The next day, Chen Jiao received a summons from the Emperor, leaving the entire Marquis’ household uneasy.
Chang’an was full of nobility, and even among the marquises, the Yong’an Marquis’ household was not particularly exceptional. As the heir of the Marquis, Chen Jiao had only attended a few grand court banquets over the years, and this was her first time being summoned by the Emperor alone.
Recalling recent events, Chen Jiao’s heart grew heavy, sensing that this summons did not bode well.
She could not understand why the Emperor would summon her. After visiting the Crown Prince the previous day, many of the Crown Prince’s supporters had gone to see him, including officials from the Right Chancellor’s residence. Among all these ministers, Chen Jiao considered herself inconspicuous, at most arriving slightly earlier than the others.
This matter could have been either trivial or significant. In theory, the Emperor, busy handling the Right Chancellor and the Deputy Minister of Revenue, would hardly have time to target a minor heir like herself.
The Yong’an Marquis’ household had always been cautious; even when aligning with the Crown Prince, it was Chen Jiao, still a young teenager, who represented them. Neither the Old Marquis nor the Marquis had ever directly interacted with the Crown Prince.
Where, then, had they gone wrong to catch the Emperor’s attention?
But now was not the time to dwell on that. The most important task was to navigate this matter before the aging Emperor.
Inside the imperial study, Chen Jiao knelt on the ground.
The Emperor, reviewing memorials, asked casually, “It has been some time since I last saw Princess Yihe, how has she been recently?”
Princess Yihe, the daughter of the Grand Princess, was the Emperor’s cousin, a member of the royal family.
Chen Jiao respectfully replied, “Your Majesty’s concern is appreciated. Mother has been well of late.”
“That is good,” the Emperor said, then suddenly raised his head, his cloudy eyes piercing Chen Jiao like blades. “I have heard that rumors have spread in the capital claiming the Yong’an Marquis’ household is closely allied with the Crown Prince. Your visit to his residence the other day, was it not related to this matter…”
Though mentally prepared, Chen Jiao’s heart still skipped a beat at hearing the words. Her mind raced.
The Emperor’s use of the term “rumor” indicated that he did not wish for the matter to be “true.”
If she wanted to avoid the Emperor’s reprimand, she should have cleverly denied the rumor, distanced herself from the Crown Prince, and explained her visit as incidental, perhaps passing by.
Thoughts flashed through her mind, and she bowed deeply, saying, “It was not the Marquis’ household, Your Majesty. I, out of respect for the Crown Prince’s knowledge and talent, followed him in hopes of learning a bit…”
The Emperor’s gaze darkened. His voice grew heavy, “Learning what?! Learning to defy imperial edicts?!”
Facing the wrath of Heaven itself, sweat formed on Chen Jiao’s forehead. The Emperor clearly did not intend for her to pass this off lightly; he wanted her to make a clear stance and sever ties with the Crown Prince.
Yet she could not agree, this would be a dead end.
If she agreed now, it would be a betrayal of the Crown Prince. When he ascended, he would never forgive her. If another prince came to power, the Yong’an Marquis’ household, as former supporters of the Crown Prince, would also face dire consequences.
So Chen Jiao feigned ignorance. She bowed her head again, saying, “I am foolish, I know my fault.”
Seeing that she acknowledged only her fault without promising to amend it, the Emperor’s expression darkened, his eyes gazing at her as if looking upon a corpse.
The Emperor was old, his face lined with wrinkles, his joints aching on rainy days, remedies only alleviating but not curing.
With age came nostalgia. His sons were growing, taller and stronger, and sometimes when he looked at them, he saw not sons but threats to his reign. Among all his sons, he was most displeased with the Crown Prince.
The ministers praised the Crown Prince endlessly, believing him a capable future ruler, yet they forgot the Emperor was still alive. To him, the Crown Prince’s popularity was a challenge to his authority.
He intended to support a younger, more controllable son to replace the Crown Prince, not expecting so many—including the previously neutral Yong’an Marquis’ household to side with the heir.
The Emperor wanted to know why they opposed him.
Squinting, his voice heavy, he asked, “Have you thought it through?”
The Emperor was thin, his stern face commanding respect without a word of anger. Below, Chen Jiao knelt silently, head bowed, “I am guilty, Your Majesty.”
Had it been someone else, the Emperor might have erupted, teaching them a severe lesson. But kneeling there was Chen Jiao, sharp and prickly like a hedgehog—too delicate to strike hard, too defiant to ignore.
The Old Marquis had aided the founding emperor, later yielding military power wisely. The Yong’an Marquis had served loyally, never erring, and Princess Yihe was his cousin.
The Chen family line was single-descended; the current Marquis and his wife were in their fifties, unable to have another child.
If the Emperor killed Chen Jiao in anger, it would wipe out a loyal family and his own cousin, tarnishing his reputation as a benevolent ruler.
Yet inaction was impossible. Facing the Crown Prince in political contention, Chen Jiao dared to side with him, showing blatant disregard.
The Emperor looked to the eunuchs nearby and said lightly, “The Crown Prince’s supporter, Chen Jiao, has been disrespectful before me. Thirty strokes of the cane.”
At once, two eunuchs seized Chen Jiao and dragged her away.
Surviving this ordeal, she quietly exhaled. Luckily, she was not being executed.
She knew the Emperor would only impose minor punishment; he would not kill her simply for supporting the Crown Prince. Otherwise, the first to die would have been the Right Chancellor.
But the Emperor’s vague, piercing gaze still made her anxious. If she died, her parents and grandparents would mourn deeply.
The palace had many spies; when she was dragged away, someone signaled a young eunuch, who quietly departed.
A quarter of an hour later, the Crown Prince’s residence received news of Chen Jiao’s punishment for disrespect before the Emperor.
A young eunuch delivered the message, “Supervisor Yu reports that his junior is responsible for the execution today. Your Highness need not worry…”
“Thank you, Supervisor Yu.” After sending off the eunuch, Xie Xianqing handed the note to his guards, calmly instructing, “Inform Princess Yihe and the Grand Princess.”
Ordered to remain indoors, guards stood at the door. Unable to enter the palace himself, he relied on Princess Yihe and others acting quickly.
Sitting in the pavilion, Xie Xianqing’s thoughts drifted to the young boy who had given him the medicine, holding an umbrella for him in the wind and rain…
He closed his eyes, sneered, and rose, sleeves billowing as he walked outside.
Princess Yihe, rushing without verifying the news, headed straight to the Grand Princess’ residence for assistance. Finding her absent, she took the official letter and hurried to the palace. The Grand Princess, granted imperial favor by the late Emperor, could enter without reporting.
Outside the imperial study, Chen Jiao lay face down on a stool, the red wooden plank raised behind her.
Corporal punishment was precise. Light strikes caused only minor bruises, healing in weeks; severe strikes could tear intestines and organs, all depending on the executioner’s skill.
As she was dragged out, Chen Jiao thought this was a major loss. She had yet to enjoy the perks of serving the Crown Prince and now would take the punishment herself.
Nervously, she glanced at the heavy red plank, heart sinking, wondering if there was still time to beg for mercy.
A supervising eunuch forced a white cloth into her mouth to prevent her from biting her tongue.
Lying on the stool, she mumbled muffled sounds, “…ummmm?”
The executioner raised the plank. The first strike made Chen Jiao flinch, crying out, tears streaming immediately.
Her reaction startled the other eunuchs, who exchanged glances, wondering if the young lady harbored a grudge against the Yong’an Marquis’ household.
Despite suspicious eyes, the eunuch executing her remained calm, knowing exactly the force to apply.
Chen Jiao endured dozens of strikes, sweat forming on her face. She initially counted each, but gradually gave up, her mind numb.
Her backside burned with pain, cursing the wicked eunuch, unaware that he was acting under careful instruction from the Crown Prince to protect her. The final ten strikes were not less forceful, yet the executioner maintained control.
Once complete, the supervising eunuch nodded, signaling another to cover Chen Jiao with the prepared white cloth.
Chen Jiao, dazed and numb, wondered if her injuries were severe enough to be considered bedridden. Apart from the burning pain and some bleeding, she felt no major internal harm.
This was a common tactic of the eunuchs. Thirty strikes left visible bruising and blood, making the punishment appear harsher to satisfy the Emperor.
When Princess Yihe arrived, she saw Chen Jiao covered in the white cloth, bloodied and unconscious, collapsing in her arms. She cried out, “Jiao’er! If you leave, mother goes with you!”
Chen Jiao, lying under the cloth, pondered whether to peek out to comfort her mother.
The supervising eunuch, loyal to the Fifth Prince, was shocked by Princess Yihe’s arrival and immediately scolded, “Before the Emperor, how can Princess Yihe act like a common shrew?”
Enraged, Princess Yihe struck him across the face, “Despicable wretch! How dare you control me?!”
The executioner and the eunuch were long at odds; seeing this, the eunuch smirked, then dropped his head, mockingly saying, “Oh! Princess Yihe, why are you hitting someone?”
Even the Emperor, stepping outside, was taken aback, recalling that his cousin had been headstrong since childhood. Her temperament had not changed a bit.
The commotion outside reached the imperial study. The Emperor, irritated and worried, wondered if the punishment had killed Chen Jiao.
If Chen Jiao were truly dead, handling the Yong’an Marquis’ household would be complicated.
Irritated by the noise, he bellowed, “Crying and yelling like this! Do you have no respect for the palace rules!”