Although Ji He was not favored, he was of the royal bloodline and had been flattered outside the palace. Under such circumstances, how could he possibly not be angry by this humiliation?
However, it just so happened that the other party was Cui Yun.
The entire Cui family was firm and unyielding. Nowadays, most of their male members had died on the battlefield, leaving only this noble Second Son. Even the Emperor had to give him some face on account that he was a member of the Cui family.
"I'll be accompanying you the whole way. But you ignored me as soon as you got into the carriage. Is that appropriate?"
The Cui Family was strict. Cui Yun had been personally taught by Old Master Cui since he was young and followed the rules. However, the arrogance in his soul could not be hidden. As a result, Ji He lost face in front of him once.
"Seventh Prince, you might have forgotten that you forcefully followed me. Such a thing…"
He pursed his lips, not revealing his emotions. His voice was still cold.
"Cui Yun is a man of few words. He has never invited anyone, much less dared to stop me from coming."
'Forget it!!!
'The moment you saw me, you wanted to throw me out!!
'You're just lazy!!
'You can't be bothered to give instructions. You can't be bothered to make a scene in front of the Cui family's house in Shengjing.'
Ji He was so angry that smoke was almost coming out from his throat.
He was the same age as Cui Yun. One was a mediocre descendant of the royal family, while the other was an outstanding descendant of the Cui family.
In the past few years, he had heard countless things. People were always degrading him and praising Cui Yun.
Even when the Emperor announced that he was sick and appointed the Crown Prince to supervise the country, the fourth prince was the one assisting him. Ji He was not mentioned at all.
He also felt a bit relieved.
However, the Crown Prince was outstanding and was the heir apparent. How could he still be lower than Cui Yun?!
What was wrong with having a man who was inferior to Cui Yun?
There were crumbs at the corner of Ji He's mouth and his palms were greasy. "I don't like what you're saying. It's as though I'm clinging to you."
Cui Yun knitted his brows and lowered his gaze. He looked at the book that he was reading—there were still Ji He's handprints on it.
He remained silent and did not say a word. There was no disdain on his face either.
However, he promptly wiped it three times!
Ji He, "..."
He closed his eyes and fell back.
"To be honest, Ji Teng is really pitiful."
Of course, Cui Yun did not dare to casually talk about the imperial family's secret affairs. He only quietly listened to Ji He's complaints.
"Second Brother is a fool, but because of the power of his birth mother—Consort Jing—he was able to ride over Ji Teng's head. Back then, he deliberately barged in unreasonably, but no one dared to stop him. There were even more people watching the show. It was as if his life meant nothing.
"Ji Teng became a hostage when he was eleven years old. It's been eight years since then. His sacrifice has become a given matter in the eyes of outsiders."
Cui Yun was still as handsome as a jade tree, but his appearance was cold as ice. One could not see any compassion—only cold-bloodedness and indifference.
"Lightning, rain, and dew are all the grace of the Lord."
Tsk!
He rolled his eyes.
If he had not personally witnessed Cui Yun kicking the Crown Prince into the water when he was five years old, he might have believed it.
This madman even dared to kick the crown prince!
After kicking him, he made a show of saving him with a bamboo pole.
"Crown Prince, grab this."
In the water, the crown prince desperately grabbed a corner, but before he could hold it firmly, the bamboo pole was silently raised a little, as if he was playing with a pet.
He also did not forget to use the bamboo pole to secretly poke the person in the water.
The fool Ji Cong, who had heard the commotion, ran over. When he saw the Crown Prince screaming for help in the pool, he clapped his hands and cheered. He even picked up a rock and threw it into the water.
Clearly, there had been grievances for a long time.
Little Crown Princess Ji Zhui did not know if it was Cui Yun's ruthless actions, thinking that it was the work of the idiot Ji Cong.
After being rescued back then, perhaps because he was frightened, the Crown Prince thanked Cui Yun with tears of gratitude. He even had snot and tears on his face as he knocked Ji Cong down, wanting to beat him up.
Amongst the three of them, Cui Yun was clearly the youngest, but he often toyed with the two of them. He had predicted that the Empress and Consort Jing were not on good terms, and their sons were also united against a common enemy.
This little b*stard was only five years old back then!
At that time, Ji He was lying on the rockery and his heart was pounding as he watched the two brothers fighting crazily.
"Seventh Prince, does it look good?"
A soft voice startled him and he suddenly met Cui Yun's gaze.
Cui Yun should be the one with a guilty conscience, but Ji He was the one who ran away.
He had just jumped down from the rockery when Cui Yun blocked his way.
He was dressed in scholarly attire and a suitably round-necked shirt. His exquisite face still had some baby fat and looked very harmless.
"Seventh Prince, did you see anything?"
He stumbled over his words. "I saw it all!"
Soon, he came back to his senses.
Why was he panicking?
He had something on Cui Yun now.
He curled his lips and placed his hands on his hips. He opened his mouth and said, "How dare you push the Crown Prince? You're finished! I'll get someone to chop off your head."
He had not put in work to improve himself, but Cui Yun was already able to recite the entire book. He could not wait to trample on the annoying Cui Yun.
Soon, the two princes were pulled away by the eunuch.
He went to complain to the Emperor, but no one believed him!
"How can I not trust Cui Yun? But here you are, slandering him just because you're not as knowledgeable as him. It seems you have been addled by all the reading."
Ji He, "??"
The Crown Prince's face was bruised and swollen as he questioned him angrily, "Seventh Brother, are you deliberately covering up for Ji Cong?! Do you think I'm stupid and can't tell who harmed me?"
"??"
The second prince, Ji Cong, was indeed a fool. He sniffled and said ruthlessly in front of the Emperor, "Yes, I did it. I wanted to smash you to death. Go on, bite me!"
"???"
All of a sudden, the emperor's face darkened.
Upon hearing the news, the Empress and Consort Jing rushed over, each protecting their children. Immediately after, another big display happened.
The Crown Prince was the only son of the Empress. She had doted on him since he was young and was afraid of even bumping him. Now, the Crown Prince was humiliated by that foolish child.
She was furious and said coldly, "Consort Jing, you should have raised a good prince! How dare you harm the Crown Prince?"
Consort Jing was not someone who took things lightly.
Without another word, she pulled Ji Cong to kneel in front of the Emperor, revealing her fragile and pale neck. She bawled her eyes out.
"Your Majesty, why do you have to poke my heart again and again? Who did this to Cong'er? Even if others have forgotten, how can you forget? I've endured so much humiliation until now for the sake of the Imperial Family's reputation. I can only swallow my grievances…"
The two women were not easy to deal with, so he had to appease them.
In the end, he punished Ji He, who had been gossiping and provoking the prince, then made him reflect on his actions for more than half a month as a punishment.
Ji He was aggrieved. 'I'm always the one who gets hurt.'
As for Cui Yun, he had received a reward for 'saving the crown prince'. He walked over to the stunned Ji He with small steps.
"I've already stopped you, Seventh Prince. Why didn't you listen?"
At that time, Cui Yun was really evil!
Right now…
Ji He sized him up from head to toe.
Ever since his father and brother died in battle, Cui Yun's temperament had changed drastically. He kept to his own etiquette and acted like the old-fashioned people in the censorate.
However, Ji He was certain that the little rascal's heart was twisted, and he was in reality just a big jerk.