Chapter 204 Fifty Slaps
Liu Yuetang retracted her gaze and returned it to Liu Yueyao, continuing, "I haven't even started questioning you yet, and you've already come forward."
"Liu Zheng, what should be the punishment for calling yourself "me" to the imperial concubine?"
Liu Zheng raised her chin and said loudly, "Your Majesty, this is a crime of disrespect. You should be slapped fifty times or caned twenty times."
Liu Yuetang raised her white wrist slightly and lazily stroked the golden hairpin on her temples, and the tiny light from the hairpin cast a sparkling light in her eyes.
"Twenty strokes of the cane might be too much for Madam Qi and Madam Liu to bear, so let's give them fifty slaps on the face."
Upon hearing this, Liu Ming quickly stood up and pleaded, "Your Majesty, could you please show some leniency to my daughter and my wife since these are first-time offenders?"
Liu Yuetang sneered, "First offense? When I was born and thrown into the manor, did the Minister of Rites ever consider my youth?"
Liu Ming lowered his head in shame, "I was just talking nonsense."
Liu Yueyao's hands were firmly held by the guards. Watching Liu Zheng slowly approach with a bamboo board, she felt both fear and anger, staring at Liu Yuetang intently: "Xi Fei! You're relying on..."
"Yueyao, shut up!" Liu Ming turned around and interrupted her.
He scolded her, "How can you make irresponsible comments on the decision of Concubine Xi?"
"Father..." Before Liu Yueyao could finish her words, she was hit hard with a wooden board and her mouth was shut.
Fu Zhixing didn't say a word from beginning to end. Seeing scarlet blood coming out of the corner of Liu Yueyao's mouth, he slowly closed his eyes.
Just as the slap was about to happen, Wanqiu brought in the midwife who had delivered her baby that year.
After fifty slaps, the corners of Qi's and Liu Yueyao's mouths were torn and bloody.
Liu Yueyao slumped on the ground, her entire face distorted by the pain. She couldn't open her mouth and could only stare at Liu Yuetang with hatred and unwillingness.
Liu Yuetang looked at the midwife kneeling before her and said, "Tell me everything you know. If you tell me even a single lie, I'll cut off your tongue!"
The midwife shuddered, her disheveled white hair sticking to her face with cold sweat. She kowtowed deeply, "Your Majesty, Your Excellency, Eighteen...eighteen years ago...a concubine in the mansion gave birth prematurely, and I was called in to deliver the baby. As the child was about to be born, a servant came to report that the mistress of the mansion was also about to give birth, so I was dragged into her room by the servant."
After saying that, she raised her eyes and looked at Qi timidly, but was frightened by Qi's sharp gaze and quickly lowered her head.
"After that, I have been helping the mistress deliver babies. I still remember that the daughter in her womb was born at midnight. As soon as the young lady was born, the servants came to report that the concubine had also given birth, and it was born at midnight. Upon hearing this, the mistress said that the concubine's daughter had not yet been born, and asked me to go and help her deliver the baby again..."
"I really didn't understand what the mistress meant at the time. Later, she said that the child she gave birth to would be a legitimate daughter and must be the eldest. She pledged her life to me, asking me to help her with her work and not to reveal a single word. I was forced to help her tell this outrageous lie."
As she spoke, she kowtowed in regret: "I hope that Her Majesty Xi Fei will spare my life. I have a seriously ill son at home who needs to be taken care of. If I die, he will not be able to survive!"
Liu Yuetang just raised her eyes slightly to look at Liu Ming, and saw that his face was so dark that ink could drip out, and the veins on his forehead were throbbing with anger.
"Qi Rumei! Why are you doing this?"
The angry shout frightened Qi, who shuddered. She bit her lip, raised her swollen face, and said, "Master... Wen is just a concubine. She is not worthy of giving birth to the mansion's eldest daughter. I am doing this for the sake of our family's reputation, not to let those concubines laugh at us."
"Shut up!" Seeing that Qi Shi refused to repent, Liu Ming slammed his hand on the table and glared at her: "You did such a wicked thing, and you still dare to say it was for the reputation of the mansion!"
"You kept me in the dark for eighteen years!"
"Qi Rumei has hidden more than just this from father?" Liu Yuetang's voice was as cold as frost, penetrating and sharp.
She stared at Qi sternly and asked, "Was it really because of my frail health that I was sent to the manor?"
"My aunt has been plagued by illnesses for so long. Is it because of her frail body, or is there someone secretly causing trouble?"
"And this lady...is my life in the manor really as luxurious as you say?"
Every word she spoke was like a sharp blade, piercing Qi's heart.
Qi avoided Liu Yuetang's gaze and was afraid to meet hers. Just as she was about to argue, Liu Ming interrupted her thoughts.
"Could it be that... the queen was in Zhuangzi back then..." His eyes were full of confusion and heartache.
Knowing that Liu Yuetang didn't want to talk about the unbearable past, Liu Zheng stepped forward.
"My Lord, the Empress was often scolded and abused by the Nanny at the farm. Since she was three years old, she has been doing laundry and cooking, helping the Nanny with chores. She never sought medical help when she was sick. If the Empress had not been blessed with good fortune, how could she be sitting here peacefully?"
After hearing this, Liu Ming was struck by lightning, his throat rolling with a knot: "Tang'er...you...why didn't you tell me earlier?"
His eyes were full of astonishment and self-blame.
Every month, the government would withdraw thirty taels of silver and send it to the farm to provide for the farm's food and clothing needs.
He thought that the news that everything was fine was true, and that she had no worries about food and clothing in Zhuangzi, and there was nothing wrong with her except that she had no relatives to accompany her.
But now I know how much she has suffered.
Liu Yuetang sneered: "I told father this before, but do you believe it?"
When she first returned to the Liu Mansion, she told Liu Ming that the maid in the manor treated him badly, but Liu Ming was fully focused on government affairs at the time and did not believe what Liu Yuetang said at all. He sent her away with just two words.
After that, she never mentioned it again.
She secretly made up her mind that since no one could make decisions for her, she would be the one to make decisions for herself in the future.
"There's no point in bringing this up now. If father still cares about our relationship, then he should punish Qi severely to avoid the reputation of mistreating his daughter."
Although Qi has committed many evil deeds, if I punish my stepmother severely today, I am afraid that she will be accused of relying on the emperor's favor to act recklessly and will be criticized.
It would be better to let Liu Ming punish him.
It is such a cruel yet interesting thing to see the person next to you not only not begging for mercy, but instead ordering you to be punished.
Liu Ming also understood the meaning of Liu Yuetang's words.
But he also knew that what Liu Yuetang said was not without reason.
With her favor, she could kill Qi with just a few words, and now letting her punish him was already a special favor.
After all, Liu Yuetang was already a concubine in the palace, and Qi's tampering with the time of birth was an attempt to deceive the royal family, which was a serious crime.
He pondered and looked at Qi, who shook her head anxiously: "Master, I know nothing about these things."
Seeing that Qi was still quibbling, the last trace of pity in Liu Ming's eyes turned into anger.
"You don't know? That nanny reports everything to you, how could you not know?!"
"Qi Rumei, even if Tang'er is a concubine's daughter, she is still the daughter of my Liu family. You are abusing her like this and are truly unworthy of women. You have lost all conscience!"
He was filled with anxiety and rage, and his sleeves trembled violently with anger.
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