Chapter 327 – Serious Injuries (1)
Ye Zhen had just returned to the Lu Mansion and was about to walk in the door when she saw Lu Xiangzhi running out quickly and shouting to her, “Yaoyao, you are here at just the right time! Stop Little Prince, I’m going to Master Xu’s place. I have to take the exam next month. I don’t want to play with the Little Prince.
“Lu Xiangzhi, stop for this prince!” Mo Rongyi’s frustrated voice sounded from behind.
Lu Xiangzhi had no time to talk to Ye Zhen and immediately jumped into Ye Zhen’s carriage. “Quick, hurry over to Master Xu’s house.”
By the time Mo Rongyi got outside, all there was to see was the rear of the departing carriage.
“What do you want my brother for?” Ye Zhen asked amusedly. “Running yourself into such a sweat.”
“Where did Lu Xiangzhi go?” Mo Rongyi asked, huffing and puffing.
“My brother is about to take the exam. He has to study carefully these days. Don’t ask him to play.”
“I can’t find anyone else. If I could find someone else, would I need to come and find your brother?” Mo Rongyi stomped his feet. “If Lu Xiangzhi is not going, I will go find your other brothers.”
“Tell me, what are you looking for my brothers for?” Ye Zhen took his hand. “My brothers are not available, you don’t need to look for them.”
Mo Rongyi almost jumped up frantically. “Then who else should I call for help? I have been so humiliated. Who will return my dignity to me?”
“Just how have you been humiliated?” Ye Zhen asked.
“Yesterday I played cuju* with Eighth Imperial Brother and the others, and I lost,” Mo Rongyi said with a stiff neck. “Those people are even worse at riding than me. How did they win Eighth Imperial Brother?”
[E/N: Cuju is ancient Chinese football (soccer)]
“Eighth Imperial Prince is much older than you. It doesn’t matter if you lose to him,” Ye Zhen said frustratedly.
“Eighth Imperial Brother found some little boy from somewhere who is younger than me, and he beat us really badly. I can’t swallow this without a fight!” The little prince griped.
“Hey, don’t care about winning or losing so much. If you lose this time, you will win it back the next time.” Ye Zhen patted on his shoulder as if he were a child throwing a temper, refusing to admit defeat.
“I must win them!” Mo Rongyi said firmly, “They used to make fun of me for not being worthy to play with them. Am I not worthy yet? I need to win them once, just to prove that I can win them.”
Ye Zhen had already planned to leave but stopped at the words. “Eighth Imperial Prince always bullied you before. Does he still dare to bully you now?”
Mo Rongyi hmmed. “Now they dare not bully me openly, but they still look down on me in their hearts, not only Eighth Prince but also the other people in the clan… they just look down on me and Imperial Mother.”
“When are you playing cuju with them again?” Ye Zhen knew that those in the imperial clan looked down upon the empress dowager’s background, and knew how much this little boy had been wronged before. Now, those people were not bullying him like they did before, but they chose another way to tell Mo Rongyi he was not worthy of his position today.
“Three days later. Whoever wins will get a silver-colored satin flower,” Mo Rongyi said with eyes full of grievance.
Ye Zhen nodded. “Okay, I will help you restore your dignity in three days.”
“You?” Mo Rongyi quirked his eyebrow in skepticism. “You are just a girl. How could you help me restore my dignity?”
“Anyway, I will have a way to do it.” Ye Zhen glared at him. “Are you looking down on girls?”
Mo Rongyi asked suspiciously, “Do you really have a way to do this?”
“Do you know who I am? I am now your sister.” Ye Zhen said with a smile, “Return to the palace, I’ll see you in three days.”
“Then I will believe in you this time!” A still doubtful Mo Rongyi nodded and reluctantly left with his servants.
Ye Zhen watched him leave amusedly and then went to the room to see Old Madam Lu.
“Oh, Princess Furong is here, should we kneel to greet you?” Second Madam Lu immediately stood up and asked this twistingly.
Hearing the jealousy that could not be hidden in Wang Shi’s tone, Ye Zhen just smiled. “Second Aunt, why are you being so courteous to family? It’s not too late to kneel down when you go outside.”
Wang Shi pouted. “After all, the title of princess is different. Even your mother… has to kneel for you.”
Pei Shi shot a fleeting glance and ignored her acrimonious words.
Ye Zhen smiled as she said, “Since ancient times, filial piety has always been the greatest. Even if I am prosperous and wealthy, is my mother not my mother, and my grandmother not my grandmother anymore?”
“Whatever Princess says is correct.” Wang Shi snorted softly.
Old Madam Lu cast her a faint look and took Ye Zhen to her side to sit down. “Little Prince is here, did you see him outside?”
“I have seen him. He has already gone home.” Ye Zhen smiled.
“Your second uncle is going to Jinkou City tomorrow. Today, our family will send him off,” Old Madam Lu said.
Lu Shixun was about to return to Jinkou City. So it was about time for Man Qin to begin preparation to deal with him.
Lu Jing stood behind Wang Shi, looking at Ye Zhen with a somewhat obscure look. She thought she was not much different from Lu Yaoyao, but the latter had become a princess… an unreachable gap and appeared between them. How could she not be jealous if she couldn’t catch up to that distance?
