With her fair features, Liu Shi had always deliberately cultivated an air of understated elegance within the Fan residence. But today, she could no longer concern herself with appearances. Her face was pale and haggard. Clutching the master's legs, she cried hoarsely, "Master, please say something... Zhe'er is still young and can't withstand such a brutal beating."

Fan Shangshu looked at the woman before him and couldn't help but sigh. Liu Shi had followed Fan Jian after Fan Jian's first wife passed away. Back then, although Fan Jian had already been granted the title of Baron Sinan, his imperial favor was hidden, not yet revealed. Yet she, the granddaughter of a Duke, married him, a junior member of the Fan clan, as a concubine, astonishing many in the capital. After the marriage, Liu Shi served him attentively, caring for him with consideration, single-handedly pulling him back from the brink of despair.

So, in every respect, he felt a certain affection and guilt towards Liu Shi, not to mention that the one being beaten in that study was… his own son. Fan Shangshu was no longer young; how could he not feel heartache? But no matter what he was thinking, his facial expression remained perfectly composed. He shook his head and reprimanded, "Jade must be cut and polished to become a useful object, and a son must be taught to avoid becoming a failure. A loving mother often spoils her child..."

Just then, another scream of agony came from the study in the distance. It could be faintly heard that Fan Sizhe was crying for his mother in pain.

Fan Jian's brow twitched slightly, and a pang went through his heart. The admonishing words that were already somewhat incoherent trailed off.

Seeing that the master remained silent, a look of determination appeared in Liu Shi's tearful eyes. She smoothed out her slightly disheveled skirt and prepared to turn and leave the study.

"Come back!" Fan Jian scolded in a low voice, "Fan Xian, as the elder brother, is justified in disciplining Sizhe. If you run over there now, what will that child think?"

"What will the child think?" Liu Shi turned back, her eyes filled with tears. "Master, you only think about what Fan Xian thinks, but you don't think about what I think? He's my only precious darling. Can you bear to watch him be beaten to death?"

She bit her lower lip and cried hoarsely, "Yes, I made mistakes in the past, but since he came from Danzhou, I have been tolerant and cautious everywhere, afraid of displeasing him. According to your wishes, I've been taking care of the nobles in the capital, just afraid of hindering the eldest young master. It can be said that his current status in the capital is partly due to my efforts. Of course, as a mother, it's only natural for me to do these things, and I wouldn't go to him to boast... But... but what's happening now? How can he bear to use such heavy hands?... If he's still remembering the things of the past... I might as well give him this life! Don't touch my son! My son..."

Fan Jian looked at Liu Shi's sobbing figure, and a surge of anger rose in his chest. He scolded, "What is this behavior? Don't you know what kind of person Fan Xian is? Now that he's put that matter aside, he won't pick it up again. Although he's young, he has a broad mind... Sizhe's actions this time were truly excessive. If he doesn't receive some discipline, he'll drag the whole family down to ruin one day. Would you be satisfied then?"

Liu Shi was not an ordinary woman. Knowing about the Baoyuelou raid, she immediately realized that there was a shadow of a power struggle between Fan's eldest son and the Second Prince behind it. She raised her sleeve, dabbed the tears from the corner of her eyes, and said, crying, "It's not a big deal. It's just that the handle was caught by the Second Prince. That's why Fan Xian is so angry."

This woman and her son held extremely consistent judgments about Fan Xian's anger.

Fan Jian's face darkened, and he said, "Not a big deal? You saw the things that were sent over from the back study just now. Sizhe is so young... yet so daring and ruthless. Although he didn't do it himself, is there any difference from him doing it himself? Do you have to wait for your talented son to kill someone with his own hands to consider it a big deal?"

Liu Shi couldn't help but defend her son, "Aren't these kinds of things common in the capital? Which family hasn't had some trouble..."

Before she could finish speaking, Fan Jian interrupted her, saying coldly, "Let's not continue this conversation."

Liu Shi obediently shut her mouth, but although the tears at the corner of her eyes were wiped away, tears still welled up in her eyes. The cries of pain and screams from the study in the distance gradually subsided, which made her, as a mother, even more afraid and terrified. Had Zhe'er fainted, or what?

Fan Jian looked at her appearance and couldn't help but sigh again. Recalling the things he had discussed with Fan Xian last night, his heart sank slightly.

In fact, he had received some news about Fan Sizhe's business dealings in the capital over the past few months, but he didn't pay much attention to it, thinking that a child could only cause so much trouble. He never expected that even he, as a father, seemed to have underestimated Fan Sizhe's abilities and means.

"Let Fan Xian handle it," Fan Jian comforted Liu Shi softly. "You should understand this principle. The more unreservedly he disciplines him, the more it shows that he truly regards Sizhe as his own flesh and blood brother. Fan Xian can even smile at his enemies. The reason why he's so forceful today is because he usually dotes on Sizhe. If it weren't someone close to him, he would have simply killed him with a knife. Why would he be so angry?... Once you understand this principle, you should be at ease. To be honest, you know who our family can rely on in the future."

Of course, Liu Shi understood this principle. The Fan residence was now too powerful, already riding a tiger, able only to go forward and not backward. And Fan Jian was, after all, getting old. Not to mention leaving this world, he would eventually retire and resign one day. In the future, no matter what fortune she or Sizhe had, whether this entire residence could be kept safe for a lifetime depended on what kind of situation the eldest young master could create in this country.

But the pain was felt in the mother's heart when the child was beaten. No matter what, Liu Shi would always feel some resentment towards Fan Xian today.

Fan Jian shook his head, signaling her to follow him out of the study and towards the study next to the back garden.

Liu Shi was overjoyed and hurriedly followed behind, even forgetting to discipline the several maids who were carrying hot towels, waving her hand to dismiss them.

Turning this way and that, the servants watched with surprise as the master and madam walked so quickly through the residence, something rarely seen. But when they thought of the "pig-slaughtering sounds" that had come from the back courtyard earlier, they suddenly understood. They began to feel uneasy, thinking that the eldest young master was beating the second young master so severely, and now the master and madam had rushed over, wouldn't there be a commotion? The Fan residence had been smooth sailing for the past few years, and even the family atmosphere was extremely serious, earnest, and lively. The servants had a strong sense of belonging and really didn't want anything to happen in the residence.

Liu Shi took small steps, walking anxiously towards the garden, wishing she had wings to fly over. But looking at her own master's back, as calm and magnanimous as usual, she didn't dare to rush ahead.

Just as she reached the garden gate connecting the front and back residences, she heard another scream echoing from the garden, the sound of countless boards striking flesh, crackling and popping, each sound startling!

Liu Shi's mind was already in chaos. Upon hearing this sound, she couldn't tell whether it was her precious son screaming. A surge of grief and resentment blocked her chest, and she cried out in agony and fainted!

Fortunately, the maids behind her had not dared to leave despite her dismissal, and followed obediently behind, catching the trembling, collapsing madam.

—————————————————————————

The quietest of the three studies, located in a secluded spot next to the rockery, was where Fan Xian handled his official duties at home, and servants were strictly forbidden from approaching. At this time, there were three people sitting inside the study. Sitting behind the desk was none other than the newly appointed Master Yan of the Fourth Bureau, Yan Bingyun. And sitting below him were Fan Xian's disciples, Shi Chanli, and the clerk of the First Bureau, Mu Tie.

Apart from Teng Zijing and Deng Ziyue, who were overseeing the punishment in the garden, these three were Fan Xian's confidants. Yan Bingyun's status was naturally the most special. He had a relationship of superior and subordinate with Fan Xian, but also a faint friendship. At this moment, he frowned, listening to the crackling sound of the boards in the garden, and couldn't help shaking his head, saying, "Things that should be handled by the Kyoto Prefecture are being carried out at home as family law? It's incompatible with the Qing law, incompatible with the Qing law."

Of the three, only he dared to question Fan Xian's decision. Shi Chanli smiled and explained to the young Master Yan, "This matter can't be made public for the time being. If it's really sent to the Kyoto Prefecture and it's found out about the Second Young Master and that person in the palace… everyone will have no room to maneuver. The Director will have no choice but to tear his face and fight a battle with the Second Prince. But no matter who wins or loses, Fan’s Second Young Master will not have a good ending. According to the evidence the Kyoto Prefecture can gather, not to mention sentencing him to death row, at least he will be exiled three thousand miles to the south."

Mu Tie smiled awkwardly, not daring to respond. After all, he had secretly reminded Director Fan about the Baoyuelou incident, which meant that the Second Young Master of the Fan family's current situation was caused by him. Although Director Fan was very satisfied with his performance, who knew what most people in the Fan family thought?

Yan Bingyun shook his head again, clearly disagreeing with Fan Xian's method of using family law to replace state law. But he also knew that this was the only way to do it at the moment. He couldn't help but sarcastically say, "Our Director… is truly a crystal-hearted person. After a heavy beating with family law, even if the Baoyuelou case is revealed in the future, he will have an explanation to the Emperor in the palace… At least the Second Prince won't be able to pursue the charge that the Fan residence is lax in discipline and condones their younger brother's crimes."

Shi Chanli was stunned when he heard this, knowing that Fan Xian had made this beating known to the entire residence, the purpose of which was to spread it out and preemptively silence the mouths of those censorious officials. But… Fan Sizhe had committed a criminal case, and this way of solving it was definitely not acceptable.

Yan Bingyun looked at him with a smile, knowing what he was worried about, and said, "Don't worry, your master has already made arrangements." Shi Chanli thought that this matter had nothing to do with the Fourth Bureau. The master must have called you here because there was some arrangement, but it wasn't convenient to continue asking.

Mu Tie walked to the window, looking through the rockery at the buttocks being beaten, the flesh opening and blood splattering, and the continuous wailing. Even though he was an official of the Overwatch Council, he couldn't help but be a little intimidated by Fan Xian's hard heart and cruel hands. Looking at the members of the Fan and Liu families who were in so much pain under the boards, he couldn't help but gently touch his own butt…

Shi Chanli began to busily copy some documents that would be needed soon on the desk.

……

……

Liu Shi woke up, and was just about to go find Fan Xian to fight to the death. She rubbed her eyes, only to realize that the ones being beaten in the garden were all her own profligate relatives. Although the boards were being wielded extremely harshly, and the blood splashed extremely high, and the young men's cries of pain were extremely miserable, as long as it wasn't her own son suffering, Liu Shi had no objections at all. She regained the Fan madam's nobility and elegance, and coldly glanced at the scene.

In the woman's heart, her son Fan Sizhe could cause small troubles, but to do such a heinous thing in Kyoto, he must have been lured by some evil influences. The nephews and nieces from her maternal family and the Fan clan were naturally the culprits. The more she looked at them, the angrier she became. Not listening to the cries for help from her maternal relatives, she gritted her teeth and shouted to Teng Zijing, the family's guardian, "The eldest young master told you to beat them, so hit them harder. How can we get rid of this anger if these little bastards aren't cured!"

As they spoke, the couple entered the study. As soon as she saw Fan Sizhe lying on the bench in the corner of the room, his lower body naked, Liu Shi immediately lost her composure. She rushed over, looking at the streaks of blood on her son's buttocks and back with heartache. She couldn't help but cry softly, her fingers carefully caressing the swollen and bruised marks: "My son..."

A hand reached out, holding a handkerchief, wiping away the tears on her face.

Liu Shi looked and saw that it was Fan Xian... She bit her teeth, not showing any resentment, but still couldn't stop feeling a little resentful.

Fan Xian had regained his composure. After a round of heavy beating, the anger was almost gone. He comforted her, "It's okay, please step aside. I'll apply medicine to my younger brother."

Liu Shi reluctantly stepped aside, watching Fan Xian apply the medicine to Fan Sizhe. At this time, Fan Sizhe had been beaten so badly that he couldn't catch his breath, was on the verge of death, and could faint at any moment.

Fan Jian looked to the side and saw that his daughter-in-law and daughter were standing obediently in the corner. Wan'er's eyes were filled with traces of horror, presumably the beating earlier was indeed terrifying. Ruoruo's eyes, however, were filled with tears, not from heartache over her younger brother's physical suffering, but from grief over her younger brother's lack of talent. He shook his head and coughed, first attracting everyone's attention, and then asked Fan Xian in a gentle voice, "How have things been arranged?"

"According to your wishes, Sizhe will leave tonight." Fan Xian said respectfully, "Everything has been arranged."