Rejected Beauty Practices the Villain Play-Chapter 4 Xie Xun

"Miss, Miss, are you alright?" The accompanying maid called out to Fengyu, turning to find Qiuxiang. "Sister Qiuxiang, stop looking for the pearls, something's happened to Miss."

Qiuxiang didn't look back, crawling over to pick up the last pearl. Confirming she had all of them, she hurriedly cradled them to her chest and rushed to find Fengyu.

Fengyu's world spun wildly, but after enduring a wave of dizziness, she abruptly opened her eyes. Those normally smiling, innocent, and naïve eyes now flashed with a sharp chill, cold and harsh like ice and snow, carrying a streak of hostility. The young maid felt her heart leap in terror—although it was clearly their Miss, why did it feel like she had turned into someone else?

Fengyu listened to the chatter around her—voices babbling about the top scorer hitting someone in the street—and the hostility in her eyes deepened further. Qiuxiang returned with the pearls, clutching them tightly. Fengyu's gaze swept over her, and Qiuxiang's face turned pale as she stuttered, "M-Miss... Jiang Yang broke off the engagement at your coming-of-age ceremony, refused to pay his debts, and out of shame and anger... h-he... hit you!"

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Jiang Yang wiped his sweat and argued, "I didn't hit her, she fell on her own."

"You—you—you hit her!" Qiuxiang shouted gruffly, but when Fengyu's eyes landed on her, her voice faltered and she lowered her head.

Fengyu frustratedly untied her cloak and tossed it onto the nearest maid. The maid stumbled backward as the cloak hit her, struggling to catch it. Fengyu moved her joints, her motions deliberate and fluid, as she strode toward Jiang Yang. Jiang Yang caught sight of her gaze and felt his heart tremble. Fengyu, who had always been a gentle and harmless flower, now exuded a terrifying pressure—her gaze sharp as knives, her presence oppressive, reminiscent of a general walking out of a battlefield soaked in blood and marching toward him like an unsheathed blade.

Li Pengfei followed Lin Xiao down the stairs, pushing through the crowd, still chattering, "Fengyu, the frail one, could really kick you into a lake? I don't believe it..."

Before he could finish his sentence, he saw Fengyu raise her leg. In Jiang Lin's scream, Jiang Yang was sent flying by her kick!

Li Pengfei was dumbfounded, "I believe it now!"

Lin Xiao watched the top scorer spit blood, silently took a step back, and rubbed the still-bruised area on his waist.

It really hurt!

Fengyu pressed her temples impatiently, glancing at Jiang Yang who was now lying in a heap like mud on the ground. Her gaze was scornful and full of disgust. Without saying a word, she flicked her long sleeves and walked away. Qiuxiang and the group of maids quickly followed her.

Within the inner quarters of the Imperial Court, red walls, green tiles, majestic and imposing.

An attendant hurried along the stone-paved path of the palace, rushing into Yangxin Palace and fell to the ground in a kowtow. Inside, Mr. Xu approached with a cold expression, "His Majesty is resting now. What are you rushing madly about for? Watch your head."

"The Third Prince killed the Young Marquis!" The attendant nearly burst into tears.

Cold sweat instantly broke out on Mr. Xu's face, and he quickly turned to report the news. Moments later, hurried footsteps echoed from the inner hall. The attendant crawled to the side, his eyes catching a flash of golden imperial robes as the Emperor Jianming stormed out. His outer robes were hastily draped over his shoulders, and he marched out with a crowd of people in tow, not even bothering to sit in his sedan chair; the gravity of the matter was evident.

Marquis Zhenbei, Xie Yuan, was the War God of Yanyang, holding military authority over the four border armies. The Xie Family Army was undefeated and invincible, striking fear into neighboring vassal states. The Marchioness, his wife, was Elder Lin's eldest daughter. The Marquis Mansion had three sons and one daughter; the eldest daughter, pampered and beloved, was Noble Consort Xie. Xie Xun and Noble Consort Xie shared the same mother and were Marquis Zhenbei's only legitimate son.

Outside the Imperial Garden, countless people knelt in silence, shivering in fear. The Crown Prince, Second Prince, and Third Prince also knelt to greet Emperor Jianming upon his arrival. The Third Prince, the youngest son of the Empress and always doted upon, sighed in relief upon seeing the Emperor, kowtowing and pleading his innocence. "Father Emperor, it's not my fault. He fell on his own, I didn't even touch him."

"You ungrateful wretch!" Emperor Jianming kicked him square in the chest, sending him sprawling on the ground. Pointing at him, Emperor Jianming roared, "If Xie Xun cannot be saved, you won't live either!"

The Third Prince's face turned pale, his chest feeling as though his ribs were cracked from the kick. He broke into a cold sweat, overwhelmed with pain, staring in disbelief at the Emperor who had always doted on him, now panicked and terrified.

The Crown Prince opened his mouth to speak, but Emperor Jianming had already entered the hall. Inside, the Empress and Noble Consort Xie were both present. Noble Consort Xie paced the hall anxiously, while the Empress stepped forward to greet the Emperor. He acknowledged her perfunctorily and went straight to Noble Consort Xie, who tearfully flung herself into his arms, crying breathlessly.

The Empress took a deep breath and straightened her posture.

Five or six Imperial Physicians were frantically trying to save Xie Xun, and three of them knelt by the bedside, not daring to rise.

"My dear consort, don't cry. With me here, King Yan wouldn't dare take Xie Xun's soul." The Emperor comforted the weeping Noble Consort Xie warmly and raised his voice, "Doctor Zhang, how is Xie Xun?"

Zhang Lingzheng, the eldest son of Grand Master Zhang and the overseer of the Imperial Hospital, was young at twenty yet already a well-renowned physician. His expression was numb as he reported, "Young Marquis... his breath has ceased. Your Majesty, please restrain your grief. Noble Consort, please restrain your grief."

Noble Consort Xie convulsed and fainted in the Emperor's arms. He nearly failed to catch her in shock. In a flash, countless thoughts crossed his mind—if Marquis Zhenbei on the distant frontier learned that Xie Xun had died in the palace, it would herald the greatest disaster in the history of the Yanyang Dynasty, and rivers of blood would flow.

The Empress and everyone in the room knelt together. Outside, upon hearing Xie Xun was dead, the Third Prince collapsed into a seated position, muttering, "It wasn't me, it wasn't me, I swear it wasn't me."

The Emperor cradled the consort and summoned her servants. Noble Consort Xie was carried to the side chamber for urgent care, followed by an Imperial Physician. The Emperor sat silently on his throne, everyone kneeling, barely breathing.

Suddenly, he picked up the cup on the table and smashed it heavily, "All of you, get in here! Why is Xie Xun dead?"

The Marquis Zhenbei family was one of loyalty and valor. The men of the Xie Family seemed born for the battlefield. At thirteen, Xie Xun joined the army, following Marquis Zhenbei in campaigns across the frontiers. A famed young general, he strode onto the battlefield like an unsheathed blade. At sixteen, alone and mounted, he ventured into Beiman territory and slew the Beimang King, singlehandedly dismantling the Beimang offensive, granting the Yanyang Dynasty a time of peace and recovery. His achievements eclipsed his elder brother Xie Zhang, his military reputation rising substantially.

However, two years ago during a fierce battle, he fell from his horse in a seizure and was trampled by Beimang cavalry, breaking his left leg. Marquis Zhenbei sent Xie Xun back to the Capital to recover, but his injuries were severe, rendering him unable to return to the battlefield. From then on, Xie Xun's personality greatly changed; the brilliant and talented Young Marquis of the Xie Family became a domineering rogue, frequenting brothels and taverns, wreaking havoc throughout the Capital.

He was arrogant and unruly, wild and unrestrained. Any trouble he caused would always be shielded by the Emperor and the Noble Consort. Not even the Crown Prince could contain him. Today, Xie Xun had entered the palace to catch up with Noble Consort Xie. Derided and provoked by the Third Prince, the two contested each other in horse racing and archery at the Imperial Garden. Despite his lasting injuries, Xie Xun thoroughly outmatched the Third Prince.

The Third Prince, upset, leveraged his status to humiliate Xie Xun. When Xie Xun fought back, the enraged Third Prince escalated the confrontation, resulting in Xie Xun's untimely death.