Mei Changgong reached out to check on her, but Mei Gongxue instinctively curled into a ball, shielding her head with her hands, muttering to herself while her body trembled uncontrollably.
His hand froze in mid-air.
It was then he realized that Mei Gongxue must have been triggered, causing her to relive the harrowing memories of the torture she endured while in prison.
Mei Changgong dropped the whip he was holding and signaled for Hongxiu to gently coax Mei Gongxue and see her back, though his gaze remained fixed on her for a long time.
"Third Brother, what is wrong?" Mei Xianghan asked from the side.
Mei Changgong turned his head toward her, and upon seeing a face so similar to Mei Gongxue’s, he was momentarily dazed.
If it had been Mei Xianghan locked in that prison, being subjected to such torture...
"Has the doctor arrived?"
"I am just about to go fetch one," Xiao'e replied, her expression flustered.
Mei Changgong whipped his head around and slapped her across the face. "The young miss is ill, yet instead of calling a doctor, you run to me to complain? Do you think I can heal her?"
The more he thought about it, the angrier he became, his fists clenching until they clicked.
Terrified, Xiao'e fell to her knees. "The young miss already took her medicine after the fever, but I was worried she was suffering in silence, so I took the liberty of coming to you!"
Mei Changgong’s voice spiked. "You wretched servant! You are the one who instigated this!"
With that, he raised his hand again.
"Third Brother, what are you doing?"
Someone hurried in from the doorway—it was Mei Yanjun, accompanied by a doctor.
Seeing an outsider present, Mei Changgong lowered his hand, glared at Xiao'e, and gestured for the doctor to take Mei Xianghan’s pulse.
Mei Yanjun walked over and asked in a low voice, "What happened? The servants told me A Xiang stood outside in the freezing cold for over an hour. Did Xiaoxue intentionally vent her anger on her?"
"No!"
Mei Changgong gave a brief summary of the situation, becoming visibly agitated when he described how the sound of a whip had reduced Mei Gongxue to a cowering, terrified creature.
Mei Yanjun slowly rotated his prayer beads, seemingly deep in thought.
Kneeling on the ground, Xiao'e crawled toward him like a drowning person clutching at a straw. "Second Young Master, I am truly worried about my mistress. I fear she has been bullied and is suffering in silence, afraid to speak up!"
Mei Yanjun glanced at her, his tone cooling. "It was the Second Young Miss who went to Taohua Courtyard of her own accord. As for you servants, why didn't you dissuade her?"
He was not a man easily misled; he had identified the root of the issue immediately.
Xiao'e’s heart sank; she knew that if the responsibility fell on her, she would certainly be punished.
Her mind raced, but she held her ground. "When the young miss left, she strictly forbade me from following her. When she returned, she just cried and cried, heartbroken. I assumed the eldest young miss must have said something cruel to her, which is why I sought out the Third Young Master!"
"You assumed?" Mei Changgong’s anger flared anew. "Is it your place as a servant to speculate on the affairs of your masters?"
"I was wrong, sir!"
Xiao'e bowed her head, cold sweat beading on her forehead, too afraid to even wipe it away.
She had served Mei Xianghan since she was a child. Whenever her mistress fell ill or shed tears, the brothers would always yield to her. Why was it different with Mei Gongxue today?
*It’s true,* she thought, *ever since there were two young misses in this house, our master’s favor has been divided!*
Just then, the doctor finished preparing the medicine.
Mei Xianghan spoke weakly, "Brother, please don't blame her. It is all my fault."
Hearing her pleading tone, Mei Changgong pressed his lips together, though his brow remained furrowed.
He glared at the kneeling Xiao'e, his gaze sharp enough to cut. "You wretched slave, if I ever catch you being disrespectful to the eldest young miss again, I will break your legs!"
"Thank you, Third Young Master!"
Xiao'e’s legs turned to jelly as she rose to leave.
Mei Yanjun, his expression clear and composed, looked at Mei Changgong with slight disapproval once Xiao'e had left. "You really should temper your temper. You know how A Xiang is; if she didn't have a maid like Xiao'e looking out for her—"
"Second Brother," Mei Changgong interrupted in a low voice, "have you actually investigated who ordered the torture of Xiaoxue in the Ministry of Punishments Prison?"
Mei Yanjun shook his head. "Why bring that up now? Isn't it all in the past?"
Mei Changgong looked at him, realizing he hadn't bothered to investigate at all, and a flicker of disappointment crossed his eyes.
Mei Gongxue might have been released from prison, but the shadows left behind by that dungeon might be a nightmare she would never escape for the rest of her life!
Even the sound of a whip could send her cowering into a corner, trembling.
And she was the pampered eldest young miss of their Marquis Manor!
That coarse, terrifying whip—it was strong enough to tame even the most vicious of beasts. One could only imagine the suffering she had endured over the last six months!
Had it not been for their sister-in-law’s constant reminders, they, as her brothers, might never have thought to bring her home sooner.
Mei Changgong’s face darkened. He bent down, snatched up the whip from the floor, and began to walk toward the exit.
Mei Yanjun frowned. "Where are you going?"
Mei Changgong let out a cold snort, a murderous glint in his eyes. "I want to see who had the nerve to lay a finger on someone from our Marquis Manor!"
Mei Yanjun couldn't stop him. Worried that he would cause a catastrophe, he quickly commanded a guard: "Go and inform the eldest brother!"
…
Outside the Ministry of Punishments Prison.
A black stallion galloped up. A figure leaped from the saddle and strode forward, radiating fury.
"Halt! This is a restricted area. Who goes there?"
Before the guard could finish speaking, Mei Changgong kicked him aside and stormed into the facility.
The environment was even worse than he had imagined—the heavy, nauseating stench of blood hung in the air.
Deep within the dark prison, the sharp, agonized screams of prisoners undergoing torture pierced the silence. The scene cut him to the core.
*How did my sister survive six months in this place?*
"Such audacity! How dare you trespass in the Ministry of Punishments Prison!" Several brutal-looking jailers rushed forward, attempting to restrain him with ropes.
Mei Changgong had practiced martial arts since childhood; did he fear them?
He dodged with a flicker of motion, snatched the whip from a jailer’s hand, and lashed out, striking the guards. The jailers collapsed in a chorus of wails.
"Isn't this the Third Young Master of the Marquis Manor? What are you doing? Stop at once!"
A warden recognized him and rushed over to intervene.
But Mei Changgong’s expression remained glacial. "You recognize me now? When I sent people to ask who had tortured my sister, you were all high and mighty, showing no respect for the Marquis Manor. Don't blame me for being polite before turning to force!"
He redoubled his efforts, striking the man hard enough to knock out two teeth.
The sting of a whip was no small matter. Each blow left a crimson welt, and if the barbed tip caught skin, it would tear a small wound, spilling blood.
Mei Changgong only then realized the whip was custom-made—it even had barbs!
The fury in his eyes was like a raging fire. "Do you think there’s no one left in our Marquis Manor? I’ll skin you all alive!"
Today, he would have vengeance for his little sister!
The whip whistled through the air. The warden, terrified, covered his head and curled into a corner, just as Mei Gongxue had.
However, he felt no pain.
"Why, it’s the Third Young Master. Such refined taste, coming to the Ministry of Punishments Prison for a spot of tea?"
The man’s voice was unhurried. He was tall and slender, his manner elegant, lacking any of the boorishness one might expect from a man of violence.
Yet, he had caught the other end of the whip firmly in his palm.