Chapter 59 Taking Charge for the Fourth Prince
"Ah, right, right!" Sheng Sheng laughed.
Pei Ji watched as the girl awkwardly and guiltily changed the subject, and he was far from angry with her.
"younger sister!"
Just as Pei Ji was about to comfort her, Xie Yunqi rushed over from the other side and decisively cut in between them, blocking their view.
She asked repeatedly, "What's wrong, brother?"
"Your father is looking for you!"
"Hmm?" Sheng Sheng asked in confusion, "Why does Father want to see me?"
“I don’t know. Eunuch Hou came in person and said that Father Emperor wants you to go to the Imperial Study now.” Xie Yunqi pointed to the spot where they had been fishing. “Look, Eunuch Hou is waiting there.”
"Ah, okay, brother, wait a minute."
Sheng Sheng bypassed Xie Yunqi and had Zijuan give the fish to Afu: "Sheng Sheng, please accept this. In return, you should also accept this fish."
This time, Pei Ji didn't remain silent and gestured for Afu to take it.
Sheng Sheng smiled and said, "Then Sheng Sheng is leaving now. Sheng Sheng will come to play with her brother again next time."
Pei Ji chuckled, "Alright, Princess, go ahead."
Xie Yunqi gritted his teeth as he read it. "Good my ass!"
"Hey, how many brothers do you have? If I'd known he was coming, I wouldn't have come!"
Why does that sound so awkward?
Sheng Sheng couldn't help but chuckle: "What's wrong, brother? Are you jealous?"
"What are you saying? I didn't say that!" Xie Yunqi said in a panic. "Well, I'll go to the Imperial Study with you! Father Emperor is always strict with me. He might be angry because he found out you brought me fishing and is going to take it out on you. I'm your older brother, how can I watch you get scolded? Wouldn't I lose face as your older brother? I'll go with you, and if anything happens, you can blame it all on me!"
"No way." Sheng Sheng was both amused and exasperated, feeling helpless about her fifth brother who clearly cared about her but wouldn't admit it.
Thinking his sister was going to get a scolding, the little tyrant lost interest in fishing and the two of them followed Eunuch Hou to the Imperial Study.
Along the way, Xie Yunqi kept throwing a tantrum at Eunuch Hou, trying to find out what Xie Yuxiao was up to and call out to him.
But Eunuch Hou didn't reveal a word, only saying to Sheng Sheng, "Prince Yong is already waiting in the Imperial Study with His Highness the Heir Apparent. Your Highness, please rest assured, His Majesty will take care of everything."
Sheng Sheng was clever enough to immediately guess that the Emperor had found out about yesterday's events and that she had come to apologize.
Xie Yunqi didn't understand and kept asking her what she meant.
"Hmm... this is hard for me to explain to you, brother. You'll have to hear it for yourself later."
"Huh?" Xie Yunqi was dumbfounded. They were all talking to him in riddles!
Xie Yunqi scratched his head, completely baffled, and followed him into the imperial study.
Once inside, I discovered that besides Prince Yong and Xie Yubin, whom Eunuch Hou had mentioned, there were several other ministers present.
Xie Yubin knelt in front, and behind him knelt three very familiar-looking men.
He raised an eyebrow with each sound.
Oh wow! They've all come to apologize!
The atmosphere in the imperial study was icy; those below trembled and dared not utter a word.
Xie Yuxiao ignored them and continued doing his own thing in his seat. After reading the stack of memorials, he asked someone to bring him a book to read.
It has a kind of terrifying feeling that could scare someone to death.
This terrified them. They couldn't fathom His Majesty's thoughts. What was the difference between this and being slowly sliced to death? They might as well just get a good scolding.
Xie Yubin couldn't hold back any longer: "Your Majesty, I know I was wrong. You may punish me or scold me, I will accept it!"
Xie Yuxiao didn't even look up, ignoring him, his expression calm as if he hadn't heard a thing.
Xie Yubin looked at his father with a bitter expression, but Prince Yong turned his head away and did not look at him or plead for him.
Fortunately, a message broke the tension.
"The Second Princess and the Fifth Prince have arrived!"
Xie Yuxiao finally put down the book in his hand, a smile in his eyes.
"Greetings, Father Emperor."
Xie Yuxiao beckoned to Sheng Sheng: "Come here."
Xie Yunqi thought Xie Yuxiao was referring to him, and hesitated for a long time before saying, "Father, this is not a good idea."
Then they moved forward hesitantly, strangely revealing a hint of shyness.
Xie Yuxiao: "?"
Xie Yuxiao didn't understand what he was doing until a little bundle of light blue clothes ran up, lifting her skirt, and Xie Yuxiao picked her up and put her on his lap. Only then did Xie Yunqi realize what was happening.
"Oh, it's not called 'Erchen' (son), hahaha."
Xie Yunqi smiled awkwardly.
Seeing his simple-minded appearance, Xie Yuxiao was exasperated and simply waved him aside to stand, then ordered someone to bring out some of Shengsheng's favorite snacks.
Those below reacted with varying expressions upon seeing His Majesty's deep affection for the Second Princess.
Qin Zhizhong looked somewhat flustered, because the Second Princess's appearance did indeed resemble the little lowly servant they had previously kept by seven-tenths.
The difference of three points was simply because the little dumpling in front of them was a princess, whose beauty and elegance were far beyond what the wretched and lowly slave could compare to.
Sheng Sheng's gaze swept over the group, and Qin Zhizhong's back stiffened, fearing that she would expose the scandalous affairs of the Duke of Jingguo's mansion in public.
However, Qin Zhizhong quickly breathed a sigh of relief because he found that the second princess's gaze only fell on him for a moment, as if she really did not recognize them, just as Qin Xiang had said.
Perhaps it's not that they didn't recognize her, but that they simply didn't know her at all?
Qin Zhizhong's eyes darted around. Perhaps the Second Princess wasn't that lowly slave girl at all; the two just looked alike.
Qin Zhizhong's narrow eyes kept darting around, and he breathed a sigh of relief, unaware that Xie Yuxiao had seen through his every reaction.
Xie Yuxiao sneered, but fearing that the little dumpling in his arms would notice something was wrong, he immediately composed himself and looked at her with a faint smile again.
Sheng Sheng's eyes shone brightly, as if they could speak: "Father, isn't Fourth Brother here?"
His daughter was well-behaved, sensible, and adorable, so soft and cute that Xie Yuxiao couldn't help but like her. He softened his voice and said, "She'll be here soon."
Singing chuckled, but Xie Yunqi was completely bewildered and asked, "Fourth Brother? Fourth Brother is coming too? What's all this commotion about?"
No one answered him, because the next second, Xie Yunwen was pushed in in a wheelchair.
"The Fourth Prince has arrived!"
Xie Yunwen was about to bow when Xie Yuxiao said succinctly, "No need for formalities. Fourth brother, look at these people, do you recognize them all?"
As soon as Xie Yuxiao finished speaking, all the kneeling people except Xie Yubin trembled and lowered their heads, not daring to look at Xie Yunwen.
When they bullied Xie Yunwen, they never imagined that His Majesty would find out about it one day!
Didn't His Majesty dislike this disabled son? How could he make such a decision for him?
The ministers were also puzzled. Over the years, His Majesty had strictly taught all the princes, but he had hardly paid any attention to the fourth prince, and even his mother, Consort Liang, had not been promoted to the rank of concubine.
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