Chapter 538: Here Comes the Thunder
Chapter 538: Chapter 538: Here Comes the Thunder
Just then, a deafening clap of thunder echoed from the once-azure sky.
The very ground seemed to tremble in response.
The reverberating "BOOM—" made even the Emperor shudder.
Forgetting all about scolding Mr. Wu, he hurried to the window, his expression grim as he looked up at the sky.
Outside, many little palace maids and imperial guards were already craning their necks, pointing at the thick, dark clouds rapidly rolling in from the horizon.
As the dark clouds drew nearer, the thunder intensified, filling everyone’s hearts with dread.
Mr. Wu asked, stunned, "Is a natural disaster coming?!"
The Emperor shot him a grim look over his shoulder. "You’d better pray for your son’s sake," he said, his tone heavy.
’Judging by where the dark clouds are gathering, it must be right over the government office.’
The Emperor’s guess was spot on.
Inside the government office, Wu Ke heard the thunder and clutched Mrs. Wu’s sleeve, trembling uncontrollably.
"Mother, save me! Save me! The lightning is really going to strike me!"
Mrs. Wu, her face deathly pale with fright, quickly pulled her son into a tight embrace.
"Don’t be afraid. We’re in the government office. There’s a roof over our heads, so it can’t strike you."
Upon hearing this, the county magistrate panicked. "Get them out of here! Don’t let the lightning destroy the roof! How am I supposed to answer to the Lord Prefect then?"
"Yes, sir." The officers immediately grabbed Wu Ke and threw him out into the courtyard.
Wu Ke wailed, trying to crawl back inside, but the officers bound his hands and feet, leaving him on the ground to await his doom.
Tears streamed down Mrs. Wu’s pale face.
She fell to her knees and pleaded with Shen Ningning, who was seated in her chair.
The princess’s expression was impassive.
"Princess Funing, I beg you, be merciful and spare Wu Ke’s life. He was indeed insolent, but it’s not a crime punishable by death. Why must you be so ruthless?"
Shen Ningning scoffed, her gaze shifting. "How am I the one being ruthless? You heard him make that vow yourself just now, didn’t you, Mrs. Wu?"
Mrs. Wu’s expression froze.
Shen Ningning continued, "I did warn him. The heavens are always watching. He was the one who insisted on making that vow, so who is there to blame?"
With that, the princess glanced at Wu Ke in the courtyard. "Let him face the consequences."
The moment she finished speaking, a flash of white light blinded everyone. With a loud "CRACKLE," Mrs. Wu shrieked, dropping to the floor and covering her head in terror.
When the blinding light faded, they saw that the lightning bolt had struck the ground right beside Wu Ke.
Wu Ke’s eyes were wide as he toppled over, his body rigid, apparently scared witless.
Mrs. Wu scrambled over, throwing herself protectively over Wu Ke.
Just as he seemed to snap out of his stupor, a second thunderclap roared. Wu Ke immediately grabbed Mrs. Wu, desperately using her to shield himself.
The surrounding townspeople, who had been watching in terror, erupted in an uproar at the sight.
"A parent’s love can be a pitiful thing. To think Mrs. Wu’s doting raised such a selfish creature."
"Isn’t that the truth? Using his own mother to shield himself from heavenly lightning... He’s not even human."
Shen Ningning saw it too, her elegant brows furrowing. ’How foolish. What’s the point in protecting a son like that?’
Xie Mingxu, on the other hand, was worried that a bolt of lightning might actually kill the mother and son.
He whispered, "Sister, this won’t actually kill someone, will it?"
Shen Ningning calmly shook her head and lifted her teacup.
"I’m just scaring him, making him afraid for a lifetime. Don’t worry, Brother, it’ll stop in a moment. That was only two strikes. I summoned forty-nine bolts of lightning."
Everyone nearby overheard her and was stunned.
The county magistrate looked as if he was about to fall to his knees before Shen Ningning.
’The title of ’blessed girl’ is no empty boast!’
Lightning continued to strike the ground around Mrs. Wu and Wu Ke, filling the air with a scorched smell.
At first, the townspeople were terrified.
But when they realized the lightning was only striking the ground around Wu Ke, they began calling over friends and summoning family to witness the strange spectacle.
Mo Lingwei, who sat beside Shen Ningning, turned his head and asked, "How do you want to deal with him?"
Dealing with him according to the law was a given, but Wu Ke’s crime was merely assault in a brothel. The sentence wasn’t likely to be severe.
According to the law, he would receive a dozen or so strokes of the paddle at most.
Thus, Mo Lingwei was asking for Shen Ningning’s opinion. If she refused to let Wu Ke go, it would be a simple matter to pin a capital crime on him.
Shen Ningning thought about it seriously for a moment.
"His reputation is ruined after today. He probably won’t be able to stay in the Capital City anymore. As for taking his life... it doesn’t seem that serious. Changyi is the real victim in this matter. We should send someone to ask her."
Just then, an imperial guard galloped up, holding an Imperial Decree aloft.
"Spare the man from the lightning!"
The shout made Shen Ningning let out a "pfft," and she nearly spat out her tea.
’I’ve only ever heard ’spare the man from the blade,’’ she thought. ’What on earth is ’spare the man from the lightning’?’
She blinked, watching as the imperial guard hurried inside.
Mo Lingwei shot to his feet, his expression cold and grim. "What does Father Emperor mean by this? He wants us to spare Wu Ke?"
The imperial guard knelt, holding the Imperial Decree high with both hands. "Your Highness the Crown Prince, Your Highness the Princess, Mr. Wu has just offered his resignation. He has pleaded with the Emperor to sentence his unfilial son, Wu Ke, to exile at the border, asking only that his life be spared."
Shen Ningning was taken aback. She took the Imperial Decree and read it carefully.
It turned out that Mr. Wu had gone to the palace to beg the Emperor for favoritism, but he had not only been scolded.
Upon seeing so much lightning striking in the direction of the government office, he had panicked completely.
He stopped asking for favors and pleaded only that the Emperor spare Wu Ke’s life. He was willing to donate his entire family fortune and retire to his hometown, while Wu Ke could suffer the consequences and be exiled to the border.
The Emperor had agreed, and this Imperial Decree had been brought for Shen Ningning to make the final decision.
Shen Ningning pondered for a moment. With a wave of her small hand, the thunder gradually subsided, and the dark clouds parted, once again revealing the blazing sun.
After all these years, she had long since learned to skillfully use everything in the Immortal Realm.
"Then we’ll spare his life for now. I have no objection to Uncle Emperor’s decision. We’ll just wait and see if Changyi still wants to vent her anger. You can lock him up first."
The county magistrate acknowledged the order and quickly had the government officers drag away Wu Ke, who had wet his pants in terror.
News of the day’s events spread quickly throughout the Capital City.
As a result, high-ranking officials and nobles were all alarmed, and they all stressed to their daughters that they must choose their future husbands with their eyes wide open.
Otherwise, if Wu Ke had actually married Ye Shangyi, who knows what kind of suffering she would have had to endure.
Ye Shangyi also had no objection to the Emperor’s decision.
Even if the Emperor hadn’t issued such a decree, Grand Tutor Ye would have made the Wu family get out of the Capital City.
However, Ye Shangyi added one more demand.
On his way out of the capital, Wu Ke was to wear a placard around his neck that clearly listed the evil deeds he had committed.
This was to prevent him from going to the border and harming the unsuspecting local people there.
On the day Wu Ke left the Capital City, Mr. Wu and his wife came to see him off. The wife’s face was etched with sorrow, while the husband’s was a mask of bitter disappointment.
"Father! Mother!" Wu Ke was a complete wreck. Where was the arrogant and overbearing young master from before?
Mrs. Wu was the most heartbroken. Sobbing, she said, "Wu Ke, my son, you must take care of yourself when you get to the border. Your father and I won’t be by your side. You absolutely must not be willful anymore. Behave yourself, and maybe... maybe we’ll have a chance to see each other again in this lifetime."
Wu Ke wiped away his tears. "I don’t want to go!"
Mr. Wu, furious, strode over and punched him on the head. Wu Ke yelped in pain.
"You damn brat! Have you lost your mind? It’s one thing for us to spoil you, but you don’t even know how to restrain yourself out in the world! Well, now you’ve caused a disaster, haven’t you? I’ve even lost my official post!"
"Tell me, why did you have to provoke someone from the Xie family? Did you think you had too long to live?"
But no matter how much Wu Ke regretted his actions, it was too late.
In the end, he was weeping as the constables escorted him away.
Although Xu Jingxi had resorted to violence, his initial intention was to protect a friend’s reputation, and for that, he earned everyone’s admiration.
To risk ruining his own future by standing up for a friend in a place like a brothel was considered an act of true loyalty and righteousness.
In no time, the threshold of the Xie Mansion was nearly worn down by the constant stream of matchmakers.
Previously, whenever matchmakers visited, it was to discuss a potential marriage for either Xie Mingxu or Xie Ming’an.
Now, they came to ask Second Master Xie if Xu Jingxi himself had a particular young lady in mind.
Most of the eligible young ladies from respectable families in the city had set their sights on him.