Chapter 562: Complex Emotions

Nan Xi didn't say much about Xie Jin, but she understood what she should understand.

Her attitude and bottom line towards the country have never changed in her past and present lives. Whether she is gentle or ruthless by nature, or even if she likes a free and easy lifestyle, these are personal choices and others cannot criticize her.

However, once you sit in that position, all willfulness that exceeds the bottom line should be abandoned.

A willful act, a wrong decision, often leads to unpredictable consequences. When problems arise, the first to be implicated are not the kings and dignitaries, but the common people who have no say.

The word responsibility is easy to say, but behavioral decisions must be meticulous step by step and no mistakes are allowed - no one understands this truth more thoroughly than Nan Xi and Rong Yu, who have experienced two lives.

They all made mistakes in their previous lives and learned unforgettable lessons.

In this life, Rong Yu has spent more than ten years planning and exhausting his energy. He has set up a chess game of the world with civil officials, military generals, soldiers, and wealth, just to make up for the mistakes he made in his previous life.

What has passed cannot be reversed. In this life, he must return Dongling to a peaceful and prosperous era and return the people to peace and prosperity.

Nan Xi believes in him. Whether it is for her or for the people of Dongling, she unconditionally trusts and supports all of Rong Yu's actions in this life.

Those who choose to follow him, whether it is Xie Jin or Xuanyuan Yao, and those subordinates who openly or secretly serve him as their master, since they have chosen to follow and be loyal, they must get used to and accept Rong Yu's way of doing things.

Nan Xi will not interfere.

The palace servants prepared hot water and respectfully invited the regent to take a bath.

Nan Xi got up from the couch, ready to be a virtuous wife and serve her husband to take a comfortable hot bath.

…

In the extreme silence, the sound of the hourglass was particularly clear.

Xie Jin, who was alone in the imperial study, felt that time passed particularly slowly today, and was a little tormented psychologically.

His slender body knelt motionless like a mountain, his eyes always fixed on the pattern in front of his knees, never moving a bit.

His obedient posture still maintained the character of a noble young man.

Xie family's Xiaojiu had lived for nearly 20 years, and this was the first time someone could make him so obedient. In the past, even his father had never punished him seriously.

Xie Jin had a complicated mood.

He heard Rong Yu's words to punish Commander Yang outside the door, and he did not miss the order to order Eunuch An to prepare the cane.

For a moment, his heart was hot, and he couldn't help but feel a little touched.

The master saved his face and didn't intend to let him be dragged out to beat him.

During the question-and-answer session, he truly felt Rong Yu's suppressed anger. He thought he would be punished with at least 100 canings today - in the palace, in front of so many people, he was ordered by the Regent to be punished.

However, he did not expect that Rong Yu would choose the cane, which is similar to the family law.

Master Xie Jiu was used to being unscrupulous and had a noble status. He was almost never moved by anything. Today, he was moved by the cane for the first time. If he told others about it, people would probably laugh.

However, when Xie Jin heard the door of the imperial study open and Eunuch An walked in with a half-person-high wooden barrel, the touch in Xie Jin's heart disappeared bit by bit.

Eunuch An lowered his eyebrows and eyes, firstly to consider the face of Master Xie Jiu, and secondly to abide by his duties. He walked behind Xie Jin with the barrel and placed it beside the imperial desk, where Xie Jin could see it when he raised his eyes.

After putting down the wooden barrel, Eunuch An said nothing, lowered his head and walked out from behind Xie Jin, closing the door lightly, as if he was afraid of scaring someone.

Soon, Xie Jin was the only one left in the imperial study.

His sight fell on the sturdy black wooden barrel that was half a person's height. Most of the barrel was filled with clear water, and there were carefully selected rattan sticks soaked in it, one, two, three, four, five, six... a total of ten sticks, all soaked in the water, leaving only the handles outside.

Xie Jin was actually in the mood to think at this time, Eunuch An was really responsible, look at the rattan sticks he selected, each one was round and smooth, and you could tell at a glance that it was extremely tough and of high quality.

And the Regent asked him to pick a few sticks, and he directly picked an integer, ten sticks.

Then Xie Jin thought again, Rong Yu didn't have him pulled out to be caned, maybe not for his sake, but to give him a good beating, the court caning is heavy, it is easy to hurt bones, just like Chu Nanyi said, if the hand is too heavy or the force is not well controlled, it is very likely to cause disability.

Unless the master wants him to die, there will not be too many punishments.

But the cane is different.

This thing is tough and less harmful. It can make people feel pain, but it will not hurt the root.

Even if it is a fatal hand, there will be no worry about leaving any irreversible damage.

Xie Jin thought with a smile, the master was considerate to him, and he really had good intentions to teach him a lesson.

But the less harmful it is, the more it means that it will be difficult to get through tonight.

How long have you been kneeling?

Xie Jin turned his head and looked at the hourglass. It was less than an hour, and his knees were already a little stinging and unbearable, as if someone was using a small awl to keep chiseling his bones inside, and his thighs and calves began to swell and ache.

Five hours... It's unimaginable.

Xie Jin sighed softly.

Many times, waiting itself means a kind of torture.

After taking a bath, Rong Yu changed into a simple and light robe and took Qingyang to the Qinzheng Palace. Xie Shoufu and Lu Chengxiang were already waiting in the palace. After greeting each other, they quickly entered the topic of the meeting.

Xuanyuan Chen respectfully followed to one side and quietly listened to the regent and several important officials discussing government affairs.

As for the handling of Xuanyuan Yan, several ministers talked one after another. Rong Yu basically didn't say much, just sitting quietly in the chair, flipping through the memorials that several ministers had just submitted, letting them discuss.

As a bastard of the Prince of Wei's mansion, Xuanyuan Chen dared not say a word at this time. His eyes inadvertently fell on the cold and noble eyebrows of the Regent, and his mind could not help but drift to the imperial study.

Rattan.

Is the Regent going to punish the Ninth Prince?

But since ancient times, no monarch has ever used a rattan to punish his subjects. Not only is it not deterrent, but it also wastes time... Besides, the Ninth Master of the Xie Family is such a proud and noble man. Does the Regent really want the eunuch to do it to him?

Xuanyuan Chen pursed his lips gently, and couldn't help but start to worry in his heart.

"Xuanyuan Chen." Rong Yu's voice was calm, "What are you thinking about?"

Xuanyuan Chen came back to his senses with a start, met Rong Yu's emotionless eyes, trembled all over, and knelt down with a bang.

The sound of the knee hitting the ground was particularly clear, and the Qinzheng Hall fell into silence in an instant.

Prime Minister Xie looked at the young man who had been taken to Jinyuan by Xie Jin to live for a few days, and frowned slightly: "Mr. Chen is worried about the King of Wei?"

After all, they were discussing the case of the King of Wei's Mansion, and Xuanyuan Chen was distracted at this time, so it was normal for Prime Minister Xie to think so.