Chapter 25

Minister Rong, caught completely off guard: "..."

Your Majesty, this old minister was getting a little nervous from your praise!

Author's note:

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

Chapter 25

Having received the Emperor's praise for no apparent reason, Minister Rong floated home.

He was dazed, frowning one moment and smiling the next. At dinner, Madam Rong Zhou instructed the servants to bring over the dishes.

"Third Brother, there is a new dish today called tofu. It looks exceptionally delicious. Give it a try."

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

"Could this be the tofu Second Brother mentioned in his letter?" Minister Rong's interest was piqued. Seeing the white, tender food on the plate, he scooped some up with a spoon. It trembled and quivered, rather delightful to behold.

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

"It was purchased from a traveling merchant and comes from Mengshan County." Madam Rong Zhou covered her lips with a handkerchief, laughing softly. "Mengshan County truly is a land of outstanding people and spiritual beauty. I really want to see it for myself."

She was praising him by taking a roundabout route. Minister Rong understood her meaning and was greatly pleased. Thinking of the Emperor's praise, he said, "Today in the palace, Prince Qin presented a new item called Glass. His Majesty was greatly delighted and even praised my son. It must have been Second Brother."

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

Though he did not know why His Majesty would praise a son of the Rong Clan after admiring Glass, it 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 had even half of Second Brother's intelligence and diligence, I would be relieved."

Rong Han was Madam Rong Zhou's legitimate son and ranked fourth in the clan. He was only twelve. Though he could not compare to Rong Lian, he was still a promising talent.

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

Madam Rong Zhou was immediately filled with pride.

However, just then, a servant rushed in in a panic and blurted 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 upright and asked darkly, "Is Fourth Young Master injured? Who beat him? Where is he now?"

Minister Rong's expression also darkened. Rong Han was his legitimate son, and his aptitude was decent, so he was the one Minister Rong doted on most. Hearing that he had been beaten, he felt both heartache and fury at the assailant for slapping the Rong Estate's face.

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 become connected to Prince Qin again? The last one had already been sent back to their ancestral home in Linxi. Nothing had better go wrong this time too!

Fortunately, it was their own son who had been beaten. No matter how overwhelming Prince Qin's power was, he still had to be reasonable.

Eh? What was with this sense of relief?

Minister Rong's mind was a little muddled. He hurriedly snapped, "Lead the way!"

As a woman, Madam Rong Zhou should not go there, so Minister Rong could only head over with the servant. Since it involved Prince Qin's adopted son, he might not get a satisfactory result unless he appeared in person.

When they arrived at 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 try.

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

Minister Rong's fury blazed to the heavens. Clenching his fists, he shouted, "Stop!" Seeing that Liang Siwen acted as though he had heard nothing, he hurriedly ordered the servants to pull him away.

But Liang Siwen's martial skills were formidable, and no one could get near him.

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

"Master, someone has already gone to invite him." The servants were extremely uneasy. They had failed to protect Fourth Young Master, and they feared their master would vent his anger on them afterward.

Just as they were growing anxious, the sound of galloping hooves rang out. Everyone lifted their heads to look.

A man rode in on a fine steed, imposing and majestic. He wore black robes embroidered with gold, his jade crown binding up his hair high, and his features were beyond compare. 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."

That indifferent voice cleaved open the sky like an axe.

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

"This subordinate greets Your Highness." Though Minister Rong's anger surged like roaring waves, he had not lost his reason. He cupped his hands slightly and said, "For reasons unknown, Young Master Liang publicly beat this subordinate's biological son."

He kept his voice low, but it trembled faintly.

Qin Ke glanced at the wronged-looking Liang Siwen and said lightly, "Si Wen has behaved improperly. I will certainly punish him severely and give Minister Rong an explanation."

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

No matter how timid Minister Rong was, he could not swallow this insult. He directly blocked the horse, his beard trembling. "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 wept until his voice broke.

As a father, how could he remain unmoved when he saw it with his own eyes and heard it with his own ears?

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

Minister Rong was still astonished when Liang Siwen said, "Father, your son has investigated it clearly. Several months ago, Fourth Brother Rong used Rong Dalang's late mother's belongings to threaten him, forcing Rong Dalang to act improperly toward me. Your son previously mistook Rong Dalang for a lecherous scoundrel and had him punished. Now that I have seen the true culprit, how could I remain calm?"

Everyone: "..."

It seemed they had heard something truly extraordinary.

Minister Rong: "..."

Why was his head spinning even more?

There were many onlookers in the street market, and the matter concerned the Rong Estate's reputation. 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 recover his late mother's belongings was not the act of a gentleman.

Liang Siwen carefully recalled what had happened that day.

The young gentlemen had gathered to play. After the banquet, Rong Dalang suddenly came to his table and, in front of everyone, teased him with words and tried to touch him.

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

Now that he thought about it carefully, Rong Dalang had looked disheveled then. His mouth and nose were bruised, his eyes were red, and he seemed to have cried.