Xia Rongyu and Du both asked, and Xie Jiang did not beat around the bush. She approached and bowed respectfully, "I was drunk at the palace banquet and inadvertently offended His Highness the Third Prince. I have come to apologize today and hope Your Highness will be magnanimous and forgive my unintentional act."
After speaking, she bowed deeply to Xia Rongyu.
Normally, when she met elderly gentlemen, she would be perfunctory and just offer a casual clasp of hands.
Today, she bowed her head, bent her waist, and offered a respectful bow, truly with some sincerity.
She had no choice but to be sincere.
The Duke of Qian's iron-like palm, as if cast in steel, was waving behind her, ready to strike her back at any moment.
Who was it that had just warned her to take good care of her health and not to develop any lingering ailments? Yet, they were not hesitant to strike when necessary.
Xie Jiang did not want to spend the rest of her life in a wheelchair.
Her attitude surprised Xia Rongyu quite a bit.
He and Xie Jiang were strangers before, with their only interaction being at the palace banquet.
He never expected her to actually come to apologize for what happened that night, and even more so, to come accompanied by the Duke of Qian and Marquis Yongxin.
He thought that after such an incident, it would be over and done with, and there would be no need to mention it again when they met in the future, as if nothing had happened. He never imagined there would be such a follow-up.
Wasn't this a bit too formal?
What happened the night before last, while it could be considered an offense, wasn't exactly that.
Although he was indeed startled at the time, he simply couldn't break free from her.
Young Master Yi had also arrived in time to take her away, and she didn't have the chance to do anything more excessive.
It wasn't that her actions were not excessive, but rather that Xia Rongyu didn't dislike Xie Jiang as a person, so being entangled by her for a while was not entirely unbearable.
People tend to be more forgiving and accommodating towards those who are good-looking.
Xia Rongyu was no exception.
"Speaking of which, this is all my fault. Young Xie said her alcohol tolerance was low, but I dismissed it as an excuse and didn't take it seriously. Who knew she was telling the truth? Her alcohol tolerance is genuinely poor, and she started acting foolish after just two drinks..."
As Xia Rongyu was about to speak, the Duke of Qian, fearing he would trouble Xie Jiang, immediately interjected, speaking with a tone of protection.
"Young Xie is usually a bit of a rogue, but she would never dare to offend Your Highness. She was so drunk at the time that she was incoherent and didn't know what she was doing."
Marquis Yongxin also stepped forward, nodding in agreement. "This is all our fault. I also poured her a drink. Young Xie's alcohol tolerance is truly... She fell gravely ill after returning and was reportedly delirious from fever. Fortunately, there was a divine doctor in the mansion who managed to save her last night..."
She made it sound like she almost died. Was it really that exaggerated?
Marquis Yongxin paid no mind to her inner thoughts. "Upon realizing her misconduct, Young Xie felt extremely regretful and immediately came with us to sincerely apologize to His Highness the Third Prince. We old officials all know that His Highness the Third Prince has always been magnanimous. We hope His Highness will overlook her minor transgression and forgive her this once..."
"Young Xie, tell him yourself, isn't that right?"
Marquis Yongxin raised his hand, intending to pat Xie Jiang's back to remind her to speak properly, but his hand missed.
Xie Jiang, still in the posture of a bow, gracefully dodged Marquis Yongxin's hand and then nodded at Xia Rongyu with a look of utter sincerity.
"Your Highness the Third Prince, it was the old Duke and the old Marquis who forced me to drink. I am truly wronged." So, if you're going to blame someone, blame those two old men.
"..."
The Duke of Qian and Marquis Yongxin stared at her in disbelief, wishing they could kill her on the spot. Why explain anything? This ungrateful wretch had sold them out in return!
While it was true that they had forced her to drink, pushing the blame onto them so directly, was that something a person would do?
They shouldn't have meddled. Fearing that the Third Prince would trouble her, they had eagerly accompanied her to apologize.
This sort of scoundrel should be properly disciplined by the Third Prince after he ascended the throne to teach her how to behave!
Xie Jiang met the gazes of the two old men with an air of righteous indignation and utter innocence.
Didn't they tell her to say this?
What was she saying that was wrong?
"..."
The Duke of Qian and Marquis Yongxin had never encountered such an impudent person.
Xia Rongyu's lips twitched as he suppressed a smile, struggling to control his expression.
He couldn't help but lament inwardly how truly good the two old gentlemen were to Xie Jiang.
Xie Jiang also didn't treat the two old men as outsiders; otherwise, she wouldn't have been so relaxed in their presence.
"Uh, well... it's our fault, the two old fools, for being blind and misjudging her..." the Duke of Qian said meaningfully. "We didn't know her drinking manners were so poor, it's truly our responsibility. If Your Highness wishes to blame someone, blame us..."
Marquis Yongxin nodded resentfully. "Blind, blind, blind, blind, blind, blind. I've lived for decades and never been so blind..."
Although the two old gentlemen were inwardly seething, they continued to defend and plead for Xie Jiang, speaking one after another.
Xia Rongyu felt a mix of amusement and exasperation.
He hadn't intended to pursue the matter, but in the mouths of these three, it sounded as if it were a grave offense.
"Marquis of Nanhai, please rise. It was just a small misunderstanding, no need to dwell on it." Xia Rongyu offered a hand to help her up, allowing Xie Jiang to stand.
Xie Jiang feigned immense gratitude. "Thank you, Your Highness the Third Prince. Your Highness is truly magnanimous."
The Duke of Qian's iron palm, which had been threatening Xie Jiang's back, finally relaxed.
Marquis Yongxin also breathed a silent sigh of relief. The Third Prince's magnanimity was indeed extraordinary, far beyond that of ordinary people.
If he had been insulted like this, he would have chased the scoundrel to the ends of the earth and chopped off his dog's head!
Seeing this, Xia Rongyu's eyebrows twitched slightly. He subtly observed the unspoken communication between the three and finally discerned that Xie Jiang had been coerced.
He had wondered why something felt off.
At the time, Xie Jiang was clearly too drunk to recognize people and had mistaken him for... for...
He had once suspected that Xie Jiang had mistaken him for Yi Yancao.
But even if she had mistaken him for Yi Yancao, would she have acted that way towards Yi Yancao? Xia Rongyu thought it was likely a coincidence that Yi Yancao happened to be there at that moment.
Xia Rongyu believed that Xie Jiang was simply acting out while drunk and might not even remember the incident afterward.
When he had said it was just a small misunderstanding and asked Xie Jiang to rise, he noticed her obvious surprise.
Xia Rongyu then understood; Xie Jiang indeed remembered nothing and had come today out of necessity.
Seeing that he wasn't going to pursue the matter and had easily forgiven Xie Jiang, the two old gentlemen also breathed a silent sigh of relief.
It seemed the two old gentlemen had misunderstood something.
Xia Rongyu, having formed his own judgment, graciously invited the three to sit and talk.
While the maids were changing the tea and snacks, Xia Rongyu gave his confidant a meaningful glance.
After the confidant retreated, he instructed someone to go and inquire about what had happened.
The Duke of Qian and Marquis Yongxin were quite familiar with Xia Rongyu.
When his health was better, Xia Rongyu had spent a few years in the military and had interacted with both the Duke of Qian and Marquis Yongxin, although he had become less inclined to socialize in recent years.
After inquiring about Xia Rongyu's physical and mental well-being, the three began to converse quite pleasantly.
A dog trotted in from outside. After glancing at Xia Rongyu, it wagged its tail and ran to Xie Jiang.
Xia Rongyu glanced at it.
Indeed, even dogs liked good-looking people.