Chapter 63

Lady Lu cursed, "You are the one who is unreasonable! The elder sister was wronged, and as a younger brother, you fail to stand up for her, yet here you are making sarcastic remarks!"

Fang Yizhi's face turned crimson. Not daring to talk back to his mother, he simply kept his head down and remained silent.

Lady Lu snorted and said to the servant, "Go back and find out more."

"Understood!"

Before the servant could turn around, another house steward rushed in.

"Reporting to Master and Madam, the Second Young Master... the Second Young Master has smashed Lady Cao's bedchamber to pieces!"

"What?"

Lady Lu was momentarily dumbfounded. Wasn't this going a bit too far?

Lady Du was also growing anxious and asked, "How did it come to that?"

The servant had witnessed the entire scene unfold at the Prince's estate before returning to report. He now vividly recounted the whole affair with plenty of exaggerated details.

Lady Lu's face beamed with delight, "That is so satisfying! Serves her right!"

Fang Xuanling wore a wry smile.

Lady Fang bit her lip, her eyes shining brightly. So that little vixen knows what fear is now, does she? Did she really think that having the Prince's favor meant she could act with absolute impunity?

Lady Du looked dazed, thinking to herself that this brother-in-law of hers was truly ferocious.

Meanwhile, Fang Yizhi muttered under his breath, "Rude... vulgar... utterly unreasonable..." Terrified of drawing his mother's wrath, he didn't dare to speak up.

Before anyone could fully process the news, a third servant came running in with another report.

"The Second Young Master pinned Lady Cao's two brothers to the ground and whipped them, shouting, 'Your Cao family has brothers, are you trying to bully the Princess Consort just because she has none? I will show you whose brothers are stronger! From now on, anyone who shows disrespect to the Princess Consort will suffer this exact fate!'"

Tears welled up in Lady Fang's eyes all over again. This second younger brother of hers was simply too thoughtful...

Then, the servant's next sentence made everyone's heart leap into their throats.

"His Majesty has already ordered the 'Hundred Riders' to arrest the Second Young Master and bring him into the palace..."

Even though they knew His Majesty would inevitably learn of the incident and that the crime of defying an imperial decree could not be avoided, they couldn't help but feel deeply worried now that it had actually happened.

Lady Fang wiped away her tears, stood up, and walked over to Fang Xuanling's couch. She fell to her knees with a loud thud and cried imploringly, "Father, this whole matter started entirely because of me. Now that the Second Young Master is entering the palace, His Majesty is bound to be furious, and there is no telling how he will be punished. Please go to the palace and beg His Majesty to spare the Second Young Master..."

Fang Xuanling tugged at his beard with a troubled expression. "This... this... let your father ponder this carefully first..."

At this, Lady Lu roared, "Ponder my foot! Let me tell you, Fang Xuanling, you've been spineless your entire life—how much longer are you going to keep cowering?"

Fang Xuanling smiled bitterly. "My wife, keep calm, keep calm... No matter what, His Majesty will certainly spare some regard for my face; he will neither take the Second Young Master's life nor send him into military exile..."

Having been monarch and subject for decades, Fang Xuanling understood Emperor Li Er's temperament well, which was why he wasn't particularly worried.

But while he wasn't worried, Lady Lu certainly was!

Lady Lu's brows stood straight up as she pointed at Fang Xuanling's nose and shouted, "Fang Xuanling, are you even speaking like a human being? The Second Young Master is flesh of your flesh! Even if His Majesty doesn't take his life, a sound beating with planks could cripple him for life! Are you going or not? Fine, if you won't go, I will!"

After letting out a fierce tirade and worrying herself sick, Lady Lu made as if to head to the palace herself.

Lady Du felt utterly awkward standing nearby. As a daughter-in-law, watching her mother-in-law point at her father-in-law's nose and throw a massive tantrum... she truly felt she had nowhere to go and no way to stay.

Fang Xuanling's old face flushed crimson with rage. "You foolish woman, stop making a groundless fuss! I said he will be fine, and that means he will be fine. Cease your nagging!"

Fang Xuanling rarely lost his temper with Lady Lu like this. Having completely lost face in front of his daughter-in-law, his explosive outburst actually managed to cow Lady Lu into silence.

Lady Lu glanced at Fang Xuanling, then suddenly collapsed back onto the couch and burst into loud sobs.

"My poor, ill-fated son... why is your life so harsh, having to deal with such a cold-hearted father?..."

The sound of Lady Lu's crying gave Fang Xuanling a throbbing headache. Just as he was about to retreat to his room to escape, he heard a commotion outside the door.

Lady Lu hurried to the entrance to look, only to see a squad of "Hundred Riders" carrying an imperial palanquin. Their own Second Young Master was lying prone upon it, craning his neck to look over. Their eyes met.

Fang Jun broke into a wide grin, flashing a row of white teeth. "Mother!"

Lady Lu gathered up her skirts and ran out. The moment she saw Fang Jun sprawled across the palanquin with his entire back covered in blood and his dark face turned pale from pain, she let out a startled cry and trembled, "This... this... how many beatings with the planks did they give him?"

"Not many, just fifty..." Fang Jun said nonchalantly. "Your son has a sturdy frame, I'm just fine. Besides, thanks to General Li showing mercy, these are just superficial flesh wounds that didn't damage my bones or tendons. A few days of rest and I'll be right as rain."

Only then did Lady Lu notice the leader of the escort, Li Junxian. She hastily offered a respectful bow and expressed her gratitude, "Once again, we are indebted to the General's assistance. Please come inside and sit."

Li Junxian smiled and nodded. "Madam need not thank me; it was all according to His Majesty's arrangement. I also intended to pay my respects to Lord Fang."

Princess Han, Lady Fang, rushed out at that moment. Upon seeing Fang Jun's injuries, her tears started flowing again. She gently stroked Fang Jun's cheek and cried, "You foolish boy, causing such a ruckus—how could your sister bear to watch this?"

Fang Jun flashed a grin. "That Prince Han humiliated our Fang family by acting as if there was no one left of any consequence; how could we not teach him a lesson? That fellow is truly malicious; he actually ran to His Majesty to lodge a malicious complaint. It's a pity we didn't manage to catch him in the act, otherwise I would have shown him!"

Upon seeing Lady Fang, Li Junxian immediately dropped to one knee in a military salute and proclaimed, "Your subordinate Li Junxian pays respects to the Princess Consort of Han."

Earlier, when facing Lady Lu, he had only offered a standard civilian greeting; this was the distinction between an imperial noble minister and the imperial house.

Lady Fang quickly stepped aside to dodge the bow and said gently, "How could I ever dare accept such a grand salute from General Li? I have yet to thank the General for looking after my younger brother. Please, allow this palace to return the bow."

With that, she curtsied.

How could Li Junxian dare to accept this gesture? He hurriedly stepped aside, looking thoroughly alarmed. "The Princess Consort is giving your subordinate more credit than he can bear."

He had originally intended to exchange a few words with Fang Xuanling, but with the Princess Consort present, the atmosphere was simply too restrained. Li Junxian promptly took his leave.

Before departing, he produced a scroll and handed it to Lady Lu with both hands, saying, "This is the palace's record of the *Diary of Activities and Repose*. His Majesty commanded me to bring it and hand it over to Lord Fang."

Pausing for a moment, he added softly, "It records the dialogue between the Second Young Master and His Majesty after he entered the palace..." With that, he bowed and took his leave.

After all, it was an item bestowed by the Emperor. Although Lady Lu did not understand why His Majesty had sent it here, she did not dare to neglect it and hurried back inside to deliver it to Fang Xuanling.

At this moment, Fang Yizhi also walked out of his room. With his hands behind his back, he glanced at the wounds on Fang Jun's back, the muscles on his face twitching slightly as he muttered, "Asking for it," before calmly strolling away.

Fang Jun didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Could you not show even a shred of concern? Even a fake, hypocritical show of worry would be better than this chilling indifference!

Sister-in-law Lady Du also looked awkward, offering an unnatural smile. "Your eldest brother... he worries in his heart, but his mouth refuses to say it. Don't blame him."

Fang Jun smiled. This sister-in-law of his was quite sensible, so he replied, "Sister-in-law, don't worry, I understand."

Lady Du finally looked relieved, her face opening into a smile as she said, "I have an old ginseng from my dowry in my room. I'll have a maid bring it over to you later; that stuff is best for restoring blood and vitality."

After offering a few more words of admonition, she too departed.

The servants then hastily and carefully carried Fang Jun back to his quarters.

Inside the room, Fang Xuanling looked at the *Diary of Activities and Repose* sent by the Emperor, a long sigh escaping him.

Lady Lu was perplexed. She looked at Fang Xuanling, holding back her questions, but when she saw Princess Han Lady Fang enter shortly after, she asked, "Has he been carried back?"

Lady Fang nodded. "Yes. Once he has had his medicine applied, I'll go over there."

Fang Jun's injuries were on his lower back and hips, so applying the medicine required removing his outer garments. Although Lady Fang was his eldest sister, men and women should keep their distance, so it was inconvenient for her to stay close.

Lady Lu nudged Fang Xuanling with her chin and asked in a low voice, "What is His Majesty's intention in sending this *Diary of Activities and Repose* over?"

Having just quarreled with Fang Xuanling, asking him a question made her feel like she was losing face, which she stubbornly refused to do; yet not asking made her feel utterly憋得慌 (frustrated and choked up).

Lady Fang was equally baffled. Seeing that Fang Xuanling had finished reading the diary, she walked over, picked it up, and began to read it carefully. As she read, tears began to stream down her face again...

Lady Lu grew both anxious and angry. Displeased, she snapped, "You child, why are you never like me? Always sniffling and crying like a weakling! What on earth is going on?"

Lady Fang wiped her eyes and remained silent, though in her heart she was continuously chewing over the words Fang Jun had spoken in the palace as recorded in the diary:

"I am simple-minded and don't care about all those complexities. My rule of thumb in handling matters has always been to side with my own people rather than with reason. Whoever bullies my family—regardless of their reasons—gets beaten first, and we can talk later!"

Tears filled Lady Fang's eyes, yet the corners of her mouth curled upward into a smile as she felt the absolute, unyielding devotion with which Fang Jun protected his eldest sister, entirely disregarding right or wrong.

Fang Xuanling let out a light sigh at that moment. "His Majesty is handing me a difficult problem..."

Feeling she could no longer endure the strange behavior of this father-and-daughter pair, Lady Lu glared fiercely and slammed her hand onto the table. "What on earth is going on? Explain it clearly right now!"

Fang Xuanling smiled wryly. "Your precious son spoke without thinking and spouted nonsense when answering His Majesty. His Majesty is trying to tell me that while he respects our relationship as monarch and subject and cannot bear to severely punish the Second Young Master, the anger in his heart is truly hard to quell, so he is leaving it to me to vent this frustration on his behalf!"

Lady Lu asked in surprise, "How are you supposed to vent frustration on His Majesty's behalf?"

Fang Xuanling smiled bitterly and shook his head. "By giving the boy another thrashing, of course!"

Lady Lu flew into a rage. "You dare!"

Fang Xuanling let out an "En" and replied, "I do not dare."

Lady Lu asked in a dilemma, "Then when His Majesty asks, what will you say?"

Fang Xuanling said, "I do not dare."

Lady Lu grew even angrier. "Of course I know you don't dare! I'm asking you, when His Majesty asks whether you beat the child or not, how will you answer?"

Fang Xuanling was torn between laughter and tears. Rolling his eyes, he simply ignored her.

***

The following day, after the morning court session, Emperor Li Er kept Fang Xuanling behind alone.

Returning to the rear hall, Emperor Li Er seated himself on the couch, took a sip of warm tea, and asked, "Has Xuanling received the *Diary of Activities and Repose*?"

Fang Xuanling calmly replied, "I have received it."

Emperor Li Er asked again, "Did you understand my intentions?"

Fang Xuanling answered, "Your servant understands."

Emperor Li Er chuckled. "How did you deal with your precious son?"

To severely punish Fang Jun was not that he couldn't do it, but that he was unwilling—much like his reluctance to severely punish Cheng Chubi. Although he was very angry, after all, it wasn't a grave crime; punishing him too harshly would damage the bond between monarch and minister, which was unnecessary.

Yet failing to punish him at all made it hard to dispel the anger in his own chest. Would just a few beatings with the planks be the end of it?

It couldn't be that cheap! Since I felt it inappropriate for me to administer the beating personally, I made his father do it instead!

With lowered eyes and a drooping gaze, Fang Xuanling replied, "I didn't deal with him."

Emperor Li Er was stunned. "Why?" I dropped such an obvious hint, yet you took no action whatsoever. That is entirely your fault.

Fang Xuanling said with an air of utter detachment, "Your servant... does not dare."

Emperor Li Er stared, dumbfounded. "Why do you not dare?"

Was there really a father in this world who didn't dare beat his own son?

Fang Xuanling looked somewhat troubled. After a long moment, he finally said, "My wife won't allow it..."

Emperor Li Er: "..."

His wife won't allow it...

This was an excellent reason, truly powerful! Emperor Li Er found himself utterly speechless...

Throwing his head back with a long sigh, Emperor Li Er finally muttered, "Fang Xuanling, oh Fang Xuanling, to be so terrified of your wife that it reaches this stage, you truly deserve to go down in history!"

His underlying meaning was simply mocking the fact that Fang Xuanling's fear of his wife would inevitably become a laughingstock for all eternity.

Little did he know that a thousand years later, not only would being afraid of one's wife no longer be a laughingstock, but men weaving and women farming would also not be considered disgraceful; even washing one's wife's feet would be seen as romantic, and failing to cast recommendation votes while reading books wouldn't be considered all that shameless either...