Chapter 250 I Call Him Brother
"We know we are wrong, please forgive us, Your Highness!"
The people who were beaten all knelt down and admitted their mistakes. Wei Lingze also knelt down, but what he said was: "Your Highness, please look carefully. They were the ones who started gossiping about me and coveting my wife, so I..."
The Crown Prince interrupted Wei Lingze: "So Lord Wei thinks there's nothing wrong with him brawling in public in the Imperial Palace?"
The Crown Prince's voice was slightly cold, releasing the pressure of the crown prince. Wei Lingze quickly changed his words: "I know I was wrong. Please forgive me, Your Highness."
Everyone admitted their mistakes, and the prince punished those who gossiped with twenty strokes of the cane each. Wei Lingze was the first to attack, and was even worse, so he was punished with thirty strokes of the cane.
At the prince's command, the imperial guards immediately came forward to carry out the punishment.
Before the execution, the Crown Prince spoke softly and warned, "The envoys are coming to the palace to discuss matters today. Anyone who makes a noise and attracts the envoys to watch the joke will bear the consequences themselves."
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone gritted their teeth and dared not utter a sound. They all knew in their hearts that the reason the prince punished them severely was not only because they had gathered a crowd to fight, but also because they had ignored the overall situation and started a quarrel with their own people before the envoys left the capital.
The prince personally supervised the situation and the imperial guards did not dare to be vague. When the beating was over, everyone was beaten so badly that their faces turned pale and they couldn't get up.
"Come here, escort them out of the palace and tell their families why this prince punished them. Let them recuperate at home and reflect on their mistakes. If they still behave in this way after their injuries have healed, they don't need to come back."
Hearing this, their faces turned even paler. The prince had spoken, and they were afraid that their elders would peel off a layer of skin from their skin when they returned home. The price of these few words was too high.
Wei Lingze had been plagued by troubles recently and had become somewhat numb, but he was very calm. However, just as he was being helped up by the palace servants, he heard the prince say, "Lord Wei is restless and has difficulty controlling his emotions. It would be better for him to spend more time at home to cultivate his character."
Wei Lingze suddenly looked up at the prince: "Your Highness, what do you mean by this?"
The prince met Wei Lingze's gaze and asked, "What do you think, Lord Wei?"
Wei Lingze suddenly felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar.
From the moment he lost to Shen Qingyuan, he guessed that he would be subjected to a lot of contempt and ridicule, and might even be demoted and not be reused for a long time, but he did not expect that the prince would suspend his post again.
This time, he is afraid that it will be difficult to be re-employed.
"Your Highness, I was indeed a little impulsive today, but is this punishment too severe?"
Wei Lingze struggled to speak, trying to argue for himself, but he heard the Crown Prince say, "During the winter hunt, you refused to listen and challenged your own people in front of the envoys. Today, you fought in the palace again, and even secretly kept a concubine and hurt others for her. Do I need to explain all this more clearly?"
He was not suspended because of what happened today, but all his behavior in the past period of time has proved that he is self-willed and reckless. He is a person who can lose his mind at any time and is not capable of being used.
Wei Lingze's head drooped a little bit, and after a long while, he said dejectedly, "Your Highness the Crown Prince is wise. I will reflect on this and cultivate my character after returning home."
The palace maid helped Wei Lingze walk outside. After a few steps, they heard the conversation between the prince and Shen Qingyuan.
"You're old enough to have a child. Calculating the time, you should be able to hold a hundred-day banquet by this time next year, right?"
"Almost. But my wife and I don't like to make a fuss, so we may not do it when the time comes."
"Whether you do it or not, I will definitely give you this gift. My son Yi'er is about to go to school, so why not let him become your tutor? When your child grows up, he can enter the palace as your study companion. What do you think?"
“…”
The distance between the two sides widened, and Wei Lingze could not hear what Shen Qingyuan answered. He only knew that the prince spoke to Shen Qingyuan in a very cordial tone, not like a monarch and his subject, but more like friends of many years, which was completely different from his attitude towards him.
Wei Lingze was a little confused. Hadn't Shen Qingyuan been silent in Jingzhao Prefecture for ten years? When did his relationship with the prince become so good?
Due to the series of injuries and the severe blow he suffered, Wei Lingze fainted on the way and had a high fever when he got home.
When Yun heard that he had fought with someone in the palace and was suspended from his post by the prince, her eyelids twitched wildly. But when she saw that he had a high fever, she felt distressed. She quickly had him carried back to Lingfeng Courtyard and sent someone to Huichun Hall to call for a doctor.
The fire was so fierce that Wei Lingze fell into a nightmare. Sometimes he shouted that he wanted to kill Xuanyuan Lang, and sometimes he cursed Chunxi. In the end, the only name that came out of his mouth was He'er's.
He finally realized that the girl who had made his heart beat fast in his childhood was the one he truly loved, and he could not lose her.
Yun's heart was broken by Wei Lingze's shouting. She didn't care that it was late at night and went to Xiao's house again.
"It's all my fault. I was partial to Ze'er and caused He'er to suffer so much. I was also confused and had someone drug He'er, wanting to tie her down with the child. I can kneel down and apologize to He'er. As long as He'er can see Ze'er again, I will do anything you ask me to do."
As Yun spoke, she raised her hand and slapped herself twice. Her eyes were red and swollen from crying. She had none of the dignity of the mistress of the Wei family. She was just a mother who loved her son.
Madam Xiao stopped her and said, "He'er doesn't know any medical skills. What's the point of her going back to the Wei family with you?"
Yun said hurriedly, "Ze'er is in a state of terror now. The doctor can't do anything about it, but he keeps calling He'er's name. Maybe He'er can wake him up."
Madam Xiao frowned and was about to refuse, but Xiao Qinghe suddenly appeared: "Mother, I am willing to go back to the Wei family with my mother."
Hearing Xiao Qinghe's voice, Yun heaved a sigh of relief and quickly said to her, "Ze'er is having a severe fever now. The situation is really critical. He'er, if you are willing to come back with me, I will remember this kindness for the rest of my life."
Madam Xiao did not agree with Xiao Qinghe's approach and wanted to persuade him again, but Xiao Qinghe said softly, "Some things must be discussed face to face. It's no use hiding like this."
If Wei Lingze is willing to let go and divorce after waking up, both families can save a lot of trouble.
Xiao Qinghe's expression was firm. Madam Xiao knew that she could not persuade him, so she could only warn Yun: "He'er has suffered a lot in the Wei family. If something happens again this time, our two families will be at war to the death!"
Yun responded repeatedly and left with Xiao Qinghe. When they walked out of the Xiao family's gate, they saw an extraordinary man on horseback guarding the carriage.
Yun didn't recognize Xiao Yechen. Seeing him staring at her with a bad look on his face, she asked doubtfully, "He'er, who is this...?"
Xiao Qinghe lowered her eyes to suppress her surprise and said softly, "His name is Xiao Yechen. He was adopted by the Xiao family when he was young. I call him Brother."
Xiao Qinghe's voice was gentle and soft. As soon as he called "brother", Xiao Yechen immediately grabbed the reins and his throat started to roll. Fortunately, the night blocked his view and no one noticed.
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