Looking at the chaotic and disorderly scene before him, Xun Geng frowned and asked Xu Shuo and Yue Lin, "Did you all participate in the brawl?"
Xu Shuo and the others, standing before Xun Geng, dared not hide anything. "When we arrived, they were already down. But we, along with Marquis Xie, were indeed with them."
They intended to state the facts as they were, not shirking responsibility, but also not allowing themselves to be falsely accused.
They simply didn't know what responsibility they bore. What was wrong with Marquis Xie fighting back? Anyone in their shoes would not stand there and take a beating without retaliating.
Since Marquis Xie's counterattack was only natural and not a fault, were they to be held responsible for not being able to stop it?
Even if Prince Yong's party made a fuss about it today, they would still be innocent.
Xun Geng knew they were not the type to cause trouble, but if those royal descendants had gotten drunk and acted out, it was not surprising that Xu Shuo and the others, being with Xie Jiang, were inadvertently caught up in the chaos.
However, what Xun Geng did not expect was, "You all went to a brothel too!"
Xu Shuo, Yue Lin, Lu Yuqing, and even Xu Hengyi were considered well-behaved scions of noble families in the capital, and they had never been known to have any bad habits.
Children who had always been law-abiding were now learning to frequent pleasure houses!
Proximity to pitch black makes one black.
Xie Jiang was the blackest pitch!
Yue Lin said awkwardly, "Yes, yes..."
Regardless of the reason, they had gone.
Yue Lin and Xu Shuo did not argue.
Xun Geng couldn't help but say, "Even if you want to befriend Marquis of Nanhai, there's no need to..."
The troublemaking ability of this Xie kid was unparalleled!
Rumors of insulting the Third Prince on the night of the palace banquet were still flying, and now this involved a brawl with royal descendants and ending up in the palace.
While it couldn't be denied that the boy had some merits, his flaws were so numerous they couldn't be counted on two hands. It was not wrong for Yue Lin and the others to befriend him; young men were bound to find common ground.
But they should at least discard those flaws first. Before they could even get close to his strengths, they shouldn't learn all his bad habits!
Understanding the implication of Prime Minister Xun's words, Yue Lin felt even more awkward. Marquis Xie was somewhat wronged this time.
"It wasn't Marquis Xie who took us to Chunse Manyuan. It was... it was us..." Following our grandfather's orders, we invited Marquis Xie."
Xun Geng stared at them, his eyes full of disbelief, and then sighed.
Fine.
These boys had all grown up.
He had worried for nothing.
"No matter who threw the first punch, Prince Yong'an and the others are half dead, with not a good piece of flesh on them. The ironclad fact is before us! The Xie scoundrel is ferocious and cruel..."
Prince Yong was about to point at Xie Jiang's nose and curse, but the person who had been in front of him moments ago had vanished. He looked around and found her under a tree, pulling at Yi Shizi's sleeve, begging for mercy and feigning weakness.
Seeing this, Prince Yong snorted, "Now you know to beg Yi Shizi for mercy. When you were beating people last night, why didn't you think of leaving yourself a way out!"
Xie Jiang glanced at Prince Yong, frowned, and said nothing, but her eyes clearly conveyed – you know nothing.
Prince Yong absolutely did not expect that at his age, he would still have the impulse to personally beat someone to death!
It was simply outrageous!
Xu Shuo thought to himself, why would Xie Jiang need to leave a way out when beating someone?
Even if she accidentally killed someone, what of it? She could still continue to be Marquis of Nanhai unharmed. At most, she would spend a few days in prison. Xie Jiang had stayed in Shuntian Prefecture Prison and Dali Temple Prison before, so adding Heaven Prison would be nothing.
Xie Jiang had the Four Continents of Nanyang behind her. Xie Jiang's fallback options were wider than anyone else's.
Seeing Yi Yanheng and Xie Jiang entangled, Prince Yong suddenly remembered something, "I heard Xie Jiang has a good relationship with the Crown Prince? His Majesty entrusted this matter to the Crown Prince because of his great trust in him. The Crown Prince must not disappoint His Majesty."
Prince Yong was reminding Yi Yanheng that he was His Majesty's uncle, and these royal descendants were all surnamed Xia. Even if their personal relationship with Xie Jiang was good, they should not forget His Majesty's face.
Prince Yong naturally believed that if Yi Yanheng did not stand with them and deal with Xie Jiang, he would be disappointing His Majesty.
Yi Yanheng's current power and status were all given by His Majesty, so it was only right that he uphold His Majesty's dignity.
Everyone present understood that Prince Yong was reminding Yi Yanheng to recognize reality.
However, except for the royal descendants lying on the ground, including the civil and military officials waiting in the side hall, they all believed that Prince Yong had failed to recognize reality.
Let alone that Yi Shizi had already begun to exercise the power of regent, even if Yi Shizi was only the Crown Prince of Prince Yu, he did not need to look at the faces of Prince Yong and the royal descendants.
If Prince Yu were present and said something like this? Yi Shizi wouldn't even need to teach them how to behave; Prince Yu could make them a new person.
Yi Yanheng pulled hard, trying to free his sleeve from her grasp, but she held on too tightly. If he pulled any harder, the sleeve would likely tear.
Yi Yanheng sighed silently, stopped struggling with her, and pretended not to see her.
Yi Yanheng looked up at Prince Yong with a calm expression and said, "Since Old Prince Yong says so, if my judgment does not meet Old Prince Yong's expectations, I fear Old Prince Yong will deem me partial. Perhaps it would be better to let Prime Minister Xun handle it."
Yi Yanheng was also too lazy to listen to their nonsensical arguments.
However, Prince Yong was right in assuming he would be biased towards Xie Jiang. Even if he hated the scoundrel so much that he wanted to kill her, that was a matter for them to settle behind closed doors. There was no reason for him to make things difficult for her with others.
Xie Jiang didn't care who judged her. She had done nothing wrong, so anyone who judged her would be just.
If anyone insisted she was wrong, she would show them what she was like when she made mistakes.
Old Prince Yong immediately turned to Xun Geng, "I request Prime Minister Xun to make a fair judgment!"
Yi Yanheng actually allowed the Xie scoundrel to hold his sleeve! Even a blind person could see that there was something fishy between them!
Xun Geng was more reliable.
"Our Central Plains has always been a land of etiquette, not some overseas barbarian territory. How can we allow such lawless behavior from the Xie villain? Ferocious and violent acts must have consequences!"
Prince Yong pointed at Xie Jiang from afar, speaking righteously and with spittle flying.
Prince Yong'an and the others clamored, "Xie Jiang has committed many evils and killed like flies. We beg Prime Minister Xun to uphold justice for us!"
"The wicked accuse first. How dare they be so righteous? Do they think that as long as they have thick skin, they are invincible?" Lu Yuqing sneered.
Xun Geng's deep eyes swept over the groaning figures on the ground. With his shrewd vision, he could naturally see that the injuries of these royal descendants only looked severe. Although Xie Jiang's attacks were fierce, she did not intend to take their lives. With proper treatment, their lives would not be in danger.
Was this little matter worth wasting time here? What nonsense about killing like flies and committing many evils? If no life was lost, it could only be considered a brawl.
Brawls between the children of the powerful and noble were common. It was best for both parties to resolve the matter peacefully. In the end, it usually resulted in a reprimand.