"Second Young Master!" Xie Nanjia exclaimed and rushed over to grab one of Zhao Jingyu's hands.
Unfortunately, Zhao Jingyu fell to the ground with such force that she not only failed to help him stand firmly, but was instead dragged to the ground with him.
The sudden situation made it impossible for everyone to react. Only Song Jingxing, who was standing next to him, subconsciously reached out and grabbed a handful of hair. As luck would have it, he just happened to loosen Xie Nanjia's bun. Her long, shiny black hair shocked everyone who had just reacted again.
"Are you a woman?" Song Jingxing looked at the wooden basket in his hand, then at Xie Nanjia, and was stunned.
Xie Nanjia didn't care about these things. She knelt on the ground and hugged Zhao Jingyu into her arms, calling out repeatedly: "Second Young Master, Second Young Master..."
Everyone finally came to their senses and gathered around.
Song Wanji also threw down his drumstick and walked over quickly.
Su Jincheng, who was outside the tent, heard the noise inside and rushed into the tent immediately, following the emperor with his hand on his sword.
Xie Zhanting pushed aside the crowd and walked up to Zhao Jingyu, squatted down, grabbed his wrist and took his pulse.
People gathered in a circle, nervously waiting for the results.
Song Jingxing couldn't tell whether he was shocked, excited, or gloating at this moment. He looked at Xie Nanjia deeply and finally understood why Zhao Jingyu was unwilling to use her as a bet.
If it were him, he would also be reluctant to let go of such a stunningly beautiful woman.
But now, he won, and this beauty is his.
It’s not that he hasn’t seen beauties before. There are many beautiful women in the Eastern Palace, but the feeling of winning one from Zhao Jingyu is naturally different.
Even if it was just to piss off Zhao Jingyu, he would take this woman away.
Thinking of this, he felt even more proud, and the depression in his chest for days dissipated.
Looking at Zhao Jingyu lying in Xie Nanjia's arms with her eyes closed, the corners of his lips curled up slightly, and he casually put the wooden basket into his sleeve.
Xie Zhanting took the pulse and said to the worried Song Wanji, "Your Majesty, don't worry. The second young master Zhao just consumed too much energy and his mood fluctuated too much. Ask the imperial physician to give him a few injections. When he wakes up, send him back to rest for a night and he will be fine."
Song Wanji's face was solemn. He ordered Si Fangzheng to call the imperial physician, and then asked someone to boil ginseng soup for Zhao Jingyu to drink.
Hearing that Zhao Jingyu was not seriously injured, the others felt somewhat regretful, especially the Dongshan King and his son, who had just been humiliated by Zhao Jingyu and wished that he would die.
The imperial physician rushed over and gave Zhao Jingyu acupuncture. After more than a dozen silver needles were inserted, Zhao Jingyu coughed twice and woke up slowly after a while.
"Wake up, wake up..." He heard a voice calling, and when he opened his eyes, he saw Xiu'er holding him in her arms with her ink-black long hair spread out, looking at him nervously.
The incident happened suddenly and everyone was confused. No one thought that they should lift the person onto the bed first.
Perhaps someone has thought of it, but this is the emperor's tent, and the emperor's bed is the dragon bed. Whoever dares to suggest that Zhao Jingyu sleep on the dragon bed must be tired of living.
"Second Young Master, are you awake?" Xie Nanjia's legs were numb from being pressed down, and when she met Zhao Jingyu's eyes, she was immediately overjoyed.
Zhao Jingyu looked at her expressionlessly, stood up and left her arms, and said coldly: "You have already got what you wanted, why do you still pretend to care about me?"
"I didn't, Second Young Master, please listen to my explanation..." Xie Nanjia also stood up and reached out to help him.
Zhao Jingyu pushed her away angrily: "Go away, I don't want to see you again!"
Xie Nanjia's legs and feet were numb, and when he pushed her, she lost her balance and fell backwards.
Song Jingxing stepped forward in time to support her, half-heartedly put his arm around her waist, and said to Zhao Jingyu: "Second Master Zhao, please be polite to my people."
"..." Zhao Jingyu was so angry that he felt another heart attack and started coughing violently while covering his chest.
"Jingxing!" Song Wanji called his son unhappily, expressing his dissatisfaction with his son's behavior of adding fuel to the fire.
When Song Jingxing saw his father defending Zhao Jingyu again, he got angry and said, "Father, am I wrong? I won this woman, so she is my woman. Zhao Jingyu knew that women were not allowed to be brought into the enclosure, but he let his woman disguise herself as a servant and sneaked in, trying to deceive the emperor. He clearly didn't take you seriously. Why don't you punish him but defend him?"
When these words were spoken, everyone was shocked.
The prince has always been respectful and filial to the emperor and has never disobeyed him. What happened today? Why did he question the emperor in front of so many people
Song Wanji didn't expect his son to question him in public, so his face darkened and he said in a deep voice: "Is this how you talk to me?"
"I am only discussing the matter at hand." Song Jingxing was determined to make it happen. He lifted his clothes and knelt on the ground. "The prince broke the law, and he is guilty of the same crime as the people. Father punished Brother Mingchen for this two years ago and ordered his concubine to be executed. Why is he so lenient towards Zhao Jingyu today? Is Marquis Dingyuan more powerful than King Dongshan?"
Prince Dongshan was suddenly dragged out, and he quickly pulled his second son to kneel down, and prostrated himself on the ground to confess his crime to the emperor.
"Song Jingxing, how dare you!" Song Wanji was furious, pointing at his son's nose and scolding, "Are you blaming me? Who gave you the right? Who gave you the courage to say that Zhao Jingyu doesn't take me seriously? How could you take me seriously? If you had any respect for me, you wouldn't say such a thing. Do you think that I wouldn't dare to do anything to you because your mother is backing you up..."
When he got angry, he turned around and pulled out Su Jincheng's sword with a clang, pointing it directly at Song Jingxing's throat.
Everyone was horrified, and they all knelt down and shouted, "Your Majesty, please calm down! Your Majesty, please calm down!"
Xie Zhanting even grabbed the emperor's wrist and advised earnestly: "Your Majesty, calm down. Your Highness the Crown Prince was just talking in a hurry. He didn't mean to be disrespectful to Your Majesty. Your Majesty is a king and a kind father. If you hurt the Crown Prince, it's Your Majesty who is hurt!"
"Yes, Your Majesty. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is young and energetic. Your Majesty should forgive him this time!" The others echoed.
Song Jingxing did not appreciate it, and said stiffly: "As long as your Majesty punishes Zhao Jingyu, I am willing to die under your sword!"
"You!" Song Wanji was speechless about this tactless and stubborn son. So many people were trying to give him a way out but he refused to do so and had to make things out of control. He didn't know who he inherited this stubborn temper from.
Seeing that the emperor was being forced into a difficult situation by Song Jingxing, Xie Nanjia clenched her fists, knelt on the ground with a plop, and said loudly: "Your Majesty, I have something to say."
Everyone's eyes turned to her in unison, with some expressing curiosity, some investigating, and some showing disdain. No one could understand whether this girl was stupid enough to dare to interfere in the conflict between the Emperor and his son.
Zhao Jingyu stood with his hands hanging down, looking at everything in front of him coldly, unmoved.
Of course, Song Wanji couldn't kill his son, nor could he punish Zhao Jingyu, so he hoped that someone could come forward to break the deadlock. Although the person who stepped forward was just a little girl, he didn't care much and nodded to Xie Nanjia, "You say!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Xie Nanjia knelt straight and said calmly, "I was originally a cook in Dingyuan Marquis's mansion. Because the second young master has been unwell recently, the old lady in the mansion loves her grandson very much, so she sent me to serve the second young master. I pretended to be a servant just for convenience, and there was absolutely no other purpose.
As for what His Royal Highness said about the Second Young Master bringing his female relatives with him, as far as I know, the Emperor has never issued any order not to bring female relatives with him. The reason why the Emperor punished the eldest son of King Dongshan was because he openly did something immoral in the enclosure. I followed the Second Young Master only to serve him food and drink. I never went to the enclosure, let alone left the camp. Even when I was in the same tent with the Second Young Master at night, I never did anything inappropriate. What crime have I and the Second Young Master committed?"
After he finished speaking, there was silence in the tent for a while. Everyone was amazed at the courage and eloquence of this little girl. She dared to openly point out the prince's flaws in front of the emperor, and her words were so well-reasoned that no one could refute them.
If she was really just a little cook, then the Dingyuan Marquis Mansion was indeed full of hidden talents.
Xie Nanfeng was not too surprised by this, because he had already seen this girl's courage and eloquence.
Zhao Jingyu still stood there. Even though Xie Nanjia was defending himself with all his might, his anger could not be calmed down.
Song Wanji breathed a sigh of relief and asked Song Jingxing in a slower tone, "Did you hear everything?"
Song Jingxing was speechless and hated Xie Nanjia in his heart. He was only one step away from forcing his father to punish Zhao Jingyu, but after this girl's endless defense, he became the one who was in a dilemma.
Admitting the mistake to the emperor is like throwing your face on the ground for Zhao Jingyu to step on. Refusing to admit the mistake is like putting your neck under the sword of the emperor again.
Fortunately, he is the prince after all, unlike Zhao Jingyu who is isolated and helpless. If he can't come down, someone will naturally bring him a footstool.
Prince Nanzhao, who had been silent all night, stepped forward to smooth things over and said to the emperor cheerfully, "Children nowadays are more naughty than we were back then. They are all as stubborn as donkeys and wild as horses. Your Royal Brother only has this one, but I have three at home. They make me so angry all the time, but what can I do? They are my own flesh and blood. No matter how angry I am, I still have to give in to them. After all, I am their father, right, your Royal Brother?"
Song Wanji sighed and shook his head, saying, "The old saying is right, children are debt collectors."
"That's right!" Prince Nanzhao responded with a smile, took the sword from the emperor's hand, put it back into Su Jincheng's scabbard, patted Song Jingxing on the shoulder and said, "Good nephew, listen to your uncle, kowtow to your father and apologize. Today's matter is over. With us uncles here, your father won't bother with you."
His tone was relaxed and casual like that of an ordinary person, and he never mentioned the difference between the monarch and his subjects.
The rest of the princes and lords also followed suit and tried to make peace with each other using casual words.
Song Huai, like his father, the Prince of Nanzhao, had no sense of existence the whole night. Now he stepped forward with a smile and said, "Come on, Prince, since your father says you are unfilial and my father says I am unfilial, then let's kowtow to the two elders together and apologize, okay?"
"I'm responsible for making Daddy angry, so I'll kowtow to him too!" Song Zhan was unwilling to let his third brother take the limelight alone, so he knelt down next to Song Jingxing.
As a result, other princes followed suit and accompanied Song Jingxing in kowtow to their fathers.
Song Jingxing took advantage of the situation, kowtowed to Song Wanji, apologized, and asked his father for forgiveness.
Song Wanji wanted it more than he bargained for, so he naturally forgave him.
Harmony was restored in the tent.
Song Wanji held Zhao Jingyu's shoulders again and coaxed him kindly, telling him not to be angry.
Just at this moment, the eunuch brought ginseng soup, and Song Wanji personally handed it to him.
Zhao Jingyu took the ginseng soup expressionlessly, drank it all, put the bowl back on the eunuch's tray, and said calmly: "Thank you, Your Majesty, for the soup. I'm tired and will go back to rest first."
After saying that, he walked out of the tent without looking back.
Xie Nanjia hurried to follow.
"Wait!" Song Jingxing suddenly grabbed her and said, "You are mine now, don't follow the wrong master."
Zhao Jingyu suddenly stopped and looked back at Song Jingxing. His gaze was like a knife, slowly moving down from his face to the hand that was holding Xie Nanjia.
The atmosphere that had just eased froze again.
This time Song Wanji didn't know what to do. He had to accept defeat. This girl was indeed won by the prince. They had just shaken hands and made peace. If he spoke for Zhao Jingyu again, the situation would probably get out of control again.
Everyone was also having a headache. If the noise continued like this, no one would be able to sleep tonight.
"Why, Second Young Master Zhao, are you dissatisfied?" Song Jingxing challenged, "How about another round? If you win, the man is still yours."
The reason he said this was because he knew that Zhao Jingyu had already suffered a lot of damage and would definitely lose another game.
Under the gaze of everyone, Zhao Jingyu slowly turned around and looked at Xie Nanjia intently.
He didn't say anything, just looked at her quietly, but Xie Nanjia could understand what he meant.
He was letting her make her own choice. If she chose to follow the prince, he would turn around and walk away. If she chose to follow her, he wouldn't mind making another bet with the prince.
Xie Nanjia felt something surging, surging, and crashing in her chest. Her nose felt sore, her eyes turned red, and hot liquid flowed out.
She gritted her teeth, forced back her tears, slowly but forcefully broke free from the prince's hand, and said calmly: "I dare to gamble with His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. I am the Second Young Master's person, and I want to win myself back for him!"
(End of this chapter)