Zhao Zhi gestured for her to leave, indicating that she needed some peace and quiet.

As soon as Nanxing stepped out of the house, Su Mu pulled her aside and asked her anxiously, "Nanxing, what were you whispering about with her for so long?"

Nanxing scratched his head. "He didn't say anything."

"I forgot to tell you. The prince instructed us before he left that we shouldn't look at what we shouldn't look at." Su Mu then added on his own initiative, "And we shouldn't say what we shouldn't say."

Nanxing covered her mouth, thinking: Oh no, I've seen what I shouldn't have seen. And I've probably said what I shouldn't have said.

For five consecutive days, Zhao Zhi was imprisoned in the house. She thought about escaping, but didn't have the courage.

Shen Hanshan already knows her identity. If she escapes, what will he do to her family?

On the evening of the fifth day, Shen Hanshan returned home looking exhausted.

"You can leave. Leave the box behind." He said to Zhao Zhi, "Those people from the Yunchao tribe have been caught. They can't threaten you for the time being."

Upon receiving the pardon, Zhao Zhi dashed out of the palace.

As soon as Zhao Zhi entered the Zhao residence, the door behind him was immediately closed.

"Arrest her and send her to the ancestral hall!"

Following a furious shout, she was seized by the servants and taken to the ancestral hall.

Zhao Zhi struggled and shouted, "Father! Mother! What are you doing?"

Mr. and Mrs. Zhao stood inside the ancestral hall with grim faces.

Zhao Yun, Zhao Rou, and Liu Yun stood aside, gloating. The remaining servants gathered outside the ancestral hall, anxiously watching the interior.

"The second young lady is so pitiful. She was just jilted, and now she's about to be punished by family law."

"The second young lady is a bit impulsive, but she is a good person."

Inside the ancestral hall, Zhao Shouzhen pointed at Zhao Zhi and cursed, "You ignorant brat, you're never home, day or night! You've completely disgraced the Zhao family!"

Zhao Zhi retorted, "Dad, I've been like this since I was little, you know that! You didn't care when I was a kid, but now you want to discipline me?!"

Zhao Shouzhen trembled with rage. "You! You! Guards! Bring me the whip! Today, I will enforce family discipline to uphold family traditions!"

Before he could finish speaking, a whip lashed out and struck Zhao Zhi hard.

Zhao Zhi gritted her teeth and endured the pain. Even though her back was covered in blood from being whipped, she stubbornly endured it without uttering a sound.

"Father, stop hitting him! If you keep hitting him, he'll only be beaten to death!" Zhao Yun pleaded on the ground, her voice trembling with tears.

Zhao Rou scoffed softly and muttered, "A crocodile cry for mercy."

Liu Yun quietly tugged at Zhao Rou's sleeve, signaling her to shut up, lest the trouble be diverted to the master's anger and affect the mother and daughter.

Looking at Zhao Zhi's bloodied and mangled back, Zhao Shouzhen already felt regret.

When Zhao Yun intervened to plead for him, he readily accepted the situation, slammed the whip to the ground, and stormed off.

Zhang Wan hurriedly instructed the servants to carry a wooden plank, and then put a cotton quilt on it before carefully lifting Zhao Zhi onto it.

"Hiss—" Zhao Zhi lay face down on the wooden board, gasping for breath from time to time in pain.