Wanyan Xu's heart felt like it was being squeezed tightly, as he hurriedly descended from dais where the Dragon Throne was set up, he heard Wanyan Shuo's furious voice ringing out from beyond the palace hall:　“Who… Who allowed you people to beat him using this method?” Hearing that, Wanyan Xu was both alarmed and afraid, and he hurried outside. The a.s.sembled ministers also promptly followed him out. Once in the courtyard, Wanyan XU saw that Wanyan Shuo was standing next to the long bench that Su Yi had been tied to for the course of his punishment and, in a loud voice, was questioning the two palace guards that were carrying out the punishment. The white prison attire that Su Yi, who was still bound to the bench, was wearing had become soaked through with perspiration and clearly showed that in the area of his knees, the bleeding flesh had become badly mangled. Wanyan Xu's head spun, and he almost blacked out. Forcing himself to remain conscious, he flung himself in front of Su Yi to take a look at his face, only to see that although blood was dripping from his lips, he had already fainted.
“Su… Su Su…” In his heartache, he could only mutter incoherently to himself while tenderly stroking that face, which was covered with cold sweat. He suddenly heard Wanyan Shuo sob: “Imperial Father… Imperial Father don’t let them hit him anymore, one of Mother Empress’s legs… has been… has been… they have… they have already broken one of his legs.”
These words came like a bolt from the blue, causing Wanyan Xu to snap his head up suddenly to stare at his son. Almost stupefied, he could only say: “You… what did you say?”
Wanyan Shuo rubbed away his tears roughly, pointing a finger accusingly at the two palace guards he said with hate: “It’s all because of these two and their skulduggery. I listened for such a long time in the palace hall before I felt that there was something off... When I rushed out to take a look, I saw that it was because these two scoundrels had concentrated all their blows on Mother Empress's knees. That's why the sound of the rod impacting flesh was not m.u.f.fled as it should be but instead it rang out loudly with 'pa pa' sounds. I took a close look just now, that’s how I discovered that one of Mother Empress’s legs… has already been… has already been…”
Wanyan Xu was rooted to the spot, standing stock-still he stared at Su Yi's mutilated legs, unable to tear his eyes away. He found the emotions swirling in his heart to be inexplicable and strange. On one hand, he felt like his heart was being mercilessly sliced with a blade, again and again. On the other hand, there was a startling but undeniable rush of satisfaction rising from the bottom of his heart. In his mind, there was a voice that kept repeating these words in a loop: His leg is broken, his leg is broken, now that it’s broken he can never run away anymore, can’t run away anymore…”
“Imperial Father.” In his anxiety, Wanyan Shuo was shaking his own Imperial Father, thinking that he had become overwhelmed by grief. However, as he looked on, he saw that after his father gave him a glance he turned his head to look at the a.s.sorted ministers. After a long time pa.s.sed, Wanyan Xu asked through clenched teeth: “How many more stokes?”
One of the palace guards stood forward and answered: “Reporting to Your Majesty, twenty strokes are yet to be administered.”
Wanyan Xu clenched his fists. Steeling his heart, he said: “Continue to carry out the punishment, but you are not to strike at his legs anymore.” With that said, he did not spare another glance for Su Yi who was still unconscious on the bench and briskly strode back to the hall.
Wanyan Shuo stared with utter disbelief at the retreating backs of his Imperial Father and the accompanying ministers as they disappeared back into the hall. When the sound of the rod striking Su Yi rang again in his ear, he felt his nose twitching as he began to tear up again. Suddenly, he rushed over and draped his own body across Su Yi's back and said loudly: “I will bear the remaining twenty strokes on his behalf, you can hit me instead.”
Stumped, the two guards ceased their movements and stared at each other, neither of them daring to strike Wanyan Shuo. Wanyan Shuo put on the unreasonable demeanour he usually wore, and said to the eunuchs and palace maids who had come forward to try to pry him off Su Yi: “If any of you dare to touch me, you’ll have to live with the consequences. I’ll make sure of it!” His threat scared those people so much that they did not dare to make a move. At this impa.s.se, he heard a long sigh and somebody said: “Your Highness the Crown Prince, please get up, don’t make things any more difficult for His Majesty.” When he raised his head to investigate, he found that Zi Yan and Zi Nong were standing by his back, and those words had actually come from Zi Yan's mouth.
Wanyan Shuo looked at them cautiously, on the alert in case either of them tried to forcibly remove him. When they saw that he was still refusing to leave Su Yi, Zi Yan said: “Do you really think that the Emperor is allowing this because he is heartless and is repudiating the relationship they had in the past? That's a misconception. Su Yi's has committed a most heinous crime, by sparing his life, His Majesty is already guilty of showing favouritism. The only reason why none of the ministers raised strong objections was because none of them wanted to appear to be disloyal if they had caused the Emperor to lose face with their opposition. Now, if they see the Emperor showing favouritism even over the much more lenient sentence of flogging, it will be as plain as day to them that the Emperor is still deeply devoted to Su Yi and that he does not have even the slightest determination to punish him. How could the ministers ever countenance that a traitor who deserted the Emperor and fled to plot a rebellion should live on and continue to bewitch the Emperor's sacred judgement? In that event, even if the Emperor desires to preserve his life, I'm afraid that he might not succeed in keeping him safe. If Your Highness the Crown Prince really wishes to save him, then please leave for the moment and let the palace guards complete the remaining twenty strokes.”
Wanyan Shuo slowly released his grip on Su Yi and Zi Nong rushed forward to sweep him up in her arms. In a choked voice she said: “Your humble servant will accompany Your Highness back to his palace.” So saying, she left with him but they kept looking back towards Su Yi as they left. Here, the palace guards took up their rods again, after they had carried out the full sentence, they went into the palace hall to report that the deed was done.
Wanyan Xu then asked indifferently: “Zi Yan, has a room in the servant quarters been made ready for the Empress?” Zi Yan replied that it was indeed ready. Wanyan Xu then sighed and said: “Command a few people to carry him over there, and send for an Imperial Physician to see to him and give him some medicine. Wait until... wait until his injuries have healed before putting him to work.” With that said, he looked at the a.s.sembled court and said: “Any other business?”
He Jian stepped out from the row of ministers again, after bowing he said: “Answering to Your Majesty, Su Yi did not appreciate your sacred kindness, the crime he has committed --- to deceive the Emperor --- is truly most heinous. But Your Majesty has been benevolent and granted him more leniency than the law allows for. Now that he has been reduced to a slave, your loyal minister feels that Your Majesty should draft an Imperial decree and have it proclaimed all throughout the land that Su Yi has been stripped of his position as the Empress. Your loyal subject hopes that Your Majesty will grant this request.” Once he had completed his speech, the rest of the ministers echoed his sentiments unanimously.