# Chapter Fifteen
In Yuxiu Palace, Jiang Deqing hurried into the inner chambers and reported everything that had transpired in Qianqing Palace, lowering his head as he spoke softly: "I hear the imperial physician has already been summoned. At this moment... everyone is gathered before His Majesty."
Princess Dunsu turned and cast a profound glance at Qi Xiao, then smiled. "What did I tell you? No matter the circumstances, Bai Ren is still the Prince of Lingnan's heir—his status is noble. How could he allow himself to be bullied? The moment he gets the chance, he won't let himself suffer a single loss."
Thinking of what Jiang Deqing had just reported—"four bleeding gashes," "blood gushing forth"—Qi Xiao's brow twitched with rage. Upon hearing the princess's words, he coldly laughed. "As Your Highness says, the prince's heir is truly impressive, employing such a tactic of killing ten thousand enemies at a cost of eight thousand of one's own."
Qi Xiao rose and started toward the door. Princess Dunsu furrowed her brow and softly chided him. "Qi Hua acted rashly. The Emperor himself will mete out punishment. What are you going to do?!"
Qi Xiao paused, then smiled. "Go watch Qi Hua make a fool of himself. Would you care to join me, Aunt?"
Princess Dunsu sighed. "Fine. I'm too lazy to bother with it. Go ahead and take a look, but don't stir up any more trouble."
Qi Xiao nodded in agreement and departed with a procession of palace attendants.
When Qi Xiao's palanquin arrived at Qianqing Palace, all the princes had already assembled. Third Prince Qi Qian and Fourth Prince Qi Li were standing guard outside the main hall. Upon seeing Qi Xiao arrive, they hastily stepped forward to pay their respects. Qi Xiao smiled faintly. "Greetings, little brothers. Why are you waiting outside? Is Father meeting with ministers?"
Qi Qian and Qi Li exchanged uncertain glances—they couldn't tell whether Qi Xiao genuinely didn't know or was feigning ignorance. After a moment's hesitation, Qi Qian spoke vaguely. "Father... must have matters to attend to."
Qi Xiao turned to look at Fu Hailu, who stood among the attendants outside the hall, and smiled coolly. "Chief Steward Fu, are you feeling idle today? I have arrived—will you not announce me?"
"I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare." Fu Hailu hastily smiled and bowed. "I was just about to pay my respects to His Highness the Crown Prince before entering. I simply got distracted listening to the princes converse. I'll go at once."
The Emperor might leave his two sons standing outside the gate without a care, but he could not treat Qi Xiao so casually. In no time, Fu Hailu emerged and forced a smile. "His Highness the Crown Prince may enter."
Qi Xiao followed Fu Hailu into the main hall, passing through the front chamber and into the inner warm pavilion. There sat the Emperor on the throne, Bai Ren standing below him, and Qi Hua kneeling at his side. Qi Xiao bowed respectfully. The Emperor, looking exhausted, waved his hand. "Rise... Xiao'er came at just the right time. Look at what your foolish brother has done!"
Qi Xiao had no need to spare a glance for Qi Hua—for since entering the room, his gaze had never left Bai Ren. He only regretted that Bai Ren stood to his left, and the wound on his neck was also on the left side, so he couldn't see it. Qi Xiao's phoenix eyes subtly shifted as he glanced at Qi Hua and said indifferently: "My second brother has always been respectful and proper. How could he possibly do something so foolish? There must be some misunderstanding."
"How could he still know any propriety? One wonders what he's been studying!" The Emperor was so furious at Qi Hua that his lungs ached. He turned to Bai Ren and gently soothed him. "Bai Ren... good child. Qi Hua has a terrible temper and no brains. Regardless of the circumstances today, it was entirely his fault for offending you. I've already summoned the imperial physician for you. Let the physician examine you first. If you have any grievances, tell me later at leisure. I will certainly not wrong you."
Bai Ren smiled. "There's no rush. I'm still confused myself about how Prince Qi Hua and I came to blows. Coincidentally, His Highness the Crown Prince is here now. Let me recount what just happened. If the fault lies with me, then there's no need for the imperial physician—for angering His Highness the Second Prince so greatly, even killing myself wouldn't be enough to atone. How could I dare trouble the physician?"
Upon hearing this, Qi Xiao coldly smirked in his heart. The Emperor wished to minimize the incident and make it disappear, as if he thought Bai Ren was a fool.
The Emperor had no choice but to say gently, "Don't speak nonsense... This matter is certainly all Qi Hua's fault. What does it have to do with you? I'm only concerned that your wounds might worsen. Very well, speak first."
Bai Ren turned and cast a glance at Qi Hua, then recounted verbatim every word that had passed between them in the side chamber. At the end, he gazed at the Emperor's ashen face and said flatly, "I am newly arrived and truly don't understand what 'His Highness the Crown Prince's affairs' could possibly mean. Could it be that simply because I didn't know of this matter, I provoked His Highness the Second Prince, earning myself this... lesson?"
"you ungrateful wretch!" The Emperor nearly exploded from rage at Qi Hua. The matter of Qi Xiao—though everyone knew it implicitly—was absolutely not something to be spoken of openly! Not all of Emperor Wu's loyalists had died yet! There were also those within the imperial clan who supported Qi Xiao. Setting that aside, investigating Qi Xiao's origins would be equivalent to investigating how the Emperor had obtained his throne in the first place. This had always been a festering wound in the Emperor's heart, something he wished no one would ever mention. The Emperor glared at Qi Hua, who trembled ceaselessly on the ground, and wished he could tear him apart! He snatched up a teacup and hurled it violently at Qi Hua. "Spouting nonsense all day long! Xiao'er is your elder brother by blood and your sovereign by nation! Is he someone you dare speak of behind his back?!"
Qi Hua was terrified, hastily ducking his face behind his arms, sobbing as he begged for mercy over and over. "Father, forgive me... Father, forgive me..."
Bai Ren coldly watched the Emperor shift the argument, then pressed on. "His Highness the Second Prince repeatedly said, 'Father praised the Crown Prince profusely and doted on him publicly, but it's not the same in private.' This I understand even less. Though I am new to this place, in this single month of what I have seen and heard, I have never perceived any uneven treatment of the princes. Furthermore, what the Emperor thinks of his princes—what does that have to do with me? How could this also become an excuse for His Highness the Second Prince to question me?"
The Emperor's teeth ached with hatred upon hearing this. If not for the presence of Bai Ren and Qi Xiao, he might have struck out as well. He forced a smile. "I understand now... It's simply because I favor Xiao'er more than the others, and Qi Hua felt disgruntled, leading to this incident..."
Bai Ren shook his head. "I rather believe today's incident stems from that baseless marriage alliance. I have truly never heard of such a thing. Coincidentally, His Highness the Crown Prince is present now. Your Highness... have I ever told you that I wished to marry Roujia to the Crown Prince? Before His Majesty and His Highness the Second Prince, I ask the Crown Prince to give me a clear answer."
In an instant, Qi Xiao understood Bai Ren's intention. If he wanted to discreetly reject the marriage alliance, now was the perfect opportunity.
"Certainly not. I also know nothing of it..." Qi Xiao looked toward the Emperor and spoke with all seriousness. "To be honest, I too have heard similar rumors before. I simply never expected that these baseless rumors would harm the prince. Father... I implore you to speak on this matter. I have never intended to form a marriage alliance with Lingnan, nor will I ever."
The Emperor was stunned. He never could have imagined Qi Xiao would so readily let go. But regardless of the reason, the Emperor was only too pleased that Qi Xiao would abandon the marriage alliance himself. The Emperor regarded Qi Xiao with some hesitation. "Xiao'er... you truly feel this way?"
Qi Xiao nodded. "As for Aunt, I will handle that matter myself."
This was perhaps the only thing the Emperor could celebrate today. Along with it, his resentment toward Bai Ren's earlier persistence faded. He nodded and said, "Very well. Bai Ren, you heard it yourself. His Highness the Crown Prince will never again marry a daughter of your region. You may rest easy."
"Thank you, Your Majesty. With that, I am at ease." Bai Ren stepped forward and knelt, his cold eyes serious. "Today's incident—though His Highness the Second Prince struck first, the fault is entirely mine. I came from Lingnan, drawn by admiration for the majesty of the imperial capital and reverence for the Emperor's dragon might, and therefore refused to leave. This is also the wish of my father, the Prince of Lingnan. Though Lingnan lies a thousand miles distant, we dare not for a moment forget our duty to the realm. My father sent me to observe and study in the imperial capital, to educate myself and teach my people in the future, to bask eternally in the Emperor's grace. And yet... I have resided in the imperial capital for over a month now, and instead of learning a single skill, I have provoked such treatment from His Highness the Second Prince. I have reflected upon myself—today's incident was entirely my fault..."
"Good child, please don't say such things." Even though the Emperor had a thick face, he could barely maintain his composure after hearing Bai Ren's speech. He spoke gently to comfort him. "I said it already—today's incident was entirely Qi Hua's fault. Simply because I favor Xiao'er a bit more, he threw a childish tantrum. He probably also had some wine today, and grew even more out of control. Bai Ren, rest assured—I will punish him severely..."
It wasn't only to appease Bai Ren. Though his words had been exaggerated, everyone present understood that Bai Ren was not merely a prince's heir. He represented Lingnan itself. The imperial court's attitude toward Bai Ren was tantamount to its attitude toward Lingnan. If Bai Ren came to harm, it would be entirely possible for the Prince of Lingnan to use this as a pretext to raise troops. Thus, even if others despised Bai Ren's status as a hostage, they would treat him with respect on the surface. No one wished to be the cause of war with the southern frontier. Of course, not everyone possessed such understanding—at the very least, that fool Qi Hua did not.
Qi Hua, still kneeling on the ground, trembled even more violently. The Emperor, gazing at his sorry state, felt his liver ache with fury. Bai Ren had been speaking for half the day, and this creature hadn't offered even a single word of defense—his pleas for mercy were merely weak, whimpering nonsense! The Emperor was aggrieved by his own failure to raise this son properly, and coldly commanded, "Guards! Drag this ungrateful creature to the courtyard and give him twenty lashes! If anyone dares show mercy, I will have them beheaded myself!"
Qi Hua had thought he would at most receive a few strikes with the discipline rod, never expecting the Emperor to make good on his threat. He cried out in alarm. The Emperor glanced at Fu Hailu, who understood his intent and stepped forward to silence Qi Hua—partly to prevent him from biting his tongue in pain, but also... who knew what fatal words Qi Hua might blurt out next!
In the courtyard, the dull thuds of the beating echoed. Qi Xiao turned his head to glance at Bai Ren, then bowed to the Emperor. "The prince's wounds still need prompt treatment. Since today's incident also involves me... perhaps Bai Ren could temporarily rest in my palace. It would also serve as an apology to the prince."
The Emperor had no objection either way, so he nodded. "Xiao'er is as thoughtful as always. Inform the imperial physician to use the finest medicines. If Bai Ren's wounds suffer any complications, I will hold the Imperial Medical Bureau accountable!"
"Yes." Qi Xiao turned to look at Bai Ren, his gaze profound. "Prince, come with me."