The young men poured out of the classroom after Master Ni's calligraphy class, lessons finished for the day.
Li Kai lurked behind Tan Bowen.
Fifth Brother looked over at him with suspicion.
What was that guy up to? There was no way he'd forgiven Tan Bowen for insulting his sister.
Sure enough, before Fifth could warn his friend, Li Kai pulled something from his satchel, throwing it high in the air.
"Look up, brother Tan!" he shouted.
Tan Bowen turned his face to the sky, just as a paper weight came plummeting down, striking him high on his temple.
Blood immediately began to gush down his forehead.
The young man touched his fingers to his head and scowled as they came away bloodied.
There was a short moment where shocked silence fell across the crowd of young men.
Fifth Brother just had time to register the surprise on the face of Li Kai, who clearly hadn't expected such a spectacular result.
Then … it was on for young and old.
Tan Bowen turned to Li Kai and punched him full in the face.
Fifth Brother flew across the crowd, leaping onto Li Kai and flattening him.
"Leave it Little Fifth," shouted First Brother from the other side of the ruckus, his voice lost in the commotion.
Fourth Brother was the closest to the combatants.
He gripped Fifth under the arms, trying to wrench him off Li Kai.
Fifth, however, wasn't having a bar of it, and continued to lay into the prone Li Kai.
Li Pei and his friends had reached the two now, and they piled into the fight.
Li Pei struck Fifth Brother on the side of the face.
Fourth Brother immediately let go of Fifth and pushed Li Pei hard on the chest, two hands, full-strength.
Li Pei flew backwards, landing hard on the stone cobbles.
First and Second Brothers had waded through the crowd now.
First Brother helped Li Pei to his feet, but Li Pei brushed him off in a fury, rushing back into the fray.
Second Brother managed to wrench Fifth off Li Kai and Li Kai now flew after Fifth Brother as he walked away, jumping onto his back and wrapping his arms around his neck.
"Gotcha you little bastard!"
Tan Bowen grabbed Li Kai from behind, and the three of them fell in a heap of flying arms and legs. Grunts of pain could be heard as fists and kicks flew.
Bai Li, who had stood aside until this moment, stepped in to try and separate the three young men before someone got hurt.
"Wait here your highness," he motioned at the second prince.
Bai Li sprang into action, making short work of the tall but lithe Tan Bowen, whom he fished out of the brawl and lightly tossed into the bushes.
"Hey!" Tan Bowen complained as he poked his head up from the garden bed, looking most inelegant now that he was covered in leaves, as well as blood.
Bai Li then strode in between Fifth Brother and Li Kai, pulling them apart and holding them easily at arms' length.
"Thank you, Bai Li," called First Brother who was doing the same thing with Li Pei and Fourth Brother.
"What on earth is going on here?" roared Master Ni, who had just wrapped up inside the classroom and came outside to find what looked for all the world like a street fight between beggars.
The second prince looked on serenely, excited to watch such an exhibition among his friends. He wished he could've joined in, but he would never hear the end of it from his Emperor Father.
Master Ni came and pinched the ears of the remaining two combatants, who yelped with pain and stopped their wrestling immediately on seeing who it was.
He dragged them to stand in a row with the others who had joined in the fray.
It was pretty clear who they were, because bruises were already starting to bloom on their faces, and their robes were torn and dishevelled.
"Anyone else?" he shouted. "Who else was part of this disgraceful display of violence?"
A handful of other shame-faced participants stepped forward.
"And who started this unseemly business?" he roared.
As one, the students all pointed at Li Kai, who looked sheepish.
"Is that right student Li?"
"Yes Master," Li Kai agreed readily. "I threw something that injured student Tan."
Master Ni sighed. "At least you have the sense to admit your wrongdoings. All of you in the line put your hands out for caning." Their teacher pulled a thin stick from his belt. "Student Li, you go to see the Chancellor for your punishment."
"Yes Master Ni," Li Kai pulled his shoulders back and strode off to receive his due, which would almost certainly be an arse beating with a heavy stick.
The guilty young men took their punishment stoically, the opposing parties glaring at each other as they put their smarting hands behind their backs.
When Master Ni reached Tan Bowen, he peered up through rheumy eyes at the handsome boy's bloodied face.
"Student Tan, it looks like you've already taken a punishment. I'll spare you this time. Go to the infirmary," he said gruffly.
"Yes Master Ni. Thank you, Master," he grinned back at his unfortunate classmates as he scampered away from the caning line.
First Brother shook his head in dismay, rolling his eyes as he watched Fourth and Fifth Brothers take their hits. As if the dislike between the Mei's and the Li's wasn't bad enough already...
The youngest boys would probably get another beating from their father when they got home. He sighed. What would come, would come.
"Come on didi," First said with sympathy, wrapping his arm around Fifth's shoulders. "If you're patient in a moment of anger, you'll avoid a hundred days of sorrow."
He ruffled his little brother's hair as they left the Academy to face what would await them at home.