I am Master Maoshan

Chapter 1794 Dancheng Zheng Family
The Zheng family meeting hall, located in the heart of this ancient mansion, is spacious and solemn.

Zheng Zhongyuan, the patriarch who has absolute say in the family, is now sitting on the armchair in the conference room, tapping the armrests of the chair with his fingers.

His face was like a deep lake, without a single ripple, but the coldness in his eyes made the air in the hall seem to freeze.

Each of his strikes seemed to carry weight, making people's hearts beat along with it.

Right in front of him, there was a man kneeling. It was his brother-in-law Huang Silang.

Huang Silang's body was shaking, tears were streaming down his face, and he seemed to have suffered great injustice. His eyes were wandering, and he kept weighing in his mind how to make his situation look more miserable in order to win the sympathy of his brother-in-law.

Huang Shumei, Zheng Zhongyuan's wife, stood aside, her eyes full of worry. Her eyes wandered between Huang Silang and Zheng Zhongyuan, as if silently praying for something. Her mood was complicated, with both concern for her brother and a hint of helplessness.

"Tell me, what's going on?" Zheng Zhongyuan's voice was low and powerful, with a hint of barely perceptible anger in his tone, which made the atmosphere in the entire conference room even more tense.

Huang Silang hesitated for a moment, as if struggling with how to start his narration. But amid Zheng Zhongyuan's impatient typing, he finally began to recount his tragic experience with snot and tears mixed in his sentences.

Of course, there is no lack of exaggeration and constant distortion of facts. The general idea is that he was collecting rent normally, then the farmers rebelled, and finally someone wanted to show off his strength in front of the woman, so he was attacked and not only all his men were killed, but he was also beaten up.
"You said you were going to collect taxes. Wasn't the farmland tax collected two months ago? What tax did you collect?" Zheng Zhongyuan quickly caught the loophole in Huang Silang's words.

Because the large area around Taoyuan Village belongs to the Zheng family, all agricultural land taxes are paid to the Zheng family.

The Zheng family has a unified day for collecting taxes, but now, that time has long passed. The key point is that the Zheng family’s farmland tax is not high. Their main source of income is to provide medicinal materials to Danzong. How could any farmers rebel?

Huang Silang's movements suddenly froze, and a trace of panic flashed in his eyes. He looked at his sister Huang Shumei, hoping to get some hints or help from her.

However, Huang Shumei just shook her head helplessly. There was no need to find excuses for this matter. She knew her husband too well and nothing around them could be hidden from her husband.

The reason I brought this up here is just to find a reason to deal with her brother.

This scene made the tense atmosphere in the meeting room even more intense. Huang Silang's silence was like a rolling boulder, making everyone's heart rise to their throat.

Huang Silang also knew very well that he had to give an answer that would satisfy his brother-in-law, otherwise, he might be severely punished.

After thinking for a while, Huang Silang gritted his teeth and decided to tell the truth. He also knew that he couldn't hide it. If his brother-in-law wanted to investigate, no one could hide it.

"I was the one who increased the tax," Huang Silang said, then lowered his head, looking like he was waiting to be punished.

With a loud "bang", Zheng Zhongyuan slapped the armrest of the armchair hard, and his anger was instantly ignited.

As the head of a family, he has always upheld strict family rules to maintain the order and interests of the family. Huang Silang's unauthorized tax increase caused a popular uprising, which was undoubtedly a violation of the family rules, and it was one of the most serious ones, which made him completely unbearable.

"Do you know what the consequences were for the last clan member who violated the family rules?" Zheng Zhongyuan stood up suddenly, staring at Huang Silang sharply, anger burning in his eyes.

Huang Shumei saw the plight of her brother Huang Silang, sighed, and decided to step forward and take responsibility for her brother.

She took a deep breath, stepped out and stood in front of Zheng Zhongyuan. She knew very well that if the head of the family punished Huang Silang according to the family rules, Huang Silang might not be able to bear the punishment and die.

"Wait a minute, master, it was my idea to raise taxes." Huang Shumei said in a firm voice, "You stopped Silang's pocket money a few years ago and asked him to do business on his own, but he was not cut out for business and lost it all in a few days. I will take charge of raising the taxes a little bit, and let him support himself with the extra money." She knew that only by standing up herself could she fight for her brother's chance of survival.

Zheng Zhongyuan looked at Huang Shumei, his eyes flashing with complex emotions. He knew that Huang Shumei had contributed a lot to the Zheng family and made an indelible contribution. For this reason, he did not marry anyone else just to make Huang Shumei feel at ease.

However, family rules are family rules and no one can violate them. Zheng Zhongyuan was silent for a moment, and his eyes gradually became firm.

"Master, please be lenient with her because she is my only brother. I am willing to take the punishment on her behalf."

There was a hint of pleading in Huang Shumei's words; she knew that this matter was very serious, but as a family member, she could not bear to see her brother being severely punished.

But she also knew Zheng Zhongyuan's upright character. Once he made a decision, it would be difficult for others to change it. In the family, Zheng Zhongyuan was not only her husband, but also the defender of the family rules. His decisions often represented the will of the family.

Zheng Zhongyuan's eyes were like an ice-covered lake, deep and unwavering. He looked at Huang Shumei, as if he was measuring the boundaries between reason and family rules. After years of going through ups and downs together, they had a deep understanding of each other's feelings and thoughts. He was also very clear about Huang Shumei's contribution to him and the entire Zheng family.

Huang Shumei's request finally calmed Zheng Zhongyuan's anger. Although the family rules were as firm as a mountain and could not be shaken, it did not mean that he could not be lenient. "Family rules cannot be violated. Drag him out and beat him with 30 sticks. If he breaks the rules again, he will be killed." Zheng Zhongyuan's voice rang out again.

Huang Shumei knew that this was the biggest concession her husband had made, so she did not stop him. Her silence was a sign of respect for her husband's decision.

Huang Silang also breathed a sigh of relief. He almost thought that his brother-in-law was going to kill him. Although the thirty sticks were painful, it was better than losing his life.

Two well-trained guards walked into the meeting room. Their steps were steady and there was no hesitation.

They are members of the Zheng family guard and are absolutely loyal to Zheng Zhongyuan. Their mission is to execute the decisions of the head of the family. As for the head of the family's wife, that is not within their consideration.

When Huang Silang was taken away, his eyes were full of regret. If he had known earlier, he would have just endured the injustice and ran to call for help. But now, there was no help and he had to be beaten.

After a while, the sounds outside gradually became clearer, and Huang Silang's screams made everyone in the conference room feel uncomfortable.

Huang Shumei bit her lips tightly, tears of heartache flashing in her eyes. However, she also understood that this was a necessary measure to maintain the dignity and order of the family, and Zheng Zhongyuan had already made the biggest concession. If she was still not satisfied, it would be a bit too much. Moreover, the soldiers of the Zheng family guards were the ones who enforced the family law, and she believed that Zheng Zhongyuan would show mercy.

After a long while, the screams outside gradually disappeared, and Huang Silang was brought back to the conference room.

His figure looked particularly desolate. He no longer had the arrogance of bullying men and women as he used to do in public, nor did he have the arrogance of looking down on everyone. All that was left was embarrassment and desolation.

Huang Silang was lying on a wooden bench, his buttocks covered in blood, which was a shocking sight.

The sticks used by the Zheng family to enforce family discipline were extremely special. Each blow could hit a person's flesh hard, and even spiritual energy would not work. Therefore, Huang Silang was beaten to pieces by these thirty blows, and was dying, without even the strength to groan.

"Silang, Silang..." Huang Shumei could no longer bear the grief in her heart when she saw her brother's miserable condition. She quickly ran to Huang Silang and looked at him with concern. Her eyes were full of helplessness and pain. She wanted to help, but she didn't know how to do it.

"Sister, I can't take a beating in vain. Let my brother-in-law help me deal with that guy." Huang Silang said weakly. His voice was low and hoarse, but there was a hint of determination in his eyes.

If it weren't for that man, he wouldn't have been beaten like this. Although he hated his brother-in-law for being ruthless and impartial, he hated Liu Jun even more.

Huang Shumei felt mixed emotions when she looked at her brother. She knew that her brother's request was not excessive, but she also knew how difficult it was. Since they were the ones who made the mistake first, it would be difficult for Zheng Zhongyuan to support them.

"Sister, help me." Huang Silang stretched out his hand with difficulty and grabbed Huang Shumei's clothes.

Huang Shumei looked up at Zheng Zhongyuan, a face that was both familiar and unfamiliar.

Many years ago, Zheng Zhongyuan was still the head of a small, unknown family, but with her assistance, the family gradually grew stronger and more powerful, until it became the behemoth it is today.

She didn't expect that Zheng Zhongyuan would actually disregard feelings and impose severe punishment on her own brother, which made it difficult for her not to feel cold.

"It's okay, it doesn't hurt. I'll help you with this."

Huang Shumei touched her brother's face, her voice full of helplessness and determination.

Her eyes were firm, as if she had made up her mind, a decision that could not be questioned. She was not going to let Zheng Zhongyuan interfere in her brother's affairs anymore, she wanted to solve this matter herself.

Over the years, she has been helping to run the family and has accumulated a certain amount of power and influence. She believes that she can solve this problem without Zheng Zhongyuan's help.

"Master, the punishment has been given. Can I take Silang down to be punished?" Huang Shumei stood up, her tone calm but firm. She looked at Zheng Zhongyuan, and the determination in her eyes made him understand that she was determined to win this matter.

Zheng Zhongyuan remained silent. He was very clear about Huang Shumei's contribution to the Zheng family, and he always felt that he owed Huang Shumei.

But he was also helpless. As the head of a family, especially the one in power of a large family, he had to consider the interests of the family, and many times, he had no choice.

Zheng Zhongyuan sighed and said to Huang Shumei, "Go down and ask the great doctors of Danzong to treat him."

Huang Shumei didn't say anything, nor did she ask anyone to help lift her brother. Instead, she helped Huang Silang up and supported her brother out of the meeting room.