Chapter 6, retribution comes swiftly

"Stubborn donkey, hang Wu Yingxiong for me! And those three who assisted Wu Yingxiong in his wrongdoing, hang them as well," commanded Princess Jianning with great satisfaction. "First, give me forty lashes with a horsewhip! Whatever happens, I will take responsibility for you all!"

Oh! Ah! Ah—! At first, Wu Yuanming cried out in agony, but as the whip of the stubborn donkey grew heavier, it instead ignited his fierce spirit. No matter how the stubborn donkey lashed out, he did not utter a sound, and even the muscles on his whip-marked face did not twitch. His eyes merely continued to glare fiercely at Princess Jianning, Wei Dongting, the stubborn donkey, Mu Zixu, and Hao Laosi. Wu Yuanming's sinister and malevolent gaze surpassed that of tigers, leopards, and wolves, causing even the stubborn donkey to feel a twinge of guilt. Subconsciously, it intensified its beating of Wu Yuanming, hoping to dispel the fear lurking in its heart. His eyes merely continued to glare fiercely at Princess Jianning, Wei Dongting, the stubborn donkey, Mu Zixu, and Hao Laosi. Wu Yuanming's sinister and malevolent gaze surpassed that of tigers, leopards, and wolves, causing even the stubborn donkey to feel a twinge of guilt. Subconsciously, it intensified its beating of Wu Yuanming, hoping to dispel the fear lurking in its heart.

After receiving forty lashes, Wu Yuanming's face and body were already covered in whip marks, and he was on the verge of fainting from the pain. However, Princess Jianning was not yet satisfied; she pointed at the elderly beggar who had just collided with her and shouted, "Stubborn donkey, and this dog barbarian, kill him for me!"

Dong Ting! Princess Jian Ning also recognized the identity of that person, and immediately struggled to stand up like an injured child, rushing into the arms of the handsome guard and crying loudly, "Dong Ting, I have been bullied, I have been beaten, you must avenge me!" It turns out that this handsome guard is none other than Wei Dong Ting, the only milk brother of the current Emperor Kangxi, and the three guards accompanying him are his sworn brothers Mu Zi Xu, Jiang Lu Zi, and Hao Lao Si, all of whom are favored young guards in front of Emperor Kangxi.

"Spare me!" Wu Yuanming was so frightened that he almost wet himself, quickly begging for mercy, adhering to the principle that a wise man does not suffer immediate losses. However, the stubborn mule loyal to the Qing court paid no heed to Wu Yuanming's pleas. They abruptly tore off Wu Yuanming's belt, bound his hands, and hung him from the large locust tree in the front yard of the Wu residence. Meanwhile, the three Wu brothers were also tied to other trees. Wu Fu was so anxious that he repeatedly bowed to Princess Jianning, saying, "Your Highness, I beg you to spare our young master. I am bowing to you; whatever punishment you wish to impose, I am willing to bear it for the young master. Your Highness, he is your consort!" But the stubborn mule loyal to the Qing court paid no heed to Wu Yuanming's pleas, abruptly tore off Wu Yuanming's belt, bound his hands, and hung him from the large locust tree in the front yard of the Wu residence. Meanwhile, the three Wu brothers were also tied to other trees. Wu Fu was so anxious that he repeatedly bowed to Princess Jianning, saying, "Your Highness, I beg you to spare our young master. I am bowing to you; whatever punishment you wish to impose, I am willing to bear it for the young master. Your Highness, he is your consort!"

Zha! The servant responded and immediately moved to grab the old beggar who was begging for mercy. However, before his hand could touch the old beggar, a furious roar from Wu Yuanming, who was winning people's hearts behind Princess Jianning, echoed: "Stop! He is the one bought by this heir, who dares to touch him?" Hearing that familiar yet once cowardly voice, the frightened Princess Jianning trembled like a mouse hearing a cat's call, but the voice behind her was relentless, angrily asking: "You foul woman, haven't you been beaten enough?"

There was no way out; the situation had reached this point, and there was no turning back. Wei Dongting thought to himself: Fortunately, the Emperor also harbored a deep hatred for the Wu Sangui family. We are acting on the orders of the princess, and if we drive Wu Yingxiong back, the worst that will happen is a reduction in salary. The Emperor will surely compensate us in secret afterward. Rather than inflicting a light punishment, it would be better to take decisive action. With this in mind, Wei Dongting began to kick and punch Wu Shouquan beside him, while Mu Zixu and Hao Laosi naturally followed suit, launching attacks on Wu Lu and Wu Xili.

Princess Jianing was already in excruciating pain, and upon being provoked by the meddlesome words of Old Madam Bian, she immediately became furious and shouted: "Wei Dongting, Mu Zixu, stubborn donkey, Hao Laosi, heed my command"

"Get lost." Princess Jian Ning kicked Wu Fu over. She and Wu Yuanming were merely a couple in name, with no real marital relationship; it would indeed be strange for her to have any feelings for Wu Yuanming. Princess Jian Ning ordered someone to fetch a riding whip and personally threw it to the stubborn donkey, angrily shouting: "Strike, hit this princess hard!"

"You lowly dog, how dare you block my path? Someone, drag this person away and beat him to death with sticks!" Princess Jian Ning is a person of great stature; how could she possibly regard the life of a beggar as significant? In her fury and agitation, she immediately called for violence.

"Who are you..." Before Wu Yuanming could finish his question, the ugly guard had already struck him in the face with a punch, causing blood to flow from his mouth and nose, and nearly knocking out his teeth. Before Wu Yuanming could react, the ugly guard's fists and feet rained down on him like a storm, leaving him battered and bruised, sprawled on the ground. Beside him, the three brothers Wu Lu, Wu Shou, and Wu Xi were furious, shouting as they rushed forward, "Who are you? Why did you harm our young master?"

"Where is Wu Yingxiong?" Just as Wu Yuanming was still contemplating the final steps to clear himself of the charges of assaulting the princess, a thunderous sound echoed in front of the Wu residence, followed by the commanding voice of Princess Jianning, "The one standing in the middle, wearing the blue cotton coat! Capture him, I will take responsibility for whatever happens!" Wu Yuanming and Wu Fu were startled and turned their heads to see Princess Jianning leading four young imperial guards rushing into the front courtyard of the Wu residence. Among them, a particularly ugly and fierce-looking young guard was at the forefront, lunging menacingly towards Wu Yuanming.

"Wang Fu, you can rest assured, this son has his own reasoning." Wu Yuanming certainly knew that the young Kangxi was not Tang Daizong—there was no prime minister in the Kangxi era who had a good ending except for Zhang Tingyu, which is a clear proof, and his own father was certainly not Guo Ziyi, who held military power yet did not wish to rebel! ... The reason Wu Yuanming remained unhurried was...

"It's nothing. Back then, when Guo Ai drunkenly hit Princess Shengping, didn't Emperor Daizong of Tang do nothing to Guo Ai?" Wu Yuanming replied with a relaxed expression. Wu Yuanming would not be foolish enough to write a memorial to plead for forgiveness. It has only been a few days since his father, Wu Sangui, sent a delegation to extort military funds, and that cunning little devil Kangxi and that old fox, Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang, were worried about not finding a reason to reduce the military funds. By submitting a memorial to plead for forgiveness, wouldn't he be actively presenting evidence to them?

"Young Master, you have caused trouble, great trouble!" Wu Fu lamented with a sorrowful expression, incessantly nagging in Wu Yuanming's ear. Seeing that Wu Yuanming ignored him and continued to lecture the newly purchased servants, Wu Fu anxiously stepped in front of Wu Yuanming, stamping his feet and said: "Young Master, what you are doing will lead to disaster. Assaulting a princess of the current dynasty is a capital offense! Young Master, you should quickly submit a petition for forgiveness; perhaps the Emperor will show leniency in your punishment."

"You four, immediately return to the palace with me and capture that barbarian Wu Yingxiong," commanded Princess Jianing with an imposing presence. Wei Dongting and the others responded in unison: "Yes!"

Oh my! The three charming maidservants of Princess Jian Ning were so frightened by the ferocity of the stubborn donkey that they quickly closed their eyes. Princess Jian Ning, however, smiled at the corners of her mouth, as if nothing had happened, and then commanded, "Dong Ting, let’s go. You all escort me back to the Forbidden City, and I will reward you."

"Princess, Princess, are you alright?" The three charming maidservants, Xiangche, Yunxiu, and Linghe, were terrified when they saw Princess Jianning fall. They hurriedly rushed over with Old Madam Bian to help the princess up. However, Princess Jianning had fallen heavily this time, sustaining numerous bruises on her body, and her teeth had cut through her lip, leaving her with a mouthful of blood. Overwhelmed by her injuries, Princess Jianning could not help but weep bitterly in the middle of the street, disregarding her dignity. This immediately attracted countless onlookers. No matter how the three charming maidservants and Old Madam Bian tried to persuade her, they could not stop her, let alone pull her up.

"Spare me..." The terrified old beggar could only utter a cry before the stubborn donkey lunged forward, plunging a knife into the beggar's chest. With a swift motion, it sliced from the chest down to the navel, and blood immediately splattered everywhere. However, the blood-soaked stubborn donkey was not satisfied and reached in to pull out the still-beating heart of the old beggar, devouring it with glee, laughing as it said: "Human hearts are the most nourishing, and they can also bolster courage!"

"Zha!" Wei Dongting and the four guards, known for their stubbornness, responded joyfully. Just as Princess Jianning and the others were about to leave, Wu Yuanming, who was nearly fainting from pain, suddenly mustered the strength to lift his head and said, "Wait, this young master still has something to say."

"Your Highness, who dares to strike you so? Please tell your servant, and we shall avenge you, sending him to the Shuntian Prefecture for punishment." Mu Zixu and Hao Laosi inquired with concern. These young guards, having recently gained favor, were in a time of seeking glory, and with an opportunity to show loyalty to the royal family, they would not easily let it go.

I blame you! Today is probably the day of great misfortune for Princess Jian Ning. Not only did she suffer a beating from her husband, Wu Yingxiong, but even the Han beggars, whom she regards as pigs and dogs, dared to confront her. This undoubtedly added fuel to the fire for the already enraged princess. Princess Jian Ning immediately erupted in fury, shouting: "They are rebelling, they are rebelling, these barbaric dogs are rebelling! Come here, come here, bring me someone!"

"So you are all just barbarians. Since your land has been encircled by us, why haven't you all gone to die? Why do you cling to life so stubbornly?" Princess Jian Ning asked through gritted teeth. At this moment, the beggars bought by Wu Fu had already realized Princess Jian Ning's identity and dared not refute her words, kneeling beside her in silent anger. However, the cruel-natured Princess Jian Ning did not intend to spare these already pitiful refugees. She then shouted angrily at the steward, "Are you deaf? Didn't you hear my command just now? Beat this old fool to death with sticks, and the rest of you, get out!"

Meanwhile, within the Wu residence ... ...

The servant, eager to achieve merit, was the first to half-kneel down, followed by Mu Zixu and Hao Laosi. Although Wei Dongting did not wish to offend Wu Yingxiong and Wu Sangui, the princess's command had been issued, and to disobey it would mean offending the princess as well, so he had no choice but to half-kneel down, saying, "I am at your service."

With the sound of crack! crack! crack!, as the whip fell upon Wu Yuanming like raindrops, his cotton-padded jacket gradually fell apart, and the wounds inflicted by the riding whip began to ooze bright red blood. The stubborn mule, born of horse bandits, was inherently brutal; upon seeing blood, he became as if injected with a stimulant, and he struck Wu Yuanming with even greater fervor. When the elderly Wu Fu rushed over to pull him away, he was kicked to the ground, blood gushing from his mouth and nose.

Isn't that Her Royal Highness, Princess Jian Ning? Just as Princess Jian Ning was crying her heart out, a loud and gentle voice suddenly came from outside the crowd. Hearing this somewhat familiar voice, Princess Jian Ning turned her head to look and saw four young boys, each wearing a sword at their waist, riding tall horses and watching her from outside the crowd. Among these spirited youths, some were handsome while others were not, all adorned with official attire of the third rank imperial guards. At that moment, the most handsome young guard recognized Princess Jian Ning's appearance, immediately dismounted and exclaimed: "Zi Xu, Stubborn Donkey, Fourth Brother, quickly dismount, this is Her Royal Highness, Princess Jian Ning."

Wuwu—! Princess Jian Ning, with her heart-wrenching cries, rushed out of Shihu Hutong, stumbling all the way to the street. Although the Wu residence is not far from the Zhengyang Gate of the Forbidden City, this pampered princess found it exhausting to run even this short distance. In her anger and frustration, she slipped on the icy snow on the street and fell heavily to the ground.

"Your Highness, please speak slowly." Wei Dongting, feeling somewhat embarrassed, gently pushed Princess Jianning away from his embrace and inquired about the reason for her crying in the street. Meanwhile, the most hot-tempered and stubborn one roared, "Who has the audacity to attack a princess of the current dynasty? Do they not value their life?"

Oh no! Princess Jian Ning let out a heart-wrenching wail, not even bothering to call for the sedan chair, and stumbled out of the Wu residence, covering her face and crying. She truly resembled a sewer rat being chased by an old cat. The three pretty maidservants and the old nurse behind her had no choice but to follow closely after her.

Wei Dongting, a stubborn mule. Wu Yuanming, with his mouth full of fresh blood, sneered as he spoke each word deliberately: "If within one day, this young master does not make you regret what you have just done, then I, this young master, do not bear the surname Wu, and I will take your surname!" After saying this, the wicked Wu Yuanming tilted his head and finally fainted from the pain

"Get lost!" The skills of that ugly guard were evidently not to be underestimated. He performed a handstand with both hands on the ground, sweeping his legs in a circle, causing the three brothers, Wu Lu, Wu Shou, and Wu Xi, to fall flat on their backs. As the three brothers attempted to get back up, the steel blades of the other three young guards were already pressed against their necks. A handsome young guard shouted, "Don't move! We are acting on the orders of Her Highness the Princess. Do not force us to kill!"

"You wait, you dog! I will ask the Empress and the Emperor to make a decision for me!" Princess Jian Ning cried as she ran, her emotions in turmoil. In her agitation, she tore her palace attire due to her excessive force, causing her hairpin to fall out. Her hair was disheveled, either cascading down her back or hanging messily in front of her chest, with many strands stuck to her face by tears and sweat, presenting a picture of utter disarray, far removed from her earlier regal demeanor. To make matters worse, inside the gates of the Wu residence stood two or three dozen beggars, clad in tattered cloaks and tied with frayed straw ropes, both old and young, all huddled together in the snow, stamping their feet to keep warm. These beggars, of course, were unaware of the princess's identity. In her haste, Princess Jian Ning collided head-on with one of the beggars.

The tragic plight of Wu Yuanming and Wu Fuzhu was so unbearable that even the three young maids and the newly purchased beggar from the Wu residence could not bear to watch, all closing their eyes. Only Princess Jianning and Old Madam Bian were beaming with delight, their satisfaction evident. Princess Jianning even commanded, "Wei Dongting, you must also give a good beating to Wu Yingxiong's accomplices, and make it a bit harsher."

"Of course, it is that old man Wu from our family," Granny Bian answered eagerly. This Granny Bian, who held a grudge against Wu Yuanming, had seen Wei Dongting and others when accompanying Princess Jianning to the palace to pay respects to Empress Xiaozhuang. She knew that these young guards were the emperor's trusted confidants and could easily provoke a mere idle official with no power or authority. Therefore, this old woman immediately incited, "Gentlemen guards, look, look at what Wu has done to the princess's face! And the hidden injuries on her body are simply countless.

"The Earl of Pingxi, Prince Wu Yingxiong!" Wei Dongting gasped in shock. Although Wu Yingxiong was known as a notorious coward and incompetent in Beijing, the powerful Prince Wu Sangui behind him was not to be trifled with. However, an ignorant and stubborn donkey shouted, "Rebellion! Rebellion! How dare a mere earl strike our Great Qing's eldest princess? Your Highness, where is Wu Yingxiong? Just give the word, and I will tear him to pieces!" An ignorant and stubborn donkey shouted, "Rebellion! Rebellion! How dare a mere earl strike our Great Qing's eldest princess? Your Highness, where is Wu Yingxiong? Just give the word, and I will tear him to pieces!"

"Replying to the princess, these people were all bought by Old Wu from outside Hademen." The steward quickly answered, "I heard that they are all from Zhili, Shandong, Henan, and Shanxi. Because their land was seized, they had no choice but to flee to Beijing and sell themselves into servitude, and all of them are families that were purchased by Old Wu.

"How can there be nothing wrong?" Wu Fu, in a fit of anxiety, uttered words of great disrespect, "Your Highness, I know you are not afraid because you have a prince backing you, but no matter how powerful the prince is, he is still in Yunnan and Guizhou. This is Beijing! Moreover, no matter how powerful Prince Rui, Dorgon, is, he can still fall... just like that. Who knows if our emperor is indeed Emperor Daizong of the Tang Dynasty?"

Wow! Princess Jian Ning burst out of Wu Yingxiong's study in tears, followed closely by the three pretty maidens, Xiang Che, Ling He, and Yun Xiu, who were worried about tripping while running. Even Old Mama Bian did not dare to stay in Wu Yingxiong's room and hurriedly followed suit. This old woman was not as anxious as the three pretty maidens; on the contrary, she felt a bit of schadenfreude and joy. The crime of Wu Yingxiong beating a current princess was no small matter. Once the uproar began, Princess Jian Ning, backed by the court, would undoubtedly have the upper hand. At that time, her son could also take advantage of the chaos to escape the death penalty.

"Your Highness, the Princess, I have arrived," the servant guarding the gate of the Wu residence tumbled and crawled to kneel before Princess Jianning. In a fit of rage, Princess Jianning, without a trace of royal demeanor, jumped and shouted, "Tell me, where did these beggars come from? How are you performing your duties? How could you allow these beggars into the residence?"

"Stubborn donkey, do not speak recklessly!" Wei Dongting was well aware of the consequences of offending Wu Sangui at this moment, and quickly admonished the stubborn donkey, "This is a matter of the princess; who are we to interfere?" Wei Dongting then turned to Princess Jianning and cupped his fists, saying: "Princess, it would be best for us servants to escort you back to the palace to seek the Empress Dowager's decision."

"Very well." Princess Jianing was about to agree when the old maid began to stir the pot again, "Your Highness, you have been beaten so badly by that black-hearted and vile man, why not ask these officials to help you vent your anger? We are not far from home; as long as you give the order, these highly skilled imperial guards can immediately capture that man who has abused you, allowing you to take your revenge." The old maid added in her heart, "And by the way, they can also release my only son from the woodshed." We are not far from home; as long as you give the order, these highly skilled imperial guards can immediately capture that man who has abused you, allowing you to take your revenge." The old maid added in her heart, "And by the way, they can also release my only son from the woodshed."

"This young lady, do you have any sense of reason?" The one knocked to the ground by Princess Jianning was an old beggar with graying hair, looking frail and emaciated from hunger. The old beggar coughed and said, "It was clearly you who knocked me down, so why do you blame me for getting up?" The old beggar had two sons, who were helping him up while casting hateful glances at Princess Jianning, clearly ready to resort to violence at the slightest provocation. The old beggar coughed and said, "It was clearly you who knocked me down, so why do you blame me for getting up?" The old beggar had two sons, who were helping him up while casting hateful glances at Princess Jianning, clearly ready to resort to violence at the slightest provocation.