Chapter 10: Thirty Strokes of the Cane

Yuan Shangwu: "..."

Clearly unconvinced and wanting to retort, he was silenced by a glare from the Prime Minister.

The matron entered and bowed respectfully to Yuan Peipei, who sat in the seat of honor. "Your humble servant greets Concubine Rou. Concubine Rou, your family has arrived at the palace entrance."

Remembering the instructions given to her by the matron, Yuan Peipei sat upright and replied, "Please, invite them in."

The matron found this concubine quite pleasant; she was teachable and quick to learn, which made it easy to see why the Emperor favored her. She walked out, turned to the side, and lifted the curtain. "Prime Minister, Madam Prime Minister, Young Master, and Young Miss, please."

Upon entering, they were stunned by the luxury of the place. The outer hall, used merely for receiving guests, was vast and exquisitely decorated, with beams and pillars intricately carved and painted, and even the tables and chairs crafted from precious agarwood. If the outer hall was this magnificent, one could only imagine how enviable the inner chambers must be.

Yuan Jinjin felt a bitter resentment churning within her. Had it not been for the Emperor’s strange illness, she would have been the one to enter the palace. She might have been the Empress by now, living a life far better than this. But it didn't matter; she had become acquainted with Prince Xuan. Though he kept his thoughts hidden, she could sense his ambition. And Prince Xuan was so handsome—if he were to become Emperor and she his Empress, wouldn't that be even better?

The Prime Minister, long accustomed to neglecting his daughter Yuan Peipei, momentarily forgot where he was and moved to take a seat. "Peipei, serve the tea."

Madam Yuan and Yuan Jinjin followed suit, acting as if it were perfectly natural to sit there and wait for Yuan Peipei to serve them. In the past, the maids Cuizhi and Lanxin would not have dared to speak up, but now that the Emperor had sent a matron to oversee things, she was perfectly positioned to vent the Concubine's grievances.

The matron looked at the group, who had already seated themselves, with an expression of disbelief. She said in a stern voice, "Audacity! The rites between ruler and subject cannot be discarded. If others do not understand this principle, does the Prime Minister not understand it either? Concubine Rou is no longer a daughter or sister whom you can command at will; she is a consort of the Emperor and the mistress of the Nishang Palace! How can you see her and not pay your respects? Where do you place the palace regulations? Where do you place the Emperor?"

The Prime Minister felt a jolt of alarm. He finally realized why the Emperor had been displeased with him. It was because of Peipei! This girl must have complained to the Emperor about their failure to bow to her during their last visit. Truly an ungrateful wretch, running to the Emperor to complain over such a trivial matter! He hurriedly stood up, signaled for Madam Yuan and the others to rise, and bowed to Yuan Peipei.

"This subject pays respects to Concubine Rou."

He merely bowed and cupped his hands, a gesture reserved for equals or superiors in a less formal setting. The matron reminded him from the side, "Does the Prime Minister intend to wait for the Emperor to arrive before he remembers how palace protocol works?"

No matter how unwilling he was, the Prime Minister had no choice but to lift his robes and kneel.

Yuan Jinjin and Yuan Shangwu were shocked. "Father, what are you doing? You are the father, and she is the daughter. How can you kneel to her?" Yuan Shangwu turned to scold Yuan Peipei: "Peipei, you just watch as Father kneels to you? Do you think you deserve this? You have only been in the palace a few days—do you really think you’ve become someone of great importance? Hurry over, help Father up, and kneel to apologize to him!"

Madam Yuan and Yuan Jinjin looked at Yuan Peipei with the same expectation.

Yuan Peipei felt panicked. She instinctively wanted to stand and apologize to her father, but then she remembered the matron's words. She was now Concubine Rou; if her family did not show her respect, it was a breach of protocol, punishable by law. She did not want her father to be punished. Feeling wronged, tears began to stream down her face.

Madam Yuan scolded her, "Crying, crying, always crying! I told you to come and apologize to your father—are you deaf or dumb?"

Dugu Jin, who had been sitting in the inner chamber, could no longer listen to this. He rose and walked out. "So, in the Prime Minister’s residence, family ties outweigh the bonds between ruler and subject. I have learned something new today."

His expression darkened as he commanded, "Guards! Yuan Shangwu is ignorant of palace protocol and has offended Concubine Rou. Drag him out and administer thirty lashes!"

Two guards entered and, without a word, dragged Yuan Shangwu away. "Father, save me!"

Dugu Jin added, "Too noisy!"

The guards gagged Yuan Shangwu, and soon, only the rhythmic sound of the rod striking flesh remained.

Dugu Jin looked at Madam Yuan. "You have failed to discipline your son and disregarded palace protocol. You are stripped of your title as a First-Rank Madam! From now on, stay in the residence and study the virtues and precepts for women; learn how to be a proper wife and mother!"

Madam Yuan collapsed to the floor in terror.

The Prime Minister, desperate to protect his daughter Yuan Jinjin, hurriedly signaled for her to show respect. Yuan Jinjin, quick to read the situation, immediately knelt. "This subject's daughter pays respects to the Emperor and Concubine Rou."

The Prime Minister kowtowed to Dugu Jin. "Your Majesty, please forgive me. It was all this old subject's fault. I was muddled by the depth of my affection for my daughter and neglected the rites of ruler and subject. It is my fault; I beg for your punishment."

Dugu Jin knew that if he continued the punishment, the little crybaby would never stop weeping. It was enough for now; he had made his point. "You are a pillar of the court. Since you have made a small mistake, I can forgive you for the sake of Concubine Rou. Today is a family reunion dinner, so I shall not interfere further. By the way, Concubine Rou is new to the palace and feels lonely; let Miss Yuan stay in the palace to keep her company for a few days."

With that, he turned and left.

Outside, the sound of the rod continued. When the thirty lashes were finished, Yuan Shangwu’s buttocks were a bloody, unrecognizable mess.

"Father, Brother is in such a state, we must return home and call a physician," Yuan Jinjin said softly.

The Prime Minister sighed. "The Emperor said today is our family reunion dinner, so we must finish this meal."

As the palace maids began serving the food, Yuan Peipei walked down from the seat of honor. Clad in graceful, opulent robes, with every headpiece she wore being of the finest quality and worth a fortune, she looked breathtakingly beautiful.

"Cuizhi, Lanxin, go to the inner chamber and bring some medicinal salve. Apply it to my brother first; easing his pain is what matters," Yuan Peipei said.

Yuan Shangwu, now harboring deep hatred for Yuan Peipei, hissed through clenched teeth, "Spare me your hypocritical kindness!"

Yuan Peipei hurriedly explained, "No, I am doing this for your own good, otherwise you would..."

"Enough!" Madam Yuan interrupted. "Eat quickly. Once we are finished, we are leaving. We cannot afford to stay in this place of yours."

As she picked up her chopsticks, the matron stopped her. "Presumptuous! Concubine Rou has not yet touched her chopsticks, how dare you eat first?"

Yuan Peipei quickly picked up a piece of meat, ate it, and then gestured to the others. "Father, this duck is very tender. The Emperor had it specially prepared; please, have some."

"Mother, this fish maw soup is excellent for a woman's skin. You and Elder Sister should have some."

"Sister, this is your favorite sweet and sour fish, I specifically..."

The matron coughed pointedly.

Yuan Peipei remembered and corrected herself, "I specifically ordered the Imperial Kitchen to prepare it. Please, have plenty."