Indeed, they were close as brothers since childhood, even sharing the same pair of pants. Zhang Boju sat beside him, "If Xie Er were willing to pay attention to you, would you even have time to come find me?"
"Did he say anything during court today?" Fang Chuning coughed lightly, asking curiously.
"Not a single word from start to finish, the atmosphere was heavy. Even when the Emperor mentioned the duel, Xie Er didn't say a thing and wore a stern, coffin-like face. Just like when he was a child—when he's upset, he doesn't like to speak." Zhang Boju complained, "With him silent, even the Emperor didn't dare provoke him. He just ordered the cabinet to arrange the duel event. Beiman will likely send a team to the Capital City. This whole back-and-forth means the actual duel won't happen until a month later. The timing is awkward too; the Empress's wedding is imminent. After court, the Ministry of Rites approached the Emperor—there's no way the duel can clash with the wedding date."
