Xiao Xuanzhi furrowed his brows slightly. However, what Xiao Shuo had said was also the truth: he liked won, but they had to be beauties. He had seen countless won, and even if he wanted to switch to plain congee and veggies, it certainly wouldn’t be with soone like Chun Lai.
Thus, when Xiao Shuo made this statent, most people believed him, and they disdainfully looked at Chun Lai—what a lowly maid wanting to fly up to a branch and beco a phoenix!
Ran Yan glanced at Xiao Song, who was expressionless. She didn’t know whether he believed it or not, but she certainly did not. If Chun Lai really just wanted to climb the social ladder, Xiao Xuanzhi’s terms seed much better than Xiao Shuo’s at any glance. With such a devoted and handso man right before her eyes, which woman would foolishly run off to fight with another woman for a fickle playboy? Moreover, Chun Lai did not even like Shilang.
Xiao Jing cald his anger and turned to Chun Lai, asking, "Did you really approach Shuo just to seduce him?"
Chun Lai hung her head, not daring to et anyone’s gaze, ready to grit her teeth and admit "Yes," but her words were still on her lips when Xiao Xuanzhi cut her off: "No!"
All eyes sharply turned towards Xiao Xuanzhi.
Impulse!
Xiao Song’s gaze flickered slightly, naturally lowering his eyes to hide this fleeting change. When he looked up again, his expression was still as calm as ever. His thoughts raced, and interrupting him, he said, "I advise my younger brother not to let emotions cloud his judgnt. Even though Chun Lai has been with you for over ten years, and while she may not have notable rits, she shares a bond of affection with us. But you know well that our Xiao Family always clearly distinguishes rewards and punishnts. You are the only legitimate heir of the main branch, so do not ruin your future over a trivial matter."
If this matter had fallen on Xiao Xuanzhi, at most it would have resulted in a beating. However, for him, having committed an act detrintal to his own reputation, his future career as an official would undoubtedly be fraught with difficulties.
Of course, Xiao Song’s primary purpose in advising him was not for his future.
Moreover, Xiao Song’s words, although blaming Chun Lai, also alluded to her emotional ties with the Xiao Family. This point, Xiao Xuanzhi understood as well, and being interrupted by Xiao Song, he also cooled down a bit.
"It’s all the slave’s fault. The slave has followed Shilang for many years, and seeing that he doesn’t like , I then seduced Shilang. I will let the head of the family handle it," Chun Lai hastened to say.
Chun Lai had done all this rely to protect Lady Dongyang and even more so to protect Xiao Xuanzhi. If Xiao Xuanzhi were to take the bla onto himself, all her actions would be aningless!
Her eyes full of pleading, she looked towards Xiao Xuanzhi, begging him not to do sothing foolish.
"Clan Leader, elders, Lady Dongyang has arrived," a servant announced at the doorway.
Xiao Jing nodded, "Let her in."
Just after the words were spoken, the light at the doorway dimd as Lady Dongyang, supported by a maid and a nurse, walked in. Her complexion was still sowhat pale, her expression still detached and aloof, set off by her plain clothes, as if she could dissipate like thin smoke at any mont.
Lady Dongyang bowed slightly to Xiao Jing sitting in the main seat. Xiao Jing waved his hand, "You are unwell; no need for such formalities, please take a seat."
After Lady Dongyang sat down, Xiao Jing said, "Chun Lai secretly t with Shuo during the mourning period, and she has confessed without denial. Having committed such a disgrace to the Xiao family, severe punishnt is indispensable to uphold family discipline. Do you have any objections?"
"It is my negligence in supervision that has allowed the maid in the courtyard to act so recklessly. It’s just a maid after all, execution or banishnt is within reason, but I still ask the Clan Leader and the elders to consider her dedicated service to my orphaned son and widow over the years and deal with her leniently," Lady Dongyang spoke softly and indifferently, her tone revealing no emotion. Yet her opinion could not be overlooked.
The younger mbers of the Xiao family may not take her seriously, but in the eyes of these elders, who were once under the lordship of the Prince of Xiliang, Lady Dongyang was still the Empress of the late Emperor of Xiliang, their senior sister-in-law, and they respected her for willingly mourning the late Emperor all these years despite her youth and her unblemished moral conduct.
The issue involving Chun Lai raised their alertness about soone within the clan colluding with external forces, and they also planned to investigate secretly.
The life or death of Chun Lai was not a major issue; what mattered was what lay behind this incident.
After discussing amongst themselves, Xiao Jing began summarizing, the first part being a lengthy citation of classics, essentially stating: "Our Xiao Family is magnanimous. Although Chun Lai has committed an unforgivable mistake, considering her service without rit but with hardship, and with Lady Dongyang interceding, we shall be lenient."
The focus was only eight characters: Thirty strokes of the rod, expel her from the Xiao Family.
"Clan Leader!" Xiao Xuanzhi imdiately beca restless.
Ran Yan, watching Xiao Shuo who was still lying on the ground nearly breathless, also understood why he was so agitated. After thirty strokes, there was a high likelihood that there would just be a corpse thrown out of the Xiao Family...
There was one thing Ran Yan did not know, however: when punishing mbers of the family, the rods would fall on the buttocks, an area with plenty of flesh and unlikely to harm the internal organs, rely causing so skin and flesh suffering. However, for servants being expelled from the Xiao Family, they were beaten indiscriminately, potentially leaving lasting ailnts even if it didn’t kill them.
And the punishnt for Xiao Shuo was not considered light either: starting imdiately, he must kneel for three days in the ancestral shrine, remain confined for one year, eat vegetarian als and recite Buddhist scriptures, guarding the tombs of Emperor Xiaoming and Empress Xuanhui Liang (the Great Lady), abstain from at and sex, and not step half a step outside the tomb area.
"Yuezhi, you stay to supervise the execution," Xiao Jing turned to Xiao Song and said.
"Yes," Xiao Song bowed in response.
This was Xiao Jing intentionally letting Xiao Xuanzhi off easy; normally, it would be so elder or the eldest legitimate son of a household supervising the execution. But with soone as stern and rigid as Xiao Ruizhi, the punishnt would undoubtedly be a solid thirty strokes. However, Xiao Song was much more flexible in handling matters.
Xiao Xuanzhi was greatly relieved, feeling that he had indeed not sought help from the wrong person today.
People gradually dispersed, and Xiao Xuanzhi silently offered his respects to Xiao Song, asking him to take care of everything.
In this chaotic affair, the biggest loser was undoubtedly Lady Dongyang. Owing to this incident, suspicions began to arise within the Xiao family about her. If she couldn’t clear the suspicions, no matter how hard she tried, she could never push Xiao Xuanzhi to the position of clan leader. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welco to vote for it with recomndation tickets and monthly tickets at Qidian (qidian). Your support is my greatest motivation.)
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