Dongfang Zhan is Li Fan's cousin!
Shen Lixue's gaze sharpened. His surname was Li, could he be Li Youlan's...?
"What happened?" With a dignified male voice, Prince Huai strode over, accompanied by Dongfang Heng, Dongfang Zhan, Nangong Xiao, and two young men whose names Shen Lixue did not recognize.
Li Fan glared at Shen Lixue hatefully, gritting his teeth as he said, "You dare kick me? You'll regret it!"
Dongfang Yu'er shook her head helplessly, secretly kicked Li Fan twice, and looked at him with pity: "You're the unlucky one, you stupid idiot who doesn't know your own strength!"
"Zhan... Your Highness!" Upon seeing Dongfang Zhan, Li Fan felt as if he had found his pillar of support. He pitifully begged him for help. With Dongfang Zhan around, he was sure he could subdue this ungrateful woman. He would then tie her to a pillar and torture her severely.
"Li Xue!" Dongfang Heng strode over and anxiously looked Shen Li Xue up and down: "Are you alright?"
He accompanied Shen Lixue to the banquet. The Prince of Huai's mansion was heavily guarded, and with Dongfang Yu'er accompanying him, he thought nothing would happen, so he didn't bring any secret guards. He never expected that someone would sneak up on him.
"Thank goodness!" Li Fan didn't even touch the hem of Shen Lixue's clothes, so nothing bad happened. It was she who was beating Li Fan and the servants the whole time.
"What happened?" When Dongfang Heng saw Li Fan, he guessed what had happened. However, if he wanted to severely punish the bad guys, he had to hear the victim tell him the reason himself.
"Li Fan flirted with his cousin's wife!" Dongfang Yu'er blurted out, giving the answer first. She looked at Li Fan with a smug and 'sympathetic' gaze. Poor guy, he didn't recognize a great man. He'll be in trouble soon.
Cousin... cousin sister-in-law!
Li Fan felt a bang and was instantly stunned. He grew up in the capital and knew almost all the young ladies from noble families. When he saw Shen Lixue's unfamiliar face, he thought she was the daughter of some minor official who came to curry favor with Dongfang Yu'er, so he boldly stepped forward to flirt with her.
His grandfather was the old prime minister of the court, with extremely high prestige, and he also had a prince cousin. Dealing with a minor official would be a piece of cake for him. Who would have thought that this strange woman would be Dongfang Yu'er's cousin-in-law!
The newlywed princess consort of the Azure Flame War God Dongfang Heng, whose rebuttals she had prepared long ago, all fell flat and she could no longer utter a single word.
"Men, take Li Fan away and beat him severely!" Dongfang Heng coldly gave the order.
Two guards stepped forward, grabbed Li Fan, and forced him onto a stool to beat him severely. His shrill screams echoed across most of the artificial hill.
Prince Huai frowned slightly as he looked at the screaming Li Fan. He had long known that Li Fan was of questionable character, but this was the Prince Huai's residence. How dare he openly harass a woman? He was clearly challenging the dignity of the royal family. In particular, the woman he was harassing was the daughter-in-law of the Eastern royal family. He was truly lawless.
Nangong Xiao leisurely waved his folding fan, his expression languid, the corners of his mouth slightly upturned, and his charming gaze swept towards Dongfang Zhan.
"Cousin Zhan...save me...save me!" The paddle struck again and again, extremely hard. Li Fan felt that his buttocks were about to be beaten to a pulp. He screamed miserably and begged for help.
Dongfang Heng only told the guards to drag him away and beat him, without specifying how many strokes of the cane. His unspoken meaning was to beat him until he was satisfied, perhaps even intending to kill him while he was at it.
“It is only right to be punished for making mistakes. Once the beatings are enough, the guards will naturally stop!” Dongfang Zhan looked to the side and ignored him. He was also holding a grudge against Li Fan for harassing Shen Lixue. He had only been given a few dozen strokes, which was not enough to vent his anger.
Moreover, Shen Lixue is a royal daughter-in-law, while Li Fan has no direct relationship with the royal family. Almost everyone standing here is from the Eastern royal family. If he were to plead for Li Fan, he would be making an enemy of everyone and becoming the target of public criticism. He wouldn't be foolish enough to put himself in such an awkward situation for the sake of an incompetent person.
"Prince Zhan is fair in separating public and private matters and puts righteousness before family ties. I admire him greatly!" Nangong Xiao's strange tone made it impossible to tell whether he was praising or criticizing.
Dongfang Zhan frowned, about to speak, when an old voice rang out first: "Stop, stop now!"
Shen Lixue glanced sideways as an elderly man in his fifties, supported by a guard, strode over. He bore a slight resemblance to Li Fan.
---Aside---
(*^__^*) Hehe... Happy Mid-Autumn Festival everyone, it's the 15th of August today!
Finally, we're in our wedding night! Any reward tickets?
Chapter 164: A brutal beating of Li Fan, Qian Mei arrives in Beijing
Shen Lixue's gaze was cold and clear. Li Fan had uttered vulgarities and acted frivolously, attempting to harass her. Punishing him was deserved. Dongfang Zhan didn't care whether he lived or died; if they killed him, it would give others cause for gossip. It wasn't worth sacrificing her and Dongfang Heng for him. Therefore, they had deliberately let a servant go earlier.
However, did that servant fly? How did they manage to summon Prime Minister Li so quickly? Li Fan is full of energy now; he's far from being on the verge of death!
"Slap! Slap! Slap!" The guards, with cold eyes, held boards and beat Li Fan's buttocks, which were almost torn open.
Li Fan was held down tightly by the guards, unable to move, and cried out in agony. When he saw Prime Minister Li, he felt as if he had found his pillar of support, and cried out in tears, "Grandpa, save me!"
"Prince Huai, may I ask what happened?" Prime Minister Li looked at his blood-soaked trousers, his gaze terribly gloomy.
The guards, right in front of him, mercilessly beat his grandson, severely injuring him. They clearly didn't take him, the Prime Minister of Qingyan, seriously. This was the Prince of Huai's residence, so he naturally had to ask the Prince of Huai what his intentions were.
"He flirted with the Princess Consort of Anjun!" Prince Huai glanced at Li Fan and replied indifferently.
"Is this really true?" Prime Minister Li's aged and sharp gaze suddenly shot towards Li Fan, his eyes blazing with anger.
Li Fan was startled and shivered. Thinking of Prime Minister Li's cruel punishments, he dared not admit his mistake and lied, "I didn't flirt with her, she seduced me..."
"Slap!" Zi Mo appeared out of nowhere and slapped Li Fan hard across the face. His face was turned to the side, and two teeth spurted out along with blood. A bright red five-fingered mountain instantly appeared on half of his face.
"My princess consort, how dare you insult me like a cat or a dog!" Dongfang Heng's deep voice carried a chilling coldness that sent shivers down one's spine.
“Prince An, you can’t just believe one side of the story. Even if you’re on the side of the Princess Consort, you should still listen to what Fan’er has to say!” Prime Minister Li’s face was ashen and his eyes were gloomy. Cats, dogs, Dongfang Heng actually compared Fan’er to a beast. Then wouldn’t he, as the grandfather, be an old beast?
Dongfang Heng coldly looked at Prime Minister Li: "Prime Minister Li, you should know your grandson's temperament very well. Do you believe me when I say he flirted with my Princess Consort?"
Prime Minister Li's gaze fell on Shen Lixue. Her face was exquisitely beautiful and otherworldly, her eyes were as clear as water, her jet-black hair was styled into an elegant bun, and her light purple Xiang skirt fluttered gently in the sunlight, reflecting the fluttering silk fan. She was noble, elegant, and as beautiful as a fairy who had stepped out of a painting!
Any young man who saw her would be mesmerized and unable to look away. His grandson was a womanizer, and he completely believed that his grandson had flirted with Shen Lixue. However, since it concerned the reputation of the Prime Minister's Mansion, how could he admit to it?
"You beast, did you really harass the Princess Consort?" The seemingly angry roar secretly pointed Li Fan in the right direction.
"The Princess Consort is of noble status, how could I dare to flirt with her? It was truly her initiative... If Grandfather doesn't believe me, you can ask the servants." Li Fan was a spoiled brat who knew how to read people's expressions. After a moment's thought, he understood Prime Minister Li's intention and made a pitiful accusation, tears streaming down his face, as if he had suffered a great injustice.
Prime Minister Li's stern gaze moved over the servants. If the servants echoed Li Fan's words, Li Fan would have a 50% chance of success!
The servants' eyes flickered, but they didn't give an answer immediately. They secretly raised their eyes and looked at Dongfang Heng, whose face was cold and stern. The God of War Qingyan was not someone to be trifled with. If they insulted his Princess Consort, he would definitely tear them to pieces in a fit of anger.
Li Fan is the eldest grandson of the Prime Minister's family, so Prince An might not do anything to him. But they are just insignificant servants. If they give false testimony, they definitely won't live to see tomorrow. However, they are servants of the Prime Minister's mansion. If they don't help their young master, the Prime Minister won't let them off either way. Either way, they're going to die...