Xiao Yao looked around. Everyone looked so unfriendly! Only her two aunts, her fifth brother, and her younger sister looked at her with sympathy. The rest of the people had as grim expressions as they could be.
This time the trouble seems to be a bit big. Although Xiao Yao believes that she can defeat Luo Yan, her family doesn't know! How will this end?
"She must be punished." Xiao Yang was very angry with his sister today. A little girl who was not even ten years old actually dared to bet her life. She was too bold and too unruly. She must be severely punished.
Xiao Yi also nodded. His sister was getting bolder and bolder. What would happen if he didn't take care of her?
"Sister, if you lose, I will never see you again. Fifth brother can't help you today." For the first time since he was born, Xiao Jun stood against his sister.
Xiao Yao lowered her head obediently and listened to the lectures from her family. She couldn't help but sigh in her heart. This time she was probably doomed. The treatment she received as a star in the past was replaced by being condemned by everyone. Bad things were going to happen!
"You are such a naughty child. Look how scared you are to your grandmother and your parents. I will take her to the study and teach her a lesson. You all say you are tired, so go back and have a rest!" Old Marquis Xiao saw that everyone had almost vented their anger and was about to convict his granddaughter, so he took the initiative, picked up his granddaughter and slipped away without looking back.
The people who stayed in the hall looked at each other, speechless at the old man's behavior. All the preparations everyone had just made were wasted. No wonder Ping An was so brave. What was she afraid of with someone backing her up?
"Is that it?" Qin murmured. A girl dared to gamble her life, and was finished with just a few words of teaching. Who could guarantee that she would not do something more outrageous in the future?
"You guys decide how to punish her. I'll take care of her father, but the child just recovered a short time ago. Can we just let her kneel in the ancestral hall and avoid the family law?" After all, he is her father! Xiao Jingkang couldn't bear to see his daughter suffer.
"Just punish your sister by making her copy books! She is most afraid of this." Xiao Jun was angry, but he didn't want to see his sister being beaten.
Is she really afraid of copying books? Tong Mingyu expressed her doubts. If she was really afraid, she wouldn't do such an unexpected thing! In other people's families, if a girl dared to do such a thing, she would be grounded at best, and sent to the family temple at worst. In any case, she would not be let off.
"Let her copy more Heart Sutra and Buddhist scriptures!" Qin has always believed that Buddhism can purify the soul. If her granddaughter copies more Buddhist scriptures, perhaps she can correct her bold and reckless behavior.
"Punish her to be confined to her home for another six months. Except for the New Year when she can reunite with everyone, she must stay in Yaoyuan Building to reflect on her mistakes!" Tong Mingyu said grimly.
After the punishment result came out, Xiao Jingkang went to his father's study and conveyed everyone's opinions amid his daughter's astonished eyes and his old father's furious anger.
"Although Ping'an's behavior was wrong, it is also a fact that the prince will never come to bother him again, isn't it? You are now lecturing the child with a sense of confidence. Why didn't anyone have a good idea at that time? I don't agree with your punishment. If you must punish Ping'an, then I will accompany my little granddaughter to be punished together." Old Marquis Xiao refused to give in.
"Grandfather, please don't be angry about Ping An. I'll just go back to Yaoyuan Building. I was wrong today, and Daddy deserves to punish me." Although she said this, Xiao Yao couldn't suppress her sadness. She had obviously solved the trouble for the family, so why did everyone blame her in the end! Her tears fell like beads from a broken string, crackling and falling. She bit her lip stubbornly, refusing to let herself cry out loud.
Lord Xiao was heartbroken when he saw this scene. It was the first time he saw his granddaughter so aggrieved. Xiao Jingkang was also distressed, and his father was right. If it weren't for his daughter's wit today, who knows how long she would have been entangled with Luo Yan!
"Don't cry, Ping'an. Daddy and Mommy are really afraid of losing you. Have you ever thought about what to do if you lose? Do you want to kill Daddy, Mommy, and Grandfather?
We understand that you proposed the bet with the twelfth prince to help your family out of trouble, but what girl would be so bold as to do such a thing? This punishment is to remind you to be cautious in your words and actions. When your parents make decisions for you, you must not act impulsively. Do you understand? "Xiao Jingkang said earnestly.
"Daughter understands. Daughter accepts the punishment." Xiao Yao was powerless to refute her father's lectures, and she couldn't refute them.
"This punishment is too severe. House arrest for one month and reciting the Heart Sutra ten times. That's it!" Old Marquis Xiao waved his hand, thinking that a single word would decide the outcome.
"Father, if it's according to you, what difference does it make whether I am punished or not?" It's really a headache to meet such an old man. Xiao Jingkang is rubbing his brows with both hands at this moment, trying to reason with the old man with a worried look on his face.
"Whether to punish Ping An or not is probably not something you can decide alone! Go back and discuss it with your mother and your wife, and tell them that I disagree with your decision." Old Marquis Xiao had a sarcastic smile on his face. He was no longer willing to care about his son's face. He wanted to punish his granddaughter, but also wanted to save face. What was he thinking!
"Father!" Xiao Jingkang felt ashamed and guilty. When he came, he thought that this matter would not be easy to handle, but he did not expect that his old father was willing to become an enemy of the whole family for the sake of safety.
The result of the discussion was to confine Xiao Yao to her home for three months, to copy thirty copies of the Four Books for Women and the Buddhist scriptures, and to make her promise that she would never make decisions on her own without the permission of her elders.
This was considered a compromise. Old Marquis Xiao was very angry and scolded everyone who had participated in the discussion of punishing his granddaughter. In the end, he managed to secure an extra holiday for his granddaughter on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, and the confinement would end the day before Xiao Yao's birthday.
According to custom, the next day was the day when Princess Xiyue would return home. Xiao Jingyan had been looked down upon by his father for two days because of his niece, so it was strange that he could be in a good mood towards Luo Yan and his group.
While the handsome man was away, Princess Xiyue quietly pulled Luo Yan and Prince Huaiyang aside and described to them what had happened in the Xiao family in the past two days, and emphasized the punishment that Xiao Yao had received.
"She's still under house arrest even though she's already won. She might as well have lost to me!" Luo Yan felt sorry for Xiao Yao because he definitely couldn't bear to punish the little beauty.
"I'm telling you this because the Xiao family has been in a bad mood recently. Don't mention the little beauty when you talk, or you might get angry with your brother-in-law." Xiyue gave her cousin a stern warning.
"Cousin, now that you have your brother-in-law, you don't have anyone else in your eyes, right? I may not mention the little beauty today, but in a few years I will definitely come to pick her up and take her to Northern Jin."
"You..." Xi Yue leaned on the maid, panting. How could she have forgotten her cousin's true nature? He wasn't the kind of person who would let go easily. She really didn't know if she would be divorced by her handsome husband when he came to Tianyu again. No, she had to have a baby before things got too bad. As long as she had a child, who would dare to chase her away?
"So, cousin, please help me take good care of the little beauty in the next few years. When I come to Tianyu next time, we can become relatives." Luo Yan gave instructions while admiring Princess Xiyue's gradually pale face.
Xiyue really wished she hadn't seen her cousin today, nor heard his crazy words. How could she explain this to the Xiao family? She would quickly ask them to find a husband for the little beauty after returning home, and marry her off before her cousin arrived. That's right, that's what she would do.
"You don't have to think of useless ideas. Don't even mention that I will come before she gets married. Even if she gets married, as long as I like her, I can still take her away."
Princess Xiyue believed that her cousin was telling the truth, and that there was really nothing he couldn't do. Now, Princess Xiyue didn't know what to do.
Prince Huaiyang was also troubled by his cousin, but he couldn't think of any good solution. He just hoped that in two years, he would forget about the little girl from the Xiao family, or find someone prettier than her. Prince Huaiyang now particularly hoped that Xiao Yao would become uglier and uglier. That way, the problem would be much easier to solve.
The distinguished guests from Northern Jin didn't stay any longer, and they returned early the next morning. Only Xiao Jingyan and his wife, along with Xiao Jingmin, an official from the Ministry of Rites, were there to see them off. Before leaving, Luo Yan shouted to Xiao Jingmin, "Take care, Third Uncle!" Many people heard this, and before the Xiao brothers could react, Luo Yan laughed and walked away.
This day was also the day Xiao Yao and Xiao Yuan agreed to visit Prince Jing's mansion. Tong Mingyu didn't know how to reply to Princess Jing. Her daughter had just been confined and must not be released. But how should she explain this to the princess? For a moment, Tong Mingyu really couldn't think of any good ideas.
"I haven't visited the palace for some time. How about asking sister-in-law to give my mother and me a day off today so that we can go out and relax?" Yuan Yutong appeared in front of Tong Mingyu at the right time.
"Sister-in-law, you are my sister-in-law's savior. I am writing a letter of apology to the princess and explaining why Ping An can't come to visit. Could you please be my sister-in-law's messenger?"
"No problem, I promise to complete the task assigned by my sister-in-law." Yuan Yutong almost patted his chest to make the promise.
Tong Mingyu quickly ordered the maid to prepare pen and ink, thought about the wording, and wrote a letter of apology to Princess Jing.
When Qiuying came to pick someone up, she found that the scene in front of her was completely different from what she had expected. Her first reaction was that the eldest daughter of the Xiao family was sick again?
"I'm going to see my cousin and the princess. I'll explain to the princess in person why Ping'an can't go." Yuan Yutong didn't want to embarrass her sister-in-law, so she took over the topic.
"Our princess will be very happy that cousin can visit the palace. Let's go now." Although Qiu Ying had countless doubts in her mind, she would not ask any more questions due to her status. As long as the Xiao family gave an explanation to the princess, she would not be derelict in her duty.
Tong Mingyu watched the carriage departing, feeling a mixture of emotions. She wondered how her daughter was doing, whether she was angry with her mother. She also wondered what the princess would think when she found out what her daughter had done...
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