The Fan residence was now divided into front and back sections, boasting luxurious courtyards and expansive grounds. There were three studies alone. The one from which the scream originated was located on the western side, adjacent to the garden. It was the least guarded of the three and the most accessible to the servants. The sudden, pig-like shriek sent shivers down the spines of everyone in the garden.

Following Fan Sizhe’s scream, two female voices immediately joined in. Fan Ruoruo and Lin Wan'er, their faces pale with fright, rushed forward to tightly grip Fan Xian’s arms, fearing that their husband (brother) might lose his temper and kick Fan Sizhe a few more times, potentially killing him.

In the eyes of these two women, Fan Xian had always been a gentle, refined, and mature young man. Even when displeased, he had never displayed such a violent side. Seeing the heavy frost on Fan Xian's face today, both women couldn't help but tremble, unsure of what Fan Sizhe had done to anger him so greatly. Still, they held onto Fan Xian's arms, preventing him from advancing.

After Teng Zijing led him back to the Fan residence under Master’s orders, Fan Sizhe was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan. He finally found an opportunity to secretly ask Miss Sisi, who happened to be passing by the study, to deliver a message to his sisters-in-law, urgently requesting their presence.

Fan Ruoruo and Lin Wan'er, unaware of what had transpired, entered the study to find Fan Sizhe calling for help. They had even teased him a bit. However, seeing Fan Xian's ruthless kick to the chest, they realized that the situation was serious. Their faces turned white, and they watched Fan Xian's angry face with a hint of fear.

"Let go!" The words that came out of Fan Xian's mouth were as cold as if they had been chilled all night in the depths of winter, carrying a gust of frigid wind. "Father already knows about this. No one stop me. I won't kill him…"

Fan Sizhe, pretending to be dead on the ground, secretly glanced at his brother. Seeing that his expression was calm and hearing that he wouldn't be killed, he breathed a small sigh of relief.

Unexpectedly, Fan Xian continued coldly, "...I'm going to cripple him!"

As he spoke, he effortlessly freed his arms from the two women's grasp. In his extreme anger, he didn't bother to look for the family law. Instead, he grabbed a teacup from the desk and threw it, hitting the ground right next to Fan Sizhe's head with a loud crash!

Hot tea splashed everywhere, and broken porcelain shards flew. Fan Sizhe cried out in pain from the burns and the scratches on his face. No longer daring to play dead, he leaped up and, wailing, hid behind Lin Wan'er, crying out, "Sister-in-law… Brother wants to kill me! Help!"

Lin Wan'er, startled by the sight of her little brother-in-law's bloody face, quickly pulled him behind her and stood in front of the furious Fan Xian, urgently saying, "What's going on? What's going on?… Can't you talk this out?"

Fan Xian saw Fan Sizhe’s disheveled state hiding behind Wan'er but felt no pity. Thinking about the dirty things he had done, his anger only intensified. Pointing at him, he yelled, "Ask him what he's done."

Fan Sizhe was about to explain when he felt a sweetness in his chest and nearly vomited blood. He realized that his brother’s kick had been forceful, and he was scared half to death, wondering if he was going to die. Seized by fear, he suddenly found courage, jumped up, and shrieked, "It's just opening a brothel! Does it have to be a matter of life and death? …Sister-in-law… I can't live anymore… Ah!"

After a faint scream, Fan Sizhe swayed and fell to the ground, truly scaring Wan'er and Ruoruo. They quickly crouched down, massaging his chest and pinching his philtrum.

By this time, Fan Xian had vented some of his anger. Seeing the boy pretending to be dead, he laughed in anger. Then, noticing that the study door was wide open and some servants in the garden could see inside, he turned around and closed the study door, saying emotionlessly, "That kick didn't kill you. Get up."

Seeing the ruthless look in his eyes, Fan Sizhe didn't dare to get up. He just lay on the ground, hiding behind his sister-in-law and sister, hoping to stall until his mother arrived.

Fan Xian had now sat down behind the desk, expressionless, but no one knew what he was thinking. Ruoruo cautiously handed him a cup of tea and asked softly, "What brothel?"

Fan Xian slowly finished the tea in the cup, closed his eyes for a moment, and then said coldly, "A brothel."

Wan'er and Ruoruo were startled again. The two young women had received quite a few shocks today. However, compared to Fan Xian’s kick to the chest, Fan Sizhe opening a brothel, although somewhat absurd, didn't seem to concern them too much. Most of the young nobles in the capital had some secret business. Although the flesh trade wasn't very honorable, Fan Sizhe… seemed a little young, but… did it warrant such a heavy hand and such great anger?

Fan Xian sneered and pulled out the Bao Yue Brothel case file that the First Bureau of the Overwatch Council had investigated overnight, throwing it to his sister.

Fan Ruoruo took it with a puzzled expression and looked down. The case file wasn't very long, but it clearly detailed the Bao Yue Brothel's numerous misdeeds, with solid evidence, leaving no room for explanation. She finished reading it in no time.

The earlier chaos had disheveled her hair, and a few strands fell over her forehead, obscuring her face and eyes, making it difficult to see her reaction and expression. But gradually, Ruoruo's breathing became heavier, clearly carrying a trace of sad anger, and her lower lip sank into her mouth, indicating that she was biting her teeth.

Lin Wan'er watched this scene with curiosity and also wanted to know what was written in the case file. She wanted to walk over to her sister-in-law to look at it together, but she was afraid that Fan Xian would take advantage of her absence to come forward and beat Fan Sizhe to death, so she didn't dare to move.

……

……

Fan Ruoruo slowly raised her head, her face calm, but the usual frostiness between her brows seemed particularly heavy. Anger began to flicker in her calm eyes. She looked at Fan Sizhe, who was pretending to be dead behind his sister-in-law, and said, gritting her teeth, word by word, "Did you do all of this?"

The tone of her question was calm, but the undercurrent beneath the calm surface made everyone in the room feel uneasy. Fan Sizhe had been raised by his sister since he was a child and, in comparison, was more afraid of this seemingly gentle sister. He was also closer to Ruoruo. Subconsciously, he slowly sat up, trembling, and explained with extreme fear, "Sister, what's the matter?"

A wave of sadness and disappointment washed over Fan Ruoruo’s face. How could her younger brother have become this kind of person? Tears began to well up in her eyes. She bit her lip, threw the case file in her hand, hitting Fan Sizhe in the face, and scolded sadly, "Look for yourself!"

Fan Sizhe glanced at his brother, who was sitting calmly, and then looked at his sister-in-law. He picked up the case file and read it, his expression becoming increasingly ugly—so his brother knew everything that Bao Yue Brothel had done!

Just then, Fan Xian narrowed his eyes and slowly stood up from his chair.

Fan Sizhe screamed, jumped up, waved his hands frantically, and explained with a terrified, slurred voice, "Brother! I didn't do these things! Please don't hit me anymore!"

Fan Xian narrowed his eyes at his younger brother and said coldly, "Murder, arson, forcing women into prostitution. If you had done these things yourself, that kick would have killed you! But who are you? You're the big boss of Bao Yue Brothel. Without your nod, would those young bastards from the noble families…dare to do it?"

Fan Sizhe said in a trembling voice, "Some things were done by Lao San. It has nothing to do with me."

"Fan Sizhe, oh, Fan Sizhe," Fan Xian sneered, "Ruoruo was right when she said you think like a pig. You really thought you could wash yourself clean like this? I really underestimated you. You've actually become the head of the little tyrants in the capital. You're quite capable!"

You're quite capable.

Fan Sizhe’s heart grew colder and colder. Although he was young, he was very clever and knew that his brother wouldn't listen to his excuses. He felt even more wronged and cried out with a mournful face, "It really wasn't me!"

Just then, he saw another scene that made his soul fly out of his body.

Fan Ruoruo calmly took out a stick, no longer than an arm's length, from under the desk and handed it to Fan Xian.

When Fan Xian first came to the capital, Fan Ruoruo had used a ruler to hit Fan Sizhe's palm. The ruler… was the Fan family's small family law. What was the large family law?

It was a stick.

It was a stick wrapped with coarse hemp thorns.

It was a terrifying stick that would cause the person being punished to have torn skin and flesh.

In the entire Fan residence, only one person had the honor of experiencing the large family law. That person had been the most favored confidant of the Count of Sinan, relying on the Fan family's power and Fan Jian’s favor, engaging in all sorts of shady activities in the Ministry of Revenue. As a result, he was brutally beaten down by Fan Jian with a stick and was now eking out a miserable existence in a manor outside the city. His legs had long been broken, and he was miserable beyond words.

When Fan Sizhe was receiving education as a child, he had seen the man's miserable state. At this moment, seeing Fan Xian weighing the "large family law," he was immediately frightened into a fool, his mouth wide open, unable to say anything.

Fan Xian walked out and said coldly to his wife and Ruoruo, "I am responsible for this matter. The two of you can't escape responsibility either."

Wan'er silently stepped aside and stood side by side with Ruoruo.

Fan Sizhe watched the stick getting closer and closer to him. In his soul-scattering fear, he was even inspired by the ruthlessness in his bones. He jumped up and pointed at Fan Xian's face, scolding, "Sister-in-law, sister, don't listen to him… Brother… no! Fan Xian, don't act like a saint. What if I open a brothel? What if I bully men and dominate women? Who in this capital isn't doing this? Why do you have to beat me? Do you think I don't know what you're thinking? It's just that you're not on good terms with the Second Prince now, and I just happened to be dragged into it, so you were threatened… Fine, you lost face and you lost benefits, so what? You want to vent your anger on me? You want to beat me to death?"

Fan Sizhe cried out loudly, "If you have the guts, then beat me to death! What kind of brother are you! When I was doing business, how would I know that you would fall out with the Second Prince? What does this have to do with me? You never told me! If you have the ability, go beat Lao San, just bullying me, someone who has no father or mother to love… what kind of skill is that! Aren't you the head of the Supervisory Council! Go arrest the Magistrate of Kyoto, go to the palace and beat Lao San! Go! Go!"

With a soft snap, he received a not-so-loud slap on the face, which immediately woke him up. He stared blankly at Fan Xian, who was getting closer and closer.

After hearing these nonsensical words, Fan Xian was furious. Although his face didn't show it, the veins on his forehead had begun to appear and disappear. In the nearly twenty years since his rebirth, this was the first time he had been so angry. The most important thing was that he truly regarded Fan Sizhe as a brother, but who knew that the other party would do such a thing and say it so confidently.

"You shut up!" He finally couldn't help but yell, "I let you do business, and you can do it. If you don't commit wrongdoing, how dare others threaten me? Even if they threaten me, am I the kind of person who can be threatened? I'm punishing you today, not for anything else, just because you deserve to be beaten! This matter has nothing to do with the Second Prince in the palace, or Lao San. Fan Sizhe, you need to be clear, this is your business!"

Fan Xian was both sad and angry: "At such a young age, you act so ruthlessly. If I don't punish you, who knows what trouble you'll bring to Father! …I have expectations for you, so I absolutely cannot allow you to continue down this path."

"What are Lao Er and Lao San? I'm angry at you, and I hate you. They aren't my brothers, but you are!" He stared into his younger brother’s eyes and said coldly, "I've investigated clearly. Fortunately, you didn't personally get involved in those things, so it's still salvageable. Since you've gone down the wrong path, I'll use a stick to help you correct it."

As soon as he finished speaking, the stick fell.

Under the large family law, Fan Sizhe's pants were torn between his legs and his flesh was split open, blood flowing everywhere. Finally, he let out a heart-wrenching howl. The sound quickly spread throughout the entire Fan residence, shocking the servants and maids in the garden, shaking Teng Zijing and Deng Ziyue and their subordinates, scaring the Fan and Liu families’ disciples who were waiting in the garden, and naturally causing some people to feel extremely distressed and sad.

The screams of the Fan family's second young master echoed continuously in the residence and garden. The mournful sound was truly unbearable to hear. At first, it was accompanied by Fan Sizhe’s stubborn resistance, but later it turned into crying pleas for mercy, then into pitiful cries for help. Finally, the sound gradually lowered, and in the faint cries, one could gradually hear the fourteen-year-old boy repeatedly calling for his mother.

……

……

"Master! Zhe'er is really going to be beaten to death!" Liu Shi, her face covered in tears, knelt in front of Fan Shangshu, hugging his legs. "Go say something. Tell Fan Xian to stop. He's been taught enough of a lesson. What if he's really beaten to death?"