"Hongjun, you thief! How did Hongxi's jade pendant end up with you?" Tai'an asked, surrounding Hongjun with several members of the imperial clan.
"What nonsense are you talking about! What jade pendant?" Hongjun had just entered the study when he saw several people from Tai'an looking at him with schadenfreude.
"Look at your table, isn't that Hongxi's lost jade pendant! You've had your eye on it for a long time, haven't you? You're supposed to be a member of the royal family, yet you still steal things!" Ever since Tai'an was punished by Master Zhu with a slap on the palm of his hand last time, he had been looking for trouble with Hongjun.
Hongjun reached out and touched it, and sure enough, he touched a jade pendant with a qilin shape on it.
"Hongning, Hongshi, Hongwen, come and see for yourselves! There's a thief here!" Tai'an shouted immediately.
Hongjun looked at the jade pendant with the unicorn pattern on the table and felt that it looked familiar, but he couldn't remember where he was looking.
"What nonsense are you talking about? I've never taken this thing!" Hongjun felt his head explode, and he sensed that he might have fallen into a trap set by the other party.
“The item was found right here with you, and you’re still denying it?” Tai’an said.
“That’s not quite right! Maybe someone deliberately put the jade pendant in Hongjun’s ladder!” Hongwen said.
“Hongwen, what do you mean by this? Do you mean that Hongxi put the jade pendant in Hongjun’s ladder himself?” Tai’an turned to Hongwen and said.
“That’s not what I meant. I just think that just because the jade pendant was in Hongjun’s ladder doesn’t necessarily mean he took it!” Hongwen said.
“Hongwen, then tell me, who took my jade pendant to Hongjun’s ladder!” Hongxi walked over, and everyone quickly stepped aside to let him in.
Hongwen was a bit timid. He had only said those words out of loyalty, but now that Hongxi was asking him directly, he was hesitant.
“I didn’t take your jade pendant. Someone must have deliberately put it in my desk,” Hongjun said.
“Of course the thief won’t admit it!” Hongxi said.
“I told you I didn’t take your things!” Hongjun said, raising his voice.
"You took my things and you're still so arrogant!" Hongxi stared coldly at Hongjun.
"What are you all arguing about here?" Master Zhu walked into the study with several books in his hand.
"Master Zhu, Hongjun took Hongxi's jade pendant, but he won't admit it!" Tai'an hurriedly complained.
“I didn’t take any of his jade pendants!” Hongjun said.
“Master Zhu, this jade pendant was given to me by my father, who said it was a gift from the Emperor. I discovered it was missing yesterday, and only found it in Hongjun’s desk today. Hongjun, if you like it, I’ll give it to you,” Hongxi said.
"You! Who wanted your jade pendant? I didn't even take it!" Hongjun said angrily.
"Go back to your seats!" Master Zhu roared.
The group immediately mimicked the movements of birds and beasts and returned to their seats.
Master Zhu ignored the matter and immediately began his lecture for the day. This was typical of Master Zhu; he generally wouldn't let anything delay his lecture for the day, and he would usually finish his lecture first before dealing with other matters.
Hongjun was tense all day, while Hongxi and Tai'an would glare at him from time to time.
After class, Master Zhu called Hongjun, Hongxi, and Tai'an to his side. He told the others to go home.
“Hongjun, you’ve never seen this jade pendant before?” Master Zhu asked.
“I’ve seen it before, on Hongxi. But I didn’t take it. And I don’t like this jade pendant.” Hongjun said firmly.
“You’re talking nonsense! My jade pendant is right there in your table. How do you explain that?” Hongxi bit Hongjun’s jaw.
“How should I know? You must have framed me on purpose and deliberately put that jade pendant in there,” Hongjun retorted, not to be outdone.
"What did you say?" Hongxi angrily grabbed Hongjun by the collar.
"Hongxi, let go! A gentleman uses words, not fists. You're already trying to take action before we've even figured things out. What have you been doing with all that studying the classics?" Master Zhu reprimanded sternly.
“Master Zhu, but it was clearly him who took my jade pendant,” Hongxi said.
“Alright, I don’t know which of you is telling the truth. Now, swear an oath to your master. If you smear this matter, may you be struck by lightning,” Master Zhu said.
“Alright, I, Aisin Gioro Hongjun, swear…” Upon hearing this, Hongjun immediately began to swear an oath, but was stopped by Master Zhu.
“You don’t need to swear anymore. Master already knows who is lying.” Master Zhu stared at Hongxi and Tai’an, who gradually became less confident under his sharp gaze. Just after he finished speaking, Hongxi and Tai’an clearly hesitated and questioned for a moment.
"Hongxi, and Tai'an, you two are trying to slander your own brothers, lying to your master with such conviction. Roll up your sleeves and open your palms!" Master Zhu roared, startling Hongxi and Tai'an, who both turned pale. They were only about ten years old and couldn't withstand such intimidation; they immediately began to tell the truth.
“Master, I deliberately had Tai’an put that jade pendant in Hongjun’s drawer. Because he always acts so important. No one else dares to do that, only him,” Hongxi said, bowing his head.
“Hongxi, you were born a descendant of the Aisin Gioro clan, how can you be so intolerant? Hongjun is your cousin, how can you frame him like this? I will punish you both with twenty strokes of the cane, and you will also have to write a self-criticism for me when you get back,” Master Zhu said mercilessly.
When the long ruler fell, Hongxi and Tai'an were in so much pain that they could only shed tears. However, all they felt in their hearts was dissatisfaction with their master and disgust for Hongjun. They did not realize their own problems and kept pushing the blame onto others.
Hongxi had never been punished like this before. His palms were almost raw, and his entire hand was red and swollen, painful to the touch. When he ran to his father, the Crown Prince, with this hand in his hand, crying and complaining, he didn't feel that he had done anything wrong.
"You're saying this was Master Zhu who hit you?" The Crown Prince looked at his second son's hand and asked incredulously.
“Yes, it was Master Zhu who hit him. Father, Master Zhu is biased towards Hongjun, and Hongxi is not happy about it,” Hongxi cried.
"What exactly happened?" the crown prince asked, frowning.
Hongxi then recounted how Master Zhu had determined who was speaking, and naturally, he admitted to the Crown Prince that he had framed Hongjun.
Logically, the Crown Prince should have disciplined his son after hearing that he had deliberately framed someone. However, instead of disciplining his son, he believed that Hongjun's disrespect towards Hongxi was instigated by the Fourth Prince.
“Hongxi, your father knows. Don’t worry, your father won’t let you suffer this humiliation for nothing. Once your father thinks of a way, he will naturally make Hongjun bow down to you,” the Crown Prince said bitterly.
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