Jiang Si couldn’t help but laugh and cry at the same time. She chided, “Second Brother, what nonsense are you thinking? There’s no sleeping in separate rooms, and certainly no sleeping with maids. We’re doing just fine.”
Jiang Zhan was even more confused and whispered, “Aren’t you worried that the Prince has been confined to the Imperial Clan Court? I thought he must have done something wrong.”
“There’s no overnight grudge between father and son. Perhaps His Majesty will release him in a few days,” Jiang Si said casually, then changed the subject, “Second Brother, let me see your hand.”
Jiang Zhan instinctively hid his hand behind his back, refusing, “It’s just a minor flesh wound, nothing worth looking at.”
Jiang Si grabbed Jiang Zhan’s sleeve, insisting, “Let me see.”
After a moment’s standoff, Jiang Zhan had to compromise and honestly extended his injured hand.
His once long and beautiful hand was now swollen on the back, with exposed flesh congealed into a dark purple color, looking quite horrifying.
Jiang Si’s eyes narrowed, feeling both heartbroken and angry.
To stomp Second Brother’s hand into such a state, the Crown Prince was too vicious!
“Fourth Sister, it’s nothing, it doesn’t hurt at all anymore,” Jiang Zhan tried to withdraw his hand, but Jiang Si held it firmly.
“You didn’t even think to treat it after leaving the palace,” Jiang Si complained while taking out a handkerchief. “Let me tend to your wound.”
Jiang Zhan wanted to say it wasn’t necessary, but seeing Jiang Si’s tense expression, he said, “Just let A-Man or A-Qiao treat it for me. Fourth Sister, you’re not afraid of blood, but what if my nephew gets scared?”
Jiang Si couldn’t help but laugh, “Second Brother, you jest. How would a baby still in the womb know anything?”
Despite saying this, she still instructed A-Qiao to come and treat Jiang Zhan’s wound.
A-Qiao brought strong alcohol and ointment, gently wiping the wound with a clean cotton pad soaked in alcohol, her face slightly pale.
Such a severe injury must be so painful.
However, Jiang Zhan showed no reaction, as if the injury belonged to someone else. He casually said to Jiang Si, “Fourth Sister, I’m thinking of finding an opportunity to join the army.”
“Join the army?” Jiang Si was stunned.
Jiang Zhan nodded, “Yes, Nan Lan and our Great Zhou have been intermittently at war, and the northern border is said to be constantly in friction, with the Bei Qi people often killing and plundering our Great Zhou citizens. I think going to either the southern frontier or the northern territory would be more interesting than staying in the capital.”
In ordinary people’s eyes, the Jinwu Guards protecting the imperial city were glorious, and he once thought so too.
But today’s humiliation from the Crown Prince made him realize that glory is always relative. In front of the palace nobles, a small Jinwu Guard was no different from an ant.
He wasn’t alone; he had the Dong Ping Earl’s Manor and Fourth Sister behind him. If he couldn’t hold back and offend a noble, it would undoubtedly bring great trouble to those he cared about, like today…
Yet he wasn’t the type to swallow his pride and submit to humiliation. He could endure once, or twice, but who knows when he might not be able to hold back anymore.
Rather than being a stifled golden bird in the capital, it would be better to be an eagle in the borderlands. Even if he fell, at least he would have fought for the people of Great Zhou.
A man should not hesitate to die for his country.
Hearing Jiang Zhan speak like this, Jiang Si’s first reaction was to object.
Weapons are indiscriminate; one could easily lose their life on the battlefield. How could this be interesting? It was nerve-wracking.
But meeting her brother’s clear eyes, Jiang Si couldn’t voice her objection.
She cared for her brother and had changed his fate of early death without his knowledge. But Second Brother’s life belonged to him, and even in the name of his well-being, she shouldn’t make decisions for him.
“Fourth Sister, do you think it’s alright?” Jiang Zhan asked with some expectation.
A-Qiao was just wiping away the dirt embedded in his flesh with an alcohol-soaked cotton pad, causing him to slightly furrow his brow in pain.
Jiang Si sighed inwardly and showed a gentle smile, “If Second Brother has made up his mind, then it’s fine.”
Jiang Zhan’s eyes immediately lit up.
Fourth Sister’s approval was undoubtedly very important to him.
Jiang Si added, “Just be sure to stay safe, don’t let those who care about you worry.”
Jiang Zhan broke into a big smile, “Of course.”
Jiang Zhan’s excitement made Jiang Si’s eyes curve in a smile, but as soon as he left, she dropped her relaxed expression.
Yu Qi being confined to the Imperial Clan Court was impossible not to worry about at all. Of course, it wasn’t too worrying either.
This was probably the advantage of being a foreknowledge holder.
The winter solstice was approaching, and the Crown Prince’s first dethronement was imminent. The consequences of offending the Crown Prince weren’t so severe.
Thinking about the reason for the Crown Prince’s dethronement, Jiang Si raised her eyebrows.
Perhaps the Emperor even felt that A-Jin had vented some anger for him in advance?
The winter solstice of the 19th year of Jingming was too heart-stopping, and she hoped Yu Jin could avoid it, so when Jiang Zhan came to relay the message, she understood his intention.
Beating the Crown Prince severely not only avenged Second Brother but also conveniently avoided the winter solstice outing, killing two birds with one stone.
“But it’s a bit too daring,” Jiang Si murmured in the complaint, instructing A-Qiao to prepare some delicious food to be sent to the Imperial Clan Court.
The news of Yu Jin beating the Crown Prince and being confined to the Imperial Clan Court spread like wildfire.
For a moment, the princes who had participated in the melee last year felt quite peculiar.
If the Seventh Brother dared to beat even the Crown Prince, their beatings seemed insignificant in comparison.
This spectacle couldn’t be missed!
First, they would visit the Crown Prince to see how badly he was beaten, then go to see the Seventh Brother.
In the Eastern Palace, the Crown Prince’s screams could be heard as the imperial physician massaged and applied medicine.
The Crown Prince groaned and cursed silently: That bastard Seventh Brother, once he ascends to that position, the first thing he’ll do is charge Seventh Brother with treason and chop up his whole family!
“Your Highness, Prince Lu has come to visit you,” a eunuch came in to announce.
The Crown Prince, lying face down on the bed, said with a black face, “Don’t see him!”
The eunuch quickly left, but soon returned: “Your Highness, Prince Qi has arrived…”
The Crown Prince snapped irritably, “Stop coming to announce visitors, I’m not seeing anyone!”
How could the dignified Crown Prince meet people with a face like a pig’s head? These little brats were coming to laugh at him.
Unable to see the Crown Prince’s pig face, the princes were quite disappointed and successively rushed to the Imperial Clan Court.
Prince Lu arrived first, slipped some silver to the guard on duty, and successfully met Yu Jin.
The empty room in the Imperial Clan Court was equivalent to a prison, but it was much more comfortably furnished, at least without insects and snakes.
Yu Jin sat by the window, slightly turning his gaze towards Prince Lu.
“Seventh Brother, did you beat the Crown Prince?”
Yu Jin frowned.
Why did he see a hint of excitement in Fifth Brother’s eyes?
“Mm,” he responded coldly.
Prince Lu quickly glanced around and secretly gave Yu Jin a thumbs up: “Seventh Brother, you’re something.”
He had wanted to beat the Crown Prince for a long time, it was practically a lifelong dream, but he never dared to realize it.
He decided that from now on, he wouldn’t hold a grudge against Seventh Brother for beating him.
Yu Jin tugged at the corner of his mouth and gently reminded, “Fifth Brother should still be cautious in his words and actions, lest you come to keep me company.”
Prince Lu chuckled, “I didn’t expect Seventh Brother to be so considerate of me, I understand. The other brothers are still queuing up to visit, so I’ll take my leave now.”