Chapter 52: Beaten to Death

Chapter 52: Death by Beating

No one anticipated Madam Wei's sudden outburst.

Several strong servant women rushed in, tied Chun Tao's hands, and dragged her away.

A Yuan knelt by the bed, her forehead bruised and bleeding from kneeling so hard.

Wei Xun stepped forward and embraced her, his cold, dark eyes as deep as ink. "Stop hurting yourself!"

A Yuan was dazed with pain, but she was beyond caring now.

The person being taken away was Chun Tao, the one who had faithfully been by her side day and night for the past three years.

"My lord, please save Chun Tao, I beg you, save her. She didn't offend Madam Wei, she didn't..."

A drop of blood fell from A Yuan's forehead, landing on the back of Wei Xun's hand, startling him.

Seeing A Yuan's despair and collapse, Wei Xun felt a dull ache in his chest. He wiped the blood from her forehead with his thumb. "Don't worry, she'll be alright."

But how could she possibly be alright?

Madam Wei, having lived most of her life, cherished her health above all. She had always been in good health, but suddenly fell ill after being offended. Naturally, she wouldn't let the culprit go.

Chun Tao was locked in the woodshed, in chains. Taoist Nun Ma divined with her fingers, "This maid grew up in the mansion and would never have intentionally offended Madam Wei. However, she often stayed with another woman whose spiritual element is wood, amplifying her yin energy and causing a backlash on Madam Wei. To resolve this, either have her beaten to death or expel the other woman from the mansion. Otherwise, there's no solution."

After she finished speaking, the room fell into heavy silence. Shortly after, Zhao Wan's shrill voice shattered the silence.

"The other woman with the wood element couldn't possibly be A Yuan, could it? What should we do?"

Should she be driven out from the mansion?

Zhao Wan would be willing, but Wei Xun definitely wouldn't let her go.

That left only one option: to have Chun Tao beaten to death.

A Yuan's face turned pale, her back soaked with cold sweat in fear. She clutched Wei Xun's sleeve, her eyes pleading with him.

Though she didn't speak, Wei Xun easily understood her meaning.

"Don't even think about leaving!"

He would never allow A Yuan to leave him, never.

The man's expression was dark and unyielding. He pushed her hand away and knelt before Madam Wei.

"Mother, even if Chun Tao did offend you, just expel her from the mansion. There's no need to take her life."

"Third son, are you disregarding your mother's life for the sake of a woman?"

Madam Wei's voice trembled with grief, her frail face streaked with tears.

Wei Xun was choked up. After a long while, he spoke with difficulty, "I am not."

"Not? Ha!" Madam Wei retorted, throwing a pillow from the bed, which hit him heavily, clearly enraged.

"I never knew you could be so absurd. It's just the life of a lowly maid, and you want to spare her because she serves your woman. If I were to die today because of her offense, would you also let it go so lightly? I raised you three with my own hands, enduring hardship without reward, and now I end up like this. Marquis, my life is bitter!"

Madam Wei cried bitterly, tears streaming down her face, almost fainting. Wei Jin, despite her visible pregnancy, quickly held her.

"Third Brother, how could you become like this? This is our mother!"

"A Jin, stop saying that, the Wei Crown Prince doesn't mean it that way..."

Shen Qiuyu held Wei Jin's hand, seemingly trying to mediate, but her words only made Wei Jin angrier.

"I think he's completely bewitched by that vixen, even disregarding his own mother! If father were here, he would definitely break your legs!"

Marquis Wei, a military man, always disciplined his children with a stick—even the frail Wei Cong had felt his wrath. Wei Xun's favoritism towards his concubine over his wife and disregard for his mother had already crossed Marquis Wei's limits.

But how can anyone truly remain impartial? A Yuan, such an obedient and dutiful person, would be devastated if Chun Tao were gone.

The ever-capable Wei Crown Prince was at a loss for the first time.

On one side was his mother, on the other his concubine—he couldn’t bear to hurt either.

Shen Qiuyu watched all this with lowered eyes, the pent-up frustration in her heart dissipating. She subtly signaled Taoist Nun Ma, who flicked her whisk and formed a hand seal.

"The time has come. If Madam Wei does not make a decision, the evil spirit will invade the body and can no longer be driven out."

At this, Madam Wei struggled to sit up, pointing outside and shouting furiously.

"Beat her to death! Quickly beat that wretched creature to death!"

"Madam Wei!"

A Yuan’s mind went blank. Outside, the maids had already dragged Chun Tao out, and the heavy boards came down, followed by the maid’s desperate pleas.

Hearing Chun Tao’s heart-wrenching cries, A Yuan stumbled out the door, falling several times, but she pushed through the pain, rushing to throw herself over Chun Tao.

The woman's body was as fragile as a reed, yet she tightly shielded the maid beneath her.

Chun Tao had never known much fortune with A Yuan, but she had also never suffered. Now, after two strikes, her face was ghostly pale from the pain.

But even as A Yuan shielded her, Chun Tao feared the boards might strike A Yuan and frantically pushed her away.

"Mistress, please get up, Chun Tao is not afraid of pain!"

How could it not hurt? A Yuan’s eyes were red as she wiped the cold sweat from Chun Tao’s forehead. "I won’t leave. If we must suffer, we’ll suffer together."

The two maids carrying out the punishment froze. They dared to beat Chun Tao, but they wouldn’t dare touch Lady Xie.

"What are you waiting for? Strike them both!"

Madam Wei, supported by Shen Qiuyu and Wei Jin, emerged and saw the deep bond between A Yuan and her maid. Her face darkened at once.

At Madam Wei’s command, the two maids raised their boards high. But before they could strike, Wei Xun kicked them away.

"Leave!"

The man radiated a chilling aura, his face frozen in anger.

But when he faced A Yuan, the coldness in his eyes softened, filled with caution.

"A Yuan, let go."

A Yuan slowly looked up, her eyes swollen from crying. "Crown Prince, please save Chun Tao. Please."

She knew she was asking too much. Madam Wei was pressuring him with filial piety, and if Wei Xun did not comply, he would be unfilial.

But she dared not give up, for it was Chun Tao's life at stake.

"Young Master Wei?"

A Yuan begged him, but he looked away and slowly peeled her fingers away one by one.

"A Yuan, listen to me."

His voice struck her like thunder, and A Yuan's eyes slowly lost their light.

"So Chun Tao is going to be beaten to death... right?"

No one answered, and Wei Xun's silence at that moment already told her the answer.

A Yuan laughed through her tears, her smile fading into a blur, and the man's face became increasingly hazy in her vision.

"Why?"

Why couldn't she keep the people she was close to? Her parents were gone, and now Chun Tao too.

"Even without Chun Tao, others will serve you."

Wei Xun held her tightly, his chest aching, and his words of comfort felt empty.

A Yuan shook her head blankly, "There won't be."

There would never be another maid like Chun Tao who treated her so well.

"Why are you hesitating? Hurry up and beat her!" Madam Wei, afraid of missing the auspicious hour, urged anxiously, and the paddle came down again.

This time, the maid didn't even dare to cry, afraid of upsetting her mistress.

A Yuan's eyes were covered by Wei Xun, but the crack of the paddle against flesh thundered in her ears.

She closed her eyes, tears dampening his palm.

In that moment, her heart felt as if it had died.