spoiled brat

Chapter 141 140. Empty Flowers (10)

"Your Highness!" The man surnamed Chen was in a sorry state, sweat and mud beading on his forehead, pleading, "I haven't done anything seriously wrong!"

Impatient, Yi Xing gestured to his left and right to hurry up and do it.

The palace guard drew his dagger from his waist. When the man surnamed Chen saw that he was about to be tortured in the street, he was so frightened that he was paralyzed like a piece of rotten paper.

The palace guards grabbed the man, pried open his mouth, and were about to shove a knife into his mouth.

The man surnamed Chen struggled desperately, looking around in terror: "Brothers! Help me!"

The playboys who usually called him brother pretended not to hear him, keeping their eyes down and not standing up for him.

The man surnamed Chen had his lips cut, and the blade was scraping his teeth painfully. Just as he was about to lose his tongue, he suddenly heard a voice say, "Your Highness, no!"

Minister Jiang said sternly, "How can you use private law when the matter is not yet clear?"

Yi Xing glanced at the playboys, who knew they were in the wrong and dared not speak out, so they had to let Zhao Zhao explain the whole story.

Xiu Yi's expression grew cold, and Yi Xing suddenly laughed: "Well, well, disrespectful to teachers and elders, disregarding hierarchy, offending the princess, and even riding your horse through the streets—"

The spoiled brats sensed the chilling intent in his voice and instantly slumped into a row, ignoring the onlookers around them, and kowtowed and begged for mercy with their tails between their legs.

Seeing that Yi Xing was unmoved, Minister Jiang Xiuyi stopped trying to persuade him.

Zhao Zhao knew things were going badly. This guy had no regard for appearances, while Xiu Ning still cared about his reputation. So she stepped forward and said:
“Your Highness, although they have gone too far, if the punishment is too severe, it will be detrimental to the princess’s reputation.”

He paused, then added, "Moreover, the princess has always been kind and gentle to her subordinates and dislikes cruel punishments."

Yi Xing lazily raised an eyebrow and looked at Xiu Yi: "In your opinion, how should these people be dealt with?"

"The imperial edict is inscribed on the stone tablet of the official school; it can be dealt with according to the regulations."

“Disrespecting one’s teachers and elders should, according to custom, be punished with thirty strokes of the cane,” Minister Jiang replied.

The spoiled brats were stunned. They had never suffered since birth, how could they possibly endure thirty strokes of the cane?
Fortunately, Minister Jiang said, "But considering that they are first-time offenders, we can reduce their punishment slightly. Each of them will receive ten strokes of the cane, and then they will kneel outside the Mingjing Hall for five hours."

Yi Xing nodded in agreement, and the matter was thus concluded. Zhao Zhao bowed and took her leave, intending to escort the person back to be punished, but was unexpectedly stopped:

"Young lady, please don't rush off."

She turned around, her gaze meeting Minister Jiang's: "What is it, Your Excellency?"

Arrows without heads were scattered on the ground. Minister Jiang picked one up, examined it for a moment, and then said, "They are wrong, but you are not innocent either."

Because of Li Qingwen, Zhao Zhao disliked the old man and was unjustly accused. She protested, "Why?"

Minister Jiang handed the arrow in his hand to Xiu Yi to see. Although it had no arrowhead, the tip was slightly sharpened, so it was not vulnerable and was enough to cause pain.

Yi Xing saw through Zhao Zhao's little trick and laughed, "What a clever girl."

The edict required students to respect their superiors and teachers to have compassion for their subordinates.

The spoiled brats were at fault, but according to her authority, Zhao Zhao had no right to forcibly stop them from returning, let alone use force.

But she was too vindictive and too shrewd; she always managed to find a way to cunningly tear off a piece of flesh.

Xiu Yi tossed aside the arrow and said coldly, "You go kneel too."

-

The setting sun cast a golden glow.

Zhao Zhao knelt before the Mingjing Hall, her head heavy and her vision blurred. The shadow beneath her changed from one to four or five, swaying like water.

She suspected it was just the wind blowing the shadow askew, but the wailing behind her shattered her illusion: "...Brother Wu, our knees are about to give way! Can you please go and beg His Highness to spare us this time..."

"Shut up." Wu Jiu had a chronic leg ailment, and kneeling on the stone ground felt like being pricked by needles.

He pointed at Zhao Zhao's thin and frail back ahead and said with a look of disappointment, "Even that girl is better than you guys!"

These words drifted into Zhao Zhao's ears on the wind. She thought to herself with a self-deprecating smile, "This is the advantage of having a lowly life. You can endure anything and bear anything. You're thick-skinned and tough, and this has become a virtue admired by these rich kids."