Chapter 205: Family Law
In the twenty years they have been together, Qi has never seen Liu Ming so angry.
She was so frightened that she immediately panicked. She knelt down and grabbed Liu Ming's robe, sobbing, "Master, I have been married to you for twenty years. Don't you know what kind of person I am? I do all this for the good of the Liu family, Master!"
"Don't insult the reputation of my Liu family again!" Liu Ming swung his arm and threw Qi to the ground.
He shouted sternly, "Come here! Use family rules!"
Hearing that Liu Ming was actually going to use family law, Liu Yueyao was startled. She plopped down on her knees and pleaded for Qi's life, "Father! Ever since mother married into the Liu family, she has worked tirelessly day and night to manage all the affairs of the mansion, and even gave birth to your daughter. Please consider her hard work, even though she has no merits, and give her a lighter punishment!"
"Over the years, mother has devoted herself to managing the Liu Mansion and has developed back pain. Twenty blows from the stick will probably break her back."
Seeing that Liu Ming's tense expression had relaxed somewhat, Liu Yueyao continued, "Father! Mother is your legitimate wife. How can you punish her for what others say?"
Liu Ming was still a little reluctant, but when he turned to look at Liu Yuetang's cold and distant eyes, his face darkened again.
He already felt a lot of guilt towards Tang'er, and now he couldn't let her down anymore.
Otherwise... the only affection between them as father and daughter would be gone.
He frowned solemnly and asked in a low voice, "Is that someone else?"
"That's your biological sister! She's the current Concubine Xi! If you plead again, don't blame father for punishing you as well."
Liu Yueyao was stunned. She had been loved by Liu Ming since she was a child. How could she have been scolded like this?
You even want to punish yourself?
Her eyes were red, but she didn't dare to beg for mercy anymore. She just gritted her teeth and hid all her hatred in her clenched palms.
Seeing the hard and heavy jujube wood stick being presented to her, Qi subconsciously shrank back, with resentment and despair surging in her tear-blurred eyes.
"Master, are you really going to be so heartless?"
Liu Ming didn't answer her. He just turned around with his hands behind his back, closed his eyes, and said one word in a deep voice: "Torture!"
The guard was very perceptive and stepped forward to take the jujube wood stick from the butler.
Looking at Qi who was pinned to the bench, Liu Zheng hurriedly said, "Don't frighten the baby in our queen's belly. Madam Qi, please cover her mouth."
As she spoke, she stuffed a thick piece of gauze into Qi's mouth.
Qi stared at Liu Zheng and Liu Yuetang with red eyes, as if he wanted to cut them into pieces, but his body was unable to move at all, like a fish at the mercy of others.
With a loud "bang", the wooden stick fell heavily, and Qi could only groan in pain.
She bit the gauze tightly and looked at Liu Yuetang in the upper seat with eyes blazing with hatred.
I only regret having let her enter the palace.
I regretted even more that I didn't strangle her to death when she was born.
To the extent that she was given a chance to survive and became the emperor's favorite concubine, she now came to take revenge on herself.
"three……"
"Four……"
As the servants counted, the wooden sticks fell on Qi's back, each one heavier than the last. The cloth was torn apart, and scarlet blood oozed out from the rolled flesh, staining the jujube wood stick red.
Liu Yuetang casually blew away the foam in the tea. The hot steam blurred the deep smile in her eyes, making her white jade-like face look even more lazy and delicate.
Looking at Qi's face covered in cold sweat, Liu Yueyao was angry and anxious. She couldn't help but step forward to question Liu Yuetang, but was grabbed by Fu Zhixing's wrist.
Fu Zhixing shook his head gently at her and whispered, "Yueyao, she is no longer the Liu Yuetang of the past. Even her father couldn't protect her mother, so how can we do that?"
"Don't act impulsively! Otherwise, you'll end up like your mother."
Although he had been angry with Liu Yueyao for some time, she was still his wife after all. If he offended Concubine Xi, then their entire Liu family would have offended Concubine Xi.
As childhood sweethearts, how could he not see that Yuetang was no longer the Yuetang who had no one to protect her and lived cautiously.
Instead, it was Concubine Xi, who had been tempered in the deep palace and had a tough and ruthless approach.
Liu Yueyao's chest stagnated, and she gritted her teeth and didn't move forward, suppressing all the hatred and dissatisfaction in her throat.
She clenched her fists tightly, her teeth chattering. One day, she would make Liu Yuetang pay for her blood debt with blood!
"Eighteen...nineteen...twenty!"
As the last word fell, the guard stopped what he was doing.
Qi had already fainted from the pain, and her back was covered in blood and flesh, a horrible sight.
Liu Yueyao then ran over to help Qi up, and felt heartbroken when she saw her mother fainted in her arms.
"Quick! Go get a doctor!"
Liu Yuetang narrowed her eyes, a cold light condensed in her eyes as she looked at Liu Ming, and smiled faintly: "There is no rule in the palace that those who are punished cannot invite the imperial physician. Is there such a rule in the mansion?"
Liu Ming was slightly stunned. The person who was punished in the mansion did not say whether he could call a doctor.
But since Liu Yuetang asked this question, whether there is such a rule or not, the answer is no.
He pondered and said, "Yao'er, help your mother back."
"Father!" Liu Yueyao widened her eyes and looked up and called out.
"Take him away!" Liu Ming said with a cold face and a resolute tone.
Seeing Liu Ming so cold-blooded, Liu Yueyao was so angry that her mouth trembled. She held back the tears in her eyes and took Qi away with Fu Zhixing.
Looking at the backs of several people, Liu Yuetang took a sip of tea and slowly closed the tea lid.
"Father, please don't let Mother do evil again, otherwise—"
The last line of her words was euphemistic and dangerous. As the teacup clattered against her, Liu Yuetang raised her eyelids and said, "If I can't protect you, it won't just be my mother. I'll be protecting the entire Liu family."
The voice was supposed to be very gentle, but it was like a steel needle tempered with ice. It made Liu Ming's heart tremble and he stood there uncomfortably.
"Yes, I will take good care of my wife and make sure she never does it again." Liu Ming said with a bow.
Liu Yuetang nodded with satisfaction.
"Besides, I have a few things to discuss with my father."
"Your Majesty, please speak."
Liu Yuetang folded her hands in front of her knees and said slowly, "Since I'm the eldest daughter, shouldn't father change my birth date and identity in the family tree?"
"Of course. I was away from home on the day Your Majesty was born, and Your Majesty suffered injustice. Now that the truth is out, I must revise the family tree."
Liu Yuetang nodded slightly: "Okay, there is one more thing."
She paused, "I am now one of the Four Consorts. If people knew that my biological mother had no status and was not recorded in the family tree..."
Her eyes flickered slightly, and Liu Ming immediately understood.
"Don't worry, Your Majesty. I will later move Yingrong's tablet into the ancestral hall and include it in the family tree so that future generations can worship her."
"Well, I'm a little tired. I wonder if I can rest in the room I used to stay in?"
Liu Ming said quickly, "I have already had everyone clean up today. I will take the Empress there right away."
"No need." Liu Yuetang refused coldly.
"I've been in the Liu family for seven years. This path is etched in my mind. I remember it."
After saying that, she stood up and, supported by Liu Zheng and Wan Qiu, slowly walked towards the house.
Looking at Liu Yuetang's graceful figure surrounded by the crowd, Liu Ming's breathing became sluggish and heavy, and he let out a long sigh.
He knew that she was blaming him.
It was his fault that he had been indifferent to her for the past seven years, causing her to live like walking on thin ice in the mansion.
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