Chapter 132 Kneeling and apologizing to every single person in our boudoir.
The servant trembled and sobbed, "I dare not speak nonsense! Master... Master has indeed been dismissed from his post and demoted to a commoner! Fortunately, thanks to the madam's intervention in the capital, Master and you were not punished, and our family property was preserved, but Master... will never be employed again in this life!"
"The Imperial Envoy... His Excellency the Imperial Envoy is not traveling alone! The newly appointed county magistrate... has also arrived with him, carrying documents from the Ministry of Personnel, and will be assuming office and receiving his seal of office immediately!"
Upon hearing this, the last trace of color drained from Li Nian'er's face, and her body began to tremble uncontrollably.
Her greatest asset, her father's official position, vanished in an instant! In its place came a new county magistrate to settle scores!
The constables who had been holding Lu Bohong, Wan Wanning, and Shi Mozi quickly withdrew their hands and retreated to the side in a panic, wishing they could immediately sever ties with Li Nian'er.
Peng Bantou's face was ashen, and cold sweat beaded on his forehead.
Outside the gate, people were talking loudly: "Hasn't Li Nian'er become a 'commoner' now?"
Some people said, "Retribution, it really is retribution..."
Inside the hall, the embroiderers and their assistants breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing this, their faces showing joy and excitement.
Li Nian'er's gaze was unfocused, and she murmured to herself in a daze, "Impossible... absolutely impossible... how could my father... suddenly be dismissed from his post?"
She turned around abruptly and rushed towards the door like a madwoman.
She wanted to go back to the county government office! She wanted to see for herself!
"Stop her."
Lu Zhaoruo gave a loud command.
Sun Jing moved swiftly, blocking Li Nian'er's path.
Li Nian'er was forced to stop and turned around in a panic: "Lu Zhaoruo... what... what do you want to do?"
Lu Zhaoruo stepped forward slowly, her beautiful face expressionless, except for her unfathomable eyes, which looked at Li Nian'er with indifference as if she were looking at an ant.
A slight smile played on her lips, and her voice was soft and gentle: "Of course..."
Snap!
A crisp slap landed hard on Li Nian'er's left cheek!
Snap!
Another backhand strike landed heavily on her right cheek!
The crowd inside the hall gasped in surprise at first, then burst into a low cheer of delight!
Li Nian'er's hair was disheveled from the beating, and bright red handprints instantly appeared on her cheeks.
She looked up abruptly, her eyes flashing with venom: "You vile woman! How dare you hit me?"
Lu Zhaoruo's eyes flickered slightly.
Sun Jing immediately understood and kicked Li Nian'er precisely in the back of the knee!
Li Nian'er cried out in pain and collapsed heavily to her knees in a disheveled state.
Lu Zhaoruo looked down at her, a faint smile playing on her lips: "Hit you?"
“I will not only beat you, I will also make you kneel here and kowtow to every single person in our boudoir to apologize.”
Li Nian had never suffered such a humiliating disgrace in his life.
The gazes from all around felt like knives, scraping against me layer by layer.
The pent-up resentment of the embroiderers and their assistants finally erupted, and they all pointed at her and angrily rebuked her.
"You wicked woman! Relying on your official status, you allow your yamen runners to smash buildings and destroy property. How are you any different from a robber!"
"Every stitch in my embroidery workshop is the result of my painstaking efforts! What you have destroyed today is a debt that your Li family will never be able to repay!"
"What county magistrate's daughter? She's clearly a jackal who plagues the village! Her dismissal and confiscation of her property are a clear manifestation of divine justice and a fitting punishment!"
"Get out! You jinx! Don't you dare defile our boudoir's grounds again!"
Li Nian'er suddenly raised her head, her eyes bloodshot, glaring venomously at the crowd: "You lowly commoners! Shut up! How dare you insult me, Li Nian'er?"
She struggled to get up, but Sun Jing held her down firmly, preventing her from moving.
Seeing that she still showed no remorse, Lu Zhaoruo gave Sun Jing a look.
Sun Jing immediately obeyed the order, pressing his large hand firmly against the back of Li Nian'er's neck and pushing downwards with force—
Thump!
Thump!
Thump!
Three muffled thuds, crashing heavily to the ground.
Li Nian'er's forehead immediately became red and swollen, and tears streamed down her face. She struggled and cried in vain, but to no avail.
Peng, the head constable, and his men stood by, their faces ashen. They watched helplessly as their former master, who had once been so domineering, was humiliated, and not one of them dared to step forward to stop him.
They are already in dire straits themselves, so how could they dare to invite trouble upon themselves?
Lu Zhaoruo remained aloof and indifferent throughout, her expression calm and unwavering.
Wan Wanning also breathed a sigh of relief.
The embroidered pavilion has been saved!
Seeing that the time was right, Lu Zhaoruo gave Sun Jing a look.
Sun Jing understood and released his grip.
Lu Zhaoruo stepped forward slowly, stopping in front of Li Nian'er. She bowed slightly, a smile playing on her lips, and said softly, "Young Master Li, what are you still kneeling for? Get up quickly and go back to your residence to see..."
She straightened up and looked out the door: "Look at your dismissed father, look at the new magistrate?"
At this moment, Li Nian'er no longer cared about the humiliation; all that remained in her heart was fear and disbelief.
She scrambled to her feet, her hair disheveled and her clothes covered in dust, and stumbled toward the door in a disheveled state.
She was determined to go back and see for herself!
Peng Bantou and his group of constables hurriedly followed, no longer daring to look at the people in the embroidered building.
Upon seeing this, the surrounding crowd stirred up and surged forward like a flowing river, following Li Nian'er.
Who wouldn't want to see such a spectacle for themselves?
Madam Yang clapped her hands gleefully: "Let's go! Let's go take a look! Let's vent our anger!"
Everyone echoed in agreement, and their eyes all turned to Lu Zhaoruo.
Lu Zhaoruo smiled slightly and nodded gently: "Go ahead."
The embroiderers and their assistants inside immediately rushed out of the hall with great joy.
Dong Rou stayed beside Lu Zhaoruo, wiping away tears with lingering fear: "Fortunately...fortunately, heaven had mercy, and Magistrate Li was suddenly dismissed from his post, otherwise today..."
She choked up and couldn't continue.
Sun Jing finally loosened his grip on the stick, and the fierce killing intent in his eyes gradually dissipated, leaving only a calm demeanor.
Lu Zhaoruo turned around and quickly walked to Lu Bohong's side, carefully supporting him, her gaze falling tenderly on his trembling knees: "Brother, are you badly injured?"
Lu Bohong looked ashamed: "Little sister, your brother... acted impulsively and recklessly again!"
He suddenly raised his hand and slapped himself hard across the face! "Brother, you're foolish! I almost got you into trouble again!"
As he raised his hand to strike again, Lu Zhaoruo gently grasped his wrist: "Brother, please don't do this. You just don't know the truth and are only trying to protect me, but..."
She paused slightly, her tone turning serious: "If you were to suffer any harm today due to your impulsiveness, or even incur the more serious charge of 'assaulting an official,' how would I, your younger sister, face the consequences? How would I explain this to my father and mother?"
"When faced with a problem, it's helpful to take a deep breath first..."
"Think about it, is it better to vent your anger now, or to hold back for a while, plan carefully, and then get back what you owe with interest?"
“Brother,” she finally softened her voice, with a hint of pleading, “for my sake, for our parents’ sake, and for your own sake… from now on, please think things through more carefully, okay?”
Lu Bohong was stunned by his sister's words, his face burning with shame, not because of the slap he had just given himself, but because her words were so hurtful and made him feel ashamed.
He lowered his head, clenched his fists, and after a long while, he exhaled a heavy breath and said, "Little sister... you're right."
He raised his head again, his eyes still filled with regret, but with a hint of clarity: "It was my brother... who fell into his old habit again, acting on impulse and almost... almost putting you in danger again."
"I am unworthy of being called an elder brother!"
He looked intently at her: "I promise you! From this day forward, I will think twice before I act, and this fist..."
He spread out his other large hand and gave a wry smile, "When I can control myself, I will never swing it out lightly again."
"From now on, brother... I'll listen to you."
Although his words were somewhat clumsy, they carried a resolute and sincere quality born from experience.
at this time--
Bang!
Under Mudfish's three consecutive rebukes, Stone Mill knelt heavily on the ground and kowtowed to Lu Zhaoruo: "I acted impulsively and caused trouble. Please punish me, Master!"
Lu Zhaoruo's gaze swept over him and finally settled on Wan Wanning's face.
Wan Wanning cried her eyes out, and timidly stepped forward: "Sister... I was so scared just now... Luckily, luckily, God helped me..."
Dong Rou couldn't help but complain, "Miss Wan Ning, don't you think you've done anything wrong? If you hadn't rashly stepped forward, would the master and the young master have suffered such humiliation?"
Wan Wanning raised her tear-streaked face, her eyes filled with grievance, and murmured softly, "I... I was also doing this for Xiu Lou..."
Mudfish Three, unable to contain his anger, interjected: "What you did wasn't for the sake of the Embroidery Pavilion! You almost ruined the entire Embroidery Pavilion!"
Shi Mozi also said in a muffled voice, "Miss Wan, this matter... is indeed your fault."
Sun Jing coldly replied, "We could have allowed them to search, and left when they found nothing. Even if there were losses, we could seek compensation later. Your actions have only given them ammunition to criticize us."
Wan Wanning's gaze swept over the faces filled with reproach, and finally she looked helplessly at Lu Zhaoruo: "Sister...are you...blaming me too?"
Lu Zhaoruo looked at her silently without saying a word.
Wan Wanning felt utterly humiliated and ashamed. She covered her face and cried out, then turned and ran away.
It turns out that no one ever considered him one of their own, much less the second owner of the brothel.
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