Feng Yin Wan was taken aback, and so was Qi Xuan.
What?
The Prince was going to have the Princess flogged?
He wasn't going to listen to her explanation any further?
He stood frozen, a myriad of questions popping into his head, which only made Ye Ting Lan frown.
"What are you still standing there for?"
A tea lid flew over, jolting Qi Xuan back to his senses. He quickly caught it. "Yes... yes."
He stepped forward, bewildered, as Feng Yin Wan's pretty face also turned cold.
"Wait! This concubine has not finished speaking. Why is Your Highness in such a hurry to punish me?"
Twenty strokes, and it wasn't him who was going to be hit!
Ye Ting Lan snorted as he looked at her. "Granny Sun has already made things very clear. If you haven't finished, it won't be too late to say it after the flogging!"
In other words, he wanted to beat her first.
Feng Yin Wan laughed in anger.
Was he holding a grudge?
"This concubine had thought Your Highness was broad-minded and magnanimous, but I never expected you to be so petty, ordering a punishment without question just because you're still upset about yesterday's matter. Such behavior is truly the epitome of pettiness!"
Ye Ting Lan's temple twitched violently at being called petty, his face darkening so much it looked like ink could be squeezed from it.
"How dare you! I am simply discussing the matter at hand, not holding a grudge!"
He slammed his palm on the table again. "Qi Xuan, I told you to drag this woman out. Are you dead?!"
Suddenly berated, Qi Xuan felt wronged but dared not make a sound. He had no choice but to "escort" Feng Yin Wan out, listening to his Prince's stern instructions from behind.
"Watch her closely. Bring her back after twenty strokes, and don't go easy on her!"
Qi Xuan: Your Highness, to be frank, this feels a bit like a personal vendetta...
As soon as they were out of the main hall, he immediately let go of Feng Yin Wan, a look of apprehension on his face.
"Princess, your subordinate dares not disobey the Prince's orders. Later, you..." Please don't blame me!
Feng Yin Wan tidied her clothes and glanced at him indifferently.
"It's fine. This Princess has complete faith in Guard Qi's competence. As far as I'm concerned, why don't you administer the punishment yourself later, hmm?"
Qi Xuan: ...Absolutely not!
Just as he was about to protest, he saw a faint threat in Feng Yin Wan's eyes and wisely chose to remain silent.
Feng Yin Wan nodded with satisfaction. "It seems Guard Qi also agrees this is feasible."
Qi Xuan felt like crying but had no tears.
Caught between the Prince and the Princess, his life was so difficult!
Before long, screams could be heard in the courtyard. Qin Ru Lian listened, her eyes shining with barely concealed delight.
She very much wanted to go out and witness Feng Yin Wan being beaten, but since Ye Ting Lan had not given any explicit orders, she did not dare to act rashly.
As she peeked out, she saw Ye Ting Lan frown and stand up to go outside. Qin Ru Lian rejoiced and quickly followed.
"Ouch—"
"Ah... they're going to beat me to death!"
As they stepped out, they saw Qi Xuan swinging the rod with great effort, while Feng Yin Wan lay languidly on the bench, her expression calm and serene. Apart from the occasional wail, she looked no different from someone sleeping.
Such a perfunctory effort!
Ye Ting Lan's eyes narrowed, and he strode forward, snatching the rod from Qi Xuan's hand.
The force on her buttocks stopped, and Feng Yin Wan turned her head groggily. The moment she saw Ye Ting Lan, her expression immediately became one of extreme pain.
"Your Highness, I can't, I can't! If this continues, this concubine will be beaten to death!"
Ye Ting Lan snorted and brought the rod down on her buttocks.
Knowing how heavy-handed he was, Feng Yin Wan cooperatively raised her screams by another two decibels. However, Ye Ting Lan's brow furrowed, and he paused for a moment, then directly reached out and pressed it onto her buttocks.
Feng Yin Wan was startled and immediately rolled off the bench.
"Your Highness, what are you doing! Although this concubine and you are husband and wife, with so many people watching, this... this is not appropriate!"
Qin Ru Lian was also startled by Ye Ting Lan's actions and immediately chimed in, "Yes, Brother Ting Lan, there are many guards in the courtyard..."
Ye Ting Lan ignored them, threw the rod back into Qi Xuan's arms, and pointed at the bench, saying to Feng Yin Wan,
"Get down for me!"
Feng Yin Wan's lips twitched slightly.
Was she dreaming?
Seeing her pretend not to hear, Ye Ting Lan's patience ran out. He stepped forward, dragged her over, and pressed her onto the bench.
Her body was held down, and Feng Yin Wan panicked, clutching her buttocks tightly with both hands.
"Your Highness, please calm down! Miss Qin is still here. If you treat me like this, what will she think!"
"Shut up!"
Qin Ru Lian's face had already changed, and hearing Feng Yin Wan's words now, her expression became even more rigid.
Before she could speak, Ye Ting Lan had already pushed Feng Yin Wan's hands aside, lifted her outer skirt, and pulled it up. The atmosphere in the courtyard instantly froze.
His gaze fell upon the four-sided, dark, soft cushion, and Ye Ting Lan paused slightly, a smirk of triumph appearing on his lips.
"Feng Yin Wan, I sentenced you to twenty strokes, yet you secretly played a trick, thinking you could deceive my eyes!"
This woman actually dared to hide soft cushions on her person, and two of them!
Unexpectedly caught like this, Qin Ru Lian also secretly breathed a sigh of relief. "Sister, how could you do such a thing? Are you dissatisfied with Ting Lan Brother's punishment?"
Feng Yin Wan, who had never expected this to be exposed publicly, gritted her teeth. Before she could speak, she saw Ye Ting Lan turn his grim face towards Qi Xuan.
"With such thick padding, you couldn't detect it during the execution. It seems I need to send you back to the army for further training!"
Qi Xuan, holding the rod, felt more wronged than Dou E.
It wasn't a matter of his competence, but rather... the Princess had personally instructed him, how could he possibly know!
Ye Ting Lan cast a cold glance at the two of them and tore the soft cushions from Feng Yin Wan's body.
"Flog her again!"
With that, he flicked his robe and sat down on a stone bench in the courtyard, looking as if he intended to supervise the entire process.
Feng Yin Wan's heart instantly turned colder than the snow on Tian Shan.
A solid stroke fell, and a fiery pain immediately spread.
Feng Yin Wan's body twitched, and she gasped.
Qi Xuan clutched the rod tightly, quickly shielding his parents.
Princess, it's not that I didn't go easy on you... it's the Prince! It's all the Prince!
Feng Yin Wan was already cursing inwardly from the pain. Before she could recover, Ye Ting Lan's impatient voice rang out again.
"What are you dawdling for? Continue!"
Feng Yin Wan: #%@!
After a solid twenty strokes, Feng Yin Wan felt as if her backside had cracked open, and her entire lower body was numb.
As she lay on the bench like a dead fish, panting, Ye Ting Lan, hands behind his back, sauntered over in good spirits.
"Princess, how do you feel? Do you have anything else to say to me now?"
Feng Yin Wan gritted her teeth and swallowed the medicine from her bracelet. She looked up coldly.
"This concubine certainly does. I only hope that Your Highness will be equally impartial when punishing others later!"