Chapter 1

Chapter 1

The young master was pinned to a long bench, the sound of the wooden paddle hitting him echoing through the air-thwack, thwack, thwack.

His mouth was gagged, his face was flushed a deep crimson, and sweat poured off him like rain.

Yet, his inner thoughts didn’t rest for a single moment.

[Ugh, I really didn’t know this was the Forbidden Courtyard!]

[If I hadn’t been afraid of Eldest Brother framing me, I wouldn’t have wandered off.]

[How can I ever face anyone after this? I might as well just die.]

[My poor mother… she’s still waiting for me to return.]

His inner thoughts were quite interesting.

If I hadn’t had that dream, I might have truly been like the person in it-thinking I had discovered some secret treasure and feeling a surge of sympathy for him.

Little did I know that in this world, those who hold the chess pieces are always the minority. Many people are merely pawns from beginning to end.

After waking from the dream, I immediately ordered someone to investigate him.

His name was Wei He.

On the surface, he was the legitimate second son of the Guangping Marquis Manor.

In reality, he was an Outer Chamber Son raised by the Guangping Marquis.

After his mother, the Outer Chamber, died, he was brought into the Wei family.

At first, he was raised as a concubine-born son.

Later, he repeatedly gained the favor of the Lady of Guangping Marquis, eventually becoming her legitimate second son and receiving much affection.

In contrast, the Lady of Guangping Marquis’s real son, Wei Xiao, was not so fortunate.

In just a few short years, he went from being a refined and elegant gentleman in everyone’s eyes to a stubborn, cruel, and pathologically jealous profligate.

The nature of this change was worth pondering.

I had some suspicions, but no way to verify them.

I had come here today to offer incense to Buddha, originally wondering if Wei He would show up.

To my surprise, everything happened exactly as it had in the dream.

Except this time, I made a different choice.

Whether I can change my fate against the heavens is still unknown, but I am looking forward to it.

Once Wei He finished receiving his thirty strokes, I looked up at him with a beaming smile.

“Someone, carry him back to the Guangping Marquis Manor. Tell the Guangping Marquis that his son trespassed into the Forbidden Courtyard and spied on the Princess. Ask the Marquis to provide This Princess with an explanation.”

Wei He’s expression froze for a moment.

[How can this be?]

[It wasn’t supposed to be like this!]

He desperately tried to defend himself: “Your Highness, I had no intention of spying on the Princess. I simply took the wrong path…”

Xue Ling, the maid beside me, spoke up: “Your Highness, wouldn’t it be better to resolve this matter quietly? If word gets out, it might harm your reputation. It isn’t worth damaging Your Highness’s name for someone like this.”

I looked up at her.

Xue Ling was half-kneeling, looking exceptionally sincere, as if she were truly considering my best interests.

But in the dream, it was she and Wei He who joined forces.

One inside, one outside.

Together, they sent me to my doom.

I did not argue with Xue Ling, nor did I tell her to stand. Instead, I spoke indifferently: “Add ten more strokes.”

“Yes!”

The sound of the paddle resumed-thwack, thwack, thwack.

Xue Ling remained half-kneeling, sweat breaking out on her forehead. It was from anxiety, and also from shame.

Finally, Wei He’s inner thoughts went quiet.

I suspected that if he hadn’t shut up, his thoughts would have turned into curses against me. That would have been truly seeking death.

When the ten strokes were finished, Wei He was bleeding from the corners of his mouth, his eyes closed and unresponsive.

I stood up and glanced at his bloody, mangled buttocks, clicking my tongue. “How filthy.”

His eyelashes trembled slightly, his head slumped to the side, and he truly fainted.

I ordered my men to send him back. They were to beat gongs and drums the whole way, scattering flower petals to clear the path. If anyone asked, they were to tell the truth.

I believed that before the morning was over, everyone would know that the Guangping Marquis Manor had produced a lecher who dared to trespass into the Forbidden Courtyard to spy on a Royal Princess.

Having dealt with that matter, I went inside to dress.

I was quite interested in that West Wing Room Wei He had mentioned.

In the dream, I hadn’t just forgiven Wei He; I had also ordered someone to investigate the West Wing Room. Sure enough, a woman of the demimonde was hidden in that room.

But the dream had moved too quickly; I couldn’t explore the details. I only remembered that everyone believed it was a plot by Wei Xiao to frame Wei He.

Because of this, Wei Xiao was expelled from the Wei family. The title of Heir of the Marquis Manor then fell onto Wei He’s head.

Now, of course, I was going to see what that woman looked like. It was my first time seeing such a person, and I wanted to broaden my horizons.

Dressed in men’s clothing as a handsome young master, I strolled out.

The others followed me. I stopped and gave Xue Ling a cold glance.

Shuangwei, who was beside me, immediately said, “You, keep kneeling. As the saying goes, when the master is insulted, the servant should die. To think you could plead for a lecher while watching your mistress be insulted-I truly don’t know what you were thinking. Take this time to reflect on who your master really is.”

Well said.

I used to prefer Xue Ling’s gentleness and find Shuangwei too noisy. But I had to admit, Shuangwei’s words right now were truly satisfying.

Xue Ling’s eyes were red, and tears fell one by one onto the ground.

Previously, I couldn’t bear to see her suffer. But now…

“Stop crying. It’s a bit ugly.”

Xue Ling was startled, her tears stopping mid-fall.

I gave a slight smile and strode away with my head held high. I was off to gain some experience!

When I reached the West Wing Room, I had just pushed the door open when a girl threw herself at me, hugging me tightly.

“Young Master, please save me! I’ve been drugged. I beg you to save me; I will remember your great kindness for the rest of my life.”

Even as she spoke, she started pulling at my clothes.

I grabbed her hands firmly and gestured twice to the people behind me.

Two guards immediately entered.

I smiled and said, “What’s the fun in just two people? Let’s all four of us play together.”