Chapter 128.1
Thank you Meg for the Ko-fi!
Editor: Casey
Shi Qing’s temper was already short and bratty when with his peers, but he acted the same way in front of his elders too.
“The other young masters either didn’t hear clearly or didn’t know what was going on. Dad, father-in-law, and Daren, why don’t you send people to investigate where we were just now? I refused my brother-in-law’s invitation to go ice skating there, but he dragged me along anyway. Many people saw that happen, so how could it have been my idea?”
He continued to push all the blame onto Jiang Liye with particular righteousness. “I said this was a bad idea but my brother-in-law insisted. Now, after something happened, he’s trying to blame me. I’ve never seen such a cold brother-in-law like him. I can deal with him not treating me like a blood-related little brother, but asking me to take responsibility for his mistake is too much.”
Shi Qing’s good looks made it obvious he was a spoiled and naive little master. The undertone of pouty grievance in his voice didn’t make people think he was tattling.
Instead, it gave them the impression that Jiang Liye had gone too far.
After all, Shi Qing must be very confident about what happened based on what he was saying.
He was the younger brother-in-law. But before he could even open his mouth to complain about Jiang Liye dragging him to the moat, that guy accused his innocent brother-in-law of his own crime.
The way the elders looked at Jiang Liye became less kind.
Although Father Shi was also an elder, he was only a father-in-law. He couldn’t be too heavy-handed since Jiang Liye’s actual father was present. Thus, he could only frown and sip at his tea, saying with a neutral tone:
“It seems that Liye is worried about Brother Jiang punishing him.”
The implication was that Jiang Liye had put all the blame on his son to avoid punishment.
Father Shi knew his son’s temperament like the back of his hand. That kid wouldn’t be so confident if he didn’t have proof.
Of course he protected his own in front of outsiders.
Father Jiang looked at his son. His expression was even more twisted than Father Shi’s.
Jiang Liye cursed on the inside as soon as he noticed how his father was looking at him. He quickly tried to defend himself:
“Dad, don’t believe Shi Qing’s lies! It was obviously him who…”
“Shut up!”
Father Jiang slammed his teacup on the table, his face green and blue. He sternly glared at his eldest son.
“It seems Father has been too lenient with you in the past since you no longer know the meaning of respect or taking responsibility for your mistakes. You even tried to avoid punishment from your elders by blaming Shi Qing! Is this how I taught you to behave?!”
His chastis.e.m.e.nt only stoked the flames of rage burning in Jiang Liye’s heart.
What lenient teachings? Wasn’t he always taught by a teacher since he was a child?
The only thing that Father Jiang cared about was drinking and playing his days away in one of his concubine’s courtyards. When had he ever taught his son anything??
Jiang Liye was very much aware that his father only had face in front of his grandfather because of him, the eldest son.
Jiang Liye didn’t have much respect for his father, so he didn’t admit his mistake after being scolded by him. He just sulked there in silence.
Anyone could see how unrepentant he was.
It displeased the Provincial Military Commander.
Making a mistake was fine, but refusing to correct it after finding out was worrisome.
Especially since Jiang Liye was taught better by his own father. His lacking moral character was evident from how he disrespected the man.
On the other hand…
Yes, Father Shi didn’t think much of his son back at the manor where everyone else doted on him. Yes, he often scolded Shi Qing too.
But the situation here was different.
They were outside now, and his son was the wronged party. Still, he had to reprimand his son in front of the Provincial Military Commander because Shi Qing still did go skating in the end, however reluctantly.
But this was just a formality.
So calmly with a not so harsh tone, Father Shi asked the youth kneeling before him, “You said you didn’t want to go, but you went in the end. Because of you, the hard work of those commoners were wasted. Someone even went to the Provincial Military Commander to report your group while you were chasing them away. Do you know that you were wrong?”
This time, Shi Qing didn’t bring up Jiang Liye again. He nodded and admitted his fault without hesitation.
“This son knows he was wrong.”
He knelt with a straight back and a sincere expression on his fair face. Despite his delicate features and exquisite clothing, everyone heard Shi Qing’s soft voice clearly.
“This son knew he was in the wrong as soon as those commoners started to cry, but I was afraid that I would spoil brother-in-law’s mood if I left. That was my first mistake. My second was thinking money could resolve the situation by giving silver taels to the commoners after brother-in-law sent people to chase them away. This son has made two more mistakes than he should’ve. Father, please punish me.”
When Jiang Liye, who was next to him heard this, he wanted to pounce on Shi Qing and bite him to death.
Was this brat actually admitting his mistakes? Or was he raising himself up by pushing Jiang Liye down?
Jiang Liye opened his mouth to retort, but the Provincial Military Commander sitting above spoke first. “Oh? So you even compensated the people with silver?”
Jiang Liye had no compunctions acting arrogant with his peers, but he didn’t dare to try anything before the Provincial Military Commander, who was both his elder and an official. He could only shut his mouth reluctantly for now.
He was forced to listen to that kid Shi Qing’s nonsense with a twisted expression.
“Yes.”
Shi Qing replied with the utmost confidence. A somewhat embarra.s.sed smile graced his fair face. He lowered his head and spoke humbly, “It’s just that this is my first time in this kind of situation. I only gave silver taels to the commoners nearby. Many others didn’t get a share, which is why this matter was reported to Daren.”
His confident demeanour before made people think he wasn’t guilty. Now that some of the shyness of youth was added to the mix, the Provincial Military Commander couldn’t help but see Shi Qing in a more favourable light.
He had heard of Shi Qing before. This little master’s reputation in Crane City was known even by him.
Before, he dismissed this child as another unruly brat spoiled rotten by his family.
But now…
Although Shi Qing liked to praise himself a bit too much, that could be in large part due to his young age.
It was only right for a young boy to be proud of his achievements.
Besides, Shi Qing may be a braggart, but he knew how to be considerate as well. He understood that going to skate on the city moat could disturb the commoners, and he knew to compensate them for their troubles as well.
Alas, he was still too young to think things through, leaving some people dissatisfied enough to come complain to him.
However, he was already doing very well compared to Jiang Liye.
You can’t expect a child his age to consider every aspect of a situation.
Consciously excusing Shi Qing in his mind, the way the Provincial Military Commander looked at the youth kneeling before him softened significantly.
What a good child.
He nodded and said to Shi Qing, “What you did was already very good. There is no need to blame yourself.”
Just as he said that, he saw the teen shift his knees like they were bothering him. He immediately asked, “What’s wrong? Are you not feeling well?”
The little master stopped hiding it after being asked. A smile meant to please appeared on his fair face. He spoke softly, like he was acting spoiled with an elder.
“I’ve always been spoiled as a child and never kneeled like this. Today’s quite cold as well. After kneeling a while, my knees hurt.”
“b.a.s.t.a.r.d!”
Father Shi, who was sitting to one side above, scolded him immediately. “Acting spoiled at home is one thing, but how can you behave like this in front of the Provincial Military Commander? Straighten that back of yours!”
The little master seemed quite aggrieved all of a sudden. He reluctantly stopped smiling and straightened up.
The way Shi Qing pouted and clearly held himself back from speaking was quite pitiful. Looking at that pretty face of his, not only did the Provincial Military Commander not feel that he was unruly, he believed this youth to be pure and uncomplicated.
He himself once had a child, a single son that he raised with the utmost care. That child was quite close to the Provincial Military Commander as well. Who would’ve thought that his son would die of illness at 15?
Although he never showed it on the surface, the Provincial Military Commander had a soft spot for young boys around this age.
Especially ones like Shi Qing, who were willing to act cute with him just like his son.
He calmed down and said to Father Shi, “There’s no need to reprimand the child so harshly. It’s normal for a pampered youth like him to be delicate.”
Although Father Shi said things like, “No, this unruly son of mine dares to act so brazenly in front of Daren. He must be punished severely”…
That wasn’t what he believed on the inside.
He only scolded his son this harshly so that those who were present couldn’t do it first. It was also a way for him to prevent the Provincial Military Commander from punishing Shi Qing for his disrespect.
After all, Shi Qing had said before that he didn’t want to go ice skating. He was only dragged along by Jiang Liye.
His son was wronged!
While Father Shi was thinking all sorts of things, the Provincial Military Commander was warming up more and more to Shi Qing. He decided to speak:
“Since you’re not used to kneeling, then I’ll have the servants bring you a seat.”
Any other young master would’ve been terrified and refused this show of goodwill. But Shi Qing was no ordinary young master. His aggrieved expression immediately changed into a beaming smile directed at the Provincial Military Commander.
He got up without much pretense, his soft voice filled with affection: “Thank you for your understanding, Daren.”
After the stool was brought to him, Shi Qing sat down without a second thought, his smile blooming like a flower.
Father Shi’s eyelid was twitching because of his smiling son.
This kid really is something.
Does he think this is his home??
“Unruly brat, what do you think you’re–”
The Provincial Military Commander cut him off before he could finish.
“No need to chide him. He didn’t do anything wrong, after all. Why should he kneel with the other one?”
The little master stamped with an official seal of innocence preened under those words. He sat on the stool like it was only natural.
The young masters behind him: “…”
Jiang Liye: “…”
But no one spoke up.
The other young masters had made up their minds about not getting involved in the fight between the two. Small fry like them would only become cannon fodder if they did.
Jiang Liye, on the other hand, was gradually realizing his predicament.
After going over the events again, he realized he really had no way of proving that it was Shi Qing who had proposed going skating.
First of all, those young masters behind him would definitely not testify on his behalf. They were pretty much just a bunch of wallflowers; fair-weathered friends that ran quicker than anyone else when something really happened.
Then, Shi Qing did say outside that he didn’t want to go skating. He also mentioned how he was afraid of disturbing the commoners. With so many pa.s.sersby as witnesses, Jiang Liye would only be branded a liar if he fixated on this point.
And on the moat, Shi Qing was one step quicker to handing out money than him.
Added together, these three things left Jiang Liye with no chance of exposing what really happened.
But despite his silence, the little master in front of him refused to let up. He took advantage of Jiang Liye kneeling and him sitting to look down on him.
That soft voice made his teeth itch with hate.
“Brother-in-law, if you insist on framing me, then just have Daren send people out to investigate. He will definitely discover the truth. If you really didn’t do it, you definitely won’t be punished.”