Mu Xueshi was torn. On one side was the servant’s pain-twisted face outside; on the other was the Third Prince’s cold, severe expression. Every brutal stroke dealt by the executioners pulled taut at Mu Xueshi’s nerves. He wanted to close his eyes and ignore it, yet he could not stop worrying.
The executioners deliberately waited after each strike until the prisoner had fully absorbed the pain before bringing down the next. Fewer than ten blows had fallen, but to Mu Xueshi, it felt as though an eternity had passed.
At last, beneath the Third Prince’s pressing gaze, Mu Xueshi slowly sank to his knees. With despair written across his face, he confessed, “This commoner was the one who knocked over the bookcase and left Your Highness’s room in such a state. Please stop the punishment outside. I’m willing to take that servant’s place.”
After speaking, Mu Xueshi burst into tears. Wiping at his eyes, he sobbed, “This commoner knows he was wrong… This commoner will never do it again… Boohoo…”
The Third Prince raised a hand, temporarily halting the punishment outside. He regarded Mu Xueshi with deep suspicion and asked, “Are you especially close to that servant?”
Sniffling, Mu Xueshi answered honestly, “I only met him today.”
“Then why take the blame for him?”
Mu Xueshi abruptly raised his head and cried out through his tears, “How am I taking the blame for him? He didn’t do anything! I let him get beaten more than ten times for no reason…”
Mu Xueshi’s anger was directed entirely at himself. He despised himself for being so despicable—shifting the blame onto someone else merely to avoid a beating. In modern times, that would have amounted to framing an innocent person, a crime punishable by imprisonment.
The Third Prince had clearly lost interest in pursuing Mu Xueshi’s minor offense. Instead, his thoughts returned to the question of Mu Xueshi’s identity.
Could he truly be someone else?
Disguise was impossible, which left only the possibility that this was the work of a spirit medium. Yet that explanation also made no sense. If he possessed such abilities, why would he allow his true form to be revealed and invite the Third Prince’s suspicion?
While the Third Prince was still pondering, Mu Xueshi suddenly wrapped both arms around his thigh and began sobbing against it. “Your Highness, please forgive this commoner. We’re so close, and the person I like most is Your Highness the Third Prince… Besides, I admitted my mistake and corrected it, so that should count as making amends… Just seeing that cane frightens me. If it scares me into some serious condition, you won’t be able to sentence me afterward… The mentally ill aren’t legally responsible for their actions…”
Mu Xueshi was still rambling when his eyes suddenly lit up. His mood changed instantly, and he became ecstatic once more. Grabbing the Third Prince’s arm, he shook it excitedly. “I remember now! You said no punishment of any kind could be inflicted upon prisoners during the Eight Homage Festival! Oh, yes! You can’t go back on your word. A prince should set a good example…” After saying this, Mu Xueshi pulled countless faces at the Third Prince, watching delightedly as his expression shifted again and again.
In the end, the Third Prince had no choice but to summon a Ritual Master. Ritual Masters held an indispensable position within the palace and were ordinarily responsible for ancestral sacrifices, ceremonial rites, and similar affairs. Most supposed supernatural incidents in the palace were actually caused by Ritual Masters acting on a master’s orders to punish someone. Such cases were exceedingly rare, however, because once discovered, both the Ritual Master and the person who had instructed them—regardless of rank or authority—would be sentenced to dismemberment.
“Your Highness may rest assured. This young master is in robust health and shows no signs of spiritual intrusion, ghostly possession, or soul displacement.”
Mu Xueshi also breathed a tremendous sigh of relief. All he wanted now was to remain safe. If the Third Prince discovered anything else unusual about his identity, the punishment would certainly be far worse than a beating. Images of tendons being torn out and skin being flayed flashed through Mu Xueshi’s mind, making him shudder.
“As for the drastic change in temperament Your Highness described—his former coldness and his present emotional volatility—it seems more likely that he lost his memory after suffering a grave illness, causing him to behave differently from before. Has Your Highness forgotten? Your mother consort, Consort Mu, once suffered from the same condition. After several days of quiet recuperation, her mind also returned to normal…”
At the mention of Consort Mu, a sudden chill flashed through the Third Prince’s eyes. He turned to look at the completely relaxed Mu Xueshi and fell into deep thought.
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