Gu Chaobei felt that Shen Guiyan must have used up all her luck to bring him prosperity, which was why misfortune kept befalling her again and again.

Without a word, he stood and rushed outside.

“Hey, hey, I haven’t finished speaking!” Yuwen Changqing stood up. “Those are the Empress’s instructions—at least hear them out!”

He hadn’t come to find Gu Chaobei today out of idle boredom—the Empress had personally entrusted him to “console” the newly appointed Minister Gu. The lecture wasn’t finished yet. How could he just let him leave?

So Yuwen Changqing also chased after him.

Both rode horses and galloped swiftly, but by the time they reached the manor, the beating was nearly complete.

Shen Guiyan’s expression remained relatively composed, but large beads of sweat rolled down her forehead, and her hands clenched tightly. The rod was solid wood—it hurt even without much force, let alone with such vigorous strikes.

Beside her, Baoshan’s eyes were bloodshot, continuously kowtowing to Madam Gu. But Madam Gu watched calmly, fingering the jade bracelet on her hand.

“Stop!” Seeing from afar, Gu Chaobei shouted and rushed into the main hall, trying to stop the servant holding the rod.

“Block him!” Madam Gu started in fright and quickly waved her hand. Five or six servants immediately stepped forward to firmly block Gu Chaobei.

“The family punishment isn’t finished—how can it be interrupted?” Madam Gu looked at Gu Chaobei and slammed the table. “You’re becoming more and more unruly. Even though you’ve entered official service, you’re still a descendant of the Gu family. Will you no longer observe ancestral rules?”

The Gu family’s discipline was strict. During family punishment, no interruption was permitted. Even if the wrong person was being beaten, it had to wait until the beating was finished. The rods for family punishment were generally enshrined in the ancestral hall—not ordinary wood.

When Madam Gu led Shen Guiyan to the main hall, she noticed a servant going to report. She didn’t stop them, knowing that by the time anyone came and went, the family punishment would already be underway. Even if Gu Chaobei returned to intervene, it would be useless.

Gu Chaobei’s eyes widened slightly. Shen Guiyan didn’t turn to look at him, but her body relaxed considerably. The next stroke fell again with a heavy, muffled sound, striking her so she leaned forward slightly, but she braced herself with her hands on the ground.

Drawing in a sharp breath, Gu Chaobei kicked aside the people blocking him. Servants nearby grabbed his arms, and he shouted, “Zhuiyun!”

Zhuiyun behind him rushed forward to intercept the servants who were moving. Madam Gu stood up abruptly. “How dare you rebel! You dare to fight in front of me?”

With a cold snort, Gu Chaobei shook off the crowd of servants with a stern face and stepped forward to kneel beside Shen Guiyan, looking down at her. “Yan’er?”

“Two more strokes.” Shen Guiyan gritted her teeth, her head so dizzy her eyes were half-closed. She said in a muffled voice, “You came neither early nor late. Since you came late, you might as well let her finish.”

She could still speak. Gu Chaobei breathed a sigh of relief, supporting her shoulder. “Avoiding even two strokes is something. Don’t talk anymore. I’ll take you back.”

Shen Guiyan shook her head stiffly, her voice so small only Gu Chaobei could hear. “Are you stupid? If we leave now, all the previous beatings were for nothing.”

“You still want her to finish?” Gu Chaobei frowned. “Have you gone mad?”

Shen Guiyan couldn’t speak anymore and only closed her eyes and shook her head. She had already suffered the pain. Her back was nearly numb now—a couple more or less really made no difference. That being the case, she might as well let them finish. Once the family punishment was complete, she could appeal to the Chancellor. Otherwise, interrupting family punishment would mean Gu Chaobei would be the one punished instead.

“Someone, remove Fourth Young Master.” Madam Gu’s face was livid. “I’m not dead yet, and the rules of this manor cannot be broken. Whether he’s Minister of Justice or anything else, even if he became Chancellor, as long as he’s in my Gu Manor, he answers to me!”

Hearing this, the servants came forward to pull Gu Chaobei away. Gu Chaobei stiffened, looking at Shen Guiyan. She shook her head gently again, and only then did he reluctantly allow them to pull him aside.

Yuwen Changqing stood silently at the doorway. Everyone in the hall had their attention on Shen Guiyan and Gu Chaobei—no one had noticed him yet. He watched the back of Shen Guiyan kneeling on the ground and thought what a strange woman she was. After so many strokes of the rod that even onlookers felt the pain, she could still kneel upright and proper.

The two remaining strokes were finished in the blink of an eye. The servants took away the punishment implements, and only then did Gu Chaobei walk back to crouch beside Shen Guiyan.

“Are you all right?”

Shen Guiyan didn’t speak, kneeling motionless.

Gu Chaobei sighed and turned to look at Madam Gu. “What grave offense did Yan’er commit to require Mother to bring out family punishment?”

Madam Gu’s expression still didn’t look good. After beating Shen Guiyan with the rod, she hadn’t made a sound—it brought no satisfaction at all.

“Ya’er was pushed by her and lost her child. One round of family punishment is merely a light penalty.”

Shen Guiya had a miscarriage? Gu Chaobei raised an eyebrow, about to speak again, when a maid from the Eastern Courtyard leisurely entered. “Madam, the First Young Madam has awakened and says she has something to tell Madam.”

Madam Gu nodded. “Then I’ll go there first. You take Yan’er back to the Northern Courtyard. According to the punishment stated, she cannot leave the manor.”

“Yes.” Everyone acknowledged.

Madam Gu walked out of the main hall supported by a maid’s hand, only then noticing Yuwen Changqing nearby. However, she had rarely left the manor and was quite unfamiliar with this newly prominent court figure. Seeing his attire, she hesitantly stopped. “And you are?”

“This one has come by the Empress’s command to speak with Minister Gu. Unexpectedly, before finishing our conversation, I…”

Someone from the Empress? Madam Gu’s eyes lit up. She immediately put on a smiling face. “I’ve neglected you, sir. There were matters in the manor that made you witness an embarrassment. The Master should also return to the manor shortly. Would you perhaps move to the main courtyard to sit?”

“No need.” Yuwen Changqing smiled. “This one only came to find Minister Gu.”

Her smile stiffened slightly. Madam Gu pressed her lips together. Having nothing more to say, she bowed and left.

Minister Gu, Minister Gu—Gu Chaobei hadn’t even officially taken office as Minister yet, and already someone from the Empress was following him? What great fortune! But if that was the case, didn’t it mean Dong’er’s chances of reclaiming this position were even smaller?

Madam Gu pondered privately. She should help Dong’er too.

“How did you endure it?” Gu Chaobei carefully carried her on his back, slowly walking toward the Northern Courtyard. “I received that family punishment when I was young. Five strokes nearly made me pass out, yet you endured twenty.”

“Want to know?” Shen Guiyan closed her eyes, her breath weak as a thread.

“Mm.” Gu Chaobei nodded. “Don’t fall asleep. Tell me.”

Shen Guiyan forced a smile. “When I was kneeling on the ground, I kept counting in my heart. She hit me once—damn her mother. She hit me twice—damn her grandmother. She hit me three times—damn her maternal grandmother… This method was written in a book. Just now, twenty strokes—twenty generations of her family should have been cursed by me. I didn’t expect it would actually work. It didn’t hurt as much. Haha.”

Gu Chaobei didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “What kind of books do you read?”

“All kinds of books.” Shen Guiyan’s voice grew smaller and smaller. “Miscellaneous books and strange records, writing about everything. My favorite is the ‘Mandarin Duck Chronicles.’ The young master in it says: This life I will marry you, cherish you, love you. Even with simple food, even if life is dull, in any case, I will surely not fail you.”

Gu Chaobei froze slightly.