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墨書 Inktalez
Ye Xiaohan felt trapped within the palace walls; even if she wanted to escape, there was no way out. Moreover, having offended the Crown Prince meant that even if they managed to flee today, they would not be able to do so tomorrow.
This was precisely why she despised dealing with such people.
"Your Highness, what has happened?" A courtier approached with a lantern, and upon seeing Murong Cheng's disfigured face, he gasped in shock. "The Crown Prince is injured! Quickly, summon the imperial physician!"
News of the Crown Prince's beating spread rapidly, causing chaos at the banquet.
The Emperor looked at Murong Cheng, whose face was barely recognizable, and then at Luo Jingxian, who was on the verge of losing control. If it weren't for Lo Cheng holding him back with a firm grip, he would have charged forward to confront someone. The Emperor frowned in displeasure.
"Making such a commotion in public—what kind of decorum is this!" The Emperor first addressed Murong Cheng. "Crown Prince, look at yourself! Do you still possess any dignity befitting a Crown Prince?"
Under the Emperor's stern gaze, Murong Cheng flinched slightly but quickly regained his composure. He noticed that Luo Jingxian was clearly agitated; as long as he could convince the Emperor that this incident was instigated by Luo Jingxian, any wrongdoing on his part could be concealed.
"Father, I did not wish for this; I only wanted to bear this responsibility alone," Murong Cheng declared solemnly. "However, given the current situation, if I do not speak the truth, it may lead to misunderstandings."
He turned towards Luo Jingxian and continued, "Just now, I felt a bit dizzy and went to the Imperial Garden to clear my head. I saw the Exiled Princess alone and thought she might have lost her way. So I approached her to offer guidance."
Murong Cheng's voice grew more intense: "After just a few words, the Exiled Princess spoke disrespectfully towards me and showed contempt for Father! I thought of her as an esteemed guest and chose not to hold it against her for the sake of goodwill between our nations. Unexpectedly, my forbearance only emboldened her further; she struck me!"
Ye Xiaohan stood by in astonishment at Murong Cheng's ability to twist the truth. Although she was unclear about what had transpired earlier, she firmly believed that Luo Jingxian would not have acted without provocation.
Luo Jingxian had suffered significant psychological trauma from previous incidents; he wasn't mentally unstable. Under Ye Xiaohan's care, Luo Jingxian had stabilized considerably and rarely lost control without reason.
It could only be concluded that this Crown Prince was lying. Luo Jingxian must have been frightened by him, leading to his extreme reaction.
Yet, Ye Xiaohan looked helplessly at the agitated Luo Jingxian; given his current state, it was impossible for her to confront Murong Cheng's lies directly.
"Don't worry; with me here, no one will tarnish Your Highness's reputation." Gu Bei quietly took Ye Xiaohan's hand in reassurance.
The warmth radiating from him brought some comfort to Ye Xiaohan. She nodded slightly at Gu Bei and focused on the unfolding scene.
Lo Cheng handed Luo Jingxian over to Ye Xiaohan and Gu Bei before stepping forward to bow. "Your Majesty, no one wished for such an incident to occur. However, given the unclear circumstances at the time, it is possible that this was merely a misunderstanding. I implore Your Majesty to see through it."
"You are saying that everything I say is a lie?" Murong Cheng observed that Luo Jingxian did not step forward to refute him, confirming his suspicions and emboldening him further.
Lo Cheng was unyielding. "Your Majesty, my Princess has always kept to herself, rarely interacting with outsiders. It is possible that she does not fully understand the customs of Dongchuan; this is my failure in teaching. But I can assure you, the Princess harbors no disrespect towards the Crown Prince or Dongchuan!"
In order to prevent Luo Jingxian from being punished, Lo Cheng had no choice but to take all the blame upon himself.
Gu Bei also stepped forward, clasping his fists. "Your Majesty, I believe it is unwise to jump to conclusions. The Exiled Nation has sent their princes and princesses here personally, which shows their respect for Dongchuan. How could such a nation intentionally speak ill of Dongchuan or His Highness the Crown Prince? There must be some misunderstanding at play."
The Emperor naturally did not wish for the matter to escalate. Given his current health, he hoped everything would proceed smoothly before the Sixth Prince ascended the throne. Any discord with the Envoy of the Departed Nation would only stir up trouble.
Thus, Gu Bei's words provided the Emperor with a way to diffuse the situation.
However, before the Emperor could speak, intending to reprimand both sides while offering a sweetener, Murong Cheng preemptively turned his ire towards Gu Bei.
"General Gu, what do you mean by that? Are you implying that I am lying?" Murong Cheng sneered. "As a subject of Dongchuan, how can you be so devoted to outsiders? It is truly disheartening!"
Gu Bei dismissed Murong Cheng's provocation entirely and calmly replied, "I am devoted to Dongchuan and will always prioritize its interests. The Exiled Nation has historically maintained good relations with Dongchuan; I do not wish for misunderstandings to create rifts between our nations."
His argument was logical and well-founded, leaving Murong Cheng unable to counter it. After cornering Murong Cheng into silence, Gu Bei pressed on with another question: "Yet the Crown Prince immediately accuses the Exiled Nation of disrespect towards Dongchuan and escalates a momentary lapse into a national issue. What is Your Highness's reasoning behind such thoughts?"
This accusation was grave, suggesting an attempt to sow discord between nations. Murong Cheng felt as though he might explode from anger as he glanced at the Emperor, who indeed wore an expression of displeasure.
Ye Xiaohan quickly stepped forward. "Your Majesty, please see clearly; Your Highness has been unsettled since her earlier fright and is prone to emotional outbursts. She certainly did not intend to target the Crown Prince; there must be some misunderstanding here."
The ministers at the banquet watched this farce unfold, unsure how to respond. They were familiar with the Crown Prince's character after their interactions and found little reason to support him. Moreover, Luo Jingxian's extraordinary beauty endeared her to many, causing a significant number of them to unconsciously lean towards her side.
However, due to Murong Cheng's status as Crown Prince, they could not openly defend Luo Jingxian as subjects of Dongchuan; they could only wait on the sidelines for the outcome.
Seeing Gu Bei and Ye Xiaohan come to Luo Jingxian's defense only fueled Murong Cheng's anger further. Gu Bei had never submitted to Murong Cheng in the past and now publicly supported someone from the Exiled Nation—how could this not ignite Murong Cheng's fury?
"General Gu truly thinks of national affairs," Murong Cheng retorted sharply. "Fortunately, everyone here knows General Gu’s character; otherwise, those unaware might think General Gu harbors ulterior motives—being in Dongchuan while favoring the Exiled Nation!"
Since Gu Bei had made it clear he could not be used for his own purposes, he had no choice but to eliminate him completely; he could not remain a source of trouble!
Seizing this opportunity, he resolved to ensnare them all at once!
Accused of a crime almost equivalent to treason, Gu Bei, despite his composure, felt a flicker of anger. Ye Xiaohan harbored a growing disdain for the Crown Prince.
However, no matter how much they tried to argue their case, even if the Emperor and the Ministers did not believe Gu Bei had any ill intentions towards Dongchuan, the issue of Luo Jingxian assaulting the Crown Prince could not simply be brushed aside.
As everyone grappled with the situation, Lo Cheng had already resolved to take all the blame upon himself, determined not to let his sister suffer any further harm.
"Your Majesty..."
Lo Cheng was about to speak when another voice interrupted him.
"Your Majesty, I can explain this matter." Lo Cheng looked over in surprise; the speaker was none other than Luo Jingxian.
Gu Bei and Ye Xiaohan were equally astonished. It seemed that Luo Jingxian had suddenly regained her composure, exuding a calm yet commanding presence.
The Emperor's gaze flickered with interest as he turned to Luo Jingxian. "The Princess has remembered something. That’s perfect; clarifying this will help everyone resolve this unnecessary misunderstanding."
"Yes," Luo Jingxian replied gracefully, stepping forward confidently under the scrutiny of those present as she recounted the events that had transpired.
It turned out that the Crown Prince had fallen for Luo Jingxian at first sight during the banquet, captivated by her beauty. Throughout the event, all eyes were on her until she left with Ye Xiaohan. The Crown Prince hurriedly followed them to the Imperial Garden.
When Ye Xiaohan went back to retrieve something, Murong Cheng seized the opportunity to approach Luo Jingxian while she was alone, making flirtatious remarks.
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