The Sickly Seedling Dresses Up As An Unfortunate And Muddled Monarch - Chapter 33

“Jilu Punishment is an extremely rare punishment recorded in the criminal cases of the Great Duan.”

 

Qiu Junyao took a sip of tea and spoke slowly:

 

“These past few days, I haven’t been hesitating about how to deal with Jingming. Instead, I’ve been reviewing the penal code of Great Duan.”

 

“The country has its laws, and the family has its rules. Even though I am the emperor, if there is a criminal case, it should be handled according to the national laws and regulations, not based on my personal will.”

 

After speaking, Qiu Junyao looked down at Qiu Jingxiu, who was holding his little face and listening attentively. He couldn’t help but smile gently and patted Qiu Jingxiu’s head:

 

“Jingxiu, remember this: if you encounter a similar situation in the future, you must not deal with others arbitrarily but follow the law, understood?”

 

Qiu Jingxiu’s dark eyes turned as if he was thinking carefully, then he nodded vigorously and said crisply:

 

“Your son understands!”

 

“Good boy.”

 

Qiu Junyao picked up Qiu Jingxiu, took a handkerchief, and wiped the cake crumbs from Qiu Jingxiu’s mouth while saying:

 

“Because Jingming is a prince and has a special status, previous emperors mostly imposed light punishments on princes, such as whipping, detention, and confinement. The most severe punishment was only stripping them of their titles and expelling them from the royal family.”

 

Qiu Junyao’s tone was slow but clear:

 

“Jingming is not yet of age and has no title, so stripping him of his title is out of the question. However, directly expelling him from the royal family and demoting him to a commoner would cause dissatisfaction among the close relatives and ministers, especially from the Xiao family, which Jingming’s mother belongs to.”

 

“So, I searched for a long time and finally found a precedent in the criminal cases where a previous emperor used Jilu Punishment to deal with his son who attempted to murder his sibling.”

 

“Father!” Qiu Jingxiu raised his small hand, like an eager student:

 

“What exactly is Jilu Punishment?”

 

Seeing that Qiu Jingxiu was so curious, Qiu Junyao smiled and explained slowly:

 

“Jilu Punishment is actually an evolved form of caning.”

 

“Typically, caning is based on the severity and impact of the crime, with a set number of strokes, such as ten or twenty at a time.”

 

“But Jilu Punishment starts with only three strokes.”

 

“Three strokes?” Qiu Jingxiu was a bit surprised. “So few?”

 

After a moment, he tilted his head and looked at Qiu Junyao, then said confidently: “Father, you definitely haven’t finished speaking.”

 

“Smart boy,” Qiu Junyao said. “Although it starts with only three strokes, the offender is caned every three days, with the number of strokes increasing each time, until the three-month period is over.”

 

Qiu Jingxiu counted on his fingers and then exclaimed, “That’s so many times, I can’t count them all.”

 

“Here’s how you calculate it. Three months is ninety days, with three days per cycle, making thirty cycles. Starting with three strokes, with an increase of one each cycle, you can use the arithmetic sequence formula to get the total.”

 

Qiu Junyao explained patiently.

 

Yinyuan: “………”

 

Qiu Jingxiu: “……….”

 

A long silence followed as the wind blew.

 

After a while, the puzzled Qiu Jingxiu timidly raised his little hand and asked:

 

“Father, what is an arithmetic sequence?”

 

Qiu Junyao: “……..”

 

.

 

After making his decision, Qiu Junyao quickly sent the decree to the Minister of Justice and the Minister of Punishment to handle the case and administer the punishment.

 

Because Qiu Junyao didn’t specifically ask for attention to be given, and since the Minister of Punishment was a strict and impartial man, each caning was carried out thoroughly on Qiu Jingming, drawing blood every time.

 

Since Qiu Jingming was now a convicted criminal and Qiu Junyao didn’t allow anyone to visit him, no one brought him any ointment.

 

Day after day, new wounds overlapped with old ones. After nearly half a month, a young eunuch reported to Qiu Jingxiu that the eldest prince was in a bad state.

 

“The servant paid some money to get someone to see the eldest prince. Oh, the amount of blood was like he had killed ten people.”

 

The young eunuch, selected by Qiu Junyao for Qiu Jingxiu, had entered the palace at a young age and was five or six years older than Qiu Jingxiu:

 

“The officials in the Ministry of Punishments said that the eldest prince is now more out of breath than in.”

 

“Huh?” Qiu Jingxiu was studying, holding a writing brush. He looked up at the young eunuch occasionally.

 

After pondering for a moment, he asked: “Does Father know?”

 

“Yes, he does.” The young eunuch said, “When the Minister of Punishment reported it, the servant and my master were waiting outside. The palace door was open, so we heard everything clearly.”

 

“What was Father’s reaction?” Qiu Jingxiu asked.

 

“Well…” The young eunuch’s face showed a hint of confusion, “His Majesty didn’t say much, just that he knew.”

 

“………” Qiu Jingxiu frowned and heavily marked the paper, ruining a perfectly good piece of calligraphy.

 

After a long time, he suddenly looked up and asked the young eunuch, “Why were you with your master then?”

 

“Oh, the Empress had just sent me to bring warm lily soup to His Majesty. When I arrived, His Majesty was in a meeting, so I waited outside for a while,” the young eunuch scratched his head and said.

 

“Oh……..” Qiu Jingxiu understood.

 

He crumpled the paper into a ball and threw it into the basket, then said with a half-smile:

 

“So, you heard it, and because it concerned me, you came back to report it to me.”

 

“Yes,” the young eunuch, not understanding the meaning behind Qiu Jingxiu’s smile, was still quite pleased, thinking he had done a good job:

 

“Your Highness, I didn’t delay for even a moment and came back to report to you immediately.”

 

Qiu Jingxiu didn’t say anything. He rolled up a book in his hand and walked to the window, looking at the peach blossom tree outside that was starting to sprout green shoots. He suddenly remembered that when he was pushed into the lotus pond by Qiu Jingming, it was still the cold winter months.

 

Time had flown by, and a month had passed. Qiu Jingming, who had always lived a life of luxury, had been in prison for so long, unable to eat or dress warmly, and often subjected to caning. He must have already hated him deeply by now.

 

Thinking of Qiu Jingming nursing his wounds and still finding time to hate him made Qiu Jingxiu feel a sense of joy.

 

He put down the book, glanced at the young eunuch grinding ink for him, and a hint of an unreadable light flashed in his eyes. Then he slowly spoke:

 

“Suiyu.”

 

The young eunuch instinctively raised his head and responded:

 

“Your Highness.”

 

“Come with me to the prison of the Ministry of War to see my big brother.”

 

Qiu Jingxiu thought for a moment and added, “And bring the bottle of medicine from under my pillow.”

 

The prison of the Ministry of War was different from the Dali Temple. It was crowded with people, and as Qiu Jingxiu walked through the corridor, he could hear the painful wails of prisoners being tortured.

 

The sizzling sound of a red-hot iron branding flesh was close to his ears. Even though he didn’t witness the punishment firsthand, he seemed to see the white smoke from burning flesh drifting in front of him, carrying the scent of human flesh.

 

Qiu Jingxiu couldn’t help but feel nauseous, but he held it in.

 

As he walked through the long passage toward the “Earth” cell where the royal relatives were held, Qiu Jingxiu inadvertently turned his head and noticed that the eunuch Suiyu’s steps remained steady despite the surrounding screams and cries. It was as if he was already used to it, following the prison officer without hesitation, even when turning corners, as if he had been here before.

 

Qiu Jingxiu: “……..”

 

He pinched his fingertips and lowered his head without showing any expression, using this movement to hide the thoughtful look on his face.

 

Qiu Jingming was held deep inside the prison, and the further they went, the more eerie and quiet it became.

 

Covering his nose, Qiu Jingxiu looked up as the officer unlocked the cell. The door creaked loudly as it opened, almost drowning out the officer’s fawning voice:

 

“Young Highness, this is the place.”

 

Since Qiu Junyao hadn’t specifically instructed to take care of Qiu Jingming and his mother had long left the palace, no one was there to support Qiu Jingming, leaving him almost without any secret assistance in the prison.

 

He was filthy, wearing a prison uniform so dirty it was impossible to distinguish black from white, stained with dark red and purple blood. He lay on a pile of straw like a corpse, breathing faintly. His fingers, full of tiny wounds, were covered with dirt, and his face was hidden under hair as dry as weeds, making it hard to see his expression.

 

“………”

 

Seeing his once spirited older brother in such a state, Qiu Jingxiu couldn’t help but lower his eyelashes.

 

As if he heard the noise from outside, Qiu Jingming slowly moved his eyes.

 

His eyes, which initially held some spirit, completely darkened when he saw that the visitor was Qiu Jingxiu.

 

Qiu Jingxiu instantly deciphered the meaning behind this gaze and said sensitively:

 

“Are you disappointed that I came?”

 

Under that probing gaze, Qiu Jingming tried to stand up to regain some dignity as an elder brother. But soon, the sharp pain from his buttocks to his spine left him unable to move. He could only watch as Qiu Jingxiu walked up to him, squatted down, and sighed slightly:

 

“Big brother.”

 

Qiu Jingxiu said, “Why did you let yourself get so miserable?”

 

Qiu Jingming was infuriated by Qiu Jingxiu’s seemingly concerned but actually gloating words. His face flushed with anger, and his eyes glared red from under his messy hair. He clenched his teeth so hard that Qiu Jingxiu could see his facial muscles trembling:

 

“Why are you here?”

 

Qiu Jingming wanted to jump up and bite Qiu Jingxiu, but being nearly paralyzed from the beatings, he couldn’t move. He could only rasp out in a hoarse, dry voice that sounded like he hadn’t drunk water for centuries:

 

“You’re probably here to mock me, aren’t you?”

 

He said coldly, “Now that you’ve seen it, are you satisfied?”

 

“Royal brother, how can you say that?”

 

Qiu Jingxiu heard Qiu Jingming’s words and looked down, feeling a bit wronged:

 

“You’ve misunderstood me.”

 

“Spare me your pretense,” Qiu Jingming growled.

 

“How can you say that I’m probably here to mock you?”

 

Qiu Jingxiu squatted in front of Qiu Jingming, his eyes curving into a smile without any mirth. He said slowly:

 

“I came specifically to mock you.”

 

“………”

 

Seeing Qiu Jingxiu’s innocent face saying such infuriating words, Qiu Jingming almost spat out a mouthful of blood, nearly splashing it all over Qiu Jingxiu:

 

“You… cough cough…”

 

“Don’t get so worked up, royal brother.” Qiu Jingxiu genuinely smiled this time:

 

“If you die here, it’ll be blamed on me.”

 

Qiu Jingming tried to stop coughing up blood but futilely watched as more and more fresh blood pooled in front of him, feeling as if his throat was glued shut with the metallic taste of blood.

 

Despite this, Qiu Jingming glared at Qiu Jingxiu with hatred, his voice low:

 

“I won’t die.”

 

He said, “I still have to see Father. I still have things to say to him!”

 

As he said this, Qiu Jingming suddenly became agitated again.

 

Qiu Jingxiu didn’t seem surprised by his words.

 

Feeling his legs go numb from squatting, Qiu Jingxiu simply sat cross-legged in front of Qiu Jingming, looking down at him:

 

“What do you want to say to Father?”

 

He said, “If you curry favor with me, I might help you.”

 

“…..Get lost,” Qiu Jingming said. “Not even if I die.”

 

Hearing Qiu Jingming’s impulsive words, Qiu Jingxiu narrowed his eyes, a hint of displeasure flashing across his face. After a moment, he sighed and analyzed rationally for his eldest royal brother:

 

“With caning, three strokes draw blood, ten strokes cause the skin to split, and twenty strokes can leave you bedridden for half a year. Brother, you…”

 

Qiu Jingxiu paused, counting on his fingers as he continued:

 

“You’ve taken about twenty-five strokes over the past half month, right?”

 

Qiu Jingxiu said, “In half a month, you’ve been beaten to this state. Are you sure you’ll still be alive to see Father in three months?”

 

“…….I can!”

 

“Stop being stubborn.” Qiu Jingxiu sighed. “Forget seeing Father; even if I punch you now, you probably couldn’t hit back.”

 

“In three months, you might only be able to talk to Father at your grave.”

 

Qiu Jingming: “………”

 

He sadly realized that Qiu Jingxiu was right.

 

But no matter how much he agreed with Qiu Jingxiu in his heart, Qiu Jingming still felt unwilling:

 

“I know you hate me. You came here just to see me suffer.”

 

He changed his tone and continued, “But I really didn’t use elderflower poison on you.”

 

“Oh?” Qiu Jingxiu said. “Why do you say that?”

 

“Because if I wanted to poison you, I’d use hemlock to kill you outright, not this useless elderflower poison that only makes you dumb.”

 

Qiu Jingming said coldly.

 

Qiu Jingxiu: “……..”

 

Hell is empty****, the King of Hell walks among men.

 

But as Qiu Jingxiu thought about it, Qiu Jingming’s words did seem somewhat credible:

 

“So, someone else poisoned me that day?”

 

“Of course,” Qiu Jingming said without hesitation. “Why don’t you relay a message to Father for me, and we’ll find the real culprit together. I…”

 

“What’s in it for me?” Qiu Jingxiu interrupted.

 

“If you die, I’ll solve a major problem and then find the culprit myself. Can’t I?”

 

“…….” Qiu Jingming said, “That makes sense.”

 

“Brother, with that brain of yours, don’t think about finding the culprit or ascending the throne.” Qiu Jingxiu looked at him sympathetically, speaking slowly:

 

“You’ve been sold out and are still counting money for them.”

 

“……Cut the crap,” Qiu Jingming said angrily. “Are you going to help me or not?!”

 

Qiu Jingxiu pondered for a moment, then cheerfully said:

 

“I will.”

 

Qiu Jingming was overjoyed: “Then you…”

 

“But you have to agree to one condition,” Qiu Jingxiu smiled, like a fox wagging its tail.

 

“What condition?” Qiu Jingming asked impatiently.

 

“Either apologize to me and promise never to go against Father, always loyal and respectful to him.” Qiu Jingxiu paused, hearing Qiu Jingming quickly skip over this condition at the mention of an apology.

 

“I choose the second.”

 

“Good.” Qiu Jingxiu smiled, clapped his hands, and had Suiyu bring up a small bottle of medicine:

 

“Or, you drink this bottle of elderflower poison yourself.”

 

Qiu Jingxiu lowered his head, meeting Qiu Jingming’s astonished gaze.

 

“Choose.”

 

Qiu Jingxiu was a vengeful person. He blamed Qiu Jingming for Qiu Junyao’s recent inability to eat or sleep well, and he didn’t quite believe Qiu Jingming’s words. He was determined to repay in kind but still had a trace of softness:

 

“Brother, apologizing to me only loses face, but drinking elderflower poison means becoming an idiot. You might not have my luck. If you become an idiot, you can forget about the throne. Think carefully.”

 

“………” Qiu Jingming bit his lip, and in that action, Qiu Jingxiu could clearly see his struggle.

 

“Those who adapt are wise,” Qiu Jingxiu said. “If you want to see Father again, you’d better apologize to me—”

 

Before Qiu Jingxiu could finish, Qiu Jingming, who had been lying there like a dying snake, suddenly reached out, grabbed the medicine bottle from Qiu Jingxiu’s hand with lightning speed, and swallowed it.

 

From start to finish, it was so fast that Qiu Jingxiu couldn’t even see how Qiu Jingming did it; the bottle was already empty in his palm:

 

“Hey, you—”

 

Qiu Jingxiu stared in shock as Qiu Jingming coldly wiped his mouth and threw the bottle on the ground, the words still echoing in his ears:

 

“The winner takes all. I accept.”

 

“But dreaming of me apologizing to you? Never.”

 

Qiu Jingxiu fumed: “……..Are you a dead duck?”

 

So stubborn?

 

The phrase “dead duck” usually refers to someone or something doomed to fail  –  秋景秀’s exasperation would be “Are you that stubborn?” or “Are you so stubborn?”