TSWRLM -Chapter 250 I Call Him “Brother”

“I admit my fault, Your Highness. Please forgive us!”

The men who had been beaten knelt down in apology. Wei Lingze also knelt, but what he said was: “Your Highness, please judge fairly. They were the ones gossiping behind my back and coveting my wife first, so I—”

The Crown Prince interrupted him: “So Lord Wei thinks there’s nothing wrong with fighting openly in the palace?”

The Crown Prince’s voice was cold, carrying the authority of the heir apparent. Wei Lingze quickly corrected himself: “I— I admit my fault, Your Highness. Please forgive me.”

Everyone admitted their wrongdoing. The Crown Prince punished the gossipers with twenty lashes each. Since Wei Lingze had started the fight and his actions were more severe, he received thirty lashes.

At the prince’s order, the Imperial Guards stepped forward to carry out the punishment.

Before the punishment began, the Crown Prince reminded them: “The envoy delegation will be coming to the palace today. If anyone makes a sound and draws their attention, the consequences will be on you.”

Upon hearing this, everyone gritted their teeth, not daring to utter a single sound. They understood that the prince’s heavy punishment wasn’t just for fighting—it was because they caused a scene before the envoys had even left the city.

The Crown Prince personally supervised. The guards carried out the lashes meticulously. When the punishment was over, the group was pale and unable to stand.

“Take them out of the palace. Tell their families why I punished them. Let them recover and reflect at home. If they still behave this way after recuperation, they need not return.”

Hearing this, their faces went even paler. The prince’s words carried enormous consequences—even at home, their elders would punish them further.

Wei Lingze, recently worn down by troubles, remained relatively calm. But as palace attendants helped him up, he heard the prince add: “Lord Wei, you are restless and impulsive. You should spend more time at home cultivating yourself.”

Wei Lingze’s eyes shot up at the prince: “Your Highness, what do you mean by that?”

The prince met his gaze and asked back: “What do you think, Lord Wei?”

Wei Lingze felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar.

From the moment he lost to Shen Qingyuan, he had anticipated ridicule and possibly demotion, but he hadn’t expected the Crown Prince to suspend him from office again. This time, it would be very difficult for him to recover his position.

“Your Highness, I admit I was impulsive today, but… isn’t the punishment a bit too severe?”

Wei Lingze asked with difficulty, hoping to defend himself. The Crown Prince said: “During the winter hunt, you ignored advice and challenged your own men in front of the envoys. Today, you fought in the palace and even secretly maintained a concubine, hurting people on her behalf. Do you need me to make it any clearer?”

He wasn’t suspended just for today—his behavior over this period had shown that he was self-willed, reckless, and prone to losing control—a man unsuitable for responsibility.

Wei Lingze lowered his head bit by bit. After a long silence, he said in a defeated tone: “Your Highness is wise. I will go home and reflect, cultivating myself as you advised.”

As palace attendants escorted Wei Lingze out, they passed where the Crown Prince was speaking with Shen Qingyuan.

“You’re old enough to have a child. Calculating the time, by this time next year, you should be able to hold the one-hundred-day celebration, right?”

“About that. My wife and I don’t like fuss; we may not hold it.”

“Whether you do or not, this gift of mine will still be given. My Yi’er will begin studying soon. Why not have him take you as a teacher? When your child grows, they can enter the palace as a companion scholar. How about that?”

The distance between them widened. Wei Lingze couldn’t hear Shen Qingyuan’s reply clearly, only noticing that the Crown Prince spoke to him with intimate familiarity—not like a ruler and minister, but like long-time friends, completely different from the way he spoke to Wei Lingze.

Wei Lingze was confused. Shen Qingyuan had been quiet in Jingzhao Mansion for ten years. Since when had his relationship with the Crown Prince become so close?

Exhausted from injuries and emotional blows, Wei Lingze fainted along the way home and developed a high fever.

Madam Yun, hearing that he had fought in the palace and been suspended, trembled. Seeing his high fever, she felt heartbroken and had him carried back to Lingfeng Courtyard while sending someone to call a doctor from Huichuntang.

The fever came on fiercely. Wei Lingze fell into nightmares, sometimes shouting to kill Xuanyuan Lang, sometimes cursing Chun Xi, and eventually only repeating the name “He’er.”

He finally realized that the girl who had once made his heart race in his youth was the one he truly loved—he could not lose her.

Madam Yun’s heart ached as she heard him call her name. She couldn’t wait until night was over and rushed to the Xiao household.

“It’s all my fault. I favored Ze’er and caused He’er so much suffering. I even foolishly had someone drug He’er, trying to bind her with a child. I can kneel and apologize to her. As long as she will see Ze’er once more, I’ll do whatever you ask.”

Saying this, she slapped herself twice, her eyes red and swollen. She no longer carried the dignity of the head of the Wei family—she was just a mother worried for her son.

Madam Xiao stopped her: “He’er doesn’t know medicine. Even if she went back to the Wei family, what would that help?”

Madam Yun hurriedly said: “Ze’er is in a coma. The doctors can’t help. But he keeps calling He’er’s name. Maybe He’er can wake him.”

Madam Xiao frowned, about to refuse again, when Xiao Qinghe appeared: “Mother, I am willing to go with you to the Wei family.”

Hearing her voice, Madam Yun breathed a sigh of relief: “Ze’er’s fever is severe, the situation is urgent. He’er, if you will go with me, I will never forget this kindness in my life.”

Madam Xiao still disapproved, but Xiao Qinghe spoke softly: “Some matters must be addressed face-to-face. Avoiding them is no solution.”

If Wei Lingze woke up willing to let go and separate, both families would save much trouble.

Xiao Qinghe’s expression was firm. Madam Xiao knew she couldn’t persuade her and could only warn Madam Yun: “He’er has suffered much in the Wei family. If anything goes wrong this time, the two families will be at war to the death!”

Madam Yun nodded repeatedly, taking Xiao Qinghe and leaving. Upon exiting the Xiao household, they saw a distinguished-looking man on horseback guarding the carriage.

Madam Yun didn’t recognize him. Seeing his stern gaze, she asked, puzzled: “He’er, who is this…?”

Lowering her eyes, Xiao Qinghe’s expression softened. She spoke gently: “His name is Xiao Yecheng. He was adopted by the Xiao family from childhood. I call him ‘Brother.’”

Xiao Qinghe’s voice was warm and gentle. The moment she said “Brother,” Xiao Yecheng tightened the reins and his throat rolled with emotion, though the night concealed it from view.