Chapter 301 – A Children’s Quarrel (1)
After they returned to the Lu Mansion, Ye Zhen simply said she was too tired and excused herself from seeing the old madam. News of the incident at the lantern tower had been passed back, so Lu Xiangzhi needed to explain to their grandmother.
Ye Zhen regretted going out today and didn’t want to hear about the lantern tower anymore.
Once she was back in her room, she asked Dai Mei to store the lantern she was carrying carefully. She changed her clothes and looked into the mirror, smiling bitterly. If she would have gone to the main hall, Old Madam would be suspicious.
It was dim outside so Lu Xiangzhi and Mo Rongyi hadn’t noticed, but now, under the bright light, it was all obvious.
In the mirror was a pale Ye Zhen with red and swollen lips. She seemed like she was … She undid her clothes and saw the scratches on her chest. She closed her eyes, wanting to forget everything that had happened.
“Miss, Third Lady sent some rice balls to you,” Dai Mei said as she entered.
Ye Zhen immediately moved her face and answered quietly, “Just leave it there. I’ll go to bed after eating.”
As she lay on the bed, Ye Zhen was still thinking about the way Mo Rongzhan turned his back to her. She was unsure of what to expect next. The man had been unpredictable after all.
But she was sure of one thing though… No matter what punishment or condemnation Mo Rongzhan bestowed upon her, she would not accept willingly!
♚
On the other side, Lu Xiangzhi was narrating to Old Madam Lu and his parents everything that had happened in the lantern tower.
“— Xie Longyuan and Xie Liu Hua were beaten up by Little Prince’s men. Especially Princess Liu Hua, her hair was all burnt. I’m afraid she wouldn’t want to come out for at least a couple of months.”
While his heart cried Well done!, with a solemn face, Lu Shiming’s lips said, “How can you young people fight outside?”
Old Madam Lu asked with a smile, “Yaoyao was not frightened, was she?”
“Grandmother, Yaoyao was just a little tired. She was frightened too, so she went to rest now, but she will come to see you tomorrow,” Lu Xiangzhi said.
“There’s no need. Just let her rest well.” Old Madam Lu felt that Ye Zhen was probably tired after her nerves had settled.
Pei Shi scowled Lu Xiangzhi. “You’re so sweaty, go change.”
Only now did Lu Xiangzhi resign from Old Madam Lu’s side with a smile.
♚
A storm was headed towards the Princess Royal’s Mansion.
Huffing and puffing the siblings ran back to their mother. When she saw her precious children were in a dire state, Princess Royal immediately ordered her guards to teach those responsible a lesson. However, she quickly forced down her anger when she heard who the culprit was.
She had already exposed two of her hidden confidants when she executed the thugs in the Ministry of Justice before. She knew the emperor must be keeping an eye on her, so she could only lay low this time.
“Mother, you have to avenge us. That little bastard Mo Rongyi, how dare he beat me!” Xie Longyuan cried. He had never been so embarrassed growing up. All his life, he had been the one to tyrannize people, now that he got a taste of his own medicine he immediately cried foul.
Princess Royal looked at her treasured son and said in a low voice, “Who let you provoke Little Prince? Where were your men? Why did they watch you being beaten like this?”
“There were too many of them, we couldn’t beat them. He was only a little prince, I couldn’t believe there were imperial palace masters following him,” said an aggrieved Xie Longyuan.
“Imperial palace masters?” Princess Royal mulled over the words. “Who else did you see beside the little prince?”
Xie Longyuan shook his head. He didn’t remember what the little prince looked like, otherwise, he wouldn’t have initiated the fight. “There were two other people, very white, like girls—”
“Mother, why are you asking these questions? Let’s go to the palace and seek Empress Dowager and His Majesty for justice.” Looking at her half-burnt hair Liu Hua wanted to kill herself. Now she wanted to kill that little bastard, Mo Rongyi.
“Do you think His Majesty will be on our side?” Princess Royal said coldly.
Liu Hua cried and stomped in vexation. “Mother, look what he has done to me, do we just let it go?”
“I’ll go into the palace tomorrow, but you shall stay away from Little Prince from now on.” Princess Royal only hoped that this wasn’t a warning to them from the emperor.
Only“Mother, what about me? Can I still go into the palace like this?” Liu Hua wailed.
She rubbed her daughter’s head lovingly. “Your hair will grow back soon. Don’t worry.”
Early next morning, Princess Royal entered the palace. She sought the empress dowager and cried injustice for her children saying they were bullied by Mo Rongyi’s men and hoped that she could stand up for them.
The empress dowager comforted her. “Little Prince has already told me about this. It was just a children’s quarrel and nothing else. Is Longyuan okay? Ay, how could Rongyi hit his family?”
Princess Royal almost choked on her breath in rage when she heard those words. Children’s quarrel? Was that only a children’s quarrel?