Whoever can strike me hard will be rewarded handsomely.

Bian Yulou had no intention of recalling how they made their agreement, and said matter-of-factly, "Anyway, he believed it."

"Facts speak louder than words. I've already followed him all the way here. Do you think I could have slipped away right under his nose without my brother's permission?"

He used to call Bian Yuheng by name, but when the three rules were mentioned, he started calling him "brother" twice.

Bian Hongzhen's scrutinizing gaze fell on his second son's face, making Bian Yulou feel somewhat uncomfortable. "We're already over a hundred li from the capital, you can't possibly send me back again, can you?"

Bian Yulou swore to the heavens, "I assure you, I will absolutely not act rashly, nor will I infiltrate the tributary prefectures to become one of those damned spies. I'm going to western Sichuan to wholeheartedly serve as your grain official and to be a dutiful son!"

The attitude is firm, but its credibility is questionable.

Bian Yulou had little credibility left with Bian Hongzhen, but his eldest son was always reliable. The fact that he dared to let Yulou go to western Sichuan suggested that he had some confidence in controlling his younger brother.

Bian Hongzhen suppressed his displeasure and glanced at Bian Yulou's face, taking in his son's slight unease.

"How did you manage to keep up with me for over a hundred miles?"

Bian Yulou raised his right arm to wipe the sweat from his forehead, gripped the hem of his clothes tightly with his left hand, suppressed the urge to reach behind him, and said casually, "Your carriage was speeding by, traveling very fast, so of course I caught up on horseback."

Bian Yulou raised an eyebrow, feigning nonchalance. "Your son's riding skills are quite good, aren't they?"

Bian Hongzhen lowered his gaze slightly, landing on his son's left hand, which was gripping the hem of his clothes and seemed ready to pounce.

Bian Yulou followed Bian Hongzhen's gaze and quickly loosened his robe, knowing his father's sharp eyes would be hard to hide. His face fell, and he rubbed his back, complaining as if it were real, "Alright, alright, over a hundred miles, your son has been jostled to pieces. You're going to your post, not to be reincarnated. Why are you rushing so fast?"

Bian Hongzhen understood immediately and chuckled, "Did you break into eight pieces, or were you broken into eight pieces by your brother's three rules?"

Bian Yulou, losing face, looked around and, not seeing any soldiers on duty, retorted in desperation, "At least give me some face, I'm a grown man..."

Bian Hongzhen scoffed lightly, "Come in."

Bian Yulou was too weak to lift his legs and couldn't climb through the window, so he could only grumble and curse as he walked through the door. "That beast Bian Yuheng, fine, he can make a deal, but I'm his brother, not his son. What right does he have?"

Bian Hongzhen dragged his son onto the bed, intending to show him, "If you didn't run away, who can you blame?"

One is willing to hit, and the other is willing to be hit.

Yu Lou may have been unwilling to admit defeat, but in reality, she had always admired her brother.

Otherwise, why would he obediently let his brother deal with him?

The fabric rubbed together, and Bian Yulou gasped, filled with resentment. "I was only being polite because he's a few years older than me, but he was so rude."

Bian Yuheng is truly his father's biological son. He not only learned all of his father's tricks, but he also surpassed his father in every way. He is far more ruthless than Bian Hongzhen in his methods.

He said a lot of embarrassing things, and his hands were busy too, grabbing the paperweight on the table and swinging it around until it was smoking.

He was made of flesh and blood, not iron. He suffered immense physical and mental torment and almost died in that room. He crawled out crying.

Forced to agree to the three-point agreement, Bian Yuheng still held onto his weakness, saying gently, "You can do as you please, but once you die, as your elder brother, I will avenge you. At that time, even if it means abandoning my studies for martial arts, I will personally enter the enemy camp and kill my enemies to appease my brother's spirit in heaven."

Heaven knows that Bian Yuheng's physique is just like his father's; he would be perfectly suited to be a scholar, but instead he abandoned his literary pursuits for martial arts and personally entered the enemy camp.

Should we go deliver food to the enemy camp?

But Bian Yuheng is a man of his word; he truly keeps his promises.

They seized his Achilles' heel, making him afraid to act rashly no matter what ideas he had.

That's fine.

He was badly beaten by Bian Yuheng after his confrontation yesterday, so he has to secretly go to western Sichuan with his father today.

Bian Yuheng knew he was injured, but good heavens, he wouldn't even let him prepare a carriage, and sent him on his way on a fast horse.

It was clearly intentional.

It hurts him to death.

Bian Yulou groaned as Bian Hongzhen rubbed her, and accused him, "Why didn't you join me in scolding your eldest son? Are you being biased?"

The eldest son beat the second son; that's a matter between the brothers. What could Bian Hongzhen say?

Besides, Bian Yulou is a brat who deserves a beating.

Bian Hongzhen's expression was gentle, even with a hint of a smile, but his actions were anything but polite. He added insult to injury by slapping him, and then humiliated him, saying, "Yuheng did the right thing. Xiaolou went back on his word and didn't listen to his father and brother. He deserved to be hit."

"You two are definitely in cahoots, always trying to ostracize me. Yu Shu, Yu Shu still cares the most about her second brother..." Before she could finish speaking, Bian Yu Lou suddenly raised her head like a dead fish.

Bian Hongzhen thought his son wanted to say something, so he listened attentively.

Bian Yulou slammed his head against Bian Hongzhen's chest, seeking comfort in a simple and direct muffled voice, "Father, it hurts."

The marks on Yu Lou's back were no better than those on Yu Shu's back then, especially since she had ridden a horse for over a hundred miles and the marks were three fingers high.

They are all his own sons, how could Bian Hongzhen not feel sorry for them?

Besides, this brat is just as good at acting cute as Yu Shu, and he even knows to call for his father when he's in pain.

He softened his grip a bit. "If you stay obediently in the capital, how can your brother deal with you? If I hadn't already seen you get punished, I would have given you a taste of family discipline today."

Although that's what he said, whether he wanted to become a spy or serve him, the second son was ultimately doing it for his father.

"You went through all that trouble and still insisted on coming along..."

Bian Hongzhen paused, a hint of heartache flashing in his eyes, "Did you bring the medicine?"

Bian Yulou shook his head.

Bian Hongzhen had no choice but to get up and rummage through the trunks for him.

With her ears finally at peace, Bian Yulou breathed a sigh of relief and buried her face in the pillow.

He pondered what to do, considering that Bian Yuheng had made a promise beforehand and was a man of his word.

Bian Hongzhen fetched the ointment and warned him, "No matter what rules Yuheng sets out for you, you must never again entertain the idea of ​​going to the Jimi Prefecture to act as a spy. If I find out you are still not giving up, your father..."

Before Bian Hongzhen could utter any harsh words, Bian Yulou quickly surrendered, "Look at me like this, how could I dare?"

Bian Yulou accused, "You have no idea how Bian Yuheng tortured me! It's outrageous, inhumane!"

"I suggest you give him a good beating when you go back to Beijing next time, and teach him a lesson about brotherly love!"

With past examples to learn from, Bian Hongzhen was not entirely reassured by his son's repeated "I dare not," and reiterated, "If I discover that you are still determined to secretly infiltrate the tributary state as a spy..."

As a father, I personally went to each tribe to ask their leaders for the people.

"Either I bring you back, or I'll learn from that provincial governor who spilled blood in western Sichuan."

Bian Yulou, whose weakness had been exploited once again: "..."

Bian Hongzhen, you and Bian Yuheng are really father and son!

The way they threaten people is exactly the same.