Jing Xingzhi’s Daily Life in Ancient Times

Li Jiarui was in so much pain that he couldn’t hold back his tears. He sniffled and threatened Jing Xingzhi: “Ah! It hurts, it hurts me to death! Just wait, I will kill you sooner or later!”

Li Jiarui’s eyes were red, as he had never been beaten before. Being beaten suddenly made him feel aggrieved. The crying now was really from the pain.

This pitiful little appearance made Jing Xingzhi feel a little guilty. But the next second he heard Li Jiarui’s harsh words, and Jing Xingzhi took back his regret.

He put away the whip and said: “I will only give you five lashes today so that you will remember it. Next time, if you do it again, it will be doubled—ten lashes!”

After hearing this, Li Jiarui actually closed his mouth.

With his father around, no one would stop Jing Xingzhi from beating him. And he himself couldn’t beat Jing Xingzhi. What if he made another provocation… and got beaten again?

His body hurt too much. Li Jiarui didn’t even dare to say harsh words. He could only stare at Jing Xingzhi hatefully with his eyes, as if he were a hungry wolf who wanted to bite Jing Xingzhi alive and chew him up.

After Jing Xingzhi finished beating him, the imperial doctor arrived. As for the people in the various palaces, they were still on the way because they received the news slowly.

The imperial doctor took Teacher Jiang’s pulse and revealed that Teacher Jiang was so angry that he needed to take a good rest.

The teacher who was teaching in class suddenly fainted. When the news spread, Li Yunxi couldn’t sit still.

Li Yunxi had just taught Li Jiarui a lesson in the morning, but he didn’t expect that as soon as he left, it was only noon that Li Jiarui made his teacher so angry again, and this time he got sick from anger.

It seemed that his words were not listened to at all! Li Yunxi was filled with anger and angrily rushed from Kaiyang Palace in a sedan chair to the school where the prince was attending class.

Before anyone entered the house, the sound came first.

Li Yunxi’s angry voice sounded: “You bastard! Get out!”

For this bastard, there was no other candidate except Li Jiarui.

Li Jiarui’s body was in terrible pain, but Li Yunxi was still so angry. This child didn’t know how to behave at all.

Li Jiarui said aggrievedly: “He just fainted because of anger… I was also whipped five times! It hurt so much!”

In front of Li Yunxi, Li Jiarui cried and complained about the beatings.

Jing Xingzhi took a step forward and took the initiative to confess: “Back to Your Majesty, His Highness the Second Prince made Teacher Jiang angry. I was so angry that I punished him with five lashes.”

Jing Xingzhi stated the facts and did not defend himself. Talking too much would make Li Yunxi think too much.

After Li Yunxi heard these words, the anger in his heart did not dissipate, nor did he change his target. He still went toward Li Jiarui.

“I asked you to attend class well. What did you do today? You still make Teacher Jiang angry?” Li Yunxi asked in a stern tone.

Li Jiarui finally sensed something was wrong, lowered his head, and replied: “Teacher Jiang asked this son to recite, but I refused. This son’s injury hasn’t healed yet, and I keep falling asleep.”

Upon hearing Li Jiarui’s words, Teacher Jiang, who was slowly recovering, could not stay down.

Teacher Jiang, with his gray beard, fell to his knees and bent so deeply that his back was nearly level with the ground.

“Your Majesty! What His Highness said is not complete. Please listen to what I have to say!” Teacher Jiang’s voice was strained, each word seeming to come through gritted teeth and a bitter heart, filling the room with a solemn silence.

“Teacher, please rise. Why are you doing this?” Li Yunxi felt ashamed almost to the point of avoiding eye contact as he knelt to assist Teacher Jiang.

Yet, Li Yunxi couldn’t lift Teacher Jiang, illustrating the firmness of Teacher Jiang’s determination.

He just kept saying, “Your Majesty, I scolded the Second Prince for not understanding the people’s suffering. He doesn’t know how hard it is for everyone to attend school today, but he disregards his privilege.”

As Teacher Jiang said this, he suddenly lifted his head, tears in his eyes. “He actually bluntly told me that he is the prince! I really dare not continue teaching such a careless person. Please allow me to return home tomorrow.”

Being a prince indeed places one above ten thousand others. But as a prince, admired and envied by others, wealth in gold and silver was always laid out. How could such a young boy, Li Jiarui, know any suffering?

Thinking of the sight of Li Jiarui being so proud of his identity, Li Yunxi became very angry, his fists clenched as if he were about to strike someone.

But after a while, he still extended his hand to aid Teacher Jiang first. His voice contained an apology: “Since Teacher Jiang isn’t feeling well, I’ll have someone send Teacher Jiang back to his hometown tomorrow.”

After Teacher Jiang departed, Li Yunxi turned back indoors.

Li Jiarui felt pain on his body, so he summoned a eunuch to take off his clothes and apply medicine to his back.

His clothes were removed, and the faint marks were visible to Li Yunxi, who had just entered the room.

Seeing the marks that were otherwise invisible, Li Yunxi immediately recalled Li Jiarui’s voice saying that he was in pain from the lashes, fueling his anger even further.

Li Yunxi rolled up his yellow sleeves, ready to confront someone.

Jing Xingzhi reached out from the side and grasped Li Yunxi’s sleeve. “Senior brother, wait a moment.”

“Why are you stopping me? Shouldn’t he be punished?!” Li Yunxi demanded of Jing Xingzhi.

“It’s not about whether he should be punished or not. It’s that you’re not calm enough right now, senior brother. I fear you may act without reason,” Jing Xingzhi said with a troubled expression, because reforming a wayward child required both carrot and stick.

Li Jiarui’s misbehavior stemmed from habit. But after so many years of lenience, could he truly change through punishment? It might either break his spirit entirely or drive him to rebellion and darkness.

‘Of course, that’s not the point. The point is—Senior brother, it’s time to reform him through proper discipline and hardship!’