The stretcher was lowered to the floor, and the “mummy” lying on it moved.
Muffled whimpering came from beneath the white bandages. At first, it sounded like a cat meowing through a thick layer of cotton. Then the sound grew louder and more miserable until it finally turned into uncontrollable wailing.
“Father Emperor! Father Emperor, it’s your son!”
Lu Cheng struggled desperately on the stretcher, but his entire body was wrapped in bandages. His arms and legs were stiff, leaving him unable to move.
All he could do was shake his head from side to side. Tears streamed from the two eyes visible through the layers of gauze, while mucus seeped into the bandages around his nose, leaving a dark stain.
“Your son… Your son is about to die, Father Emperor…”
Lu Cangqiong frowned and stared at the white bundle on the stretcher for several seconds before finally recognizing his Second Son.
“How did you end up like this?”
“It was all Lu Yuan!”
Lu Cheng’s voice immediately rose as he sobbed so violently that he could barely catch his breath.
“He violated your son’s fiancée first! Your son went to confront him with good intentions, but not only did he refuse to admit his mistake, he nearly beat your son to death!”
“Father Emperor, look at me! My nose is broken, my arm is broken, and even my front tooth is gone… He was trying to kill your son!”
Standing nearby, Lu Yuan tilted his head and studied Lu Cheng on the stretcher. An exaggerated look of surprise appeared on his face.
“Whoa, so it’s Second Royal Brother?”
He took half a step back and cupped his hands apologetically.
“My apologies, my apologies. You’re wrapped up like a rice dumpling. All I could see were two eyeballs moving around, so I genuinely didn’t recognize you. Anyone who didn’t know better might think someone had dug you out of a coffin.”
“Lu Yuan! Stop mocking me!”
Lu Cheng roared from the stretcher. The movement pulled at his broken arm, making him suck in a sharp breath from the pain as his features twisted together.
“Father Emperor! Do you see this? This is exactly what he’s like! He beat your son, and now he’s standing here gloating about it. Does he have any respect for you? Does he have any respect for his elder brother?”
Lu Cangqiong’s expression darkened even further.
He turned toward Lu Yuan and glared at him, his chest rising and falling several times.
“Look at what you did to your Second Brother!”
“Serves him right,” Lu Yuan muttered.
“What did you say?”
Lu Cangqiong’s voice rose sharply.
“Father Emperor, your son said he deserved it.” Lu Yuan raised his head and looked directly at Lu Cangqiong. “He deserved that beating.”
The veins at Lu Cangqiong’s temples throbbed.
Lu Yuan stepped forward and pointed at Lu Cheng on the stretcher.
“Father Emperor, think about it. He’s a grown man. His own fiancée was drugged and set up, yet instead of investigating who drugged her or seeking justice for her, he brought four armed guards to his younger brother’s residence to catch us in the act. What kind of behavior is that?”
Lu Cheng’s body stiffened.
“He used his own fiancée as bait!”
Lu Cangqiong’s brows furrowed even more deeply at those words.
Lu Yuan pressed on, “Who is Su Yuling? She’s the legitimate daughter of the Earl of Yongning Residence, a descendant of a military family. A perfectly respectable young woman was going to marry him, yet not only did he fail to cherish her, he even set a trap to destroy her chastity.”
“Father Emperor, if word of this spreads, what will the entire realm think of our royal family? What will they say about the sons you raised?”
“You’re talking bullshit!”
Lu Cheng struggled desperately on the stretcher, loosening several layers of gauze and revealing his bruised and swollen face beneath.
“I didn’t drug her! You’re slandering me!”
“You didn’t drug her? Then who drugged Su Yuling? We drank tea from the same pot. Nothing happened to me, but something happened to her. Don’t tell me she drugged herself.”
“Then you drugged her!”
“I drugged her?”
Lu Yuan sneered. “Why would I drug my future sister-in-law? Am I insane?”
“There are dozens of servants in my residence attending to me. If I wanted a woman, would I really need to drug one?”
Lu Cheng was left speechless.
Just as he opened his mouth to argue, Lu Yuan suddenly rushed toward the stretcher.
He raised his hand and slapped the exposed side of Lu Cheng’s face.
Smack!
The crisp sound echoed throughout the hall.
Lu Cheng’s head snapped sideways. His recently treated cheekbone cracked again, and he let out a scream like a pig being slaughtered.
“Ah… Father Emperor! He hit me! He hit me again!”
Lu Yuan withdrew his hand and calmly stepped back twice.
“My hand slipped.”
Lu Cangqiong shot to his feet.
The hem of his dragon robe caught against the chair, and a teacup rolled off the royal desk before shattering on the floor.
Lu Cangqiong paid no attention to it. He pointed at Lu Yuan, his finger trembling with rage.
“Rebellion! This is rebellion! You dare strike your elder brother inside Qianyuan Hall, right in front of me! Do you still have any respect for me as your father?”
Lu Cangqiong stormed out from behind the royal desk and paced back and forth across the hall, his footsteps quick and heavy.
Zhou Fu hurried after him and reached out to stop him.
“Your Majesty, His Highness the Ninth Prince is still young and hot-blooded. Please calm your anger…”
“Calm my anger?”
Lu Cangqiong flung Zhou Fu’s hand aside and roared toward the entrance.
“Guards! Drag Lu Yuan out and give him thirty strokes with the board!”
The sound of boots immediately came from outside. Two Royal Guards strode into the hall and approached Lu Yuan from either side.
A trace of smugness appeared in Lu Cheng’s eyes as he lay on the stretcher.
“Father Emperor is wise.”
His voice still carried a sobbing tone, but his eyes were clearly filled with delight at Lu Yuan’s misfortune.
“Ninth Brother, don’t blame Father Emperor. Just look at what you’ve done.”
“You assaulted your elder brother right in front of Father Emperor inside Qianyuan Hall. If word gets out, the memorials from the Censorate will be enough to bury the entrance of your residence.”
“Thirty strokes is already a light punishment.”
Lu Cheng struggled to turn his head on the stretcher and looked toward Lu Yuan.
“You should apologize to your Second Brother while you still can. After you finish taking your punishment, I might even put in a few good words for you before Father Emperor, so that…”
The two Royal Guards had already reached Lu Yuan’s sides. Each seized one of his shoulders, gripping him firmly.
Feeling the strength pressing down on his shoulders, Lu Yuan’s mind raced.
‘Thirty strokes.’
‘This body has spent the past ten years living in luxury. I might have looked fierce during that fight earlier, but that was only because adrenaline was keeping me going.’
‘If I really take thirty strokes, there’s no telling whether I’ll even be able to get out of bed for the next two weeks.’
‘Worse still, once I accept this punishment, Father Emperor’s impression of me will be settled.’
‘I’ll officially be the guilty one. Once the punishment is carried out, the matter will be considered closed, and no one will believe anything I say afterward.’
‘I can’t take those strokes.’
‘Absolutely not.’
“Father Emperor, wait!”
Lu Yuan suddenly raised his voice with such force that even the Royal Guards preparing to drag him away froze for a moment.
Lu Cangqiong stopped and turned to glare at him.
“What else could you possibly have to argue?”
“Your son has a confidential matter to report.”
Lu Yuan tried to move his shoulders, but the guards’ grips didn’t budge. He simply stopped struggling and stood straight.
“This concerns a secret matter. I cannot speak of it in front of others.”
Lu Cangqiong narrowed his eyes.
Lu Cheng immediately became anxious.
“Father Emperor, don’t listen to him! He’s just making excuses! Nothing that comes out of his mouth is true! What confidential report could he possibly have? He’s only trying to escape punishment!”
Lu Yuan didn’t even look at him. His gaze remained fixed on Lu Cangqiong.
“Father Emperor, what your son is about to tell you concerns the very foundation of the Great Yong Empire. If I’m lying or speaking nonsense, you can give me those thirty strokes and kill me afterward. It still won’t be too late.”
“But what if… it’s true?”
Lu Cangqiong’s gaze changed.
He had been emperor for more than twenty years. What kind of schemes and conspiracies had he not witnessed?
For something to be described as “concerning the foundation of the Empire” by a wastrel prince who had spent his life eating, drinking, and avoiding responsibility, there were only two possibilities.
Either this brat was bluffing…
Or Lu Cheng had secretly done something he absolutely should not have done.
Lu Cangqiong’s expression darkened. He glanced at the two Royal Guards behind Lu Yuan, then at Lu Cheng on the stretcher.
“Everyone, leave.”
The two guards released Lu Yuan and withdrew to either side of the hall entrance.
Lu Cheng anxiously tried to lift himself from the stretcher, immediately pulling at his wounds and sending pain through his entire body.
“Father Emperor…”
“You too. Get out!”