Know your guilt?
Jiang Jinyan's eyes were bloodshot. What crime had he committed?
It was just that the Ninth Prince relied on the Queen Mother's favor and used power to oppress him!
But he could never say this out loud, otherwise the serious crime of disrespecting the royal family would really fall on them, and they would never be able to wash it off.
He lowered his head and said aggrievedly:
"I know my guilt."
Huo Xuanguang didn't let him go just like that. He asked in a deep voice, "Then what crime did you commit?"
Jiang Jinyan gritted his teeth, "I shouldn't have resorted to lynching my sister, even if I was trying to force her to tell the truth and find out as soon as possible who was colluding with the remnants of Tianming Pavilion, I shouldn't have done this!"
Upon hearing this, Jiang Xiancao's expression turned cold.
At this point, Jiang Jinyan still doesn't think he has done anything wrong.
He could still stand up straight and swear in front of the world that he was not wrong.
Everything he did to "Jiang Xiancao" was for reasons he thought were fair.
No matter whether you beat him, punish him, or use the public's words to criticize him, it cannot shake his cognition in the slightest.
Because the most deeply rooted idea in his heart is that he owes nothing to "Jiang Xiancao", and it is "Jiang Xiancao"'s ignorance that has caused so much trouble.
Huo Xuanguang shook his head and said to Jiang Jinyan, "You are beyond redemption."
After saying that, Huo Xuanguang looked at the other four people hiding behind Jiang Jinyan:
"You also insist on thinking so?"
Jiang Jinxing's mouth, which was beaten by the palace guards, was still swollen. He couldn't speak, and stared at Jiang Xiancao, who was standing at the edge of the crowd, with hatred in his eyes.
Jiang Jinyi kept his head down from beginning to end, without even the courage to look up at the crowd.
Jiang Jinan's expression was very complicated, but Jiang Xiancao did not see any guilt or regret in his eyes.
As for Jiang Jinzhen, he was still holding the string of Buddhist beads that had been blessed by the national master in his hand. He slowly and methodically stroked each bead made of Bodhi wood, and kept reciting sacred scriptures.
It was as if the person who had watched his brothers torturing his sister coldly was not him at all.
Jiang Xiancao's mood suddenly became irritable.
She felt that simply beating these five people in front of everyone with a stick was too insignificant a punishment.
But the fact that she can achieve this now is the result of careful planning.
Huo Xuanguang ordered the servants to take action.
The five members of the Jiang family were pressed onto the wooden platform for punishment and had their trousers taken off. The servants behind them raised the boards and brought them down on them one by one.
As the sons of the Marquis of Wen Ning, they had lived a life of luxury since childhood. The greatest hardship they had endured was being spanked on the palms by the old teacher of the family school. They had never tasted the pain of being beaten with a stick.
Moreover, these servants in the Ministry of Justice were all under Huo Xuanguang, and were following the orders of the Empress Dowager, so it was impossible to show them any mercy.
Every time the board was lifted and lowered, he used all his strength, and soon their skin was torn and flesh was exposed.
Jiang Jinyan was a man of some integrity. In order to avoid screaming in disgrace in front of others, he bit off a piece of flesh from his lip. He did not make a sound until he passed out from the pain.
Jiang Jinxing had practiced martial arts and was quite tough, so he forced himself to endure the pain.
But Jiang Jinyi and the others couldn't do that.
Listening to their screams, from the initial suppression and restraint to the final exhaustion, Jiang Xiancao slowly closed his eyes.
Seeing her like this, Chen Tingsi thought that she was reluctant to look closely because of her blood relationship.
The next moment, he finally saw the smile on her lips and was instantly horrified.
This crazy woman is not reluctant, she is enjoying it.
The more miserable they screamed, the happier she felt.
The thirty lashes were finally completed, and except for Jiang Jinxing, the other four young masters of the Jiang family fainted.
The servants of the Wenning Marquis's Mansion came forward to carry them back to the mansion, but Huo Yaoguang spoke at this time:
"etc."
The onlookers who were about to disperse all looked at her, some with confused expressions:
"Isn't that Minister Huo's sister?"
"The beating is over now, why is she speaking out?"
"Oh, by the way, I remember she seems to be engaged to the fourth son of the Jiang family."
Amidst the discussions among the crowd, Huo Yaoguang said calmly:
"I came to the Wen Ning Marquis' Mansion today to break off my engagement with the Fourth Young Master Jiang."
Her words sent shockwaves through the crowd.
Marriage has always been a matter of parents' orders and matchmakers' words. It is unheard of for an unmarried woman to go to her future husband's house to cancel the engagement.
Some people couldn't help but question:
"This Miss Huo is so bold, relying on the Queen Mother's favor, that she even breaks the rules for ladies of a noble family. Furthermore, she's breaking off the engagement now, which seems like adding insult to injury."
"Yes, although what Fourth Young Master Jiang did was despicable, she was too heartless to do so. Who would dare to marry a woman like this in the future?"
But after hearing what Huo Yaoguang said next, these gossipers immediately shut up.
"At the Empress Dowager's engagement banquet, I, along with Princess Wenyi, the Right Prime Minister's daughter, several other noble ladies, and Aunt Yan, the Empress Dowager's court lady, witnessed Fourth Young Master Jiang and Jiang Huaizhu secretly hugging and whispering sweet nothings to each other. If anyone doesn't believe me, feel free to ask these people if I, Huo Yaoguang, have ever lied."
Huo Yaoguang remained calm and said in a resounding voice:
"Young Master Jiang Si had an affair with one of my sisters, violating my daughter Huo's requirements for choosing a husband. So today, in front of everyone, I will return the Jiang family's engagement token and end things with him.
From now on, he and I will marry each other and have no further ties!"
After saying that, she took a jade bracelet from the hand of the maid behind her and threw it to the ground in front of everyone.
The fine jade bracelet was broken into two pieces, which was shocking.
But Huo Yaoguang didn't even look at it, turned a deaf ear to everyone's sighs, and left calmly with his maid.
Her determination and unrestrainedness made Shen Tingsi stunned.
He murmured beside the ginger grass:
"As expected of a younger member of the Empress Dowager's family, she's so decisive and ruthless, even more efficient than a man, and without a trace of femininity. Such a woman is truly rare."
Hearing this, Jiang Xiancao snorted.
Shen Tingsi said dissatisfiedly, "Why are you sneering? Am I wrong?"
Jiang Xiancao replied calmly:
"Women are naturally gentle and delicate, but that doesn't mean they can't be decisive when faced with big issues. Do you think those women who wear all kinds of makeup and feminine clothes are inherently inferior to men? How many of them are trapped by their status, confined to a small backyard day after day, forced to put aside their ambitions to take care of their husbands and children for men, and then be told that they were born inferior to men and deserved all the restrictions they faced?"
Shen Tingsi was stunned by what she said and was speechless for a long time.
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