Upon returning home, Qi Ming was caught red-handed by Lord Qi, who had been waiting for him, before he even stepped into the main hall.
Lord Qi's face was ashen, and his eyes were blazing with anger, clearly indicating that he already knew the whole story.
Qi Ming felt a pang in his heart and lowered his head, not daring to meet his father's gaze.
It turned out that Du Ren had been carried home earlier than Qi Ming.
Upon seeing his son beaten black and blue, Du Ren's father, Du Gaosheng, went straight to Lord Qi's office without saying a word.
Du Gaosheng and Lord Qi held similar official positions. Although they had some disagreements on a daily basis, they were generally polite to each other.
Today, however, Du Gaosheng completely disregarded official etiquette and, in front of all his subordinates, pointed at Lord Qi's nose and gave him a stern reprimand, his words harsh and even somewhat humiliating.
"Lord Qi, what a fine son you've raised! How dare he commit violence in the street and beat my son into this state! If you don't give me an explanation today, I, Du Gaosheng, will never let this go!"
Du Gaosheng's voice echoed in the government office, drawing the attention of everyone.
Lord Qi's face was gloomy, but he did not refute it, only gritting his teeth and swallowing his anger.
They are both in the wrong in this matter, and arguing with Du Gaosheng at this time will only make things more difficult to resolve.
So he suppressed his anger, bowed to Du Gaosheng to apologize, and promised to discipline Qi Ming strictly and give the Du family an explanation.
Qi Ming was taken to the ancestral hall. Inside, the candlelight flickered, illuminating the ancestral tablets of the Qi family, making the atmosphere exceptionally solemn.
That night, Qi Ming's wailing echoed above the ancestral hall for a long time.
Madam Qi stood outside the ancestral hall, listening to the commotion inside. She wanted to go in but dared not, pacing anxiously in circles.
"Master, his name is still young, please forgive him this time..." Madam Qi finally couldn't help but plead softly through the door.
“Still young? He’s almost twenty, and he still doesn’t know his place! If we don’t discipline him strictly today, won’t he turn the world upside down in the future?” Lord Qi’s voice came from inside the ancestral hall, his tone resolute and leaving no room for negotiation.
Finally, her husband got tired of beating her and came out of the ancestral hall.
Madam Qi quickly instructed the servants to help Qi Ming back to his room, and then personally applied medicine to him.
Seeing the red, swollen bruises on her son's back, Madam Qi felt a pang of heartache and tears streamed down her face. She could only softly comfort him, "Ming'er, your father is only doing this for your own good. Don't cause any more trouble in the future..."
"Ouch! Mom, that hurts! Be gentle..."
After preparing Qi Ming's meal, Madam Qi returned to her bedroom only to find Lord Qi still furious.
He sat at the table, his brow furrowed, clearly still angry.
Seeing this, Madam Qi was also displeased and couldn't help but say, "It's just that you hit someone from the Du family. It's not like you haven't hit them before. Do you have to be so ruthless? Ming'er is your own son!"
Upon hearing this, Lord Qi's face flushed red: "You! You! What do you know! How can things be compared to before... cough cough!"
He coughed violently before he could finish speaking.
Seeing this, Madam Qi forgot about scolding him and quickly stepped forward to help him calm down. She gently patted his back and said with a hint of reproach in her voice, "Why are you so angry? How old are you? You still have such a temper. What will you do if you get sick from getting angry?"
After catching his breath, Lord Qi sighed, "Madam, you don't know this, but the Du family in Yongzhou is not what it used to be. In the past, when Ming'er fought with that brat of his, our family could still protect him. But if we can't help the Du family get revenge now, I'm afraid they will cause us trouble in the future!"
Upon hearing this, Madam Qi was shocked. "My lord, how could this be? When did the Du family become so powerful?"
Lord Qi shook his head, his brows furrowing even more deeply. "Alas! I wonder what connections they've made. They've now spun all over the officialdom in Yongzhou. I've heard that Du Gaosheng has even recently climbed the social ladder by getting close to a powerful figure in the capital. Even the prefect treats him with deference. If we're not careful, I'm afraid we'll face endless trouble in the future..."
Madam Qi was terrified upon hearing this.
Seeing his wife's fear, Lord Qi gently held Madam Qi's hand and comforted her, "Madam, don't worry too much. We'll keep a close eye on Ming'er, and as for the Du family... we'll just be careful. We won't let them bully us."
Madam Qi nodded, her expression softening slightly, but the worry in her eyes remained.
---
On the other hand, Wang Xiuxiu was really frightened by the unexpected encounter with the lewd man.
As a result, she stayed at home for several days before daring to go out.
That day, Luo Qiyou was sent by Aunt Luo to deliver some things. Wang Xiuxiu couldn't help but ask him, "Brother Luo, did that sleazy man cause you any more trouble the other day?"
Luo Qiyou smiled and comforted him, "No, I've always been with Qi Ming. He's wary of Qi Ming's family background and doesn't dare to do anything to us. You don't need to worry. He was drunk that day and doesn't remember ever flirting with you."
Wang Xiuxiu breathed a sigh of relief, but still said with some worry, "That's good, but I think that person is very bad. You and Qiming still need to be careful!"
Luo Qiyou nodded, his tone gentle: "Okay, I'll remember!"
In fact, Luo Qiyou did not tell the whole truth.
Du Ren is now running rampant in the academy, and even Qi Ming has to avoid him.
Fortunately, he hasn't been coming to school much lately, which has reduced a lot of trouble.
Luo Qiyou didn't want Wang Xiuxiu to worry, so he didn't say much. He just secretly decided that he would be more careful in the future and take better care of Qiming to prevent him from causing any more trouble.
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