SGEIRS -Chapter 568 The Imperial Edict Has Arrived

Meng Chengzhang received a letter from his stepmother, Madam Zhao. The letter contained only a single line saying that his grandmother was gravely ill, without mentioning the cause. He was greatly puzzled. On the day he left home, his grandmother had clearly been in good health—she’d even had the energy to make things difficult for him. How had she suddenly become critically ill?

But no matter the reason for his grandmother’s collapse, out of filial duty he had to return. He immediately asked his teacher for leave and hurried home to visit her, prepared to tend to her if necessary.

He had only just arrived home and hadn’t yet had time to pay his respects to the elders when an imperial edict arrived from the palace.

Meng Chengzhang was utterly astonished. The last time the Meng family had received an imperial edict was when his third younger brother had been invested as heir apparent. Why would an edict suddenly arrive now? The Meng family was nothing more than a declining noble house, barely noticeable among the great families of the capital. Forget the emperor, burdened with affairs of state—even other noble houses wouldn’t think of the Yongchang Marquis’s residence unless something happened.

Aside from Old Madam Meng, who was bedridden with serious illness, all members of the Meng family gathered and knelt to receive the edict. Even Meng Chengxing was dragged out of the ancestral hall under guard to listen.

The eunuch reading the edict spoke in a shrill voice:

“By the Mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees:

Meng Chengxing, heir apparent of the Yongchang Marquis, is of corrupt character, unfilial and disrespectful. His title as heir apparent is hereby stripped, he is reduced to commoner status, and sentenced to thirty strokes of the cane, to uphold the laws of the realm.

Meng Dongyuan, Marquis of Yongchang, failed in the proper instruction of his son and should be held accountable. In consideration of the meritorious service of his ancestors, his punishment shall be the forfeiture of one year’s salary, and he is ordered to remain at home in self-reflection for three months.

The second son, Meng Chengzhang, is mild and upright by nature, devoted and sincere in serving his elders, well-versed in the Classics, and recognized by the entire household as worthy, with public opinion in agreement. In accordance with the provision on establishing a virtuous heir in the Zhao State Compendium, he is hereby appointed as the new heir apparent of the Yongchang Marquis.

So ordered.”

Of everyone present, only Meng Dongyuan—who had personally petitioned today for the replacement of the heir—had any prior knowledge of this matter. For everyone else, the imperial edict came without the slightest warning, leaving them utterly shocked.

Meng Chengzhang had never once thought about the position of heir apparent. All he wanted was to pass the imperial examinations and carve out his own future through his own efforts. He had barely returned home when he suddenly became the future inheritor of the title. There was a trace of joy—after all, it was better for the Meng family to fall into his hands than into those of his morally corrupt younger brother—but far more than joy was shock. He hadn’t been away from home for very long at all. How could such a massive upheaval have occurred?

As Meng Chengxing listened to the eunuch read the edict, his expression looked as though he’d been struck by lightning. Ever since childhood, his mother Madam Sun and his grandmother had told him that the entire Meng family would one day be his, that he would become the Marquis of Yongchang and lead the family back to prosperity. Yet now, not only had the heir’s position been taken from him, he was also to receive thirty strokes of the cane. That was no joke—thirty blows would leave flesh torn and bloodied. Were they trying to beat him to death?

Suddenly, he sprang to his feet and laughed wildly, nearly deranged, pointing at Meng Dongyuan as he cursed:

“Meng Dongyuan! It was you! All of this was your doing! I’m your own flesh and blood—how could you treat me like this? That day, you sent people to drag me back from the Hundred Flowers Pavilion without a care for my reputation, ruining my name! If that hadn’t happened, how would the matter have spread? And how would the Emperor have learned of it and stripped me of my title as heir?”

Meng Dongyuan was furious beyond measure. Before he could even formally accept the edict, he abruptly stood up and, with all the strength in his body, slapped Meng Chengxing hard across the face. Caught off guard, Meng Chengxing lost his footing and fell heavily to the ground.

Meng Chengxing was about to continue cursing, but the moment he looked up and met the eunuch’s gaze, his heart clenched. Only then did he realize what he had just done. The words at the tip of his tongue were swallowed back—he didn’t dare speak them aloud.

Meng Dongyuan, meanwhile, scolded him with heartbreak and rage:

“You unfilial wretch! You angered your grandmother into this state, and you still dare speak of reputation? Our Meng family truly suffers ill fortune—to have married your venomous mother and given birth to a creature like you! I once thought you were different from Madam Sun, that you were a good child. Who knew you’d turn out exactly like her!”

After saying this, Meng Dongyuan seemed drained—he hadn’t rested well that day, and now he was beside himself with anger. He clutched his forehead, his body swaying, nearly fainting on the spot. Remembering that the eunuch was still waiting for him to accept the edict, he hurriedly said, “I’ve let the eunuch witness a disgrace.”

Then he dropped to his knees to receive the edict. “This subject accepts the decree. I thank His Majesty for his boundless grace. Long live the Emperor—ten thousand years, ten thousand years, ten thousand times ten thousand years!”

The eunuch who had come to proclaim the edict watched the spectacle with lingering interest. Honestly, if the father and son wanted to keep making a scene, that would’ve been fine too—it wasn’t as if he had anything urgent to attend to today. The Marquis of Yongchang and the Marquis of Changxing really were father- and son-in-law alike—both had raised rebellious sons, and both sons had been stripped of their status. Compared to Gu Xiuming, Meng Chengxing had actually gotten off lightly: he hadn’t been expelled from the clan or exiled. Gu Xiuming’s crimes had been far worse—he’d had wealth and status in hand and still insisted on courting death. He deserved it.

Once Meng Dongyuan had accepted the edict, the eunuch ordered the palace attendants to restrain Meng Chengxing. They stripped him of his outer garments, leaving only his inner robe and trousers, removed the protection of fine clothing, pressed him down onto a bench, and began the punishment.

When the first cane struck his buttocks with brutal force, the pampered young master—who had never endured hardship—let out a scream like a pig being slaughtered.

Blow after blow landed on his body, his screams ringing out again and again. As the pain became unbearable, his cries gradually weakened, until finally there was no sound at all—he had clearly fainted from the agony. Even so, the executioners did not slacken, continuing until the full thirty strokes were completed.

By then, Meng Chengxing’s buttocks were a bloody, mangled mess. Even the fabric of his trousers had been torn apart, making it clear that the punishment had been carried out strictly according to the rules, without the slightest mercy.

Looking at his son’s miserable state, a trace of grim satisfaction rose once more in Meng Dongyuan’s heart. At last, the Meng family would not fall into this wretch’s hands. This also avenged the unborn child of Dong-shi. If Dong-shi knew of Chengxing’s fate now, would she hate him a little less?

Madam Zhao glanced at Meng Chengxing’s pale face as he lay unconscious, a flicker of pity appearing in her eyes. He wasn’t a good child, but this time he really was innocent. Still, this matter was none of her concern, and she had no intention of meddling. She handed a purse to the eunuch and said, “You’ve worked hard, Eunuch. This is just a little tea money—please don’t disdain it.”

The eunuch accepted the purse, exchanged a few polite words, and then led his people back to the palace.

After they left, Madam Zhao instructed the servants, “Go—carry Third Young Master back.” Then she turned to her personal maid and added, “Invite Physician Ling to come and examine Third Young Master.”

Two strong servants responded and stepped forward to lift Meng Chengxing.

With such an incident having occurred in the household, the remaining servants were still kneeling on the ground, not daring to rise, scarcely daring even to breathe for fear of provoking the master’s anger.

Madam Zhao’s voice rang out, gentle yet firm: “All of you, get up. Go do what you’re supposed to do. Today’s events are not to be discussed. If I hear anyone gossiping, they’ll be sold out of the household.”

The servants hurriedly agreed and dispersed, each secretly sighing at the fickleness of fate. The Third Young Master, once doted on endlessly by the Marquis and Old Madam, had now been stripped of his title, while the overlooked Second Young Master had become the new heir of the marquis’s residence. And the same was true of the daughters—Second Miss had once been deeply favored, yet her reputation was ruined and she was married off to a merchant, while Eldest Miss had become the Marchioness of Changxing. As long as one was alive, there was still hope—there could always be a day of reversal.

Only then did Meng Chengzhang finally get the chance to speak.

“Father, Mother,” he asked, “what exactly happened? Why did Grandmother fall ill? And Third Brother—what did he actually do?”