"Fifth Prince, don't forget Imperial Concubine Jin's words."
Left with no other choice, Lan Mingzhou brought up Ying Zijun's mother, hoping Ying Zijun would stop in time.
However, Ying Zijun's nerves were already stretched taut, and Lan Mingzhou's words only poured oil on the fire, causing Ying Zijun to immediately lose his reason. "Lan Mingzhou, how dare you! You have the audacity to use my mother to pressure me? You are no longer needed as a study companion."
As soon as Ying Zijun said these words, Lan Mingzhou's face instantly turned deathly pale.
Lan Haoyuan, who was also a study companion to the Fifth Prince, was overjoyed, his gaze towards Lan Mingzhou filled with mockery.
What use is your scholarly knowledge? If you don't have the Fifth Prince's favor, you are nothing.
Li Jin frowned slightly. "Fifth Prince, the Seventh Prince is, after all, your brother. For you to repeatedly demand he kneel to you and speak such unpleasant words hardly conforms to royal etiquette, does it?"
"I'm not wrong. He is merely a bastard born from a lowly servant shuang'er. And you, why are you defending this bastard at every turn? Could it be he has promised you some tremendous reward?"
Ying Zijun directly retorted to Li Jin, completely forgetting the advice Lan Yingying had given him.
"What nonsense are you speaking?"
Ying Yuan, who had originally intended to ignore Ying Zijun, became furious because of these remarks.
"Seventh Prince." Li Jin thoughtfully glanced at a slightly ajar window in the study room, then softly called to Ying Yuan, signaling him not to act rashly for now.
"Hmph!" Ying Zijun sneered coldly. "Nonsense? I suspect I've hit a nerve, and that's why you're so furious."
"Fifth Brother, that's enough."
Even Ying Ziyan, who usually kept to himself, couldn't stand Ying Zijun's behavior and looked at him with displeasure.
Ying Zijun was not one to accept defeat. "Ying Ziyan, you're the one who should shut up. This is between me and them, what does it have to do with you?"
"Fifth Brother, don't go too far."
"You are the one going too far."
"Fifth Prince, you say I have received favors from the Seventh Prince. Do you have any proof?"
"My word is proof." Ying Zijun thought Li Jin was afraid, and couldn't help but feel pleased. "However, if you agree to become my study companion, I will not report this matter to Father Emperor."
Clap, clap, clap clap clap.
Suddenly, a series of applause rang out for no apparent reason.
"Who is it?"
Ying Zijun was the first to react angrily, looking at the other study companions brought by the princes, thinking one of them was causing trouble.
"Fifth Child, is this how Imperial Concubine Jin usually teaches you to speak?" Ying Zhengjing's words, filled with anger, suddenly came from behind the group.
"Fa... Father Emperor..."
Ying Zijun was stunned dumb, and even his earlier anger was extinguished by Ying Zhengjing's appearance.
"Your respects to the Emperor (Father Emperor). May the Emperor (Father Emperor) live ten thousand years."
Everyone hurriedly bowed to Ying Zhengjing.
"You may rise." Ying Zhengjing entered the study and stopped in front of Ying Zijun, speaking coldly. "Fifth Child, repeat the words you just said for Us to hear."
"Father Emperor... your son... your son dares not..."
Ying Zijun had already lost his nerve the moment Ying Zhengjing appeared, how could he dare to repeat it.
"You can even call your own brother a bastard, what wouldn't you do?" Ying Zhengjing might dislike Ying Yuan, but that didn't mean Ying Zijun could publicly call a prince he had acknowledged a bastard. Wasn't that directly slapping Ying Zhengjing in the face?
Ying Zijun hurriedly knelt down. "Father Emperor, your son was wrong. Please punish me."
"Yang Shaochuan."
Ying Zhengjing ignored Ying Zijun and instead called for Yang Shaochuan.
Yang Shaochuan hurried forward and asked respectfully, "What are Your Majesty's orders?"
Ying Zhengjing declared publicly, "Imperial Concubine Jin has failed in educating her son. Demote her to Noble Lady, effective immediately. If Fifth Child offends again, demote her further."
"Yes, Your Majesty. This servant will go to deliver the decree immediately."
Yang Shaochuan glanced at Ying Zijun and shook his head.
It goes without saying, this Imperial Concubine Jin, no, rather Noble Lady Jin, has been implicated by her own son.
"Father Emperor, it was all your son's fault. I beg you, do not punish Mother Consort Jin." Ying Zijun's face turned ashen, his heart filled with regret. He never imagined his words would be overheard by Ying Zhengjing.
"Take Fifth Child away."
Ying Zhengjing couldn't be bothered to continue speaking with Ying Zijun and directly ordered the guards to take him away.
"Father Emperor, your son knows his wrong... your son knows his wrong..."
In the end, Ying Zijun was taken away by the guards, crying and shouting.
It's all your fault, all your fault! Li Jin, Ying Yuan, I, Ying Zijun, am irreconcilably opposed to you!
Knowing Ying Zhengjing would not change his mind, Ying Zijun's gaze towards Li Jin and Ying Yuan was full of venomous hatred. He placed all the blame for Lan Yingying's demotion to Noble Lady squarely on their heads.
After the incident with Ying Zijun, Ying Zhengjing's intention to examine the princes' studies waned. After merely saying a few words of encouragement, he turned and left.
"Thank you, Fourth Prince, for earlier."
Li Jin nodded in Ying Ziyan's direction.
"There is no need for thanks, Heir Li. I had no intention of helping you, I simply could not stand Fifth Brother's reckless behavior." Ying Ziyan also nodded towards Li Jin, then turned and left.
Ying Ziqi approached at just the right moment. "Heir Li, Fourth Brother always speaks like that. Please don't take it to heart."
"Of course not."
Li Jin shook his head and responded with a smile.
"Good." Ying Ziqi nodded, then continued, "By the way, Heir Li, Grand Tutor Li said earlier..."
Ying Yuan very rudely interrupted Ying Ziqi's words. "Li Jin, you promised to go eat with me."
"Third Prince, I already have plans with the Seventh Prince. Perhaps we can discuss this next time."
"But..."
"Li Jin, let's go quickly." Ying Yuan could see right through Ying Ziqi's intentions and gave him no chance to speak further. He pulled Li Jin outside, determined not to let Li Jin be alone with Ying Ziqi.
Ying Ziqi watched the two departing figures with a strained smile, feeling furious inside.
If he had known it would turn out like this, he should have spoken up before his fourth brother.
Ying Zirui approached Ying Ziqi and requested, "Third Brother, there's something I don't understand. Could you teach me?"
Ying Zirui was naturally opportunistic. Seeing that Ying Zijun had been reprimanded by Ying Zhengjing and had even implicated his own mother, he naturally wouldn't approach him at such a time and instead sought out Ying Ziqi.
"Of course. What is it that Sixth Brother doesn't understand?"
Ying Ziqi understood that Ying Zirui was trying to curry favor, and naturally did not refuse.
While Ying Zirui's maternal family was useless, he himself was, after all, a prince and could certainly be of use when necessary.
Thinking he had succeeded, Ying Zirui immediately beamed, took out his book, and asked for guidance. "Third Brother, it's this part here."
____
"Li Jin, come quickly! It's these osmanthus cakes, they're delicious!"
Eager to share his favorite food with Li Jin, Ying Yuan took Li Jin straight to the small kitchen upon returning to the Empress's palace, where they happened to see a freshly prepared plate of osmanthus cakes.
"Your respects to the Seventh Prince."
The people in the small kitchen had not seen Li Jin before but recognized Ying Yuan, and immediately knelt to bow.
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