The Empress' Livestream

Chapter 550: Beat the Dog Before the Lion (I)

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

“Lord, you’re really...”

Naughty!

Feng Jin was struck dumb, but he could not do anything. After all, her subordinates could only live as they wished if their lord was happy.

“I know that gossip is a fearful thing and that flogging elders will bring criticism. However, this is the rule of the military camp. If I show mercy today, does that mean that everyone can come to stir up trouble? Elders should be even more sensible. Do you want me to let such a shameless old woman go?”

Of course, Feng Jin was aware of the importance of beating the dog before the lion. If the rafter which had stuck out was not removed, it would be difficult to repair in the future.

Jiang Pengji glanced at the younger female soldier. Seeing that she looked worried, Jiang Pengji felt more satisfied.

She said, “You should be thankful that you’ve made a decision that’s very different from your sister’s. Otherwise, you and your sister would both be ruined for the rest of your lives.”

The viewers in the streaming room only then realized what was going on. They came to understand the other meaning of Jiang Pengji’s words.

Duomaomao Baobei: “Now that I think about it, their family obviously doesn’t regard the sisters as their family. They treat them more like objects. Think about how the old woman cursed just now. It’s not wrong to say that they’re enemies. Just like what the streamer says, so what if she has fighting power? The female soldier, the older sister, resisted the guard in a skillful manner just now, but her heart has crumbled and she can’t even stand up. Now, her army status has been stripped and she’ll never be hired. It’s not known as to how her family will torture her. Fortunately, her sister is smart and not silly...”

Xuhuan Zhicheng: “To tell the truth, I’m quite unhappy with the female soldier’s act. The streamer has already said that she’ll support her. She should know how disgusting her family is, but she still chooses to meekly submit to oppression. According to the development of events, I think she won’t have a happy ending by returning home and getting married.”

How could it be good?

Her husband was eyeing her position in the military camp and thought that it would be useful to marry her. Now that she had been expelled from the military, she had become a common civilian. The marriage would be called off. Even if it was not, she would be tortured to death if she got married.

Muse Xiyang: “That’s why the streamer says that the younger sister is smart and that she’s not as silly as her sister. The younger sister is still in the military camp and she’s still a centurion. Although it isn’t a high position, it’s already amazing for the commoners. With the younger sister being in the military camp to support her elder sister, no matter how miserable her elder sister’s life is, she won’t get to the point where she has no courage to live on. If the younger sister is silly too... Haha.”

There was no need to say the remaining words. The audience in the streaming room knew what the user was going to say.

If the younger sister was also foolish and got expelled from the military and lost her position of centurion, when the sisters returned home, they would just be obedient daughters who were unconditionally filial to their family in the eyes of others. Everything that their family did to them would be justifiable, including buying and selling them.

In the ancient times, buying and selling children was not against the law!

One should recall how the old woman cursed at her granddaughter just now.

She said that her granddaughter was a loose woman and a poser. Would they come to a good end when they returned home?

The younger soldier then understood the profound meaning of Jiang Pengji’s words. She got teary-eyed, worrying about her elder sister’s future.

Jiang Pengji saw through her mood and said, “If you’re really worried about your sister, work hard and do your job properly. She’ll have a better life at home only if you’re stronger. If you’re not strong enough to the extent where your family will flatter and play up to you, she’ll only be humiliated.”

Biting her lower lip, the soldier plucked up her courage to plead mercy for her sister so that she would not be expelled from the military.

“Lord, my sister actually...”

Jiang Pengji interrupted her, “In the face of such a situation, being silent is the smartest thing to do. This is best for your sister. The female battalion is indeed an aberration in the world today. It’s not recognized by the world.”

Upon hearing those words, the girl lowered her head even more.

As a female soldier who was among the first to enter the female battalion, she had also experienced the days when she was censured by people behind her back and misunderstood.

Jiang Pengji did not seem to notice her reaction. “In order to have a footing and let everyone accept the female battalion, I can’t make a single mistake. If I side with your sister, what about the other soldiers in the female battalion? The military camp is an uncompromising place. If I change the rules frequently, what will become of the military camp? Don’t think that your family is the only shrewd one in the world. There are many calculating people in the dark. Do you know what beating the dog before the lion is? Your sister and your family are the dogs that will be slaughtered for the lion to see!”

In other words, if Jiang Pengji could not handle this matter perfectly, the female battalion might really become a pre-marriage training class.

“Of course...” She suddenly laughed. The chill in her voice made one’s hair stand on end. “If you didn’t control yourself and lost your head, you’ll also be one of the dogs that will be slaughtered. There are many talents in the world, but there are very few chances. There are not enough opportunities to go around. Your sister doesn’t want to seize the opportunity, but there are other people who are envious of the chance... Am I right?”

The soldier was drenched in cold sweat. It was still midsummer and it had not rained for a long time, but she felt as if she had fallen into an icehouse.

At the same time, she also felt lucky.

According to her understanding of her family, if both the sisters had nothing to rely on, they might really be forced to die.

However, she could not help but feel sad when she thought of her elder sister who should be fired with such enthusiasm.

On the other hand, their family was putting on a good show.

The old woman had to be flogged over twenty times. However, when she saw the wooden stick which was used for the flogging punishment, she almost fainted from horror.

As the flogging punishment was executed in public, there were naturally many onlookers.

The female troops’ family wanted to drag their daughters home and marry them off, but they failed to do so because of the document which was signed at the beginning. If they wanted to do that, the instigator had to receive a hundred rounds of flogging in public. The female troop would also have her army status stripped off. Upon hearing that, many people were terrified.

Just like what Jiang Pengji had said, the family members of the female troops were not the only ones who were clever in the world. Other people had more or less started to work their daughters. So what if they entered the female battalion? They were still their daughters. Would they dare to protest if the parents wanted their daughters to get married?

However, when they heard that they would be flogged a hundred times and that their daughters would be expelled from the military, many people had put a lid on their ideas.

Their daughters would be a money-losing proposition if they were expelled from the military. How could they help their family financially when they were just losing money?

One would have gone to see the King of Hell after ten rounds of flogging, not to mention a hundred times. Everyone cherished their lives. Who would dare to go against it?

The onlookers had given up on their various ideas to trick their daughters, but they did not intend to stop watching. There were even people who boasted of their cleverness and boasted proudly.

If they did not hold back the greed in their hearts, they might be the ones who would have their pants stripped off and get beaten on the ground.

Upon seeing the situation, the old woman knew that she would not be able to escape that day. She cried and yelled. She pinched her granddaughter’s arm with her right hand so harshly that her flesh was almost torn. Seeing that the bruise was quickly turning black, the others could not help but stroke their arms.

With that pressure of hers, were they enemies?

“You’re a contemptible wretch and a poser. You’ve done harm to your family. Why don’t you die? Are you trying to kill your grandmother...” The old woman punched and kicked her granddaughter. The female soldier was stunned. She did not dare to fight back when she was beaten. The crowd was bewildered at the sight.