Yang Jingshan’s slap turned Yang Jingyuan’s face to the side, drawing gasps from the surrounding crowd.
“What is he doing? Asking forgiveness from Sheng Fengze with thorns on his back?” Ji Yingying, squeezed among the crowd, was stunned by the scene before her.
The Yang and Ji families had become in-laws. Following proper etiquette, the Yang family sent someone to inform the Ji family of the death. The Ji family was still in shock. Ji Yaoting had brought his wife into the city to pay their respects. Ji Yingying’s foot had just healed. Her status made it inappropriate for her to go to the Yang family for condolences, but after more than half a month without word from Yang Jingyuan, she couldn’t help but follow her brother and sister-in-law into the city.
The sharp sound of the slap made Ji Yingying tremble. Why was she still here? To watch Yang Jingyuan beg forgiveness from her family’s enemy? Yang Jingshan’s slap felt as if it had struck her face. Ji Yingying turned and pulled at her brother to squeeze out of the crowd.
“With Master Yang’s death, he must have an unavoidable reason for causing this scene instead of keeping vigil at home. Sister, don’t be angry. Would you wait in the mule cart for brother?” Though embarrassed by his future brother-in-law’s actions, Ji Yaoting’s relative distance from Yang Jingyuan allowed him to maintain his rationality.
Ji Yingying angrily pointed toward Yang Jingyuan: “Does he know what he’s doing? He’s asking forgiveness from Sheng Fengze! Does he know who Sheng Fengze is? Even if I died, I would never bow my head to Sheng Fengze!”
“Let brother go find out why, alright? Yang Third Young Master doesn’t know about our family’s feud with Sheng Fengze.” Ji Yaoting sighed.
That night when Sheng Fengze came with medicine, Yang Jingyuan had left without listening to her explanation. Sheng Fengze had deliberately revealed his intimacy with her to him. Today he was publicly asking Sheng Fengze for forgiveness. Had he forgotten that night? No man could forgive the hatred of having his wife stolen. Could it be that Yang Third Young Master wanted to thank Sheng Fengze for taking liberties with her?
With Master Yang’s death, Ji Yingying had put aside their recent cold war, only thinking of how heartbroken Yang Jingyuan must be. She had followed her brother and sister-in-law into the city, hoping her brother could find an opportunity to call Yang Jingyuan out of the mansion so she could comfort him. She never expected to see this scene. Ji Yingying angrily clutched her brother’s arm: “Don’t go! We came to the city to pay respects to Master Yang, not to watch him make a spectacle of himself in the street!”
She pulled her brother onto the mule cart and directly ordered Ji Fu: “Take another road, it doesn’t matter if it’s longer!”
“Sister, why are you crying? What happened?” Zhang Fourth Miss had stayed in the cart. Seeing the siblings return with such dark expressions and Ji Yingying’s tear-stained face, she couldn’t help but worry.
“I’m not crying!” Ji Yingying responded. Seeing her brother and sister-in-law’s blurry expressions, she blinked, and two tears rolled down. Her vision cleared. She touched her face, her palm wet with tears.
Ji Yaoting looked at his sister seriously and asked: “Yingying, are you angry because he’s apologizing to our family’s enemy? Or because he’s your betrothed and has brought you shame?”
Ji Yingying choked: “His brother struck him in public, everyone watching him kneel at the post house gate… I, my heart aches. I couldn’t bear to watch anymore.”
As the words left her mouth, Ji Yingying was stunned.
It wasn’t because he was bowing to their enemy, nor was it about losing face. She felt pain for him.
Because she felt for him, she was angry and upset.
Ji Yaoting couldn’t help but sigh: “Then shall we not watch?”
But she couldn’t help wanting to watch. Didn’t want to leave him behind. Ji Yingying thought for a moment and said: “Brother, I want to go home.”
Seeing today’s situation, his sister wouldn’t have a chance to speak properly with Yang Jingyuan. Ji Yaoting nodded in agreement: “Let Uncle Ji Fu take you home first. Your sister-in-law and I will hire another cart later.”
Ji Yaoting and Zhang Fourth Miss got off the cart, taking another route to the Yang family. As the mule cart slowly left the post house, Ji Yingying lifted the curtain and, seeing her brother and sister-in-law were out of sight, quickly said to Ji Fu: “Uncle Ji Fu, wait for me here.” She put on her veiled hat, jumped down from the cart, and walked toward the post house.
Sheng Fengze still hadn’t appeared. Yang Jingshan felt extremely uncomfortable under all the stares. Though Third Brother had caused trouble before, it was only competing and fighting with other young nobles in the city. He had never done anything to truly shame the Yang family. Standing at the post house gate being pointed at and whispered about, exhausted from a sleepless night, thinking of the clan leader and funeral matters at home, Yang Jingshan couldn’t control his anger: “Third Brother, come home with me! Don’t forget, Father’s body isn’t even cold!”
He reached out to pull Yang Jingyuan but was shrugged off. Yang Jingyuan appeared lazy: “First Brother, your little brother is asking forgiveness from the White King of Nanzhao! After this is done, brother will go home!”
“You, do you know the consequences of doing this?” Yang Jingshan leaned close, reminding him through gritted teeth.
“I know! Because I know, Third Brother came to ask forgiveness!” Yang Jingyuan turned his head and shouted toward the post house in a strong voice, “White King of Nanzhao! I, Yang Third Young Master, was drunk last night and couldn’t stand your guards boasting their martial arts were better than us Tang men’s. I climbed over the wall wanting to compete. I disturbed and startled Your Highness. Tang and Nanzhao are friendly neighbors, and Yang Third cannot bear the responsibility of damaging relations between our countries. A man must take responsibility for his actions, so today I come to ask Your Highness’s forgiveness with thorns!”
Yang Jingshan was stunned, then immediately understood his meaning. His heart filled with both guilt and joy. The third Brother was doing this to exonerate Uncle Shi. The assassination attempt had become a case of a young man’s improper behavior and causing trouble. With such a scene, if Sheng Fengze still tried to use this as leverage, he would appear petty. He looked at Yang Jingyuan with complex emotions, ashamed he hadn’t thought of this and had struck Third Brother.
At this moment, a group of people pushed through the crowd with laughter. Led by Sang Fourteen and his brothers, a group of young nobles bared their chests and arrived at the post house gate carrying thorny branches.
Sang Fourteen winked at Yang Jingyuan, knelt on one knee beside him, and shouted: “During the Lantern Festival, I drank too much, and the alley was too narrow—I accidentally disturbed the White King’s carriage returning from a banquet. Yang Third Master stood up for his brother and entered the post house at night to seek trouble with the Nanzhao guards. I, Sang Fourteen, cannot let my friend bear this crime alone. Your Highness, today Sang Fourteen also comes to ask forgiveness with thorns!”
The group of young nobles laughingly knelt on one knee beside them, shouting: “Is the White King of Nanzhao so petty? Looking down on us?”
“We’ve come to ask forgiveness with thorns! Your Highness, please come out!”
Zhou Seven was easily excited, patting his skinny chest where ribs showed: “All the brothers stood up for me, Zhou Seven, that’s why they offended the White King. If Your Highness wants to whip someone with thorns, I, Zhou Seven, will take it first—don’t fight me for it!”
A youth gave him a look: “Zhou Seven, you’re just stupid, who fights to get beaten?”
Everyone burst into laughter.
The young nobles wore bright reds and greens, with silk flowers in their caps, inappropriately baring one shoulder with thorny branches tied to their backs. With their constant chatter, they turned the post house entrance into something as lively as a marketplace.
“Brother Fourteen.” Though Yang Jingyuan had said he wouldn’t cry, his eyes suddenly reddened.