Chapter 50
Ji Wanxin’s face was filled with worry as she stood fretfully at the side. She used her handkerchief to cover her mouth as she coughed several times before speaking, “Grandmother, Father, don’t misunderstand Yunshu. At the time, I was there too. Lingzhi fell on her own.” When she head this, Ji Muqing was not pleased. Her phoenix eyes snapped over to her sister.
“Wanxin, we all know that you and Yunshu are very close, but you can’t just protect her like this. She may have injured Lingzhi’s hand today, but what if one day she breaks it instead? At that time, would you still protect her?” Ji Muqing’s voice was dripping with poisonous sarcasm like usual.
“I speak the truth.”
“Then you mean to say that Lingzhi lied?” Ji Muqing lifted a brow. When those words came out, Ji Lingzhi immediately defended herself.
“I didn’t lie. Third Sister definitely pushed me. Second Sister, you clearly saw her do so, why are you speaking out for her and not for me?” Ji Lingzhi raised her voice as she refuted Ji Wanxin’s words.
Saying so, she once again lifted those pitiful hands that were bandaged up to the point they resembled a pair of dumplings, her eyes filling with tears as she stared at her father. She cried out, “Father, you have to help me teach Third Sister a lesson. She was the one who pushed me. My hands still hurt so badly.”
Ji Shuhan snorted. His hand lifted and slammed on the table once again, questioning Ji Yunshu, “Lingzhi is your younger sister. Even if you hate me for marrying you off to the Wei family, you shouldn’t have taken it out on her.”
Ji Yunshu simply smiled. “Since father and grandmother have judged that I pushed Lingzhi, nothing I say will change anything.”
“You still dare to talk back to me.”
“Your daughter simply does not feel motivated to debate.”
Her retort caused Ji Shuhan to be so angered that a green vein bulged on his forehead as he pointed at her. “I must have committed some horrendous crime to have such a vicious creature like you as my child. Just look at yourself! Clothed in men’s wear on a daily basis, you’re simply a disgrace to my Ji family. Since you’re so recalcitrant, don’t blame me for being a cruel father. Guards, discipline her using the family laws.”
‘Family laws?! Didn’t you people refuse to acknowledge me as a Ji? But now you want to use the family laws on me?!’
Ji Yunshu smiled in derision, a glint of stubbornness in her eyes as she squarely met her father’s gaze. It didn’t hold the slightest intention to beg for mercy, and that struck Ji Shuhan’s nerves, enraging him further.
He yelled at a servant who was at the side. “Hurry and bring me my whip.”
The servant’s face twitched as he obeyed. He hurriedly retrieved a horsewhip, its handle made of golden brocade and jade. That whip was an object bestowed upon the Ji family by the Emperor himself. Ji Shuhan had always treasured it and used it as the tool of punishment when it came to applying the family laws.
Ji Yunshu had heard Luan’er speak of it before. When the original Ji Yunshu accidentally broke a normal teapot in Ji Shuhan’s study, she’d suffered three lashes of this whip as a punishment. As a result, she had fallen into a coma for a few days! Now that Ji Shuhan had taken out the whip again, she might not suffer just three lashes but ten!
Seeing this, Ji Wanxin hurriedly stepped forward. “Father, you can’t. That whip can kill people.”
“If anyone gets in my way, they’ll be whipped along with her.” Ji Shuhan had made up his mind!
Ji Wanxin’s pleas having gone unheard, she could only turn and pull on Ji Yunshu instead and attempt to persuade her, “Yunshu, hurry and admit your wrongs to father. You can’t take a lashing from that whip.” She only got a ridicule-filled smile in response. The original Ji Yunshu could survive three lashes, what was she afraid of?
“Since your mind is set on lashing me, this matter is already settled. Fine then, I shall receive the ‘family laws’.” Having spoken thus, she raised the pan of her robe and knelt!
Clothed in light blue robes, her body ramrod straight, she surprisingly gave off quite the manly aura!
Ji Shuhan had already raised the whip. With clenched jaws, he swung down with all his might.
‘PAH!’
One lash struck!
Her shoulders and back exploded in pain. A pain so intense, it drilled into her heart as her ears and mind filled with a buzzing noise. Despite the pain, Ji Yunshu’s body remained straightened. She had to keep her pride, her character unyielding!
Then another lash descended!
Her body couldn’t help but move forward with the force of the blow. Both hands were pressed on the floor in support, then clenched into a fist. Her eyes were bloodshot yet she stubbornly bit her lips, dead set on not uttering the slightest noise.
The whip landed on her body, one lash followed after another in quick succession accompanied by the sound of a whip lacerating flesh and skin. The sound echoed through the Ji Mansion.
At the end of it, Ji Yunshu’s body had completely collapsed on the floor. Her back was now marred with bloody whiplashes. It was an utterly terrifying sight!
Even after being beaten to within an inch of her life, Ji Yunshu had refused to plead for mercy. Her lips had been bitten to the point blood was freely flowing, yet she wasn’t willing to scream out her pain.
Finally, she couldn’t take it anymore and fainted dead away.
She didn’t remember how she was brought back to her courtyard, she could only vaguely hear sounds of sobbing. ‘It must have been Luan’er!’
When she woke up, it was already the afternoon of the next day.
Lying on the bed, even a slight movement would cause her entire body to hurt!
At this moment, Luan’er carried some hot medicinal decoction into the room. Seeing that Ji Yunshu wanted to get up, Luan’er hurried to her side.
“Miss, don’t get up. Please lie back.” Her eyes were brimming with tears!
Ji Yunshu could barely move anyways, so she might as well continue lying on her bed. “I won’t die.”
“Miss, it’s all my fault. I’m too useless, I can’t even protect you and caused you to suffer so much suffering.”
“Silly girl. Look, I’m perfectly fine.” Her face was clearly extremely pale and her gaze lacked energy.
Luan’er cried for quite a bit more before wiping away at her tears.
Ji Yunshu went back to sleep soon after drinking the medicine. She was stuck in bed for two whole days. During this time, only Ji Wanxin visited her to see how she was doing. The rest of the Ji family were probably eager to see her die.
During these two days, confined to bed, Ji Yunshu read through The Lin Capital Case.
On the third day, she had recuperated quite well. Ignoring Luan’er’s advice, she got out of bed, changed into men’s wear and tied up her hair again.
As she stepped into her courtyard, she noticed that it was completely empty. All those plants of hers were gone.
She left Ji Mansion and made for the Grand Canal Manor.
Because of her injuries, she walked slower than usual.
As she walked past a jewelry shop, she saw that the inside was packed with people who were all whispering while pointing at something.
At first, she hadn’t planned on getting involved, but she suddenly heard Wei Yi’s voice, clear as day.
“It wasn’t me! I didn’t break your jade pendant! It really wasn’t me!” His voice was filled with panic.
Ji Yunshu halted in her tracks. Making her way to the front of the crowd, she saw Wei Yi standing there like an idiot while waving his hands.
The shopkeeper of the jewelry shop had grabbed onto his hand, while his other hand was holding onto two pieces of broken jade.
“You broke my jade pendant so you have to compensate me. 100 taels. Not one less.” The shopkeeper was very aggressive, he even went so far as to hit Wei Yi.
Wei Yi blocked with one hand while furiously denying it, “I didn’t touch your jade pendant, it really wasn’t me.”
“Just now you said you wanted to have a look, but it dropped on the floor right after you took it.”
“But it wasn’t me…”
Ji Yunshu’s brows furrowed. She shook her head as she stepped in.
“May I have a look at this jade pendant?”
Wei Yi turned his head. Seeing that it was her, he became excited and called out, “Big Brother.”
Ji Yunshu ignored him. She plucked the jade pendant out of the shopkeeper’s hand and closely examined it before facing the shopkeeper once again. She asked him, “Tell me, was this jade pendant just broken?”
The shopkeeper nodded his head. “Of course.”
“Then let me ask you another question. Was this jade always kept inside a box in this shop?”
“Of course. This is a new item, and was very expensive. But now, this idiot broke it.” The shopkeeper was just as angry as before.
Ji Yunshu’s face sunk as she rebuked him. “You are lying.”