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Chapter 33: Whipping
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Mo Wen Chen didn’t ask anything. He just ordered the palace maid to prepare warm water and let Su Qi Qi comfortably soak in it. He took advantage of the lack of moonlight to feel out the courtyard of the Imperial Palace.
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These past few days Mo Wen Xuan didn’t try any new tricks, but this made Mo Wen Chen feel even more uneasy.
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Although the imperial decree was to visit the family, but Su Qi Qi only saw her mother once. Afterwards she didn’t have the freedom. She really wanted to see Xiao Die once more to ask about what exactly was it that happened back then.
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Early the next day, Su Qi Qi was called to the Empress Dowager’s palace to continue the punishment kneel.
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Completely not giving her any explanation or justification.
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It was just that today Su Qi Qi suddenly felt that unbearable pain in her knees. The moment she knelt down there was a piercing pain.
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Looking down, she was surprised to see the knee area of the red garment had already been soaked with blood. So it turns out that there’s needles in this grass……
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Gritting her teeth, she tried hard to support herself, telling herself not to fall. Su Qi Qi could only persevere, not knowing when it would end.
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Meanwhile the Empress Dowager was smiling gently at the side, chanting Buddhist scripture while striking a mokugyo without even giving Su Qi Qi a glance.
Something like this:
The sun had already passed mid height, in the depths of the winter season, the house was a bit cold. Su Qi Qi endured the pain in her knees while trembling a bit because the Empress Dowager had ordered the palace maids to take away all the fire pans.
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Her hands that were pressed on her knees were slightly blanched, her fingers were already extremely pale. In order to keep herself from crying out from the pain, she could only tightly bite down on her lower lip, the corners of her lips were also stained with blood.
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Such a Su Qi Qi was still weak, but her slender back was pulled up rod straight, causing people to subconsciously feel pity for her.
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Mo Wen Chen who had been secretly watching for an entire morning also had an ashen expression. His usually indifferent face because frightening and sinister, filled with murderous aura.
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Yet he could do nothing.
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In order not to stir up trouble, he could only swallow his anger.
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Right now is a very critical time. One wrong step will implicate the entire result whether it be victory or defeat.
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A woman like this, how is he supposed to treat her?
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The surroundings were completely silent. After the Empress Dowager read through the scripture once, she left. Cold wind blew upon her body, Su Qi Qi hands hugged her shoulders. She wanted to shift her knees, yet it hurted so much that she couldn’t move a single step.
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She could only allow the blood to continue dripping out bit by bit.
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The corners of her mouth lifted into a bit of a grim smile. A holy Buddhist praying hall, yet there were also rivers of blood here.
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There’s no helping it. There are too many things in this world that one cannot help, especially her, Su Qi Qi.
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Of course, at this time Mo Wen Chen was also helpless. He looked deeply at Su Qi Qi on more time while clenching his fist; stay strong for a few more days, ben wang will definitely save you.
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Then he turned to leave.
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The color of the sky turned dark. Su Qi Qi spend the entire day without a mouth of rice nor a sip of water, blood flowed nonstop from her knees and her entire body was trembling from the cold. She felt that she might not be able to survive past today. Looking at the surroundings, she felt a bit unwilling.
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Will she just die obscurely like this?
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She doesn’t even know why she was made to kneel here.
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It was the previous generation’s grievances, yet they were all fostered on her to bear.
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However, to suffer in the place of her mother, she was willing. It was just that in her heart, she felt her mother would definitely never do anything to let down anyone.
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Obstinately biting her teeth, thinking to here, Su Qi Qi fiercely pressed her palms against the ground and stood up. She swayed for a bit, but didn’t fall down. Seeing the fine needles on the grass, her eyes became several degrees colder, and filled with much more hate.
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Her hands clenched tightly, her long nails dug into her palm and broke the skin. Only this way would Su Qi Qi feel alert because her entire body felt numb.
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Not waiting for her to turn around and leave, the door was suddenly slammed open. A strong force suddenly kicked her from the back and aimed precisely to make her kneel on the grass once again.
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“Aah……”
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This time, Su Qi Qi couldn’t endure it anymore and gave a pained cry. Originally, those needles only pierced into her skin, but at this time, kneeling down with this much force, practically the entire needle entered the flesh. It hurted to the point that it tore at the heart and pierced the lungs.
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“Pah……”
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Su Qi Qi’s cry of pain caused the Empress Dowager to give a fierce slap: “How audacious, how dare you make such a big fuss at a sacred Buddhist hall. Ai jia(I) hasn’t even told you to leave yet, how dare you stand up?”
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Her eyes were filled with an ominous glint as she glared at Su Qi Qi who had blood dripping from the corner of her mouth.
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Seeing Su Qi Qi like this, a flash of a smile passed through the Empress Dowager’s eyes.
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Enduring the pain and lowering her heart, Su Qi Qi could only swallow the blood into her stomach and fiercely bite down on her lip to keep herself from crying out in pain. She knew, if she made anymore noise the Empress Dowager would use more ways to torment her.
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Almost as if she was watching a play, the Empress Dowager circled Su Qi Qi for a round, seeming extremely satisfied: “You know, ai jia and your mom were very good friends in the lady chambers. Tomorrow, ai jia is preparing to let your mom into the palace to have an audience with the Emperor, and while at it, she could come take a look at you, her darling girl.”
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“No! Empress Dowager niang niang, I beg you don’t…… ” Su Qi Qi instantly became terrified and knelt down, not caring about anything.
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Her voice was fill of imploring, her face was also filled with teardrops.
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If she let her mother see this scene, she might cry so broken-heartedly that she’d end up hovering between life and death.
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Such bitterness it’s enough if just she alone endured it. She can’t let her mother also suffer.
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Fiercely lifting her leg, with one lift she kicked Su Qi Qi who had crawled over on her knees down while saying strongly: “It still hasn’t come to the day where ai jia‘s actions can be criticized by you. Come, drag her out and flog her.”
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Right then she couldn’t find a good reason so that event was right in time for the Empress Dowager to take hold of it as an excuse. While glaring with loathing at Su Qi Qi she angrily shouted.
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There were already two palace maids stepping up to grab Su Qi Qi’s arms and drag her out, leaving behind a thick trail of blood.
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“Empress Dowager niang niang, whatever you want this qie to do, this qie will do. I beg you don’t make things hard for my mother……” Su Qi Qi was still begging as if her life depended on it, shouting without regard for anything else.
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Two large men approached and crudely tied Su Qi Qi up. Then, not paying any attention to her cries, they flicked a whip at her extremely violently, they had pretty much put in all their strength.
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“Ah!” Blood-curdling screams rang out from the Inner Court of the Imperial Palace.
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The whip had barbs on it. The moment the whip landed, Su Qi Qi’s garments were also torn. Her flesh stuck to the barbs on the long whip and blood immediately soaked her clothing!
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“Pah! Pah! Pah!”
Hearing Su Qi Qi’s miserable screams, the man doling out the punishment seemed to become extremely excited and whipped out three lashes in a row. Each and every lash generated a strong wind, each and every lash left a deep scar on Su Qi Qi’s body, causing her flesh and blood to be badly mutilated.
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When this fourth lash landed, Su Qi Qi no longer had the strength to even scream. Right now she finally felt that Hua Qian Zi’s whipping strength still lacked a lot. Lowering her head, almost at her last gasp, she could only bit down hard on her lips, keeping herself from fainting.
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The Empress Dowager had already waved her hand, having the two men withdraw.
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She just wanted Su Qi Qi to suffer a little, she had no intention for her to completely die because she still didn’t dare to.
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“Empress Dowager niang niang……. I beg you…… please spare my mother.” Su Qi Qi was already weak to the point she didn’t even have the slightest bit of strength left, yet she still forced herself to lift her head and look towards the Empress Dowager, appealing!
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Gritting her teeth, the Empress Dowager didn’t think Su Qi Qi would be so obstinate, to be still thinking of her mother at this time.
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“Didn’t think she actually raised a good daughter.” Seeing Su Qi Qi like this, the Empress Dowager was actually a bit scared. This girl, unexpectedly had such willpower.
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Back then, if she was also like this, might the outcome have been different?
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Fiercely glaring at Su Qi Qi, the Empress Dowager actually don’t know how to face her.
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At this moment, a palace maid walked in from outside and whispered something into the Empress Dowager’s ear.
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Her originally quite sinister and rancor face suddenly turned mild. She looked to the distance: “Alright, let him wait in the main hall.”
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The smiling expression between her brows and eyes could not be concealed.
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Credits: Translated by Chiyomira, Edited by Sonia
[Chiyomira’s Corner]
Now if you guys read the new series I’m picking up, you’ll think of slaps and whips…
Also, I made an updates page on Yumeabyss, because my plans will get pretty complicated pretty soon, so it’ll be easier me to stay organized and for you guys to know what I’ll be up to.
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