Chapter 5, the restoration of the Ming dynasty begins with domestic violence against one's wife

With a loud slap, Wu Yuanming was sound asleep when his face was suddenly scratched by someone. In pain, without a moment's thought, he swung his hand out. The sound of his palm striking flesh was heard, followed by a woman's sharp scream, "Han barbarian, you dare to hit this palace?!"

"What crime?" Wu Yuanming looked completely confused. This was not an act; rather, it stemmed from the fact that during routine vehicle inspections, he could easily find grounds to impose fines for even the most trivial offenses, such as a driver urinating or the death of an ant, labeling them as animal cruelty. However, when it came to accusations of Wu Yuanming embezzling confiscated funds or extorting drivers, he would confidently explain that he simply forgot to submit the funds or that it was a normal gift exchanged among friends—"lenient towards oneself, strict towards others" was also one of Wu Yuanming's mottos. Yet, when faced with allegations of embezzling confiscated funds or extorting drivers, he would again provide a confident explanation, claiming it was merely a matter of forgetting to submit or a customary gift among friends—"lenient towards oneself, strict towards others" remained one of Wu Yuanming's guiding principles.

"No wonder you wear a veil every day! How ugly!" Wu Yuanming exclaimed from the depths of his heart, "Heaven! Earth! Why is my wife so ugly?"

"Your Highness, please do not take offense. The Young Master was afflicted by a nightmare last night, which caused his unusual behavior. I, as the old servant, apologize on behalf of the Young Master. If Your Highness wishes to punish or reprimand, please direct it all towards me." Wu Fu hurriedly tried to excuse and apologize for Wu Yuanming, but did not receive even a hint of forgiveness from Princess Jian Ning. This willful and cruel princess first slapped Wu Fu across his old face, then stumbled out of the study, shouting as she ran, "Dog barbarian, remember this! I will go to the palace to report to the Empress Dowager and the Emperor. Just wait to be executed!" This willful and cruel princess first slapped Wu Fu across his old face, then stumbled out of the study, shouting as she ran, "Dog barbarian, remember this! I will go to the palace to report to the Empress Dowager and the Emperor. Just wait to be executed!"

"Your Highness, Your Highness, save me." It was only at this moment that Hong Shao remembered how utterly helpless Wu Yingxiong had once promised to take care of her. She quickly turned to Wu Yuanming for help, tears welling in her eyes. Perhaps it was because the beautiful maid Hong Shao was only sixteen and had great potential for growth in the future, Wu Yuanming, who had a rather long-term vision, rarely kept his promise and shouted: "Stop! All of you get out of here!"

Some may wonder, besides the three pretty maids in the room, why did the two women, Princess Jian Ning and Aunt Bian, not call out? Aunt Bian, having been married and given birth for a long time, was accustomed to such matters; as for Princess Jian Ning, she was blinded by the fury of jealousy and did not pay attention to Wu Yuanming's condition. Instead, she threw herself onto the bed, grabbing the hair of the young maid Hong Shao, pulling and hitting her indiscriminately while cursing: "Wretched and cheap material, little broken shoe, born a little slut, damned dog barbarian, the offspring of dog barbarians are still dog barbarians, all should die..."

"Great disrespect!" Old Madam Bian shouted this phrase that had left a deep impression on her, exclaiming: "To assault the current Grand Princess is an act of rebellion! It is great disrespect! The crime deserves the death penalty!"

"Enough, no more beating!" The young master exclaimed, "We cannot continue this!" Except for Old Madam Bian, all the servants and maids, including Wu Lu, Wu Xi, Xiang Qi, Ling He, and Yun Xiu, were so frightened by Wu Yuanming's frenzied actions that they were at a loss. They dared not pull Wu Yuanming back and could only kneel before him, repeatedly bowing their heads to plead for mercy on behalf of Princess Jian Ning. Even Hong Shao curled up in the quilt, begging Wu Yuanming, "Young Master, please stop, if you continue, someone might die." However, Wu Yuanming was determined to learn the methods of Lord Wei to subdue Princess Jian Ning. He showed no intention of stopping and even struck harder.

Did you hear that? Princess Jianing asked triumphantly, "Dog barbarian, do you now realize your crime?"

"What if I hit you? A wife is meant to be beaten!" Wu Yuanming delivered another slap, causing Princess Jianning to scream loudly, "Dog barbarian, how dare you hit me again, your crime is compounded!"

The sage said, "Those who are ignorant are not to be blamed. Just now, this young master did not intend to strike you, so let this matter be settled as it is." Wu Yuanming waved his hand dismissively, "If there is nothing else, you may step outside and wait. I will speak with you again once I have dressed." At this point, Wu Yuanming added, "Furthermore, I would like to inform you of something: I have decided to take your maid, Hong Shao, into my household, along with Xiang Xi, Ling He, and Yun Xiu. I intend to bestow them as wives to the three brothers Wu Lu. You will have to make do for a couple of days; Wu Fu has already gone to purchase new maids, and I will arrange for you to have a maid at that time."

"You shameless scoundrel, I summoned you to deliver a message to the Emperor, and you have the audacity to crawl into the Emperor's bed!" Princess Jian Ning was unaware of the meaning of the fifty-nine minutes mentioned by Wu Yuanming, but her displayed anger was enough to instill fear in Hong Shao. Fortunately, Princess Jian Ning's primary target was not Hong Shao at the moment, but rather Wu Yuanming, who had assaulted both Hong Shao and the princess. After scolding Hong Shao fiercely, she turned to Wu Yuanming and shouted, "You barbarian, do you know what you just did? If you do not clarify this matter to me today, I will report to the court and have your Wu family exterminated!"

What? Princess Jian Ning was so enraged that she nearly lunged at Wu Yuanming to tear him apart. Fortunately, the court etiquette education she received since childhood prevented her impulsive action. At the same time, Princess Jian Ning understood that Wu Yuanming had indeed struck her inadvertently. Moreover, it was only her arm that had been hit. If this were to escalate to the court, not only would she be unable to hold Wu Yuanming accountable, but she would also earn a reputation for being petty and bullying others with her status. With this thought, Princess Jian Ning's anger inevitably dissipated.

With their father making the decisions, the three brothers, Wu Lu, Wu Shou, and Wu Xi, rushed forward together, six hands pulling at Wu Yuanming. Although Wu Fu was a servant in the household, he had loyally served three generations of the Wu family: Wu Xiang, Wu Sangui, and Wu Yingxiong. Therefore, Wu Yuanming had to show him some respect. Additionally, feeling somewhat exhausted, Wu Yuanming did not resist much and was pulled up by the three brothers. Wu Fu took the opportunity to help Princess Jianning to her feet, repeatedly apologizing and pleading for mercy.

"Her figure deserves a score of fifty-nine!" Wu Yuanming muttered. This was because the woman in plain attire had a relatively thick waist and a flat chest. Although these shortcomings were concealed by her noble demeanor and unique style of dressing, they could not escape the discerning eyes of Wu Yuanming, who saw only lust. However, just after Wu Yuanming finished evaluating the figure of the woman in plain attire, he immediately recalled the identity of the woman before him—was she not his genuine and legitimate wife, Princess He Shuo Jian Ning? Behind Princess Jian Ning, three rosy-cheeked young maidservants, Xiangxi, Linghe, and Yunxiu, were kneeling, along with a half-aged, sharp-eyed old woman, Mama Bian.

"This palace?" Wu Yuanming groggily opened his eyes, and before him stood a woman in a Qing dynasty outfit, her face veiled. She wore a hairstyle resembling a flowerpot, adorned with pearls, jade, agate, and gold and silver jewelry, all arranged and worn with great care. Despite the accumulation of so much gold and silver, there was not the slightest hint of a nouveau riche appearance; instead, she exuded an aura of untouchable dignity, imparting a sense of grandeur and elegance.

Get lost! Wu Yuanming would never part with the best person to warm his bed and cover him with blankets, even if it meant jumping out of the quilt naked without any clothes on. He slapped the few servants hard, causing them to bleed from their mouths and noses, and then kicked them a few times. The servants immediately screamed in agony and fled with their heads covered. At the same time, the three young maids, Xiangxi, Linghe, and Yunxiu, let out startled cries. All three of them had entered the palace at a young age and had mostly seen eunuchs who were neither male nor female. How could they have ever witnessed Wu Yuanming's prowess?

Oh dear! You are quite bold, Dog Man! You fight well! Why don't you try hitting me again? Oh... I must report to the court... Princess Jian Ning initially retorted defiantly, but as Wu Yuanming's blows became increasingly severe, the bruises and injuries on her face and body multiplied. Princess Jian Ning gradually could not endure it any longer, tears streaming down her face as she cried for mercy, saying: "Mister... please spare me, I will never dare to make you kneel again, I will never dare to scold or hit you again, I will not investigate your correspondence with the Duke. But as Wu Yuanming's blows became increasingly severe, the bruises and injuries on her face and body multiplied. Princess Jian Ning gradually could not endure it any longer, tears streaming down her face as she cried for mercy, saying: "Mister... please spare me, I will never dare to make you kneel again, I will never dare to scold or hit you again, I will not investigate your correspondence with the Duke... Wuwu—, please spare me, my lord."

If Wu Yuanming had not lifted the quilt, the matter might have come to a close. However, Wu Yuanming's action of lifting the quilt was somewhat excessive, revealing the bare body of the beautiful maid Hong Shao beneath. Coincidentally, the lovely face of the young maid was turned towards Princess Jianning, allowing her not only to see the kiss marks scattered across the maid's face and neck but also to witness the blush on the maid's cheeks after successive climaxes—this was a delightful experience that Princess Jianning had never tasted before. Seeing this scene, the anger that Princess Jianning had slightly suppressed immediately surged again, and she shouted angrily: "Someone, drag Hong Shao down and beat her to death with sticks!"

The Descendants of the Dog Barbarians? Wu Yuanming discovered that Princess Jianning particularly enjoyed using the term 'Dog Barbarians.' Initially, Wu Yuanming did not pay much attention to this term, thinking that Princess Jianning was merely speaking out of anger due to her maid being seduced by him. It was only at this moment that he realized something was amiss. After briefly searching through Wu Yingxiong's memories, Wu Yuanming immediately uncovered a result that made his nose twitch with anger—'Barbarians' is indeed a derogatory term used by the Manchus to refer to the Han people

"You... who are you calling ugly? Dog barbarian, who are you calling ugly?" The voice of Princess Jian Ning for the first time surpassed that of the wet nurse who raised her. It is no wonder that Princess Jian Ning was so angry. To be fair, the princess's appearance is not as exaggeratedly ugly as Wu Yuanming claimed, but it can only be considered ordinary. She is definitely not comparable to the pretty maidens like Xiangxi and Linghe, let alone the first-rate light beauty Hong Shao. However, there is nothing that women in the world hate more than being called ugly to their faces. It is understandable that Princess Jian Ning was so furious. To be fair, the princess's appearance is not as exaggeratedly ugly as Wu Yuanming claimed, but it can only be considered ordinary. She is definitely not comparable to the pretty maidens like Xiangxi and Linghe, let alone the first-rate light beauty Hong Shao. However, there is nothing that women in the world hate more than being called ugly to their faces, especially for someone like Princess Jian Ning, who is of noble birth. "Dog barbarian, you have hit me again. I will report to the court and have your Wu family exterminated and your entire clan executed!"

What happened? At this moment, the voice of Wu Fu, an elder from the Wu family, came from outside the room. When Wu Fu entered and saw what was happening in the room, he was immediately frightened and shouted, "Young Master, you have caused a great disaster for the Master. Wu Lu, Wu Shou, Wu Xi, you three little rascals, why aren't you bringing the Young Master here?"

Is the crime increased by one level? Wu Yuanming has always regarded "striving to take advantage and refusing to suffer losses" as the ultimate principle of life. Recalling the hardships Wu Yingxiong faced in front of Princess Jianing ignited his anger. He also remembered how Wei Xiaobao in "The Deer and the Cauldron" subdued Princess Jianing through brutal beatings, which made her obedient. Thus, Wu Yuanming decided to emulate Lord Wei. He kicked Princess Jianing to the ground, mounted her waist, and rained down punches like drums, striking her face, chest, and abdomen, cursing as he went. "Is one punch a crime increased by one level? What level of crime is it now? You want me to kneel and bow to you every day, right? Should I still bow? You insult us Han people as barbarians every day, right? Will you still insult us? You want to read every letter from my father and me first, don’t you? Will you still read them?"

"Princess, please spare my life! I will never dare to do it again, please forgive me." Princess Jian Ning's wrath was still fresh in everyone's memory, and Hong Shao instinctively thought of pleading for mercy from her. However, Princess Jian Ning, who had already been humiliated, would not let go of her rival who had taken her husband. She merely urged, "Hurry, hurry, drag this little hussy out and beat her to death!" As the matriarch of the Wu family, Princess Jian Ning's command was absolute, and soon several servants entered, approaching the terrified and weeping Hong Shao.

"What crime? You don't know what crime?" Princess Jian Ning was so angry that she could hardly speak, and at the same time, she was puzzled by Wu Yingxiong's reaction. Normally, if she merely sneezed, the cowardly Wu Yingxiong would catch a cold, and if she coughed, he would be unable to escape from tuberculosis. But now, Princess Jian Ning was on the verge of drawing her sword to kill, and even the unrelated servants Wu Lu, Wu Xi, Aunt Bian, and the three personal maids were so frightened that they knelt on the ground. However, the person involved, Wu Yingxiong, remained calm and composed, showing no signs of fear, leaving Princess Jian Ning momentarily at a loss for what to do with him. On the other hand, Aunt Bian, whose son had been framed and imprisoned by Wu Yuanming, appeared eager to take action. Princess Jian Ning, suppressing her anger, commanded, "Aunt Bian, tell this barbarian what crime he has committed"

"Drag this little vixen out, quickly!" Princess Jianing seems to have a conflict with Wu Yuanming's character, as she enjoys opposing him in everything and insists on punishing Hong Shao on the spot. The male and female heads of the household hold completely opposite views, leaving the servants in a difficult position; no matter whose side they take, they will offend the other party and can never please both. However, based on past experiences, the servants still find it more reliable to side with Princess Jianing, so they chose to ignore Wu Yuanming's stern orders and steeled themselves to pull Hong Shao over.

"Why haven't you gone out yet?" Wu Yuanming, who was becoming increasingly audacious, smiled wickedly, lifted a corner of the blanket, and lewdly said, "What? Don't you know that this young master is not wearing any clothes?"

Upon realizing this, he saw that the red peony, which had just been moaning softly beneath him, was now covered in blood marks after being seized by Princess Jianning. Wu Yuanming, unwilling to suffer any loss, immediately grabbed Princess Jianning and swung his arm, delivering a slap to her cheek beneath the veil, shouting, "Dog Tartars! Stop it right now!" This slap was quite powerful, not only causing Princess Jianning to see stars but also knocking the veil off her face, allowing Wu Yuanming to see her appearance for the first time in the fifteen years since their marriage. ... He swung his arm and delivered a slap to Princess Jianning's cheek beneath the veil, shouting, "Dog Tartars! Stop it right now!" This slap was quite powerful, not only causing Princess Jianning to see stars but also knocking the veil off her face, allowing Wu Yuanming to see her appearance for the first time in the fifteen years since their marriage. ... Not looking was one thing, but upon seeing, Wu Yuanming ...

"Isn't it just a slap? It didn't even hurt you," Wu Yuanming casually replied while pulling the blanket to cover himself and the young girl Hong Shao, yawning nonchalantly. The already furious Princess Jianning was nearly fainting from Wu Yuanming's indifferent attitude, and she tore her throat to shout, "You barbarian, do you think you can feel at ease only after killing me? Do you know what crime you commit by hitting me?"