Jiapingguan Chronicle

Chapter 2753 Still Vigorous in Old Age 137.0
"One person struck thirty times?" Jin Miaomiao thought for a moment. "Is this matter just over like that? Is it that easy?"

"How can it be so easily forgotten? Wouldn't that golden sword have been obtained for nothing?" Xiao Fengqi sneered. "The Regent is ruthless because these thirty sword strikes are not so simple. He made the two princes lie face to face, one taking the blows while the other watched. With each strike, someone would ask from the side, 'Do you admit your mistake? Do you admit your mistake?'"

"If you don't admit it, we'll keep fighting; if you admit it, we'll stop?"

"Of course not." Xiao Fengqi shook his head slightly. "If they don't admit it, they're just being stubborn, so they should be beaten until they do. If they do admit it, they should be beaten even harder, because as princes, knowingly breaking the law and knowingly committing wrongdoings are doubly serious offenses." He spread his hands helplessly at everyone and said, "This completely extinguished the arrogance of those two young princes and the Rong family. It was also the first time they had experienced the Regent's true methods."

"Is this the Regent's true method? Not necessarily."

"Of course not, that's what they think, but for those of us who had more contact with the Regent later, it was just an appetizer." Xiao Fengqi sneered, "But it was enough for them to realize that the Regent's usual humble and kind appearance was just a pretense of weakness."

"Thirty sword strikes are finished. How are those two little princes?" Shen Cha stroked his chin.

"It's not good. They've already passed out once or twice during the fighting. After all, they grew up in luxury and have basically never suffered any hardship or pain. Their so-called troop training is just for show, all for show, since they don't actually have to go to the battlefield themselves. So, they've never experienced the hardships of leading troops, nor have they ever suffered any injuries while leading troops. The most serious injury they've ever had since childhood is a cold, which left them groaning and lying in bed for a month, just getting free food and drink."

"You didn't let them off the hook either." Jin Miaomiao shook her head helplessly. "They took thirty sword blows this time. I guess their bodies can't take it anymore, right?"

“That’s for sure. I heard that every time someone faints, the Regent’s men will splash them with salt water to wake them up, and the place they’re splashed is the same place where they were beaten.” Xiao Fengqi said, trembling slightly. Seeing that everyone else’s reaction was similar to his, he laughed and said, “When my great-aunt told me this, it was exactly like this.”

“Because we’ve all had similar experiences, cleaning wounds with saline solution helps prevent them from getting infected.” Jin Miaomiao sighed, looked at Shen Haolin and Shen Cha, then at Mei Lin, “Which of us doesn’t have a few wounds? Isn’t this what we all have to go through when we get injured?”

“So, I can really empathize with that.” Shen Cha sighed, poured herself a cup of tea, and was about to put it to her lips when Jin Miaomiao snatched it away. She looked at her blankly, “What’s going on?”

"You have to take your medicine in two hours, so you can't drink any more tea."

"Oh!" Shen Cha sighed helplessly, looked at Merlin, who smiled and brought her warm water. She took a couple of sips and said, "Although outsiders think the Regent's actions are inappropriate and too ruthless, they are actually to save the lives of his brothers. If the wounds are not treated in time and fester, causing a high fever, then their lives will be in danger."

"The General is right," Xiao Fengqi nodded. "Those who have had similar experiences naturally understand that the Regent's actions were not merely to punish these two arrogant brats, but also to help them recover. Yet some people are using this to their advantage, criticizing the Regent for being harsh on the younger generation." He sneered, "The late King simply laughed off such comments, but..."

"only?"

“Find an opportunity to find fault with those who impeached the Regent and punish them severely.” “This Yi is quite protective of his own; it seems he greatly admires the Regent’s methods.”

“Hmm!” Xiao Fengqi thought for a moment, “I wasn’t quite clear before why the late king protected the regent so much. Now that I think about it, the regent’s ruthless methods must have suited Yi’s taste. Compared to other people, this younger brother suits his taste better.”

"The two of them have similar work styles."

“That’s right.” Xiao Fengqi nodded to Chu Han. “After the thirty sword strikes, the two princes aren’t exactly on the verge of death, but they’re too weak to fight back. The Regent has arranged for his guards to carry them away.”

"Wait a minute, how do we lift it?"

"When they were being beaten, they were lying face down on a long bench. To prevent them from making a fuss or struggling, two people were tied to it with hemp rope."

"So you just carry the long bench?"

“Yes!” Xiao Fengqi smiled at Shen Cha and said, “We walked all the way from the Regent’s Palace to the Royal Palace.” He paused and said, “The General knows how far it is from the Regent’s Palace to the Royal Palace, right?”

“If we take a carriage, it will take about half an incense stick's time, and if we walk, it will take at least an hour, right?” Shen Cha thought for a moment.

"Yes, it took about an hour. In addition, the Regent did it somewhat deliberately that night, taking a detour from the palace and passing by the residences of almost all the important officials. He stopped for a while at the gate of each residence before continuing on his way."

“To kill someone is to destroy their spirit. The Regent’s move is far more ruthless than splashing salt water.” Shen Haolin exchanged a glance with the others and said, “The two princes have seen the most pathetic state of their lives. He knows that every mansion must have people guarding the main gate, side gate, and back gate. Once the Regent’s people arrive, their spies will definitely notify the heads of the families. Even if the heads of the families don’t show themselves, they will open a crack in the door to look out. Whether they are supporters of the princes, opponents of him, or neutral, no one will miss this scene.”

"The Duke is right, that's exactly what the Regent meant." Xiao Fengqi nodded. "Moreover, what he most wants to see are the little princes' supporters, because he's not only escorting the two little princes who are almost dead from being beaten, but also the Rong family members and their private soldiers, all following behind the two little princes with their heads bowed, being escorted by the Regent's guards. The Regent wants to show them that if they remain obstinate, the Rong family's fate will be their fate."

"However, the Rong family head, who is also the maternal grandfather and uncle of the two young princes, was outside the palace. Seeing that the two young princes and his own family had been captured, they..."

"They received the news a long time ago and secretly ran away."