I am the snake demon!

Chapter 97 A family should be together, even if they get beaten.

Outside the Plum Garden Mansion, a couple dressed in splendid attire were standing at this moment.

The woman was dressed elegantly, adorned with a red hairpin, and was remarkably well-preserved, appearing to be only in her thirties. She possessed a charming appearance, but standing outside the door, her face now held a hint of sharp sarcasm as she said, "And you call yourself someone's uncle? You need to be announced at the door to even get in!"

"Alright, that's a prince, it's only right to be careful," Duan Qingjiang said.

"Don't even mention the prince, even if he becomes the emperor, he's still your nephew. As the saying goes, the maternal uncle is the most important person to his mother. Now that he's in Wuwei, he's so jealous that he broke Hongwen's legs. What kind of behavior is that? If it weren't for our Duan family, would he have been able to return to Xuanwu unscathed and secure his position as the Prince of Zhenbei?" the woman said discontentedly.

"Alright, stop talking. You've spoiled us rotten. This time, we must appease Xu Shi'an. Otherwise, if we offend him, Hongwen's future will be ruined!" Duan Qingjiang said with a grim expression.

Hearing the painful groans coming from Duan Hongwen inside the carriage, Duan Qingjiang's anger surged even more. His son's leg had been broken on Wuwei's territory, and he was naturally furious.

Even knowing that the other party was Bai Xuan, it was still the same.

Bai Xuan, the Prince of Zhenbei, was escorted back by the Duan family after a long journey.

The Duan family did their utmost to maintain Bai Xuan's status as the Prince of Zhenbei.

What is the purpose?

Isn't it just about family prosperity and the privilege of being superior to others?

As a result, Bai Xuan has only been in power for a short time, and now he's already taking action against the Duan family.

To break both of his son's legs for a mere courtesan shows a complete disregard for the Duan family.

It was only due to the circumstances that I had no choice but to come.

Now, listening to his wife's incessant nagging only fuels his anger.

Duan Hongwen's wife also looked unwell. Her son had his leg broken in Wuwei, and if the other party hadn't been the Prince of Zhenbei, she would have killed him.

This visit to Meiyuan was to apologize, but it was also to exert pressure.

Without the strong support of the Duan family, the number one family in Liangzhou, could he sit securely as the Prince of Zhenbei?

"His Highness requests your presence."

Just then, a servant came.

Duan Qingjiang immediately straightened his appearance and had Duan Hongwen carried into the garden.

Led by servants, Duan Qingjiang and his wife walked through the path and soon arrived at the main hall.

"This humble general pays his respects to the Dowager Princess, the Prince, and the Princess."

Duan Qingjiang stepped forward and bowed.

"Second Brother, you're too kind. This is a private matter, not a public one. We're all family," Duan Baiyu said with a smile.

"I dare not, etiquette cannot be disregarded. I have come here today to beg Your Highness for mercy. My son was ignorant and offended Your Highness at the Peony Pavilion yesterday. Your Highness showed great compassion and only broke his two legs. Today, I have brought him here to apologize." Duan Qingjiang said, bowing with his hands clasped.

"Broken leg?"

Xu Yushuang looked at Bai Xuan with considerable surprise. She hadn't expected Bai Xuan's trip to the brothel to cause so much trouble. But thinking of yesterday, she added, "Yesterday, Uncle, didn't you say that Cousin Hongwen broke his leg in a horse-riding accident and therefore didn't come to pay his respects? How come he went to the Peony Pavilion last night?"

I broke my leg in the morning, but it was fine by the afternoon.

They don't want to come.

That leg should be broken!

Duan Qingjiang was surprised that Xu Yushuang would make trouble. His heart skipped a beat, and he bowed even more deeply, saying, "Yesterday, my son was reckless. I was afraid that he would offend the prince, so I let him stay at home and told a lie. I never thought that he would still offend the prince in the end. Please forgive me for lying yesterday, Your Highness and Princess."

"My aunt and third brother are here, Uncle, please don't bow to me, I can't accept it," Xu Yushuang said.

She was a junior, and although she was a princess, it would be awkward to receive such a grand gesture from her uncle, Duan Qingjiang.

"Second Brother, what are you saying? It's just a conflict between juniors. Hongwen broke his leg, so let's just let it go. The Prince's Mansion has excellent medicine for injuries. We'll send it to the Duan family later so Hongwen can get proper treatment," Duan Baiyu said with a smile.

"Your Highness is so magnanimous. My husband and I only have this one son. Although he is a bit of a spoiled brat, the future of our second wife's household depends on him. Today, he was beaten and had his leg broken in a fight over a girl. It's really not a good thing to talk about. When I heard the news, I was heartbroken. Now that Your Highness has given me medicine, a huge weight has been lifted from my heart," said Duan Qingjiang's wife.

Upon hearing this, Duan Baiyu's expression shifted slightly. It was not a good thing to hear that Duan Hongwen had his leg broken after getting into a fight with a woman while drinking and carousing. But it was equally unpleasant for Bai Xuan, the Prince of Zhenbei, to have his leg broken after getting into a fight with a woman while drinking and carousing.

Especially since the one whose leg was broken was a direct descendant of the Duan family.

This is a very bad political signal.

Every move made by those in power can lead to a great deal of speculation.

Is the Prince of Zhenbei targeting Duan Hongwen alone, or the entire Duan family?

Is the Prince of Zhenbei going to take action against the Duan family?

This wasn't a thank you; it was a challenge.

Duan Baiyu's gaze swept over Duan Qingjiang and his wife. The husband humbly apologized, while the wife smiled with a hidden knife, secretly putting pressure on the Prince's Mansion. The words of the women did not represent the Duan family's position. They could advance or retreat as needed. Her second brother had improved a lot since she last saw him after many years. But who did they think they were to put pressure on Xuan'er?

Do you expect Xuan'er to apologize to you?

So what if he interrupted me? He can just go back to the Duan family and take care of himself. He wasn't a good person to begin with.

Upon hearing this, Bai Xuan's expression finally changed, filled with disgust. He said, "You know he's a spoiled brat, yet you don't correct him. You've failed to educate your son properly, harming the people. Your crimes are heinous! Slap him!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the expert from the Prince's Mansion behind Bai Xuan moved suddenly, appearing in front of Duan Qingjiang's wife like a ghost, and then slapped her hard across the face.

"Snap!"

The slap was incredibly crisp.

Then, another resounding slap.

Upon seeing this, everyone present changed their expressions.

Especially for Duan Qingjiang, this is not the same as Duan Hongwen being beaten. Duan Hongwen is a junior and cannot represent the Duan family to fight against the Prince of Zhenbei. His broken leg can be considered a conflict between juniors. But this is his wife, the mistress of the second branch of the Duan family. Husband and wife are one. This is a blatant slap in the face to him.

Duan Qingjiang, who had been hunched over since entering, finally straightened up and looked at Bai Xuan, saying, "Your Highness, in public matters, you are the ruler and I am the subject, but in private matters, I am still your uncle, and my wife, no matter how many faults she may have, is still your aunt. Moreover, what my wife said today was not wrong. Your Highness, you may have hit my son, but what is the reason for hitting my wife?"

"I almost forgot about you. As the saying goes, a loving mother spoils her son, but another saying goes, if you raise a child but don't teach him, it's the father's fault. Your son is doing bad things, and your wife is protecting him. You can't escape this either. Slap him!" Bai Xuan said coldly.

He had said that anyone who sheltered Shi Yexing within the Northern Territory would be sworn enemies with the Prince of Zhenbei's Mansion!

The king's promise is as good as gold.

Words should not be spoken carelessly; once spoken, one must bear the consequences, otherwise authority is lost.

Duan Hongwen is going to die. Bai Xuan will not pursue the other five branches of the Duan family, but the life and death of Duan Qingyue's branch depends on Duan Qingyue's attitude. In any case, Duan Qingjiang's branch must die!

As soon as he finished speaking, more experts from the Prince's Palace rushed out.

Duan Qingjiang was shocked. He never expected that Bai Xuan would even hit him. Yesterday, his son's legs were broken, and today his wife was beaten in front of him. He had been harboring a lot of anger. Now, Bai Xuan was going to hit him too, and with such humiliation as slapping him. His anger was hard to quell. He would no longer sit and wait for death. He fought back fiercely and threw a punch. His transparent true energy surged around him, making him look like a tiger descending the mountain, full of murderous intent.

However, when faced with his fierce punch, the expert from the Prince's Mansion casually stretched out a hand and grasped his iron fist. No matter how turbulent his true energy was, it was like a gentle breeze brushing a mountain, having no effect whatsoever.

Then, the expert from the Prince's Mansion twisted Duan Qingjiang's wrist with force, breaking it. Then, his iron palm fell and struck Duan Qingjiang's face directly.

A burning pain shot through his face. Duan Qingjiang stood rooted to the spot, his face filled with disbelief. He couldn't believe he'd actually been hit. In an instant, he roared, "Xu Shi'an, my Duan family has done everything in our power to help you return to Xuanwu and stabilize the situation for you. You came to Wuwei, broke my son's legs on your first day, and today you've insulted me again. Are you trying to wipe out my entire Duan family? What a fine example of 'when the birds are all gone, the good bow is put away; when the cunning rabbit is dead, the hunting dog is cooked.' But my Duan family is not as weak as you think."

"He talks too much. Beat him until he has no strength left to speak," Bai Xuan said calmly.

The experts from the Prince's Mansion acted immediately. Although Duan Qingjiang had a high status, his cultivation was only at the seventh-grade Dao Realm, so dealing with him was not difficult.

Seeing the brutal experts from the Prince's mansion, the maid beside Xuejiao trembled with fear, but secretly rejoiced that she wasn't the one being beaten. After a few glances, Xuejiao inexplicably felt a bit of goodwill towards Bai Xuan. He even beat his own uncle, so it seems he's been quite gentle with his younger sister!

Xu Yushuang was shocked and wanted to dissuade him, but when she thought about how she had doubted Bai Xuan and apologized to him, she swallowed her words and calmed down, trusting her third brother.

Duan Baiyu also frowned, but unlike before when he was anxious, he looked at Bai Xuan and asked, "What serious crime did their family commit?"

Such an attack on Duan Qingjiang's family has significant consequences and will cause quite a stir.

But she knew her son, whom she had raised from childhood.

It's normal to be occasionally blinded by lust.

But she would never attack this family without a reason, especially since they are related to her by blood.

Regardless of them, we must also take care of her.

"Yesterday, our spies reported that Shi Yexing, the leader of the Liangzhou branch, is hiding behind Longxiang Temple on Qiongri Mountain, and Duan Hongwen is the one protecting him," Bai Xuan said, word by word.

"What?"

As Bai Xuan finished speaking, an even purer killing intent surged forth. Duan Baiyu looked at Duan Hongwen lying on the stretcher, his eyes filled with murderous intent.

"The evidence is conclusive. Before we arrived, I ordered General Huangfu to lead troops to surround Qiongri Mountain. Now, Qiongri Mountain is off-limits. I also invited Qiu Linyuan from Cangjian Manor to go there. If we set off now, we will be able to see that beast," Bai Xuan said.

"Walk!"

Upon hearing this, Duan Baiyu gave the order without the slightest hesitation and got up to leave.

Bai Xuan followed closely behind, ordering someone to bring Duan Qingjiang and his family of three along. Qiu Yimeng and her apprentice, along with Xue Jiao and her maid, also immediately followed.