newbobooks Chapter 119 Yang Tian Gets Beaten
Chapter 119 Yang Tian Gets Beaten
Thinking of this, the Emperor shook his head slightly, but showed no displeasure on his face. After a moment's thought, he spoke again, "Hmm... I feel that the compensation mentioned earlier seems a bit too little. Since that young lady was even more frightened, then Minister Yang's compensation will be increased tenfold! Alright, this matter is settled. Court adjourned!"
With the Emperor's command, all the ministers knelt and shouted "Long live the Emperor!" before orderly leaving the court. Only Yang Cheng remained standing there, seemingly lost in thought. Only after everyone around him had left did he slump to the ground as if waking from a dream. His face was filled with despair as he muttered to himself, "It's over...it's all over...not only have I lost my official position, but I'm also confined to my quarters for a year. Is my career really over?"
After an unknown amount of time, Yang Cheng finally came to his senses. He struggled to his feet and staggered out of the hall. Watching Yang Cheng's departing figure, the remaining court officials whispered amongst themselves, some expressing sympathy for his plight, others believing he had only himself to blame. But all of this was no longer important to Yang Cheng, who was already far away. Now, his mind was filled with thoughts of how to face the long and arduous year ahead.
Yang Cheng returned to the mansion like a walking corpse. Madam Yang rushed towards him like a hungry tiger pouncing on its prey. Looking at Yang Cheng, she said anxiously, "Master, what did the Emperor say? Did he punish him? He actually dared to beat our son! This behavior is outrageous! He has no regard for the dignity and honor of the royal family! Did the Emperor give him the punishment he deserved? Tell me everything clearly!" As she asked anxiously, she grabbed Yang Cheng's arms tightly and shook them violently, as if Yang Cheng were a sapling struggling and about to fall in a raging storm.
Just then, Yang Cheng seemed to wake from a nightmare, his eyes blank and vacant as he stared at the woman who had been chattering in his ear—his wife. Recalling the events of the day, an uncontrollable rage, like surging volcanic lava, erupted from the depths of his heart. In an instant, Yang Cheng's neatly combed hair stood on end, as if about to burst free; his eyes widened like saucers, almost popping out of their sockets; his face, flushed red with fury, looked terrifying. He raised his right hand high and, with lightning speed, slapped his wife across the face like a violent hurricane, letting out a deafening roar: "Shut up!"
Caught off guard by the heavy slap, Madam Yang felt dizzy and her head was ringing. She covered her rapidly swelling cheek, staring at Yang Cheng in astonishment, as if he were a complete stranger. After a long while, she finally came to her senses, her lips trembling with disbelief as she asked, "Master, why...why did you hit me? What...what did I do wrong?" Yang Cheng was trembling with rage. He pointed at Madam Yang and roared, "You dare ask me? What did you tell me yesterday? Didn't you swear that Fan Junyu looked down on our Tian'er and deliberately bullied him, which is why you hit him?"
"Just now, I righteously declared that I would seek justice for my son, even if the other party was the son of the powerful Grand Tutor, or the high-ranking Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, I would never let it go easily! But, will things really be resolved as easily as I thought? Anyone with eyes can see that it was your arrogant and lawless son who dared to harass the noble Princess, leading to his current wretched state. It's lamentable that instead of reflecting on his actions and restraining himself, he didn't hide away until things calmed down. Instead, he seems afraid that others won't know, and he hasn't realized how serious his mistake was. Instead, he's become even more brazen, shamelessly seeking trouble and trying to take revenge on others. He's utterly foolish."
The thought ignited a volcanic eruption within Yang Cheng, instantly overwhelming all his reason. His burning rage seemed to transform into a ferocious beast, rampaging and roaring within his chest. With each breath, he could feel the flames scorching his lungs; with each heartbeat, it felt like being struck by a heavy hammer. This anger transcended the realm of words; it threatened to shatter Yang Cheng, plunging him into endless pain and despair.
Upon hearing this, Madam Yang felt a chill run from her feet to her head. Her once fervent heart felt as if it had been plunged into a bottomless ice cellar, instantly enveloped by icy cold. She trembled violently, shaking uncontrollably, the chill seemingly penetrating to her very bones, making it difficult for her to even stand.
Her beautiful eyes widened, filled with shock and terror. Her gaze was as if she had witnessed the end of the world, brimming with disbelief and despair. She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but her throat felt as if it were being gripped tightly by an invisible hand, and she could only utter a hoarse, trembling voice: "Master...Master, what...what did you just say? Tian'er...the person he was flirting with was actually the Princess? This...how could this be! If it really was...it really was Her Highness the Princess, how could Tian'er not...not recognize her!"
At this moment, Yang Cheng was already furious. His eyes were wide open, almost popping out of their sockets. The raging anger emanating from his eyes was like lava from a volcanic eruption, hot and violent, as if getting any closer would instantly burn the person in front of him to ashes.
His chest heaved violently, each breath as turbulent and fierce as waves in a storm. His heavy panting sounded like an ox pulling a plow in the field, inspiring fear in those who heard it. At the same time, the veins on both sides of his forehead bulged out, clearly visible, throbbing incessantly with his emotional fluctuations, like grotesque and twisting little snakes.
Faced with Madam Yang's questioning, Yang Cheng's anger grew increasingly uncontrollable. He suddenly raised his broad, powerful right hand, his palm drawing a swift and sharp arc in the air, creating a whistling sound. Then, with a crisp, resounding slap, his hand struck Madam Yang's beautiful, delicate face with overwhelming force.
The slap was so forceful that Madam Yang staggered, nearly falling to the ground. Her head involuntarily tilted to one side, a few strands of hair falling loosely, obscuring half her cheek. Five bright red finger marks immediately appeared on her fair, delicate skin, and a burning pain quickly spread throughout her body. However, more heartbreaking than the physical pain was her husband's brutal treatment and her son's grave mistake. In an instant, tears streamed down her face like a burst dam, blurring her vision.
Looking at Yang Cheng beside him, his eyes were wide open, as if they were about to pop out of their sockets. His face was flushed red with extreme anger, and his furious expression made him look like a raging lion about to breathe fire. He opened his mouth and roared at Madam Yang, "Fool! Does Tian'er know all three princesses?" At this moment, Yang Cheng had completely forgotten his usual elegant demeanor and composure, and all that remained in his heart was an endless, raging fire of anger.
Madam Yang felt a sudden darkness before her eyes, followed by a searing pain on her face, as if she were being burned by fire. She stood frozen, her mind blank, as if she had lost all ability to think for a moment. Time seemed to freeze, each second feeling incredibly long. She didn't know how much time had passed before Madam Yang slowly came to her senses, as if she had just experienced a terrifying nightmare.
She instinctively reached out to cover her already swollen and red cheek, her lips trembling slightly as she stammered, "Master... Master, what you just mentioned, could it be the eldest princess who has always kept a low profile and never appeared in front of others?" Her voice was filled with fear and confusion, and she even spoke somewhat incoherently.
Yang Cheng was now utterly enraged. His eyes were wide open, as if they were about to pop out of their sockets. His once neatly combed hair now stood on end, each strand upright, making him resemble a roaring, furious lion, sending chills down one's spine. He clenched his teeth and forced out a few words: "Besides her, who else has such power to make the usually arrogant and disdainful Fan Junyu personally lend a hand!"
Upon hearing this, Madam Yang's heart skipped a beat, and she instantly lost her composure. She hurriedly took a large step forward, grabbing Yang Cheng's sleeve tightly with both hands, her face filled with anxiety as she eagerly asked, "Then...then, sir, when you reported this matter to the Emperor today, what exactly did he say?" At this moment, Madam Yang's heart was filled with boundless fear; she was afraid that this matter would bring about the extermination of the entire Yang family.
Yang Cheng was now furious beyond measure. His face was flushed red, veins bulged on his forehead, and he was breathing heavily, like a wild beast that had been provoked. He opened his throat and shouted hoarsely, "What else can we do? We were fined some silver..." As he spoke, he became extremely agitated, waving his arms wildly in the air as if trying to vent all the anger in his heart.
However, just as he was talking on and on, Madam Yang couldn't contain herself and hurriedly interrupted, "Oh dear, thankfully it's just a fine. As long as the person is alright, that's all that matters. It's a stroke of good luck amidst misfortune. I think there shouldn't be any major problems." She looked relieved, as if she didn't think things were so bad.
But to everyone's surprise, no sooner had Madam Yang finished speaking than Yang Cheng suddenly raised his hand and slapped her hard across the face with lightning speed. A sharp "smack" rang out, and Madam Yang, caught off guard, was struck as if by a heavy blow, her body tilting violently to one side. Finally, she crashed heavily to the ground, looking utterly disheveled. A trickle of crimson blood slowly seeped from the corner of her mouth.
Yang Cheng's eyes widened, almost popping out of their sockets. He roared, "I haven't finished speaking yet! It's not just a fine! The Emperor not only fined me, but also ruthlessly removed me from my important position as Vice Minister of War! Now I'm no longer Vice Minister of War, but a pathetic wretch who has been dismissed from office and has nothing!"
As Yang Cheng spoke the last few words, his trembling voice seemed to be torn apart by an invisible force, almost shattering, and a thick sob was squeezed out from deep within his throat. Upon hearing this, Madam Yang's heart felt as if it had been plunged into a pot of boiling oil. Extremely anxious, she was completely disoriented, pacing back and forth like an ant on a hot pan. Her eyes widened, her face filled with shock and disbelief, and she screamed, "What? How could it be so serious? How did it come to this? Could it really be what the Emperor said himself?"
Yang Cheng slowly lowered his head. His face, which had once held a glimmer of hope, was now shrouded in endless despair. He shook his head heavily, his body feeling as if all his strength had been drained away, limp and unsteady on his feet. He murmured weakly, his voice almost limp, "The Emperor didn't explicitly say he wanted to dismiss me from my post, but he ordered Tian'er and me to be confined to our residence for a whole year. During this year, Zhang Peng will be in charge of all affairs of the court... Although the Emperor didn't explicitly state that he wanted to remove me from my position, this year-long confinement is like a gleaming sword hanging over my head! After all, not being able to step out of the residence for a whole year means that I can no longer have any contact with anyone. As a result, all the connections and valuable resources that I painstakingly built up will probably disappear like the morning mist with the passage of time. As for what unexpected changes might occur during this long year, who can know? Everything is full of variables and unpredictable..."