novelSusiti Chapter 49: Caning
Chapter 49: Caning
The next day, another day without morning court, Li Ang slept in late until it was fully light before lazily getting up to change his clothes and prepare for dinner, with the help of palace maids.
If you were to ask what the biggest advantage of traveling to this era is, it would probably be having a whole bunch of people waiting on you at all times.
After putting on a soft robe, washing his face, rinsing his mouth, and combing his hair, Li Ang sat down at the table and looked at the steaming hot breakfast that had just been served. Just as he was about to pick up his chopsticks, a waiter cautiously stepped forward and said...
"Reporting to everyone, Lieutenant Liu has been waiting outside the palace gates since early this morning."
Liu Hongyi?
Li Ang was slightly surprised.
You should know that once someone reaches the rank of Lieutenant Shence, they no longer need to serve the emperor at all times.
Under normal circumstances, he only needs to come during the morning court and meetings. Most of the time, unless he is summoned by special circumstances, he stays in the Inner Palace or the Shence Army's garrison.
"When did you arrive? Why didn't you inform us earlier?"
Li Ang put down his chopsticks and frowned slightly.
Upon hearing this, the servant was immediately frightened and quickly bowed, saying, "Yes, it was Lieutenant Liu who told me not to inform him in advance. He said he came to apologize and did not dare to disturb you, so he waited outside and told me to come and report after you all got up."
"To apologize?"
Li Ang's eyes flickered slightly, and he roughly understood something in his heart.
So he picked up his chopsticks again, took a piece of cake and put it in his mouth, then waved his hand and said...
"Let him in."
"Yes……"
The waiter quickly withdrew, and a short while later, Liu Hongyi, dressed in plain clothes, walked in. He knelt down several steps away and said...
"This old servant, Liu Hongyi, greets everyone."
Although he had a vague idea of his purpose, Li Ang pretended not to know and smiled.
"Why are you making such a grand gesture? Rise and come forward."
However, Liu Hongyi simply bowed again and said...
"Your Excellency, this old servant has come to apologize. I stood outside for a long time and felt a chill all over my body, so I dared not approach casually."
This time, Li Ang finally turned around and looked him up and down.
Liu Hongyi was indeed covered in a layer of frost, and even his face and ears were red from the cold.
"What's going on? Someone, get Lieutenant Liu a hand warmer!"
Liu Hongyi then stood up, took two steps forward, but remained a few steps away from Li Ang, and cupped his hands in greeting.
"Please forgive me, everyone. This old servant has come to apologize."
The palace maid stood to the side holding a hand warmer, but Liu Hongyi did not reach out to take it.
Li Ang straightened up slightly, looked at Liu Hongyi, and asked, "What crime did you plead guilty to?"
Liu Hongyi replied, "Your Excellency, this old servant has committed the crime of abusing his power. Previously, you instructed this old servant to order the Eastern Depot to arrest Wang Fan and imprison him for trial. When this old servant went to deliver the order, he inadvertently leaked the news, which allowed Wang Fan to escape in advance. The Eastern Depot had no choice but to pursue him all the way and arrest him in the Hall of State Affairs."
"This matter has caused a great deal of discussion in the court. Some even believe that the palace eunuchs deliberately bullied the prime ministers and ministers, which is detrimental to everyone's reputation. This is my fault, so I have come here to apologize and ask everyone to punish me."
So it was for this very reason.
A hint of understanding crept into Li Ang's eyes.
When he sent Yang Qinyi to deliver the order the day before yesterday, he had already anticipated that Liu Hongyi would react.
But this humble attitude was truly unexpected for him.
Li Ang wiped his mouth with a handkerchief, his voice gentle yet subtly stern, and asked.
"That's all? Nothing else?"
Liu Hongyi lowered his head, his expression a mixture of surprise and uncertainty. Then, he gritted his teeth and continued.
"I dare not deceive everyone. Letting Wang Fan escape was due to my own selfish reasons."
"This Wang Fan is related to the Song Shenxi case. He is wicked and cunning, and has many cronies in the court. Therefore, I want to see which ministers he will contact after receiving the news, so as to follow the clues and further investigate the case."
"Unexpectedly, he went straight to the Hall of State Affairs. This is all my fault for acting on my own initiative and betraying everyone's trust. I am ashamed to continue serving as the Lieutenant of the Shence Army. I beg you to dismiss me and choose a more virtuous person instead."
After saying this, Liu Hongyi bowed deeply, his expression one of shame.
Without a doubt, his statement this time showed more sincerity than before.
Seeing this, Li Ang simply shook his head slightly and said.
"It seems you really think highly of this young man, Ximen Jixuan, and are willing to take the blame yourself to protect him."
Liu Hongyi lowered his head even further, but did not answer.
Therefore, Li Ang instructed: "Making a mistake naturally requires punishment, but you are not the one to be punished. Since you have come to plead guilty, then I will grant your wish."
"By imperial decree, the eunuch Ximen Jixuan, the director of the Eastern Depot, has disregarded the law and trespassed into the Hall of State Affairs, which has damaged the dignity of the court. He shall be severely punished with thirty strokes of the cane. The execution shall be carried out outside the Yanying Hall. You shall personally deliver the decree and then... personally supervise the execution."
As soon as he finished speaking, Liu Hongyi's body visibly trembled, his lips moved slightly, and he raised his head as if he wanted to say something.
But when he saw Li Ang's calm and composed gaze, he had no choice but to swallow all his words and bow.
"This old servant will take care of it immediately!"
And so, not long after, outside the Yanying Hall.
Muffled groans could be heard coming from just a palace wall away from the Hall of State Affairs.
"...Seventeen, eighteen, nineteen..."
The young eunuch's shrill counting voice quickly sparked a discussion both inside and outside the palace.
Meanwhile, in the Yan Ying Hall, besides Li Xun, there were several other prime ministers, plus two ministers who had been specially summoned, Linghu Chu and Zheng Tan.
Everyone stood with their hands at their sides, listening quietly to the sounds of the execution outside, their faces revealing no emotion.
Not long after, Liu Hongyi appeared at the palace gate.
Behind him followed two eunuchs, who supported Ximen Jixuan, who had just been tortured and was barely breathing, all the way to the palace.
"Your Majesty, I have been ordered to oversee the execution. For the crime of the eunuch Ximen Jixuan, the director of the Eastern Depot, trespassing into the Hall of State Affairs, he has been severely punished with thirty strokes of the cane. The execution has now been completed. Please give your instructions."
It was only at this moment that the officials in the hall all looked at Ximen Jixuan, who was kneeling on the ground.
At this moment, the once arrogant eunuch's entire back was soaked with bloodstains, his face was extremely pale, and his clothes were already drenched in cold sweat.
If it weren't for two eunuchs supporting him, he probably wouldn't even be able to stand up.
His current miserable state is something no one could have imagined. Just a few days ago, he was standing in front of the Hall of State Affairs, spouting nonsense to the dignified prime minister.
Most of the ministers, who usually held high positions, had never seen such a bloody scene before, and they all looked away after just one glance.
Li Ang then spoke, saying, "I established the Eastern Depot to investigate major cases and clean up official corruption. I never expected that you would use it as a basis to bully the prime minister. Today I am giving you a small punishment, hoping that you will remember this punishment. From now on, you must act in accordance with my orders. If you dare to act arbitrarily again, I will not let you off lightly."
After a reprimand, Ximen Jixuan, supported by a young eunuch, barely managed to kneel on the ground, enduring the excruciating pain in his back, his voice weak.
"This servant, Ximen Jixuan, thanks everyone for their kindness..."