Third Lady Tian Wenniang's eyes widened and she felt incredible: "Jian Er, Jian Er... You..."
Everyone present was stunned and opened their mouths.
Wang Xi asked Wang Jian, "Jian Er, what about your jade pendant?" ”
Only then did Wang Jian come back to his senses and look down at his gray and white Cheng Zi clothes, which were empty! Frightened, Wang Jian fumbled with his clothes and said to himself anxiously, "What about my jade pendant?" Jade pendant, jade pendant... Wrong! I was too anxious when I went out after a nap, and I forgot to wear Yu Pei! ”
Wang Jian's self-talk could not convince everyone. The people present were talking and casting questioning glances at Wang Jian. This gaze burned on Wang Jian's body like a spark, and the fire burned fiercely.
Hibiscus shook her head desperately, she didn't want to believe that her brother Wang Jian would do such a thing to her daughter Xiao Guiyuan.
Wang Xi also did not want to believe it, and asked Xu Gong in a low voice, "Xu Gong, did Jian Er really do it?" ”
Xu Gong replied, "Lord Wang Toast, your subordinates have their own way to make the truth of the matter come to the surface." ”
After receiving Wang Xi's approval, Xu Gong arranged for several maids to go to Wang Jian's room to find Yu Pei, and asked Xiao Guiyuan with a pleasant face: "Xiao Guiyuan, can you tell Grandpa Xu where you heard a grunt in the lotus pond at that time?" ”
Xiao Guiyuan blinked his big round and clear eyes, pointed to a Xinyi tree by the pavilion of the lotus pond with a pink little finger, and said to Xu Gong: "Grandpa Xu, it is under that tree." ”
Everyone looked in the direction of Xiao Guiyuan's finger, and the Xinyi tree was planted by Wang Xi himself when Xinyi was born, and now it is like a pavilion.
Xu Gong instructed all the family members to search the radius of six inches around this Xinyi tree in a carpet search for jade pendants. Xu Gong specifically instructed the family members to focus on salvage in the lotus pond.
In the process of finding the jade pendant, everyone frowned, the atmosphere did not dare to come out, invariably performed a collective pantomime, no one dared to break the silence and opened their mouths to say a word, the atmosphere was strange and awkward.
Wang Jian felt as if he were caught up in a conspiracy. The pool was bottomless, and the whirlpool was pulling him step by step into the abyss of despair, leaving him powerless to fight back, not knowing what kind of hell to lead him to. And he was completely unaware of the faces of the initiators behind the conspiracy.
The time of burning incense passed, and for Wang Jian it was as long as the change of several dynasties.
Su Zhu rushed from Wang Jian's room to the water pavilion with a few maids and reported to Wang Xi: "Lord Qi Yu, the slave maids have carefully searched the inside and outside of the Grand Duke's room, and have not found the Grand Duke's personal jade pendant. ”
Wang Jian didn't believe it, and hurriedly defended himself loudly: "How is it possible!" After today's afternoon nap, before I finished wearing the big sister said that Xiao Guiyuan had a temper tantrum, and asked me to play with Xiao Guiyuan early, I hurried out of the door, jade pendant should be placed on the table, how could it not be in my room? ”
Wang Jian's voice had just fallen, only to see Ding Jifu take out a piece of mutton oil-like thing from the long bamboo pole fishing net, hold it above his head, and dangle it. Ji Fu reported to Wang Xi, "Lord Qi Yu, the little one found a jade pendant from the lotus pond, and you can see if it is the one of the Grand Duke!" ”
Wang Xi took the jade pendant and fixed his eyes on it, and it was indeed Wang Jian's personal jade pendant. This jade pendant is a fine piece of mutton fat white jade, crystal white, delicate and warm, white as a truncated gizzard. Longzhou does not produce mutton fat white jade, that year for Wang Jian's crowning ceremony, Wang Xi specially entrusted people to buy it back from Hetian, ordered people to elaborately carve it, carved into a round of full moon under a cloud of auspicious clouds to support the "sun and moon can be seen" pattern, in order to imply that Wang Jian can shine with the sun and the moon in the future. Now, this jade pendant has become the ironclad evidence that Wang Jian plotted to kill Xiao Guiyuan.
A stream of angry blood rushed straight to Wang Xi's brain, and he was furious at Wang Jian: "Gentlemen have no reason, and Jade does not go to the body." Wang Jian, you are so bold! Now that the evidence is overwhelming, what else can you say? How could you have been so cruel to your niece? Do you still have a little bit of humanity? What exactly did you mean by murdering Xiao Guiyuan? Not really! ”
Hibiscus gritted his teeth in anger, rushed up and quickly raised his hand, only to see the electric light and flint between the wind and electricity, slapping one after another, opening the bow left and right, like a meteor catching the moon. Wang Jian's face was impressively floating with red marks, his palm marks were deeply sunken, and his entire body was shaking from side to side. Hibiscus's few slaps came down, interrupting her and Wang Jian's brother-in-law relationship.
Hibiscus yelled at Wang Jian, "Wang Jian, why are you doing this to my daughter?" Why? Is it because I came to persuade you to continue the string last night, and you were dissatisfied with me and spilled your anger on Xiao Guiyuan? Wang Jian, I am really kind to feed the dog! If it weren't for the fact that you are my own brother, I would have kindly advised you to continue the string. If you can't listen to it, you will also murder Xiao Guiyuan's life! You are so wolf-hearted and dog-lunged, you almost wanted Xiao Guiyuan's life, you have the ability to come to me! Wang Jian, from today onwards, you and I will break our righteousness, you are no longer my brother, and I am no longer your sister! ”
After saying that, Hibiscus asked for a knife from Ding Jirui's body and cut off the front of the gown she was wearing, so as to show that she was going to break off her righteousness with Wang Jian'en and never have any contact with her.
Wang Jian was beaten in a daze, his nose flapped, his pale face was even redder than where he had been slapped, his eyelashes were as if they had been soaked in water, and a wisp of blood oozed from his clenched lips. Wang Jian was a man, and he couldn't cry. Wang Jian pestle was in place, looking at Hibiscus's angry face, not knowing how to justify this injustice, but reiterating it over and over again: "Not me!" Not me really! I was wronged! I didn't do it..."
But that piece of jade pendant was like a soldering iron, and it was fiercely branded on Wang Jian's body with the mark of an evil person. Wang Jian had no substantial evidence to prove his innocence and could not exonerate himself. Obviously nothing was done, but the black cauldron fell from the sky, how could this be?
"Wang Jian, for the father is full of expectations for you from childhood, strict discipline, teach you to love and be kind, teach you to unite brothers and sisters, teach you to love each other with your brothers and sisters, and hope that you can succeed you as the Wang Toastmaster after a hundred years, and be the next Longzhou Xuanfu Si. And what you're doing today is so disappointing to the Father! Come on, tie up Wang Jian for me, and the family law will serve me! Wang Xi's anger was mixed with a hint of loss, and he looked at Wang Jian, who had been the most optimistic, and his eyes were full of loneliness.
Wang Fan was busy interceding for Wang Jian: "Father, if you calm down first, will there be any misunderstanding here?" Big Brother must not be such a person! ”
Xu Gong, who was good friends with Wang Jian in Su Rili, solemnly advised Wang Xi: "Lord Wang Tusi, the Son of Heaven has committed the same crime as the common people when he violates the law, and he also asks Lord Wang Tusi to enforce the law impartially and severely punish the Grand Duke!" ”
At this time, the water pavilion was shrouded in a suffocating shadow, and the knife could not be cut open, and the needle could not penetrate. There is no wind sound, no insect chirping, and the atmosphere of paradox hidden in the extreme silence spreads.
When the eldest lady Cai Qiuniang saw that Wang Xi was going to serve Wang Jian's family law, she quickly pleaded with Wang Xi: "Lord, this kind of evil thing is definitely not done by Jian Er!" Jian Er has been pure in nature and has a generous temperament since childhood, and would never do such a thing. This must be someone deliberately planting a bribe, and I hope that the old man will be able to learn it! ”
Wang Xi, who was angry, could hear it. There is no joke, and so is the toast of one side. His body is righteous, and he does not obey the order; his body is not righteous, although the order is not obeyed. If wang jianjia is not served by the law, how will he rectify the discipline in Ningwusi in the future, how will he still establish his majesty, and how will he enforce the law impartially? Despite his intolerance, Wang Xi could only turn a deaf ear to the Grand Madame's pleas.
"The evidence is overwhelming, and there is no room for sophistry!" Wang Xi was not moved by the grand lady's intercession, and he sharply commanded his subordinates, "Come, first collect the tokens that Wang Jian dispatched to each battalion and the flag soldiers, and then tie Up Wang Jian, strip off his coat, and give me ten thorns!" After the fight, he was locked up in the firewood room and let him think about it behind closed doors! If there is no intention of repentance at that time, then he will be stripped of his status as the eldest son of the Wang Clan Tusi Concubine, demoted to a commoner, and will not be allowed to enter the ancestral tomb of my Wang Clan after death! ”
Wang Xi's voice did not fall, and Wang Jian and the Grand Madame were frightened like a pool of mud and slumped to the ground.
"What a wrong! Father, the child has been wronged! Wang Jian cried out for injustice, and his grievances seemed meaningless to Wang Xi, even disgusted.
The eldest lady knelt all the way to Wang Xi, pulled on the corner of Wang Xi's regimental collar shirt, and tears flowed across her cheeks covered with fine lines, pleading with Wang Xi: "Lord, jian'er he has been wronged!" Don't you see Xiao Guiyuan she's okay? Since it is all right, why do you still have to serve the Jian Er Family Law? Jian Er, quick, quickly in front of your father's face, swear to heaven, swear that this is definitely not your doing! ”
As soon as the Big Lady said this, it annoyed Hibiscus. Hibiscus glared at the Grand Madame, "Mother, your preference for sons and daughters may not be too much, right?" Wang Jian is your own son, isn't my Wang Mu Hibiscus your daughter,and isn't Xiao Guiyuan your granddaughter? Isn't the life of Lu Painter a life? Xiao Guiyuan and I traveled thousands of miles back to the province, Xiao Guiyuan was secretly calculated, almost killed in Longzhou, Lu painter to save Xiao Guiyuan is still uncertain. Now that the truth is out and the murderer has been arrested, you must blindly protect this real murderer who has no regard for flesh and blood. Just because he is the body of a man, and Xiao Guiyuan and I are the body of a woman? If this is the case, then I will immediately pack my bags and take Xiao Guiyuan away, and I will never return to Longzhou in this life! ”
"Hibiscus, don't listen to your mother's gibberish!" In the eyes of the father, the palms of the hands of the son and the daughter are flesh, and they are never separated. Your mother is now protecting her son's heart, and she has lost her mind! Wang Xi did not want to have a vendetta with his daughter Hibiscus, after all, Hibiscus and Xiao Guiyuan were Wang Xi's heart meat.
Wang Xi understands the great lady's love for her son, but he needs to establish an authoritative image of impartial law enforcement and non-selfishness in front of everyone. Wang Xi glared at the Grand Madame and sternly reprimanded her, "Qiu Niang, you are the benevolence of a woman, you are really confused!" The state has the national law, the family has the family rules, not the rules, not the square! No matter who it is, today my Wang Xi will never tolerate it! Come on, execute the thorns at once! ”
Wang Xi's words made Hibiscus feel relieved, and Hibiscus's determined heart temporarily slowed down. But Hibiscus was still quite dissatisfied with Wang Jian and the Grand Lady, and stared at them viciously.
Seeing that Wang Xi's mind had been decided, Wang Jian stopped shouting injustice and sat paralyzed on the ground, as if he had lost his soul. The Grand Madame did not make a sound anymore, but only burst into tears of despair.
The family members brought a wide wooden stool, stripped Wang Jian of his coat, leaving only his middle coat exposed, and firmly bound Wang Jian's limbs to the four legs of the stool, afraid that Wang Jian would be in pain and desperately trying to break free. Ji Rui brought ten thorns, and Wang Xi ordered him to hand them over to him, and he would personally execute them.
Ji Rui deliberately whispered in the big lady's ear: "Big lady, you can rest assured, the small ones are the thorns that are easiest to break." ”
The Grand Lady who cried into tears nodded gratefully, which was a blessing in disguise.
The so-called thorn punishment refers to the use of thorns to continuously whip the back, buttocks and other parts of the punished person, so that the beating is bloody, the flesh and blood are blurred, and each thorn broken is regarded as "a thorn". Compared with the thornless yellow thorns, the thorny thorns on the flesh of the body whipped hard, which was an indescribable pain in the heart. Those dense spikes will continue to wield the spines of the torturer, piercing into the skin sac, into the bone marrow, into the heart. If the person being punished does not carefully clean the wound after being punished, some small thorns will remain in the whipped wound, festering and suppuration, not healing for a long time, repeated torture, and sleep day and night.
Wang Xi waved the thorns heavily and sternly admonished Wang Jian: "Good you are a son of a bad man!" The sins you have committed today, the wickedness of the wicked, the abandonment of humanity, is 'wickedness', the unforgivable sin of the ten evils. If I twist you to our Xuanfu Si Shi YaMen for trial, according to the "Great Ming Law", those who have walked, a hundred rods, flowing two thousand miles; those who have been wounded, hanged; those who have been killed, all beheaded. For the sake of father Nian in Xiao Guiyuan was not injured, but was frightened, so he did not twist to send you to the Yamen for the time being. Now Lu Painter's life hangs in the balance, if Lu Painter has any three long and two shorts to save Xiao Guiyuan, I will immediately send you to the Yamen gate, and when the time comes, it will be hanging or chopping, I will definitely enforce the law impartially, and I will never favoritism! ”
With a "snap—" another whip of thorns hit Wang Jian's body heavily. In an instant, on Wang Jian's white plain aya, a scarlet wound with flesh and skin suddenly appeared, like a flower of flesh and blood, which made Wang Jian shiver with pain, and every pore oozed fine beads of sweat. Wang Jian's eyes were full of gold stars in pain, and he clenched his fists and squeezed them too hard, his nails were already deeply embedded in the flesh and skin, digging out crescent-shaped blood marks.
Wang Jian did not want to admit his mistake, he felt that he had never done such a bad thing, and if he had not made a mistake, how could he admit his mistake? If you want to add to your sins, there is no excuse! Even if the pain is unbearable, you must survive it and never shout it out. Wang Jian clenched his teeth and closed his mouth, just keeping uttering "Well... Uh-huh..." sound.
"Lord, Qiu Niang begs you, please let Jian Er go!" Jian Er's body is weak, and if she continues to fight, she will be killed! Lord, thousands of mistakes are all Qiu Niang's fault, it is Qiu Niang who raises and does not teach. If you are angry, it will all be on Qiu Niang, and if you want to beat it, you will be punished, and Qiu Niang will listen to it! The eldest lady watched her own son being beaten so badly that her heart was cramping, and she pleaded bitterly with Wang Xi.
Wang Xi broke the two spines hard, causing Wang Jian to pass out in pain. Wang Xi ordered his men to wake up Wang Jian with cold water and continue flogging.
The eldest lady persuaded Wang Xi in a hoarse voice to stop: "Lord, the tiger poison does not eat children!" Jian Er is your own son, are you really going to beat him to death? If you continue to fight, Jian Er will die! ”
Looking at the bloodied Wang Jian, Wang Fan frowned and pleaded with Wang Xi: "Father Lord, the eldest brother must not want anyone to persuade him to continue the string before he will be confused for a while." He had no malice, maybe he just wanted to give the eldest sister a dismount, so that the eldest sister would not persuade him to continue the string in the future. You just spare the big brother, and then fight, if the big brother falls behind any disease root, then how is it good! ”
Wang Xi didn't have heartache, he didn't want to let Wang Jian go, and now he could only break his teeth and swallow it into his stomach. Wang Jian had always been Wang Xi's favored successor, but when he did such a heinous and heinous thing, Wang Xi was extremely disappointed.
Xu Gong on the side was silent, secretly observing everyone's expression. As if everyone present was wearing a different human skin mask, Xu Gongduo wanted to tear them one by one with his own hands to peek at the bloodiest faces behind those masks.