“Your Highness, the Disciplinary Office people have arrived. Shall we take him outside?”
Yi Lang glanced outside before looking down and saying, “No need. Do it here.”
The study was cramped, so only one person from the Disciplinary Office entered. Without a punishment bench, the servants could only hold Deng Ying’s arms as they made him lie face down. To prevent him from struggling, two servants pressed down on his shoulders from either side. One of them couldn’t help whispering to him, “Superintendent, please endure it…”
Though these words offered little practical help, they could be considered a comfort.
But in truth, for Deng Ying, except for that one cut that made him a eunuch, he had never felt humiliated by any subsequent punishment. This time he was even willing to accept it, viewing it as the consequence of “hurting” Yang Wan. Compared to death by a thousand cuts, this could be considered merciful.
“Begin.”
The punisher hesitated, not immediately bringing down the cane, trying to wait for some hint about the severity.
But Yi Lang rebuked him: “What are you waiting for?”
Hearing this, the punisher guessed there would be no mercy in this beating.
There was an art to punishing servants in the inner court, mainly depending on whether the master showed mercy. Yi Lang was still too young, and this was his first time ordering a punishment. He didn’t understand what his words would mean for Deng Ying.
When the first stroke fell, Deng Ying’s upper body involuntarily jerked upward, and those holding his shoulders quickly pressed him back down. He tried to find something to grip on the ground, and fortunately, the desk leg was within reach. As he struggled to move forward slightly, the punisher, thinking he was trying to avoid the blows, struck even harder than the first time as a warning, almost crushing his body against the ground.
A metallic taste rose in Deng Ying’s throat – he knew this was blood rushing up. If it turned to fire attacking his heart, it would be dangerous.
He gave up all struggling, forcing himself to lie as still as possible.
Seeing his cooperative posture, the punisher finally eased up slightly.
The servants saw his hands clenched tight, and though his body no longer moved, it continued to tremble finely, even spasming. They thought of how since Noble Consort Ning went to the Banana Garden, everyone in Chengqian Palace had relied on the Eastern Depot to avoid being looked down upon by the Twenty-Four Bureaus. This debt of gratitude was not small, and Deng Ying had never asked them to repay it. Seeing him like this now was heartbreaking.
Qing Meng, who served Yi Lang, couldn’t help pleading, “Your Highness, please show some mercy… for Lady Wan’s sake… spare Superintendent Deng.”
Yi Lang didn’t call for a stop, only looking down at Deng Ying.
After ten strokes, blood had soaked through Deng Ying’s silk pants, and the sound of the cane was no longer as muffled as at first, now carrying a cracking quality. Deng Ying bit down hard on his sleeve – at first, he could maintain his grip, but later he couldn’t, his jaw trembling with each stroke.
“Your Highness…”
“Speak.”
He had wanted to beg for mercy, but remembering this beating was to atone for his transgression in Yang Wan’s chambers last night, he forced himself to lie still again. However, the punisher showed no mercy for his internal “repentance” – the swollen flesh split open, and blood immediately soaked through his clothes, flowing onto the ground.
Looking at the blood beneath him, Yi Lang didn’t think of the accounts he’d read in history books about wise emperors eliminating the evil of eunuchs and punishing them. Instead, he thought of Zhou Congshan, Huang Ran…
When these people were treated this way under the Great Ming law, did they also resist imperial authority in this life-disregarding way, yet maintain an almost “devout” posture during punishment to uphold the dignity of the law and the emperor?
“Stop for now.”
“Yes.”
The caning stopped, but Deng Ying’s body was spasming severely. Only now did he finally have a chance to grab the desk leg.
“Do you know your error?”
“I know my error…”
“The rest will be forgiven.”
Deng Ying coughed several times, “Thank… Your Highness… for your mercy.”
Yi Lang raised his head, “Take him out.”
Qing Meng and the others hurriedly supported Deng Ying’s arms. He could no longer walk at all, and they dared not drag him, so they could only put his arms over their shoulders and slowly move him out.
Seeing Deng Ying being brought out, the guards opened the side gate.
Yang Wan turned around and heard Qing Meng’s crying, “Lady Wan… I’m sorry, it was my fault the Superintendent was harmed.”
This grief pierced Yang Wan’s heart and lungs.
She looked at Deng Ying helplessly, wanting to support him but afraid of hurting him.
“Yang Wan, don’t cry…”
Only then did Yang Wan realize that though she hadn’t sobbed aloud, her tears had broken free without her noticing.
“I’m sorry, Deng Ying, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry…”
At this moment she could say nothing else, only apologize to him repeatedly.
“Yang Wan, remember, I deserved this punishment. Don’t argue with His Highness…”
After speaking, he had to close his eyes against the pain.
Qing Meng said, “Lady Wan, what should we do… the Extreme Gate is already locked at this hour.”
Yang Wan said, “Don’t panic. Take him back to the guardhouse by the city moat and hand him over to Li Yu. Tell Li Yu not to touch him yet, wait for me to return.”
Then she looked at Deng Ying, “Don’t fall asleep.”
“Alright, I won’t sleep.”
Yang Wan gently squeezed Deng Ying’s hanging hand, “I’ll listen to you and not argue with His Highness, but you must also listen to me – stop saying you deserved this punishment, or I’ll be like you and never forgive myself.”
After speaking, she released his hand and walked directly toward the rear hall.
The servants of Chengqian Palace didn’t dare speak when they saw Yang Wan. Even the servant kneeling in the study cleaning blood stains hurriedly withdrew when she entered. Yi Lang was reading at his desk, the lamplight casting his shadow on the antique shelf, somehow resembling the Zhenning Emperor.
Yang Wan walked to Yi Lang’s front and knelt.