Watching the thick wooden boards strike Fei Yanzhang's body again and again, the civil officials standing nearby, reluctant to leave, all clenched their fists.
Dongfang Shaoting's gaze darted back and forth between the Imperial Study, the eunuchs carrying out the punishment, Fei Yanzhang, and the surrounding officials. Especially when he met the smug smile on Gu Qishan's face, the suppression in his heart accumulated to its peak, as if it would erupt in the next second.
The purple official uniform was gradually dyed a dark brown with blood. By the time the fortieth blow landed, Fei Yanzhang had already passed out.
After fifty blows, Song Qiming handed Ye Liangyu over to the hurrying Dongfang Yukun, stepped forward, and stuffed a handful of life-saving pills straight into Fei Yanzhang's mouth.
Seeing that Song Qiming could not carry two people by himself, Cui Zhengyang crouched down without hesitation.
"Yukun is young, I will carry Lord Cui."
Song Qiming and Cui Zhengyang each carried one on their backs, with Dongfang Yukun guarding them from behind.
He turned his head to look at his biological father standing on the steps above, his heart filled with mixed emotions that could no longer be described in words.
When Prince Qi and Prince Ying were throwing their weight around in the court, the Emperor highly valued Ye Liangyu and Fei Yanzhang. Now that the threat was gone, he was burning bridges and showing no mercy at all.
How cold-blooded.
As an emperor, it was fine to have the final say, but one still had to distinguish right from wrong.
Minor matters would be one thing, but Prince Qi had committed a grave mistake this time.
To give no punishment at all and even cover the matter up was simply going too far.
If the monarch bent the law for personal gain and lacked the virtue for his position, who could the people of the Dongzhao Kingdom rely on?
Seeing Dongfang Yukun's taut jaw and intense gaze, how could Dongfang Shaoting, as his father, not see what his own son was thinking?
He turned around, his gaze falling upon the floor tiles of the Imperial Study.
Two people, eighty blows.
Would such things happen again in the future?
Who would be next?
Song Qiming did not send the two unconscious men to the Ye or Fei manors; instead, he took them directly back to the County Princess's Estate.
Inside Song Jinzhao and Song Shixue's apothecary, buckets of hot water were carried in by the servants.
Looking at the bloody and mangled flesh at the base of their thighs, Song Jinzhao's brows never relaxed from beginning to end.
Ye Liangyu had no family, so Song Qiming stood by his side, keeping watch the whole time.
Upon receiving the news, Madam Fei rushed over with her son.
Seeing her husband lying unconscious on the bed, his lower body looking like a puddle of mangled mud, Madam Fei burst into tears on the spot.
She covered her mouth and cried out, "How could he be beaten like this? What should we do?"
Qingshuang stopped Madam Fei, preventing her from getting too close.
Young Master Fei, who was blocked by Lanxi, saw that Madam Fei was crying so hard she was about to faint, and hurriedly reached out to grasp her shoulders.
"Mother, Father is not dead and can still be saved. Please say no more; if word gets out, our entire family could be executed."
Madam Fei covered her mouth and buried her head in Young Master Fei's embrace, weeping bitterly.
Song Jinzhao, who was cleaning Fei Yanzhang's wounds, furrowed her brows in irritation.
She spoke in a cold voice, "Qiming, take them out and close the door."
It wasn't just the flesh that was smashed, but the bones as well.
If not handled properly, it would result in lower body paralysis, which was very difficult to treat.
Hearing the seriousness and dissatisfaction in Song Jinzhao's voice, Song Qiming quickly spread his arms, gesturing with his eyes for Young Master Fei and his mother to leave.
"My eldest sister and the others are treating my teacher and Lord Fei. They need a quiet environment, so it is best if we wait outside."
Young Master Fei reached out and grabbed Song Qiming's wrist, his eyes full of worry and pleading.
"Lord Song, my father will definitely be alright, won't he?"
Song Qiming turned his hand to grasp the young man's hand, pushing both him and Madam Fei in his arms out of the apothecary.
"Rest assured, my sister will definitely do her best."
After the door was closed, the apothecary instantly quieted down.
Aside from the sound of breathing, only the unconscious, pained groans of Ye Liangyu and Fei Yanzhang could be heard.
