N-A-A Chapter 375 Survival of the Fittest
Chapter 375 Survival of the Fittest
Shen Shixi naturally wouldn't really beat a four-year-old child. She just had the nanny from the Censorate come over to scare him a little, but there had to be some degree of harm involved.
Because at this age, no matter how strong the insult, a four-year-old child won't feel it.
She instructed, "Let him feel the pain, let him know the consequences, but don't let him break any bones."
The nannies in the Imperial Prison knew what was going on and breathed a sigh of relief. They were really afraid that the Empress would demand a death sentence, which would be difficult to explain to the Emperor later.
But then I thought, the Empress isn't such a cruel person. Over the years, I haven't heard of any problems with the children in the palace.
"I've summoned you all, young and old, today so you can witness the execution. The Eighth Prince met the Seventh Prince today, and not only did he fail to pay his respects to his elder brother as proper etiquette, but he also tripped the Seventh Prince as they passed each other. Let's see how badly he fell."
I also want to let you all know that you're all grown up now. It's good if you want to be good brothers, but if not, be careful around each other. I can't always be the judge for you. Here are four words for you: Survival of the fittest!
The younger ones didn't quite understand, but the older ones did, as did the concubines. The battle of the next generation had begun, and the Empress did not stop them.
The seventh prince had recovered from his injuries and arrived. The empress asked him to face his brothers and open his mouth. He had lost a front tooth, leaving a large, dark gap, which was quite frightening. He also had injuries on his nose and mouth.
The vast majority of princes and princesses deeply resented the Eighth Prince's actions, and the Ninth Prince, no longer afraid, pointed at the Eighth Prince and complained, "He hit me!"
The Eighth Prince, realizing he was frightened, cried, "Waaah, I was wrong! I'll never do it again, Mother!"
Consort Yuan turned her head away, pretending not to hear. This child needed to be taught a lesson, otherwise he might implicate her in the future.
"Mother, you're so mean, so mean! I don't like you anymore!" The Eighth Prince cried bitterly.
Consort Yuan was struck dumb, staring in disbelief at the child she had raised.
Shen Shixi said, "That's good. Since you don't like your mother, who would you like to be your mother? Tell me."
The Eighth Prince was speechless.
Shen Shixi said, "Go ahead and hit them, thirty strokes! Hit them hard! After this, you'll all know better from now on who to befriend and who to avoid."
The princes were all frightened, but Dongjun and Xihe were completely at ease.
The nanny from the Censorate raised a huge board and struck the Eighth Prince with a loud crack.
The eldest princess trembled all over. She glared fiercely at the queen, then turned and ran out.
The old woman wanted to chase after the child, but Shen Shixi stopped her. It wasn't her child, so whether the child grew up to be upright or crooked, she couldn't care less.
She would protect those who were sensible, upright, and capable of helping Dongjun; as for those who didn't acknowledge her or were immature, she would make them responsible for their own choices.
The Eighth Prince howled so loudly that those who heard it were heartbroken and wept. The princes and princesses were terrified and trembled with fear.
Dongjun nestled in his mother's arms, watching with great interest and a mischievous grin on his face.
Xihe was initially a little scared. Seeing that her younger brother wasn't afraid, she felt it would be shameful for her to be afraid, so she stopped being scared and stood leaning against her mother. When she saw that the Eighth Prince's buttocks were bleeding, she pointed and shouted, "His buttocks are bleeding!"
Upon hearing this, the Eighth Prince wailed even louder, "Mother, I was wrong, I'll never dare to do it again! Mother, save me!"
Li Yuanke was discussing important matters with his court officials when he heard that the eldest princess had arrived. He was somewhat annoyed, but with the court officials present, he couldn't be too harsh on her. After all, she was already a grown woman, and it would be even more troublesome if she couldn't get married and became a burden on his family. So he asked, "What is it? Let her in!"
Just then, Li Yuanke needed to rest. He poured himself a cup of tea and waited for the eldest princess to enter and greet him before asking, "What's the matter that you're in such a hurry?"
The eldest princess, disregarding the presence of court officials, hurriedly said, "Father, please save my eighth brother! He's about to be beaten to death by Mother!"
She saw that her father remained unmoved, only looking at her coldly. She quickly said, "Father, I am not lying. Mother has asked the nannies from the Imperial Prison to beat my eighth brother. They are going to beat him thirty times. My eighth brother is still so young."
The court officials looked at each other in bewilderment.
Song Yan said, "Her Majesty the Empress is always very measured. I wonder what mistake the Eighth Prince has made?"
Li Fude gave a wink to the outside, and Jiang You came in to report, "Your Majesty, gentlemen, the Eighth Prince injured the Seventh Prince. Her Majesty the Empress heard that the Eighth Prince always secretly harms his brothers, so she ordered the nannies from the Censorate to come and discipline him..."
He glanced at the eldest princess, "Her Majesty the Empress has ordered all the princes and princesses to witness the execution."
It means that the eldest princess disobeyed the imperial decree and came to complain.
The eldest princess was furious. "Even if Eighth Brother did something wrong, you shouldn't have hit him so hard! He's still so young. If he gets seriously injured, his life will be ruined!"
Li Yuanke truly hadn't expected his eldest daughter to be so stupid. Seeing how much she resembled Madam Du, he felt an overwhelming revulsion and said, "Get out!"
The eldest princess was stunned, staring at her father in disbelief.
"This isn't the first time you've disrespected your stepmother. You're confined for a year and forced to copy the Four Books one hundred times. If it happens again, don't blame me for being ruthless!"
The eldest princess was dragged out, and before leaving the palace, she heard her father say, "Let her watch the execution before sending her back to the palace."
"Father, you're so biased..." Her mouth was covered.
Li Yuanke rubbed his temples. "My family affairs have become a laughing stock for my ministers."
Song Piyang said, "Your Majesty, what are you saying? If I may be so bold, every family has its share of unworthy descendants, especially since the princes are still young. The Eighth Prince is only a little over a year old. Her Majesty the Empress has always been very good at raising them, so Your Majesty need not worry!"
When the Empress was mentioned, Li Yuanke was in a good mood. After a few words of laughter between the emperor and his minister, the matter was put aside and the topic of politics was brought up.
As for the eldest princess, no one took her seriously. Li Yuanke's plan was to quickly arrange a marriage for her and prevent her from entering the palace.
The ministers were all thinking that since she was a princess, it wouldn't be a problem, but if she wanted to marry into their family, then the emperor was dreaming!
The Eighth Prince was beaten until he bled a little, but he wasn't seriously injured. However, it was inevitable that his buttocks would hurt, which was exactly the effect of the pain they wanted.
After she was carried back, the imperial physicians arrived quickly and administered internal and external medicine to prevent her from dying later, which would damage the Empress's reputation.
As for Shen Shixi, she couldn't be bothered with her. Just because she was afraid, did she think she would do nothing?
If you can get a bone stuck in your throat while eating chicken, does that mean you shouldn't eat it?
She was never one to worry unnecessarily.
The Eighth Prince wanted his mother now, but Consort Yuan wouldn't hug him and kept her distance. "You don't like your mother anymore, so your mother doesn't want you anymore. Once you're healed, go and beg your father to find you another mother."
Consort Yuan raised him for four years, so naturally she couldn't bear to part with him. However, even a biological child would feel heartbroken if they raised an ungrateful wretch!
Consort Yuan thought of the Cui family. The Cui family was rotten to the core. That old scoundrel Cui Fangli was no good, Zhang was an ill-mannered woman, and Cui Xianhui was an ambitious schemer who had once coveted the position of empress.
After the imperial physicians treated him with utmost care, the Eighth Prince drank the medicine and fell asleep.
This whole ordeal was quite painful.
Consort Yuan arrived at Qian Yuan Palace, where the Empress was resting for a while and drinking bird's nest porridge.
She can eat and sleep well now, but she doesn't seem to be gaining weight.
Consort Yuan personally served her. After she finished the bowl, Consort Yuan put it down and then helped her rinse her mouth. Shen Shixi waved her hand and said, "You don't need to bother. You can sit down. I know why you came. You can suffer for two more years. When he is six years old, we will send him to Xianfu Palace."
"How is the second princess? She seems quite well-behaved to me."