Chapter 112: Tyrant x Substituted Bride x Little Mongrel (14)

Chapter 112: Tyrant x Substituted Bride x Little Mongrel (14)

"Did you hear me?" Xiao Shizheng said with a grimacing expression. "I told you to fetch the whip, do you not understand?!"

Eunuch Dong fell to his knees, bowing his head to the ground as he pleaded for Consort Jin. "Forgive us! Consort Jin has borne the imperial heir and just suffered from a cold recently. She has not fully recovered; she cannot endure these fifty lashes!"

Xiao Shizheng said, "It seems you are compassionate and still considering my consort. Are you willing to take these fifty lashes for her?"

Eunuch Dong was startled for a moment, then turned to look at Consort Jin.

She shook her head desperately, silently mouthing 'no.'

But the old eunuch took a deep breath, bowing deeply before the emperor.

"May Your Majesty value the person before you. Consort Jin has saved this old servant's life. Today, I shall accept the emperor's 'reward'!"

Palace beatings involved many cruel and sinister practices.

If an internal servant beat someone, the injuries could range from skin being ripped open to no external wounds at all, but internal organs would burst, resulting in death within days.

For Xiao Shizheng, a battle-hardened emperor, these methods were even more ruthless.

However, if someone from his own side carried out the punishment, there might still be a chance to survive, instead of being carried out of the palace lifeless.

Consort Jin, terrified by this undeserved disaster, had tears in her eyes but still stood in front of Eunuch Dong, shielding him.

Xiao Shizheng did not care when or why Consort Jin had saved Eunuch Dong, nor did he care why his chief eunuch was so protective of this minor consort.

He kicked Eunuch Dong aside, sending the old eunuch sliding to the corner like a rag doll, and took the whip from the young eunuch.

It was a jade and white jadeite whip, a symbol of imperial authority, with a long handle inlaid with ruby-red stones. The whip was crafted from cowhide and ox tendon, soaked in oil and repeatedly dried.

Though it was beautifully decorated, it was also a tool for extreme punishment.

Xiao Shizheng, expressionless, held the whip and grabbed Consort Jin's chin.

"Have you learned your lesson?"

Consort Jin was shaking all over, as if she had known this day would come. She gave a bitter smile. "If Your Majesty truly wishes to take my life, please grant me a swift end."

Xiao Shizheng smiled with a mix of gentleness and arrogance.

"Is this such a good opportunity?"

She had borne him an heir, shared a bed with him, but what makes her so special?

Before he finished speaking, the long whip lashed down on her shoulder!

It was the coldest time at the end of winter, and the whip ripped open Consort Jin's cotton robe, the inner fluff scattering like snow.

Xiao Shizheng, valuing the face of his beloved concubines, would never harm their skin. But because of that, his strikes were exceptionally fierce and precise, capable of piercing through the chest or back like sharp arrows.

Consort Jin had already closed her eyes, the only solace being that her child had not witnessed the horrific scene of her mother's brutal death.

Thankfully, Shao'er wasn't here, thankfully Shao'er knew nothing.

As the dull impact fell, she was startled for a moment but remained lying on the ground, not daring to move.

Clearly, something had whipped past her body, but it did not hurt.

There was no pain at all—this was impossible.

Consort Jin clearly knew this was not the emperor’s mercy. She had witnessed with her own eyes the tragic deaths of several senior sisters, not to mention the bones of countless palace servants.

But given that it was a whip, why was there no pain?

What was wrong?!

Another whip came rushing through the air, and she trembled like a young beast, yet still felt no pain.

The whip passed over her back from the nape of her neck, which should have made her collapse in agony, weeping and begging uncontrollably, losing all dignity as a woman, or even as a person.

“Crack!”

The long whip struck fiercely, falling from different angles like a sudden rainstorm, shattering her hairpin and causing her long black hair to cascade down.

She trembled on the ground, still not making a sound.

“Quite some spirit,” Xiao Shizheng sneered coldly, his anger flaring as he decided to deal the fatal blow. “Let’s see how tough you can remain?!”

Consort Jin lay like a rag doll, it was unclear whether she had fainted or was still resisting.

At that moment, all the eunuchs and palace maids in the hall were so terrified that tears streamed down their faces. They knelt around Consort Jin, continuously kneeling and pleading.

“We beg Your Majesty to spare Consort Jin—she can no longer endure it and has fainted!”

“Your Majesty, please calm your anger! We beg Your Majesty to calm down!”

Some risked their lives to summon the imperial physician, while others ran to seek help from the concubines in the inner palace.

In less time than it takes to drink a cup of tea, the empress and the four consorts had arrived, along with many lower-ranking concubines who knelt outside the hall, weeping and pleading for mercy.

“If Your Majesty wishes to take my sister’s life, take mine as well,” Consort Huang said sorrowfully. “I have no children, Your Majesty need not show mercy, just kill me as well!”

“In my view, Consort Jin has committed no crime!” a strong-willed consort said angrily. “Your Majesty suffers from an ear ailment—is that Consort Jin’s fault?!”

Each word pushed Xiao Shizheng further into rage. He had already struck her hundreds of times, but she remained silent, her fate uncertain.

“Good, good, good,” Xiao Shizheng said three times, now looking at the concubines gathered in the hall with a smile. “Each of you pleads for her, but no one cares about me!”

He suddenly felt like burning all the women in the palace and starting anew with the grand selection next year.

As soon as Xiao Shizheng scolded, Eunuch Dong immediately kowtowed in gratitude.

“Thank Your Majesty for calming your anger!” he shouted, turning his head. “Quickly, remove the eyesore Consort Jin from here, don’t let her sully the emperor’s noble eyes!”

At once, a group of young eunuchs carried the silent Consort Jin away on a soft litter, rushing as if fleeing toward the side hall where the imperial physician had been waiting.

Before Xiao Shizheng could scold anyone for allowing a servant to make decisions, the concubines instinctively swarmed him, speaking or persuading, preventing him from issuing any more commands.

In the side hall, Chai Chaohu had already prepared ginseng soup, reishi powder, and all other items needed to sustain life, waiting for Imperial Physician Jiang to feel the pulse and prescribe a treatment.

Imperial Physician Jiang frowned and checked the pulse repeatedly, knowing something was wrong. He ordered all irrelevant personnel to leave.

He looked at Chai Chaohu and shook his head very slightly.

Chai Chaohu’s face instantly turned pale.

“Is it too late to save her?”

"No," said Dr. Jiang, "She's perfectly fine."

"How is that possible?" Dr. Chai rushed over immediately, and with his superior's permission, he diagnosed the pulse behind the curtain, full of shock. "How... how could this be?"

The tattered cotton garment was torn, and even her hair showed signs of being cut by a blade, but—Consort Jin’s pulse was stable, and everything appeared normal!

Consort Jin quietly opened her eyes and, seeing no one nearby, slowly sat up inside the gauze curtain.

Her personal maid, both surprised and crying, threw herself at her, disregarding etiquette, and cried out, "You scared me to death! It's good you're alright, my lady—"

"Shh," Consort Jin said nervously, "I didn’t feel any pain at all. Why is that?"

Dr. Chai, seeing that she was truly fine except for her ruined outer robe, asked, "Do you feel dizzy or nauseous?"

"Nothing at all," Consort Jin replied truthfully, "I kept my head down and didn't dare to look up, I was so afraid he would find out I wasn't in pain."

Dr. Jiang immediately said, "I will arrange for someone to escort you back to your palace. You should pretend to be near death for a few days and don't speak to anyone. I will have the medicinal decoctions prepared and sent over these days."

His meticulous arrangements quickly paved the way for Keding, seamlessly covering up Consort Jin's anomaly.

Another soft sedan chair was swiftly dispatched back to the Eastern Palace, with the young maidservant crying and chasing after it, pretending that if Consort Jin were to pass away, she couldn’t live alone.

The palace attendants sweeping the streets silently watched the sedan chair pass, many of them silently reciting 'Amita Buddha,' wishing her well.

In the side hall, the eunuchs quickly cleared up the traces of the rescue. Dr. Chai put away the set of silver needles, but Dr. Jiang patted him on the shoulder.

"Boil another pot of ginseng soup and keep it simmering on low heat."

Dr. Chai obediently said yes and asked, "Send it to Lihua Palace again?"

"Keep it here," Dr. Jiang sighed. "Everyone on duty tonight will remain in the palace. No one is to leave."

Dr. Chai signaled the apprentice to notify the courtyard and whispered, "Jiang YuanShi, will this make us seem too partial to Consort Jin?"

"In past years, only when the Empress Dowager or the Empress were ill... did we prepare to this extent."

Dr. Jiang said, "It's not for her."

"Ah?"

At midnight, Xiao Shizheng awoke from intense pain.

He had been sleeping soundly, but it felt as though a whip had suddenly struck the top of his head, causing him to cry out in shock.

The on-duty eunuch Yuan asked in panic, but the words "Your Majesty" were swallowed, and the hall remained eerily silent, save for the sharp, panicked screams.

Xiao Shizheng hadn't been beaten in many years.

Even on the battlefield, where swords and spears were ruthless, he rode the swiftest steed and wore the strongest, most advanced armor.

Even if there were cuts and wounds, amidst the heat of battle and the roar of combat, the pain was barely noticeable, and all related memories had faded during years of peaceful life.

Before he could endure the intense pain of the first whip, the second whip came with a sharp whistle, making him tremble with fear!

Pain! Pain that made him want to roll on the ground, pain that made him want to tear his own skin off!

"Assassins—"

Xiao Shizheng roared, "Guards—protect the emperor!!!"

The trained shadow guards immediately dropped down from the beams, and the eunuchs also rushed to gather the guards, holding their breath as they quickly lifted the curtains.

There were no assassins, only an emperor screaming with horrible bloodstains continuously appearing on his body.

Xiao Shizheng was in such agonizing pain that he was about to lose consciousness, yet he also saw with his own eyes that no one was around him.

Having been through many battles, in despair, he realized the sound of the whip and the attack method matched his usual techniques.

Was it possible that each lash from the afternoon, which killed Consort Jin, was now coming to take his life?

Was the afternoon version of himself now going to beat the night version to death?

In heart-wrenching pain, Xiao Shizheng collapsed and shouted into the empty air, “Stop! I was wrong! I know I was wrong!”

The guards in the hall exchanged glances, unsure of what to do.

The young eunuch was also afraid of making a mistake, but the most prudent eunuch, Dong, was resting due to illness, leaving him on duty for the night.

“Go fetch the physician! The emperor is having a nightmare!”

None of the guards dared to speak as they watched more and more bloodstains appear on the emperor. Each one was a bluish-purple bruise spreading outward from within.

By the fifteenth lash, Xiao Shizheng could no longer endure it and spat out a mouthful of blood.

“Save me!! Help me!!”