Stealing the Pen: Kirin's Primordial Lotus

Gong Shangjiao stood quietly, his eyes fixed on the front. Gong Ziyu was seen holding Gong Zishang's hand and running towards them in a hurry. Although the two looked a little embarrassed, judging from their flexible movements and quick reactions, they were quite smart.

Just an exchange of glances, and Jin Fu on the side nodded in understanding, indicating that he had understood his master's next intention.

Gong Shangjiao turned around, faced Zhao Yuanzhou, clasped his fists and bowed, saying, "Sorry to bother you, Lord Zhao, but I hope you can take my disappointing brother and frightened sister back to the carriage to rest for a while."

Zhao Yuanzhou hurriedly bowed in return, smiling and saying, "No, no, Master Gong, you are too kind. This is my job, and I will do my best."

After getting Zhao Yuanzhou's agreement, Gong Shangjiao winked at Jin Fu. Jin Fu understood and immediately led a group of guards to rush into Mantingfang like a tiger descending from a mountain. They acted quickly and decisively. In the blink of an eye, they subdued all the guards who usually acted as accomplices to the tiger, and also arrested the terrified proprietress. At the same time, the young men who were originally timidly lying on the railings and peeking upstairs were also mercilessly taken downstairs by the guards.

The boys were all pale and trembling, obviously frightened by what had just happened. One of the older boys mustered up his courage, suppressed his fear, and stammered, "Excuse me...are you here to save us?"

Jin Fu held the knife in his backhand and blocked Gong Shangjiao. "Someone will come to check on your situation in a while. If you have relatives, we will send someone to take you home. If you have no relatives alive, we will take you in to the Gongmen Tzu Chi Hall."

"Brother Guard, I don't have any family anymore! My hometown is in Yanzhou, where there was an invasion by demons. My family all died in that invasion, and I was sold here by Hua Guaizi."

"Brother Guard, I was sold here by my family. Because my parents passed away early, I lived with my uncle since I was a child. But the situation was turbulent and my uncle's family was running out of food, so I was sold for dozens of taels of silver."

"Brother Guard, I grew up in a beggar's den. I have no family. After the old beggar who adopted me died, I was abducted here."

"Brother Guard, I don't want to go home! Everyone in my family wants to kill me so they can share some of the family property."

……

Jin Fu looked at these young men who were only thirteen or fourteen years old. This should have been the age when they could blossom freely, but they had gone through so many hardships.

Jin Fu turned around and looked at Gong Shangjiao in embarrassment, "Master Jiao, what should we do?"

“Take them all to Tzu Chi Hall!”

After Gong Shangjiao finished speaking, he returned to the carriage.

Inside the carriage, Gong Zishang had recovered from his shock, but was still frightened. He was wearing a light purple feather gauze cloak that Gong Yuanzheng had brought with him, and holding a cup of hot tea in his hand, he sat there in a daze.

"How is the young lady?"

"Brother, my sister was frightened too much. When we get back to the palace, make her a bowl of soothing soup. After she has a good sleep, she may be fine tomorrow."

Gong Yuanzheng didn't know what happened to Gong Zishang in there, but when he saw Gong Zishang, who had disheveled hair and messy clothes and was supported by Gong Ziyu, he knew that it was probably not a good thing.

However, Gong Yuanzheng was still angry at Gong Ziyu this time. It would have been fine if he just came out to drink by himself, but he actually brought a woman like Gong Zishang with him.

It would have been fine if he had just come, but he actually made someone suffer such a thing. If people outside saw it, I'm afraid Gong Zishang would be badly injured if he didn't die when he returned to the palace this time.

At this time, Gong Yuanzheng had to admire his brother's arrangement. He asked Jin Fu to take people to clear out the people near the teahouse, so that Gong Zishang's appearance was not seen by outsiders.

Gong Shangjiao didn't say a word after he got into the carriage until he returned to the palace gate. He then dragged Gong Ziyu directly towards the Elders' Council.

Gong Yuanzheng and Gong Zishang did not get off the carriage, but let the carriage go directly to Zheng Palace.

After all, Shang Palace is not a good place. There is an old Shang Palace Master who wants to bring Gong Zishang down every day. If he knew that Gong Zishang came back in disheveled clothes and with dishevelled hair, I am afraid that Shang Palace will really have to change its Master.

Zheng Palace is the safest place inside the palace except for the back mountain, so Gong Yuanzheng took Gong Zishang directly back to Zheng Palace.

"Lue'e, take the young lady downstairs to wash up! Remember to stay away from people and don't let too many people know about this."

"Bai Xue Tower, go and teach those newcomers in the palace what they should and shouldn't see."

The woman in the light green skirt embroidered with plum blossoms, mist and hundreds of flowers supported Gong Zishang as they walked towards the guest house, while the woman in the moon-white skirt embroidered with peonies, mist and butterflies walked in another direction.

Gong Shangjiao dragged Gong Ziyu all the way to the Elders' Council and was seen by countless servants, maids and guards. Gong Ziyu went from being angry at first to embarrassed and finally feeling ashamed. He then buried his head in the cloak he was wearing, as if no one could see him that way.

In the Elders' Court, when they were sitting together drinking tea and enjoying the rare good sunshine inside the palace gate, they heard the guards say that Master Jiao was coming over with a sword.

The three elders of Xueyuehua looked at each other, not understanding how Gong Ziyu was caught by Gong Shangjiao again! But what can they do? They chose Zhiren, so they have to give him some face!

"Shang Jiao! What happened again?"

"That's right! After all, Zi Yu is holding a sword now. You can't embarrass him in front of the palace guards like this!"

"No matter what, Gong Ziyu is also a blade wielder. How can you treat him like this? Shang Jiao, where are your rules?"

Gong Shangjiao looked at the three elders who were anxiously trying to excuse Gong Ziyu before they even heard what mistake Gong Ziyu had made. For the first time, he wanted to leave.

"The three elders seem to have not heard what I said about Gong Ziyu's actions. Why are you so anxious to excuse him? Do the three elders also know how terrible the blade holder you chose is?"

When Gong Shangjiao dragged Gong Ziyu into the hall of the Council of Elders, Gong Ziyu had already found the right position and knelt down with a plop. His movements were so smooth as if he was already used to it.

Elder Xue was the first to speak just now, and now he is a little annoyed, but there is no reason to take back the words that have been spoken.

"Well, Shang Jiao, tell me what did Zi Yu do?"

"Elder Xue, do you know that Gong Ziyu just ran out of the palace with the eldest lady and went to the teahouse to drink?"

"Gong Ziyu! How dare you, as a Blade Bearer, run out of the palace without permission!" Elder Hua had the most explosive temper. When he heard that Gong Ziyu had not yet restrained his previous playboy nature, he became even more angry.

"Old Hua! Don't get excited, don't get excited!" Elder Yue had the mildest temper. Looking at the furious Elder Hua, he quickly tried to calm him down.

"Shang Jiao! Going to a teahouse to drink is better than going to a brothel to drink and have fun! But Gong Ziyu, it would be fine if you sneaked out by yourself, but you even took Gong Zishang with you!"

Elder Xue had no children of his own, so he loved Gong Ziyu, who had grown up under his nose, as his own child. So now he hoped to rescue Gong Ziyu from Gong Shangjiao first. After all, it was Gong Ziyu who took Gong Zishang out of the palace, and the most he could do was kneel down and copy the family rules.

"If it was just a teahouse, it would be fine, but he took the young lady to a brothel! He was even detained by the proprietress because of this! He himself may have had some problems, but the young lady is different!"

Gong Shangjiao looked at Gong Ziyu, who was kneeling straight with his head covered with a cloak, and he really wanted to stab him with a knife.

"What!!!!"

"Shang Jiao! Did you see it wrong? Why would Zi Yu go to a place like that?!"

"Where did Gong Ziyu go?"

"How is Zi Shang? Is she okay?"

Although old man Hua Chang is hot-tempered and pays special attention to rules, he still cares about the blood relatives in the palace. Just like now, when I heard Gong Shangjiao say that Gong Zishang was in trouble, I was the first person to care.

"Replying to Elder Hua, the eldest lady was frightened. Shang Jiao has asked Yuan Zheng to take her to Zheng Palace for recuperation."

Gong Shangjiao looked at the other two elders who only cared about Gong Ziyu, and then compared them with Elder Hua, who also loved Gong Ziyu but was not biased, and the difference was immediately apparent.

"That's fine, that's fine!"

Elder Hua heaved a sigh of relief when he heard that Gong Zishang had been taken to Zheng Palace. After all, the massacre ten years ago had led to the demise of the palace's direct lineage, and they had just experienced the killing of Old Zhiren and the young master.

"Gong Ziyu! Do you know you are wrong?"

"Zi Yu knows he is wrong, and he is willing to accept any punishment!"

Gong Ziyu knew very well that if it weren't for him, Gong Zishang would not have suffered such a thing.

"From now on, you will be punished to kneel in the ancestral hall for two hours. The punishment will last for two months. After the punishment, you will be confined to your home for two months. During the confinement period, you must hand-copy the family rules three hundred times."

"Zi Yu accepts the punishment!"

Gong Shangjiao personally took Gong Ziyu to the ancestral hall to be punished.

"I hope this punishment can clear your muddled head!"

Gong Shangjiao left the ancestral hall after he finished speaking. Gong Ziyu's spine, which had been straight just now, bent down after Gong Shangjiao left. He was still kneeling, but his head was buried between his thighs, silently shedding tears.