eady putting his advice into action. The maidservants were begging for mercy, their pleas drowned out by her ferocious wails. The delicate-looking young girl seemed utterly merciless. He hoped she wo..."Father, how cruel you are!"

Gu Xiuming suddenly cried out in a loud, anguished voice. Having finished speaking, he burst into maniacal laughter, his deranged cackle causing everyone present to frown. The imperial eunuch who had delivered the decree hadn't even left yet, and he was acting like this Was he courting death

Gu Jingxi stood up, turned her head, and glared at him with a warning in her eyes: "Xiuming, shut your mouth!"

Now that things have come to this, Gu Xiuming speaks without regard, laughing through his tears, and snarls, "Father, do you really consider me your son I think you see me as a dog that comes when called and is dismissed when unwanted. When you're done with me, you just want to send me far away!"

As soon as he spoke, silence fell over the surroundings.

Madam Gu, supported by Meng Jinyao, rose to her feet with a face full of displeasure and angrily questioned: "Xiuming, I truly didn't expect you to be such a white-eyed wolf. Even now, you blame your father Was it your father who forced you to make mistakes and harm your mother A person should have conscience. If your father didn't treat you as his son, why would he personally teach you Besides, when you were sick and unconscious that year, why did he stay by your side day and night taking care of you When you died, wouldn't it be alright to adopt another one"

Gu Xiumin was taken aback by this.

At this moment, both the people in the main house and the secondary house recalled that Gu Xiu Ming had once suffered a sudden illness, his condition worsening rapidly. At that time, Gu Jing Xi had taken leave to stay at home and look after him. This showed that Gu Jing Xi did care for this son of his. If this son hadn't committed a series of outrageous acts, Gu Jing Xi wouldn't have given up on him.

Gu Jingxi didn't want to listen to this rebellious son rant anymore, lest he would upset his old mother. He asked the eunuch who delivered the imperial decree: "Eunuch, should these two scoundrels be punished now Then let's begin. If the boards don't hit their flesh, I see they still won't realize their wrongdoing."

The father-in-law had originally intended to watch the play, but upon hearing this, he nodded in agreement. His sharp voice rang out again, instructing the person he had brought from the palace: "Carry out corporal punishment on Master Gu San and Mrs. Li!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the eunuchs stepped forward and dragged Gu Xiuming and Li Wan'er, who were still kneeling, out. They swiftly stripped them of their thick winter clothes, leaving only their single garments before administering punishment. This was done to ensure that the pain of the beating was maximized; thick clothing would have lessened the impact and rendered the punishment ineffective.

Elder Madam Gu was old and couldn't bear to see such a scene, so she left with the help of a maid. Mrs. Jiang, Xiu Yuan's wife who was six months pregnant, couldn't stand the sight either for fear of giving her child a scare, so she also left first. The remaining members of the Gu family stayed to watch the punishment, which served as a warning to everyone else, reminding them to think carefully before acting in the future.

The flogging began, the boards striking顧修明的 and 李婉兒的 hips with brutal force. Their screams rose and fell in waves of agony.

Gu Xiuming was lashed thirty times, Li Wan'er twenty. Her lashing ended before Gu Xiuming's, but the pain caused her to faint. Although Gu Xiuming didn't faint, by the end, he was in so much pain that he could barely cry out. His face contorted with agony as he collapsed on the ground, gasping for breath, like a dead man. His eyes were fixed on Gu Jingxi, filled with intense hatred.

Crutches are actually much lighter than walking sticks. Even if a twenty or thirty-year-old uses them, there is no danger to their life. However, one is delicate and the other is a pampered young master, so they appear to be in much worse condition than others.

The execution was over, the two were led away from Changxing Hou's mansion. Five days later, they would be escorted by an official in charge of transporting criminals to their place of exile, Yaizhou.

Disobedience is a heinous sin that cannot be forgiven, even during a general amnesty. They will spend the rest of their lives in Yamazu, united but exiled, never to return to the capital.

After they were taken away, the people from the first and second houses looked at Gu Jingxi's couple, not knowing what to say. They could only offer some comfort, telling them to calm down and not let their anger ruin their health. Then, they returned to their own courtyards.

Meng Jin Yao saw that everyone had dispersed, she raised her eyes to look at the man beside her. Seeing his expression indifferent, unable to tell joy or anger, she reached out and grabbed his finger, "Husband, let's go back."

Gu Jingxi gently nodded and said softly, "A Yao, I'm going to my mother's place. You go back first."

Meng Jin Yao nodded obediently: "Good, go ahead. I'll go back first." She had taken only a few steps when she turned back and asked, "Husband, will you need to wait for dinner tonight"

Gu Jingxi replied, "I'll go and say a few words to my mother and be right back. It won't take long."

Upon hearing this, Meng Jin Yao nodded again: “By the time you return, it will almost be dinner time. Go to your mother’s side quickly.”

Shouantang.

Yesterday evening, Old Madam Gu learned of Xiu Ming's actions and was so enraged that she couldn't sleep. Today, she looked listless and exhausted. After hearing the imperial decree upon her return, she seemed to have aged several years.

At first, she chose Xiu Ming from among her grandchildren because he resembled her son in appearance. Over the years, she has been very satisfied with Xiu Ming, this well-behaved grandson, and rather favored him. However, in the past year, Xiu Ming has done so many outrageous things.

Last year, Xiuming kowtowed to her and Ayao to apologize, saying he wanted to sincerely repent. She truly believed him, but it was just a smokescreen. It's clear that Xiuming over the past year is showing his true colors.

Until last night, she was utterly disappointed in Xiuming.

When Gu Jingxi arrived, he saw his mother's tired expression and her hands gently moving a rosary. He bowed and then sat down, apologetically saying, "Mother, I'm sorry that Xiu Ming's matter has upset you."

“Gu Lao Fu's face was full of remorse. "Yao Ling, I truly shouldn't have let you choose him back then. Now the Hou Mansion's reputation has been ruined by him, and you've also been punished by the Emperor for failing to discipline your son."

Gu Jingxi comforted her, "Mother, we are humans, not gods. We don't have the ability to see the future. Everything is predetermined in the dark. Don't overthink it."

Seeing his mother still looked full of remorse, he smiled and said, "Our family is not short of money. I was fined a year's salary, which is nothing. A month of closed-door reflection felt pretty good to me, just like a month of rest. I could still spend time with Ayo, though I couldn't go out. It was peaceful and carefree, without any paperwork or official duties."

When Old Madam Gu heard her son speak so casually, the tension in her expression eased somewhat. After a moment of thought, she cautiously asked, "Yao Ling, was this exile your idea or the Emperor's"

“It was the emperor’s decree, of course, but to have Li shi and Xiu Ming exiled to the same place, that was my idea,” Gu Jingxi lowered his eyes slightly, with a meaningful tone. “I thought that they were as close as gold, and surely wouldn't want to be separated. As elders, we should help them out a bit.”

Hearing this, Lady Gu's expression faltered. It was a kind thing to say, but how did she hear the hint of schadenfreude

Enough, enough. Such a heartless wretch. She's too tired to pay any more attention, otherwise, she might get sick from anger. Instead, she feels incredibly grateful: "My son finally got married, and thankfully, yesterday Ayao had evidence. Otherwise, they would have framed her successfully, ruining her completely. But you also need to comfort Ayao well. She's a young girl; although she appears calm on the surface, I’m sure she’s terrified inside."

Gu Jingxi nodded and said, "Son, you'd better

Old Madam Gu worried about her daughter-in-law, so she didn't say much to him. She directly ordered him to leave, sending her son back: "Alright, go back and comfort A Yao. I'm fine, you don't need to worry. I've lived half my life, seen all kinds of storms." He wasn't treated like one of their own, so they wouldn't hesitate to be harsh. If he were their blood, this wouldn't happen. Twenty lashes from the Gu family whip - that was half a life! For someone...