Chapter 29: Openly Threatening the Imperial Censor

Really. If he hadn't held back. A mouthful of blood would have sprayed into the ancestral hall. He wondered how poisoning and spitting blood could be contagious?!

Taking a deep breath, Gu Yunfeng stepped into the ancestral hall and knelt on the cushion. His posture was upright and impeccable. Ziling stood behind him for a while and said, "Are you really, really, really planning to kneel for three hours?"

Gu Yunfeng didn't answer her. Behind him, a servant woman with a strong voice shouted, "Kneel properly! Once you're inside the ancestral hall, I don't care if you're the young master or the young mistress!"

Ziling turned her head and saw Qianqian standing outside, watching her. There was a hint of worry in her eyes. The girl had never been punished before, the most serious punishment being scolded by the madam for being childish. The girl would lie on the bed crying for half a day. But now, she had to kneel for three hours. Ziling was afraid the girl wouldn't be able to resist the urge to bang her head against the wall.

She wanted to go tell Marquis Hou and the madam, but the girl forbade her. What should she do?

Just as she was worrying, Ziling said, "Qianqian, go chat with the old maid."

Qianqian exclaimed in surprise, "Can't we talk about something else? This servant has seen ginseng before, but never tasted it. I don't know what it tastes like, and I don't think the old maid has either, right?"

Ziling "..."

Gu Yunfeng "..."

Ziling facepalmed. Why were they lacking synchronization at a critical moment?

"You can talk about steamed buns with the old maid," Ziling said with a wry smile.

The old maid's face darkened and she said sternly, "I'm too busy to chat with maids. Young Mistress, kneel properly."

Extremely strict.

Ziling knelt upright.

The old maid turned and left. As soon as she left, Ziling sat down, but the old maid quickly turned around and caught her in the act.

The old maid said in a deep voice, "If the young mistress kneels like this, even if she kneels for a whole day, it wouldn't be enough punishment for three hours."

She spoke so harshly to her young mistress. This old maid was really annoying.

Qianqian became a little unhappy. Neither Marquis Hou nor the madam had ever spoken to the young mistress in such a harsh manner! She was staring at her so closely that the young mistress couldn't even steal a moment of laziness.

The old maid stared for a while, then turned and went about her business. Ziling breathed a sigh of relief. She had never knelt before, and her whole body was already sore after a short while.

She rubbed her knees and looked at Gu Yunfeng, who was kneeling straight. She admired him and said, "You kneel so upright, and even after such a long time, your expression doesn't change. Did you practice kneeling as a punishment when you were young?"

Gu Yunfeng "..."

He looked up at the incense burner. The incense inside had only burned about half the length of a little finger. He couldn't even persevere for such a short time, and she was intentionally provoking him by speaking like that—"Are you really trying to make me so angry that I spit blood?" Gu Yunfeng said.

Ziling stared at the door and said, "Look what you've said. Isn't this an opportunity to deepen our understanding of each other during times of hardship?"

Changing the subject, she asked, "How many times have you been punished to kneel down since you were little?"

"This is the first time!" Gu Yunfeng replied.

Ziling was slightly surprised.

Gu Yunfeng looked displeased.

Ziling blinked and chuckled, "Did I unintentionally take another 'first time' away from you?"

Gu Yunfeng exclaimed, "...!!!"

Outside the room, the nanny was sweeping fallen leaves.

Qianqian went to help, trying to snatch the broom, but the nanny stopped her and asked her to let go.

This little maid was obedient.

As soon as the nanny loosened her grip, she stumbled backward and bumped into a flowerpot, causing her to fall to the ground.

Immediately, cries of pain filled the air.

"My poor waist!"

Inside the room, the screams reached Ziling's ears, and she couldn't help but burst into laughter. How could her maid not join in the fun?

But soon, she couldn't laugh anymore.

The nanny, who injured her waist, didn't go see a doctor or return to her room to rest. Instead, she sat on a small stool inside the house, dutifully attending to her tasks in an infuriating manner.

Ziling remained silent.

Gu Yunfeng remained silent.

Ziling turned her head.

Qianqian stood outside with a broom, her little face filled with apology--

Miss, the servant apologizes to you.

The nanny, seething with anger and unable to move due to her aching waist, shouted, "Hurry up and sweep the fallen leaves!"

Qianqian walked away, glancing back three times.

Ziling couldn't kneel for long. Every time she tried to move, the nanny would cough.

After kneeling for half a stick of incense, Ziling was about to explode when footsteps sounded from outside.

Supporting herself against the wall, the nanny smiled and said, "Why has Manager Li come?"

Manager Li stood outside and said, "Young Master and Young Madam, the emperor has summoned you to the palace."

Ziling tried to get up but was held back by Gu Yunfeng's grip.

"Go and inform the messenger that both I and the young madam have violated the family rules and are being punished. We'll go to the palace after the punishment is over," Gu Yunfeng said indifferently.

Ziling raised an eyebrow.

Gu Yunfeng's reaction—did it mean that the Duke's residence didn't intend to let them return from the palace and continue the kneeling punishment?

"You and the young madam should go to the palace first. There's no reason to keep the emperor waiting," Ziling suggested.

"Just deliver the message," Gu Yunfeng replied.

Manager Li turned around and sent a young servant to report to the old lady.

Soon, the servant returned.

The old lady pardoned them from their punishment.

As the emperor summoned, the younger generation held chicken feathers as arrows, and as elders, they had to comply.

They were curious about why the emperor summoned them to the palace and why it happened so coincidentally that the punishment came right before the summons.

The messenger had been waiting in the front courtyard for a long time but couldn't find them, so he directly entered the inner courtyard.

Princess Nanting smiled and asked, "Don't worry, the messenger, they are already on their way. I wonder why the emperor summoned them to the palace?"

That's exactly what Ziling and Gu Yunfeng wanted to ask.

The messenger smiled and said, "The emperor wants the young master to enter the palace to save his eunuch, Dongling Marquis."

Ziling: "..."

Gu Yunfeng: "..."

Poor Qianqian had hoped for Dongling Marquis to come and save her, but she didn't expect that he would need saving himself.

They were pardoned from their punishment only to be sent to the palace to rescue Dongling Marquis?!

To save that bandit leader!

Princess Nanting felt a lump in her chest, almost choking.

Ziling was a little uneasy.

"Who did my father offend that even the emperor couldn't save him?"

"Dongling Marquis offended the emperor and was punished by him," the messenger replied.

"..."

Was this a joke?!

The emperor punished her father and then asked them to enter the palace and save him. This punishment seemed quite capricious. Why not just release her father directly?

Ziling looked at Gu Yunfeng.

Did you bribe the emperor to help?

Gu Yunfeng glanced back at her.

He felt really bad right now.

He forced himself to remain calm.

"I wonder what mistake Dongling Marquis made?" Gu Yunfeng asked.

"Dongling Marquis fainted another censor during the morning court," the messenger said.

"..."

To avoid keeping the emperor waiting any longer, the messenger urged Ziling and Gu Yunfeng to enter the palace.

After leaving Qihetang, Qianqian proudly said, "Marquis, you're amazing! You were even punished yourself, yet you can still help the young lady and young master resolve their troubles."

Ziling: "..."

Gu Yunfeng: "..."

Before they even left the Duke Zhen's residence, Ziling and Gu Yunfeng learned from the messenger what mistake Dongling Marquis had made.

Censors were responsible for supervising the officials, and the Dongling Marquis's residence was under special scrutiny.

Yesterday, when Qingyun Mountain's Feihu stronghold sent goods into the capital, two boxes of gold fell to the ground near the city gate, causing a panic.

Upon learning of the incident, the censor's office reported it to the emperor, urging him to punish Dongling Marquis's residence for showing off their wealth. They suggested that all the money stolen by Dongling Marquis's residence be handed over to the national treasury to prevent the people from viewing him as an example and thinking that banditry was profitable, leading to endless harm.

After hearing about it, the emperor asked Dongling Marquis, "Was the incident at the city gate accidental or intentionally showing off?"

"It was intentional," Dongling Marquis replied, being very sincere.

No one believed it when it was called an accident.

The Emperor was furious. Couldn't he just say it was an accident and brush it off?!

Even if others didn't believe it, as the Emperor, if he believed it, wouldn't that be enough?!

"What else do you have to say?" the Emperor asked angrily.

The Marquis of Dongling glanced at the censor and said, "Why are all the censors so thin? Can't we have a fat one in the future? A big-hearted and plump censor who won't let go of trivial matters. How can they get fat like that?" he remarked.

As soon as he finished speaking, a chubby censor stood up.

He was slapped in the face on the spot.

In the court, only speaking from one's seat or stepping forward to give a response was allowed.

After being slapped, the Marquis of Dongling showed no embarrassment at all.

He walked confidently to the side of the fat censor, pinched his shoulder, and patted his chest, looking satisfied.

"You have a sturdy build. Don't leave after court. Wait for me at the palace gate. We'll have a chat," he said.

In the Council Hall, in front of the Emperor, the Marquis of Dongling openly threatened the censor.

The Emperor was furious.

Perhaps the censor was afraid of being beaten by the Marquis of Dongling, or perhaps the blow from the Marquis was too much for him to bear, but he fainted nonetheless.

Then, the civil and military officials unanimously impeached the Marquis of Dongling.

The Marquis confronted all the officials with a single question, "If I don't have money and owe debts, you accuse me of pretending to be rich. If I have money, you accuse me of flaunting it. What do you really want from me?"

"If you don't give me a satisfactory answer today, none of you will be allowed to leave!"

The anger was overwhelming.

Hmm.

In the end, everyone left.

Only he was left behind by the Emperor, reflecting in the side hall.