funbook-pk Chapter 23 Furious (2)
Chapter 23 Furious (2)
Meanwhile, on the other side, He Mingwen was being forcibly dragged away to receive punishment. Despite suffering immense pain, he continued to claim that he had been wronged. Before long, a crisp and loud sound rang out in the courtyard—the sound of wooden planks striking flesh heavily, accompanied by muffled groans that were difficult to suppress but dared not cry out.
He Mingwen, pampered and spoiled since childhood, had never experienced such torture. After a short while, the intense pain rendered him almost unable to make a sound. At that moment, he thought to himself: If even the first ten strokes were this unbearable, if he had to endure the full thirty strokes, he would probably be crippled! Since that was the case, perhaps he could feign unconsciousness and escape the subsequent punishment… With this thought in mind, he decided to try.
Unexpectedly, before he could even feign unconsciousness, the emperor had already quietly left. Therefore, even if he truly fainted, no one ordered the execution to stop. Ultimately, unable to endure the excruciating pain any longer, He Mingwen completely lost consciousness and collapsed to the ground.
When the Third Prince was carried back to his residence, he was already unconscious and in a coma. Seeing this, the anxious guard Zheng Kuan rushed out to find a doctor. The doctor arrived, carefully examined the wounds, prescribed several pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory ointments and some oral medications, and then hurriedly left. Zheng Kuan quickly arranged for someone to accompany the doctor to fetch the medicine, while he himself stayed behind to care for his still unconscious master.
Not long after, the person who had fetched the medicine returned. Zheng Kuan immediately instructed them to prepare the medicine. Time passed quietly, and as night fell, the Third Prince finally slowly opened his eyes and woke up. At that moment, Zheng Kuan heard a sound coming from inside the room, so he pushed open the door and stepped inside, but what he saw before him shocked him—He Mingwen was clenching his teeth in agony, his face contorted in a ferocious grimace, completely unlike his usual gentle and refined demeanor.
Zheng Kuan had served He Mingwen since childhood and knew his fiery temper and vengeful nature. He approached with a bowl of medicine and said softly, "Your Highness, please take your medicine! The doctor instructed that you should take this medicine immediately upon waking to relieve the pain. In addition, there is some ointment here for application; may I apply it for you?" He then prepared to apply the ointment to He Mingwen.
After drinking the medicine without hesitation, He Mingwen gave Zheng Kuan a look, signaling him to start applying the ointment. Zheng Kuan understood and carefully removed He Mingwen's clothes before focusing on applying the ointment.
Although He Mingwen possessed extraordinary patience, his personality was as fiery and unyielding as a raging fire. From a young age, he had been adept at spreading rumors and framing others. After Zheng Kuan finished applying the medicine, he sent someone to bring the meal to his room. He Mingwen had just finished eating when hurried footsteps and the steward's voice came from outside the door: "Your Highness, someone from the palace has come to visit!"
He Mingwen frowned slightly and asked, "Who are they?" The steward respectfully replied, "Your Highness, they are from Fengluan Palace." Upon hearing this, Zheng Kuan interjected, "Your Highness, while you were unconscious, I heard that the Empress led a group of people to search Ningyuan Palace."
Upon hearing this, He Mingwen's emotions instantly became extremely agitated, and he shouted angrily, "What? How dare she act like this! Doesn't she fear that the Emperor will punish her?" Zheng Kuan hurriedly explained, "The Empress used the excuse that Ningyuan Palace had been burglarized and wanted to assist in catching the thieves, so she was ordered to search the palace."
Just as He Mingwen was about to continue his outburst, the steward beside him gently reminded him, "Your Highness, the people in the palace are still waiting. How should this old servant respond?" He Mingwen suppressed his anger and calmly asked, "Do you know why they have come here?" The steward hurriedly returned and said, "Your Highness, this person has come to retrieve some items." Zheng Kuan responded and said to He Mingwen, "Your Highness has come here this time, probably to demand the apology you gave to Miss Qin."
He Mingwen replied nonchalantly, "Oh, I see. Then just pick a few for him."
However, Zheng Kuan quickly waved his hand in opposition: "Your Highness, I'm afraid this won't work." He Mingwen was puzzled and pressed for the reason.
Zheng Kuan explained, "I heard that Her Highness originally intended to choose a few things as an apology, but she was reprimanded by the Empress. The Empress used the excuse that there were thieves in the palace, and as the head of the harem, she was responsible for investigating the case, so she took the opportunity to search Ningyuan Palace. Therefore, if the gifts we send are too meager, it may cause trouble."
He Mingwen didn't care about this at all, and said confidently, "You just mentioned that she only cares about the affairs of the inner palace. This is a prince's residence, and it's not under her jurisdiction. Just do as I say, and I want to see what she can do! If she really dares to touch a hair on my prince's residence, I'll immediately go to my father to complain. Maybe then she'll have to pay us the compensation!" As He Mingwen fantasized, a smug smile appeared on his lips.
However, before he could fully indulge in these beautiful fantasies, reality ruthlessly shattered them—just as he was stunned, the person had already stepped into the room. Only then did he realize that today would likely end badly, and he would be skinned alive! The reason was simple: the person entering the room was not only someone sent by the Empress, but also his young imperial uncle, He Yanxi, who held him in utter contempt and was extremely difficult to deal with. This young imperial uncle was born of the same mother as the current Emperor and was deeply favored by him, even more so than one would show to one's own children; furthermore, he had a close relationship with Qin Yaoyao's elder brother, Qin Yunji. Therefore, it was conceivable that this visit was at Qin Yunji's behest.
Faced with such a formidable figure, He Mingwen knew there was no way he could gain any advantage. After all, this young imperial uncle was no saint, nor was he someone who could be easily fooled. Just as He Mingwen was racking his brains for a solution, he heard He Yanxi turn to his subordinates and order, "The Third Prince is seriously injured and unable to personally select the apology gifts. However, we cannot allow others to accuse the royal family of merely going through the motions, and since subordinates have no authority to deliver gifts on behalf of their masters, I will have to do it myself. I believe the Third Prince has no objections to this?" His words, though seemingly a question, were unusually forceful, carrying an undeniable authority. Just as He Mingwen was pondering how to respond, He Yanxi swiftly dispatched his men: "Men! Bring out everything from the Third Prince's residence. I want to carefully select what to bring." As he spoke, his gaze was fixed on He Mingwen, a hint of cunning and provocation in his eyes.
Faced with such a gaze, the words of refusal that He Mingwen was about to utter suddenly caught in his throat, leaving him feeling incredibly frustrated and uncomfortable. At this moment, He Mingwen dared not look He Yanxi in the eye, fearing that he might accidentally anger the other party. Helpless, he could only reply in a low voice, "Then I'll have to trouble you, Little Imperial Uncle."
However, He Yanxi secretly thought to himself: This kid seems calm on the surface, but he's probably cursing me countless times inside! Thinking this, a slight, almost imperceptible smile appeared on his lips. Not long after, the guards returned, each carrying several boxes. Almost everyone carried one of the smaller boxes, but the larger ones required two people to carry them. In short, no one returned empty-handed.
Upon witnessing this scene, He Yanxi's lips curled slightly, and he raised an eyebrow, thinking, "These guys, are they going to ransack everyone's place?" In an instant, the courtyard was filled with various boxes. At this moment, He Yanxi's personal guard, Lan Yu, asked the group if everything had been moved. A guard stepped forward and replied, "Reporting to Your Excellency, it's all been moved." Lan Yu then turned to He Yanxi and reported, "Your Highness, all items are ready." He Yanxi nodded slightly, indicating that he understood, then turned his gaze to He Mingwen and ordered, "Then, move all of these away and send them to the Duke of Zhenguo's residence." Lan Yu acknowledged the order and replied, "Yes, Your Highness." After speaking, he turned to the other guards and ordered, "Depart! Head to the Duke of Zhenguo's residence!"
At this moment, He Mingwen stared blankly at everything that was happening before him, speechless with astonishment. He thought to himself, "What does this mean? Could it be that they are going to completely destroy my stronghold? They don't even want to leave me a single thing..." He was startled, and a strong impulse surged into his heart. He almost blurted out to stop the other party, but before he could speak, he was interrupted by He Yanxi's next words.
He Yanxi continued, “I’m afraid these things are far from enough! Nephew, as a prince, how could you only have such meager and insignificant possessions? It seems that in the end, I will have to personally select some more valuable items to fill the gap. But don’t worry, this is only a temporary loan; you must repay me in the future. As for the specific amount… I will send my steward later with a detailed list to hand over to you. You don’t need to see me off; just make the necessary preparations in advance.” With that, He Yanxi smiled with satisfaction and turned to leave.
The sun shone brightly, a gentle breeze caressed his face, and He Yanxi walked briskly towards the Prince's mansion with a smile on his face. He thought to himself, "I wonder what my little girl is doing right now? She must be very happy!" Thinking of this, the corners of his mouth curved even wider.
He had originally planned to go find her immediately, but then he thought better of it and decided to wait a while, letting her enjoy some more time alone. So, He Yanxi decided to take a walk around the palace first, soaking in the peaceful and beautiful atmosphere.
As he walked, he came to a garden. Flowers were in full bloom, their fragrance filling the air, and the colorful blossoms vied for attention, a breathtaking sight. He Yanxi couldn't help but stop and admire the beautiful scenery. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and the fresh floral scent instantly filled his nostrils, making him feel relaxed and refreshed.
Just then, a clear and melodious laugh reached his ears. He Yanxi suddenly opened his eyes and looked in the direction of the sound. He saw a petite figure flitting among the flowers, like a butterfly dancing gracefully. In the sunlight, her smile was exceptionally bright and dazzling, like the most beautiful flower in spring.
He Yanxi stood quietly, watching the cheerful figure, his heart filled with warmth and happiness. He knew that this lovely little girl was everything in his life, and as long as he could see her happy, any sacrifice he made would be worthwhile.