Chapter 32: Huh! You can pretend again

"Pah…"

The whip cracked against Jin Cheng's body, tearing open his leather armor and leaving a bloody mark.

Jin Cheng's face trembled in disbelief. He had never expected that Miss Mulan, who always showed great care for her soldiers, would lash him for the sake of a mere Shen Lang.

In his eyes, Shen Lang, a temporary figurehead brought in by Mulan, was nowhere near his own standing as a young nobleman who had been raised in the Earl's estate.

Mulan coldly stated, "I'm punishing you for two reasons. First, you failed to rescue someone in need, which goes against the moral code of our Earl's estate."

"Second, Shen Lang is my husband, and thus your master. Your attitude lacks respect. You need to correct it from now on," Mulan demanded.

Jin Cheng's face quivered slightly as he lowered his head and said, "I understand."

After that, Mulan proceeded to carry the stretcher with Shen Lang and Big Fool into the estate's medical yard.

At this moment, the estate's doctor, An Zai Shi, came out to greet them.

He quickly examined Big Fool's body and said, "The most crucial injuries are broken ribs, internal organ trauma, and internal bleeding in the lungs, stomach, and possibly some seepage in the liver."

Shen Lang marveled at Doctor An's medical skills. Without X-ray vision, he could accurately assess the injuries based solely on experience and external trauma.

Shen Lang, with his advanced medical skills, wanted to join Doctor An in treating Big Fool.

His main concern was that Doctor An might not be able to accurately pinpoint the internal bleeding and bruising in Big Fool's organs. He could step in and identify them precisely.

Doctor An meticulously examined the external injuries and marked the spots on Big Fool's body with a brush.

"This was a tiger attack, not the work of a martial arts master, hence why the external and internal injuries are similar. So, it's not difficult to determine the internal bleeding points," Doctor An explained. "The first step is to drain the blood and mend the broken ribs."

Shen Lang noticed that Doctor An's markings on Big Fool's body were mostly accurate. A true master!

Of course, Shen Lang's medical skills surpassed Doctor An's, especially in dealing with other complex and rare diseases. Plus, with his X-ray vision, it was almost impossible to find someone in this world who could surpass him in medical skill.

But in treating Big Fool, Doctor An was extremely professional. Under the current conditions, it would be difficult for Shen Lang to do better than him.

Mulan asked, "Doctor An, can you cure him?"

Doctor An replied, "No problem, I can. It will just take some time and require the use of many precious herbs. This big fool has strong physical resilience; anyone else would have died by now."

Then, he began meticulously treating Big Fool.

His assistant carefully fed him the specially prepared ginseng soup.

Big Fool's body was indeed resilient. After consuming some of the soup, his complexion showed a hint of color, and his breathing gradually became stronger.

Doctor An remarked, "This fool's body is truly exceptional, a rare find."

With precise and professional techniques, he drained the accumulated blood from Big Fool's body, and his vital signs became more stable, with his breathing becoming smoother.

"Husband, your big brother is out of danger," Mulan said.

Shen Lang replied, "He's Big Fool, not my big brother. My dear, you're so happy to tease me, aren't you?"

At this moment, the Earl entered and said, "Shen Lang, come to my study."

Shen Lang hesitated, looking at Big Fool.

Mulan reassured him, "Husband, don't worry, everything will be fine. Your father has something important to discuss with you."

...

In the study, the Earl's expression was cold and stern.

"Shen Lang, do you realize your mistake?" he asked.

Shen Lang shook his head and said, "Father-in-law, I don't know."

At this response, the Earl's expression froze, as no one dared to defy him when he appeared stern.

Once he asked "Do you realize your mistake?", the expected response was an immediate apology and submission.

For Shen Lang to boldly claim that he didn't understand where he was wrong left the Earl taken aback.

The Earl gravely stated, "In that case, I'm curious to hear."

Shen Lang explained, "Big Fool is my only good friend, and he has always protected me since childhood. When I saw him gravely injured and dying, how could I stand by and do nothing? Bringing him into the estate was against the rules, but the estate's doctors are skilled, and the likelihood of him being cured in the Earl's estate is higher. Of course, I apologize for violating the estate's rules."

"No, you did the right thing in this matter," the count said. "Have you done anything else foolish today?"

"Is it about the Black Clothes Gang?" Shen Lang asked.

"You already heard about it so quickly, father-in-law?"

"You know about it too?" the count said. "You've just left the Black Clothes Gang, and they've already come to me with a complaint. They said that you used your power to extort a thousand gold coins from Tian Heng, and even threatened to break his son's legs. You certainly have quite the influence! Do you know that Tian San is a captain in the militia of the city lord's manor?"

Tian Heng brought a complaint to your door?

"It was Lin Wuyan, the lord of Xiu Hong Building, who came personally, asking me to restrain you, this lawless man," the count said.

Shen Lang was surprised. If the city lord himself came, the conflict between the two sides must have been extremely intense.

"I had to write a promissory note to Tian Heng, owing him a thousand gold coins to save my own life when the Xu family kicked me out and paid Tian Heng one hundred gold coins to kill me. When I was about to make a deal to sell a new golden dye formula for two thousand gold coins to Lin Mo of the Xiu Hong Building, the Xu family accused me of stealing the dye formula from them..."

Shen Lang told the count the whole process in detail.

"The Xu family, Tian Heng, and the Lin family's three forces are trying to kill me," Shen Lang said. "Especially Tian Heng, to force me to hand over the purple and rainbow material formulas, sent his son, Tian San, to capture my entire family. In such a situation, is it wrong for me to retaliate against Tian Heng?"

After a moment of silence, the count said, "No, it's not."

"The fact is that Tian Heng sent people to arrest your parents, which is entirely legal on the surface. Your parents did indeed open up land privately and did not pay taxes, so the arrest warrant was issued by the city lord's manor, with no flaws."

Shen Lang certainly knew this.

"Shen Lang, to be honest, I didn't like you very much at first. But since Mulan chose you, you are my son-in-law, and therefore, half my son. I will seek justice for the wrongs you have suffered. No one can bully my son-in-law and get away with it."

Upon hearing this, Shen Lang couldn't help but shiver. He was moved once again.

"However, our count's residence must abide by the rules in our actions. With the new policy in full swing, Tian Heng is part of the city lord's manor. As an old aristocrat, the thing the king fears most is our intervention in local affairs," the count said. "Now, countless eyes are watching us. The Prefect of Nu River County, Zhang Chong, and even the high-ranking Governor Zhu Rong, are waiting for us to make a mistake. Once there is a flaw, they will immediately pounce."

This was not an exaggeration, but rather a more severe situation than the count had described. But it was true that the count was very conservative in his dealings with people.

"Shen Lang, I told you that I would seek justice for you, and I will. But we must wait for the right moment, and not infringe any national laws or give others any advantage. Do you understand?"

"I understand," Shen Lang said.

"Do you know who else came to bring a complaint today?" the count asked.

"I don't know," Shen Lang said.

"Not only did the city lord come himself, but also General Zhang Jin, the military commander of Xuanwu City," the count said. "For such a small matter, these two big figures from Xuanwu City came personally to my house to bring a complaint against you, which is not simply about you, but about tarnishing my reputation."

The power struggle in Xuanwu City was more complicated than Shen Lang had imagined.

"You said in front of everyone that you would make Tian Heng personally break Tian San's legs tomorrow, right?" the count asked.

"Yes," Shen Lang said.

"You're just being childish. I don't blame you," the count said. "But forget about doing this. Don't go out for the next few days."

"If I can't do what I said, and if I stay holed up in the count's residence, wouldn't that mean losing face?" Shen Lang said. "Once spoken, it's like spilled water. If I can't keep my word tomorrow, and still shrink within the count's estate, wouldn't that be a loss of dignity?"

"You're being ridiculous," the count was truly angry.

Shen Lang's voice was sincere as he said, "Father-in-law, please believe me. I will definitely complete the task within the bounds of the law, without any loopholes or evidence to be found. If I don't go tomorrow, it will not only bring shame upon myself, but also upon the entire Earl's Manor."

His voice then became even more sincere as he continued, "Father-in-law, they may bully me, but they can't tarnish the reputation of the Earl's Manor, nor your reputation. Tomorrow, I will make Tian Hang break Tian Thirteen's legs right in front of me!"

Upon hearing this, the Earl also felt a surge of warmth in his heart. He thought that although Shen Lang was being reckless, he was also very considerate.

However, he remained stern and said, "Absolutely not. From now on, you are confined to the manor. Do not leave the premises."

Young people are often reckless, and as an elder, it was his responsibility to discipline them properly. Shen Lang's parents had entrusted their child to him, and he had a duty to take care of him.

"Jin Zhong, take four men and guard the gate. Young master will stay in the study and is not allowed to go anywhere," the Earl ordered.

But could this really work? Shen Lang had declared his intention to have Tian Hang personally break Tian Thirteen's legs, and now, if he couldn't follow through on his words and even stayed confined to the manor, wouldn't he be the laughingstock, a cowardly turtle?

And wouldn't Tian Hang become even more smug?

But the father-in-law was doing it for his own good, and Shen Lang knew that he mustn't be ungrateful. And facing such a traditional and stubborn elder like the Earl, he had to use gentle methods to coax him and could not act recklessly.

So Shen Lang promptly said, "Yes, father-in-law. I will obey your orders."

The Earl expressed his satisfaction, nodding and saying, "A filial son can be taught."

Shen Lang then asked, "Father-in-law, when will this confinement be lifted? When will I be free to come and go as I please?"

The Earl thought for a moment. He couldn't just confine Shen Lang to the study indefinitely, as it would make him appear tyrannical and unreasonable as the elder.

Soon, the Earl had an idea. He pulled out a book from the shelf and said, "This is the 'Golden Family Rules,' which has been passed down through generations and is the treasure of our Golden family. Our family has survived for hundreds of years largely because of this book."

"Once you have memorized this thick book of 'Golden Family Rules,' you will be able to regain your freedom. And just so you know, it took me a whole month to memorize it!"