Chapter 12: The Family Law of Twisting Five Vine Strips

The commotion was so intense that it seemed like they were catching a thief. When Ji Man was dragged to the front yard, she still looked somewhat bewildered.

"Why are you here?" The man sitting in the main seat had a very unpleasant expression. As he listened to the report from the servants, his eyes seemed to pierce right through her.

Ji Man didn't raise her head. Instead of wondering why she was there, she was more curious about why they had found her.

The Siguoge was a place where no one went. Even if she wasn't there, no one should have found her. Yet, a large group of servants holding torches had found her. It was all very abnormal.

To Ning Yuxuan, this sounded like she was unrepentant. He frowned and said, "Nie Sangyu, you are still in confinement. Not only did you leave without permission, but you also sneaked into the backyard woodpile of the Rose Garden. What were you trying to do?"

Ji Man opened her mouth to speak, but someone entered from outside.

"Your concubine greets the marquis. I heard that someone has been found," Mu Shuiqing's voice was unusually gentle as she knelt next to Ji Man and greeted him.

Ning Yuxuan raised his hand and said, "You may rise."

"Thank you, marquis." Mu Shuiqing stood up leisurely. Ji Man's knees were hurting from kneeling, so she stood up and rubbed them.

Marquis Moyu's face turned green. "I told her to rise, not you. You continue to kneel!"

Of course, Ji Man knew that she wasn't supposed to stand up. She had just taken the opportunity to rub her knees. She knelt down again without any resistance and quietly padded her clothes to make them thicker.

Wenwan sat on the side and waited until Marquis Moyu had vented enough of his anger before gently advising, "Marquis, you should listen to what she has to say first."

Ning Yuxuan frowned at her. "Why did you come here in the middle of the night? What were you planning to do?"

Ji Man rolled her eyes inwardly. She had forgotten that Nie Sangyu wouldn't get lost in Marquis Moyu's residence. She should have come up with a different excuse. But now, even if she said she had come here unintentionally, she didn't believe it herself. When a servant had passed by outside, she had chosen to climb over the wall into this courtyard. Since she had climbed over the wall, there was no way to explain it away.

"Whether or not the marquis believes me, I really did come here by accident," Ji Man sighed and gave up resisting.

Ning Yuxuan snorted, and Wenwan fell silent. Mu Shuiqing waved her hand, and Banxia brought in a servant girl.

"Sangyu said she wanted to find her servant girl, and it's true. I sent Banxia to help her shell melon seeds. I didn't expect that she would be in such a hurry to find someone after only an hour. Didn't she used to beat Banxia until she was covered in bruises?" Banxia was pushed to the ground and quickly knelt behind Ji Man, softly calling out, "Mistress."

Ji Man looked at Mu Shuiqing and said calmly, "I'm currently in the Siguoge, and Banxia is the only servant girl by my side. Mistress Shuiqing even had time this afternoon to have Banxia come and fetch me to embroider a handkerchief for her. Why did she need to borrow my servant girl to shell melon seeds?"

Mu Shuiqing's smile faltered, and she glanced at Marquis Moyu's expression. Seeing that he didn't seem to have any intention of speaking up for Nie Sangyu, she smiled again and said, "Borrowing a servant girl is a small matter. Mistress, you should explain to the marquis first. What were you planning to do by sneaking over to the woodpile in the Rose Garden?"

When the woodpile was mentioned, Ning Yuxuan's brow furrowed again. He looked at the person kneeling on the ground and said, "Nie Sangyu, you really are unrepentant. I thought you had turned over a new leaf these past few days, but it turns out you still have evil intentions. You've already harmed Ling'er. Now, do you want to harm the madam?"

In their eyes, Nie Sangyu was probably a lunatic who would set fire to the woodpile. Ji Man didn't know what had happened in the past that made Marquis Moyu look at Nie Sangyu with such disdain, but she didn't have a torch in her hand. Was he accusing her of trying to burn Wenwan?

"I haven't done anything. If you want to convict me, you need to give a reason," Ji Man said calmly. "If the reason is valid, I'm willing to accept punishment."

Ning Yuxuan narrowed his eyes slightly. "You think I don't have evidence to punish you?"

Ji Man remained silent.

"Very well," Marquis Moyu said with a mocking smile. "No one caught you in the act, but you did escape from the Siguoge and trespass into the Rose Garden. Do you admit to these two charges?"

Ji Man nodded. "I admit it."

Banxia trembled and her voice became tearful. "Mistress..."

"Since you've admitted it, you'll accept the family's punishment," Ning Yuxuan paused. "Are you willing to accept the punishment?"

"Yes," Ji Man said. There was no point in struggling if it would only lead to more trouble. This man clearly disliked Nie Sangyu and wanted to protect Wenwan. It was better to accept the punishment sooner rather than later.

Mò Yùhóu fell silent for a moment, looking somewhat surprised. However, in the presence of so many people, he didn't show any reaction and simply ordered, "In that case, Manager Qian, take her to receive the disciplinary punishment according to our household rules."

"As you command, sir." Manager Qian waved his hand, and two servants came to support Jì Màn out of the main house and into the courtyard.

Mùxū was shocked. She hadn't expected her master to accept the punishment so calmly. If it weren't for her, her master wouldn't have been sent to the reflection pavilion!

With this realization, tears welled up in Mùxū's eyes, and she desperately kowtowed to Mò Yùhóu, "Sir, Master's health is already very poor. She can't withstand the punishment. Let me take it for her, please! I beg of you!"

Níng Yùxuān remained indifferent, and the people in the room, including Wēn Wǎn, remained silent. Mùxū looked at them despairingly, then turned and crawled into the courtyard.

Jì Màn seemed calm, but when Manager Qian brought out the cane, her heart sank.

Goodness, the discipline in the marquis's mansion is so severe? Under normal circumstances, wouldn't it just be one cane? Wow, the punishment here actually consists of five canes twisted together. If she had known earlier, she would have struggled a bit more!

Filled with regret, but watching Mùxū crawl out sobbing, Jì Màn felt a pang of discomfort in her heart. She could only feign a brave face and comfort her, "Mùxū, stop crying. It's not that painful. Just rest for a couple of days and you'll be fine."

Mùxū shook her head, tears streaming down her face as she kept kowtowing, her forehead turning red.

Jì Màn couldn't bear it, she was never good at dealing with these situations, so she simply closed her eyes.

Níng Yùxuān, Wēn Wǎn, and Mù Shuǐqíng all came out as well. The first two looked somewhat complex, while the third was purely there to watch the spectacle, and seemed a bit gloating.

Jì Màn thought that enduring ten blows of the cane should not be particularly difficult. However, she didn't expect the servant administering the punishment to hold such resentment towards her. When the first cane struck, she almost fell forward before regaining her balance, only to be engulfed in an overwhelming wave of pain.

As someone from the modern era, Jì Màn had never experienced such suffering. She couldn't help but let her tears fall and bit down hard on her lip. If it were in the past, how could she endure such punishment?

By the seventh blow, Jì Màn was in so much pain that her head felt foggy, and she unconsciously opened her eyes to look at Mò Yùhóu.

The man, with his new wife wrapped in his arms, watched her expressionlessly.

" I hate him," a voice cried out in her mind, tearing her heart apart.

"Me too," Jì Màn softly responded to the voice, "I will help you get your revenge."

Her gaze was cold, without the previous fervent affection towards him. Níng Yùxuān watched as Níng Sāngyú endured the punishment without saying much, then waved his hand for her to be carried back.

Mùxū cried until her throat was hoarse, throwing herself beside Jì Màn, unable to be of any help, and could only sob continuously.

"It's okay, Jiāng Jiě and Little Radish suffered more than me back then," Jì Màn opened her eyes and smiled at Mùxū, "Revolution always demands sacrifices."

Mùxū didn't understand, but her cries intensified.

Back in the reflection pavilion, Wēn Wǎn sent medicine over, and Mùxū carefully helped Jì Màn undress and apply the medicine. Jì Màn's face was pale with pain, her back swollen.

"It's my fault that you're suffering," Mùxū couldn't help crying again, "I wanted to come back sooner, but Shānɡ Jiě stopped me."

"It's not your fault; I was just being foolish," Jì Màn grimaced, "If I hadn't been in such a hurry, this wouldn't have happened. Or if I didn't go to the Rose Garden, I wouldn't have angered Níng Yùxuān so much. But I couldn't control myself and just went to the Rose Garden."

Mùxū cried even harder, "That was your house. You lived there for six years!"

Jì Màn fell silent for a moment, feeling a surge of sadness welling up inside her.

When Níng Sāngyú was upset, she had to be upset too. When Níng Sāngyú was in pain, she had to feel the pain too. Now, with Níng Sāngyú's body feeling like it was about to burst, she had to endure the punishment as well.

Always wanting to live a good life in this world from a bystander's perspective, but she never thought that life would not let her live that way.

She was Níng Sāngyú and she should take on the role of Níng Sāngyú and listen to what she wanted, and genuinely play her role.

After swallowing a bitter medicine, gritting her teeth to endure the taste, Jì Màn thought that she had to listen to Níng Sāngyú's thoughts, and discuss with her what she wanted to do. Otherwise, if the next time she used her body to strangle Wēn Wǎn, she would also have to suffer.