With her delicate face and slender waist, the royal uncle lost control.

"The one I struck was naturally the culprit."

Qin Jiuchen's tone was icy: "Who harbors ill intentions, and who is distorting the truth and framing others in full view of everyone?"

"Don't you really know the answer in your hearts?"

Yunwei was so frightened that she trembled like a leaf and desperately shrank behind Xie Shi, not daring to even cry out loud.

Madam Xie was speechless with fear and anger. Remembering her husband's power, she mustered her courage and brought up Yun Chengming.

"Your Highness, this matter is still unresolved. Your use of torture based solely on conjecture puts my Prime Minister's residence in a very unappealing light."

"Speculation?"

Qin Jiuchen seemed to have heard something extremely ridiculous, a cold smile curving his lips, but the smile did not reach his eyes.

"Do I need to explain to you what 'speculation' means in my actions? Besides..."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the disheveled Yun Wei and the struggling Xie Shi. His tone was contemptuous and domineering, "Yun Chengming has failed in his duty to discipline his daughters, allowing his concubines to commit despicable acts of framing and slander at the imperial banquet, bringing shame upon the court. Today, I will discipline him on his behalf. Your Yun family should kowtow to me in gratitude."

Before he finished speaking, he raised his arm again.

"Slap! Slap! Slap!"

Three lashes landed in quick succession, fast and vicious, giving Xie Shi and Yun Wei no chance to dodge or beg for mercy, striking them squarely.

The whip flashed, accompanied by even more piercing screams and cries.

The hairpin on Xie's head was knocked off, and Yunwei was in so much pain that she almost fainted.

The mother and daughter rolled around in a ball, completely losing the composure they had maintained as a wealthy lady.

All that remained were his face covered in terror and bloodstains.

The guests in the hall were terrified and remained silent, none daring to utter a single word.

This Prince Ningxiang is indeed a demon reincarnated; he attacks without hesitation, showing no respect whatsoever even to the Prime Minister's wife.

Even Princess Duanli, the instigator, felt that this bloody scene was a bit excessive, after all, the people being beaten were from the Prime Minister Yun's residence.

More importantly, she had a vague feeling that Qin Jiuchen's anger was not entirely due to the Jade Guanyin, which made her feel uneasy.

She forced a smile and stepped forward, advising, "Fourth Imperial Uncle, please calm down. Since this matter has already been punished, why don't we just let it go?"

Upon hearing this, Qin Jiuchen finally stopped.

He slowly turned around and looked at Yun Nian again.

Yun Nian was also stunned as she stared at everything.

He stepped up to her and bent down slightly.

She looked up at him, her face streaked with tears, her eyes filled with a complex and unreadable expression.

Qin Jiuchen parted his thin lips slightly, "Remember, next time, don't admit to doing something that wasn't your doing."

After saying that, he straightened up and didn't look at her again.

He casually tossed the long whip to the ground, then turned and strode away.

Yun Nian lowered her eyes, concealing the triumphant glint in them.

Because of this unexpected event, Princess Duanli's meticulously prepared Fangfei Banquet ended in a hasty manner.

The guests, each with their own thoughts, hastily took their leave.

Yun Nian returned to the Prime Minister's residence with the imperial carriage. Before she even stepped into her own courtyard, she could hear wailing and sharp curses coming from the direction of the main courtyard.

It's obvious that Xie and Yunwei were crying to Yun Chengming about the "humiliation" they had suffered that day.

Yun Nian silently returned to her courtyard.

"Miss, please sit down. Let me take a look at your injury."

As soon as Qiluo entered the room, her eyes reddened with anxiety. She quickly helped Yun Nian sit down on the embroidered stool.

Seeing the hideous whip marks on her young mistress's body, as well as the red and swollen blisters on her arms and neck, she felt heartbroken and burst into tears.

"This servant will go and find a doctor right away; this injury cannot be delayed."

"Qiluo,"

Yun Nian frowned, gasping for breath as the movement aggravated her wound. "No need to go yet."

Qi Luo stopped in her tracks, turned back and looked at her with confusion: "Why aren't you going? You're so badly injured!"

Yun Nian slowly shook her head, a knowing weariness showing on her pale face: "Which doctor do you think we can get?"

She paused, her voice laced with cold sarcasm, "In the past, when I only had a cold, they would use excuses like 'being frugal' and 'minor illnesses don't require much effort' to avoid calling a doctor."

"Now, I've caused them, mother and daughter, to lose face at the Princess's banquet and even get whipped by Prince Ningxiang. They probably wish my wounds would worsen immediately and I'd die of a high fever. How could they possibly allow a doctor to treat me?"

Upon hearing this, Qi Luo slumped her shoulders in dejection.

Seeing Yun Nian's calm, almost indifferent face, she suddenly recalled the scene at the banquet and couldn't help but ask.

"Miss, there's something I don't understand. Today in the palace, when the Princess and Miss Qin wronged you, you clearly had the opportunity to defend yourself. Even Prince Ningxiang asked you about it at the end. Why did you just admit it without saying anything? If you had spoken up, perhaps the Prince..."

"Say it?"

Yun Nian smiled slightly, but her eyes remained cold. "Qi Luo, haste makes waste. Sometimes, silence is more powerful than argument."

She took a deep breath, her brow furrowing in pain from her back. "What I want isn't to clear my name on the spot. What I want is this beating..."

Qi Luo seemed to understand but not quite, her eyes filled with even deeper confusion: "Miss, what is this...?"

A sharp glint flashed in Yun Nian's eyes. "How can you force a turning point without putting yourself in a desperate situation?"

She looked at Qiluo and reassured her, "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

Seeing her so determined, Qiluo felt a little relieved despite her many questions and worries.

She wiped away her tears and quickly said, "This servant will treat you first. We have some ordinary wound medicine left over from last year in our courtyard. Although it's not as good as what the imperial physician prescribed, it's better than nothing."

Qiluo's movements were gentle yet swift. Just as she had barely finished bandaging the wound, a nanny pushed open the door and entered.

She looked at Yun Nian with no respect in her eyes. "Miss, the Prime Minister is waiting for you in the ancestral hall. Please go there immediately."

Yun Nian gave Qi Luo a look, and Qi Luo understood, nodded, and whispered, "Don't worry, Miss, I will definitely handle the matter you have arranged."

Yun Nian then got up and followed Granny Qian toward the Yun family ancestral hall.

-

The candlelight inside the ancestral hall was dim.

Yun Chengming stood with his hands behind his back before the ancestral tablets, radiating a terrifyingly low pressure.

Hearing footsteps, he slowly turned around, his face filled with a deep coldness, his gaze piercing Yun Nian who was walking in like an ice pick.

"Kneel down."

Yun Nian obediently walked to the prayer mat in the center of the ancestral hall, slowly knelt down, and lowered her head.

"What did I say to you the other day?"

Yun Chengming's voice echoed in the empty ancestral hall, carrying both authority and suppressed anger.

Yun Nian lowered her eyelids and calmly repeated his words from that day: "Father taught me that I should always remember that I am born into the Yun family. Every word and action of mine is related to the reputation of the Yun family. I should always put the interests of the family first and protect the people in the Prime Minister's mansion."

"Protect?"

Yun Chengming sneered, then suddenly raised his voice, "Is this how you protect them?! At today's Fangfei Banquet, not only did you fail to save face for your mother and sister, but you also caused them to be humiliated in public and whipped by Prince Ningxiang! You've made the entire Yun family a laughingstock in the capital! Is this what you call prioritizing family interests?!"

Yun Nian seemed to be intimidated by his anger. Her shoulders trembled, and she choked up, "Father, I know I was wrong. But I have already accepted all the blame, who knew that Prince Ningxiang would see through my disguise..."

"shut up!"

Yun Chengming interrupted her sharply, his anger intensifying. "Don't try to be clever here. The result is that your mother and sister will be hurt and humiliated because of you. The reputation of the Prime Minister's residence will be damaged because of you. This is your fault!"

He didn't want to hear any explanations and didn't care what the truth was.

In his eyes, the loss of interests was the result, and since Yun Nian caused this result, she was the culprit.

Yun Nian's heart turned completely cold.

She bit her lower lip tightly, her hands, hidden in her sleeves, quietly clenched into fists.

"It seems you haven't truly taken your father's teachings to heart."

Looking at her silent, bowed head, Yun Chengming coldly said, "Since that's the case, you will stay here and kneel before the ancestral tablets to reflect on your actions. You are not allowed to get up, eat, or drink without my permission."

After saying that, he didn't look at her again, flicked his sleeve, and strode away.

Darkness and silence surged in, engulfing Yun Nian.

Only the faint glow of the ever-burning lamp could barely illuminate her kneeling figure.

The wound on my back burned painfully, and the cushion under my knees was rough and uncomfortable.

Does it hurt?

Is it bitter?

of course.

But what is this compared to the pain of being poisoned and betrayed by my closest loved ones in my previous life, and being pushed into hell?

She slowly closed her eyes, burying all her emotions deep inside.

When she opened her eyes again, a smile flickered across her lips.

In any case, the bait was cast well today.