“Lan Xichen could restrain himself no longer. “Thirty-three lashes from the discipline whip!” he exclaimed. “All in one sitting. One per senior. You must know how painful the lashes are, and how long one must lie in bed to recover! After he stubbornly escorted you back to the Burial Mounds, he returned morosely on his own to receive his punishment. Do you know how long he kneeled before the Wall of Discipline?! When I went to check on him, I told him this: Wei-gongzi has already committed a grave crime. Why must you add to them? Yet he told me…that while he could not say whether your actions were right or wrong, he was willing to carry the burden with you, regardless.”