"That is because the Pei family is utterly loyal to His Majesty!"
Pei Lian bowed towards the heavens in a feigned gesture of respect. He shot Pei Hong a look of disdain and declared with full conviction, "The bond between His Majesty and the Pei family is that of a harmonious sovereign and minister. His Majesty bestows exceptional favor upon us—what is wrong with that?"
He paused, then pointed his sword-finger at Pei Hong, his tone stern: "You have blindly trusted the slanderous words of Zhao Yi and made wild speculations. That is truly unwise!"
"If this matter were to spread, how would His Majesty view the Pei family?"
"Even if His Majesty favors the Pei family, there is no reason to order the death of Zhao Yi!" Pei Hong, deeply agitated, raised his finger toward the sky. "Do not forget, Zhao Yi is a Prince!"
"Hah!" Pei Lian gave a dismissive laugh. "And what of being a Prince?"
"Compared to the Pei family, that Zhao Yi is nothing more than a useless, triple-waste Prince!"
"Insolent!"
A powerful, resonant roar erupted from outside the main hall. Immediately, the group saw an elderly man with a head full of white hair and an imposing, naturally authoritative air stride toward Pei Lian.
"Smack!"
The old man raised his hand and slapped Pei Lian across the face.
Pei Lian clutched his burning cheek, looking at the old man in terror, bewildered: "Grandfather, why did you hit me?"
This old man was none other than Duke Xiang, Pei Tianlin!
Pei Tianlin glared, his brows locked in fury as he pointed at Pei Lian and berated him: "You wretch! Is a Prince someone you can criticize so recklessly?"
"If you ever dare to speak such rebellious words again, I shall cut out your tongue!"
"Grandfather, I..."
"Silence!"
Pei Lian remained defiant and wanted to argue, but Pei Tianlin gave him no chance. He raised a finger and roared, "Get to the ancestral hall and kneel in penance at once!"
Seeing that Pei Tianlin was in a fit of rage, Pei Lian dared not say another word. He gritted his teeth and left in a fury.
At this moment, Pei Tianlin noticed Pei Yiqiu sitting in a mandarin chair. He was momentarily pleased, but his brow immediately furrowed.
After a brief moment of contemplation, Pei Tianlin looked at Pei Hong and said resolutely, "Prepare the horses immediately. You accompany me to the Imperial Palace to see His Majesty!"
"Yes!" Pei Hong nodded in compliance.
After Pei Tianlin and Pei Hong departed, the others in the hall dispersed, leaving only Pei Yiqiu and Xiangyue.
Pei Yiqiu looked at Xiangyue and asked curiously, "Xiangyue, my cousin just called Prince Qing Zhao Yi a 'useless, triple-waste Prince.' What is that all about?"
Xiangyue blinked her clear, bright eyes and replied happily, "Miss, that story begins with the origin of that title."
"Oh? What is the origin of this 'triple-waste Prince'?" The interest on Pei Yiqiu's face deepened.
Xiangyue counted off on her fingers as she explained in detail: "The so-called 'triple-waste' refers to a waste of talent, a waste of a son, and a waste of a man."
"The 'waste of talent' is because Prince Qing has been idle and incompetent since he was young; among all the princes, he is the most hopeless one."
"As for 'waste of a son,' that goes back to his family background."
"Prince Qing's mother was a princess from Beiyi. Back then, it was a marriage alliance between the two countries, and she was wed to His Majesty and given the title of Consort Hui."
"Therefore, unlike the other princes, Prince Qing has no maternal relatives in Dayong. You could say he has absolutely no foundation."
"On top of that, Dayong and Beiyi have been at war frequently these past five years. It is said that His Majesty took his anger out on Consort Hui and Prince Qing because of this."
"The other princes all have the qualifications to contend for the crown, but Prince Qing was discarded by His Majesty long ago."
Taking a breath, Xiangyue continued: "Finally, there is 'waste of a man.' Previously, Prince Qing fell from a horse and broke his leg. His head was also kicked by the horse, and he lay in bed for nearly half a year. Some say he became a cripple."
"Since then, this title of the 'triple-waste Prince' has emerged."
"Oh..." Pei Yiqiu nodded in realization, then lowered her eyelids slightly. She looked at Xiangyue and probed, "You are just a little maid, how do you know so much?"
Xiangyue giggled and said sheepishly, "I heard it all from Young Master Lian."
Pei Yiqiu looked out the door, lost in thought.
...
Dayong Imperial Palace, Imperial Study.
"Your Majesty, although Yi'er has behaved improperly, his crimes do not warrant death. I beg Your Majesty to spare him."
A woman dressed in opulent palace attire knelt before the imperial desk. Her hands were folded on the floor, and her forehead was pressed tightly against the back of her hands. Her voice trembled slightly, revealing a sense of panic and fear.
Behind the imperial desk, a man in his forties, wearing a golden crown and a yellow dragon robe, sat on the throne. His meticulously groomed beard added a touch of scholarly grace to his majestic face.
This man was the Yongzhao Emperor of Dayong, Zhao Xuanji.
The woman kneeling before the desk was none other than Consort Hui, mother of Prince Qing Zhao Yi.
Hearing Consort Hui's plea, the Yongzhao Emperor's face remained utterly unmoved.
After a moment of silence, the Yongzhao Emperor spoke, "Consort Hui, I have my own plans regarding Yi'er's matter. You may withdraw for now."
Consort Hui, still kneeling and having failed to obtain the result she wanted, gritted her teeth and pleaded, "Your Majesty, if you must punish someone, then punish me!"
"It is I who failed to teach him well. I am willing to bear the punishment in Yi'er's stead."
"I beg Your Majesty to grant this!"
"Consort Hui!" The Yongzhao Emperor's voice rose and grew colder. "I said that I have my own plans for this. Return to your palace first."
"Someone, escort Consort Hui back to her palace!"
As the words fell, an old eunuch led two palace maids to Consort Hui's side. The two maids forcibly helped her up and dragged her out.
"Your Majesty, I beg you to spare Yi'er!"
"Your Majesty..."
Consort Hui's voice gradually faded away as a eunuch walked in quickly with his head bowed.
"Reporting to Your Majesty, Duke Xiang and the Left Thousand-House Commander Pei request an audience."
The Yongzhao Emperor raised an eyebrow, his lips curling slightly upward as he muttered, "So, they have finally come!"
"Let them enter!"
Pei Tianlin led Pei Hong to the imperial desk, and without a word, both men knelt on the ground.
"This subject pays respects to Your Majesty!"
The Yongzhao Emperor feigned displeasure, chiding them: "Duke Xiang, did I not tell you that you do not need to perform the full kowtow when you come to the Imperial Study to see me? Rise quickly."
"This old servant has failed the Imperial favor." Pei Tianlin remained kneeling, filled with trepidation. "I have come today specifically to plead guilty to Your Majesty!"
The Yongzhao Emperor frowned, puzzled: "For what crime is Duke Xiang guilty?"
Pei Tianlin kept his head low and replied: "Reporting to Your Majesty, at the palace banquet a few days ago, Prince Qing was confined by Your Majesty for harassing my granddaughter. Today, I heard that Your Majesty had issued an edict to put Prince Qing to death. Upon learning this, I felt deeply alarmed."
"Not long ago, my granddaughter regained consciousness and told me the truth of the matter. Only then did I realize that Prince Qing did not harass my granddaughter at the palace banquet that day."
"Therefore, I have rushed here to plead guilty and request that Your Majesty issue an edict to restore Prince Qing's innocence."
A glimmer of cunning flashed through the Yongzhao Emperor's eyes, but he put on a look of displeasure: "Duke Xiang, are you certain that Prince Qing did not harass your granddaughter?"
"Many people witnessed it with their own eyes that day, and your granddaughter even threw herself into the lake to end her life. How could there be a mistake?"
"My granddaughter told me so herself; it is absolutely certain." Pei Tianlin replied in a deep voice, then immediately gritted his teeth and added: "Actually... my granddaughter and Prince Qing are in love."
"Perhaps they were just bickering that day, and it was misunderstood by others."
"As for jumping into the river to commit suicide, that was purely an accident. My granddaughter lost her footing and fell into the lake."
"I beg Your Majesty to see the truth."
"So that was it!" The Yongzhao Emperor sighed in disappointment. "Doesn't that mean I have wrongly punished the Eighth Prince?"
Hearing this, Pei Hong quickly reported: "Your Majesty, Prince Qing has not yet perished."
The Yongzhao Emperor's gaze fell on Pei Hong, his brows furrowed as he asked: "Pei Hong, why are you here? And what do you mean by saying the Eighth Prince has not yet perished?"