The Imperial Palace has a separate hall where slaves, servants, and Imperial Eunuchs received their punishment. This hall was large and wide. Whenever something like this was to happen, every servant was to be present there to witness it according to the Imperial Palace rules.
This was the first time that the elite families were ordered to see a maid receiving a punishment. Everyone looked confused at the emperor's decision, however, no one opposed it.
In her Father's arms, Li Rui looked at the entrance of the large hall with her clean black eyes.
"The slave, Li Zhan, stole the hairpin gifted by the Emperor to the First Princess. Here in the presence of everyone, she receives a hundred strokes of the cane as announced by His Majesty, The Emperor, as said by the Imperial Palace rules."
The Imperial guard announced.
The imperial guards who were holding Li Zhan stepped forward dragging her with them. Just at the entrance of the hall, Li Zhan turned around.
Her eyes were red, filled with unshed tears but there was a small smile on her dry lips as she looked at her Young Miss.
Li Rui hadn't cried yet. She didn't like tears. As long as there was any hope, she wouldn't cry. She would hold onto that hope till the end.
It was when she would feel really helpless, really hurt, and really unable to stop her tears; she would let them flow out.
Till now, she still had hope that she could stop everything.
Li Zhan didn't do anything then why would she suffer?
However, Li Zhan's smile was breaking all her hopes. The smile says something else. Something she never wanted to hear.
She was bidding farewell. She was telling her that it was no one's fault. It was something that she chose herself.
Li Zhan had already given up.
A tear slipped out of Li Rui's eyes which Li Zhan couldn't see as her eyes moved to Li Hua and Li Mei.
Li Zhan's lips quivered as she looked at their teary eyes.
For a moment, she could see her two young sisters in Li Hua and Li Mei.
The younger sisters she couldn't protect.
She had to see them die with her own eyes as they starved for so many days. One by one; everyone died in the village, only Li Hua remained alive until she was found by the sellers of slaves.
Why? Li Zhan had questioned herself.
Life there was much more painful than starving. There she got food but the things that she had to do for that food were disgusting.
Just when Li Zhan had thought that the last thing that was hers, her chastity, would also be lost, she was saved by a girl who was so younger than her.
The girl took her with herself to her home; the home she could also call hers. There Li Zhan found a new family.
The two younger sisters she had lost long ago; she found them in Li Hua and Li Mei.
She really wanted to rush to Li Mei and tell her that doing all this was her selfishness.
By doing all this, she would assume that she had saved her sisters.
She tried to widen her smile. It pained to leave them alone here in this cruel world.
Li Hua and Li Mei were looking at her while crying silently. They looked at each other and then hold their hands together.
'If I am not here, then you would be there for each other.' Li Zhan had said once.
Tears rushed down through Li Zhan's eyes without control seeing their joined hands. She passed a small smile to them for the last time as the Imperial guards opened the door and dragged her inside.
Li Rui's whole body was frozen as she saw Li Zhan disappearing from her sight.
It was only after a few moments that she seemed to come out of her stupor.
She jerked her father's hand away and ran towards Princess Wenling.
Holding the princess' hand, she pleaded
"Wenwen, you're angry with Rui, right? You can do anything to Rui. Rui will not stop you but please leave Li Zhan. Tell them that Li Zhan didn't steal the hairpin."
Princess Wenling looked at begging Li Rui with a strange look. When she didn't say anything, Li Rui kneeled down and begged
"Wenwen, it will hurt a lot. Li Zhan will be in so much pain. Wenwen, please don't do this."
Everyone saw this and felt pity for the little girl but the princess' next words vanished that pity in an instant.
"I was also in pain when you pushed me inside the pond, Rui."
Princess Wenling seemed to remember the time when she was thrown inside the water.
"I couldn't breathe. I struggled but nothing helped me. I was so scared, Rui."
Her face was very pale. The empress held her daughter and signed the maids to keep Li Rui away from the Princess.
"Rui didn't do it. Why can't you believe Rui? Why would Rui do something like that to you?"
Li Rui shouted as she was forcefully separated by the maids from the Princess hiding in her mother's embrace
Her shouts came to stop when a large scream erupted through the silent air.
With widened eyes, Li Rui looked towards the entrance.
It was Li Zhan's scream. How painful it must be for Li Zhan to scream like this.
Struggling out of the maid's hands, Li Rui ran towards the entrance.
She needs to stop them from hitting Li Zhan.
"Hold Miss Li this instant. She should not enter the hall."
The Emperor ordered and the maids ran forward again to hold Li Rui.
Just at the entrance of the hall, Li Rui was caught by the maids.
"No…No, leave Rui, Li Zhan…Leave"
Li Rui struggled fiercely. Hot tears were streaming down from her eyes.
General Li couldn't see it anymore and took his daughter from the maids. He held her tightly in his embrace regardless of how much she struggled.
The sound of the cane hitting the body and then a scream continued. With time, the screams became low and less.
Princess Wenling inside her mother's arms flinched at every scream.
And Li Rui continued to struggle. Her struggle to leave her father's embrace continued till the guards dragged out Li Zhan's lifeless body.
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