Jing Luoluo's eyes rolled as a plan formed in his mind. "Since Jing Shaoxuan went to all this trouble to set up a stage, it would be rude of us not to watch the show. Let's go take a look!"
Zhao Huaiyuan had no idea what Jing Luoluo was up to, but he had no choice but to follow!
Pushing open the door, they saw that the adjacent private room's door was wide open—clearly, they had been expecting them, fearing Jing Luoluo wouldn't know where to find them if he threw a tantrum!
"Oh! If it isn't my black-hearted second-branch eldest cousin!"
Jing Luoluo strode in, his words ready the moment he opened his mouth. Catching sight of the Third Prince sitting right beside Jing Shaoxuan, he cupped his fists in a salute and said, "Your Highness, you're here too!"
The Third Prince smiled faintly and nodded, acknowledging the greeting. Zhao Huaiyuan hopped out from behind him and barked, "Who was it just now saying that Little Jing is prone to framing and plotting against people? Stand up and show yourself!"
Jing Shaoxuan had been waiting for them to come and make a scene. He immediately stood up, looking utterly aggrieved and furious. "Jing Luoluo, I have already cut ties with the Duke's Estate. Why won't you let me go? Why chase me all the way here just to hound me?"
The little Fatty, Zhao Huaiyuan, opened his mouth to hurl abuses right back, but Jing Luoluo stopped him. "Jing Shaoxuan, stop flattering yourself. Don't forget, I am also a student of Nanchang. How does coming to the Academy to study suddenly become hounding you?"
With all the shouting and commotion, quite a few students had already poked their heads out to watch. Realizing the main characters were none other than the notorious spendthrift from the Duke's Estate—who had been the talk of the Capital lately—they gathered around with rapt attention to eat melon!
Jing Shaoxuan was choked into silence, pondering for a long moment how to counterattack, until the young man who had been fighting his battles finally stepped forward.
"What of it? I was the one who said Jing Luoluo framed people, and am I wrong?"
The speaker was Zhao Wenzhou, the legitimate youngest son of Prince Jing's Estate. In terms of status, he and Zhao Huaiyuan were cousins, so he wasn't intimidated by him in the least!
Jing Luoluo firmly held back the fuming little Fatty, who was raring to rush forward and throw punches. If they started a physical fight today, they would walk right into a trap!
"And who might you be?" Jing Luoluo feigned unfamiliarity.
The other youth snapped back testily, "The legitimate son of Prince Jing's Estate, Zhao Wenzhou!"
Jing Luoluo continued with a sudden flash of realization, "Zhao Wenzhou, is it? Since you saw me frame Jing Shaoxuan with your own eyes, you can go report me to the Court of Judicial Review! I won't utter a single grievance no matter how I'm sentenced!"
Zhao Wenzhou had never encountered such a shameless scoundrel. He immediately flushed with anger and snapped, "When did I ever see such a thing? Stop talking nonsense!" No one dared to make baseless accusations at the Court of Judicial Review; whoever did so would be punished, regardless of who they were!
"Oh? From what you said just now, it sounded precisely as though you had witnessed it with your own eyes. How did your tune change to this now? If you can't give a coherent explanation for slandering someone in broad daylight, I will most certainly report you! Everyone seated here can serve as my witness!"
Jing Luoluo's words rang out with force and clarity. The Third Prince frowned in displeasure—how had this good-for-nothing suddenly become so sharp-tongued?
"Jing Luoluo! There are so many people here, don't be so unmannered!" Jing Shaoxuan scolded, putting on the airs of a virtuous elder brother.
The original body had always held this second-branch cousin in high regard because his father was constantly praising Jing Shaoxuan's academic prowess and telling Jing Luoluo to learn from him.
But the person standing here now was no longer the original owner. Jing Luoluo glanced at him with utter disdain. "What kind of a thing are you? Since when is it your turn to shout and holler at your grandfather here!"
Jing Shaoxuan froze. This little bastard really did hold a grudge against him! He should have had his mother beat him to death that very day, sparing him from jumping around like this today!
"Even though our two branches have severed ties, you still shouldn't spout nonsense in front of the Third Prince!"
Cunningly, Jing Shaoxuan shifted the conflict onto the Third Prince. *Hmph, I might not have the standing, but surely the Third Prince has the standing to discipline this little bastard!*
Jing Luoluo raised an eyebrow. "Since we've severed ties, Jing Shaoxuan, shouldn't you return the hair crown on your head? And that jade pendant at your waist—that belongs to the Duke's Estate, doesn't it?"
As soon as he said this, everyone's gaze landed on Jing Shaoxuan. That was true; they all remembered that Jing Shaoxuan's second branch had no titles or landed property to their name, and they had entered the Capital practically as dirt-poor peasants.
Jing Shaoxuan's face turned beet red. With a look of bitter venom, he reluctantly removed the hair crown and jade pendant and placed them on the table. "Fine! Since you have no regard for family ties, I'll return them to you!"
"Hey? I am the one with plenty of regard for family ties, otherwise I wouldn't have given these fine things to you in the first place. If Second Aunt hadn't been so vicious and tried to harm me, we wouldn't have come to this point today!"
Jing Luoluo wasn't about to let this scheming villain smear him behind his back—weren't all his words and insinuations meant to tear him down?
Jing Shaoxuan's expression stiffened, instantly shifting into a deeply aggrieved look. "Stop spouting nonsense! It was clearly a stray boulder rolling down the mountain that struck you. How can you keep slandering my mother over and over again!"
"Oh? I was attending classes properly at the Academy, so why insist on calling me back to burn incense? You're the eldest grandson, why didn't they call you?" Jing Luoluo refused to give him a chance to argue.
"That was... that was because Grandmother dotes on you and knew your health was poor, so she brought you along to burn incense and pray for blessings! Don't be ungrateful!"
"Ha, what a coincidence that the moment I went, I got struck by a boulder and nearly lost my life? Jing Shaoxuan, do you actually believe your own lies?"
With that, he changed the subject and addressed the surrounding students. "My father is nearly fifty and has only me, Jing Luoluo, as a son. If I had lost my life to that falling boulder that day, everyone here surely knows who the future heir to the Duke's Estate would be!"
At these words, the expressions of the crowd shifted. They all came from prominent families; who wasn't familiar with the dirty machinations within noble households?
Instantly, the looks they cast at Jing Shaoxuan took on a strange hue. Coupled with what Jing Shaoxuan had let slip earlier in the private room, everyone finally put the pieces together.
"Being the legitimate son of the Duke's Estate's second branch is already more than enough to live comfortably for a lifetime. Why covet what doesn't belong to you?"
The voice was as refreshing as a spring breeze, soothing the mind. Everyone grew curious as to who had spoken and cast inquiring glances toward the opposite private room, only to find the view blocked by a privacy screen, leaving them with no choice but to give up.
Seeing how a few words had completely turned public opinion around—especially with the remark from the young master in the opposite room, which further confirmed Jing Shaoxuan's malicious plotting—Jing Luoluo finally released his grip on Zhao Huaiyuan. It was time to let this kid take the stage!
The moment he was released, Zhao Huaiyuan lunged forward like a rabid dog. "Jing Shaoxuan, those little tricks of yours only work outside; this Lord saw through your true colors long ago! You just wanted to murder Jing Luoluo so you could inherit the Duke's Estate's fortune. Why don't you take a piss and look at yourself in the mirror—do you even deserve it? Floundering around cozying up to the Third Prince has made you utterly unhinged!"
With that, he snatched the hair crown and jade pendant off the table. "Waiter! You've served this Lord rather well today. Here, this Lord rewards them to you!"
Jing Luoluo wanted to stop him, but Zhao Huaiyuan tossed the items right into the arms of the waiter cowering in the corner. *You fool of a child, even if you don't want them, selling them would fetch a pretty penny!!*
However, since Zhao Huaiyuan was venting his anger for him, he couldn't say much. He only secretly regretted letting him charge in to trade blows—a tactical blunder!!
Beaming from ear to ear, the waiter caught the items, kowtowed solidly a few times, and scuttled away at top speed.
Zhao Wenzhou was no fool either; he realized he had simply been used as a tool by Jing Shaoxuan. With an angry flick of his sleeves, he pushed past the crowd and left.
Realizing the situation was spiraling out of control, the Third Prince stepped forward to smooth things over. "I'm sure it was all just a misunderstanding. I see that you are perfectly well now, so let this matter end here. Do not bring it up again in the future!"