Third Madam Qin and Li Mama waited outside for a long time. Seeing that it was not stopping inside, they were extremely anxious.
"Madam, hurry up and think of something. If the Fifth Young Master continues to be beaten like this, he will be beaten badly!" Li Mama said distressfully beside her.
"Good, he deserves to be beaten. Let him suffer some discipline for not listening," Third Madam Qin said.
Although she spoke like this, her pacing back and forth betrayed her true feelings.
"Go see if the Old Master is back yet?" Third Madam Qin said to the servant outside.
"Yes."
Soon, the servant ran back to reply: "Madam, the Old Master is back and heading this way."
"Okay, you can leave now."
Third Madam Qin stood at the entrance of the ancestral hall and when she saw Third Old Master rushing over anxiously from outside, she quickly went up to him and shouted: "Old Master, please save Yuan. Dad took him into the ancestral hall and has been beating him for a long time. If he doesn't come out soon, he'll be beaten badly."
"Don't worry, my wife." Qin Xinzhang patted his wife's hand to comfort her.
He already roughly understood what had happened. Many people were talking about it after he left court today.
He guessed Dad must be fuming right now and was about to invoke family law. He quickly took leave and rushed home.
Arriving at the entrance of the ancestral hall, he could vaguely hear "Do you admit your wrongdoing?"
"I did not do anything wrong."
Right after he finished speaking, there was the crack of a whip.
Third Old Master knocked on the door from outside and shouted, "Dad, calm down and rest for a while. Don't over-exert yourself."
Standing outside the door, Third Madam Qin also persuaded her son inside, "Yuan, just admit your mistake to Grandpa. Don't be stubborn."
But the beating inside continued without any sign of stopping. Finally, Third Madam Qin could not stand it anymore and said to the servants behind her, "Break down the door for me."
The servants lowered their heads, not daring to step forward.
"What is it? You are servants of my Third House. Are you not afraid of the Minister but afraid of me? Break it down. I'll bear full responsibility for the consequences."
The servants below looked at each other, seeming to muster tremendous courage, "Yes, Madam."
As soon as the door opened, Third Madam Qin rushed in and caught sight of Qin Chuyuan, whose skin was flayed open by the beating.
The horrific wounds scared her so much that her three souls almost left her seven spirits. She instantly rushed over to grab the whip that Minister Qin was about to swing down.
"Dad, stop beating him. If you continue, you'll beat him to death," Third Madam Qin cried loudly.
Minister Qin shook hard but did not know where the daughter-in-law got such great strength from. He was stunned that he could not shake her off and could only scold loudly, "Let go!"
"I won't let go. If you continue beating him, beat me to death first! Anyway, if anything happens to Yuan, I won't want to live either."
"Dad, Mother," Qin Chuyuan summoned a breath to call out when he saw his parents come in.
Then his body slanted and collapsed into his Dad's arms, completely fainting.
"Yuan!"
Third Madam Qin shrieked. She let go of the whip she was holding onto Minister Qin and ran to Qin Chuyuan's side.
Seeing Qin Chuyuan in this state, she shouted at Minister Qin, "Dad, Yuan is your own grandson. No matter what, how could you be so heavy-handed?"
"Humph! What happened? Do you know what he did at court? And you're still defending him so staunchly? I'd rather not have such an unfilial grandson."
"No matter what he did, you can't beat someone to the brink of death! He's my only son. Since you can't tolerate Yuan, we mother and son will leave!"
"You... As a woman of the Qin family, look at what nonsense you're spouting. Xinzhang, discipline your woman."
"Dad, don't be angry. Ji Rou was just overly worried about Yuan. Please don't take it to heart."
"I'll spare him this once today. If he does anything to damage the Qin family in the future again, don't blame me for being ruthless."
After Grandpa left, Third Madam Qin shouted at the servants, "What are you standing there for? Quickly carry the Young Master back to Bi Chao Courtyard."
"Yes."
After the servants carried Qin Chuyuan back, they invited an imperial physician who dressed his wounds. Only after seeing that Qin Chuyuan's injuries were not life-threatening did Third Madam Qin finally feel relieved.
At the same time, she also understood what had really happened from her husband, which made her unable to help but curse out loudly again.
"This palace maid Hua is a natural disaster. Ever since she appeared, there is no peace in our family. When Yuan returns, I must make him divorce her."
A few days later.
Lin Zhiyuan and a few other good friends heard that Qin Chuyuan was recuperating from his injuries at home.
So they came in a group to visit Qin manor on a rest day.
Everyone looked at Qin Chuyuan lying prone on the couch. His back and buttocks were wrapped in thick strips of cloth.
There were still traces of fresh red blood seeping through, indicating the severity of the beating.
"Yuan, your injury is not light!" One of them said.
"It's fine, it won't kill me," Qin Chuyuan replied.
"Tsk, tsk, your grandfather's heart is too vicious. Beating you so badly, I wonder which tendon you pulled to willingly jeopardize your future prospects for a mere palace maid!" Lin Zhiyuan said while looking at Qin Chuyuan's injuries.
Qin Chuyuan remained silent.
Seeing that he was not angry, Lin Zhiyuan sat down.
He took the tea that the maid had brought over and drank while chattering away to himself, "Back then, when Lady Huang first returned from Nanlong Prefecture, you had just gotten married and were still in the honeymoon period. Yet after only one day, she left without any reluctance to rush off to the border. I say, she probably didn't have you in her heart at all."
"And you, for her... Hmm!"
Lin Zhiyuan was still oblivious to Qin Chuyuan's death stare at him and continued blabbing nonstop.
The person sitting next to him couldn't bear to watch his courting of death. He kept pulling Lin Zhiyuan's sleeve, signaling him to stop talking.
"Why do you keep tugging at my sleeve?" Lin Zhiyuan turned to the friend sitting next to him who was pulling his sleeve.
Seeing that he had finally lifted his head, the other person quickly hinted with his eyes for him to take a look at Qin Chuyuan.
A chill went down Lin Zhiyuan's back. He carefully looked up at Qin Chuyuan.
What entered his eyes was an icy pair staring right back at him intently.
Only then did he realize he seemed to be hovering on the brink of courting death just now.
"Cough, I was just joking earlier. Your wife definitely likes you. Otherwise, why would she have married you?"
He turned and asked the others again, "Right? You think so too?"
The others saw the situation and quickly echoed their agreement.
"Yes, of course. Brother Qin is the number one handsome gentleman in Daxing. What maiden wouldn't fall for him upon seeing him? Sister-in-law is surely no exception."
"Absolutely. Back then when Brother Qin got married, so many girls were heartbroken and weeping in the streets. That scene pained me to watch. Sister-in-law must have been deeply attracted to Brother Qin!"
Only then did Qin Chuyuan retract his icy demeanor.
The others exchanged looks with each other. This man was poisoned indeed, poisoned by love. And the poison seemed quite deep, his mind was nearly abnormal.
Third Madam Qin and Li Mama waited outside for a long time. Seeing that it was not stopping inside, they were extremely anxious.
"Madam, hurry up and think of something. If the Fifth Young Master continues to be beaten like this, he will be beaten badly!" Li Mama said distressfully beside her.
"Good, he deserves to be beaten. Let him suffer some discipline for not listening," Third Madam Qin said.
Although she spoke like this, her pacing back and forth betrayed her true feelings.
"Go see if the Old Master is back yet?" Third Madam Qin said to the servant outside.
"Yes."
Soon, the servant ran back to reply: "Madam, the Old Master is back and heading this way."
"Okay, you can leave now."
Third Madam Qin stood at the entrance of the ancestral hall and when she saw Third Old Master rushing over anxiously from outside, she quickly went up to him and shouted: "Old Master, please save Yuan. Dad took him into the ancestral hall and has been beating him for a long time. If he doesn't come out soon, he'll be beaten badly."
"Don't worry, my wife." Qin Xinzhang patted his wife's hand to comfort her.
He already roughly understood what had happened. Many people were talking about it after he left court today.
He guessed Dad must be fuming right now and was about to invoke family law. He quickly took leave and rushed home.
Arriving at the entrance of the ancestral hall, he could vaguely hear "Do you admit your wrongdoing?"
"I did not do anything wrong."
Right after he finished speaking, there was the crack of a whip.
Third Old Master knocked on the door from outside and shouted, "Dad, calm down and rest for a while. Don't over-exert yourself."
Standing outside the door, Third Madam Qin also persuaded her son inside, "Yuan, just admit your mistake to Grandpa. Don't be stubborn."
But the beating inside continued without any sign of stopping. Finally, Third Madam Qin could not stand it anymore and said to the servants behind her, "Break down the door for me."
The servants lowered their heads, not daring to step forward.
"What is it? You are servants of my Third House. Are you not afraid of the Minister but afraid of me? Break it down. I'll bear full responsibility for the consequences."
The servants below looked at each other, seeming to muster tremendous courage, "Yes, Madam."
As soon as the door opened, Third Madam Qin rushed in and caught sight of Qin Chuyuan, whose skin was flayed open by the beating.
The horrific wounds scared her so much that her three souls almost left her seven spirits. She instantly rushed over to grab the whip that Minister Qin was about to swing down.
"Dad, stop beating him. If you continue, you'll beat him to death," Third Madam Qin cried loudly.
Minister Qin shook hard but did not know where the daughter-in-law got such great strength from. He was stunned that he could not shake her off and could only scold loudly, "Let go!"
"I won't let go. If you continue beating him, beat me to death first! Anyway, if anything happens to Yuan, I won't want to live either."
"Dad, Mother," Qin Chuyuan summoned a breath to call out when he saw his parents come in.
Then his body slanted and collapsed into his Dad's arms, completely fainting.
"Yuan!"
Third Madam Qin shrieked. She let go of the whip she was holding onto Minister Qin and ran to Qin Chuyuan's side.
Seeing Qin Chuyuan in this state, she shouted at Minister Qin, "Dad, Yuan is your own grandson. No matter what, how could you be so heavy-handed?"
"Humph! What happened? Do you know what he did at court? And you're still defending him so staunchly? I'd rather not have such an unfilial grandson."
"No matter what he did, you can't beat someone to the brink of death! He's my only son. Since you can't tolerate Yuan, we mother and son will leave!"
"You... As a woman of the Qin family, look at what nonsense you're spouting. Xinzhang, discipline your woman."
"Dad, don't be angry. Ji Rou was just overly worried about Yuan. Please don't take it to heart."
"I'll spare him this once today. If he does anything to damage the Qin family in the future again, don't blame me for being ruthless."
After Grandpa left, Third Madam Qin shouted at the servants, "What are you standing there for? Quickly carry the Young Master back to Bi Chao Courtyard."
"Yes."
After the servants carried Qin Chuyuan back, they invited an imperial physician who dressed his wounds. Only after seeing that Qin Chuyuan's injuries were not life-threatening did Third Madam Qin finally feel relieved.
At the same time, she also understood what had really happened from her husband, which made her unable to help but curse out loudly again.
"This palace maid Hua is a natural disaster. Ever since she appeared, there is no peace in our family. When Yuan returns, I must make him divorce her."
A few days later.
Lin Zhiyuan and a few other good friends heard that Qin Chuyuan was recuperating from his injuries at home.
So they came in a group to visit Qin manor on a rest day.
Everyone looked at Qin Chuyuan lying prone on the couch. His back and buttocks were wrapped in thick strips of cloth.
There were still traces of fresh red blood seeping through, indicating the severity of the beating.
"Yuan, your injury is not light!" One of them said.
"It's fine, it won't kill me," Qin Chuyuan replied.
"Tsk, tsk, your grandfather's heart is too vicious. Beating you so badly, I wonder which tendon you pulled to willingly jeopardize your future prospects for a mere palace maid!" Lin Zhiyuan said while looking at Qin Chuyuan's injuries.
Qin Chuyuan remained silent.
Seeing that he was not angry, Lin Zhiyuan sat down.
He took the tea that the maid had brought over and drank while chattering away to himself, "Back then, when Lady Huang first returned from Nanlong Prefecture, you had just gotten married and were still in the honeymoon period. Yet after only one day, she left without any reluctance to rush off to the border. I say, she probably didn't have you in her heart at all."
"And you, for her... Hmm!"
Lin Zhiyuan was still oblivious to Qin Chuyuan's death stare at him and continued blabbing nonstop.
The person sitting next to him couldn't bear to watch his courting of death. He kept pulling Lin Zhiyuan's sleeve, signaling him to stop talking.
"Why do you keep tugging at my sleeve?" Lin Zhiyuan turned to the friend sitting next to him who was pulling his sleeve.
Seeing that he had finally lifted his head, the other person quickly hinted with his eyes for him to take a look at Qin Chuyuan.
A chill went down Lin Zhiyuan's back. He carefully looked up at Qin Chuyuan.
What entered his eyes was an icy pair staring right back at him intently.
Only then did he realize he seemed to be hovering on the brink of courting death just now.
"Cough, I was just joking earlier. Your wife definitely likes you. Otherwise, why would she have married you?"
He turned and asked the others again, "Right? You think so too?"
The others saw the situation and quickly echoed their agreement.
"Yes, of course. Brother Qin is the number one handsome gentleman in Daxing. What maiden wouldn't fall for him upon seeing him? Sister-in-law is surely no exception."
"Absolutely. Back then when Brother Qin got married, so many girls were heartbroken and weeping in the streets. That scene pained me to watch. Sister-in-law must have been deeply attracted to Brother Qin!"
Only then did Qin Chuyuan retract his icy demeanor.
The others exchanged looks with each other. This man was poisoned indeed, poisoned by love. And the poison seemed quite deep, his mind was nearly abnormal.
