When Hua Dingzong saw the horsewhip, a tremor shot through him.
He swallowed hard and asked cautiously.
"What are you going to do, Your Highness?"
Li Ji took the horsewhip and gave a cold smile. "You all think I’m vindictive, don’t you? Well then, today I’ll show you just how vindictive I can be."
With that, he lashed out with the whip.
The tip of the whip struck viciously across Hua Dingzong’s leg.
The blow instantly tore through his trousers, laying open the flesh beneath as blood began to flow.
He cried out in agony, staggering before collapsing onto one knee.
Everyone else present was left dumbfounded by the sudden violence.
They never imagined Prince Zhao would strike so suddenly, without the slightest hesitation.
Although Hua Dingzong was just a minor Elder Zhong’an, incomparable to Prince Zhao, he was still a titled nobleman. Even the Crown Prince himself couldn’t just beat him so brutally at will.
’How could Prince Zhao dare?’
Li Ji glanced at the blood staining the tip of the whip, seeming dissatisfied. He clicked his tongue softly.
"That was too light."
’If he were still in his pri, a single lash would have been enough to snap Hua Dingzong’s bones.’
’But now, all he could manage was a re flesh wound.’
Li Ji raised the horsewhip and struck again, just as hard.
This ti, the whip landed on Hua Dingzong’s other leg.
With both legs injured, he lost his footing and collapsed to his knees.
The pain drained all the color from Hua Dingzong’s face, and his entire body trembled.
Such humiliation filled Hua Dingzong with both hatred and fury.
He lifted his head to look at Prince Zhao in his wheelchair, his voice trembling as he asked.
"Your Highness, you are brutally beating a titled nobleman. Are you not afraid of being impeached by the officials?"
Li Ji drawled in response, "Do you think this is the first ti the officials have tried to impeach ? Take a look. Have they ever once succeeded?"
Hua Dingzong was speechless.
’The current Emperor truly did favor Prince Zhao. The morials impeaching the prince were nurous enough to form a small mountain, yet the Emperor paid them no heed. The rewards he bestowed upon Prince Zhao, anwhile, remained as lavish as ever.’
Li Ji looked at the kneeling Elder Zhong’an and smiled, perfectly at ease.
"Believe it or not, even if I beat you to death right here today, I would walk away without any consequences."
Hua Dingzong saw the killing intent in his eyes.
’This wasn’t an empty threat. He really ant it!’
The spark of anger that had just begun to flare in Hua Dingzong’s heart was extinguished in an instant.
In its place was a bottomless terror.
At this, the old madam finally snapped back to her senses and began to plead frantically.
"Your Highness, please be rciful! Spare my son just this once!"
Though Lady He resented Hua Dingzong, they had been married for many years. She couldn’t bring herself to just stand by and watch him be beaten to death, so she hastily joined in begging for rcy.
Hua Qingqing naturally did the sa.
Li Ji, however, didn’t even glance at them.
He only looked at Hua Manman, his tone unreadable.
"Do you think I should spare Elder Zhong’an?"
Hua Manman said, "Let it go."
’She didn’t want Prince Zhao to commit murder over sothing so trivial.’
’Even if Prince Zhao could act with impunity thanks to the Emperor’s favor, she believed that nothing in this world could be squandered indefinitely.’
’The day the Emperor’s favor finally ran out, the life he took today would co back to haunt him tenfold.’
’And Hua Manman didn’t want that day to ever co.’
’She wanted him to leave himself a way out.’
Li Ji heard her thoughts.
The murderous intent in his eyes gradually faded, replaced by stillness.
Li Ji casually tossed the whip to Chen Wangbei and settled back into his usual lazy slouch.
"How dull. Let’s head back."
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