Hiss—
What crude and vicious insults!
Isn't this just vulgar street talk?
The Crown Prince’s face turned ashen. "Third Brother, stop your nonsense! I never said such things!"
Fearing that Emperor Jingxuan might believe the accusation, he raised his voice. "If Your Majesty doubts me, you may ask the others—your son would never speak such words!"
He pointed emphatically at the crowd behind him, his expression resolute.
Li Junde, the eldest grandson of the Li family, instinctively nodded. "His Highness the Crown Prince indeed never uttered such words..."
Others, like the sixth son of the Wu family, echoed in agreement. "His Highness did not say such things."
The Third Prince’s face flushed crimson with rage, his breath heavy. "Second Brother whispered those words right into my ear—how could the others have heard? I was deeply humiliated, which is why I lashed out!"
He despised nothing more than being called fat, and for the Crown Prince to not only insult him but compare him to livestock was like a knife to his heart.
Had it not been for this, the Third Prince would never have provoked the Crown Prince.
Yet no one could corroborate his claim. Even Lu Changze could only admit honestly, "The two princes were indeed speaking closely, but I truly couldn’t make out their words."
Those who had initially sided with the Third Prince were now bewildered. Most of them had only stepped in to mediate before the fight broke out—who could have imagined such an exchange had taken place?
The Crown Prince had called the Third Prince a fat pig to his face?
Imperial Concubine Li’s elder brother seized the moment to interject. "Your Majesty, since no one can verify the Third Prince’s claim, the truth remains uncertain."
If no one could prove the Crown Prince had provoked him first, then the Third Prince would bear the full blame—after all, he was the one who had struck without apparent cause.
If this were confirmed, the Third Prince would be exposed as a liar shirking responsibility, earning Emperor Jingxuan’s disdain and forever staining his reputation as hot-tempered, violent, and disrespectful toward his elder brother.
Worse still, Consort Shu and the Lu family would suffer the consequences.
This was disastrous.
Consort Shu cast a pleading glance at her elder brother, Lu Yuanduo.
But Lu Yuanduo didn’t notice—his attention was fixed on the mother and son whispering quietly nearby, oblivious to the tension around them.
After listening to Sui’s words, Yun Wan’s astonishment was plain.
"Sui, you mean...?" Her unspoken question lingered in the air.
Sui glanced down at his heavily bandaged right hand and nodded slowly.
This left Yun Wan in a dilemma. If Sui was telling the truth, then the Third Prince’s account was entirely accurate, and his actions were justified.
In contrast, the Crown Prince had twisted the truth—pretending to be magnanimous while secretly framing his younger brother.
But should Sui step forward and draw attention?
Yun Wan only wanted Sui to keep a low profile at the Hongwen Institute. Speaking up now would shatter that anonymity and might earn the Crown Prince’s enmity.
Yet if he stayed silent, the Third Prince would be condemned and punished—and as his attendants, both Sui and Changze would suffer alongside him.
Yun Wan lowered her delicate neck, her gaze lingering on Sui’s face as she wavered, torn between two choices, each with its own risks and rewards.
Then Sui covered his mouth and whispered in her ear, "Mother, can I tell them the truth?"
Knowing his nature—unable to stand by while others were wronged—Yun Wan sighed softly and asked, "Are you afraid?"
Sui’s eyes brightened. "No."
Yun Wan studied him for a long moment before turning to relay the matter to Lu Yuanduo, intending for him to intervene.
But before she could speak, Emperor Jingxuan’s voice cut through the hall.
"Madam Lu, do you have something to say?"
Yun Wan froze.
In an instant, countless eyes turned toward her—some admiring, some puzzled, some indifferent, some disdainful.
Under the weight of their scrutiny, Yun Wan steadied herself with a deep breath.
"Your Majesty, it is my son, Chang Sui, who wishes to speak."
The crowd murmured in surprise, their gazes shifting to the small, porcelain-faced child beside her.
Truthfully, Yun Wan was just as startled—especially when, amid the heated argument between the Crown Prince and the Third Prince, Sui had leaned in and whispered, "Mother, the Third Prince isn’t lying."
She squeezed Sui’s tiny hand and gave him an encouraging nod.
Consort Shu, ever sharp-witted, immediately grasped the implication. Her eyes lit up with hope. "Sui, do you know something?"
Facing the crowd’s scrutiny, Sui showed no fear. He nodded firmly. "Your Majesty, Your Highness, I can prove the Third Prince is telling the truth. He did not lie!"
Imperial Concubine Li narrowed her eyes. "And how will you prove it? What evidence do you have?"
Sui answered plainly. "I heard it myself."
"Impossible!"
The Crown Prince’s retort was instant. He gestured at the crowd who had denied his words and glared at Sui.
"None of them heard a thing—how could you have? Were you hiding beside us?"
Sui nodded.
He had been right beside them, after all.
"How dare you eavesdrop on us!" Panic creeping into his voice, the Crown Prince raised his voice, hoping to intimidate the child into silence.
But Sui, never one to be cowed, simply tucked his hands into his sleeves and explained matter-of-factly:
"Your Highness misunderstands. It was Li Junde who knocked my chopsticks to the floor when your group passed by."
He pointed at Li Junde, who stood behind the Crown Prince. "The chopsticks rolled under the Third Prince’s desk. When I bent to pick them up, I overheard Your Highness say—"
Here, his small face scrunched up as he repeated the words verbatim:
"'Third Brother, you ought to eat less—lest you truly become a swine and bring shame upon the imperial family.' So I didn’t eavesdrop on purpose."
The Crown Prince’s glare sharpened. "You’re lying! I never said that!"
The Third Prince shot back, "You did! Cousin Sui isn’t lying—those were your exact words!"
The two princes locked eyes, fury blazing between them.
A single fallen chopstick had become the turning point of the entire dispute.
Li Junde, now the target of his father’s icy stare, shrank back, not daring to utter another word.
Emperor Jingxuan regarded Sui calmly. "These were the Crown Prince’s exact words?"
The little boy nodded earnestly.
Lu Yuanduo stepped forward. "Your Majesty, though Chang Sui is young, his memory is exceptional—he never forgets what he sees or hears. Moreover, he is honest by nature and would never fabricate lies."
Emperor Jingxuan’s indifferent expression shifted to intrigue. "Oh? A flawless memory?"
Lu Yuanduo bowed solemnly. "Indeed. This subject would not dare exaggerate."
Consort Shu added eagerly, "Your Majesty, I can attest to Chang Sui’s brilliance. When I tested him on texts recently, he recited them flawlessly, word for word."
Seizing the momentum, she smiled warmly in Sui’s defense.
The Hongwen Institute’s junior instructor also spoke up. "Your Majesty, as Chang Sui’s tutor, I confirm his outstanding performance. Since enrolling, he has excelled in his studies, maintained harmony with his peers, and never made a single error in recitation."
The Third Prince chimed in, "Father, I too can vouch for Cousin Sui’s remarkable memory."
