The relationship between ruler and subject mirrors that of heaven and earth—each has its place, each its purpose. Yet when heaven grows tyrannical, even the most steadfast earth may crack and split. It is in these monts that true character reveals itself.
—Master Song Lin, Scholar of the Jade Path
Xiulan crossed her arms and leaned against the cold stone wall, staring through the iron bars into the dimly lit corridor. The musty air carried hints of mold and despair.
A bitter smile tugged at her lips—this marked her second arrest. The first had been in her previous life during a party gone wrong, spending twenty-four miserable hours waiting for her parents to show up—they never did and she’d been released out of pity. If she’d been any younger, child services would probably have been contacted to co ’rescue’ her.
i Chen huddled in the corner, arms wrapped tightly around her knees. The young maid’s shoulders trembled with each shallow breath. The sight stirred sothing protective in Xiulan’s chest.
tal scraped against tal as Luo Han unlocked the ornate box on a table outside their cell. He spread the gold-decorated scrolls before an official with exaggerated flourish.
"Look at these fools." Luo Han’s laughter echoed off the stone walls. "Parading through the streets with stolen docunts in broad daylight. I’ve never seen such brazen criminals."
"Official Qin authorized to take those scrolls." Xiulan kept her voice steady despite the rage building in her chest.
"Oh?" Luo Han’s lips curled into a cruel smile. "That would be quite difficult to prove, wouldn’t it? Especially since no one can seem to locate Official Qin."
Xiulan’s fingernails dug crescents into her palms. The implications behind his smug tone confird her worst suspicions. She flexed her fingers, fighting to maintain composure as pieces of the trap beca clear.
"Since Official Qin cannot be found, it only makes sense to delay any investigation until he can corroborate my statent." Xiulan straightened her spine. "I am the Second Daughter of the Lin Family. Release us imdiately and show proper respect, Guard Han."
Luo Han swept into an exaggerated bow, his movents dripping with mockery. "Of course, Second Daughter."
The official gathered the gold-decorated scrolls with careful hands. "These appear genuine. I must present them to Lord Lin and First Wife Zhang imdiately."
Ice crystallized in Xiulan’s veins. "My father and Madam Zhang are already holding court on this matter?"
Luo Han’s only response was a dark chuckle as he followed the official out of the court’s holding cell room.
Xiulan grabbed the iron bars, muscles straining as she pulled. The lock chanism caught her attention—a simple design, but one that required a key. The tal felt cold against her palms as she tested its strength.
"Miss Xiulan." i Chen’s whisper echoed in the dim cell. "Please don’t draw attention. They seem to only want —don’t get yourself in trouble, too."
Raw fury blazed through Xiulan’s chest. "That will never happen."
Fear coiled in her stomach. Her mother’s protection wouldn’t reach her maid. While the rank of Second Daughter might shield her from the worst outcos, i Chen held no such protection. The thought sent tremors through her arms as she rattled the bars.
Calm down.
The iron bars remained unyielding as she forced herself to think through the trap they’d walked into.
Heavy footsteps echoed down the corridor far sooner than Xiulan expected. Two guards approached the cell, keys jangling against their belts.
"Maid Chen. Co with us." The taller guard unlocked the cell door.
Xiulan stepped between them and i Chen. "I’ll accompany her."
The guards exchanged confused glances. "Miss Lin, you weren’t summoned."
"Move aside." The shorter guard reached past Xiulan.
She planted her feet firmly, blocking his path. Behind her, i Chen stood and tugged at the fabric of her dress.
"Listen carefully." Xiulan lifted her chin. "You’ll need to beat the Second Daughter of the Lin family to death to reach my maid today. Shall we see how Father responds to that after what happened a few days ago?"
The taller guard rubbed his temples. "Miss Lin—"
"The lord demands the maid’s presence imdiately."
"Then I’ll join her." Xiulan eyed the tal cuffs hanging from the shorter guard’s belt. "And those won’t be necessary."
The shorter guard threw up his hands. "Fine. Just co along before we all get in trouble."
The guards steered them through a narrow side entrance into the grand court chamber.
Great. Back in this room again. I should request a permanent seat at this rate.
"Why is Lin Xiulan here?" Madam Zhang’s sharp voice cut through the chamber. "We summoned only the criminal responsible for stealing administrative docunts."
Xiulan squeezed her hands into tight fists, fingernails biting into her palms. The casual condemnation of i Chen burned like acid in her stomach.
"Honored Father, Honored Mother." Xiulan bowed with precise formality. "As i Chen serves as my personal maid, my presence here follows naturally."
Lord Lin slumped forward in his throne. "Must you constantly stand at the center of every disturbance in this household?"
"Perhaps certain restless birds peck at because they believe the tree belongs solely to them." Xiulan straightened from her bow. "They seem unwilling to share even a single branch."
Blood rushed to Lord Lin’s face, turning it a dangerous shade of crimson. Xiulan bit her lower lip hard enough to taste copper.
Shit. That taphor might have been a step too far. But damn, it felt good to say.
Xiulan’s heart thundered against her ribs. i Chen trembled beside her, and every instinct scread to lash out—but that would only make things worse. She needed precision, not passion.
Xiulan dropped into a deep bow. "Father, please forgive my impudent words. The stress of recent events has addled my thoughts."
The words tasted like ash in her mouth, but she forced them out anyway. One wrong move now could doom i Chen.
"Rise." Lord Lin’s stern voice echoed through the chamber. "Your maid was caught with official docunts in her possession. The guards witnessed this directly. There can be no question of her guilt."
Xiulan straightened, keeping her face carefully neutral as Lord Lin continued.
"The sentence is eighty lashes. If she survives, banishnt from Blackre County."
A choked sound escaped i Chen’s throat. Whispers rippled through the assembled crowd like wind through the cherry trees. The sentence struck Xiulan’s chest like a physical blow.
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The punishnt seed rciful on its surface—theft of official docunts typically earned quartering by horses or a clean beheading. But eighty lashes? That was just execution with extra steps, drawn out and painful.
Behind her silk fan, Madam Zhang’s eyes glittered with cruel satisfaction. The calculated rcy of the sentence suddenly made perfect sense.
They think they’re showing generosity while still ensuring i Chen dies. Clever.
Xiulan stepped forward, her silk robes rustling against the marble floor. "i Chen acted solely on my instructions. The responsibility lies with alone—she carried those docunts at my behest."
"Miss Lin, please." i Chen tugged at Xiulan’s sleeve.
Xiulan shrugged off the gentle touch. "Release her. If soone must answer for this, it should be ."
A sharp laugh cut through the chamber. Madam Zhang snapped her fan shut with a crack. "How predictable. The foolish girl tries to shield her conniving little maid." She turned to Lord Lin. "Perhaps this servant has addled our daughter’s senses with so herb or potion?"
The accusation sparked fresh anger in Xiulan’s chest. Lord Lin leaned forward on his throne, eyes narrowing. "Why did you remove these docunts from the administrative building?"
"Official Qin granted permission." Xiulan frowned at the mory. Sothing nagged at the edge of her thoughts.
"Impossible!" Lord Lin’s fist crashed against his armrest. "No official holds authority to release gold-sealed docunts from those halls. Even you, as Second Daughter, must abide by these laws."
Gold seals? The mory of studying the scrolls by candlelight flashed through Xiulan’s mind. The ornate seal had glead gold in the flickering light, but earlier...
Ice spread through her veins as realization struck. The seal had been bronze in the study when they had been working with Official Qin. At so point, during the long hours, soone had switched the docunts.
Xiulan dropped into a formal bow. "Father, I believed the scrolls to be bronze-sealed copies. After receiving Official Qin’s blessing, I thought nothing more of it."
"Why seek these docunts at all?" Lord Lin’s question cracked like a whip.
"Does it matter?" Madam Zhang interrupted. "The cri remains—"
Lord Lin spun toward her, face flushed with rage. "Silence!"
Xiulan squared her shoulders, facing her father directly. "During our return journey to Lin Manor, we encountered woodsn—dozens of them injured and starving. These weren’t re vagrants. They worked for our family’s sandalwood enterprise until recently."
"None of this bears relevance to—" Madam Zhang started.
Lord Lin slamd his fist against his throne. "ENOUGH!" The sound echoed through the chamber. "I am the lord of this county, not you! One more interruption and the guards will remove you from these proceedings!"
Xiulan released a slow breath as silence fell over the chamber. The marble floor glead beneath her feet, reflecting the tension that crackled through the air.
Lord Lin gestured sharply. "Continue."
"A fire destroyed their workshops and hos." Xiulan lifted her chin. "Yet the circumstances proved suspicious. Despite the buildings being scattered across the property, every structure burned." She paused, letting the implications sink in. "Official Zhang Huan evicted all the workers imdiately after."
The crowd’s whispers grew louder. Lord Lin leaned forward on his throne. "And this prompted your investigation?"
"Indeed." Xiulan straightened her spine. "This workshop supplied all of Blackre County’s sandalwood production. The enterprise earned our family approximately one million taels annually, but the receipts that Official Zhang Huan has been reporting have decreased every year until it is now only half of what it was fifteen years ago. The records confirm that, but Official Qin and I suspected a darker issue than what is presented."
"Why did you not bring this to my attention imdiately?" Lord Lin’s eyes narrowed.
Xiulan glanced pointedly at Madam Zhang. "I needed absolute certainty before making accusations. Blackre County grants only two licenses for the luxury sandalwood trade. The second belongs to House Chao."
Lord Lin’s fingers curled into tight fists against his armrests. The tendons in his neck strained as his jaw clenched.
Madam Zhang leaned close to Lord Lin’s ear, whispering sothing Xiulan couldn’t catch. Lord Lin’s face darkened to a dangerous shade of red as he turned to glare at his wife.
His attention snapped back to Xiulan.
Lord Lin’s stern expression softened slightly. "Your investigation shows admirable dedication to our family’s interests. As a noble daughter of Lin, protecting our reputation and caring for those under our protection falls within your duties. I will not reproach such actions."
Relief flickered through Xiulan’s chest—until her father’s face hardened again.
"However, the matter of the stolen scrolls cannot be overlooked. You may continue your investigation, but Maid Chen must face punishnt for her cri."
Pain lanced through Xiulan’s chest. She stepped sideways, positioning herself between the thrones and i Chen.
She dropped into another bow. "Father, I cannot allow that."
Lord Lin stiffened. "You cannot allow it?"
The words hung in the air like storm clouds. Xiulan straightened, squaring her shoulders. "i Chen serves as my personal maid and has done so faithfully. She belongs to , not to you. You cannot punish her without my consent."
A cruel smile spread across Madam Zhang’s painted lips. "Perhaps you should whip them both, my lord."
Xiulan watched her father’s face turn several shades darker as he processed her defiance. The muscles in his jaw twitched. She flicked her gaze to Madam Zhang before eting her father’s burning stare.
"You are the lord of the Lin family and magistrate of Blackre County. I will accept your judgnt and punishnt without question." Xiulan pressed her hands together. "But my maid is innocent. I will take any punishnt myself."
"Do you think your mother’s earlier threats shield you from consequences?" Lord Lin leaned forward on his throne.
Xiulan shook her head. "The Third Concubine can have no complaint if I willingly accept your justice."
Lord Lin rose from his throne, drawing himself to his full height. His deep voice echoed through the hall. "Eight lashes for my Second Daughter who removed docunts from the administration building. Let this serve as a lesson—none can ignore the sanctity of this administration!"
"Impossible!" Madam Zhang sprang up beside him. "The sentence was eighty lashes!"
The crack of flesh eting flesh split the air. Madam Zhang sprawled across the steps leading to the throne, her elaborate hairpiece scattering pearls across the marble.
"Ignorant woman!" Lord Lin thundered. "You dare compare my daughter’s blood to that of a commoner?" He jabbed a finger toward the guards. "Eight lashes! Carry out the sentence imdiately, here in this hall!"
"Miss..." i Chen’s whisper scratched at Xiulan’s ears.
A guard approached with asured steps, the leather flail swaying at his side. Xiulan studied the braided strips—standard leather, no tal tips. The sight triggered mories of the ga’s punishnt chanics for PKing other players. At least this won’t leave permanent scars.
The cold marble pressed against Xiulan’s knees as she knelt. Her fingers worked at her collar, loosening the elaborate silk until it slipped down to expose her back. The cool air raised goosebumps across her skin.
i Chen lurched forward. "Miss Xiulan, please—"
A guard’s grip locked around the maid’s arm, yanking her back. The sound of her struggles echoed off the chamber walls.
Xiulan shook her head, fixing her gaze straight ahead at the ornate tapestry on the far wall. "Let Lord Lin punish his unruly daughter." The words scraped past her dry throat.
The first crack of leather against flesh echoed through the chamber. White-hot pain blazed across her back, stealing her breath. A second strike followed before she could recover, forcing her to lean forward. The third lash tore a grunt from her throat as her palms slapped against the cold marble.
Tears stread down her cheeks at the fourth strike. The fifth sent copper flooding her mouth as her teeth pierced her lip. By the sixth, a mixture of blood, tears, and saliva pooled beneath her face on the polished floor.
Her arms trembled with the effort to maintain so dignity through the seventh strike. The eighth and final lash carved fire across her already shredded skin. The world blurred into sars of color and light.
Every breath sent fresh waves of agony rippling through her back. She dragged her silk sleeve across her face, grateful for the thick fabric that absorbed the ss.
Lord Lin stared down from his throne with an expressionless mask. Beside him, Madam Zhang’s painted lips curved into a smile.
"My lord," Madam Zhang purred. "The girl’s unusual attachnt to this maid raises concerns. Allow to question her. Who knows what sches the commoner has concocted without proper supervision?"
"What?" The word gurgled from Xiulan’s raw throat.
Lord Lin waved his hand dismissively. "Take her for questioning."
Xiulan surged to her feet, ignoring the screaming protest from her torn flesh. Her concealed dagger slipped into her palm as she yanked it free. "You can’t take her!"
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