Chapter 565
Even More Arrogant
Forty and fifty strokes of the cane may seem like only a difference of ten strokes, but the difference is worlds apart.
There was an unspoken rule within the palace: fifty strokes of the cane meant death. If a person survived the fifty strokes, the one who carried out the execution would die.
When the word "fifty strokes of the cane" was announced, the censors stood not far away, looking at each other in dismay. Some gloated and said, "Does this arrogant scoundrel really think he can do whatever he wants just because he has connections with officials? Little does he know that fifty strokes of the cane can even kill a high-ranking official on the spot."
Another middle-aged censor stroked his beard and said, "It seems that His Majesty also cannot tolerate this boy's arrogant behavior and has had him beaten to death to set an example. In this way, we can give an explanation to the Censorate, as well as to the Court of Imperial Sacrifices and the Ministry of Rites."
Some people gritted their teeth and said, "Beat him! Beat him to death outside the Meridian Gate as a warning to others."
Two guards, holding court rods, looked at Changxiu. Changxiu smiled and said, "What, you're afraid to strike?"
Jie Fanwei gritted his teeth and swung the court cane down, putting all his strength into each strike, and it would break one cane in three or four strikes.
Outside the Meridian Gate is the Duan Gate, and outside the Duan Gate are the six ministries: the Hanlin Academy, the Ministry of Works, the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Revenue, the Ministry of Rites, the Ministry of Personnel, the Imperial Clan Court, the Imperial Guard Commandery, the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, the Office of Transmission, the Imperial Medical Academy, the Imperial Observatory, the Court of State Ceremonies, the Imperial Garden Administration, and the Imperial Carriage Storehouse—all crammed together.
When Chen Ji dragged Yuan Wang out of the Court of State Ceremonial, it alarmed the officials who had just finished their shifts in the various government offices. The Jie Fan Guard had only just broken two of the court canes when a crowd gathered below the Duanmen Gate.
Even more extreme, some people crossed the Duanmen Gate and came within ten steps to watch the spectacle: "What did I say yesterday? The imperial censor was brutally murdered in the street. Even if the Heavenly King himself came, he couldn't save him."
Li Xuan, who had been watching Chen Ji being flogged with great concern, immediately took a deep breath upon hearing this and turned to the official, rebuking him: "What does this have to do with you?"
The official who had spoken turned his head and sneered, "When did the Qi family's son-in-law become part of the eunuch faction? Does the Qi family know about this? Or has the Qi family also sided with the eunuch faction?"
Li Xuan stood there, speechless for a long time.
Qi Zhenzhuo stepped forward and said disdainfully to the official, "Liu Yingchun, you old bastard, don't push your luck. Be careful, when you're on leave, we'll ambush you in the alley."
The official's expression froze, and he took a small step back, stammering, "What, did I say something wrong? Torturing and killing an imperial censor in the street deserves to be beaten to death!"
Qi Zhenzhuo flew into a rage: "Are you fucking never going to stop?"
He was about to rush forward and punch someone when Li Xuan's icy hand grabbed his wrist. He turned around and saw Li Xuan gently shaking his head.
They are members of the Qi family, and their presence outside the Meridian Gate reflects the Qi family's reputation. The Qi family represents the literary heart of the nation; how could they possibly be associated with the eunuch faction?
Qi Zhenzhuo's face turned red with anger, and he was speechless for a long time.
At this moment, Chen Ji's inner garment was torn to shreds, and blood flowed down the hem. Even the executioner, Jie Fanwei, could not bear to look, and the officials watching had already turned their heads away, not daring to watch any longer.
But they gradually realized something was wrong. The court cane in Jie Fanwei's hand broke one by one, and he replaced it with another. He broke seven or eight canes in a row, and even broke all the spare court canes.
Chen Ji remained kneeling on the ground, his back taut and straight, like a stubborn stone, without uttering a single groan.
Jie Fanwei looked at the broken cane in his hand, then at Changxiu: "My lord?"
Changxiu laughed and said, "Go and get a new one. Do I have to teach you something like this?"
Jie Fanwei left in a hurry, and when he returned, he was carrying seven or eight court rods, and carried out the punishment again.
The officials watched as the canes broke one by one, but Chen Ji remained calm.
When the court rod had been struck forty-eight times, the two guards panicked. They looked at each other and swung down with all their might, breaking both rods in the process.
Upon hearing the sound of the cane breaking, the officials hurriedly stepped forward to see if Chen Ji was dead.
But Chen Ji stood up as if nothing had happened, bent down and picked up the neatly folded Qilin robe that he had taken off earlier.
Slow and deliberate.
He unfolded his robe, the bright red silk stretching out in the morning light. Then, he turned around, draped the robe over his shoulders, and carefully fastened each button one by one.
The officials' expressions changed drastically. They wondered what kind of official training this Viscount Wu Xiang had acquired, that he could endure fifty strokes of the cane without flinching. An ordinary official at the Innate Realm should have had their spine broken by now.
Just then, Chen Ji finished buttoning his shirt and turned to look at the dark mass of officials in front of him.
He bowed politely and asked sincerely, "Now that the fight is over, may I ask you gentlemen, is there anyone among you who plans to go to the brothel in six days?"
The officials and clerks who had been watching the commotion suddenly changed their expressions. Some looked away, while others instinctively hid behind others. For a moment, no one dared to answer.
Chen Ji pointed at one of the men and asked, "Sir, do you go to the brothel?"
The young censor's voice trembled slightly: "How could we, upright officials, go to a place like the Jiaofangsi!"
Chen Ji smiled and said, "That's good."
He then pointed to another person: "Sir, will you go?"
The official who was called out instinctively twitched his cheek: "When did I say I was going?"
Chen Ji gave an "oh," then looked through the crowd to Feng Xi, the Vice Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial, who was hiding at the very back: "Lord Feng, I heard you're going to the Imperial Music Bureau? And that the Feng family has an old grudge against Prince Jing and you're going to take care of an old friend's daughter?"
Feng hope stammered, "I...I don't have any money."
Having said that, Feng hope fled in disarray. The officials looked at the scene before them; not only was the man alive, but his arrogance had only grown stronger.
The lifelike unicorn on the boy's chest was upright and dignified. This red figure outside the Meridian Gate stood straighter than anyone else, hardly looking like someone who had just received ninety strokes of the cane.
Chen Ji lowered his head and tugged at the wrinkles in his sleeve: "Since you've all said you won't go, then don't let me see you all at the brothel after six days, okay?"
The officials felt a chill rise from the soles of their feet, the cold air shooting up their Achilles tendons to their backs, making every hair on their bodies stand on end.
……
……
At that moment, a lone clapping sound came from behind Chen Ji.
He turned around and saw Changxiu smiling and saying, "Lord Chen really has the talent to be a eunuch. He has just become a eunuch, but he is more like a eunuch than the other eunuchs. Lord Chen used to be by the Crown Prince's side and then went to the Imperial Guard. He took a detour in both cases."
As they spoke, Changxiu picked up the broken cane from the ground and exclaimed in amazement, "Lord Chen is quite skilled."
The two guards immediately knelt down, saying, "We are incompetent."
Changxiu smiled and comforted him, "It's alright, it's alright. With so many blows in court, I'm sure the Censor won't accuse you of favoritism and corruption. You've vented your anger. As for whether he's dead or not, that's Lord Chen's own ability, and it has nothing to do with you."
The two guards breathed a sigh of relief and quickly said, "Thank you, Lord Changxiu."
Changxiu waved his sleeve and said with a smile, "Alright, go do your work. In the future, when you talk about how you flogged Lord Chen in court, it will be a very respectable thing."
The guards retreated back inside the Meridian Gate.
Chen Ji then looked at Chang Xiu: "How should this gentleman be addressed?"
Changxiu bowed and said, "I am Changxiu, commander of the Jiefan Guard. I didn't want to come out to work, but there are really no suitable people in the capital for the Jiefan Guard, so I'll take over for now."
Chen Ji carefully examined the other man. He appeared to be eighteen or nineteen years old, with delicate features. If it weren't for the fact that the man casually commanded the Jie Fan Guards, one might have mistaken him for an ordinary eunuch.
If you were to place him in the marketplace, he would simply be a kind-looking boy next door.
Chen Ji smoothed the wrinkles on the Qilin robe: "Lord Changxiu, is there anything else?"
Changxiu quickly waved her hand: "I am not worthy of being addressed as Lord Chen. Just call me Changxiu. I read the Beijing Morning Post and Evening Post every day, especially the 'Economic and Social Affairs' and 'People's Livelihood' sections. I am completely engrossed in them. All sorts of ingenious ideas have come to the homes of ordinary people. Lord Chen's courage and vision are among the top three in the world."
As Chen Ji adjusted the cuffs of his official robes, he asked calmly, "Who are the other two?"
Changxiu smiled but did not answer, and started talking about something else: "By the way, all the court canes prepared in the palace have been used up, so Lord Chen should not come again today."
Chen Ji was silent for a moment: "Then come again tomorrow."
Changxiu thought for a moment, then agreed: "Alright, I'll send someone to make a new one this afternoon. What kind of wood does Your Excellency want? We have chestnut, paulownia..."
Chen Ji replied, "Paulownia wood, I guess."
Changxiu nodded: "Okay."
The officials exchanged glances. One asked an absurd question, and the other gave an absurd answer. The two of them actually agreed to it.
The old censor stepped forward shakily, and said with great distress, “Viscount Wu Xiang, I do not understand. You made great contributions to the border town when you were in Guyuan. After returning to the capital, you were also granted a title by a non-family member, which is the first time in decades. The Chen family has rejected your status as a son of a concubine and even wants to adopt you as a de facto legitimate son. The people in the capital may say they are not convinced, but they still admire you in their hearts... Whether you pursue literature or military career, you have a bright future. All the young scholars in the world will look up to you. Why do you now want to associate with the eunuch faction?”
Suddenly, silence fell outside the Meridian Gate, and everyone stared at Chen Ji.
Chen Ji stood with his head down, and after a long silence, he calmly said, "I'm sorry, none of you gave me any other choice."
He looked at Changxiu and said, "Lord Changxiu, if His Majesty has no further instructions, I will take my leave."
Changxiu smiled and said, "That's all, that's all."
"Farewell," Chen Ji said, mounting his horse and riding away.
Watching Chen Ji's departing figure, Changxiu sighed, "Lord Chen didn't really want to collude with the eunuch faction, but in this world, one always has to choose a side..."
At this point, Changxiu looked at the censors again and asked earnestly, "What did you censors say? Are you satisfied?"
The old censor angrily rebuked, "That Viscount Wu Xiang is clearly abusing his official connections and innate talent to act recklessly. How can we stand idly by while he shows no remorse?"
Changxiu tilted her head and pondered for a moment: "Um... then should all of you kneel back?"
The censors were stunned, then looked at each other, unsure whether to kneel or not.
The old censor's beard trembled with rage: "The eunuch faction is ruining the country! The eunuch faction is ruining the country!"
Having said that, the old censor fainted, and the other censors shouted, "Imperial Physician! Summon the Imperial Physician!" (End of Chapter)