PNB Chapter 218 Caning
Chapter 218 Caning
Chapter 218 Caning
The next day, Lin Ziping slept until he naturally woke up.
When I came out yawning, the sun was already high in the sky.
After a quick wash, I sat back down on the recliner under the eaves.
"Young Master, you're awake?"
Lin Ziping turned around and saw Zhu Zi coming out of the kitchen.
My mind cleared instantly.
The marks from the bamboo whipping on his back were clearly visible; yesterday's events were still vivid in his mind.
"Hmm," Lin Ziping replied casually. "Where are my uncle and nanny?"
Zhu Zi replied, "They've gone out. Would you like to have your meal, young master?"
His stomach growled at this inopportune moment, and Lin Ziping nodded.
Zhu Zi turned back to the kitchen.
Lin Ziping, remembering what Shumiao had said about being punished for leaving Zhuzi, asked, "Zhuzi, how are you? I'm sorry that my willfulness caused you to be punished."
After a moment's pause, Zhu Zi said, "It's alright."
After saying that, he went into the kitchen without looking back.
After a while, Shumiao brought out a bowl of noodles.
As it was getting dark, Granny Liao returned, bringing some vegetables.
Lin Zhong returned when it was dark.
Lin Ziping didn't ask them where they went. The group had a meal together and then went their separate ways.
Before dawn the next day, Lin Ziping set off to return to the Fuwei Camp.
When Lin Ziping returned to the guard camp, it was already Chenshi (7-9 AM). He walked into the courtyard and found it full of people, including familiar guards as well as many unfamiliar faces.
Lin Ziping squeezed his way in, just in time to see Liu Song being punished.
Liu Song was seen wearing only a white undergarment, being pressed down on a stool.
The two men escorting him were dressed in black, with gold belts around their waists embroidered with water and fish patterns, echoing the auspicious cloud patterns embroidered on their official hats.
Four eunuchs stood on either side of Liu Song, each holding a long wooden board.
"Execution!"
At his command, two guards in black stepped back, and two eunuchs stepped forward and pressed a wooden board firmly against Liu Song's lower back.
The other two eunuchs each struck his buttocks with a paddle.
Liu Song's face flushed red, his eyes widened, veins bulged on his neck, and he bit down hard on a strip of cloth.
Apart from the crisp "slap slap" sound of the wooden planks hitting people, the courtyard was completely silent.
Luo Zijian was also in the courtyard. He stood at the very front of the crowd, watching indifferently.
When he saw Lin Ziping's gaze shift over, Lin Ziping instinctively shrank back.
On second thought, why should I be afraid of him?
She then raised her head and met his gaze with a self-righteous air.
Luo Ziping's gaze lingered on Lin Ziping for a moment.
The look in someone's eyes when they want to kill them cannot be hidden.
Lin Ziping sensed a murderous aura from Luo Zijian's calm and composed gaze.
Lin Ziping was taken aback, took a deep breath, and slowly calmed down.
She began to recall everything about Luo Zijian. Apart from the conflict on the first day, it seemed that they had kept to themselves afterward. But it shouldn't have turned into a life-or-death feud, right?
"Snap, snap—" The crisp sound pulled Lin Ziping back to reality.
The caning continued, but Liu Song had fainted at some point.
Lin Ziping suddenly realized that Luo Zijian's desire to kill him might be because of Liu Song!
Could it be that Liu Song was behind the incident at the Sixth Prince's birthday banquet?
If that's the case, then Luo Zijian's look becomes easy to understand: the matter has been exposed, his lackeys have been punished, and he has been implicated as well.
And unfortunately, Lin Ziping also wanted to kill them because of this.
The board slowly stopped, and the board that was pressing against Liu Song's lower back also loosened, causing Liu Song to slide off the stool and onto the ground.
The two guards in black looked at Luo Zijian and said, "Lord Luo, we'll take this person with us."
Luo Zijian pursed his lips, clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Thank you for your trouble. It was my fault for not disciplining them properly. I'm sorry to trouble you two gentlemen."
"It's alright. Just discipline your subordinates properly in the future, and make sure they don't offend the wrong people again," one of the guards in black said.
"Yes." Luo Zijian's voice was hoarse; this word seemed to have taken a toll on his strength.
With a wave of his hand, the black-clad guard sent two eunuchs forward to drag Liu Song away from the ground.
The crowd around them quickly made way for them.
The black-clad guard scoffed disdainfully and left with his hands behind his back.
Seeing this, the others also left.
The courtyard returned to its deserted state, with only the guards remaining.
Lin Ziping also planned to go back inside.
Suddenly, Luo Zijian coughed up a mouthful of blood and was about to collapse to the ground. People around him rushed forward to help him up.
"Master Luo—"
"Master Luo, are you alright?"
……
Everyone rushed forward and surrounded Luo Zijian.
Lin Ziping was ostracized.
Standing next to him were Wu Xudong, Tang Jiawei, Pu Santong, and Fan Ji.
The five people looked at each other, and their eyes revealed a sense of shared misfortune.
Lin Ziping peeked at Luo Zijian through the crack.
"I'm fine." Luo Zijian raised his hand to wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth.
Seeing this, someone nearby said, "Brother Luo, Brother Song...aren't we just going to leave him alone?"
The voice sounded familiar. Lin Ziping thought for a moment and realized it was the same voice he had heard with Liu Song last time.
"Manage? How can you manage them? They're the Embroidered Uniform Guard!" Before Luo Zijian could speak, another person retorted.
"Master Luo..." The first person to speak had a sob in his voice.
Luo Zijian coughed twice and replied, "Zhang Yun, go to the Embroidered Uniform Guard and see if you can send medicine to Liu Song. You need to see him first, no matter what."
“Yes, Master Luo, I’ll go right away,” one of them replied.
The crowd then began to disperse, and one person emerged from among them; this must have been Zhang Yun.
To be honest, after all this time, apart from Liu Song and Luo Zijian, Lin Ziping has only been able to match Xiao Chen, Wu Xudong, Tang Jiawei, Pu Santong, and Fan Ji one by one. The others just look familiar.
Zhang Yun also saw Lin Ziping and the others outside the crowd at this moment.
Suddenly, he pointed at Lin Ziping and yelled, "You still have the nerve to come back? If it weren't for you, would Brother Song be like this?"
Lin Ziping was completely bewildered by the scolding and pointed to himself.
"What are you pretending for? I knew you weren't a good person from the first day I arrived, and so are you guys!" Zhang Ping began to indiscriminately attack Wu Xudong, Tang Jiawei, Pu Santong, Fan Ji, and the others standing to the side.
Seeing this commotion, no one cared about Luo Zijian anymore and began to look at Lin Ziping with condemnation.
People can actually laugh when they're speechless.
Lin Ziping didn't want to argue with Zhang Ping, so he looked at Luo Zijian and said, "Does Master Luo also think so? I'm the one who harmed Liu Song?"
Luo Zijian remained silent.
Lin Ziping didn't need him to speak, and continued: "I was imprisoned in Shenxing Palace because of the Sixth Prince's birthday banquet, and I have only been released now. It must be because His Majesty is discerning and magnanimous that he believes I am innocent and that I was released."
Lin Ziping looked at Zhang Ping: "Zhang Ping, do you think I am guilty?"
Then he looked at the others and asked, "Do you all think I am guilty?"
“You—” Zhang Ping pointed at Lin Ziping, his eyes wide with fury.
Lin Ziping was not intimidated: "Since His Majesty thinks I am innocent, Zhang Ping, you just said that Liu Song was implicated by me. Can I assume that you are questioning His Majesty's decision or that Liu Song is the guilty one?"
Suddenly, Lin Ziping raised his voice and questioned, "Is Liu Song the mastermind behind Chunhe Garden?"
"You...you...you're just making excuses!" Zhang Ping pointed a trembling finger at Lin Ziping.
"What do you think, Mr. Luo?" Lin Ziping asked, staring at Luo Zijian.