Troublemaker Prince C28 (Part 2)
Translated by Sylver (ko-fi)
Chapter 28.2
This was essentially calling the Eldest Prince shameless, completely stripping away the Eldest Prince's gentle and proper exterior.
Those poor scholars who had received favors from Minister Su and the Eldest Prince and had secretly decided to follow the Eldest Prince in the future couldn't tolerate their future lord being slandered like this.
Thus, a war of words began.
The scholars divided into three factions: one faction despised the Eldest Prince, one faction supported the Eldest Prince, and another faction tried to mediate between the two sides but failed to stop them, and it directly escalated into a physical brawl.
The scholars of this era still had plenty of martial virtue. Gentlemen had the habit of wearing swords, so they immediately started fighting, and no one could stop them.
The result was that halfway through the fight, they were suppressed by the arriving officers. The officers originally wanted to throw them directly into jail, but there were too many people, and they were all supposed to attend the Qionglin Banquet three days later.
If so many people were missing from the Qionglin Banquet, even the Crown Prince would be angry, so the officers warned these scholars and then left.
After the officers left, the two sides of scholars agreed to battle—to hold a debate at the Qionglin Banquet three days later!
"I will let the whole world know that the Eldest Prince is a hypocrite with a false appearance and no shame!"
"The Eldest Prince is a modest gentleman, gentle as jade. He's not what you say he is! He is the one worth following! I want to see where you'll go to display your ambitions and talents after leaving the Eldest Prince and Minister Su."
"Hmph, still better than associating with shameless people."
After both sides finished speaking, they each snorted coldly. They would battle again in three days and definitely settle the matter.
This farce caused quite a commotion and was widely spread by many troublemakers. The Eldest Prince's reputation was seriously damaged.
At the same time, You Yusui in the Eastern Palace also heard about this farce.
When he heard that both sides wanted to debate at the Qionglin Banquet about whether the Eldest Prince was an upright gentleman who knew propriety and shame, You Yusui's body couldn't help but lean backward.
"Your Highness, what's wrong?" Huo Xiling on the side supported You Yusui's body and asked.
"This prince just feels that this prince had great foresight," You Yusui said with a serious face.
He really didn't want to hear meaningless debates about whether his eldest imperial brother had propriety and shame. The fact was that for the throne, he could do anything.
Now, You Yusui only felt grateful that he had changed the debate segment to an examination, with questions set by him, Lord Xie, and Minister Su together. He wouldn't have to listen to them debate such things, and at the same time, he had saved Minister Su's heart.
After all, the Eldest Prince was Minister Su's grandson. Hearing hundreds of people discussing his grandson's private morals—no matter how good his mentality, he would probably faint, especially at his advanced age. If something happened to him, how would You Yusui explain it to his good Father Emperor?
On the other side, the Eldest Prince You Yuyi, who was in confinement reflecting on his mistakes, learned of the news that the Crown Prince would hold the Qionglin Banquet in three days.
You Yuyi, who was copying the Analects, froze. This was really too fast. How could such a large banquet be prepared within three days? When he had organized the Spring Banquet back then, just confirming the procedures with the Ministry of Rites officials had taken three days. To ensure the Spring Banquet went smoothly, he had spent a month preparing.
Yet You Yusui, a Crown Prince with a weak body, how could he prepare the Spring Banquet well in three days?
Just as You Yuyi was puzzled, a palace servant who had gone out to gather information returned and told You Yuyi all the contents of the announcement.
You Yuyi immediately frowned and said, "How could Father Emperor allow him to act this way?"
The palace servant said in a low voice, "The Qionglin Banquet was named by His Majesty, and the venue is also at Qionglin."
This meant that His Majesty was completely aware of this matter and had agreed to it.
You Yuyi's face instantly turned pale. He stood up and said, "How can this be?"
Unlike the Spring Banquet manor that anyone could attend, Qionglin was the emperor's private garden. Only some members of the imperial clan who had received permission could enter to enjoy themselves. Father Emperor making Qionglin the venue for the Qionglin Banquet must mean he attached great importance to the Qionglin Banquet.
Thinking this, You Yuyi couldn't help but lower his head, and a malicious light scattered in his eyes.
What if the Crown Prince completely ruined the Qionglin Banquet this time?
You Yuyi carefully examined the announcement contents his palace servant had brought back. He must stir up conflict between the aristocratic families and the poor scholars, and have the aristocratic families take the lead in ruining the Qionglin Banquet.
"Come here," You Yuyi beckoned to the palace servant in front of him.
Hearing this, the palace servant immediately leaned in to listen to You Yuyi's arrangements.
After You Yuyi finished explaining his plan, he waved his hand to dismiss the palace servant, but the servant didn't leave.
"Is there something else?" You Yuyi looked at the palace servant's expression and asked.
"Your Highness, there's something I don't know whether I should tell you," the palace servant said with a troubled expression.
"Speak."
A moment later, the teacup on the table was fiercely smashed to the ground by You Yuyi. He was so angry his face turned iron blue.
"Absurd! Is this what this prince told them to say?"
The palace servant didn't dare raise his head. These scholars were used to fearing nothing. To stand out, they dared to say anything and do anything.
You Yuyi could hardly control his anger. If the debate topic at the Qionglin Banquet was about his private morals, would he still have any face left? So the Qionglin Banquet must be destroyed!
As for those scholars seeking to get ahead having their opportunities destroyed, You Yuyi felt it had nothing to do with him.
"This matter, you must make sure the Cheng family does it well," You Yuyi suppressed his anger and said.
"Yes," the palace servant replied.
Three days later, the aristocratic family sons and poor scholars who were to attend the Qionglin Banquet arrived at the entrance of Qionglin.
As the organizer, You Yusui hadn't made any extra arrangements. He only provided tables, chairs, and benches for the scholars, as well as venues for the Six Arts of Gentleman competition and the final examination location.
As for the competition procedures and personnel arrangements, it was all Huo Xiling helping him worry about it. You Yusui thought he only needed to arrive at Qionglin, take a nap there, and treat the aristocratic family sons and poor scholars present to a meal.
But what You Yusui hadn't expected was that someone would cause trouble at the entrance of Qionglin.
The troublemakers were from several minor aristocratic families, led by someone surnamed Cheng. When You Yusui heard this surname, he knew they were his eldest imperial brother's lackeys.
"Follow this prince out to see what kind of creatures are barking wildly," You Yusui sneered coldly. Holding his pipe, he led Huo Xiling to the entrance of Qionglin.
In front of the Qionglin gate, most of those who came were from minor aristocratic families. The five great clans and seven distinguished families were not present. Indeed, they naturally looked down on the official positions obtained from the Spring Banquet. They participated in the Spring Banquet only to gain fame. Now that the Qionglin Banquet had few attendees, they naturally wouldn't be willing to come.
"What are you arguing about? You're giving this prince a headache with all the noise," You Yusui sat on his sedan chair, looking down at those aristocratic family sons.
"Your Highness, we are aristocratic families after all. Why can we only bring one servant in? This is no different from having none. Not everyone is like the poor scholars with no foundation."
You Yusui looked at the aristocratic family son who spoke and smiled. "Your family's foundation is just a few servants? Then you don't need to attend this Qionglin Banquet."
As soon as he finished speaking, several poor scholars who had been angered to the point of turning red couldn't help but laugh out loud.
Hearing this, that aristocratic family son's face turned red with shame, but he still insisted that the treatment of poor scholars wasn't worthy of being the same as aristocratic families, and that the Crown Prince only allowing aristocratic family sons to bring one servant was truly an insult to the aristocratic families.
Hearing this, You Yusui immediately narrowed his eyes, then took a puff of his pipe and said, "It seems this prince has been giving you too much face."
"From now on, the Qionglin Banquet will not allow anyone to bring servants in. Violators will never be allowed to attend the Qionglin Banquet again." After speaking, You Yusui pointed at that aristocratic family son and said, "Throw him out for this prince."
As soon as he finished speaking, the Qionglin guards immediately threw him out of the Qionglin gate.
"If any of you are dissatisfied now, you can go back on your own. This prince's Qionglin Banquet only wants absolute fairness and justice. Your birth and family background mean nothing before this prince," You Yusui said coldly.
No matter how noble one's status and position, could it compare to the Crown Prince? Or did this group of people want the emperor to kill another batch of aristocratic families?
When You Yusui looked at everyone with a sidelong glance, inexplicably, they all felt an incomparable chill.
Just at this moment, an elderly man with an elegant bearing walked in from outside with a young man. He smiled and said, "What fine words about fairness and justice."
After speaking, Xie Yi looked at the aristocratic family sons in front of him and said, "If you think this is an insult to the aristocratic families, you don't need to step through the gates of Qionglin."
The aristocratic family sons looked at the elderly man in front of them and all lowered their heads, addressing him as "Lord Xie."
It was at this moment that the poor scholars who had never seen Xie Yi realized this was the Xie Yi worshipped by people throughout the realm, and they all called out "Lord Xie" with excited voices.
"Alright, those attending the Qionglin Banquet, come in," Xie Yi said.
As for the Cheng family son who had taken the lead, looking at Xie Yi who had suddenly appeared, he found it somewhat unbelievable. Since even Xie Yi was willing to step into Qionglin, which aristocratic family would dare say that Qionglin had insulted them?
"Now that maternal grandfather has come, that's good. This prince is so tired. From now on, this prince will leave everything here to you and Minister Su," You Yusui, who had been so tough just moments ago, instantly reverted to his weak and frail appearance, looking completely innocent and pitiful.
And the crowd who heard You Yusui say this was shocked beyond measure. What! Minister Su was coming too! This arrangement was simply too grand. Lord Xie and Minister Su were figures who couldn't even be seen at the Spring Banquet.
Instantly, the Qionglin Banquet rose a level in everyone's hearts.