She looked at the child standing beside her. He is really the reigning emperor! If that’s really the case, every single word I just said is a capital offence. Even my life isn’t enough.
However, Situ Lin was not in any better state than Old Maidservant Li. He revered, yet at the same time, feared Prince Hao.
His biological mother had passed away the day she gave birth to him. Afterwards, he followed his wet nurse to a Noble Lady*’s palace. Later, that Noble Lady also died, resulting in him being raised by the current Empress Dowager.
As the Empress Dowager and Prince Hao were siblings, the number of times he met Prince Hao naturally increased. In front of people and behind doors, he had to call Prince Hao ‘Imperial Uncle,’ even if Prince Hao’s surname was Pei.
Situ Lin became nervous. If I get caught red-handed, is Prince Hao going to punish me?
His adorable face filled with panic at the thought of being caught. When he wanted to take the initiative to admit to his mistakes, he saw Old Maidservant Li kneel down with a plop and lie prostrate on the ground, her whole body trembling.
“This servant pays her respects to Prince Hao!”
Situ Lin lowered his head and no longer spoke. Immediately after that, he saw Prince Hao’s cloud embroidered black shoes appear within his sight.
He raised his large hand and caressed the top of Situ Lin’s small head. His words that were overflowing with a dignified aura entered his ears.
I haven’t said anything when you’ve sneaked out of the repose palace in the past This time however, you created a disturbance in the Laundry Service Bureau. How do you think I should punish you?”
Situ Lin’s tender voice sounded again, “Imperial Uncle, I’m sorry. I was wrong. I shouldn’t have sneaked out, and I shouldn’t have come to the Laundry Service Bureau. Imperial Uncle, you should just beat me.”
Hidden in the woods, Su Xi-er felt a pain in her heart when she saw this scene. Is my imperial younger brother, Ning Lianchen, like Beimin’s little emperor? Controlled by others, having no freedom at all, and punished with a beating at the slightest mistake?
Lianchen is only slightly older than this little emperor. He must feel indignant about such grievances in his heart. He is living in such pain and suffering, yet there is no one beside him to help him.
The pain in her heart intensified upon thinking of this. When she saw Pei Qianhao’s calm and motionless eyes, the expression in her eyes began to turn cold as she involuntarily clenched her fists.
Pei Qianhao waved his hand and instructed Wu Ling, “Whip.”
Wu Ling was taken aback, his expression showing that he didn’t have the heart to do it. He’s just a child. Disregarding if he was beaten in the past, he is already ten years old. If Prince Hao still continues to beat him, isn’t that not too good?
“Whip.” His tone became even more chilly. Wu Ling could only take the whip out and pass it to Prince Hao.
Situ Lin shut his eyes and knelt down on his own. “I was wrong, Imperial Uncle. Just go ahead and beat me. I am willing to accept the punishment.”
“You only care about playing. How are you going to bear the responsibility of looking after the citizens of Beimin in the future? I hope that you are really willing to accept the punishment,” Pei Qianhao replied coldly. The black whip in his hand quickly landed on Situ Lin’s small and weak back.
The sound of the whip sounded again and again entered Su Xi-er’s ears. She looked at Situ Lin illuminated by the moonlight and bit her lips.
Prince Hao didn’t hold back any of his considerable strength when swinging the whip that repeatedly landed on Situ Lin’s small frame.
After five swings, Situ Lin’s clothes were already torn, while his hands were tightly clenched, Despite this, he bit his lips firmly, not daring to make a sound.
No! How can that be? It’s normal for a child to be fond of playing. It’s alright to just guide the child patiently and systematically. It’s still not too late to discipline the child with a beating afterwards if they still don’t listen.
Invariably lashing, the consequences…
Su Xi-er’s closed eyes abruptly opened, a trace of resolution flickering through them.
She swiftly came out of the woods and shouted loudly, “Stop! I was the one who made him come!”
A woman’s delicate yell sounded in the Laundry Service Bureau’s courtyard. Situ Lin’s tiny body trembled. She actually came out to protect me.
Pei Qianhao’s hand that was brandishing the whip paused. He didn’t expect that she would be here.
As Wu Ling looked at Prince Hao’s complexion, his expression started to become complicated. The matter is getting increasingly troublesome. It won’t be settled just because of the appearance of an unexpected person.
“Imperial Uncle, I don’t know her. I came here on my own.” Situ Lin pretended to look at Su Xi-er with a look of disdain. His cheeks bulged as he tried to appear arrogant and willful.
“Imperial Uncle, she’s dressed in coarse clothes. Why would I listen to her? She’s just an ordinary palace maid. Hmph.”
Right after he finished speaking, the whip thrashed him again. Pei Qianhao looked at him coldly. “Take note of your words and actions. After this beating, you still have to go and copy the sages’ classics.”
Su Xi-er understood the deep meaning in Situ Lin’s words. She quickly walked forward, looked straight at Pei Qianhao, and bowed. “This servant pays her respects to Prince Hao.”
No one told her to get up. Pei Qianhao continued to quietly look at her like that.
Only after a while did Pei Qianhao respond. “Get up. Why don’t you say what’s going on? If this prince doesn’t find your explanation satisfactory, you will have to kneel.”
“This servant was worried about Ruo Yuan so I left the Palace Side Quarters. It’s just that I didn’t know which way I had taken after that. Then, I happened to bump into His Majesty while wandering around; thinking that he was a little eunuch, this servant asked him to take this servant here. Prince Hao, only after you appeared did I find out that he is His Majesty.”
Situ Lin couldn’t help but admire her. She’s just a palace maid, but actually manages to remain unruffled when facing Imperial Uncle’s powerful aura in such a tense situation. She’s really a miraculous woman!
Just as he was exclaiming to himself, he noticed that his imperial uncle had shot a cold look at him. He panicked and his heart suddenly jumped.
“Su Xi-er, are you foolish or stupid? How would you not know if he was a eunuch? You had long discerned His Majesty’s identity right?” Pei Qianhao raised his eyebrow as a mocking smile hung at his mouth.
Situ Lin’s face instantly flushed red. He never knew that his solemn and cold imperial uncle could still make jokes and tease people. At the same time, he found out that the name of the woman standing before him was Su Xi-er. This name is really pleasant to hear.
“Replying to Prince Hao, this servant really didn’t know His Majesty’s identity. Furthermore, which woman would look at that place? Only you can think of that, Prince Hao.” Although her tone was deferential, anybody paying attention to her words would feel as if something was off.
One just had to look between a man’s legs to check if he was a eunuch. If that wasn’t enough, one would know by going up to find out. Moreover, Situ Lin was still just a child and currently not considered a man.
Wasn’t speaking about Prince Hao that way indirectly saying, “Unlike you, I’m not perverted enough to have thought of this move.”
Wu Ling was observing silently at one side. Realising the hidden message in Su Xi-er’s words, he really wanted to burst into laughter. However, when he spotted Prince Hao’s cold expression, he didn’t dare to do so.
There had never been anyone, especially not a woman, who had said to Prince Hao, “You’re a pervert! Your thoughts aren’t pure…”
Pei Qianhao stared at her for a while longer before finally responding, “Not bad. There’s an overtone in your words. You know how to curse at people in a roundabout manner. According to what you said, you thought that His Majesty was a little eunuch and requested him to take you to the Laundry Service Bureau.”
At this point, he paused and looked at Ruo Yuan who was passed out. “This fat palace maid, are you planning to ask this prince to transfer her back to the Palace Side Quarters?
(* One of the rank of imperial consorts. The rank of Noble Lady is higher than the rank of Lady of Talent, which was the rank of Situ Lin’s biological mother.)
