"Your Highness, this servant deserves to die..."

Zhu Yunwen, with a stern face, glanced at the two men, then said to the male guard:

"This is the palace. As a palace guard, you are not fulfilling your duties. How dare you bully palace maids here? And you even forced them? You have a lot of nerve."

The guard quickly kowtowed to Zhu Yunwen and said:

“Your Highness, please forgive me. I am Zhou Ji, son of Marquis Zhou Dexing of Jiangxia. Please forgive me this time for the sake of my father.”

If this guy hadn't revealed his background, Zhu Yunwen wouldn't have been so angry.

But when he revealed his background and identity, Zhu Yunwen's expression turned even uglier, and he said:

"As the descendant of a meritorious official, you should be more obedient and dutiful when serving in the palace, and not bring shame to your father. Yet you have done such a despicable thing; it is truly hateful."

Seeing Zhu Yunwen's attitude, Zhou Ji's expression also turned somewhat unpleasant.

He looked up at Zhu Yunwen and said:

"Third Prince, must things get so ugly?"

Zhu Yunwen narrowed his eyes and said:

"What? You did something like this, and now you're saying I've embarrassed you?"

Zhou Ji snorted and said, "No matter what, my father, Zhou Dexing, was a pillar among military generals."

"Our military lineage also greatly desires that Your Highness, Third Prince, be able to assume that position. If you insist on humiliating me today, aren't you afraid of chilling the hearts of the military officers?"

Zhu Yunwen was furious: "Not only do you not repent, but you also try to threaten me here? If I am threatened by a mere guard like you, how can I maintain my power in the future?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhu Yunwen walked out of the house and shouted loudly into the distance:

"Someone come here!"

Zhou Ji gritted his teeth in anger. The next moment, some people from a distance rushed over and clasped their fists in greeting.

The leading guard recognized Zhu Yunwen and said respectfully, "

"This humble servant greets Your Highness the Third Prince."

Zhu Yunwen waved his hand, indicating that he didn't need to be so formal, and said,

"Arrest Zhou Ji inside."

The guard was stunned for a moment, then said:

"Your Highness, this..."

Zhu Yunwen glared angrily at the head guard and shouted:

"What? My words no longer carry weight, do you?"

The head guard trembled in fright. He had already heard rumors that the Third Prince Zhu Yunwen was no longer the same as before.

So he naturally dared not delay, and immediately waved his hand, and two or three guards behind him stepped forward and grabbed Zhou Ji.

Zhou Ji hurriedly shouted angrily, "Zhu Yuntong, what do you mean by this? The Emperor, considering that I am the descendant of a meritorious official, specially appointed me to serve as a guard in the palace to train me. And yet you treat me like this?"

Zhu Yunwen snorted and said:

"Your grandfather wanted to groom you as a descendant of meritorious officials, but you have failed him."

However, Zhou Ji still spoke arrogantly:

"How could I have disappointed the Emperor? I was just talking about playing with a woman. Don't make a big deal out of it."

Zhu Yunwen clenched his fists and said:

"Making a mountain out of a molehill? As a guard, you actually forced a palace maid to do something indecent within the palace, and you didn't care at all about the maid's pleas and refusals."

"What? You, the descendant of a meritorious official, are even bringing your arrogance and domineering ways into the palace? If you bully men and women like this in the palace, how much worse must you be at other times?"

Zhou Ji was speechless after being rebuked, and could only glare angrily at Zhu Yunwen. At this moment, the head guard said to Zhu Yunwen:

"Your Highness, this Zhou Ji is indeed a habitual scoundrel. Relying on his father being the Marquis of Jiangxia, he is extremely arrogant. He has beaten ordinary people, kidnapped women, and committed all sorts of evil deeds."

Under these circumstances, he also forcibly took more than ten concubines. Moreover, he was addicted to gambling and had accumulated huge gambling debts. His Majesty arranged for him to be placed in the palace as a guard in order to restrain his nature and discipline him properly.

Unexpectedly, once this fellow arrived at the palace, he not only beat and verbally abused many of the guards, but also frequently harassed many of the palace maids. In the short period of time alone, he has defiled no fewer than five palace maids.

Most of the palace maids were helpless and could only swallow their anger. Just a few days ago, another maid, unable to bear the humiliation, jumped into the lake in the Imperial Garden and committed suicide. Who would have thought he would show no remorse and commit such a shameful act here today…”

The head of the guards couldn't help himself and told Zhu Yunwen everything.

After hearing this, Zhu Yunwen was filled with anger. He stepped forward with a stern face and looked at Zhou Ji, saying:

"Well, I thought what I saw was already outrageous enough, but it turns out it's just the tip of the iceberg. What an arrogant and wicked descendant of a meritorious official!"

Faced with Zhu Yunwen's undisguised sarcasm, Zhou Ji clearly didn't take it seriously at all, and simply said:

"You said it yourself, I am the descendant of a meritorious official, what's wrong with doing things that are easier for ordinary people?"

"What's wrong with it?"

Zhu Yunwen took a deep breath, then waved his hand and roared:

"Drag him out and give him fifty strokes!"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Ji glared angrily and rebuked him:

“Zhu Yuntong, how dare you! My father is the Marquis of Jiangxia, who has rendered meritorious service to the Ming Dynasty. And you need the support of our military officer lineage even more. You hit me, and the consequences will be very serious.”

Zhu Yunwen sneered and said:

"I'll give him the beating today, plus thirty more strokes, making a total of eighty strokes. Give him a good beating."