Chapter 6 Punishment: Thirty strokes of the cane...
All the palace servants were bowing their heads and loading wood; the entire palace was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Gancao lay trembling on the ground, unaware that cold sweat had soaked her back in the dormitory room.
Bewitching the King!
This is a grave crime. Throughout history, those who have bewitched emperors have been universally condemned as wicked ministers. They were either buried with the dynasty or given death sentences.
He was just a lowly concubine; how could he bear such a crime?
But... could his actions really not be considered as seducing the king?
The more Gan Cao thought about it, the more frightened he became. He hated himself for almost tarnishing His Majesty's reputation, and he was also afraid that His Majesty would really order him to be beaten to death.
"I dare not do it again, Your Majesty, please have mercy!" He was so scared that tears streamed down his face. He wanted to hug His Majesty's leg and beg for mercy, but he didn't dare to be presumptuous. He could only keep kowtowing.
A man who has had a night of pleasure lies on the ground begging for mercy; what woman wouldn't feel sorry for him?
"Qingqing, come here." Si Ze beckoned to the man on the ground.
His Majesty calls him Qingqing!
Is she not so angry anymore?
A sense of hope arose in Gan Cao's heart, and he quickly crawled over on his knees, looking up at the monarch: "Your Majesty..."
“I know you have no intention of bewitching me,” Si Ze said, gently wiping away the tears from the corners of his eyes with a handkerchief, his voice softening.
Your Majesty understands him!
His Majesty even wiped away his tears, and Gan Cao was deeply moved.
"But palace rules cannot be violated, and those who deserve punishment must be punished." The king put down his handkerchief. "Considering your youth and ignorance, this time I will punish you with thirty strokes of the cane."
board…….
Licorice froze completely.
"What?" Si Ze looked into his eyes. "Does Qingqing have any objections?"
Licorice shuddered and quickly shook her head in gratitude.
Compared to the death penalty by caning stipulated in palace regulations, thirty strokes of the cane were already extremely lenient.
Soon, a tall old maidservant entered the hall carrying a palace cane.
"How about we drag him out and beat him?" the chief eunuch cautiously suggested, "so as not to offend His Majesty's eyes?"
Drag him out and beat him?!
Licorice didn't understand the difference, but subconsciously he was extremely unwilling. However, he had no room to speak now and could only look at His Majesty with pleading eyes.
"Let's stay inside the hall," Si Ze said, shifting his gaze.
Logically, it should be taken out: the reason why a gentleman keeps away from the kitchen is that he cannot bear to see the animals alive, nor can he bear to eat their flesh after hearing their cries.
If they treat beasts this way, how much more so their close servants?
However, she never deceived herself, and Gan Cao's status was already lowly. If she were to be dragged out and beaten, others would probably treat her with even more contempt.
The head steward froze almost imperceptibly for a moment, then immediately waved his hand to signal the palace servants to take action.
Soon, a bench was placed next to Gan Cao, and Momo's voice was respectful: "Please remove your ornaments and kneel on the bench, Gan Siqin."
……accessories.
Licorice's face turned a mixture of red and white, and she wished she could find a crack in the ground to hide from everyone.
But the reality is that he has to remove his belongings here.
The intense emotions left his mind blank, but thankfully his body obeyed his commands.
Once he was slumped on the stool, his reason returned a little. An overwhelming sense of shame and remorse surged over him, engulfing him completely.
The cane pressed down on that spot, and fear immediately welled up from the bottom of my heart.
...
A sharp pain exploded from behind him, and he gripped the chair legs tightly to keep from crying out.
...
After the thirty strokes of the cane were finished, the limp Gan Cao was helped to stand before His Majesty.
"I thank Your Majesty for your forgiveness..." When he bowed, the movement aggravated his injury, and he went limp all over, but he tried his best to maintain the demeanor instructed by the master of ceremonies.
Even after being punished and in such a sorry state, he still wanted to look good in front of His Majesty.
She clearly doesn't understand anything, but she was born with a pair of pitiful eyes.
Si Ze sighed inwardly, raised his hand and patted his head: "If you want to survive for a long time, you have to be sensible and follow the rules."
His Majesty's large hand was strong yet gentle, reminding him of his mother when he was young. More than ten years had passed since anyone had treated him like that.
As the large hand was about to leave, he used his delicate face to try and stop it: "I'll remember that."
The delicate touch of her palm captivated Si Ze for a moment, but what pleased her even more was the boy's purse-like expression as if he wanted to be rubbed against her.
"I hope you remember this pain and this feast today." Si Ze patted his cheek and withdrew his hand.
Gan Cao's face immediately turned red: "I will remember this."
This punishment was unforgettable; he couldn't forget it even if he wanted to!
"It's getting late, you may leave." Si Ze waved his hand.
Despite the pain in her back, Gan Cao bowed respectfully before slowly getting up and leaving.
"Your Majesty, shall we have a musician play a tune to ease your fatigue?" the chief eunuch suggested softly.
Si Ze waved his hand: "No need. Although that kid is a bit immature, he can surprisingly relieve fatigue."
Even though they hadn't consummated their relationship, just seeing the boy trembling, sobbing in pain, and reluctant to part with her made her relax naturally. She truly lived up to her reputation as a 'licorice'.
On the other side, Mao Gen helped Gan Cao move step by step toward the Shangqin Bureau.
Even with very small steps, the injury was still aggravated, and after only ten or so steps, his face turned pale.
"My lord, why don't we let Lu Cai carry you on his back?" Mao Gen suggested in a moment of inspiration.
Licorice shook her head: Not to mention that Mao Gen is too thin to carry him, even if he could, it wouldn't look good to be carried back.
So, Mao Gen could only help him slowly back.
"If only there were a sedan chair," a thought popped into Gan Cao's mind as he was sweating profusely from the pain.
He quickly shook his head and suppressed the thought.
To be favored by His Majesty and appointed as his superior is already a great fortune; how could I possibly hope for the treatment that only a true master would receive?
He's so ungrateful! He shouldn't even have such thoughts, especially since His Majesty just warned him to be sensible and follow the rules.
To punish his delusions, he deliberately increased the speed of his steps.
...
By the time he arrived at the Imperial Bedchamber Bureau, he had exhausted all his strength.
The lights in other parts of the palace had long been turned off, but the Shangqin Bureau still kept the lights on for the Siqin (a type of palace office).
Upon seeing Liu Shangqin and Cui Neijian waiting in the station, he immediately stopped in his tracks and even wanted to back away.
"What's wrong?" Liu Shangqin noticed at a glance that something was wrong with his expression.
He was embarrassed to talk about what had just happened, but faced with the two people's concerned gazes, he had no choice but to tell them.
The eunuch Cui looked worried, but the Imperial Chamberlain Liu frowned: "The current emperor is not the late emperor, and he is a man of utmost integrity. How dare you act in such a way?!"
"I misunderstood something before. His Majesty punished me, so I know I was wrong." He was somewhat embarrassed, but still admitted his mistake in a low voice.
Liu Shangqin wanted to say more, but remembering that His Majesty had already punished him, he held back.
"Is the injury serious? Should we call the imperial physician?" Eunuch Cui came over to help him and asked softly.
Licorice bit her lip: It hurts a lot there, but there doesn't seem to be any bleeding, and I can still walk with difficulty, so it shouldn't be serious.
Seeing him shake his head, Eunuch Cui was still not convinced: "No, let's go back to the inner room and I need to check on him before I can be at ease."
He declined several times, but when he couldn't refuse any longer and saw how worried he was, he finally agreed.
The cane-bearer understood his master's meaning best. He knew it was a lesson or punishment, not a severe one, so he used a clever touch: enough to hurt, but not enough to break bones.
Even so, after fermentation, that place still looks somewhat frightening.
"We still need to ask the imperial physician to prescribe some medicine."
Gan Cao quickly pulled him back: "It's too late now, let's do it tomorrow."
"Then we need to apply some wound medicine first."
...
The next day, Mao Gen took the silver to the Imperial Hospital and invited a royal physician over.
The imperial physician was a woman, so naturally she couldn't see the injury with licorice; she was only allowed to take the pulse, and then the physician described it roughly with Imperata cylindrica.
"...It's just a superficial injury; some bruise-reducing ointment will suffice." The imperial physician kept his head down, maintaining the proper etiquette of separating men and women.
After receiving the ointment and seeing the imperial physician off, Mao Gen returned to help him apply the medicine.
During this period, there was another unspeakable pain.
Shou'an Palace.
A young palace maid whispered a few words in the First Lady's ear, and the First Lady raised an eyebrow in surprise.
While serving the emperor, he casually mentioned the matter to him: "His Majesty punished the bedchamber attendant with thirty strokes of the cane."
"Oh?" The princess continued her actions. "I thought Your Majesty, being new to human affairs, would have some pity on that barbarian."
The Grand Chamberlain took the face towel and stepped forward to serve him carefully: "His Majesty is the most upright and proper person. He even treats the young master with restraint and courtesy, let alone a mere palace boy."
“Send him a copy of ‘Admonitions for Men’ and make him copy it a hundred times.” The princess didn’t care anymore and casually gave him the punishment. She then turned the topic to her nephew: “Mingyue’s mourning period will be over next month. When that time comes, let him come to the palace to keep me company.”
The Grand Chamberlain should obey.
A note from the author:
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It shouldn't be considered torture?
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