Chapter 248: If It Were Me, I’d Be Tempted Too (1 / 2)
Echoes of My Heart Throughout the Court
Liang Rui remained strongâhe didnât faint. But Xu Yanmiao seemed determined not to let him off the hook:
[Hey, if this actually works out, wouldnât the old emperor have to call Little Liang his father-in-law? And then call Old Liang his great-grandfather-in-law?]
[Super bonus points!]
[Little Liang is really somethingâoh, and he even went straight to a favored minister. Heâs got execution skills too.]
Liang Rui clutched his chest. His heart ached like hell.
Where was this kind of initiative on normal days?! Was his son so bored with life that he wanted to experience the feeling of being flogged?!
The official standing next to Liang Rui felt a million degrees of sympathy.
Having such a bold and reckless son⦠yeah, that had to hurt.
Butâ¦
The official strolled over and quietly instigated, âMaster Liang, instead of suffering on your own, why not let your son suffer a bit? So many beautiful young ladies in the world, and he insists on falling for an old matron? Clearly, he wasnât beaten enough as a child.â
Liang Rui took a deep breath and muttered through gritted teeth, âI donât hit my children.â
The official was shocked. âNot even once?â
Liang Rui shook his head.
The official gasped. âThatâs unacceptable! âA filial son is born beneath the rod!ââ
Liang Rui just shook his head again.
Right at that moment, Xu Yanmiao thought:
[Hey, come to think of it, didnât Little Liang personally tell Old Liang that he likes women who are gentle yet firm, understanding but not weak, dignified, decisive, experienced, wise, and strong-willed?]
[Doesnât that perfectly describe Her Majesty the Empress? Good thing heâs never met her, or elseâ¦]
SMACK!
[Eh? What was that sound?]
Xu Yanmiao looked up blankly but found nothing.
[Was that just my imagination?]
Up on the golden dais, the old emperorâs palm was already red and swollen from slapping the armrest. His face was so dark it could rival the bottom of a burnt pot.
Earlier, when Liang Youwen wanted to become his father-in-law, he hadnât even been angryâhe had merely found it ridiculous. But now that the needle was stabbing into his own flesh, he finally understood what pain felt like.
Below, Liang Rui, whose chest was already aching, felt the pain intensify.
He turned to look at the official beside him, his face blank, his heart dead inside.
âWould you kindly teach me⦠how to discipline a child?â
The official perked up in excitement. âLet me tell you, itâs all about one thingâwhipping! Use a rattan switch and smack the buttocksâit hurts like hell but wonât cause any lasting damage! You can also punish them by restricting their foodânot by starving them, but by taking away all flavor. No salt in the meat, no oil in the vegetables, just dry, tasteless meals. It wonât harm them, but theyâll never forget their mistake.â
He got more animated as he spoke. âYou judge the severity of their wrongdoing and decideâone meal, two meals, or even three. My son was a mischievous little brat too. Once, my neighbor had a beautiful jade vase, the glaze a perfect shade of green. My son, without saying a word, stole it and took it to his friends to play âPretend Guanyinââusing it as the Water Purification Bottle of the Bodhisattva. When I found out, I punished him with three days of flavorless meals. He cried and admitted his mistake, and from then on, he never touched other peopleâs belongings again.â
Liang Rui nodded solemnly.
Then, he added, âThank you. I recently acquired an excellent horse. Iâll have it sent to you after court.â
Court had barely begun, and already, half the officials were itching for it to end.
âBecause only after court could they watch the drama unfold!
For instance, aside from Prime Minister Dou, many members of the Dou family were present in court. One by one, they all glared at Liang Rui with open hostility.
We all call the Old Madam our ancestral matriarch, and yet your son wants to skip the queue and become our direct ancestor?!
Liang Rui lowered his head guiltily on his sonâs behalf.
[Wuhu! So Little Liang really is the love-at-first-sight type!]
Liang Rui lifted his head, his gaze firm and focused.
He had to listen carefully and find the right strategyâonly then could he put an end to his sonâs ridiculous delusions!@@novelbin@@
A ninety-five-year-old matriarchâhow dare heâ?!
[Wait⦠three years ago, he was also in the capital preparing for the imperial examâoh, so this is his second attempt.]
Liang Ruiâs anxiety surged.
Why had he never noticed before how irritating it was that Xu Yanmiaoâs thoughts kept wandering off to other topics?!
[Then he got cravings and gathered a bunch of people to go into the mountains to dig for mushroomsâ]
[Wait, this guy has always been this reckless?! Going into the mountains in the dead of winterâwas he not afraid of getting into trouble?]
[Holy crap, he spotted mushrooms growing inside a dried-up well and just climbed right down to pick them? Damn, those are some serious skills!]
Liang Rui stayed silent.
But the other officials could clearly sense his growing frustration.
Their expressions became even more sympathetic. Xiao Baize does this all the time. Just endure it.
[And then⦠he got poisoned?!]
Liang Ruiâs brows furrowed deeply.
For the first time, he realizedâhis son really didnât seem to care about his own life at all.
He dared to venture into the deep mountains in winter. He dared to climb into an old well without knowing if it was dangerous.
Such recklessness was far from admirable.
Up on the golden dais, the old emperor thought viciously, Why didnât that little bastard just die from the poison back then?!
How dare he covet the empress!
He wasnât acting on his desires now only because he hadnât seen her yet. Once he did, he definitely wouldâ The old emperor quickly arrived at this conclusion and fumed.
[So tragicâvomiting, diarrhea, full-body convulsions. And being out in the mountains, there was no way they could carry him to a doctor in time.]
[But seeing how lively he is now, could it be that the Old Madam saved him, and thatâs why he fell in love at first sightâ¦? Wait, I think I guessed it rightâHAHAHAHAHAHA! Oh god, Iâm laughing so hard! Help! This is the imperial court! Are they trying to make me die of laughter?!]