Hearing what the Emperor said, Chu Yi flicked at his broadsword and beamed revealing his white teeth at Zhao Qian. “How should we do this, Old Qian? Do you need me to help you up?”
Zhao Qian, who had also heard his master’s orders, was already weak in the knees. He almost fell to the ground, but when he saw Chu Yi expecting a good show from him, Zhao Qian forced himself to stand with an astonishing amount of willpower.
He wiped his face and pretending not to notice the look of delight on Chu Yi’s face. Instead, he started singing the lyrics from a Chinese Peking opera, “My strength plucked up the hills, my might shadowed the world, clang clang clang…” [TN: The lyrics are from ‘Song of Gaixia’, a song composed by Xiang Yu in despair and sorrow while he was trapped by Liu Bang’s forces at Gaixia.]
He sang while walking to the interrogation room.
Chu Yi’s lips twitched even more. He hated it most when Zhao Qian started singing.
That singing voice could make someone mad.
Chu Yi roared, “I can’t take this…”
With that, he ran off and disappeared.
Seeing him running away, Zhao Qian immediately stopped singing. He walked into the interrogation room looking heroic.
When he stepped into the interrogation room, he did not expect to see Chu Qi sitting on a torture chair. There was a sword on Chu Qi and it looked like he was waiting for Zhao Qian.
Zhao Qian’s feet did not hold him as he staggered and fell in front of Chu Qi.
“Ahem, Chu Qi, Master did not instruct you to punish me…”
Chu Qi stood up and darted a look at Zhao Qian. He replied in a casual tone, “Master gave the order to Chu Yi, but Chu Yi was frightened off by you. I haven’t touched these instruments of torture for quite a while. This is a good time for me to help Chu Yi use them on you.”
Zhao Qian’s face fell and he felt hopeless hearing that.
This rascal had a terrifying and perverted hobby. He loved using the cold and bloody instruments of torture in the interrogation room.
A chill went down Zhao Qian’s spine when he saw Chu Qi standing in front of the rows of instruments of torture.
It was right then that Chu Qi turned back to look at him. Chu Qi pointed at a chain-type torture instrument hanging right in front of him. “How about we used this?”
This metal chain could be used in two ways by piercing it through the ears or the nose. The chain could directly be pierced through a criminal’s nose and ears, which made it quite horrifying.
Zhao Qian had witnessed this torture being conducted before.
The thought of it chilled him to his bones and Zhao Qian immediately ran forward and held onto Chu Qi. “Chu Qi, you should know very well how I treat you. Could you really bear to harm me with these instruments?”
Chu Qi looked at him in astonishment. “Why are you acting so scared? These instruments aren’t that scary.”
Zhao Qian, “…”
Chu Qi hesitated and pointed to a copper pillar that had been burnt red. “How about if we just brand you?”
Zhao Qian was about to burst into tears. Chu Qi was the youngest among them, but he was the one who was least likely to make mistakes, which was why he had never experienced being punished with such torture before.
He watched as Chu Qi’s finger pointed at the next instrument of torture and clenched his teeth and said angrily, “Whipping, I choose to be whipped.”
“Okay,” Chu Qi replied and pulled the whip over.
Zhao Qian drew in a sharp breath when he saw the barbs on the whip, but he still turned over and pulled down his robe. He felt like crying but there were no tears. “Chu Qi, remember this. I’m already old and I’m unable to withstand such torture.”
Chu Qi looked at Zhao Qian’s fair and podgy flesh. “You’re not old at all.”
Zhao Qian squeezed a hard smile onto his face. There was no way he could feel happy when this rascal was spouting such words.
Before he was able to reply sarcastically, a clear, crisp sound of the whip could be heard in the air. It made one shiver and the very next second, his agonizing scream could be heard, “Ah…”
While all this was going on, the Eastern Palace was experiencing a grim situation.
In front of all civil and military officials at the imperial court, the Emperor had ordered the Ministry of Rites to select suitable women from different influential and renowned families to be sent to the Eastern Palace. After the imperial court adjourned, the news had spread fast as if it had grown wings.
Lu Yunshuang had received the piece of news even before Long Yang returned to the Eastern Palace.
She had destroyed a few superior-quality porcelains in her room yet again, and the servants were so in fear that they did not dare breathe.
