Chapter 100: The Two Fools Finally Realize Their Fear

Chapter 100: The Two Fools Finally Realize Their Fear

Zheng Hongxu continued, "Big Brother, it was I who invited Lu Shen for a drink, and I was the one who hinted to him about Elder Cousin. If you're going to scold someone, scold me."

"Hmph, you two mindless fools deserve every bit of punishment and criticism. Yongnian is our guest from afar, staying in our home. We didn't treat him well but instead bullied him. How do you think he'll perceive us? If this matter gets back to River Qing, and the Cui family finds out what happened to Yongnian here, how will they view us? What will Mother's position be? Are you trying to make Mother be despised by her own family?

"Ah?"

Only after hearing Zheng Hongyan's words did they realize their fear.

"This... Big Brother, we were only focused on sabotaging the marriage at that time. We didn't think too much into it."

"You're foolish, so naturally, you wouldn't consider all angles. Father and Mother still don't know about today's poetry appreciation banquet. Think carefully about how to make amends."

With that, Zheng Hongyan flung his sleeves and strode away.

Zheng Hongqi and Zheng Hongxu were both flustered.

Zheng Jinxiu, on the other hand, was utterly terrified. "Second Brother, Third Brother, what should we do? I've heard rumors about what happened when I was resting due to seasickness."

She had distanced herself from the incident, claiming that she was seasick and oblivious to everything at the time it occurred.

Both Zheng Hongqi and Zheng Hongxu had already been completely manipulated by her; they trusted her blindly.

Despite this, they were still comforting her. "Don't worry, this has nothing to do with you. It was those people who were teasing and humiliating Cousin Cui."

"But what about you two? Weren't you there too?"

Zheng Hongqi exchanged a glance with Zheng Hongxu before responding, "We're not worried. We didn't humiliate him; we even spoke up in his defense."

"Yes, we spoke in his favor."

Spoke in his favor, yet with veiled sarcasm and playing the good cop?

The trio comforted one another, believing firmly that their eloquence would absolve them of any blame. They were not afraid of Cui Yongnian lodging a complaint against them.

They even cooked up a counter-accusation plan: if Cui Yongnian dared to report them, they would retaliate by turning the tables on him.

Regrettably, Cui Yongnian was on an entirely different level from them; he hadn't even considered filing a complaint.

Or perhaps, he had resorted to a more subtle approach? Without his need to speak up, the incident at the poetry appreciation banquet had already reached the ears of Master Zheng and Lady Zheng.

Master Zheng and Lady Zheng ordered Zheng Hongqi and Zheng Hongxu to kneel in the ancestral hall.

With tears streaming down her face, Lady Zheng lamented, "The incident at the poetry banquet has become public knowledge; it will eventually reach the ears of the Cui family in Qinghe. Yongnian came to our home as a guest, and now this is how he's treated. How can I explain this to my sister-in-law? How can I face his parents? I'll never be able to show my face in my maternal home again."

Seeing his wife weep uncontrollably, Master Zheng flew into a rage and lashed out at Zheng Hongqi and Zheng Hongxu with a whip.

Both of them had been frail since childhood, incapable of pursuing martial arts and could only focus on scholarly pursuits. Their physical constitution was utterly incomparable to Zheng Hongyan's.

After several lashes, they howled in pain and begged for mercy incessantly.

"Father, we know we were wrong. Please don't hit us anymore."

"You two beasts have disgraced your maternal family to the point that she can't even return home. How dare you still beg for forgiveness? Just wait until I beat you to death."

Seeing this, Zheng Jinxiu hurriedly ran to find Cui Yongnian.

Cui Yongnian was diligently applying powder to his face, attempting to conceal the scars on it. Upon hearing that Zheng Jinxiu had come to see him, a cryptic smile graced his lips.

"Enter," he invited.

Zheng Jinxiu promptly entered. Upon seeing Cui Yongnian, she immediately burst into tears and pleaded, "Cousin, please save my Second Brother and Third Brother. Father is about to beat them to death."

Cui Yongnian was utterly astonished. "How could this be? What happened?"

"Well... Cousin, please come with me now. Let's talk as we walk. Otherwise, I truly fear for their lives," she begged.

"Certainly, Cousin Jinxiu, lead the way."

Following Zheng Jinxiu, they arrived at the Zheng family's ancestral hall. From afar, they could hear heart-wrenching screams and the sound of a whip lashing out.

Tears welled up in Zheng Jinxiu's eyes from her distress, and Cui Yongnian appeared equally anxious.

With one hand elegantly lifting the hem of his robe, he hurriedly jogged along. Unwittingly, the arch of his foot caught on the threshold of the temple, causing him to stumble and fall with a thud to the ground.

"Ooh."

Everyone in the ancestral hall turned their heads at the sound.

Master Zheng's whip also came to a halt.

"Oh, Yongnian, what happened to you? Quick, someone attend to Young Master Zheng, help him up. Are you injured?" Lady Zheng asked with genuine concern.

Cui Yongnian, lying on the ground, waved his hand gently. "Aunt, I'm fine. Please don't punish my cousins; you've misunderstood them. It was those strangers who spoke harshly, not them. My cousins have been protecting me and speaking up for me the whole time."

Master Zheng and Lady Zheng were already aware of the entire situation. They could easily tell if their sons were genuinely assisting or intentionally fanning the flames. It would be a waste of their years of experience if they couldn't discern such nuances.

Seeing him pleading for mercy despite being bullied was pitiable. He even injured his knee in his haste to intervene.

One's character is revealed in such moments.

Madam Zheng, witnessing the scene, felt an even deeper pang of guilt towards Cui Yongnian.

"Someone, fetch a physician."

Zheng Hongqi and Zheng Hongxu initially thought the physician was for them, but to their surprise, Madam Zheng continued, "Fetch a physician to examine Second Cousin's knee."

Both of them stared at her in astonishment.

"You two, kneel here and reflect on your actions," Madam Zheng said, her eyes filled with anger.

They dared not utter a word, enduring the pain as they obediently knelt.

Only when the Zheng couple left with Cui Yongnian did Zheng Jinxiu approach to comfort Zheng Hongqi and Zheng Hongxu.

"Second Brother, Third Brother, does it hurt?" she asked, her face streaked with tears.

Seeing her distress, both of them shook their heads.

"It doesn't hurt, Jinxiu. Did you ask Cui Yongnian to plead for mercy on our behalf?"

"Yes, fortunately, we made it just in time."

Silence ensued as both of them realized their actions were indeed inappropriate.

Given the circumstances, Cui Yongnian's haste in coming to beg for their pardon, even falling in his rush, stirred a deep sense of guilt within them.

Zheng Jinxiu also felt a pang of remorse. "Cousin Cui is actually quite kind-hearted. It's just that he and I weren't fated to be together. Second Brother, Third Brother, let's not hold anything against him anymore."

"Alright, we'll follow your advice."

Having settled the Zheng trio, Cui Yongnian pulled out a letter, a smile quirking at the corners of his mouth once more.

He examined himself in the copper mirror. The healing elixir from the Princess's residence was truly remarkable – his face had almost fully recovered.

It was time for the next phase.

...

Zheng Jinyu listened to Chunmei's report and suddenly smiled.

This Cui Yongnian was rather intriguing.

No matter how furious Zheng Ji was, how could he truly beat his two own sons to death?

In reality, even if Zheng Jinyu hadn't intervened, Zheng Ji would have stopped after delivering a severe punishment.

Beating them in front of the ancestors' tablets was one thing, but afterwards, they would have summoned doctors to tend to their wounds and allowed them to recover in peace.

However, Cui Yongnian's panic and subsequent fall had stirred immense guilt within Zheng couple.

Not only did they cancel the need for a doctor, they made the trio kneel in the ancestral hall for reflection. Once done, they would be filled with gratitude towards Cui Yongnian.

In terms of acting, Cui Yongnian outdid Zheng Jinyu by a notch.

Not only did he convince Master Zheng and Lady Zheng of his sincerity, making them feel deeply remorseful, he even managed to deceive his enemies.

It was said that the three of them were currently engaged in a collective act of contrition.

"Miss, Young Master Cui is here."

"Ask him in."

Zheng Jinyu noticed that the wounds on his face had healed, leaving it unblemished and radiating a chilly elegance. His well-defined eyelids and subtly reddened corners of his eyes added a touch of delicate charm to his appearance, as if he carried a broken beauty within him.