Caning in the Imperial Harem

The second watch had already passed. There was a small oil lamp in the Cold Palace, but what use was it? Two commoners, stripped of their honor and status, sat speechless in the empty room, only heartbroken people gazing at each other in silence. They lay down to sleep; perhaps if they could fall asleep, they could temporarily forget their miserable situation. A series of clanging sounds startled Wang and Xiao awake from their drowsy state on the kang (heated brick bed). With a crash of bricks, the closed (Cold) Palace door was pried open. As the dust settled, several palace lanterns illuminated the scene: Consort Wu—no! Empress Wu—whose investiture was to be held tomorrow—covering her mouth and nose with a handkerchief, entered gracefully, surrounded by two eunuchs and six palace maids. The small room immediately felt crowded.
Ever since receiving the secret report that she had visited the Cold Palace that morning and spoken with those inside, Empress Wu had become extremely vigilant. It seemed this young imperial "brother"—Li Zhi, four years her junior—was still entangled with them! After careful consideration, she decided to immediately go to see the emperor and confront him face to face. The timid Li Zhi, under the stern rebuke of his elder sister-in-law, panicked. He frantically tried to explain himself, saying he had only happened to pass by and offered a few words of comfort, with no other intentions. Finally, he left with the words, "This matter will be handled by the Empress Dowager," and used the excuse of delivering a memorial to the palace eunuch to flee.
Since the emperor had issued an edict, to prevent any unforeseen complications, Empress Wu brought people to "visit" these two almost forgotten people that very night. The palace lanterns illuminated the room as if it were daytime; in fact, it was even brighter than daytime. Since being banished to the cold palace, within a few days, someone had bricked up the door, leaving only a small window for delivering food and emptying chamber pots, so the light in the room was almost the same day and night. Now, having already adjusted to the dim light, the bright lamplight stung their eyes for a long time. When the two women could barely open their eyes, they saw Empress Wu sitting on her own embroidered stool, smiling at them.
Wang, the former Empress, now a commoner, exchanged a glance with the current Empress before calmly lying back down. She was truly at peace, even utterly despondent. Xiao Liangdi, never one to back down, was even more determined now that her adversary was before her. She sat upright, her eyes fixed on the wicked woman. Empress Wu found it amusing, her smile widening. What was this? You dare compare yourself to me! Kindness was always a favor bestowed by the strong upon the weak. Now, you're in my hands, ready to fight? Hahaha! She almost burst out laughing.
"How have you two been, my sisters (both younger than Wu, but favored first)?" the Empress greeted them with a smile. Wang remained unmoved, as if asleep. Empress Xiao snorted, still glaring angrily. Empress Wu stood up. "His Majesty's decree! Commoners Wang and Xiao, receive the imperial edict!" Upon hearing the edict, Wang and Xiao dared not delay. They quickly rose, straightened their clothes, shouted "Long live the Emperor!", and knelt to receive the decree. "The deposed Empress Wang and the deposed Consort Xiao, since their reprimand, have not reflected on their actions but instead harbored resentment and slandered the court (truly 'what a load of nonsense'!). Their crimes are unforgivable; they are hereby sentenced to death! Empress Wu, you may handle this at my discretion. So be it!" Wang kowtowed in gratitude, then calmly stood up, still silent.
Empress Xiao, kneeling on the ground, was stunned for a long time before asking sharply, "Whose will this be?" Empress Wu sat down gracefully and said slowly, "Empress Xiao, you haven't thanked His Majesty yet; do you intend to disobey the imperial edict?" Empress Xiao glared at her fiercely, and after a long while, she reluctantly kowtowed and rose. Empress Wu sneered, "I dare not disobey the Emperor's decree. Please prepare yourselves and we shall depart." Empress Xiao retorted sharply, "Wu! Today, we are in your hands, you rat! We may die, but you, you vixen, have bewitched the Emperor and framed us! I will never forgive you, even in death! In my next life, I will become a divine cat and bite your throat, you dead rat, in every lifetime!"
Empress Wu abruptly stood up, her eyebrows raised, ready to lash out. After a moment's thought, she sat down again, beckoned to a eunuch, and whispered some instructions in his ear. The eunuch then turned and led four palace maids out. A short while later, hurried footsteps sounded, and the eunuch rushed in, followed by palace maids carrying two buckets of water. Empress Wu said softly, "My two sisters haven't bathed in a long time, have they? Wash yourselves properly later, so you can depart cleanly." With that, she slightly tossed her head, and her subordinates understood. What politeness was there for these two women who had lost power? They rushed forward and stripped Wang and Xiao naked. Although Wang had expected a bad end, being stripped naked like a pig, especially in front of her former servants, still filled her with shame. However, she was powerless to resist and could only glare fiercely at Empress Wu. Xiao, meanwhile, was already cursing incessantly—but despite her curses, she was still stripped naked.
Empress Wu glanced at the eunuch beside her, who quickly shouted in a shrill voice, "Are you all dead? What are you waiting for?!" The eunuchs, obeying the order, rushed forward and forced Xiao to kneel. One eunuch picked up a bucket and poured freshly drawn, icy well water over Xiao's head, down to her feet. Taking advantage of her momentary disorientation from the cold water, someone picked up a small garment from the ground—it was unclear whose it was—and stuffed it into her mouth. Xiao struggled fiercely, but her strength was insufficient; she could only glare helplessly with bloodshot eyes, making angry "hmm" sounds through her nose, as she was forced to lie face down on the filthy ground. Someone also poured cold water on Wang, who was determined to accept her fate silently.
Empress Wu cleared her throat, looking at Wang, the woman who had summoned her back to the palace, her heart filled with mixed emotions. However, she was destined for greatness! After a moment's hesitation, she ordered: "By order of His Majesty, I hereby sentence Wang and Xiao to death! Guards, give them each one hundred strokes of the cane!" Her attendants responded, and more men pressed Wang to the ground. Then, four eunuchs carrying canes entered from outside. Wang and Xiao, having spent so much time in the palace, naturally knew that caning meant beating the buttocks; usually, they were the ones beating others, but today it was their turn. Wang's nose stung, and two streams of humiliated tears welled up in her eyes. Xiao's mouth was gagged, preventing her from cursing, and she banged her head on the ground in frustration, making a loud "thump, thump" sound.
Empress Wu, intending to provoke her, said, "Sister, there's no need for this. The Emperor has ordered your deaths; begging and kowtowing won't help." These words turned Xiao's face green with rage. Because the room was cramped, Empress Wu ordered Xiao to be dragged to the courtyard for execution. While she showed some pity for Wang, she felt nothing but schadenfreude towards Xiao. She ordered her embroidered stool to be moved to the doorway, sat upright, and instructed her attendants to administer the punishment. The palace maids held lanterns high, illuminating Xiao's snow-white buttocks, while specially selected eunuchs held down their hands and feet and began to wield the rods. Since entering the Cold Palace, this was the first time Xiao had seen the light of day—no, the "moon" of the sky—and before she could even breathe in the air of freedom, the eunuchs' rods whistled through the air and struck her right buttock heavily with a crisp, clear "smack."
Today, the eunuchs weren't carrying the bamboo strips they usually used to punish palace maids and eunuchs, but rather heavy canes specifically used for cruel punishments like "beating to death." These canes were made of hardwood, six feet five inches long, with a four-foot-long, rod-like handle. The head, resembling a paddle, was two and a half feet long, four inches wide, and one inch thick, painted black. Each cane weighed five pounds. This massive instrument, with one strike, almost covered Xiao's entire right buttock. As the left cane lifted, the flesh on Xiao's buttocks paused for a moment before springing up, and her body arched slightly. Before she could even groan, the right cane struck her left buttock heavily. These eunuchs were specifically in charge of punishments in the palace; their accuracy and strength far surpassed that of ordinary eunuchs. After two blows, Xiao's buttocks swelled up, shimmering with a golden-red glow under the flickering lantern light.
Wang, inside the room, fared no better. Although she was usually quite amiable, today's attendants were all Empress Wu's confidants, who understood the Empress's thoughts perfectly. Therefore, they were exceptionally attentive to her backside. This Lady Wang came from a prestigious family, was well-educated and courteous from a young age, and was known for her grace and humility. After entering the palace, she was the one who disciplined others, never having been beaten herself. Today's ordeal was truly an unexpected misfortune. After only four or five blows, she felt she couldn't bear it any longer and cried out, "Wait!" Being the former Empress, the eunuchs stopped to see what she was going to do. It turned out that although Lady Wang appeared delicate, she was strong-willed beneath her gentle exterior. Unwilling to cry out in front of Empress Wu, she whispered to the maid holding her hands, "Could you please gag me?" The maid was bewildered. These lowly maids served their masters daily; how many hadn't been beaten? Crying out a few times while being beaten could distract them and lessen the pain. Lady Wang's request to be gagged and endure the beating was truly strange. She looked up at Empress Wu, who had also heard Wang call to stop and was turning around. Although Wang's voice was low, she had heard it and, though surprised, nodded in approval.
By the time they had been beaten nearly thirty times, the skin on their buttocks was torn open, and Wang had already fainted twice. Xiao, though sustained by rage, was writhing in pain, and the two eunuchs couldn't hold her down, so two more came and spread her limbs wide, pinning her to the ground. After fifty strokes, Xiao finally succumbed and also fainted. Wang's buttocks were a bloody mess, her body drenched in sweat and blood; she had already revived several times. Empress Wu ordered a halt, ordered water to be fetched and poured over them to revive them, so they could truly experience what it felt like to be treated like fish on a chopping block. People rushed to fetch water and poured it over their heads several times before they could finally groan. Wang continued to convulse, while Xiao, once conscious, still glared angrily at Empress Wu. Xiao was a skilled dancer, exceptionally beautiful, with high breasts, large hips, a slender waist, and long legs, and was greatly favored by the emperor. These two lovers, who had once received countless favors, were now mercilessly beaten into two piles of minced meat by Empress Wu. Empress Wu was overjoyed. Looking at Xiao's condition, she suddenly had a whim and ordered someone to fetch some salt from the kitchen. These attendants, practically born of ignorance, needed no further instruction; someone immediately ran to fetch the salt jar and, as if on cue, also brought back a packet of chili powder. Upon arriving, without the mistress's command, swift hands grabbed the salt and chili powder and rubbed it onto Xiao's mangled buttocks. Xiao let out a muffled groan, her body stiffened, her eyes rolled back, and a stream of hot urine splattered onto the eunuch's hand—she had fainted again. Wang
lay on the ground, tears streaming down her face, sighing inwardly. She remembered how, to consolidate her position as Empress, she had persuaded the Emperor to bring this woman into the palace to share Consort Hui's favor. Who would have thought that this woman, seemingly subservient and obedient to her, was secretly plotting against her at every turn. Consort Hui had lost her favor, but she herself had been careless and ultimately fell into her trap, ending up in the Cold Palace. Today's fate was entirely her own fault; now it was too late for regrets. The throbbing pain in her buttocks made her unable to think any further. She didn't know if she could endure the hundred strokes of the cane; and even if she did, what would it matter? Since death was inevitable, she might as well die now and suffer less humiliation.
However, Empress Wu didn't want them to die so quickly! She hadn't had enough fun yet. Empress Wu ordered someone to reawaken Xiao Shi, but not to beat her. She dragged Wang Shi to the doorway, made her kneel on the threshold, inside the room, her buttocks facing outwards, directly towards Xiao Shi, and spanked her in front of her. Xiao Shi couldn't see her own buttocks, but Empress Wu thoughtfully provided her with a "mirror" so she could fully use her imagination. Seeing the former Empress's buttocks mangled and bloodied with each stroke of the cane, Empress Xiao's eyes practically blazed with fury. While Wang was not as voluptuous as Empress Xiao, she was still a pampered woman and had never given birth. Despite being nearly thirty, her skin was still delicate and well-maintained. Her back and thighs were fair and her muscles firm and well-defined. Now, her buttocks were mangled, but her thighs remained intact, a sight that deeply distressed Empress Wu. The eunuch beside her, sensing the pain, quickly ordered the executioner to not only beat her buttocks but also her legs.
After a full hundred strokes, Wang's lower back and knees were completely bruised. At first, Wang's painful groans could be heard, but later, she nearly fainted after every three or five strokes. A palace maid knelt beside her, constantly splashing cold water on her head and body. Empress Wu had initially feared that the hundred strokes would kill her; she didn't want to kill them so quickly, but she hadn't expected Wang's resilience to be so strong. She was naturally unaware that the so-called "beating to death" or "death by flogging" involved a high level of skill. She only said "one hundred strokes," and before that number was reached, how could the eunuchs dare to let her die so easily? Just beating her buttocks like that, even three or five hundred strokes, might not kill her; it was said that some with good physical strength could withstand over a thousand! Empress Wu tilted her head, lost in thought, and the eunuchs and maids beside her dared not disturb her. It was Xiao's cursing that woke her from her reverie.
Through persistent effort, Xiao finally spat out the undergarment stuffed in her mouth. She tried to raise her head and cursed at Empress Wu. The two eunuchs holding her hands were caught off guard and didn't know what to do. It was the eunuch in charge of the punishment who reacted quickly, swinging his cane and striking Xiao's left cheek. Due to the force, Xiao was knocked unconscious again. Faced with this sudden turn of events, Empress Wu maintained considerable restraint; tolerance has always been the privilege of the strong. Not only that, she even considered letting Xiao continue her insults—she never argued with others verbally. After all, she was now in a superior position, and the naked woman on the ground, cursing and swearing, had no chance to resist; she could do whatever she wanted with her. Although she couldn't voice this thought, she also felt a vague resentment towards the eunuch who had knocked Xiao unconscious—what if he had killed him?!
She didn't want these two to die like that. Originally, her goal today was to kill these two adversaries, but Xiao's curses had ignited the cruelty in her nature; "I can't let them get away with this!" Thinking of this, she quickly ordered someone to check on Xiao's condition. When she received the report that she was still alive, she breathed a long sigh of relief and ordered her to be woken up. Xiao woke up; the blow had knocked out half of her left teeth, and her tongue and cheek were swollen. This was an indomitable woman! She spat out bloody teeth, struggling to find Wu's direction, propped herself up, and continued cursing, though her voice was much lower and somewhat indistinct. "
At least she's not dead!" Empress Wu stopped the palace maid who was about to gag her, ordering more water to be fetched to thoroughly wash Xiao's rotten buttocks, smeared with chili powder and salt. Two large buckets of water were poured over her, and Xiao's numb buttocks regained sensation—not necessarily a good thing for her. Empress Wu's calm voice betrayed no anger, "Continue the caning—but don't kill her." For those in charge of punishment, the prisoner's life or death depended entirely on a word from above. If someone was going to die, not even ten strokes, let alone a hundred, would be the outcome! If they wanted someone to suffer while still alive, a thousand strokes wouldn't give them a chance to faint. Since the order from above was clear, Xiao's fate was predictable. The previous beating was normal; now it had to be "serious."
The sound of the cane striking lessened considerably, but the pain in Xiao's buttocks intensified. On her cleaned buttocks, there were eight wounds, each three or four fingers long, swollen and ridged, not to mention the smaller ones. Bright red flesh was turned outwards; the bleeding, which had been stopped by salt and chili powder, was now gushing out again with each new blow, splattering everywhere as the cane struck. Because Empress Wu had ordered "not to kill," the two eunuchs were extremely careful with their blows, each landing precisely on the still-unbroken skin—this was a skill, not something that could be forced. After each strike, they paused slightly to observe Xiao's reaction, allowing her to savor the sensation on her buttocks.
Empress Wu watched coldly. Xiao had stopped cursing, replaced by piercing screams. No matter how stubborn she was, she was still flesh and blood; the physical pain ultimately broke her will. Under the blows of the two highly skilled eunuchs, the pain in her buttocks grew increasingly unbearable, yet her mind became clearer—she even wished she could faint to temporarily escape this endless agony. But since the Empress had given her instructions, her wish was nothing but wishful thinking. "Seventy-eight, seventy-nine..." With the dull "thud" of the cane striking her buttocks, her screams gradually turned into groans of gritted teeth. Cold sweat streamed down her body, and in the chilly night air, a layer of steam enveloped her convulsing body. By
the last twenty strokes, Xiao was barely breathing. Although she no longer had the strength to scream, the excruciating pain in her buttocks showed no sign of abating. Each time the cane struck her buttocks, as her muscles mechanically clenched, she could feel her heart constricting along with them. Blood and flesh splattered from her two plump buttocks, almost exposing the bone; the bulge between her thighs and waist disappeared, and from the side, it looked as if her thighs had grown directly from her waist. One blow after another, the pain seemed endless. Although she didn't want to submit to the woman before her, her body was no longer under her control. Unbeknownst to her, more urine leaked from her groin. Fortunately, Empress Wu didn't see it, otherwise she would have felt worse than dead—this was indeed her most genuine feeling.
Two eunuchs dragged Xiao Shi from the ground and reported to her, "The caning of Consort Xiao is complete. Please examine the punishment, Your Majesty." Empress Wu glanced at it, then quickly turned her head away, frowning, and covered her mouth with a handkerchief, forcibly suppressing her vomit. Xiao Shi's head drooped to her chest, her bloodied legs dragging limply on the ground. Her once alluring buttocks were gone, replaced by a large, bloody hole, the bone faintly visible. Seeing the Empress's nausea, the eunuchs quickly dragged her away. She took a while to catch her breath before sitting up straight, thinking to herself, "Let's see if you'll still dance!" (Xiao Liangdi was favored for her dancing skills) She looked up at the dark sky and heard the sound of a watchman's clapper—it was almost dawn.
A night breeze blew, carrying a chill that seeped to the bone, causing her to shiver slightly. "I can't hesitate any longer," she thought, her mind made up. She ordered the eunuchs, "This vixen has seduced the Emperor; she deserves to die. Gouave two wine vats, gouge out the eyes and tongues of these two wicked women, cut off their hands and feet, and soak them in the wine. Isn't she said to be a heartbreaker? I'll let them be intoxicated to the bone!" These eunuchs were mostly psychopaths; at her command, they didn't hesitate, some carrying vats, some moving wine, some sharpening knives, bustling about with great enthusiasm. That early morning, many in the palace heard a series of piercing screams…
Several days later, Wang and Xiao died. The emperor ordered their bodies dismembered, and bestowed upon Wang the surname "Python" and upon Xiao the surname "Owl." From then on, throughout the entire Wu Zhou dynasty, no cat was ever kept in the palace again…
(11943 bytes)

URL 1:https://www.sexlove5.com/htmlBlog/36464.html

URL 2:/Blog.aspx?id=36464&aspx=1

Previous Page : [The Demon King System: Loss of Humanity] [To be continued]

Next Page : Dragon Soul Blood Jade, Volume 3, Chapters 56-75, by author Qingxin Juanke

增加

comment Open a new window to view comments

Contact Information

Caning in the Imperial Harem

comment Open a new window to view comments