Shen Tang dealt with the farce swiftly and decisively.
She had her own ideas about how to handle the ten audacious students from the middle academy. Deliberately adopting a stern expression, she said, "Your courage is commendable, and your actions were meant to expose corruption and root out evil. But while you may escape the death penalty, you won't escape punishment. If everyone uses their youth and inexperience as an excuse to attack the Dragon Banner, what will become of the royal court's dignity?"
Duke Yi felt every hair on his body stand on end.
He hurried out of the ranks. "I beg you to show mercy to my son..."
He'd meant to ask Shen Tang to show mercy to the ten little troublemakers. After all, they were only thirteen at most, at the age when even cats and dogs couldn't stand them, and when they knew nothing of the limits of heaven and earth. It was only natural for them to be a bit unruly. They hadn't caused any real disaster yet, had they? Why not just let them off lightly?
She could consider it a favor to their fathers, who had shared old ties with her.
But coming from him, those words sounded utterly absurd.
It was like the natural order had been turned upside down.
Shen Tang: "..."
The young wandering knight stared in surprise at the easily overlooked Duke Yi. He hadn't expected the man to treat him so kindly, and his favorable impression of him shot up at once. But reckless as he was, he knew what crime it was to shoot the Dragon Banner by mistake. To put it bluntly, Shen Tang was simply good-natured. If they'd lived in the age of chaos under any other ruler, all ten sworn brothers would have been