The Third Prince pondered for a long moment, his eyes glimmering faintly as schemes turned in his mind. Then, with a sudden burst of laughter that rang across the hall, he declared,
"Very good! This Prince will get the remaining two hundred bottles of this extraordinary wine stored in his carriage if Chief Auctioneer Tang has no objections regarding them. It is important that this Prince presents his father with this huge gift. And I will surely give credit to the Aristocratic Hall for such a contribution!"
The crowd murmured quietly, sensing where this was going.
And just when the hall began to buzz again, a lazy, almost mocking voice drifted from the upper floor.
The voice was smooth as silk, but sharp as a blade.
"Did you finish your play's dialogue, Third Majesty?"
The voice silenced the room like a thunderclap. Every head turned upward.
There stood Young Master Jun, leaning leisurely on the second-floor railing, his gown draping elegantly around him. His features were refined, almost too pretty for a man, but his narrowed eyes gleamed with mischief and a hint of danger.
He took one step forward, the wood creaking under his heel, and looked down with a half-smile that didn't reach his eyes.
"What do you mean, Young Master Jun? How on earth am I performing in a play?"
The Third Prince's expression darkened instantly, his tone dipping with restrained anger.
Jun Mo Xie chuckled before responding, "What do I mean? I think I should inform the Third Prince that your performance is not pleasant to hear."
He tilted his head slightly, eyes glinting.
"Fatty Tang is merely the chief auctioneer of the Aristocratic Hall. This boy here is the actual boss of the Aristocratic Hall! Moreover, this Young Master owns a hundred bottles out of those three hundred! All this man can see is someone who's trying to take away my share without being willing to pay for it. You want to take these away? That's fine. However, I, your father, demand the highest price that has been bid up till now. I suppose this is required even if the grandson dares to give away his grandfather's belongings!"
The crowd froze for three whole seconds, and then a ripple of shock spread like a wave through the sea of nobles and merchants.
Jun Mo Xie had gone from 'boy,' to 'Young Master,' to 'man,' to 'father,' before finally proclaiming himself 'grandfather', all within one breath without even blinking.
The Emperor's own son had just been stripped bare with words alone.
Dugu Wudi, seated at the back, slammed his hand on the table and almost burst into laughter. His eyes gleamed with admiration as he muttered to his daughter,
"This kid is mad! Absolutely mad! But by the heavens, this boy's got guts! It's been a long time since I've seen someone this bold. Damn it, he's truly worthy of being Elder Brother Jun's son! The old man was a hero... but this brat's got fire in his bones! Hahaha!"
He was half in awe, half nostalgic. Jun Mo Xie's words had been reckless, borderline suicidal, but they carried a spirit that burned bright and raw.
'This is the true spirit of the Jun family,' He thought. 'Even if they die, they'll die standing tall.'
"Daddy," Dugu Xiao Yi pouted, tugging at his sleeve, "can't you speak without cursing for once? You're ruining the atmosphere!"
Her father blinked, still grinning.
But Xiao Yi wasn't done as she leaned forward, chin in her palms, and gazed dreamily up at Jun Mo Xie, her eyes glimmering like a spring under moonlight.
"Daddy, I really like watching Brother Mo Xie play the hoodlum. He looks so handsome when he's angry! Even his bearing is so graceful… the chivalry of legends can't compare to his."
"...What?" General Dugu nearly fell off his chair.
'Graceful? Chivalry?'
He stared at his daughter as though she had grown a second head.
'I curse once, and I'm uncultured. But this brat scolds a prince to his face, and suddenly he's the epitome of grace? Where's the justice in that?'
The Third Prince, meanwhile, was livid, though he struggled to keep his composure. He looked up at Jun Mo Xie, his eyes cold as ice.
"What is the meaning of this, Young Master Jun? Are you disagreeing with giving these bottles to my father, the Emperor? The Emperor only concerns himself with the welfare of the nation and exhausts himself both physically and mentally over it. Is my father not worthy enough in Young Master Jun's eyes? Not even for you to offer him your wine? Hmm?"
His voice was laced with venom disguised as righteousness.
Jun Mo Xie's sneer deepened. His eyes, once lazy, now gleamed with something sharp and dangerous..
"It doesn't matter to me! I am running a business here. And this place isn't called the Benevolent Hall! One simply can't come in here and bully us!"
His voice dropped an octave, slow and cutting,
"I must question the Third Prince's intentions. When Fatty Tang said he would not offer you his stock and that you would have to buy it, you did not do anything. However, now that the stock of this fine wine is under this Young Master's name, do you think you can handle it as you wish? I didn't know that the Third Prince looked at me as someone who would be fun to bully! Perhaps you look at my entire Jun Family as easy prey?"
He raised his chin slightly, his tone rising,
"I believe everyone here can see through the ridiculousness you disguise as the so-called 'right and wrong,' 'fair and equitable justice,' and 'the will of the people'... Third Prince, Your Majesty... this Young Master must question this!"
The words thundered across the hall.
Jun Mo Xie straightened, his robe swaying lightly, his expression now solemn.
"My Jun Family prefers to break over bending! We are ready to suffer a hundred calamities and still remain unyielding! The Third Prince has insulted my Jun Family in front of so many people today! He has insulted us without reason, and all these people are witnesses to it! How can I control these emotions under such circumstances?"
His voice trembled with emotion.
"I feel sorry for my Jun Family, for we have sacrificed so much for this country. My old grandfather fought valiantly all his life! My father and second uncle gave up their lives for the nation — even their remains don't exist anymore! My third uncle was crippled for life in battle! My two elder brothers also made the ultimate sacrifice and died untimely deaths!
"My entire family has bathed in blood to safeguard this nation! And now, when the Jun Family stands weakened and desolate, you still come over to dishonor us?! Where is heaven's justice?"
He jabbed a finger toward the Third Prince, his eyes blazing.
"What is the reason behind all this? Are you taking advantage of our weakness? Or targeting us in secret? You disgrace the loyal servants of the crown over wine... you use your father's name to suppress others as you please! You! You! You!... What are you trying to do?! What have the Jun's done to deserve this!?"
The words echoed, fierce and accusing.
The atmosphere shifted as the heat of anger gave way to something cold and heavy.
Every soul in the hall felt the weight of his words.
The Third Prince's face turned the color of dried blood. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. Every justification he could think of sounded hollow in his own mind. He could only stand there, suffocating in his own silence.
Jun Mo Xie let out a long, trembling sigh. His hand gripped the railing tightly as if to steady himself, his voice cracking faintly with emotion.
"My Jun Family... has been wrongly accused..."
He looked down, pale and sorrowful, the perfect picture of injustice. His eyes, dim with melancholy, swept the room like a wounded hero's final plea.
Even the wind seemed to be still in reverence.
Some nobles who moments ago feared him now found their eyes moist, moved by the sheer audacity of his spirit.
The Third Prince, however, stood frozen, his rage coiling silently inside him. He had been outplayed.
--- ✦ ✦ ✦ ---
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