Chapter 27 (Revised)
Jiang Weiqiu could be said to be the person with the fastest reaction in this incident. Even Wei Zhen couldn't help but sigh that it was thanks to him that he avoided offending the Jiang family.
But Wei Zhen also knew in his heart that Jiang Wei Qiu knew that it was Prince Su who instigated this matter behind the scenes. But if Wei Yan was really a wise and polite person, how could he be easily instigated to do such a evil act.
Jiang Wei Qiu understood the general situation, but Wei Zhen couldn't let him down or the Jiang family down.
Seeing that the situation was not good, that rascal Wei Xuan ran away early. Without saying a word, Wei Zhen led his men into the inn where the Duke of Ye and his family were temporarily staying.
Jiang Wei Qiu only pretended to stop him, but when he saw Wei Yan being pinned to the ground and beaten in such a miserable state, he did not hide the pleasure and mockery in his eyes at all.
The thick stick landed hard on Wei Xuan's butt, causing him so much pain that he broke out in sweat and his forehead was soaked with hair. Because his mouth was stuffed with cotton cloth, he could only let out a low roar of pain.
Seeing their youngest son, whom they had spoiled since childhood, being beaten like this, the Duke of Ye and his wife felt both distressed and anxious.
The Duke's wife wiped her tears with a handkerchief, while the Duke of Ye pointed at Wei Zhen's nose and yelled, "How can you be such a big brother! You either confine us here or bring people in to grab your brother and beat him up! He's your own brother!"
Wei Zhen, who was sitting in the seat, just lowered his eyes. He was neither sad nor angry about his father's words. He looked indifferent.
Jiang Weiqiu, standing behind Wei Zhen, spoke casually, his tone slightly mocking, "Lord, be careful what you say. What do you mean by 'blood brother'? The Crown Prince's only legitimate brothers right now are His Royal Highness Prince Su and His Royal Highness Prince Huai. Does this mean you're equating yourself with the Emperor?"
Jiang Weiqiu said this lightly, but it actually put a huge accusation on the Duke of Ye. The Duke of Ye was so angry that his face turned red. He pointed at Jiang Weiqiu and trembled. After a long time, he finally managed to say a complete sentence: "You are talking nonsense!"
"How is this nonsense?" Jiang Weiqiu sneered, "Didn't you tell me this yourself, Lord?"
If Jiang Weiqiu hadn't been afraid that the Duke of Ye would get so angry that he would cause harm, and he would not be in the right, he would have stabbed the Duke of Ye in the heart again.
Wei Zhen counted to twenty silently in his mind before he looked up and signaled the three guards who were beating Wei Yan to stop.
At this time, Wei Xuan, who had been hit by twenty sticks, was almost fainting from the pain.
Two guards dragged Wei Xuan to Wei Zhen without any courtesy, and another guard stopped the princess who was flying towards him.
Completely ignoring the Duke's wife's trembling "My son...", Wei Zhen looked coldly at the exhausted Wei Xuan and said calmly, "Do you know why you were beaten with twenty sticks today?"
This question struck a chord with the Duke and Duchess of Ye, who anxiously looked toward their youngest son. But Wei Xuan had been beaten so badly that he could barely speak clearly. It took a long time before the intermittent "I know" escaped his lips.
"Why, why is this happening?" The Duchess's wife was so anxious that she kept pulling her husband's sleeve and looked at Wei Zhen with anger and fear.
Wei Zhen finally gave his biological parents a look and asked, "Even if you are reluctant to pay a teacher to teach him, you should at least send him to a private school. Otherwise, he wouldn't have grown up to be such a shameless person today."
Upon hearing this, the Duke and Duchess of Ye County were even more confused: "No! He has been taught by a teacher since he was a child!"
Wei Zhen's lips curled coldly, and his eyes, like sharp blades, glared at Wei Xuan. "You've really read so much sage literature these years! You were provoked into kidnapping an innocent woman in broad daylight by a few words from an outsider. You don't even have the most basic sense of propriety and shame! These twenty blows of the cane will teach you a lesson. Let's see if you dare to kidnap a woman again in the future!"
Upon hearing this, the Duke's wife was furious at first, as she couldn't believe her youngest son would act like this. But then, upon hearing that the woman seemed to be from an ordinary family, and remembering her own family background and status, she felt relieved. But then she started to defend Wei Yan, saying, "My Yan is the Duke's legitimate youngest son, and he's of noble status. She's just a commoner. It's her blessing that my son has taken a fancy to her. Why would you be so angry and beat your brother like this?"
As she spoke, the Lady of the County Duchess shed a few tears of heartache.
Jiang Wei Qiu, who was listening in, repeated to himself several times, "For the prince's sake," and swallowed his anger.
Wei Zhen was almost laughing with anger. He finally understood how Wei Yan had been raised to be so arrogant and ignorant. He said, "Madam, do you think a commoner should endure such humiliation for nothing? Madam, do you realize that he is bullying the daughter of the Minister of the Central Secretariat? The Minister of the Central Secretariat has been deeply involved in the court for many years and is deeply trusted by the emperor. How could a powerless county lord offend him?"
A favored official in the imperial court who serves the emperor and a county lord with an empty title only need a little thought to understand the pros and cons.
The Duke of Ye County's expression suddenly changed. He pointed at Wei Xuan, who was about to faint, and cursed: "You evil creature! Brainless idiot!"
"I heard a wealthy businessman named Pan Liang is traveling with you to the capital." Ignoring the Duke of Ye's fury, Wei Zhen suddenly declared, "Wei Xuan's foolish actions were instigated by Pan Liang. Cut all ties with him immediately. I will find a small courtyard to take you there as soon as possible. Don't reveal a single detail to Pan Liang about when you're leaving or where you're going."
Wei Zhen pretended not to notice the hesitation on the Duke of Ye's face, said nothing more, and left with his men.
*
Wei Zhen had just ordered the Ye County family to sever ties with Pan Liang, his condescending attitude nearly making the Duke of Ye County spit blood in anger.
The busiest person was the wife of the Duke of County. She was busy asking a doctor to treat her unconscious little son, while also trying to comfort her husband so that he would not die from anger.
After the Duke of Ye finally recovered his breath, he began to complain about Wei Zhen's indifference and ruthlessness.
"He relies on being the heir of a saint, and now the crown prince, to not even care about us, his biological parents. He stopped sending money home not long after entering the palace. He lives a life of luxury in the palace, while forcing us to live in poverty back home. Now he's asking us to sever ties with Mr. Pan. What a lie!"
Just as he was complaining, there was a knock on the door. It was Pan Liang who came to visit.
Pan Liang disappeared as soon as his plan to kidnap Jiang Yingyue failed. He assumed the prince would come looking for him, so he hid. After the prince left and it was confirmed that it was safe, he reappeared.
Seeing that it was Pan Liang, the Lady of the County Duke became furious, blaming Pan Liang for corrupting her son and causing him so much suffering. If the maid hadn't stopped her, the Lady of the County Duke's sharp nails would have scratched Pan Liang's face several times.
Pan Liang rolled his eyes in his heart, thinking that Wei Yan's injuries were not caused by him, but by his own brother. However, he did not show it on his face and still maintained his composure.
Seeing that the old woman acted like a madman, the Duke of Ye became a little angry and ordered the maid to take her out. Only then did he feel a little more at ease.
The atmosphere quieted down and became awkward. Wei Zhen had ordered them to sever ties with Pan Liang, and the Duke of Ye was at a loss as to how to begin.
The reason they had been able to live comfortably in Ye County over the years was largely due to Pan Liang's financial support. Compared to that ungrateful man who ignored his parents back home, the Wei family of Ye County was much closer to Pan Liang.
The Duke of Ye even considered making Pan Liang his son-in-law, but Pan Liang said that he was a merchant and was not worthy of marrying a noble lady. This incident, however, made the Duke of Ye feel that Pan Liang was an honest and trustworthy person, and he trusted and valued him even more.
Now they were going to cut off contact. On the one hand, the Duke of Ye County valued this young man, but on the other hand, he was really reluctant to give up the benefits that this person could bring to him.
"Is the Duke in trouble?"
Looking at the hesitant and evasive Duke of Ye, Pan Liang guessed something. Wei Zhen must have been aware of his presence and simply wanted to get rid of Wei Yan, that useless idiot.
"Alas..." The Duke of Ye sighed, "Sir, you don't know, my eldest son, who has become the Crown Prince, is now extremely overbearing and unreasonable! He doesn't even care about his own parents, let alone others."
"Don't worry, Lord."
Before the Duke of Ye could continue his words about sending him away, Pan Liang interrupted him, "This son doesn't listen to his parents, so how can he not listen to his wife? Duke, have you forgotten why we came to the capital in the first place?"
There were so many depressing things that happened after they arrived in Beijing that the Duke of Ye almost forgot the purpose of their visit.
"As long as those two beauties enter the Eastern Palace and please the Crown Prince, why worry that he will not take you and your wife seriously? Pillow talk is more effective than any other wind in the world."
These words made the Duke of Ye even more excited.
"In a couple of days, find an opportunity to submit a letter to the palace requesting an audience with the Crown Prince and bring those two beauties with you. Given their qualifications, are you afraid the Crown Prince will refuse?"
The Duke of Ye nodded repeatedly, "Sir, this is absolutely true."
The beauty trap designed for Wei Zhen was thus decided.
*
Cai Mansion in the capital. Under the eaves.
After a period of careful rest, Cai Shan's injuries recovered well, but there was still no news of the murderer who assassinated him that night.
The Crown Prince was originally responsible for this matter, but he was busy with his own affairs and entrusted it to Jingzhao Prefecture. However, he sent people to Jingzhao Prefecture many times to inquire about the progress, but they were always sent back on the grounds that there was no clue.
Cai Shan slowly realized that the Saint had an opinion of him. Coincidentally, news had recently arrived from Weizhou that Princess Yukang had arrived, but she was just traveling around, and her true intentions were unclear.
This news immediately made Cai Shan alert. A strong sense of crisis was approaching, forcing him to quickly find a strong backer and a way out.
The Crown Prince currently lacks the emperor's favor, while Prince Su and Prince Huai are gradually gaining ground. But who should he look for?
Cai Shan fell into deep thought.
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