Chapter 41: The Joke of the Capital

Following such a severe punishment, the Count of Kaiyang was completely drained of spirit, as if every ounce of strength had been stripped from his body.

The Emperor had declared that he would provisionally retain his post as Minister of Revenue for six months.

That meant once those six months passed without satisfactory performance, His Majesty would strip him of the title entirely.

Even if he performed well, given this punishment, any further advancement would be virtually impossible.

Furthermore, his wife had brought disgrace upon the imperial household.

Such a grave offense.

Not dragging them both straight into the dungeons on the spot was already an act of boundless imperial grace.

Yang Suxin felt her legs turn to jelly, never expecting her plot to yield such a devastating penalty.

To force her to slap herself a hundred times in full public view, and specifically in front of Qin Hao, was a punishment worse than death—it was crushing her self-esteem and grinding it into the dust.

Qin Hao, it was all Qin Hao's fault!

Her eyes bloodshot, she knelt on the ground, fists clenched tightly, teeth grinding together.

She had miscalculated from the very beginning.

Qin Hao turned out to be that recently celebrated Young Master Shen.

No wonder Qin Hao kept questioning her earlier.

Now, everyone knew she cared nothing for Qin Hao; otherwise, it would have been impossible for her to remain completely oblivious to such extraordinary talent.

Why!

Clearly a worthless fool who had lived in a stupor for two full years, how could he suddenly possess such poetic genius?

At this moment, Yang Suxin fully comprehended the meaning of failing to crush a snake, only to suffer its venomous counterattack!

The surrounding crowd buzzed with animated discussion.

With even the Emperor issuing a decree, it proved beyond doubt that Yang Suxin had indeed framed Qin Hao.

She was clearly Qin Hao's stepmother; how could she be so venomous?

Could it possibly be due to the right of succession to the title?

For a moment, various speculations rippled through the onlookers.

Yet, the most piercing barbs were not directed at Yang Suxin's motives.

Quite a few people cast glances toward the Count of Kaiyang, whispering among themselves.

Since Qin Hao possessed such brilliant talent and had even caught the eye of the Grand Princess, how could the Count have simply allowed his second wife to bully him?

To the point where Qin Hao was driven to officially sever ties and leave the Qin household altogether.

Such a magnificent talent—in any other family, they would have been guarded and cherished like a priceless treasure.

The Qin family was truly magnanimous.

Hearing these whispers made the Count's heart bleed drop by drop.

At this inopportune moment, Qin Hao's voice rang out: "Yang Suxin, start slapping. His Majesty ordered you to execute it immediately, or else it will be treated as defying an imperial decree."

"Hao'er," Yang Suxin trembled as she spoke, still attempting to salvage a shred of her dignity.

Qin Hao replied with unhurried calmness: "Calling me won't help. This is an imperial edict."

"Go on, let me see how you slap yourself."

The guards standing nearby grew impatient as well: "Execute the punishment immediately."

Simultaneously, two guards stepped forward, hoisted Qin Kaizhi up, and swung their heavy rods down mercilessly.

"Ah! Ah! Ah..."

Amidst Qin Kaizhi's successive shrieks of agony, he was finally beaten into unconsciousness.

Yang Suxin had no choice but to begin striking her own face.

Every single slap pushed Yang Suxin a fraction closer to the brink of psychological collapse.

Qin Hao merely watched on with detached serenity.

Witnessing the miserable state of his wife and son, the Count of Kaiyang glared fiercely at Qin Hao and demanded coldly: "Are you satisfied now?"

Qin Hao let out a disdainful scoff: "Instead of asking me, you should consider what the consequences would have been if your wife had truly humiliated the imperial family."

"At that time, the punishment I would have faced would have been far more severe, perhaps even death."

"To frame me, she dared to gamble with the reputation of the royal family. How dare she?"

"Now that His Majesty has spared her life, it is already an act of mercy, isn't it?"

The Count hurriedly defended her: "Your stepmother is not that kind of person. She did it out of concern for you, not wanting you to stray onto the wrong path..."

At this point, even he could no longer continue his defense, and he cast a complicated look at Qin Hao.

He waited until Yang Suxin finished administering a hundred self-inflicted slaps before finally dragging her away.

By this time, Yang Suxin's cheeks were grotesquely swollen and blood seeped from the corners of her mouth, making her look utterly wretched.

The onlookers gathered outside the Grand Princess's estate were also dispersed by the guards.

A cold smirk played inside Qin Hao's heart.

Yang Suxin, this is only the beginning.

Still, I should thank you for making such a spectacle of this.

Amplifying the situation brings its advantages.

From now on, whenever any accident befalls me, everyone will immediately suspect you.

"Brother Qin, shall we partake in some refined literary pursuits tonight?" Ma Yingze suddenly asked.

The Grand Princess had been quietly reminiscing about the poem.

Hearing those words abruptly, she swept a piercing gaze across Ma Yingze and scolded: "What refined pursuits? Qin Hao is going to study by lamplight tonight; didn't you hear he is taking the imperial examinations!"

"And the two of you, do you really think being known as the two great rakes of the capital is a badge of honor? Believe it or not, I'll have you thrown into the dungeons as well!"

Ma Yingze was left utterly bewildered by the scolding.

Qin Hao was equally surprised by Li Qingyao's sudden outburst.

Sensing the tension, Zhao Guangnian quickly dragged Ma Yingze away, calling out over his shoulder as he retreated: "Brother Qin, is it sunny and bright outside?"

Unexpecting that Zhao Guangnian would actually remember what he said that night, Qin Hao immediately replied: "Brother Zhao, it's turning from cloudy to clear."

"Understood." With that, Zhao Guangnian hauled Ma Yingze away without looking back.

As they walked, Ma Yingze muttered in confusion: "The Grand Princess isn't even Brother Qin's wife, why does she care so much? By the way, what did you mean by sunny and bright?"

Speechless at Ma Yingze's denseness, Zhao Guangnian explained: "When we were drinking that night, didn't Brother Qin mention some strange code words?"

"It was just to avoid discussing going to the pleasure houses right in front of the Grand Princess's gates."

"So what the two of us meant just now was: see you at the Wind and Moon Pavilion tomorrow."

"I knew you wouldn't remember a thing."

Ma Yingze scratched his head: "Oh, teach me later then. 'Refined literary pursuits' and 'sunny and bright'—they do roll off the tongue quite smoothly."

With the departure of the two companions, the area in front of the Princess's estate was completely cleared of outsiders.

Meanwhile, the events of the day spread rapidly through the city.

Everyone learned that the newly appointed Minister of Revenue, the Count of Kaiyang, had suffered a massive loss of face.

And had even been reprimanded by the Emperor.

Because of this farcical incident, the whole capital now knew that the talented Young Master Shen of the refined literary circles was none other than Qin Hao, the eldest son of the Count of Kaiyang.

A son with such astonishing talent had been driven out of his home by the Qin family and nearly ruined by the Count's second wife.

When people put the pieces together, it was easy to deduce the truth.

Qin Hao's biological mother was no longer alive, and Yang Suxin, as the second wife, naturally did not want Qin Hao to inherit the title.

And strictly speaking, her methods weren't even considered particularly low-handed.

After all, inner-courtyard struggles were often far more brutal than this.

It was simply a pity that she had made too much of a fuss, turning herself into the laughingstock of the capital.

Fortunately, the Grand Princess had stepped in to protect Qin Hao.

Even though Qin Hao had previously caused a loss of face to the imperial family, the Grand Princess's appreciation for talent, her discerning eye, and her willingness to let bygones be bygones formed a truly heartwarming tale.

Otherwise, Qin Hao's immense brilliance might have remained buried forever.

Moreover, Qin Hao's poem, *Dedicated to Qingyao*, had worked its magic.

In a remarkably short span of time.

It propelled Li Qingyao's fame to unprecedented heights.

Now, everyone was convinced that the Grand Princess was a celestial maiden descended to the mortal realm.

Indeed, Li Qingyao was now widely hailed as the peerless beauty of the Great Capital.

Inside the Imperial Palace.

Emperor Xuande wore a broad smile as he transcribed the poem *Dedicated to Qingyao* onto paper.

He was even using Qin Hao's distinctive cursive script style.

"Xiaoyuan, take a look and tell me how my calligraphy is," Emperor Xuande asked with a chuckle.

Empress Xiaoyuan picked up the sheet gently, savored it carefully, and sighed: "Truly a magnificent poem. But Qin Hao, this child, shouldn't praise someone so straightforwardly. Still, our daughter is worthy of such a verse."

"Besides, the boy is commendable; he knows how to uphold the dignity of the imperial family."

"Ah, if we had known earlier that he possessed such talent, why would the royal family have ever annulled the betrothal?"

"Our third daughter, Mingxin, would have found herself a wonderful match."

Emperor Xuande was rendered speechless: "Xiaoyuan, I am asking about the calligraphy, how is the handwriting?"

Empress Xiaoyuan continued with a worried expression: "Your Majesty, don't interrupt me for a moment. I'm wondering if I should find an opportunity for Mingxin to meet Qin Hao again."

"Anyway, he has already broken away from the Qin family and is no longer tied to the aristocratic factions. Having him as an imperial son-in-law wouldn't be a bad idea at all."

Emperor Xuande wore a grievance-laden expression, muttering inwardly: I was talking about the characters, the calligraphy!

Yet, Emperor Xuande felt no real anger.

Throughout the entire inner palace, only the Empress dared to interrupt him with such utter disregard for protocol.

Even when he had wanted to execute Prime Minister Zhao Rufeng, only Xiaoyuan had been able to hold him back.

At the Count of Kaiyang's estate.

Facing the furious Count, Yang Suxin didn't even dare to breathe too loudly.

It had been a very long time since the Count had flown into such a rage.

He pointed straight at the bridge of Yang Suxin's nose and cursed: "Look at what you've done! Qin Hao had already left the family, and I had already made it clear that the title would never go to him anyway. Why on earth did you still have to target him?"

"And now look at the result! It wasn't Qin Hao who made my official career difficult; it was you, who almost ruined my entire future."

"Do you have any idea how grave an offense it is to insult the imperial family!"

Knowing full well she was in the wrong, Yang Suxin crept cautiously behind the Count and began kneading his shoulders.

The Count shook off her hands with a rough jerk, his tone harsh: "Spare me this act! Look at the son you raised—he goes around provoking people and even beats up the Prime Minister's son and the Duke of Zheng's grandson!"

Yang Suxin hastened to admit her fault: "My Lord, I know I was wrong."

"But look at Kaizhi—he was beaten into such a miserable state. How could any mother not feel her heart breaking?"

"Qin Hao had the Grand Princess protecting him, and I temporarily lost control of my temper, which led to my foolishness."

"Don't worry, I'll go see my father and ask him to help put in a good word."

Hearing these conciliatory words, the Count's anger subsided slightly as he asked: "Did you truly not know that Qin Hao possessed such poetic talent?"

Standing behind him, Yang Suxin's brows twitched slightly as she quickly replied: "Hao'er never liked me to begin with. If he deliberately kept it hidden, how could I possibly have known?"

"Besides, he didn't tell you either, My Lord. If he didn't even mention it to you, it's all the more impossible for me to have known."

"It just goes to show that Hao'er truly despised staying in the Qin family; otherwise, he would have displayed his brilliance much sooner."

A flash of anger resurfaced in the Count's eyes: "That unfilial wretch!"

"How did the Qin family ever wrong him? He was desperate to leave, and now he goes out of his way to oppose the family!"

"My Lord, calm your anger," Yang Suxin said, a hint of a smile touching her eyes. "Dewu has been feeling much better lately and keeps saying he misses you."

"The child is timid by nature, and having been beaten by Hao'er, he needs your comfort right now."

"Why don't we go check on Dewu?"

Remembering that Dewu had also been beaten, the Count felt a renewed wave of resentment toward Qin Hao.

Without further ado, the couple walked toward the courtyard where Dewu resided.

However, before they even reached the courtyard gates.

They heard the shrill screams of a maidservant echoing from within: "Young master, I was wrong! Please don't hit me anymore, I was wrong!"

Simultaneously, Qin Dewu's excited laughter rang out: "Don't stop, run faster! Otherwise, this young master is going to whip you to death."

The maidservant cried out in sheer terror: "Young master, I truly can't run anymore!"

As these sounds pierced the ears of the Count and Yang Suxin.

Yang Suxin's expression shifted dramatically!

Though the Count did not understand the situation, his pace noticeably quickened.

Yang Suxin hastily grabbed the Count's arm: "My Lord, wait a moment. Let me go see what's wrong with Dewu first."

"Step aside!" Listening to his son's increasingly gleeful laughter and the servant's desperate cries, the Count shoved Yang Suxin aside with a dark expression.

In a few strides, he reached the courtyard entrance.

With a ferocious kick, he smashed the heavy doors wide open!