Xue Yan was over there, and Jun Huailang was unwilling to go over.
But Jun Linghuan had sharp eyes and spotted Xue Yunhuan.
Before Jun Huailang could say anything, she tugged at him and said, “Brother, look! Sixth Prince Brother is over there!”
The young eunuchs beside Xue Yunhuan were holding several Kongming lanterns in their hands. Their designs were quite novel, attracting Jun Linghuan’s unwavering gaze.
Just then, Xue Yunhuan impatiently turned his head and happened to see Jun Huailang.
“Huailang!” he called.
Then he glanced impatiently at the Second Prince and said, “Someone, take all the lanterns over and let Miss Jun choose.”
As he spoke, he also walked away from the group and headed straight toward Jun Huailang.
Several young masters from official families tried to follow, but Xue Yunhuan ruthlessly shouted them down.
“Don’t follow me. This prince wants some peace and quiet.”
Although Xue Yunhuan did not like that baleful star either, he had no interest in picking a fight with him. Watching the idiot Second Prince jumping around was nowhere near as interesting as releasing lanterns.
A group of young eunuchs followed behind them, bringing all sorts of lanterns before Jun Linghuan.
Another eunuch brought cinnabar and a writing brush, which could be used to write words on the lanterns.
They were neither too close nor too far from the others. They could vaguely hear that group talking, but not enough for it to disturb them.
When Jun Linghuan saw all those lanterns, her eyes lit up. She picked through the pile, choosing one after another and selecting several in succession.
Xue Yunhuan laughed beside her.
“Little Sister Huan’er, you can’t be greedy. You can only release one on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival. If you release more, your wish won’t come true.”
Jun Linghuan gave a disappointed little “Oh” and hesitated between two lanterns.
Jun Huailang smiled as he stood to the side watching her choose, his gaze gentle and soft.
Rarely did Xue Yunhuan stay still without running around. He stood beside Jun Huailang and watched as well.
After a while, he rested his elbow on Jun Huailang’s shoulder and sighed.
“How did your little sister come to be so adorable? She’s way too lovable.”
Jun Huailang’s expression immediately changed. He turned his eyes toward him warily.
“What do you mean?” he asked.
Xue Yunhuan froze, only then understanding the look in Jun Huailang’s eyes.
He nearly jumped straight into the air.
“What kind of person do you take me for?! I’m saying your little sister is cute! What on earth are you thinking?”
Although they were already boys of around ten who understood some things, Jun Linghuan was only six years old. She was nothing more than a little bundle of softness.
Xue Yunhuan had never imagined that his good friend would think of him in such a filthy way.
Jun Huailang knew that he had been overly suspicious, but he still warned him, “You’d better not have any ideas.”
Xue Yunhuan was so angry that he nearly jumped up and punched him.
“I’ve chosen!”
Jun Linghuan had finally picked a lantern. She carried it over to show her two brothers.
Just then, Jun Huailang heard the Second Prince raise his voice. His words clearly reached Jun Huailang’s ears.
“You’ve merely spent a few years in some barbaric wasteland. What makes you think you’re so impressive? The Prince of Yan who raised you lost Yan Commandery because he defected to the enemy. I suppose all he taught you was how to be violent and pick fights.”
Several mocking voices immediately echoed in agreement.
The laughter was so malicious and unpleasant that Jun Huailang frowned.
“Let’s go farther away.”
He found it quite uncomfortable to listen to and glanced over there before saying to Xue Yunhuan, “Let’s move farther away.”
Immediately afterward, the Second Prince’s voice entered his ears again.
“He never defected to the enemy? What a joke! I’m telling you, that Prince of Yan was a traitor to the country!”
After saying this, the Second Prince loudly and vividly continued telling the people around him, “Do you know why that Prince of Yan colluded with the enemy? Wasn’t it because he had an affair with that demon consort from the Turks? For all we know, there might even be some bastard child in the imperial bloodline who was supposed to have been born in Yan Commandery…”
His voice abruptly stopped.
Instead, a group of young masters from prominent families cried out in alarm.
Jun Huailang had been frowning as he listened. He was just about to cover Jun Linghuan’s ears when the enormous commotion startled him.
He looked up.
A group of aristocratic youths had scattered in every direction.
At the center of the crowd that had just surrounded the scene, only two people remained.
Xue Yan and the Second Prince, Xue Yunse.
Xue Yunse was two years older than Xue Yan, yet they were about the same height.
At this moment, he was being held up by the neck with one hand by Xue Yan like a helpless chick. His feet dangled in the air, his back pressed against the trunk of a nearby tree.
Xue Yan’s hand tightened around his jaw as though he had said something to him.
But the Second Prince could only struggle and shake his head, occasionally letting out a muffled, hoarse whimper from his throat.
Someone was going to die!
The group of young masters was terrified out of their wits, yet not a single one dared to step forward.
Jun Enze had already been frightened into sitting on the ground and was scrambling backward.
The young eunuchs beside the Second Prince rolled and crawled toward Yongle Hall.
Jun Huailang hurriedly raised his hand and covered Jun Linghuan’s eyes.
“They… started fighting?” Xue Yunhuan stood to the side, stunned speechless.
In the darkness of the night, Jun Huailang saw the expression on Xue Yan’s emotionless profile.
It was an expression he knew all too well from his previous life.
Cold.
Sinister.
A bloodlust glimmered within those amber eyes.
Yet Jun Huailang’s ears were still filled with the Second Prince’s wanton insults, as well as the disdainful and fearful expressions that everyone had instinctively shown just moments earlier.
If it were me standing in his place, wouldn’t I also want to crush that person’s neck and make sure he could never speak again?
Suddenly, another wave of cries erupted from the other side.
Jun Huailang saw Xue Yan gripping the Second Prince by the neck with one hand and dragging him toward the edge of Taiye Lake.
He crouched down and slammed the Second Prince’s head into the icy lake water.
His elbow rested casually on his knee as he leaned forward slightly. It was a relaxed and effortless posture.
Yet his other hand was like a thousand-jin iron shackle. No matter how much strength the Second Prince exerted, he could not break free.
Under the swaying palace lanterns by the lake, Jun Huailang clearly saw the shape of Xue Yan’s mouth.
“I’m giving you one chance to say it again.”
Xue Yan was probably only trying to frighten the Second Prince.
But the way he did it was excessively fierce and savage, carrying an overwhelming murderous aura. It frightened the arrogant young masters so badly that they became as silent as cicadas in winter, each of their expressions looking rather comical.
Jun Huailang saw Xue Yan loosen his hand slightly. He was about to let the Second Prince go.
Just then, a large contingent of Jinwu Guards arrived at the lakeside at great speed.
They wore heavy armor and carried long swords at their waists.
There were actually twenty or thirty of them.
The leader was the captain of the personal guard stationed at Emperor Qingping’s side. Before even reaching them, he shouted loudly:
“His Majesty has ordered it! Stop immediately!”
Xue Yunhuan let out another astonished sigh from the side.
“Father Emperor is sending this many?”
The Jinwu Guards’ formation looked as though someone had attempted to stage a palace coup.
It was nothing like a force sent to deal with two imperial princes fighting.
It clearly looked more like an imperial prince had been assassinated and they had come to kill the assassin.
Jun Huailang understood at a glance.
Emperor Qingping’s fear of Xue Yan had already reached an extreme level.
He had never regarded Xue Yan as his son.
He had even firmly believed that Xue Yan would kill Xue Yunse right there.
Then Jun Huailang saw Xue Yan raise his head.
He calmly and indifferently looked at the Jinwu Guards.
Then he coldly curved his lips.
His hand, which had already relaxed, suddenly tightened.
He slammed Xue Yunse down into Taiye Lake, plunging his entire body into the water.
Several of the aristocratic youths standing nearby were so frightened that they cried out.
Only then did Xue Yan stand up.
He leisurely straightened his robes and stood to the side, coldly watching as the Jinwu Guards jumped into the water to rescue the Second Prince.
They then seized Xue Yan securely, binding him tightly as though afraid he might resist.
Xue Yan did not dodge even once throughout the entire process.
Jun Huailang’s eyes stung.
He pulled Jun Linghuan into his arms and said to Xue Yunhuan, “Let’s go.”
Xue Yunhuan nodded repeatedly.
Along the way, he helped Jun Huailang coax Jun Linghuan, telling her that what had happened just now was merely two young eunuchs arguing and getting into a fight.
Only when they reached the entrance of Yongle Hall did they see that Xue Yan had already been escorted inside.
Emperor Qingping was seated above, thunderously furious.
The aristocratic youths and imperial princes outside the hall did not dare move. They simply stood outside, too afraid to enter.
Inside the hall, the Second Prince, both hurting and frightened, had already fainted from the freezing water of Taiye Lake. He had been carried to the rear hall for the Imperial Physicians to treat.
His birth mother, Noble Consort Zhang, was crying so hysterically that she was nearly fainting herself.
“I never imagined that you would actually raise your hand against your own brother!” Emperor Qingping roared.
“Xue Yan, even birds and beasts would not behave this way. Do you have even the slightest bit of humanity left in you?!”
Those words sounded especially harsh to Jun Huailang.
He lowered his eyes and silently covered Jun Linghuan’s ears again, shielding the frightened girl from hearing any more.
Then Emperor Qingping issued his order.
“Take this rebellious son away now and give him thirty strokes! Beat him right outside the hall. I will personally count them!”
The Empress spoke softly from the side.
“Your Majesty…”
“Beat him! If you beat him to death, then I will simply consider myself to have never had this son!”
Not a single person among the court officials or palace consorts dared to speak.
Amid this deathly silence, Jun Huailang almost found himself unable to stand.
He wanted to tell Emperor Qingping that the Second Prince had been the one to insult Xue Yan first, and that Xue Yan had never intended to kill him.
But before he could do anything, his own name was unexpectedly called.
Emperor Qingping raised his head and scanned the hall.
Among all the unfamiliar faces of the aristocratic youths, he immediately spotted Jun Huailang.
“Huailang, you will go with them. Recite the Tangdi to him. Make him remember properly what human nature and brotherly affection are!”
Jun Huailang froze and looked up at Emperor Qingping.
It seemed Emperor Qingping also intended to give the children of the great families a warning.
Two imperial princes had fought, one had been seriously injured, yet all these aristocratic youths were perfectly fine. Naturally, the Emperor was angry about it.
He had to single someone out as a warning to the aristocratic families and court officials.
At a time like this, an aristocratic family with a prominent background but a relatively low official position was the best choice.
“…Your subject obeys the decree.”
Jun Huailang struggled to maintain his composure.
When he bowed, he discreetly pushed Jun Linghuan slightly toward Xue Yunhuan.
Xue Yunhuan understood immediately and protected Jun Linghuan at his side.
Jun Huailang followed the two Jinwu Guards escorting Xue Yan.
They passed through the crowd that had parted on both sides and walked all the way to the front of the hall, which was illuminated as brightly as daylight by the palace lanterns.
The instruments of punishment had already been prepared.
Xue Yan was forced to kneel there as the Jinwu Guard raised the heavy punishment rod.
Xue Yan did not lift his head.
Jun Huailang could vaguely see the straight, high bridge of his nose and the fan-like eyelashes resting against his lowered eyelids.
“Young Lord, His Majesty says you may begin reciting,” Ling Fu said with a kindly smile as he came outside with them.
Then he lifted his chin, looked toward the Jinwu Guards, and nodded.
“The flowers of the cherry tree, how luxuriant they are…”
Jun Huailang forced himself to speak.
His voice was clear and pure, spreading through the night.
“Smack!”
The sound of the heavy wooden board striking flesh suddenly rang out, making Jun Huailang’s shoulders jerk.
Even his voice trembled.
“Of all people alive today, none are closer than brothers…”
Xue Yan, on the other hand, merely swayed slightly.
He remained kneeling there, utterly unmoving.
Jun Huailang had never witnessed someone being punished from such a close distance, much less seen someone receive a punishment that was so unreasonable.
For a moment, he looked helplessly toward Ling Fu.
But the eunuch’s expression did not change at all. He merely smiled and nodded at him.
“Young Lord, continue.”
“The terror of death and mourning, brothers deeply cherish one another…”
The sound of the punishment entered Jun Huailang’s ears again and again.
They were so close that he could hear the sound of flesh splitting open.
He could also see the raised rod gradually becoming stained with blood.
Yet the young man beneath the rod remained silent throughout.
Only occasionally could Jun Huailang hear a muffled groan escaping between his clenched teeth, along with the low, uneven breaths he was desperately trying to suppress.
He was forcing himself to endure.
Like wild grass being battered by a violent storm, desperately using its fragile roots to cling to the earth.
The scent of blood spread beneath Jun Huailang’s nose, mingling with the sweet fragrance of Mid-Autumn mooncakes.
“On the plains and lowlands, they gather together; brothers seek one another…”
Jun Huailang could no longer control the trembling in his voice. His voice gradually weakened.
Those lines of poetry were far too ironic when applied to an imperial family like this.
What had these so-called biological brothers ever brought him?
Unprovoked contempt.
Humiliation.
Injustice.
Harsh punishment.
Ling Fu, however, gave a soft laugh beside him.
“Young Lord, there’s no need to be afraid. His Majesty is the fairest person there is. Even if the punishment is a little severe, it is simply the consequence of his own actions…”
Yet Jun Huailang could see nothing that Xue Yan had done to deserve it.
All he could see was a boy who should have been perfectly ordinary, being treated as a monster and locked inside a cage in this magnificent palace.
Everyone wanted him dead.
Yet he refused to die.
Instead, amid the torment, he slowly grew claws and fangs with which to protect himself, inch by inch.
And the people around him would then say:
Look. We were right. He was a monster all along.
Those people probably did not know that one day, this boy whom anyone could trample upon would break through his cage and become a true monster capable of destroying them.
He would even harm many innocent people in the process.
And those innocent people…
It seemed that, without realizing it, they too had once stood by and watched.