Chapter 259: Punishment
“Fine! So that’s why you let us in so easily—you were waiting here!”
“What nerve! Come here, men! Beat her hard for this princess—see if she dares to use clever words to deceive this princess again!”
Hearing her order, a few maids who hadn’t thrown things earlier stepped forward to prepare to slap her hard!
“No, Your Highness, it was you who forced your way in just now…”
“Don’t hit her, Princess!” Zisu and Honglian hurriedly pleaded. For a moment, Zui Yue Pavilion was abuzz with chatter.
“What’s going on? I wasn’t aware that my Zui Yue Pavilion would have such a lively day!”
Suddenly, a cool voice approached from afar, the chill piercing the hearts of everyone in the room.
Feng Qingcheng’s eyes shot out cold arrows as he glanced at Feng Zhi.
He strode in with firm steps, eyes straight ahead.
Li Xi’er hadn’t expected him to come at this time, so she quietly lowered the fist she had just clenched!
“Qingcheng, you’re back?” A flash of surprise crossed Feng Zhi’s eyes. Wasn’t he at morning court? How did he return so quickly?
She wasn’t sure if that glance earlier was an illusion, but it made her extremely uncomfortable. Her thoughts turned, and she quickly regained her calm and asked with concern.
A fierce glint flashed across Feng Qingcheng’s face. He didn’t respond to her but looked at Zisu and Honglian before him and scolded,
“How do you handle things? Bu Wei, listen—these people in Zui Yue Pavilion are incompetent and clearly disregard this general’s orders. Take them all out and give them one hundred strokes of the rod!”
“What?”
Feng Zhi was shocked. Wasn’t this slapping her sister’s face? Was this meant for her to see?
“Qingcheng, you…”
“I discipline the servants in my Yu Qing Palace—please don’t interfere, sister!” Feng Zhi was speechless.
Honglian and Zisu quickly knelt down. “This servant is guilty. It’s this servant’s fault. This servant willingly accepts the punishment!”
The other palace servants, who had been dazed by the shock, came to their senses and now knew what had happened. They trembled in fear for their fates!
“And what’s this about?”
Feng Qingcheng gestured with his eyes at the mess of things scattered on the ground. The group of maids shuddered in fear, their legs giving way as they all knelt on the ground!
“Does this mean you did this?”
“Your Highness, spare us!” They had done it earlier, but they had been punished, stung painfully all over by those things…
“Hmph! Ignorant cheap maids, how dare you come to my Zui Yue Pavilion to show off without this prince’s permission? Do you know what you’ve done? You’ve damaged this prince’s precious items. Three hundred strokes—go receive your punishment yourselves.”
“Ah, Your Highness, spare us!”
Could they survive three hundred strokes? The God of War was truly cold and ruthless. The group of maids immediately collapsed on the ground, crying in a heap.
“Spare you? Did you think of the consequences when you boldly damaged this prince’s items?”
Bad luck!
The servants were speechless. It was all Princess Luoning’s orders—they had only followed commands!
Seeing the princess unmoved, they despaired but clung to one last hope and knelt to beg Princess Your Highness for mercy!
Princess Luoning’s face turned from pale to flushed red. Feng Qingcheng was clearly slapping her sister’s face. How could she boldly come to Yu Qing Palace again after this?
“Ahem… Qingcheng, this is a misunderstanding. Sister just thought those filthy things and filthy people in Yu Qing Palace’s Zui Yue Pavilion would harm your reputation and the royal majesty, so she ordered them to throw them out!”
“Heh, sister, I won’t trouble you to worry about matters in my Yu Qing Palace. I’ve never had the filthy things or filthy people you mentioned—only precious treasures!”
A double entendre!
“But they are the ones who were bullied! That woman made those things sting them so badly they nearly died!”
“Shut up! Aren’t they standing here perfectly fine? Where are they hurt? Show me the injuries!”
“This, this… this isn’t…”
“Hmph! They did wrong and now try to turn the tables? Would they have been stung if they hadn’t touched those things? I personally saw your servants raise hands to hit my guest when I came in!”
“I’ve long heard your Princess’s Mansion is a foul atmosphere, full of servants like these who don’t distinguish right from wrong and overstep rules—no wonder!”
“What did you say…” Accusing her of meddling and not even managing her own Princess’s Mansion servants well!
“Sister came today to visit Mother, right? Mother has had loss of appetite and insomnia these past couple of days. I’m busy with official duties, and as a man, I don’t know much about food. If you’re free, you could think of ways to help condition her!”
“As for them, without rules, there’s no order. As servants, since they damaged my precious items, they must pay the price—especially for daring to hit my guest! This prince didn’t take their lives directly, which is their luck. Otherwise, how could the God of War of Feng Lan Kingdom maintain his authority? How could he preserve face?”
Outside Zui Yue Pavilion, cries of pain rose and fell. Feng Zhi slunk back to Consort Li’s Jin Xi Hall, her face pale and weak. “Mother, Third Child went too far. You must stand up for me!”
Consort Li fiddled with her prayer beads one by one. She opened her narrowed eyes and gave her a look of hating iron for not becoming steel. Who asked her to give birth to such a useless only daughter? She had nearly lost all her old face!
If not for Third Child covering for her, her deeds—if spread—would have her spine poked through!
If His Majesty blamed her, how many heads did she have? She still had to rely on him now!
“Zhi’er, calm down first. You know Third Child’s temperament—it’s getting harder and harder to fathom these days. What did you do just now? Tell me everything that happened!”
Calm down? How could she calm down when he punished her servants in front of her, beating them until blood flowed!
“Mother, you said it would be fine to go cause her trouble now. Look, not only were they stunned by those items, but now they face three hundred strokes—probably won’t survive!”
“I didn’t expect him to turn back suddenly. I confirmed he went to morning court before telling you to go! Besides, you were too reckless. I told you to scout the situation, but instead of driving people out, you had to beat them and throw things!” Caught red-handed and dealt with!
“Hmph! I don’t care—my face is completely lost!”
“So he rushed back to back her up directly!” Consort Li ignored her and said meaningfully.
“In my view…”
“What’s so special about this woman?”
“Extremely beautiful, one of the rare few in Feng Lan Kingdom.”
Feng Zhi had to admit it. Even without makeup, she was as beautiful as a lotus emerging from clear water, plus she had a natural temperament!
Turning back for a mere common woman—was it just because of her beauty? This made her even more curious.
In Zui Yue Pavilion, Li Xi’er picked up the things from the ground, trying to see if they could be pieced together!
Her dark eyes fixed on the things in her hand, she said faintly, “Senior Brother Feng, Zisu and Honglian did nothing wrong!”
“Bu Wei knows his limits!”
“Mm.”
“Why didn’t I see you plead earlier?”
“You handling your servants has its own reason. I won’t seek attention!” A guest should have a guest’s awareness!
“You play the guest’s limits without holding back.”
“Thanks for the compliment! But, Senior Brother Feng, don’t dislike me clinging to you!”
“You can stay in Zui Yue Pavilion as long as you want—no need to fear anyone bullying you!” Feng Qingcheng’s low, husky voice sounded.
Li Xi’er’s lips curved up. “Thank you!”
