Chapter 25

Minister Rong, Caught Off Guard: "..."

Your Majesty, this old minister was getting a little flustered by your praise!

Author's note:

Minister Rong: His Majesty praised my son, and I was scared out of my wits QAQ Wait, which son was he praising?

Chapter 25

Having inexplicably received the Emperor's praise, Minister Rong floated home.

His mind was in a daze; he frowned, then smiled. By dinner, Madam Rong Zhou instructed the servants to bring over the meal trays.

"Third Brother, there's a new dish today called tofu. It looks quite appetizing. Try some."

Minister Rong had two elder brothers, so Madam Rong Zhou privately called him Third Brother.

"Is this the tofu Second Brother mentioned in his letter?" Minister Rong grew interested. The thing on the plate was white, tender, and adorable. He scooped some up with a spoon, and it trembled precariously, carrying a certain charm.

When it entered his mouth, it was smooth and refreshing—truly a delicacy.

"I bought it from a traveling merchant. It came from Mengshan County." Madam Rong Zhou covered her lips with a handkerchief and laughed. "Mengshan County truly produces outstanding people. I really want to see it with my own eyes."

She was praising him in a roundabout way. Minister Rong understood her meaning and felt greatly comforted. Thinking of the Emperor's praise, he said, "Today at the palace, Prince Qin presented a new thing called Glass. His Majesty was greatly pleased and even praised one of my sons. It must have been Second Brother."

Among the younger members of the Rong Clan, Rong Lian was the only one worthy of His Majesty's praise.

Though he did not know why His Majesty had praised a son of the Rong Clan after admiring Glass, that did not stop him from being happy.

Madam Rong Zhou smiled. "Who in Shengjing does not know of Second Brother's talent and character? If Han'er possessed even half of Second Brother's intelligence and diligence, I would be at ease."

Rong Han was Madam Rong Zhou's legitimate son. He ranked fourth in the clan and was only twelve years old. Though he was not as outstanding as Rong Lian, he could still be considered promising.

"A few days ago, I tested Han'er. His studies have improved considerably. That is already quite good." Minister Rong offered him a word of praise.

Madam Rong Zhou immediately shared in the glory.

However, at that moment, a household servant rushed in panic, blurting out, "Master, Madam, Fourth Young Master has been beaten!"

Upon hearing this, Madam Rong Zhou nearly crushed her handkerchief. Yet mindful of her status, she remained seated and asked darkly, "Is Fourth Young Master injured? Who hit him? Where is he now?"

Minister Rong's face also darkened. Rong Han was his legitimate son and possessed decent talent, so he was especially beloved. Hearing that he had been beaten, he felt both heartache and anger that the attacker had disgraced Rong Estate.

The servant replied fearfully, "He was beaten outside the academy by Young Master Liang."

"Which Young Master Liang?" Madam Rong Zhou's gaze turned icy.

"The adopted son of Prince Qin—Young Master Liang!" At the mention of Prince Qin, the servant's body visibly trembled.

Minister Rong and Madam Rong Zhou exchanged a glance. Prince Qin! How had this gotten tangled up with Prince Qin again? The last one had already been sent back to their ancestral home in Linxi. Nothing strange had better happen this time!

Fortunately, their own son was the one who had been beaten. No matter how powerful Prince Qin was, he still had to be reasonable.

Eh? What was this strange feeling of relief?

Minister Rong's mind was somewhat muddled, and he hurriedly snapped, "Lead the way!"

As a woman, Madam Rong Zhou could not appropriately go there. Minister Rong could only head over with the servant. After all, the boy was Prince Qin's adopted son. If he did not appear personally, he might not get a fair resolution.

When they reached the site of the fight, they saw Liang Siwen pinning Rong Han to the ground and beating him. No one could stop him, nor did anyone dare to try.

Rong Han, who was being beaten, cried for his father and mother. His nose and face were swollen and bruised, and he looked utterly miserable.

Minister Rong's fury surged. Clenching his fists, he shouted, "Stop!" Seeing that Liang Siwen acted as though he had not heard, he quickly ordered the servants to pull him away.

But Liang Siwen's martial skill was quite good, and no one could get close to him.

Minister Rong then sent someone to Prince Qin's residence to find Qin Ke.

"Master, someone has already gone to fetch him." The servant was extremely uneasy. They had failed to protect Fourth Young Master, and their master would likely take his anger out on them afterward.

Just as they were growing anxious, the sound of hoofbeats rang out. Everyone raised their heads to look.

A man rode in on a fine horse, imposing and awe-inspiring. He wore black robes embroidered with gold, a jade crown binding his hair high, and possessed beauty beyond the ordinary. From horseback, he looked down upon the crowd with cold eyes, as though he stood amid an army of thousands, taking an enemy general's head.

"Liang Siwen."

His indifferent voice cleaved through the sky like an axe.

Liang Siwen abruptly stopped. The fierce light in his eyes had yet to fade when he turned and met Qin Ke's gaze. He immediately shrank back and did not dare say a word.

"This subordinate greets Your Highness." Though Minister Rong's anger was overwhelming, he had not lost his reason. He cupped his hands slightly and said, "For reasons unknown, Young Master Liang publicly assaulted this subordinate's son."

His voice was low and heavy, trembling faintly.

Qin Ke glanced at Liang Siwen, whose eyes were filled with grievance, and said lightly, "Siwen has behaved improperly. I will certainly punish him severely and give Minister Rong an explanation."

Having said that, he actually intended to take Liang Siwen and leave directly.

Even if Minister Rong was timid, he could not swallow this insult. He directly blocked the horse, his beard trembling violently. "Your Highness, this subordinate believes it would be better to clarify the matter in public."

Supported to his feet by the servants, Rong Han's nose bled profusely as he cried in pain.

What father could remain unmoved after seeing it with his own eyes and hearing it with his own ears?

"Si Wen, explain." Qin Ke tossed out four cold words, seeming remarkably easy to speak with.

Minister Rong was still surprised when Liang Siwen said, "Father, I have already investigated. Several months ago, Fourth Young Master Rong used the relics left by Rong Dalang's birth mother to threaten him, forcing Rong Dalang to commit improper acts against me. I previously mistook Rong Dalang for a lecherous scoundrel and had him punished. Now that I have found the true culprit, how could I remain calm?"

Everyone: "..." It seemed they had heard something utterly shocking.

Minister Rong: "..." Why was his head spinning even more?

There were many onlookers in the street, and this concerned the reputation of Rong Estate. He did not wish to remain any longer.

"Did Rong Dalang truly violate you?" Qin Ke's voice was like ice.

No matter what, using harm against another person to retrieve his birth mother's relics was not the act of a gentleman.

Liang Siwen carefully recalled what had happened that day.

A group of young gentlemen had gathered to feast and have fun. After the banquet, Rong Dalang suddenly came to his table and, before everyone, verbally harassed him and tried to touch him.

He had been furious and had not paid attention to Rong Dalang's expression.

Thinking back carefully now, Rong Dalang had looked distraught then. His mouth and nose had been bruised purple, his eyes were red, and he seemed as though he had cried.