"I didn't mean that, madam..." Fine beads of sweat appeared on Song Zhen's forehead. But Jiang Xueran didn't want to waste any more words on him. She looked directly at Pei Zhiyan and said, "Lord Pei, please make a ruling."
"My lord, my lord, A Ying really made a mistake this time. A Ying, hurry up and apologize!" Nie Rong was afraid that her precious daughter would be punished. In a hurry, she pulled out Song Wanying, who was hiding behind them, and forced her to apologize.
Naturally, Song Wanying didn't dare to disobey at this moment. Her legs went weak and she knelt down. Her voice trembling, she said, "Please forgive me, madam. Please forgive me, young heir. It's my fault. I shouldn't have accidentally hurt the young heir..."
"Do you think an apology will solve everything?" Jiang Xueran was not an easy - going person. She would never allow the person who had hurt her child to get away unscathed.
She walked up to Pei Zhiyan. "Lord Pei, I won't accept a meaningless apology from someone."
"Mother, that woman snatched someone else's bracelet. Her whole family lied. Just because I said they were liars and took the bracelet, she hit me." Xiao Che had his wound treated by the maid and walked over angrily.
He pointed at Song Ruotang. "If it weren't for this elder sister, I would have been hurt much more seriously than just being scratched by her fingernails."
Jiang Xueran took Xiao Che's hand. After listening to him, she sneered. "So the whole family is like this."
"We made a mistake. It's all a misunderstanding, madam. It's all a misunderstanding!" Song Zhen quickly explained. But Xiao Che said, "You're lying. There's clearly a crabapple flower engraving on the inner ring of the bracelet. She held it for so long. She must have felt it, but she still argued after I got it!"
Song Zhen really had a hard time explaining himself at this moment. He really didn't know there was an engraving on the inner ring of the white jade bracelet. Since Nie Rong had testified, he naturally couldn't take a different stance from theirs.
"Hurting the young heir is our fault. We deserve to be punished. But my daughter is in poor health. She just had a serious illness some time ago. She really can't stand the ordeal. I hope madam will spare my daughter out of pity for my love for her..."
Nie Rong stepped forward and knelt beside Song Zhen. There were tears in her eyes. She looked at Jiang Xueran eagerly, hoping that as a mother, she could empathize with her.
But obviously, Jiang Xueran couldn't empathize. She just looked at Nie Rong coldly, sneered, and said something very cruel to the Song family with her beautiful lips, "Do you think you're innocent?"
Not to mention that Song Zhen's official position was not high. Even if it were other nobles who hurt Xiao Che, Jiang Xueran wouldn't be lenient. Moreover, she didn't take the Song family seriously at all.
"Don't act out your deep father - daughter and mother - daughter affection in front of me. You'll all get what you deserve." Jiang Xueran took a step back. "Lord Pei, what do you think?"
Just as Pei Zhiyan was about to speak, Song Zhen hurriedly interrupted him. "Lord Pei, although A Ying made a mistake, please spare her for the sake of the eldest young master."
Hearing this, Jiang Xueran raised her eyebrows and looked at Pei Zhiyan playfully. "Lord Pei, you'll handle this impartially, right?"
Pei Zhiyan didn't answer her. He just turned his head and glanced at Song Ruotang. She was standing in front of the crowd and looking at him too.
"The Song Zhen family conspired to deceive everyone, robbed Song Ruotang's property, and damaged the items. According to the law, each of them will be whipped ten times. Song Wanying, the mastermind, will be whipped twenty times and will compensate Song Ruotang with the same amount of silver."
Pei Zhiyan dealt with Song Ruotang's matter first, and then continued, "Song Wanying beat the young heir of the Marquis of Guangping while robbing someone else's property. According to the law, she will be caned fifty times. All the recuperation expenses of the young heir will be borne by the Song Mansion."
When Nie Rong heard about the fifty - cane punishment, she fainted from fright. Song Wanying was shaking like a sieve. She grabbed Pei Zhiyan's corner of the robe desperately. "Uncle, please spare my life. I'll die. I'll die!"
Pei Zhiyan lowered his eyes and sighed. "How can I show mercy in front of so many people?"
After saying that, he pulled back his corner of the robe and let Song Wanying fall to the ground.
The people from the Court of Judicial Review stepped forward to detain the Song family. Song Zhen and Nie Rong were dragged away. Song Wanying was still struggling. In her panic, she saw Song Ruotang and shouted, "It's you! It's all because of you, you bad - luck star!"
Pei Zhiyan's eyes turned cold. He ordered his men to drag her away quickly. But an urgent voice came from the door, "Wait a minute!"
Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw Pei Yu coming in a hurry. His steps were hasty and his clothes were a bit messy, which showed how urgently he had rushed here.
Song Wanying also heard his voice. Her eyes instantly lit up and she shouted, "Yu Lang, save me!"
When Jiang Xueran came out, she had sensed that something was wrong. She had sent someone to inform Pei Yu at full speed. Fortunately, he had arrived. It wasn't too late.
Pei Yu stopped the people who were dragging Song Wanying. Song Wanying instantly threw herself into his arms and cried, "Yu Lang, I'm so scared..."
"It's okay. I'm here." Pei Yu hugged Song Wanying and patted her on the back, comforting her softly.
Seeing this scene, Jiang Xueran raised her eyebrows slightly and there was a sneer on her lips. "Interesting. Young Master Pei comes to rescue the beauty. Lord Pei, should we still enforce the punishment?"
Pei Zhiyan looked at the two people hugging in front of him coldly. He had previously thought that Pei Yu was mediocre. First, he had harassed Song Ruotang, and now he was doing such a stupid thing as intercepting in public. Pei Zhiyan's patience with Pei Yu was gradually wearing thin.
After Pei Yu comforted Song Wanying, he walked straight up to Pei Zhiyan, frowned and said, "Father, A Ying just made a small mistake. She doesn't deserve to die."
"I'm just enforcing the law." Pei Zhiyan replied calmly. "This is the law of our dynasty. Don't say any more."
Pei Yu's hand hidden in his sleeve tightened instantly. "Father, do we really have to execute her just because A Ying snatched a bracelet and hurt the young heir?"
Pei Zhiyan didn't say a word. But Pei Yu said angrily, "She won't be able to bear it..."
"Did she ever think about whether my son could bear that slap when she hit my son?" Jiang Xueran's voice was filled with anger. "My son is just a six - year - old child. What did he do wrong?"
Pei Yu was silent for a while after being questioned by Jiang Xueran. Then, as if making up his mind, he said, "Madam, your son just got a scratch and shed a little blood. But A Ying has to endure fifty canes. She's just a weak woman. Why should she suffer like this?"
Hearing this, Song Ruotang, who was standing on the side watching the show, was shocked.
She really admired Pei Yu's courage. How dare he ask such a stupid question in front of the wife of the Marquis of Guangping.
Pei Yu's mind was really not working.
Song Ruotang disliked the self who had once liked him even more.
"Humph..." Jiang Xueran was almost laughed at by anger. And Pei Zhiyan just said coldly, "Since you love her so much, then you can take the fifty canes for her."
Pei Yu's eyes widened instantly. "Father?"
"Drag him down." Pei Zhiyan turned around and didn't want to look at Pei Yu anymore.
Out of sight, out of mind.
This storm finally subsided. Wen Fang kept complaining, but she couldn't afford to offend these big shots. So she could only smile and clean up the mess.
She couldn't help scolding the Song Zhen family in her heart again and had an even worse impression of them.