Chapter 12 Torture
The courier took off his upper body clothes, and his exposed skin was covered with bruises. Yang Jishan and Yuan Shibin felt a little regretful when they saw it. They thought they were helping their brother, but they didn't expect that they had done the wrong thing. Before they could ask for credit in front of the empress, they were whipped by the emperor first.

Dou Dan stopped talking after seeing this. Dugu Kaiyuan also took the whip with a sullen face and walked out of the room. Li Jiancheng bowed in front of the eunuchs towards the direction of the emperor's bedroom and said, "I am young and ignorant. I disobeyed the emperor's order and deserve death. This punishment is a lesson for you. I beg Your Majesty to take care of your body and calm down. Li Jiancheng kowtows!"

Yang Jishan took off the gold buckle from his belt and stuffed it into the eunuch's hand: "Please report Mr. Li's words to His Majesty."

The eunuch nodded quickly and said, "I understand. I just ask you gentlemen not to make it difficult for me. I will handle the rest on my own."

Li Jiancheng stood up and walked outside the classroom. It was very empty under the city gate, but there were quite a few people on the top of the city. His uncle Li An was watching him coldly.

Standing firmly on the pillar of the city gate, Dugu Kaiyuan walked to a short distance behind him. After a dozen breaths, the whip sounded. Li Jiancheng's body trembled and he could not help but scream. He felt as if his back was cut by a red-hot knife.

Dugu Kaiyuan knew that the whip was specially made. No matter how hard he tried, it would leave a bloody mark on the body. A few more lashes would surely tear the skin and flesh apart. The longer he dragged on, the more painful it would be. So he hardened his heart and whipped him like rain.

After the beating, he felt his hands and feet go weak. He dropped the whip as if he was holding a branding iron, and lowered his head, not knowing what to do.

The people on the city wall dispersed, Dou Dan, Yuan Shibin and others hurried forward. Yang Jishan found the golden medicine from the classroom. This was his family's secret recipe, which required dragon bones, musk, rosin, borneol, lard and other medicinal materials. It was powerful and was specially used to stop bleeding and heal.

Li Jiancheng had fainted at some point, and several men dragged him back to the classroom, sprinkled gold medicine on him to stop the bleeding, and wrapped him with silk cloth. Then they told someone to find a cart.

Yongxiang is the center of the former court and the harem. Princes are not allowed to drive here. They can only push the palace out first and then move it onto the carriage to return home.

Dugu Kaiyuan called two guards to push the cart, put Li Jiancheng in place and said, "You guys take the shift, I'll take Jiancheng back home to recover."

Dou Dan stopped him and said, "Originally I shouldn't have argued with you, but His Majesty is furious and has other intentions in asking you to execute him. You should obey His Majesty's will at this time."

After making the arrangements, Dou Dan sent Li Jiancheng out of the palace. Li's servants were waiting for him at the door. Dou Dan hurriedly gave a few instructions and went back.

Several servants of the Li family found an ox cart and carefully lifted their husband from the cart into the compartment. Li Jiancheng was awakened by the burning pain during the shaking, and he understood the situation after a quick look.

The Li family was not far from the palace, and they soon entered the mansion. The housekeeper led the doctor to wait in front of the door. When Li Jiancheng saw him, he ordered: "Don't let any news spread to the other house. Grandma is old and mother is in confinement. Don't let them be frightened."

The housekeeper looked at the wound on the young master's back with concern and said, "Don't worry, young master. I have already given instructions to everyone and asked Li Si to keep an eye on the other side of the building. We will never disturb the old lady and the lady."

"It's just, hey, is it your Majesty?"

Li Jiancheng felt much more relieved after hearing this. Being able to be the chief steward of the Duke's Mansion, his ability was very trustworthy.

"Well, I know my limits."

He ordered the servants to carry the young master to the inner courtyard. The chief steward followed and said, "Young master, this matter is of great importance. I can keep it a secret from the lady, but I must inform the master in a letter."

"Okay, I'll write a letter to my father soon too, you can send it to him as well."

"Yes."

Li Jiancheng went back to his bedroom and lay down. After the doctor examined him, he said that it was just a skin injury and not a bone injury. He gave a few instructions and the servants in the room took notes carefully. How to appease the Lord Li Yuan who was far away? Li Jiancheng was not worried about his current situation. If he didn't pay a price and show loyalty, how could he get a chance?

But others might find it difficult to understand. Most of them would think that he was stupid and angered the emperor as soon as he took office.

Although Li An is older than the other members, he is only from a branch line. He is the eldest son of the direct line and the future patriarch of the Li family. They can teach him a lesson in person, but they really have no right to control him.

But Li Yuan was different. He could really make all of Li Jiancheng's plans come to nothing.

I'm afraid we can only use the tiger's skin and raise the banner first. If we can slow down for a few months, the situation may change drastically, and then there will be results that can be brought out to stabilize the family.

After making up his mind, he asked the maid to get paper and grind it. Because what he was writing was quite taboo, he could only bear the pain and write it himself. When he finished writing, he was sweating coldly. He threw down the pen and watched the servant seal the envelope and stamp it with wax.

Then he fell into sleep again in a daze. He was woken up in the night and ate some mutton porridge. After changing the medicine, he fell asleep again.

He had difficulty getting up for the next few days, and he seemed to have been forgotten by everyone. No one came to visit him, and no rewards or punishments were given from the palace.

The housekeeper came to ask anxiously whether to send someone to the outside or to the in-laws' house to inquire about the news, but Li Jiancheng was very calm. He was not arrogant or impatient, and he ate and slept a lot, concentrating on recuperating from his injuries.

After all, he was a young man who often went out for horse riding and archery. In less than half a month, his injuries had healed a lot, and at least they did not affect his movements.

That morning, he looked up and saw that the weather was fine, with a clear sky and a bright sun. He then rode in a carriage out of the mansion and headed for the palace.

This time no one came to lead him, and the people guarding the city gate also changed their usual attitude, speaking coldly and impartially, and only allowed him to enter the palace after a body search.

He went to get a set of spare clothes, which were not very good-looking and could not highlight a person's heroic spirit like the armor of the Qianniu Guards. But there was nothing he could do. He had fallen from a sixth-rank military officer to an eighth-rank minion. Any eunuchs or female officials in the palace who were well-dressed would probably be of a much higher rank than him.

Before returning to Yongxiang, the Qianniu Guards on duty all knew each other but were not very familiar with each other. When they were young, they inevitably played in different circles. When they saw Li Jiancheng coming, they looked a little strange, but Gao Rui, the grandson of Duke Gao Zuo of Qi, stepped forward and said, "Jiancheng, since you have been demoted to a guard, you have to stand guard at the city gate. Go and guard over there."

"Yes."

Gao Rui pointed to a place where the sun was shining directly. Li Jiancheng was puzzled but responded politely. Then he took the halberd and stood there.

Gao Rui and others returned to the classroom and sat down, while Li Jiancheng was a little puzzled. The emperor would not do this. If he was still unhappy, he could just continue to block the official positions of the father and son. He should not use such a petty way.

And to be honest, she was just venting her anger on others. Whether he had blocked her or not, Yuchi would have died for sure. The empress would never allow such a person to live. The emperor arrived later and watched her happen.

If it's not the emperor, then it must be the prince? No, it should be the queen.

Li Jiancheng moved his shoulders slightly. He had already demonstrated his loyalty with his actions. What needed to be tested was his mind and whether he could be trusted and used.

…………

(End of this chapter)