Chapter 404: Punishment and Education

In the small courtyard before the ancestral hall, as Jia Jing gave an order, more than twenty guards stepped forward simultaneously, moving extremely quickly,

Like several dozen leopards pouncing into a flock of sheep, they quickly bound the hands of Jia Qiang, Jia Rui, Jia Qin and the others, and led them away.

Originally these people were still shouting or crying out injustice or begging for mercy, but upon hearing Jia Jing say that those who shouted would receive an additional thirty strokes,

Each one, frightened into silence like a cicada in winter, saw their voices visibly weaken, and by the time they were led out their legs had gone weak.

Then two more guards walked into the main hall of the ancestral shrine, and after a moment Jia Baoyu was brought out.

His knees were dusty, his eye sockets dark, his face still bore wet tear tracks, and having knelt all night he could obviously no longer walk.

When he was laid face-down on the bench before the stone steps, he instantly trembled like a frightened chick, his whole body shaking like chaff in a sieve.

The guards pressed the individuals onto the long bench, then began the punishment, raising the board high and striking down repeatedly.

The sound of the board striking flesh was dull and heavy, like a hammer hitting wet cloth.

At first a few could not help crying out in pain, emitting short, sharp wails, but later their voices grew much weaker, eventually becoming almost inaudible.

Seeing the harsh beating, everyone in the courtyard turned pale with shock.

Jia Dairu watched his own grandson Jia Rui, who was being beaten and wailing in anguish; his aged face showed a complex shift, a flicker of pity crossing his eyes, and he could not help pleading with Jia Jing:

"Duke, the clansmen have committed faults; beating or scolding them is easy for you. I am not speaking up for them to seek mercy."

"But these thirty strokes are indeed too many; if delivered in full force, I fear they would be beaten to death. Don't you think we should be lenient?"

Jia Dairu ultimately still felt pity; don't look at his words claiming it's merely his old grandmother doting on the grandson.

But he himself certainly loves and cherishes him as well; he just doesn't show it as obviously, keeping it deeper inside!

After all, Jia Rui is the sole surviving sprout from his deceased son, the only bloodline of their family; how could he possibly be completely indifferent?

Otherwise, as the head of the household, if he truly decided to discipline Jia Rui, unlike Jia Zheng who still has his mother Jia Mu above him, relying only on his own wife, how could he possibly be stopped?

Thus Jia Dairu and Jia Zheng are actually different; he merely appears strict in speech, while his inner indulgence is hardly less!

"If they're beaten to death, so be it! They're nothing but ignorant, good-for-nothing wastrels; even alive they're just wasting grain."

"Now that they're dead, it also saves future trouble that would disgrace the ancestors and bring calamity upon the clan," Jia Jing said with a cold expression.

Law enforcement must be strict; since today is about rectifying clan customs, to give those present a warning, Jia Jing naturally could not show any room for leniency or compromise!

However, having said that, death should not actually occur.

Don't look at the force being harsh; the guards apply measured blows, using skillful strength, basically ensuring they injure flesh but not bone.

After all, learning from past mistakes to prevent future ones, his aim is to cure and save people, not really to beat anyone to death!

Of course, if someone is truly too frail, then if they die, they die—it's no big deal!

Upon hearing these words, Jia Dairu felt as if struck by lightning; his face instantly turned as white as paper, his eyes filled with a hint of panic and dread.

After a moment of silence, he couldn't help but turn his gaze to Jia Zheng beside him: "Your Baoyu is about to be beaten to death—don't you have anything to say?"

Meanwhile Jia Zheng completely failed to notice Jia Dairu's gaze, merely staring blankly at Baoyu undergoing the beating, his face seemingly bearing a strange sense of a wish fulfilled.

Beside him, Jia Daixiu likewise showed a touch of shock on his face; Jia Jing's words of "icy cold" made him feel a chill despite himself.

"If they're beaten to death, so be it," such indifferent words—even Jia Daishan and Jia Daihua back then would not have said them so casually!

For a moment the courtyard fell into silence, only the "crackling" sound of the board strikes remained, and no one dared to speak up for mercy.

Simply because the youth standing before everyone now is not merely the clan chief of the Jia family!

He is also a first-rank duke and champion grand general of the court, truly capable of matching the ancestors' achievements and whose renown spreads across the four seas—a peerless hero……

At this moment Jia Zheng's face bore a hint of satisfaction; he withdrew his gaze from Baoyu and sighed:

"Usually, when this evil spawn of our family makes a mistake, it's harder for me as his father to give him a lesson than to climb to heaven."

"Today, with Jing'er enforcing the law impartially, it also fulfills one of my wishes."

"If minor faults are not punished, indulgence will later lead to lawlessness, patricide and regicide—then regret will come too late!"

"But our family's wicked creature is a stubbornly obstinate nature that won't change despite repeated teaching; I don't know how long these thirty strokes will keep him in line."

"In my view, we might as well find a rope and strangle him to death, to eliminate future trouble!"

Jia Dairu and Jia Daixiu turned grim, looking at each other: "……"

Could he have gone mad? What nonsense is he spouting?

Jia Jing somewhat understood Jia Zheng's feelings, furrowed his brows, and said:

"Uncle, you needn't worry too much; this morning the old lady came to me pleading, and I already told her."

"Baoyu must not only receive the board punishment; after his wounds heal, he must also reside regularly at the clan school under confinement, returning to the mansion only once every six months."

"Furthermore, his heir-apparent status is to be cancelled; from now on the second branch will focus on cultivating Lan Ge'er."

"Jade uncarved is not a vessel; a person uneducated does not know righteousness; Baoyu's nature is not terribly bad."

"The fault lies in the old lady and the Wang clan's limitless indulgence, which has raised him to be weak, selfish, lazy, lacking responsibility and devoid of a man's backbone."

"I have also just spoken with the third younger sister and the eldest elder sister; from now on the youths of the mansion must focus on responsibility education, setback education, and independent education."

"Indulgence, if not paired with 'ability,' 'boundaries,' and 'responsibility,' will instead become a covert form of abuse."

"It may seem like protection and pampering, but in fact it deprives them of the space to experience setbacks, grow into adults, and become self-reliant."

Jia Jing and Jia Zheng discussed Baoyu's educational issues in detail, and also brought up the punishment decisions concerning Baoyu and Lady Wang.

In short, punishment is punishment, education is education; punishment serves better education, and this point must be explained clearly.

When Jia Jing's words were spoken, the solemn expressions of Jia Dairu, Jia Daixiu, and the nearby clansmen eased slightly, and they secretly sighed:

"Although the Duke's hand is harsh, his intentions are also good!"

"Moreover, even the heirs and ladies of the two mansions are being dealt with this harshly; imposing strict constraints on the clansmen seems hardly inappropriate!"

"Compared like this, suddenly it doesn't seem so hard to accept in one's heart!"

"On the contrary, having such a wise, decisive, just and impartial clan leader at the helm makes the family's future truly promising……"