After thinking all this through, Yan Sikong became more and more angry and worried. The butler had already accepted the gift, and if he wanted to return it, it would be a blatant disregard for Xie Zhongren. Moreover, by now the news that he accepted the gift must have spread throughout the capital.

Now he could only play along. On the one hand, he had to return the gift, and on the other hand, he had to go to apologize to Xie Zhongren in person. This was exactly the move that the eunuch had forced him to take. He had a reason to meet him in private so that he could better test him.

Yan Sikong's deep-set eyes flashed with an unusually cold light in the darkness, and his fists were clenched so tightly that they made a clattering sound. Now that things have come to this, he decided to go meet his mortal enemy...

——

The next morning, Yan Sikong brought Ali to the mansion given to him by the emperor, kicked the door open, and strode into the courtyard.

There were more than a dozen large red-painted and gold-inlaid nanmu boxes arranged in order in the spacious courtyard.

The doorman followed and, facing the gloomy-faced Yan Sikong and the tall, burly, ugly and frightening Ali, he timidly called out "Young Master" in a low voice.

"Call Zhao Feng out to me." Yan Sikong's voice was not loud, but his authority was evident even without him being angry.

"yes……"

The doorman had just taken two steps when he saw the butler Zhao Feng leading two servants hurried over. When he saw Yan Sikong, he bowed from a distance and said, "Master, you are back. I am sorry for not coming to greet you in person."

Yan Sikong narrowed his eyes and stared at him. He was indeed an eunuch. His hypocritical look was even worse than that of the eunuchs in the palace. He was disgusting.

Zhao Feng was originally a eunuch of the Yuma Bureau. He was given to Yan Sikong along with this mansion. He had already expected that this person was Xie Zhongren's man, but he did not expect that he would be so courageous.

Yan Sikong said coldly: "Come here, capture this rebellious servant for me."

Zhao Feng's face changed. He probably didn't expect Yan Sikong to be so aggressive and totally disregard Xie Zhongren's face. He quickly knelt on the ground and begged, "Master, please calm down. I know that you never refused gifts in the past. I was confused for a moment and accepted it on your behalf. I didn't mean it. Please calm down, calm down."

Yan Sikong smiled coldly: "Zhao Feng, you have been in the palace for thirty years and have seen more scenes than I have seen the sun. How can you not know the limit of accepting gifts? Even if you can't tell the difference, you know that as a servant, you should not act on your own. You are so bold as to dare to accept gifts for me!"

"Sir, please calm down. I am confused. I am confused."

Although Zhao Feng had a humble attitude and kowtowed repeatedly, Yan Sikong could see clearly that there was no fear in his eyes. Firstly, he saw that Zhao Feng was young, and secondly, he thought that he was a person rewarded by the emperor and had Xie Zhongren as his backer, so he was sure that Zhao Feng would not dare to do anything to him.

"That's just one of the reasons." Yan Sikong continued, "I ordered you to personally guard the gifts, not a penny less, but you left them in the yard all night without paying any attention to them. Do you still have me as your master?!"

"Alas, I am old and was very sleepy last night. Sir, please calm down."

Yan Sikong shouted: "Catch him!"

The servants looked at each other, but no one dared to move.

Zhao Feng also stole glances at Yan Sikong, obviously not taking Yan Sikong seriously.

Yan Sikong gave Ali a look, and Ali rushed forward without hesitation and pulled Zhao Feng up from the ground with movements as swift as picking up a chicken. Then he pulled the red rope tied to the wooden box with one hand and tied Zhao Feng's hands.

Zhao Feng was really panicked: "My lord, my lord, I was confused for a moment, please don't bear grudges against me."

Yan Sikong said coldly: "You are a servant, but you are committing crimes against your superiors. You don't take me seriously at all. If I don't punish you, you will probably become even more arrogant."

"I dare not do it anymore, please calm down, sir." Zhao Feng said anxiously, "I...I am a gift from your majesty, please let me go for the sake of your majesty and eunuch Xie."

Yan Sikong became even more angry when Xie Zhongren was mentioned. It was because Zhao Feng was a gift from the emperor that he could not drive him away. He could not let him go easily. Otherwise, when he moved into the new house, he would have a poisonous snake by his side that would always stare at him. He said angrily, "Because you are a gift from His Majesty, I must be more clear about rewards and punishments. Otherwise, when the princess marries in the future and sees that there are no rules in the mansion, and I don't have the authority of the head of the family, how can I explain to the princess and His Majesty? Ali, I will be punished according to the family law. Twenty strokes of the cane!"

Ali got up and went to look for bamboo sticks.

Zhao Feng realized that Yan Sikong wanted to assert his authority, and he was really scared, so he immediately started crying and begging.

Ali came with a stick in one hand, striding over. The courtyard was already full of people from the mansion, and they dared not even breathe. Ali came closer, turned a deaf ear to Zhao Feng's pleas, raised the bamboo stick high, and whipped Zhao Feng's back, waist and hips.

Although they are both forms of punishment by beating, the family punishment by beating cannot be compared with that in the court or the army. The bamboo stick is thin and flexible, and it hurts a lot but only injures the skin and flesh.

Zhao Feng had nowhere to hide and screamed like a pig being slaughtered.

Yan Sikong stood aside, watching expressionlessly.

The bamboo stick was not only hit on Zhao Feng's body, but also on Xie Zhongren's face. This move could not only scare Zhao Feng and other people in the mansion who had evil intentions, but it was also a revenge on Xie Zhongren. Anyway, he had to go in person to return the gift and would inevitably be humiliated. He couldn't bear it in vain.

After twenty lashes, Zhao Feng had passed out from the pain.

Yan Sikong didn't even look at him again, and ordered, "Take these gifts and send them back to where they came from yesterday. Ali, you go with them."

Ali nodded.

The servants lowered their brows in fear and said in unison, "Yes."

Yan Sikong turned around and left without hesitation. He was about to enter the palace and take the initiative to meet Xie Zhongren, with whom he had never spoken a word and had never looked face to face. Xie Zhongren was the most powerful eunuch in Dasheng, the most treacherous and treacherous man who deserved to be killed a thousand times - and also the enemy he hated to eat alive!

Passing through layers of corridors and around buildings, Yan Sikong, led by the eunuch, came to the private courtyard in the palace that the emperor awarded to Xie Zhongren. What the emperor may or may not know is that Xie Zhongren had three mansions in the city alone.

After the young eunuch went in to report, he led Yan Sikong in.

Although Yan Sikong had been nervous all the way, when his feet really stepped over the threshold, his heart trembled even more violently, his mind went blank, and he could even feel cold sweat running down his back, even though it was early winter.

It was hatred and also fear. What he feared was not Xie Zhongren, but the painful memories caused by Xie Zhongren.

Thirteen years have passed. The boy who swore revenge has grown into a strong and resilient young man. But at this moment, he finally has to face his enemy and the nightmare he has been having for the past thirteen years.

The old man with gray hair and beard but gloomy eyes like an eagle finally appeared in Yan Sikong's sight. He walked slowly but steadily, and his inquiring eyes wandered over Yan Sikong wantonly, as if he could see through him at a glance.

Yan Sikong felt as if his breathing was choked and the blood in his body was drained away. He was shivering with cold.

Thank you! Loyalty! Benevolence!