Chapter 245: Chapter 245: Winning Big
The two were somewhat surprised by the result.
Pei Ji’an didn’t expect that he would only narrowly defeat Xiao Shiqing by one creature, and it was because of Xiao’s concession.
Xiao Shiqing also didn’t expect such a small margin due to this reason.
At this moment, the Emperor was put in a difficult position by everyone’s chatter. He raised his hand to quiet them, scanned the crowd, and then pointed out to ask a question.
"Old Third, just now you were whispering with Old Fourth below. Were you discussing this matter? You might as well share your thoughts with everyone."
Old Third was the Third Prince. Being suddenly named, he wasn’t flustered, and stood up slowly to express his views.
"As the saying goes, ’Heaven has the virtue of cherishing life, and people have a compassionate heart.’ I believe that since today is merely a hunt for sport and not a matter of life and death, we should give the unborn cubs of pregnant beasts the chance to be born."
The Emperor responded with an "Hmm" and did not express any comments, instead, he proceeded to ask each Prince.
Many were well aware of what this implied.
Currently, the position of Crown Prince is undecided, and every action taken by the Emperor is calculated.
The Princes dared not underestimate the situation, adopting careful attitudes. As of now, there were only two options—one agreeing with Heir Pei, and the other with Prince Xiao.
The stance of the Third Prince was to agree with Prince Xiao, not with Heir Pei. Since the Emperor didn’t express clear emotions, everyone was unable to guess His Majesty’s thoughts, but for safety, they followed the Third Prince’s stance, as the Emperor was not angry.
Thus, many Princes ultimately expressed agreement with the Third Prince, with the key philosophy being that compassion is required,
Whether it’s soldiers fighting abroad or a Prince aspiring for the throne, a certain level of compassion is necessary; otherwise, the Emperor would not be at ease using or allowing such a person to ascend the throne.
After hearing these Princes’ statements, the Emperor merely nodded to indicate he had listened, still not expressing his stance, but then turned his focus towards the First Prince and Seventh Prince, who were the only ones not rushing to express their opinions earlier.
"Old First, Old Seventh, what are your stances?"
The First Prince and the Seventh Prince exchanged a glance, following which the Seventh Prince made a deferential gesture to the First Prince, indicating seniority.
The First Prince accepted the courtesy and said, "Replying to Father, I believe that regardless of the reason, the rules are the rules, and they should be respected as they were originally intended, being reasonable and logical."
The Emperor slightly squinted his eyes, still not expressing his stance, but then fixed his gaze on the Seventh Prince.
The Seventh Prince spoke, "I agree with elder brother; the rules were established initially. If they are broken today for this reason, tomorrow they could be broken for other reasons, thereby making the establishment of rules meaningless."
After hearing the Seventh Prince’s words, the Emperor stroked his beard and began to muse.
For a moment, nobody could ascertain the Emperor’s thoughts, unsure which side he was on.
Fortunately, the Emperor did not ponder for too long. He soon looked toward Heir Pei and Prince Xiao.
As the crowd anticipated further examination of these two, the Emperor said something surprising.
"Xiao, in this round, I declare you the loser. Are you convinced?"
This statement caused a stir below.
This was a definitive conclusion!
Xiao Shiqing stepped forward and saluted, "Your humble servant is convinced."
The Emperor nodded and instructed for the item to be given to Heir Pei.
In the eunuch’s hands was a tray presenting a Jade Ruyi.
With a glance at its luster, one could tell it was a rare treasure, no wonder the Emperor called it a fine thing.
However, the thoughts of the group at this moment were less focused on the gift and more on the speculation that the Emperor favored the stance of the First Prince and Seventh Prince—or perhaps, he had thought this way from the start and they had rightly guessed his thoughts and won big.
For a moment, those who wagered wrong, including some princes, felt a complicated mixture of emotions.
After receiving the gift, Pei Ji’an smiled slightly and made a courteous gesture to Xiao Shiqing: "Thank you for your concession."
Xiao Shiqing said nothing.
The matter reached this point, and perhaps many still hadn’t grasped the Emperor’s reasoning, but those close to him, like Pei Ji’an and Xiao Shiqing, understood his intent.
The rules were set by the Emperor himself, asking him to overturn them would be a slap to his face.
His words were not spoken lightly.
Xiao Shiqing acted impulsively in releasing the creature, whereas the Princes siding with Prince Xiao were not truly speaking for Xiao; they aimed merely to showcase their own compassion.
Yet, to show compassion by undermining the Emperor’s authority isn’t compassion, it is folly.
The foolish Princes regretted their decisions intensely.
As Pei Ji’an passed by Xiao Shiqing, he softly remarked, "A wager must be accepted."
Xiao Shiqing maintained a blank expression, yet his glance inadvertently shifted in a certain direction.
Qu Fulan was smiling happily over the outcome; she couldn’t stand Xiao Shiqing and wished he would stay away from her.
Chatting and laughing with Madam Pei, Qu Fulan suddenly sensed a powerful gaze upon her, instinctively looked over, and met Xiao Shiqing’s probing eyes.
Qu Fulan’s smile slightly froze, promptly shifting her gaze away.
On the way back, Madam Pei was in the carriage following the Grand Princess’s, as they were close friends and likely wanted private conversation.
Qu Fulan found riding alone quite relaxing, though the solitude didn’t last as she soon heard noise from outside, followed by the curtain being lifted.
Who else could it be but Pei Ji’an?
Qu Fulan was quite surprised, "Why has the Heir entered?"
Pei Ji’an raised an eyebrow, "Can’t I enter the Pei Mansion carriage?"
Qu Fulan didn’t mean that; it was apparent he had his own carriage.
Nonetheless, he wasn’t wrong; this was a Pei Mansion carriage, accessible to him at will.
Once seated, Pei Ji’an took out the Jade Ruyi from his bosom and placed it in Qu Fulan’s hand, "For you, I didn’t manage to give you a gift for your coming-of-age ceremony before."
Qu Fulan quickly returned it, "The Heir should keep this well. It’s too hot for me to hold."
Something just given by the Emperor now in her hands, she truly didn’t dare accept it.
Pei Ji’an chuckled, "Only a Jade Pendant, are you that nervous? The Emperor gave it to me, so it’s mine. How I choose to handle it is entirely up to me."
Qu Fulan still shook her head, "It’s too conspicuous. If the Heir truly wishes to gift me for my ceremony, perhaps choose something else."
Seeing her so cautious, Pei Ji’an didn’t insist, reclaiming the Jade Pendant and toying with it, "In that case, I’ll give something else later. But my birthday is soon approaching; what do you plan to gift me?"
Qu Fulan paused, realizing his birthday indeed was coming soon, even for someone of Heir Pei’s status. The birthday banquet was a family celebration where gifts were exchanged.
"What gift does the Heir want?" Inwardly, Qu Fulan wondered who would so openly ask for a birthday present.
Pei Ji’an smirked, revealing the answer he had long contemplated, "A pouch, embroidered by you personally."
Qu Fulan was momentarily stunned, then reflexively said, "My embroidery isn’t good, could the Heir choose another gift?"
Pei Ji’an assumed she was being modest; the pouch Xiao Shiqing carried at the palace banquet was exquisitely crafted.
"No worries, it is mostly for the sentiment."