MTSAMAPOC Chapter 24

The carriage was silent, except for the burning charcoal.

Ying Wutu held his breath.

Why!

Why was the gunpowder replaced with torture tools?

Was it the Fifth Prince who betrayed him?

“Can’t choose? Let me help you…” Jiang Shouzhu didn’t reach into the box but took out a short sword from her sleeve.

It was Ying Wutu’s sword; he recognized it instantly.

Ying Wutu closed his eyes in resignation, knowing this was the end.

Indeed, with his plan exposed, the wicked woman wouldn’t spare him.

But what about his sisters?

He even wanted to plead for them, to know if the two guards who delivered the gunpowder were still alive…

No time for that.

Jiang Shouzhu grabbed Ying Wutu’s wrists, her knife swift and precise.

The sound of the blade slicing through the air was followed by the sound of blood dripping on the carriage floor.

“Indeed, a good sword, very sharp,” Jiang Shouzhu praised, satisfied.

Her skill was fast, Ying Wutu’s realization slow.

He stared in disbelief at his wrists.

Jiang Shouzhu had let go.

Ying Wutu’s hands hung limply, and as he looked down…

His tendons were severed, not much blood, but he couldn’t even make a fist.

“Ah—”

His scream came too late, delayed by shock.

Despite the delay, the pain was no less, not just physical but deep in his soul.

Even Deputy General Yan, hearing the scream, knocked on the carriage door to check.

Jiang Shouzhu casually told the outside, “Nothing, just a little rabbit having a nightmare.” Then she looked at Ying Wutu, who seemed drained of his soul, and smiled, “This is just a little punishment for you. You brought this upon yourself. I didn’t want to cut your tendons, but you kept trying to kill me. I had to teach you a lesson. Don’t be too sad, if you can’t hold chopsticks while eating, I’ll allow you to use a spoon.”

“Jiang! Shouzhu!”

Under the firelight, Ying Wutu gritted his teeth, pronouncing her name as if he wanted to devour her alive.

“Alright, the game is over. Time to pick a new toy from the box you brought.” Jiang Shouzhu didn’t care at all. She carefully wiped the blood off the sword and sheathed it.

She couldn’t help but praise again.

It was indeed a good sword.

Ying Wutu didn’t pick, didn’t speak. He stared at his wrists in a daze.

These hands, the ones he used to write, to disguise as a woman and study, discovering a vast world through books.

These hands, the ones he used to wield a sword, training hard, realizing he wasn’t a fragile little man.

But now.

These hands were easily crippled by her.

Weak, unable to make a fist, let alone hold a pen or a sword.

“Why aren’t you choosing? Don’t you like any? Aren’t these what you brought? Little men are such trouble. How about this, if you choose, I’ll whip you once. If I choose, I’ll whip you three times. Your choice.”

The carriage still rumbled forward. In the firelight, Jiang Shouzhu contentedly watched the little rabbit’s expressions.

Once on the battlefield, the little rabbit rode a tall horse, confidently directing. He always smiled brightly when she fell for traps.

Now, seeing the once-confident little rabbit in such despair…

Jiang Shouzhu felt she had won not only the battle but also conquered him.

A pity, though, through simple violence.

She hadn’t wanted to be so rough.

But the little rabbit was too disobedient.

She couldn’t be blamed.

“Haven’t chosen? I’ll pick then…” Jiang Shouzhu’s fingers slid over the whips, stopping on a medium-sized one. Testing its flexibility, she found it suitable, smiling at the little rabbit, “If you don’t undress, your clothes will be ruined and you’ll have nothing to wear. The Fifth Prince’s clothes are precious; losing a set is like losing his life. So, undress or not, your choice.”

Ying Wutu’s eyes were devoid of color. He weakly touched his belt, testing his strength to undo it…

Unfortunately, he could.

The belt was undone.

Silk clothes slid from his shoulders. He stepped forward, head slightly raised, eyes void, looking at the burning coals. Closing his eyes, tears streamed down, his voice trembling, “Just kill me.”

Jiang Shouzhu’s hand raised but then lowered. She said, “If you want to die, I won’t stop you. If you want to be beaten to death tonight, I can do that. But think carefully. If you die, I save rations froma thousand people.”

“Jiang Shouzhu!” Ying Wutu’s eyes opened, still devoid of color but filled with anger. He almost shouted, “Besides threatening me, what else can you do!”

A whip cracked down.

It hit Ying Wutu’s left chest, precisely on the character “Jiang.”

This time, Jiang Shouzhu used force, leaving Ying Wutu’s skin torn.

“I don’t just threaten you, I can hit you, I can sleep with you, I can do whatever I want with you because you are my spoils of war.”

Jiang Shouzhu wiped the blood off the whip with a cloth, preventing any splatter on her freshly changed bed.

Ying Wutu collapsed on the floor, fully realizing how cruel and ruthless the wicked woman was.

“Get up.” Jiang Shouzhu put down the cloth, ordering.

Ying Wutu, gasping in pain, tried to get up using his wrists. He had just sat up when…

The second whip struck, crossing his chest.

He collapsed again.

“Ah… ha…” Ying Wutu panted harder, blood flowing down his chest, soaking his pants.

“Tell me, aren’t you to blame? If you had obeyed, you could be wrapped in a blanket, resting by the brazier in my carriage. But you chose to be rebellious, leading to this. Isn’t this all your fault?” Jiang Shouzhu casually wiped the whip, her tone light as if cleaning a cherished sword.

Ying Wutu couldn’t speak, painfully realizing some truth in her words.

If he hadn’t gone for the gunpowder, he could be comfortably asleep now, drinking hot, sweet milk in the morning.

In his own army, he never had such precious milk.

“One more whip, ready? Get up, or…” Jiang Shouzhu’s tone carried a hint of murderous intent, “Or if you want to die, I’ll oblige. Your choice. I won’t force you.”

Ying Wutu’s body and mind were tormented, unable to bear the pain and humiliation. His tendons cut, all hopes shattered, he longed for death.

But… there were so many hostages in her hands.

A thousand sisters who didn’t want to die…

Leading them to defeat, now their lives depended on his decision.

Biting his lip, Ying Wutu used his elbow to push himself up, moving slower than before.

Jiang Shouzhu raised her hand higher for the third whip…

“Can… can it be lighter…”

Ying Wutu pleaded before the third whip fell.

The wicked woman had a black heart and a heavy hand. Two whips had already caused so much blood; he feared the third would kill him.

He wanted release through death but couldn’t let his sisters be buried with him.

He lost the battle, deserved the wicked woman’s torture, but his sisters still had a chance. He couldn’t give up.

“Ha…” Jiang Shouzhu lowered her hand, surprised at the little rabbit’s plea. Did the whip hurt that much? She didn’t think three whips would kill him, despite using full force. “Changed your mind? Weren’t you defiant just now? Didn’t you want me to kill you?”

“Don’t kill them…” Ying Wutu continued to plead, his body tense, one whip still unstruck.

“Do you regret?” Jiang Shouzhu asked.

Regret what?

Regret discussing plans with the Fifth Prince, only to be betrayed?

Regret fetching the gunpowder tonight?

Regret not choosing the whip himself, avoiding two strikes?

Ying Wutu couldn’t answer. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, his voice hoarse.

“Hit… hit me.” He braced for the third whip.

The carriage returned to silence, only the burning coals audible.

Ying Wutu waited for the whip, his mind and body tense, but it didn’t come.

The anticipation of torture was greater torture, driving him to the brink.

He slowly opened one eye…

Just to sneak a peek.

The third whip struck through the air.

“Ah—”

The third whip hit his back, knocking Ying Wutu to the floor, the wound on his chest scraping, making him almost faint from the pain.

Jiang Shouzhu did it on purpose, watching the little rabbit’s tense anticipation. She had waited for him to act for so long, it was only fair he experienced the agony of waiting.

Only when he couldn’t wait any longer did she deliver the final blow.

“Alright, that’s three whips for tonight. There will be more tomorrow night. Remember that. It’s almost dawn, don’t disturb my sleep.” Jiang Shouzhu cleaned the blood off the whip, tossing it into the box. “Close the box and put it away; it’ll be used again tomorrow night.”

Then she lay down to sleep.

Jiang Shouzhu couldn’t sleep.

Because Ying Wutu kept gasping and groaning.

He lay on the floor, wounded on his chest and back, trying to sit up but couldn’t due to the pain.

The wicked woman, so cruel and ruthless, to strike so hard.

If he hadn’t begged for mercy, the third whip might have killed him.

“Shut up!” Jiang Shouzhu sat up, angrily glaring at him.

Seeing the little rabbit, unable to lie down properly, unable to turn over, half-lying on the floor, eyes filled with tears, lower lip bitten bloody by his rabbit teeth.

His bitten-through lip showed he was enduring as much as possible, but the pain was too much.

“Uh…” Ying Wutu whimpered, shrinking but unable to stop groaning.

“Keep whining, and I’ll keep whipping until you stop.” Jiang Shouzhu threatened.

“Don’t… don’t hit me, or knock me out.” Ying Wutu couldn’t help it. He even wanted to punch himself unconscious to escape the pain, but his hands were too weak to manage.

“Stuff it yourself!” Jiang Shouzhu took out another handkerchief, her own, and threw it at his face, annoyed, “If any sound escapes, I’ll keep whipping.”

The handkerchief fell on Ying Wutu’s face. He lifted his hand, but his fingers were too weak to grasp it…

He didn’t want to be whipped again; another beating would kill him.

Ying Wutu could only bite the handkerchief bit by bit, trying to stuff it into his mouth, but his lips weren’t very nimble. After much effort, he only managed a small corner, and his urgent struggle made more noise.

Jiang Shouzhu was thoroughly annoyed. She sat up to continue beating him but then saw…

The little rabbit’s red lips moving, biting the handkerchief…

Jiang Shouzhu laughed in anger, saying he really was like a rabbit.

Ying Wutu had been trying to stuff the cloth into his mouth when he saw the wicked woman sit up, angry again. He hurried to explain, but with the cloth in his mouth, his words were muffled: “I’m not… don’t… please…”

Seeing him in this pitiful state, Jiang Shouzhu found the little rabbit much cuter. She bent down and, with a great show of mercy, roughly stuffed the remaining cloth into his mouth.

Ying Wutu cooperated, opening his mouth; he didn’t want to make any noise or be beaten again.

Now his mouth was fully stuffed. Though he wasn’t crying out, the pain was still there. Tears kept streaming down his cheeks, his body trembling, as he looked up at her with wet eyes, carefully watching her, afraid she was still unsatisfied.

“See, if you had listened earlier, this wouldn’t have happened. You brought this on yourself.” Jiang Shouzhu clapped her hands, satisfied, and lay back down.

This time, it was much quieter. No more cries of pain, finally allowing her to sleep peacefully.

Indeed, a disobedient little rabbit needs a firm hand.

Look how effective it is.