Chapter 289 Friends
Duan Wei remained silent, staring at Xiahou Yin. After a long while, he finally uttered, "Disrespecting superiors and disregarding military discipline, give him twenty lashes according to military law! Drag him out!"
Xiahou Zhong's legs went weak for a moment. He was about to plead for mercy, but then he remembered that Duan Wei was always impartial and incorruptible. If he spoke up, he might only get a harsher punishment, which would be a loss.
Xiahou Yin didn't let anyone drag him away; he walked out on his own, and behind him came Duan Wei's deep, stern voice:
"Execute him right outside my tent, so everyone can see what happens to this arrogant brat who dared to defy his superiors!"
The military batons were as thick as an adult's forearm, and the two soldiers carrying them each had one, avoiding Xiahou Zhong's subtle gaze.
General Duan gave the order personally, so they dared not let the water go.
Strike after strike, the baton landed on the boy's thighs and lower back, making a dull, teeth-grinding sound.
Xiahou Yin, lying on the bench, remained silent, his gaze fixed firmly ahead, as if he were not the one being beaten.
If given the chance again, he would still tell the truth.
These burly soldiers might not know what kind of person Princess Chang Le was, but as the commander-in-chief, he couldn't accept that even General Duan could dismiss the princess's contributions with a mere woman.
Today, General Duan can belittle the princess; tomorrow, he can belittle others. In the future, right and wrong, merit and demerit, promotion and demotion, praise and criticism will all be decided by him alone. The emperor is far away and the southwestern war will be lost sooner or later!
In his eyes, General Duan had completely lost his former heroic and imposing image.
Twenty strokes of the military rod would make even a strong man weep, but Xiahou Yin, who was only eighteen years old, gritted his teeth and remained silent, sweat pouring down his face. He closed his eyes and didn't even furrow his brow.
"Ha, so young, but quite the man!"
A familiar voice rang out, and Xiahou Yin slowly opened his eyes.
He was lying on the stool, unable to see the face of the person in front of him, only the armor that symbolized the commander-in-chief, which was Duan Wei.
Xiahou Yin remained silent, pretending not to hear.
He's said everything he needed to say, but it's impossible for him to change his mind.
Duan Wei was no longer angry; he only sighed, "Was it worth taking twenty lashes for a woman?"
Xiahou Yin frowned, his hands clenched into fists at his sides.
"Tsk, looks like you're still not convinced. Let's give you twenty more!"
Xiahou Zhong finally couldn't hold back any longer: "General Duan!"
Duan Wei hadn't really intended to punish Xiahou Yin with military rods; he just wanted to see Xiahou Yin's reaction. Seeing that Xiahou Yin remained calm and his eyes showed only determination, without any regret or resentment, Duan Wei felt a sense of appreciation for his talent.
This kid is young, but once he's made up his mind, nothing can change it. He's also very decisive and responsible, so he's definitely a promising talent.
He's just too stubborn. Sometimes you have to experience a lot of setbacks to understand the saying "too much of a good thing can be bad."
Duan Wei raised his hand, swatting away the soldier who was hesitating whether to continue beating him with the military rod, and personally grabbed Xiahou Yin by the back of his collar and lifted him up.
The pain from the blows to his lower back and thighs made him gasp and almost lose his balance.
Duan Wei patted him hard on the shoulder, helping him to his feet: "A tough guy like you has to taste the bitterness that tough guys have to endure!"
Now that only he and Xiahou Zhong were by his side, he spoke without restraint, saying, "You shouldn't have questioned me so directly just now. You should know that the commander-in-chief's position in the army is not just about command and control, but more about deterrence and absolute orders! If you had any thoughts, you could have reported them to me privately after everyone left!"
Xiahou Yin finally understood. He endured the pain and said, "But you shouldn't have spoken of the princess like that in front of those people..."
Duan Wei glanced at him, then looked at Xiahou Zhong: "Your son is quite the romantic, isn't he? I was wondering why he came to the front lines at such a young age. Was he planning to use his military achievements to go back and ask for Princess Chang Le's hand in marriage?"
Xiahou Zhong smiled awkwardly. He had never asked his son about these things, so how would he know what his son thought of Princess Chang Le? Ever since Xiahou Yin grew up and was able to wield a weapon, the only thing the father and son had talked about was military strategy and tactics.
However, just by looking at Xiahou Yin's expression, Xiahou Zhong guessed that General Duan was probably right.
Xiahou Yin neither denied nor spoke, but lowered his eyes.
Whether it is true or not, he has no credit to share now, no legitimate reason for his actions, and no right to admit it.
General Duan summoned the father and son into his tent and asked them to repeat what they knew.
Beiyuan, Fuquyuan.
Ren Shun was four days late returning from his mission.
His expression was not good, partly because of his injury, and partly because he learned as soon as he returned that Qi Yuxuan had fallen into the water and was rescued by the Crown Prince, and was carried all the way back to Fuqu Garden.
The candlelight flickered in the night, casting long, thin shadows. Ren Shun knelt outside Qi Yuxuan's beaded curtain, his eyes lowered, his arms taut, making the stench of blood even more pronounced.
He was wearing a light blue outfit today, whereas he usually wore darker colors. The wound had reopened, and blood instantly stained the fabric of his arm.
Sure enough, Qi Yuxuan saw it, but she was more concerned about something else: "Didn't they catch anyone?"
Ren Shun pursed his pale lips, looking exhausted and haggard.
"They've caught him and are already locked up ten miles outside Beiyuan. A trustworthy old woman has been hired to guard him. There's no one around. Master, would you like to go and interrogate him?"
Qi Yuxuan nodded: "Go get my token first and find a royal physician to treat the wound. I'll go tomorrow."
She didn't ask for details. It was already past midnight, and Ren Shun must be quite tired after traveling all day with his injuries. She should let him rest as soon as possible.
Qi Yuxuan claimed to be considering Ren Shun's feelings, but little did she know that to others, her words sounded like she was eager to get rid of him. She was simply instructing herself to find the imperial physician to treat her wounds in a businesslike manner. As for how she was injured or how badly she was injured, she didn't care about any of it, and it wasn't important to her.
Ren Shun accepted the order and left, a mocking smile only appearing on his lips the moment he stepped out the door.
Yes, in her eyes he was just a dead soldier, a bodyguard, not even a friend. Why should she care about his life or death?
The next morning, before the princess had even woken up, Bi Sui, who was on night watch, was startled by Ren Shun, who was standing outside the door with his arms crossed.
Bi Sui whispered to him, "Guard Ren?! What are you doing standing here so early in the morning?"
She glanced at the sky and estimated, "The princess won't wake up for another half an hour. If you have something to report, you can come over after the princess gets up. It's a bit scary to have such a big person standing here."
Ren Shun didn't even glance at the maid, remaining standing in place, as straight as a tree.
Bi Sui pouted and ignored him.
This guard is a strange person. In the past year or so, although he is quite skilled, he doesn't show much respect to the princess and ignores his colleagues. He is very arrogant and no one wants to talk to him.
The princess only kept him around because of his martial arts skills. If a more skilled guard came along, she would have replaced him sooner or later.
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