The twenty blows from the Palace Department are not the same as the killing rods in regular government offices; these twenty blows are the price for defying royal authority.
Leniency is only slightly given when dealing with elderly civil servants. Since Li You didn't give special instructions, Song Xian took the beating solidly, though it didn't break his bones, it left him bloodied and bruised.
When Xie Shao Yuan came in, Chang An had just exposed the wounds. Song Xian heard footsteps and wanted to cover them up, but was stopped by Xie Shao Yuan.
Xie Shao Yuan said, "No need to hurry, let me have a look."
Song Xian felt slightly awkward. He often got injured, but it was always Chang An, Chang Yue, and the medical workers in the army who treated him, even his grandmother hadn't seen him like this. Having someone suddenly so concerned felt quite unfamiliar.
Especially since this person was his future father-in-law, like a biological father.
