flogging
"You know this and you still dare to defy me?! Back then, your uncle conspired with Ma Zhang to rebel against me. If it weren't for the fact that he helped me ascend the throne, I would have executed his entire clan long ago! Your mother has also committed such heinous crimes. I have already shown her divine grace by allowing her to return to her family after death! If you dare to plead for her again, don't blame me for disregarding our father-son relationship!! I assure you, the Shangguan family will have no descendants!"
When the emperor is enraged, blood flows for miles and countless corpses lie strewn about.
Qi Junxu gritted his teeth. He knew his father was absolutely capable of doing it, and he wasn't just saying it casually. As long as it concerned the throne and Consort Su, his father wouldn't budge an inch. Qi Junxu understood this principle when he was very young, but his uncle and mother just had to defy it...
"I beg my father for mercy!"
Qi Junxu finally kowtowed heavily on the ground, his forehead bleeding from the impact. He bowed his head low and said, word by word, "If Father's anger has not subsided and he must find someone to vent his anger on, your son is willing to bear all the blame for my uncle and mother. I beg Father to have mercy! I beg Father to have mercy..."
"you……"
Emperor Liang felt his blood rush to his head and couldn't help but cough twice.
Standing to the side, Li Shengquan was terrified. At this critical moment, pleading for the dead prime minister and imperial concubine was tantamount to courting death. He usually seemed like a smart person, so why did he have to get so caught up in this stupid thing today?
He shifted his body slightly, feeling anxious for him but helpless. Now it all depended on whether His Majesty would soften his heart.
"You unfilial son!" Emperor Liang pointed at Qi Junxu and cursed, "Do you know that this morning, Elder Yang came to see me specifically to say that his granddaughter is in love with you and asked me to grant you a marriage! Don't you understand what this means?"
Upon hearing this, Qi Junxu paused for a moment.
Yang Guolao was a veteran of three reigns, highly respected and virtuous. His son was the Prefect of Jingzhao, a high-ranking official of the third rank, wielding significant military power in the capital region. It was said that he had only one daughter, named Ningyan, the apple of the Yang family's eye. However, she was extremely frail, a well-known sickly woman in the capital. Rumor had it that whoever married Yang's granddaughter would receive the family's full support. His late mother had secretly arranged this marriage several times and had summoned Yang Ningyan to the palace a few times, showing great satisfaction with her…
His mother had just passed away, and in the eyes of outsiders, he was a prince without any backing or support. Others would have avoided him like the plague. But unexpectedly, Yang Ningyan was willing to marry him at this time, and even asked his grandfather to ask Emperor Liang for a marriage decree. This was equivalent to telling everyone that the Yang family was on his side. This affection alone was extremely precious.
If Emperor Liang were to grant him and Yang Ningyan a marriage, even if Qi Junxu were not to inherit the throne in the future, it would at least allow him to gain a foothold in the court and have a place to stand.
"Father! I cannot marry her!"
"You unfilial son! You're going to drive me crazy!"
A drop of blood on Qi Junxu's forehead slowly slid down his face, flowing over his brow and nose, forming a bright red trail that looked quite terrifying.
"Your Majesty, I have no affection for Miss Yang and do not wish to delay her because of this. I humbly request that Your Majesty rescind your decree!"
"But Elder Yang's words were very earnest. He said that his granddaughter would be willing to marry you as a concubine, and that she would never marry anyone else in her life. As you know, Elder Yang is a veteran of three dynasties in our Great Liang. Since he made this request, I couldn't refuse him, so I agreed. Besides, I remember that your mother was also choosing a concubine for you before she passed away, and she had her eye on Miss Yang. If you want your mother to pass away peacefully, then stop making trouble for me here and go back."
Seeing Emperor Liang's resolute attitude and his intention to leave, Qi Junxu quickly grabbed his boots and said, "Father! I can agree to your request, but please allow me to bear the blame for my uncle and mother, even if it means death or being banished with no chance of returning to the capital! Father! I beg you..."
Emperor Liang closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then exhaled softly, as if he had no choice.
"Xu'er, you are my son, how could I possibly kill you or demote you? Since you are willing to take the blame for the sinful minister and his wife, then fine, you will receive thirty strokes of the cane in front of the Taiji Hall at noon tomorrow, and you will be confined to your Zhen'an Prince's Mansion for half a year to reflect on your mistakes. You are not allowed to step out of the mansion without my order. After half a year, I will bestow a marriage upon you and Miss Yang."
Qi Junxu pursed his lips, released Emperor Liang, and kowtowed on the ground: "Thank you, Father Emperor."
"Li Shengquan, find someone to send the Second Prince back to his residence."
"yes."
...
The next day, Qi Junxu received thirty strokes of the cane in front of the Taiji Hall. After the punishment, his lower body was covered in blood and his skin was torn open. He fainted on the spot, and it was uncertain whether he would ever be able to walk again. And this was a cane! Made of chestnut wood, the striking end was shaped like a mallet and covered with iron plates with barbs. With each strike, the executioner would pull, tearing a large chunk of flesh and skin from the victim's body!
An ordinary person would faint after just a few blows! Let alone thirty blows! That's practically a death sentence; since the founding of the Great Liang Dynasty, no one has ever been known to have survived it!
He was also imprisoned in the Prince's Palace by Emperor Liang for half a year to reflect on his mistakes. As soon as this matter came out, it caused a great uproar throughout the court and the country. No one knew what mistake he had made that had offended Emperor Liang to this extent.
However, his marriage to Yang Ningyan has not yet been made public. Only a few people know about it. Keeping it a secret for the time being is also for the sake of Miss Yang's reputation. Qi Junxu has been caned. If his marriage is announced now, the world may think that he angered His Majesty because he refused to marry Miss Yang, which would not be good for Yang Ningyan's reputation.
Jiang Yi's neck wound has almost healed. Qi Junxu's stab wasn't deep, and after applying ointment for a few days, it started to scab over. It's healed, but it's a bit unsightly. As the weather gradually warms up, even when she wears light clothing, a conspicuous mark can still be seen on her fair neck. After the scab falls off, it will probably leave a shallow scar. Fortunately, applying some makeup can cover it up a bit.
After returning from the palace, He Lin secluded himself in his study and refused to see anyone. Jiang Yi knew he was heartbroken. Although his enemy was dead, he did not feel the satisfaction of revenge. Perhaps this hatred would gradually fade with time, but the pain of the past would not be erased. After all, those injuries were real, and the scars all over his body were the best proof.
Even though He Lin is the head of Yu Ling Pavilion, a ruthless character who crawled out of piles of corpses, and appears cruel and heartless to outsiders, his true nature is still kind. People who are too kind often transfer their hatred to themselves when they no longer have someone to hate, and find a reason to live by punishing themselves.
Jiang Yi didn't want to see He Lin fall into this vicious cycle. He shouldn't punish himself. On the contrary, he should take good care of himself. Even if no one in the world loves or protects him, he should cherish himself.
This is probably what people mean when they say, "Love yourself before you love others."
He Lin, that bitter gourd, has had enough of a bitter and painful life in the first half of his life. Now that his enemy is dead, he should live a good life and live under the sun!
When Qi Junxu kidnapped her in the Taiji Hall, Jiang Yi could tell that He Lin intended to let him go. Otherwise, based on his years of experience in killing, he knew that even if Qi Junxu had eight hands, he wouldn't have been able to kidnap her from him.
He Lin is a man of strong likes and dislikes. His only target for revenge has always been Shangguan Qingyao. Even though Qi Junxu knew everything his mother had done but chose to keep it a secret, as long as he never actively harmed anyone, He Lin would never hold him accountable, regardless of whether they were half-brothers...
Jiang Yi, carrying a plate of freshly washed grapes, knocked on the study door. Only after hearing a response from inside did she push the door open and go in.
Looking up and seeing that it was her, He Lin smiled slightly and teased, "You're being so polite with me now, at least knocking before coming in. Didn't you used to just push the door open?"
Jiang Yi slammed the fruit plate down in front of him, crossed her arms, and raised an eyebrow: "Fine, from now on I won't knock when I enter your study! You said it yourself."
He Lin shook his head helplessly: "Yes, I said it."
As he spoke, he slowly rolled up his new work on the table. Jiang Yi noticed that it seemed to be a new drawing, and she became curious. She went around the table and tried to snatch it from his hand to take a look.
When she touched his fingers, they were still a little damp. She couldn't help but ask curiously, "What are you painting today? Why are you being so secretive? The painting isn't even completely dry yet, and you're just rolling it up like that. Aren't you afraid the colors will bleed together? Won't all that hard work be ruined?"
He Lin opened his mouth, looking like he wanted to say something but hesitated. Before he could answer, she opened the painting first.
Jiang Yi raised her hand slightly towards the window, and after a long while, she could barely make out that the person standing under the tree was a woman.
"Hey, don't you always paint landscapes and never people? Who's this woman in the picture? When did you accept this commission? How come I didn't know? How much was the deposit? Was it still a hundred gold coins? You're something else! You're secretly doing something big behind my back!"
He Lin: "..."
He's talking sweet nothings to a deaf person and giving a flirtatious look to a blind person. Jiang Yi is completely clueless and doesn't understand romance at all!
After a long silence, He Lin said, "I only paint landscapes, but I will only paint portraits of one person in my life."
"Huh? Who is it?"
Jiang Yi looked down but still couldn't recognize who the person in the drawing was. She asked, "Is this your mother? Ah, I mean Consort Su."
After all, He Lin's mother passed away many years ago, so it's possible that he created paintings to commemorate her.
He Lin took a breath and snatched the painting from her hands.
"Alright, stop talking. I'm really talking to a brick wall!"
Jiang Yi: "???"
Who are you calling a duck or a cow?! Does being a chicken make you superior? Being able to play the piano makes you something special?!
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