Thirty strokes of the rod to intimidate the enemy!
It is no exaggeration to say that if these thirty blows were delivered seriously, most adult men would suffer cuts and bruises, broken bones, and be beyond their ability to withstand blows.
How could a sixteen-year-old girl endure that?
But Du Laihua didn't give Yan Lan a chance at all. With a command, the cruel officials on both sides stretched their batons under Yan Lan's thighs, then suddenly lifted them up, spinning her around in the air before she fell hard to the ground.
Zhao Wu drew his knife.
Zhao Cheng grabbed him and shook his head.
Zhao Wu said, "She'll be beaten to death!"
Zhao Cheng's expression was serious. He said, "Things have come to this point. If Du Laihua doesn't get Yan Lan's confession, things won't end well. He won't kill her."
"But... we can't let her suffer like this, can we?"
Zhao Wu's expression turned fierce and menacing. He said, "Master, with just one word, I can kill everyone in this courtroom!"
For once, Zhao Cheng didn't scold Zhao Wu for his impulsiveness. Instead, he calmly said, "The maid who will serve Cai'e should be someone we trust most, just like Chunqin and Donghua. Let's be patient and see..."
Zhao Wu understood Zhao Cheng's meaning, and although he was still upset, he managed to suppress his impulse.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
After three blows, Yan Lan felt like she was about to collapse, and her face turned deathly pale.
Seeing this, Du Laihua paused for a moment and said, "Whether the murderer is Zhao Cheng or you, as long as you confess, you will no longer have to suffer this physical pain."
Yan Lan closed her eyes, pressed her face to the ground, and said, "I won't admit to things I didn't do. I won't make up stories about things others didn't do..."
"Keep fighting!" Du Laihua shouted.
Bang bang bang bang bang...
By the tenth baton, blood was seeping from Yan Lan's buttocks, much like a woman's period leaking out due to negligence. A mouthful of blood spurted from Yan Lan's mouth, and she was already swaying precariously.
Du Laihua raised his hand, knowing he couldn't continue the fight.
A sixteen-year-old girl, let alone completing thirty batters, probably wouldn't even be able to last another ten.
*Smack!*
Fearing that Yan Lan might faint, Du Laihua slammed the gavel again and shouted, "Lift her up!"
Du Laihua came out from behind the desk, walked up to Yan Lan, and said, "Just how much benefit did Xiao Luofeng and Zhao Cheng give you that made you risk your life for them?"
Yan Lan's voice had become weak as she said, "This humble woman...this humble woman would not lie, what this humble woman said is the truth..."
Snap!
Du Laihua slapped Yan Lan, grabbed her chin, and said, "You're just an insignificant troublemaker. You think you can get away with it by covering for them? Let me tell you, this is a matter of life and death. Even if you don't say anything, they can't escape responsibility!"
Zhao Cheng's shoulders twitched, and he said, "Zhao Wu, remember this slap."
Zhao Wu slammed his fist on the wall next to the courtroom door and said, "Ten slaps!"
"Yan Lan, I'll ask you one more time: will you speak or not?!"
"Everything that needed to be said has been said; there is nothing more to say..."
"Put on the leg clamps!!!"
Du Laihua roared, walked back behind the desk, and plopped down.
Seeing the cruel official approaching Yan Lan with the torture rack, Zhao Wu panicked and said, "Master, why aren't you doing it?"
Zhao Cheng said, "Xiao Luofeng hasn't arrived yet."
"I won't wait for him." Zhao Wu drew his sword. "I'm going to save people."
Zhao Cheng calmly said, "What do you mean by saving someone now? Disrupting the court proceedings? Or breaking someone out of prison?"
"So! You're just going to watch Yan Lan be tortured into confessing?"
"Forced confession? Confession? If she can be forced to confess, what's the point of me saving her?"
Zhao Cheng's expression was indifferent, and his voice carried a chill as he said, "The price I offered her was already high enough. If she is tortured into confessing, she will only be worth ten thousand taels of silver. But if she can withstand it, she will be priceless in my heart from now on."
"Zhao Wu, it's not so easy to become one of us."
Looking into Zhao Cheng's eyes, Zhao Wu felt a chill run down his spine.
He rarely saw Zhao Cheng like this. He knew that Zhao Cheng's decision not to let him take action was not only a test for Yan Lan, but also an opportunity for Du Laihua.
Du Laihua was, after all, a marquis, so it was best to avoid making any moves.
But if Zhao Cheng's bottom line is crossed, anything can happen.
Zhao Wu knew very well that in the past few years, none of the people his master had decided to deal with had a good ending.
"You like Yan Lan?" Zhao Cheng suddenly asked.
"Huh?" Zhao Wu's aura vanished instantly, replaced by a look of panic.
"Foolish thing!" Zhao Cheng saw through Zhao Wu's thoughts and said, "Yan Lan is still young. If there are no problems after she comes with us for a few years, I will grant your request."
Zhao Wu neither said yes nor no, nor even thanked him; he simply stared blankly for a moment.
But he knew that Zhao Cheng wasn't joking with him.
It's true.
Before Zhao Cheng transmigrated, Zhao Wu had been with him. He was the bodyguard that Zhao Huan had carefully selected for his eldest son. Although Zhao Cheng often scolded Zhao Wu for being brainless after transmigrating, Zhao Wu must have had some merits that Zhao Huan had his eye on.
But Zhao Wu's loyalty to Zhao Cheng was not simply due to being chosen by Zhao Huan.
He knew his master all too well: he was tough on the outside but soft on the inside, and he never only cared about his own enjoyment; he would never forget those around him when there were benefits to be had.
This is why everyone around Zhao Cheng respects him.
While the two masters were talking, the cangue had already been put on Yan Lan in the courtroom.
"Oh dear! Ah—"
Yan Lan let out a pitiful scream.
Despite his reluctance, Zhao Wu could only suppress his emotions and clench his fists tightly.
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