Chapter 1108: Chapter 267: Qingming (Part 1)
At that time, the Queen Dowager held the position of a noble consort in the harem, esteemed in status, and often subjected Xiong Tingshan to corporal punishment.
This was not a form of abuse,
but sometimes when Xiong Tingshan and his Fourth Brother dined in the Queen Dowager’s palace, seeing Xiong Tingshan sitting there meekly, the Queen Dowager would order eunuchs to whip him with rattan. How could a prince sit with such cowardice?
For instance, when he heard servants gossiping elsewhere, feeling wronged, he would hide by the artificial rock mountain and cry. Upon seeing him there, the Queen Dowager would ask the reason and then order the nearby eunuchs to throw Xiong Tingshan into the cold winter pond.
"Cry, cry, cry, all you know is crying. You are a prince, with the bloodline of the Fire Phoenix running through you, and yet you allow servants to mistreat you? You like crying, so cry your heart out in this pond!"
The next day, the Fifth Prince beat up some palace maids and eunuchs who had spoken ill of him and his mother, and threw them into the same pond.
This incident spread, and an outside official reported it, saying the Fifth Prince was abusing servants and lacked princely conduct.
The Chu Emperor had never liked this son very much, so he punished him severely, and his mother lost half a year’s allowance due to poor child-rearing.
Then,
The Fifth Prince was called by the Queen Dowager, tied to Yuxin Palace’s big tree, and whipped a dozen times.
"Foolish child, you can’t even deal with a few servants without creating such a mess, implicating your mother too. Is your brain filled with mush?"
For a long time,
The Fifth Prince had been a transparent figure in the palace.
Rumors in the palace had it that the then imperial consort, now the Queen Dowager, disliked this lowly-born Fifth Prince most and often used teaching him as an excuse to punish him.
But only the Fifth Prince himself knew that during that time, having a senior willing to discipline him, teach him, even... hit him, was rare indeed.
Later, after coming of age, the Chu Emperor sent this annoying son to Wutong County, where the Shanyue people often rebelled and attacked the county city, effectively leaving the Fifth Prince to fend for himself.
The saying about a tiger not eating its cubs doesn’t apply to the royal family, as an emperor usually has many sons unless exceptions arise.
Everything follows the law of scarcity; with many sons, they become less valuable.
After going to Wutong County, the Fifth Prince would send specially prepared local products from the area to Ing Capital City every year, always in two sets: one for his mother and another for the Queen Dowager.
Later, when his mother passed away, the Fifth Prince pleaded to return to Ing Capital City to attend the funeral, but the Chu Emperor denied him, claiming the situation in Wutong County couldn’t be disrupted, depriving him of his filial duty.
In the end, it was the Queen Dowager who, citing the importance of maintaining human relations, sent the Fourth Prince to perform filial rites for the Fifth Prince’s mother and handle funeral matters.
Early last month,
The Fifth Prince Xiong Tingshan submitted a memorial from Wutong County, requesting the Regent to be crowned emperor.
This act marked Wutong County and its representative forces’ recognition and support for the Regent’s legitimacy.
In the Chu State, some believed the Fifth Prince saw the Regent’s growing power and chose not to fight a losing battle, thus submitting;
Others thought that as a royal descendant, the Fifth Prince didn’t want Chu State to continue wasting resources, so he acted out of public loyalty to the country.
In truth, both views are valid, and there’s another reason Xiong Tingshan never mentioned: he owed the Queen Dowager, and it was time to repay.
"Can’t beat anymore, can’t beat anymore,"
The Queen Dowager laughed and waved her hand, continuing:
"You brothers have all grown up, married, and had children. I can’t beat you even if I wanted, not only that I can’t manage it physically, but also because the servants wouldn’t dare lay a hand on you now."
"Queen Dowager, the Fifth Son still remembers your whip fondly."
"Cheeky boy, cheeky boy. Look at you, saying such things in front of your wife. If she hears this, she’ll think I was so harsh to you when you were young."
Wu Tingting heard this, put down her food, and spoke:
"Queen Dowager, how could I think that? At home, he always speaks of the Queen Dowager’s kindness to him, even tells the children that they have a grandmother in Ing Capital City."
The Queen Dowager’s gaze fell on Wu Tingting. This woman from the Shanyue tribe looked so out of place in the strict royal palace, revealing an untamed wildness.
It is said that when the Fifth Prince first arrived in Wutong County, he might have died if not for encountering this woman.
"Could it be called Tingting?"
"Yes, that’s my name."
The nearby eunuchs and maids all bowed their heads, not daring to show any expression.
Xiong Tingshan licked his lips; his wife was like that, not one for rules.
"Clearly a good breeding stock."
"Indeed, my mother says so too."
The Queen Dowager pointed at her and said:
"When choosing women from your division to enter the palace for the Emperor, you must help select them carefully. Pick ones like you; my grandsons are all a bit frail, and I want a robust grandson."
Selecting women from Wujiang Division to enter the palace was one of the agreements reached between the Regent and the Fifth Prince.
Wu Tingting patted her chest confidently and said: "Queen Dowager, rest assured. I will certainly pick a broad-hipped and sturdy one for the Regent."
Comments