As soon as these words were spoken, Ye Xi and the others were all shocked.
"Your Majesty, you mustn't!"
"Your Majesty, you mustn't!"
Two voices rang out simultaneously. One was Yi Yuan's, and the other was Qiao Yan's.
For the first time, they showed an unexpected understanding. Both of them were stunned for a moment. Glancing at each other, Qiao Yan "thumped" to her knees and spoke first.
"Your Majesty, all the mistakes are mine alone. My elder brother has been weak since birth. How could he withstand twenty strokes of the rod? I'm not some delicate young lady in the boudoir. I can bear the punishment. I'm willing to take those twenty strokes."
"Miss Xi had no idea what I did. She is truly talented, and she truly deserves the title of the champion. Her prize shouldn't be taken back because of my mistake. I beg Your Majesty for mercy. I'm willing to take ten more strokes as a punishment."
"A Yan!"
How could Qiao He agree? He quickly knelt down beside Qiao Yan and was about to take the rod punishment. But before he could speak, Yi Yuan cut in.
"Your Majesty,"
Yi Yuan bowed and said,
"The prize has already been given to Xiao Xi. If we take it back and give it to someone else, both parties will feel embarrassed. Instead, it would be better to let me find another treasure as a new prize. It would be beneficial for both sides."
"Yes, Father,"
Yi Zhen quickly echoed,
"What Uncle Wang said makes sense. There's no reason to take back a prize that has already been given out. There are many people from other countries coming to watch the Qingyun Competition every year. If this gets out, people who don't know might think that our Great Yin is so poor that we've never even seen a string of Buddhist beads."
"Heh—"
Emperor Zhaohuan glared at Yi Zhen.
"You're really on her side. There's actually a time when you don't plead for Qiao Yan."
"Father~"
Yi Zhen pretended to be annoyed and glanced at Emperor Zhaohuan.
"I get along well with Miss Xi. And A Yan did do something wrong. Naturally, she should be punished. As your daughter, I won't blindly show favoritism and ignore the law."
Emperor Zhaohuan grunted twice and finally calmed down a bit. He waved his hand and said,
"Fine. Keep the Bodhi beads then. Prince Yu'an, the matter of finding a new treasure is up to you."
"Your Majesty, don't worry,"
Everyone heaved a sigh of relief. Yi Yuan bowed and said,
"I will definitely do my best to find one."
Waving his hand, Emperor Zhaohuan continued,
"As for Qiao Yan. She is willful and spoiled, but considering it's her first offense and her good attitude of admitting her mistake, she's also brave enough to take responsibility. Still, she will receive twenty strokes of the rod and be deprived of the qualification to participate in all future competitions."
"No..."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
Qiao He had just said one word when Qiao Yan pulled him down. She bowed deeply to the ground.
"A Yan! Your Majesty! Your Majesty! I... I can take it..."
Qiao He was extremely anxious.
Unfortunately, he was weak and didn't have as much strength as Qiao Yan, who had been learning martial arts since childhood. He struggled several times but couldn't break free. Seeing that Emperor Zhaohuan had already got up and left with a large group of people, Qiao He was so angry that his eyes turned red. In a hurry, he exerted all his strength and both siblings "whooshed" and fell to the ground, one on each side.
The difference was that Qiao Yan was caught by Yun Qi, who reacted quickly.
The few people who hadn't left yet were all stunned.
Even Qiao He forgot to chase after Emperor Zhaohuan for a moment. It was Qiao Yan who was the first to react. She quickly got up, thanked Yun Qi, and then quickly stepped forward and grabbed Qiao He, who had just reacted, and said,
"Alright, Brother. His Majesty has gone far away. If we pester him further, it will only make His Majesty even more angry. It's just twenty strokes of the rod. I can bear it."
Saying that, without giving Qiao He a chance to refute, she immediately pulled him in front of Ye Xi, and said apologetically,
"I'm sorry, Miss Xi. I originally wanted to give you a gift, but I didn't expect it to turn out like this."
"Thank you for trusting me. I misunderstood you so much before, but I didn't expect that when something happened today, among so many noble ladies who were on good terms with me, only you and A Zhen spoke up for me."
Saying that, Qiao Yan made a hearty fist salute and said seriously,
"I owe you this favor. I recognize you as a friend. As long as you don't dislike me, if you have any trouble in the future, just come to the Marquis Mansion to find me. I will definitely do my best to help you."
Every word was sincere. Ye Xi felt a bit touched in her heart. She curved her lips into a smile and said,
"Okay. Miss Qiao is straightforward and doesn't have any hidden motives. It's a blessing for Xi Niang to be friends with Miss Qiao."
After chatting for a few more words, Qiao Yan still had to receive the punishment, and Ye Xi wanted to study the pills in the precious beads. So they bid farewell to each other and left.
Without the excitement to watch, the crowd dispersed one after another.
Yun Qianying tugged at Yun Qi's sleeve and complained dissatisfiedly,
"Brother, why did you go to catch that Qiao Yan? She did such a thing. Even others are avoiding her."
"And during the equestrian competition just now, that Miss Xi already had Prince Yu'an watching over her. Why did you go to rescue her? You're not related to her. Won't others misunderstand if they see this?"
"Xiao Ying,"
Yun Qi's face darkened, and he frowned unhappily.
"When others are in trouble, we should offer a helping hand. This is the most basic principle of being a man for a Yun family son. Moreover, whether it's Miss Qiao or Miss Xi, they both have good intentions. They are kind people. Since you're a young lady of the Yun family, you should act like a Yun family young lady. Don't say such things again in the future."
"Okay—"
Yun Qianying responded sullenly, but in her heart, she was full of disdain:
Yes, she was a young lady of the Yun family, and she should have the dignity of a Yun family young lady. Those people with lower family backgrounds were not worthy of her attention.
Then she saw Shen Zhou walking slowly in the distance. Immediately, she pulled Yun Qi over.
Shen Zhou was talking to Sheng Yu.
"Put the gift aside for now. It's not suitable to give it today."
Shen Zhou still maintained a proper faint smile on his face.
"Moreover, even if we send it now, it will probably be intercepted before it reaches her hands."
"Yes, Young Master."
Sheng Yu replied respectfully. He naturally knew who the interceptor was, so he didn't say much. Instead, he said,
"You were impulsive just now, Young Master. That Miss Xi already had Prince Yu'an protecting her. Your father saw you step in. He said that you should go to his study immediately when you return to the Shen family."
"Oh."
There was no change in Shen Zhou's expression.
"Even if I was impulsive, it's already over. Things in Tanzhou are at a critical moment. Grandfather won't take my life now..."
Before he could finish his sentence, he heard a coquettish voice shouting from behind,
"A Zhou, A Zhou—"
The two stopped and turned around. They saw Yun Qianying walking over quickly with a charming smile on her face, followed by Yun Qi, who was walking steadily.
After greeting each other, Shen Zhou spoke first.
"Master Yun is really skillful. You were so decisive when you stepped in to save someone. I heard that during the martial arts exam, Master Yun's long spear was unpredictable, making the other candidates flee in a hurry. I think you will surely be the champion of this year's martial arts exam."
"You're overpraising me,"
Yun Qi made a fist salute, polite but distant.
"Master Shen is also extraordinary. If you had participated in this year's martial arts exam with me, it would have been really hard to tell who would win."
The two flattered each other back and forth. Yun Qianying stamped her foot dissatisfiedly and coquettishly said,
"Alright, alright. My elder brother and A Zhou are both extremely talented. Stop being so modest with each other. Let's go to the newly opened Xining Cloth Shop. I want to buy some better fabrics. By the time the autumn imperial examination results are announced, with my elder brother and A Zhou's talents, they will surely be on the list."
"When the celebration banquet is held, I must dress the most beautifully to support my elder brother and A Zhou!"