained it clearly, so why couldn't he see what was going on when facing Zuo Yuanwu?
Zuo Yuanwu's ambition is clearly written on his face, but Yao Yao is still so naive and plays with him.
Although Si Pei knew that they had a deep relationship, he still couldn't help but secretly poke fun at Zuo Yuanwu in his heart, wishing he would go away quickly.
"Your Highness, the Queen Mother sent me to bring some cakes to the young men and women who are visiting the garden."
A female voice suddenly sounded from behind. The maid was several steps away from him. He nodded slightly. Eunuch Ming stood by and swept his whisk: "Send it."
"Yes." The palace maid bowed slightly, and when she stood up, she revealed Ningyue's smiling face, a smile that made people inexplicably frightened.
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