Caiyu's accusation hit everyone like a thunderbolt.
Everyone stared at her in shock. Even the guards who were still punishing Ji Ming and the others stopped the boards in mid - air, looking utterly incredulous.
Song Yongzhen, with a bruised face, lay on the ground and shouted at Caiyu, "Miss Caiyu, please stop talking!"
If she said a few more words, he and Brother Nine would get another beating from Brother Four.
But it was already too late.
Song Yinghuai glared at Caiyu furiously. "A trivial matter? You think giving away my personal seal is a trivial matter?"
The veins on his forehead bulged. The blood was still surging after he had beaten those two rascals just now, and he couldn't suppress his anger. Now, enraged by Caiyu's words, his handsome face contorted, and his eyes flashed with unquenchable fury as he stared straight at her:
"Lan Caiyu, after several days of self - reflection at home, this is the result you've come up with?"
"Finally, you think I'm making a mountain out of a molehill and finding fault on purpose?"
She never thought that the personal seal was the most important token he had given her, so she casually transferred it to someone else.
She never thought about how much power and wealth the personal seal could mobilize. If it fell into the hands of a scheming person, how much trouble it would bring to him.
She only wanted to achieve her goal quickly, so she did everything in the fastest way possible without considering whether it would implicate others!
Caiyu was also fuming at this moment. Without thinking, she replied defiantly:
"Yes! These are the only things I've thought about these days!"
"Your Highness always says how important this personal seal is and that it symbolizes your status. But didn't you also give this personal seal to Concubine Lü?" Caiyu blurted out in anger. "It seems that either this personal seal is not important at all, and you're just making a big deal out of nothing, or you're just jealous of me and using it as an excuse. Maybe you just made a similar personal seal to comfort me!"
"Or perhaps, Your Highness just feels heart - broken about the 200,000 taels of silver. You're just using the personal seal to amuse me. I just took the silver, and you're already heart - broken!"
Song Yinghuai felt dizzy for a moment and was so angry that he couldn't speak.
Did he get angry because she took the silver or because she gave away the personal seal?
Caiyu was truly the most unreasonable and confounding woman in the world!
Ji Ming mustered his courage to defend Song Yinghuai. "Your Highness is not angry because Miss Caiyu took the silver. Your Highness said that as long as Miss Caiyu took the silver with the personal seal, you could take as much as you wanted."
"Ji Ming!" Song Yinghuai coldly stopped Ji Ming from saying more.
At this moment, he couldn't tell if he felt cold or desolate. He just felt that his heartfelt affection had been wasted.
Song Boming was quick - witted. Taking advantage of the moment when they were silent, he said:
"Miss Caiyu! The personal seal given to the Lü family was when Master Lü was on his deathbed. In order to comfort his mentor, Brother Four promised to protect the Lü family. So that personal seal was a promise to the entire Lü family, not specifically for Concubine Lü!"
The King of Yan valued his promises and didn't make them lightly.
Once the personal seal was given, he would go through fire and water.
Master Lü was the first person who had affirmed Song Yinghuai when he was young and had strongly recommended him to Emperor Guangwu.
It all started after a palace banquet. Master Lü met the little - known Fourth Prince on his way. He saw the prince playing a game of Go with him in the pavilion and discovered his extraordinary talent. Then he recommended him to Emperor Guangwu.
After that, Master Lü spared no effort to teach Song Yinghuai knowledge. After he joined the army, Master Lü encouraged him many times, which made him persevere.
It could be said that in Song Yinghuai's heart, Master Lü was closer than his own father.
That's why he gave away the personal seal and promised to protect the Lü family after Master Lü's death.
Also because of Master Lü, no matter how Lü Baiwei pestered or schemed to create rumors, he never refuted them.
The kindness of his mentor and his affection for Caiyu were both as important as the sky in Song Yinghuai's heart.
But Caiyu didn't know about this past.
Song Yinghuai was also not used to laying bare his innermost feelings in front of Caiyu.
Song Yinghuai only roared angrily at Song Boming, "Shut up! You and Brother Twelve, go back now!"
Caiyu knelt there blankly, taking a long time to digest the information that Song Boming had just revealed.
So what if the personal seal was given to Master Lü?
It just meant that there was one less thing for her to be jealous about.
After all, she was not the only important person or thing in his heart.
Of course, Caiyu was not an unreasonable person.
She naturally knew that a man like Song Yinghuai, living in this world, couldn't belong entirely to her.
The burdens and responsibilities on his shoulders were countless.
She wasn't so selfish or conceited as to tie this man completely to herself.
But now she had been entangled in the matter of the personal seal and was extremely annoyed. She felt that Song Yinghuai just wouldn't let her go, so she blurted out these words.
After Song Boming helped Song Yongzhen stagger away, Song Yinghuai put away his furious expression. His handsome face was as cold as the top of a snow - capped mountain, calm and expressionless.
Those who didn't know him might think that he had calmed down, but those who knew him well knew that this was his most furious state.
Han Fen's heart skipped a beat. He stepped forward and advised, "Your Highness, please calm down!"
But Song Yinghuai stared coldly at Caiyu and said, "Since you think I'm finding fault on purpose, I'll show you what finding fault on purpose is today!"
Caiyu's eyes widened suddenly. She stared at him tensely.
What else did he want to do?
Then came Song Yinghuai's icy voice, "Bring up that little maid who was guarding the bedroom door tonight!"
"Your Highness!" A sense of foreboding suddenly welled up in Caiyu's heart. Her face turned deathly pale due to the spasms of her heart. "Are you going to beat that little maid?"
The maid was only twelve years old!
She was just a child!
It was Caiyu who wanted to climb over the wall and leave the mansion tonight. So she coerced and lured the child into covering up for her.
Now that Song Yinghuai wanted to punish the maid, Caiyu felt worse than death.
Song Yinghuai ignored her words and just sneered, "Didn't you say I'm finding fault on purpose?"
The little maid had been brought up by the guards and thrown on the ground, shivering. Her face was covered with tears, and she was too scared to even beg for mercy.
Song Yinghuai said coldly with a straight face, "This little maid tonight abetted the evildoer and helped Caiyu deceive her master. She shall be whipped five times."
Although Song Yinghuai only ordered five whips, how could a twelve - year - old little maid withstand the military whip of the Prince of Yan's Mansion?
One whip would take half of her life.
Caiyu felt a mixture of grief and depression. There was a lump in her chest.
Again, because of her, no matter what she said or did, Song Yinghuai could always find an excuse to hurt her by hurting others.
The little maid's legs were so weak from fear that she just lay still on the ground as the guards held her down. Tears just streamed down her eyes.
Han Fen raised the military whip high, about to strike.
Suddenly, a figure rushed out and lay on top of the little maid!
Han Fen was shocked. The military whip in his hand couldn't stop in time. It was about to land on Caiyu.
In the blink of an eye, a Buddhist bead shot out from Song Yinghuai's fingertips. "Clang!"
The Buddhist bead was infused with profound internal strength and knocked the dozens - jin military whip aside. The whip landed on the grass beside Caiyu's waist.
The grass was hit by the military whip and left a deep pit.
Han Fen looked at Caiyu in shock, still in a state of panic.
Fortunately, His Highness had acted quickly. Otherwise, if the whip had landed on the fatal part of Caiyu's waist, her spine would have been broken.
Song Yinghuai gritted his teeth. His whole body was filled with hostility. "Lan Caiyu! Are you threatening me with your own life?"
Caiyu lay on the little maid's back, clenching her silver teeth and closing her eyes without answering.
If he wanted to beat, then let him beat.
Seeing Caiyu like this, Song Yinghuai became even more furious and shocked. He just stared at her with a straight face, saying nothing.
The two confronted each other, neither willing to back down.
After a while, Song Yinghuai let out a harsh laugh. "Fine, you're really something, Lan Caiyu!"
Suddenly, he stepped forward, bent down, and picked her up by the waist with one hand, lifting her off the little maid's back.
Caiyu was startled and struggled. "What are you doing?"
Song Yinghuai carried her and strode towards the study. His voice was gloomy and filled with anger:
"Just because I can't bear to beat you, do you think I have no other way to subdue you?"