When Mrs. Zhou brought Gu Ruosu and Xie Haowen to the main hall, Gu Ruosu discovered that she was not the only one crying with her head in her arms. Mrs. Ji from the House of the Minister of the Ministry of Finance and Mrs. Wu from the Imperial Household, who had arrived early, She was a shrew who was famous for her toughness in Kyoto, but now she was like a tigress with her teeth pulled out, holding a handkerchief and weeping there. It really pitied the hearts of parents all over the world.
The culprit, Deng Boyi, was sitting calmly on the chair. Even though there was a bandage on his head, there was no trace of guilt on his face. Madam Zhou, who had always been generous, couldn't help but sigh when she saw this scene. square.
It is said that sadness is contagious. Gu Ruosu finally stopped crying, but now she saw several "mothers" crying, and her eyes became red again. As soon as she sat down on the seat, she also took out the He put on his handkerchief and began to wipe away his tears. This was not Gu Ruosu's pretentiousness at all, it was just an uncontrollable feeling in his bones. It should be the relapse of the original owner's remaining consciousness.
Xie Haowen was no longer as calm as before. His brows were furrowed, and his face was full of lawsuits and worries. Xie Haowen took out the handkerchief from his arms three times, trying to wipe away the tears on Gu Ruosu's face. , but in the end, he still failed to take out the handkerchief and stared at Gu Ruosu with complicated eyes for a while.
"Madams, you might as well accept your love for your son for a moment or two. The top priority is how to deal with the aftermath. Since the sons of each family were injured for no reason, naturally we should seek justice for the young men. ." Xie Haowen withdrew his gaze from Gu Ruosu, returned to his previous calm appearance at a speed visible to the naked eye, and said.
"What Mr. Xie said makes sense. Since my son has been injured, first of all, we should ask the imperial doctor to take good care of him. Secondly, we should seek justice for my son." Mrs. Ji was the first to realize what Xie Haowen meant. Hurry to respond.
"My parents haven't come yet, why have you started discussing what to do with me?!" Deng Boyi was not a stupid person after all. He immediately realized that this situation was wrong and stood up to retort.
"We are all victims, and you are the perpetrator. Why can't we discuss how to deal with you? Is it possible that this is the case for the tutors in your Marquis Mansion? If the elders speak, you, as a junior, can interrupt at will." Xie Haowen spoke lightly. , but his eyes were deep and cold, like the cold of three winters, which made Deng Boyi feel stiff and did not dare to refute.
"Master Prime Minister, you are familiar with the law, why don't you express your opinion." Mrs. Wu said.
"There is no need to distinguish between laws and punishments. We can resolve matters between young people as long as they understand the truth."
"Master Xiang, what do you mean?"
Xie Haowen did not speak, but just pushed the tea to Gu Ruosu's side. Gu Ruosu picked up the tea cup, looked at the tea leaves floating on the water and slowly sinking in the cup, pondered for a moment and said:
"Pay debts with money, kill with life."
"Since Mr. Deng has beaten someone, we don't want Mr. Deng to pay for compensation. We, the victims, can only count the total number of wounds on our son's body, how severe they are, and determine the corresponding number of boards. After the beating, we will not pursue any further investigation." ."
"My son is the most seriously injured. The imperial doctor said before I came to this hall that there are 32 wounds on my son's body, 92 bruises, redness and swelling, of which 20 are serious injuries. One bruise has one board, one serious injury has five boards, and the rest One wound counts as 3 boards, but for my son, Mr. Deng should pay 228 boards."
Gu Ruosu's expression was serious, his smile was gone, and when he said this, his tone was as calm as if he was talking about simple household matters.
Madam Zhou on the side saw this and couldn't help but sympathize with Deng Boyi in her heart, but this thought was only fleeting. Deng Boyi had been in the land of fireworks since he was a child, and he was also a frequent visitor to casino games. It's your own fault.
The families of the victims in the audience also felt that the method proposed by the Xie family was quite pertinent. It hit the target that should be hit. It did not take advantage of the Deng family at all. It could also settle the matter and vent their anger on their own children. It was the best of both worlds. .
"Then Mr. Deng owes my family 80 yuan."
"My house should have 92 boards."
"..."
"..."
"Young Master Deng doesn't have to look like a disheveled person. Unlike Mr. Deng, our family is all reasonable people. There are examples of loan sharking among the people and it can be repaid in installments. Naturally, the money Mr. Deng owes us can be a dozen or a dozen in half a month." The more you pay every month, the more interest you will receive from the private sector." Xie Haowen added at the end.
"You are all unreasonable people and you go too far! I...I will definitely sue my parents when I turn around! Let my parents make the decision for me!"
"We have nothing to do with Mr. Deng. I only know that our Xie family is absolutely no coward. We are not afraid of trouble and will not make trouble. Mr. Deng is already past his prime, so he should understand that since he has the guts to touch our Xie family, , slapped our Xie family in the face, we must be prepared to bear the consequences of our Xie family’s anger.”
"What the Prime Minister said makes sense. Although my husband is only a small imperial eunuch, he is from a good family. There is no reason to just let go of those who hurt my son!"
"The same goes for my family!"
Several families of victims were filled with indignation in the hall, vowing not to let Deng Yiyi go. But at this moment, they heard a arrogant female voice coming from the door: "I see that you are relying on your seniority and starting to bully my son for your own selfish desires." Are you bullying me because there is no one behind you?!"
When Deng Boyi heard this, his face was filled with joy. He immediately stood up and ran to the door: "Mother! You are here! The child has been harmed by them!"
Deng Boyi slowly walked in while supporting an elegant white-haired old woman with gold ornaments on her head.
The old woman stood directly in front of Mrs. Zhou and motioned for her to give up her seat. Mrs. Zhou's face darkened, but she gave up her seat despite her seniority.
"Just now, the prime minister said that my son intervened in the conversation between the elders at will, which is really wrong. I am the same generation as your mother, and we are my own children. The game should be with your equals. What's the point of discussing things between equals? No? Could it be that the Prime Minister deceived my son because he was bullying me?" The old woman sat on her seat and said with a smile.
"Mrs. Deng is joking, if your son has real talent and knowledge, even if I deliberately deceive, he will not be deceived by me. But if he has nothing in his mind, he will be deceived even if I do not intend to deceive."
"Oh, thank you Prime Minister for your eloquence. I won't argue with the Prime Minister on this matter. Let's discuss today's affairs."
"Oh, since Mrs. Deng wants to discuss it, let's have a good discussion." said the grumpy Mrs. Wu.
"This is my son's fault. He deserves to be beaten or punished. However, my son has me and his father to discipline him, so I won't bother you to teach him for me. However, I will not let your young masters be beaten in vain. , Our Deng Mansion will definitely provide an even amount of the money needed for the treatment of your young master. In addition, when your young master recovers, I will ask my son to go to your house in person to apologize, how about that?"
"Compensate? Apologize? Mrs. Deng, you can really say it!" Mrs. Ji said angrily.
"Mrs. Ji calm down, you might as well listen to what I say. If there is a conflict between the two parties, both parties must be at fault. It's just a matter of whose fault is bigger and whose fault is smaller. Although the fault is bigger in the game, in the end it is the elders. The elders It is not an unforgivable crime to tamper with the education of the younger generation, so you don’t have to worry about it, lest you lose your status.”
"We are all well-established families in the officialdom, why should we hurt the harmony over trivial matters between our own children? If Concubine Xian and the Fifth Prince find out in the palace, we will make a fool of ourselves over this trivial matter. , I guess it’s the one to blame.”
As soon as these words came out, everyone was livid with anger. Mrs. Deng's remarks were simply the words of a gangster. The theory of victim guilt was unimaginable. Mrs. Deng really said it out loud, and she had the nerve to use her seniority. And force to suppress people? !
"Why do you blame me? It's your son who can't afford to lose, not my son. It's your son who beats people, not my son. It's your son who beats people up, not my son." Gu Ruosu said.
"But my son is the elder son of your family. Letting the younger generation accept the apology gift from the elder has already shortened the younger generation's life. Is it possible that you still want the elder to be beaten for beating the younger one?! I'm not afraid of being criticized by the censor and messing up my respect. Humble etiquette.”
"What kind of elders? Where do you get such arrogant elders? Mrs. Deng, let's talk about my family and your family first. First of all, you and I are the same generation. Although my Liulang is young, he is not senior. He should be the same as your family. Young Master Deng is my equal. Secondly, my son is a Juren. He is only one step away from the palace examination. He is a person with great fame and honor. Young Master Deng has not officially ascended the throne. To put it nicely, he is a son of a noble family. To put it worst, that is, Bai Ding, Bai Ding beat up the father-in-law, I don’t know what the crime should be? If you ask me, it’s a light thing to beat him up. Even if he has to go to the Kaifeng government office, I, the Xie family, won’t be afraid.”
Without giving Mrs. Deng a chance to refute, Gu Ruosu said again: "Besides, the matter of Young Master Deng and several other young men. Although Young Master Deng is a good elder, as the saying goes, a nephew can beat an uncle for a reason. This shows that in this world The most important thing is not who is senior to whom, what should be seen is who is doing right and who is doing wrong. The young men just tried to break up the fight and did not ridicule Mr. Deng. Mr. Deng not only said bad words to each other, but also It was a mistake that added insult to injury. Is it possible that someone of any age can still go beyond legal principles?!" Gu Ruosu spoke aggressively and pressed forward step by step. The angry Mrs. Deng did not say a single rebuttal for most of the day.
"But you are not all at fault. The wound on my son's forehead was inflicted by your people! If we really want to fight! None of you can escape!"
"Mrs. Deng didn't know that this wound was caused by Liu Lang of the Liang family. It has no direct relationship with us. Moreover, it was Young Master Deng who injured Liu Lang of the Liang family and made a big fuss about his birthday party. None of this is a trivial matter. To put it seriously, people and gods are indignant. Mrs. Deng insists on clinging to this matter. If she is so troublesome, I don’t mind asking Mrs. Zhou to hand a piece of paper to the Yamen of Yousi. The two families are doing well. To put it bluntly, I am not very talented. Before I officially became an official, I worked as a lawyer for several years. If Mrs. Zhou doesn’t mind, I can go back to my old profession." Xie Haowen looked at Mrs. Deng. He looked quite careless and no longer worried about the saying that "men should be careful not to participate in women's verbal disputes", and said.
Mrs. Zhou was not initially prepared to settle accounts with the Deng family. Instead, in the spirit of her master, she hoped that this farce would end soon. However, the Deng family never gave her a good look from childhood to old age, and always treated her with a nose. Look at people, she still wants to drag her innocent baby son into the water, it is really intolerable!
Mrs. Zhou said firmly: "That's it. My son has always had a gentle temper. He never said anything to hurt anyone, let alone do it?! It can be seen that rabbits will bite when they are anxious! If Mrs. Deng treats my Liang family If you really have such a big opinion, even if I have to risk my face, I wouldn’t mind arguing with Mrs. Deng in court.”
"You... you... are bullying the few with more! No one in the Deng family is bullying me, right! Okay! I'm also telling you today that we can compensate you for the gift, and we can give you as much money as you want! But! Board! I will never allow you to fight!"
"I have asked Da Naqiao for a favor today. I am the royal wife and the prince's maternal wife. If I can't protect my son, how can I have the face to face the ancestors of the Deng family!" Mrs. Deng said angrily. And he slapped the table and stood up.
"You have no words to see me. It would be nice if our Xie family had the face to see you. If I really follow your wishes, Mrs. Deng, today, I would like to thank Haowen Zhen for being a brother, a son, and a family member. "
"Exactly!"
"Exactly!"
Mrs. Wu and Mrs. Ji also stood up and echoed, Mrs. Deng just likes to ask Dana to take Qiao [shamelessly], then they don't mind those who are more shameless than her. As mothers, they are strong, and they are doing it for the sake of their sons. To be fair, there is nothing to be afraid of!
"Hmph! I guess you don't want to make peace with my family. In this case, there is no need for our family to continue talking. Come on, come home!" Mrs. Deng said with a sneer.
"Mrs. Deng, what are you doing! Maybe you want to protect your son!"
"If we don't decide the outcome today! Mrs. Deng and Young Master Deng would be better off not leaving!"
"Mrs. Deng, a person needs a face and a tree needs a bark. You really have to do this for your son..."
"..."
"..."
Everyone swarmed up and blocked the way of Mrs. Deng and Deng Yiyi, unwilling to let the "culprit" leave so easily.
Mrs. Deng, on the other hand, seemed to have planned it in advance. All the servants she brought with her were very skilled. Even though the opponent was outnumbered, she was not at a disadvantage at all. It seemed that the breakout was just a matter of time.
"That's enough! Please be quiet!" The crowd's noisy voice almost lifted the roof. Gu Ruosu, who couldn't bear it anymore, broke the cup and shouted loudly.
Gu Ruosu watched the people around him finally calm down, then sighed softly, then straightened up, walked to Mrs. Deng and said: "Holding a child is like killing a son, Mrs. Deng, we can understand your love for your son. I may even pity you, but if you indulge him blindly, sooner or later, you will regret it. Besides, he is your son, not ours, and we will never feel sorry for him."
"Today, I, Gu Ruosu, will put these words here. You must not take Mrs. Deng away with you. I must also beat you on the board, and I must invite the executioner in the military camp to do it!"
"You...you...are killing me!" Madam Deng immediately had a heart attack and couldn't breathe. She didn't know what kind of medicine Gu Ruosu had taken to become so "crazy" , like the King of Hell, her precious son must not fall into the hands of Gu Ruosu and suffer!
"You just brought some housekeepers and servants, but all my people have been on the battlefield and shed blood! I don't believe I can't leave today!" Mrs. Deng finally regained the feeling of normal heartbeat and said.
As soon as he finished speaking, several people quickly started to confront each other again, and they seemed to have a tendency to take action.
"Stop it, all of us!"
At this moment, Xie Ruqing, the dusty Duke of Yan, and Mr. Deng, the head of the Deng family, the Marquis of Flattery and the general of Weibei, walked in from outside the house side by side.
"Dad! You're here, we two have suffered a lot!" Seeing the visitor, Mrs. Deng and Deng Yi rushed forward and cried to Mr. Deng.
And Gu Ruosu, who had been holding on until now, saw Xie Ruqing gradually approaching him, and the tight thread in his heart finally relaxed, as if he had found some incredible support, and finally, dripping hot blood flowed out With tears in his eyes, he collapsed on his chair.
Xie Ruqing quickly held Gu Ruosu's waist, hugged her into her arms, and gently wiped away her tears: "Okay, you are great. You have managed to hold up so well. Leave the rest to me..."
