MTSAMAPOC Chapter 36

 

When Ying Wutu woke up, it was just the early hours of the morning.

He moved his body a bit, his abdomen still hurting. Now, with the daylight, he lifted his clothes and saw several new bruises on his abdomen.

These were not the marks left by the bad woman, nor the marks from fetching water, but the bruises from being kicked by his people last night.

Ying Wutu gently rubbed the bruises; they still hurt.

He hoped the bad woman wouldn’t notice.

Despite being beaten by his people, he didn’t want to implicate them.

This morning, the housekeeper didn’t come to assign him any tasks, but he took it upon himself to go to the bad woman’s courtyard, picked up a broom, and started sweeping.

With every few sweeps, he would look up at the door, harboring a difficult-to-express anticipation in his heart.

He really wanted to see the bad woman.

Even if nothing happened, just seeing her would bring him peace.

He finished sweeping the courtyard without seeing the door open.

Was the bad woman not going to the court today?

The hour was almost up.

Ying Wutu worried she might have overslept, so he stepped onto the porch and knocked on the door.

But there was no sound from inside.

Was the bad woman not there?

Where had she gone?

Did she sleep in one of the little attendants’ rooms?

Ying Wutu’s fingers were weak, but now he gripped the broom, feeling a wave of bitterness.

Had the bad woman lost interest in him?

Was that why she sent him away last night to find another man?

Ying Wutu felt like an abandoned spouse and dejectedly walked towards the kitchen.

If he had a tail, it would be dragging on the ground now, completely devoid of any energy to wag.

The kitchen was still bustling in the morning, with the cooks performing their duties.

But there were people fetching water.

Two captives from the Ying kingdom stood by the well, one drawing water, the other carrying it.

Ying Wutu found it strange. Fetching water was his task, wasn’t it?

He stood there, wondering what was going on.

At this moment, the two captives from Ying Kingdom saw Ying Wutu.

They immediately put down their work, placed the water bucket in front of Ying Wutu, and ordered, “You do it.”

Ying Wutu sighed. The injuries from last night’s beating still hurt, but he said nothing. He picked up the bucket and went to the well to fetch water.

Meanwhile, the two captives from Ying Kingdom went to the corner to rest.

Ying Wutu struggled to fetch water. Compared to them, he couldn’t match their strength. It took him the same time to fetch one bucket as it took them to fetch five.

His arms were already bruised, and so were his chest and abdomen, making today’s task even harder than the last time.

After sitting for a while and seeing that Ying Wutu hadn’t fetched a single bucket, they approached.

“You useless scum! You can’t win a battle or fetch water. Did that woman break you? You don’t even have the strength to fetch water! If it weren’t for you, would we have ended up like this?”

Ying Wutu endured their scolding without a word and continued to fetch water.

“If it weren’t for all the people here, I’d love to throw you into the well.”

Ying Wutu closed his eyes. He finally spoke, “Do you really hate me that much? I actually…”

He wanted to say he did his best. After all, they were outnumbered. Holding off the Jiang family army for half a year was already quite an achievement. Even the bad woman acknowledged his merits. But his people now wanted to throw him into the well…

What kind of logic was this?

But having lost the battle, he was a loser. He believed he was indeed guilty and didn’t want to explain further.

There wasn’t much to explain; the victor was king, the loser was a bandit.

“Isn’t it right to hate you? A man pretending to be a woman to lead the army, what can a man achieve? It’s all because of your bad luck. Otherwise, would we have lost the battle?”

Ying Wutu’s movements paused, the pulley lost control, and the half-raised bucket fell back into the well with a splash.

Because he remembered the bad woman’s words of praise.

“You wretch! What’s wrong with scolding you? Hurry up and work!”

As they scolded him, they suddenly saw the housekeeper approaching. They pushed Ying Wutu into the corner and returned to the well, pretending they had been fetching water the whole time.

Ying Wutu, with his injured knee, was already limping. The push sent him sprawling to the ground.

The housekeeper was coming to the dining hall for breakfast. She hadn’t noticed the well until she saw someone fall.

The housekeeper frowned slightly. She walked up to Ying Wutu but didn’t help him up. After all, he was the young lady’s man, and she couldn’t touch him casually. If he couldn’t stand, she would find someone to carry him back, not support him.

“What are you doing here?” The housekeeper remembered that the young lady hadn’t said Ying Wutu should work today, so that meant no torment for him today. “Are you here for breakfast? Your breakfast will be sent to the woodshed. You don’t eat with everyone else.”

After all, on the days when the young lady didn’t torment him, he ate better than the ordinary servants, with meals prepared according to the standards for attendants.

Ying Wutu nodded, supporting himself on the ground to slowly stand up. He had already turned to leave when he was suddenly called back.

“Wait a moment, what just happened here?” The housekeeper sensed something was off. The two captives from Ying Kingdom fetching water by the well had been arranged by her last night. They were all from Ying Kingdom—could they be plotting something?

The two captives from Ying Kingdom immediately became nervous, fearing execution or being sent to the mines to dig.

Life for slaves in the mines was the hardest, with three shifts working day and night, poor food and accommodation—nothing compared to the grand life at the Jiang residence.

Ying Wutu quickly said, “Nothing happened, I just lost my balance.” Then he left.

He didn’t mention being forced to work, being pushed down, or being beaten last night.

He simply regretted not gaining his people’s trust; without it, he couldn’t accomplish anything.

Ying Wutu had no tasks today. He walked towards the woodshed but ended up in front of the bad woman’s courtyard.

He wondered what she was up to today.

Did she enjoy last night? Was sleeping with another man more enjoyable than sleeping with him?

Ying Wutu couldn’t tell if these thoughts meant he missed her.

He returned to the woodshed.

Soon, his breakfast was delivered in a food box, left at the door.

Ying Wutu brought the box inside himself, finding a sumptuous meal.

Why was the bad woman so kind?

He hadn’t served her last night and had annoyed her enough to be sent away, yet today there was still good food and drink.

His feelings were even more conflicted.

Ying Wutu had just placed the plates on the ground, not yet taking a bite, when the door was kicked open again.

The captives from Ying Kingdom barged in, closed the door behind them, and started eating his food without hesitation, as if they owned it, without asking for his permission.

This was Ying Wutu’s meal.

While eating his delicious food, they mocked him:

“Looks like you served that woman well. She gave you such good food?”

“Tell us, how do you serve her?”

Ying Wutu shook his head helplessly. He didn’t resist as they took his food, nor did he explain when humiliated. He watched them eat everything, not even leaving a crumb, and when they finished, they wiped their mouths and prepared to leave. He quickly called out, “Wait, don’t go yet.”

“What? Want another beating?” a captive from Ying Kingdom said.

Fearful they might leave, Ying Wutu hurriedly said, “I’m not a traitor. I didn’t intentionally lead us to defeat. Although I’m a man, I still have a heart to protect my country. Today, we’re in this situation, but I have a plan…”

“Let’s go.”

The captives from Ying Kingdom had no interest in listening to him. They had just learned two things from the housekeeper: one, Ying Wutu lived in the woodshed, and two, he had his own separate meals.

So they came to see what Ying Wutu was eating and found that, indeed, he was eating much better than the ordinary servants, with meat and soup—almost like the master’s meals.

On their way back, the captives discussed coming back at noon to steal Ying Wutu’s food again.

They planned to take his food every meal.

Why should a traitor, a useless person, eat so well?

He deserved to starve.

Ying Wutu looked at the empty plates, feeling wronged. He hadn’t eaten a single bite. He put the empty plates back in the food box and placed it outside the woodshed door.

He then looked at the corner, now empty. Before yesterday, there had been three buns hidden there for himself when he got hungry, but now they were gone.

He curled up in the corner, hugging his knees, and took out the paper bird, looking at it quietly.

His enemies gave him good food and drink, while his own people took everything from him, leaving nothing.

Why was it like this?

Ying Wutu buried his face in his knees, muttering to himself, “I’m not a traitor…”

By noon, the woodshed door was knocked on again. It was someone from the kitchen delivering his lunch and taking away the empty breakfast box.

Ying Wutu brought the food box inside but didn’t open it right away; he was waiting for someone.

Sure enough, the captives from Ying Kingdom came again.

They barged in like a gang of bandits, seeing Ying Wutu holding the food box.

“Serving the enemy like a dog and now protecting the food from your own people? Hand it over!” they laughed. Although they said that, since learning Ying Wutu’s identity, they no longer considered him one of them.

Ying Wutu quickly said, “You can have this food, but first listen to me and agree to cooperate, then I’ll…”

Before he could finish, he was kicked over, his forehead hitting the wall, leaving him dizzy.

When he came to, the woodshed was empty, leaving behind a pile of empty plates for him to clean up.

He couldn’t hold back his frustration and silently cried.

He just wanted to discuss a plan to resist with his people, but they only bullied him and wouldn’t let him speak.

As he cried, the woodshed door opened again.

He thought it was his people returning, but this time it was the housekeeper.

The housekeeper looked at him expressionlessly and asked, “What happened?”

Ying Wutu quickly wiped his tears and began cleaning up the empty plates, saying, “Nothing, it’s just that my injuries hurt so much that I cried.”

He chose to cover for his people.

The housekeeper left, deep in thought.

In the afternoon, Jiang Shouzhu returned from the Ministry of War, and the housekeeper had been waiting for her at the door for a long time.

The housekeeper had been suspicious since the morning and had kept an eye on Ying Wutu. By noon, she was hiding outside the woodshed, observing everything that had happened.

But the housekeeper didn’t act hastily. She entered the woodshed only to confirm that Ying Wutu, who had been quiet all morning, was still alive and hadn’t been beaten to death. This matter would wait until the young lady returned.

Jiang Shouzhu had finished her official duties early today and was in a good mood. But after hearing what the housekeeper had to say, her expression darkened.

Her dog, when had it become someone else’s to bully?

And her dog had been bullied—why hadn’t he come to her to complain?

Jiang Shouzhu clenched her hand and strode towards the woodshed.

The dog still wasn’t properly trained, didn’t listen to her at all, always made her angry.

It seemed that training the dog couldn’t rely solely on punishment or rewards; it needed a bit of… security as well.

Ying Wutu hadn’t eaten a bite in two meals. His stomach hurt from hunger, and he lay alone in the woodshed, feeling wronged when the door was kicked open again.

The captives dragged him away.

Ying Wutu quickly said, “What are you doing? I can’t leave the woodshed without permission…”

No one answered him, and he was dragged to the kitchen courtyard.

“Chop wood! Quickly!” The captives threw an axe in front of him and ordered.

Ying Wutu understood; they wanted him to help with the work again. He sighed, raised his wrists, and said helplessly, “My tendons have been cut; I can’t chop wood.”

He could help his people with work, but chopping wood was impossible.

“Useless! What can you do?”

As they said this, they began punching and kicking Ying Wutu.

“Stop beating him,” someone advised.

“Why stop? We beat him yesterday, and it wasn’t discovered. Are you feeling soft-hearted towards this traitor? If not for him, would we have lost the battle and our country?”

The crowd’s anger surged, and they were sure that Ying Wutu, even if bullied, wouldn’t complain to the masters, so they vented their grievances on him.

Ying Wutu could only curl up, protecting his head. Even if he could fight back, he wouldn’t resist, and now, with his hands crippled and chained, he was utterly helpless.

He didn’t know how long he was beaten, only feeling like his body had fallen apart. He murmured intermittently, “Stop… if you kill me… you won’t survive either…”

“Still daring to threaten us! You think climbing into that woman’s bed will make her stand up for you? If you dare to complain, we’ll say you seduced her and intended to commit adultery! She won’t let you off either!”

“Impudent!” Jiang Shouzhu suddenly arrived. Seeing the captives surrounding and beating Ying Wutu, she was furious and waved her hand, “Arrest them all.”

Jiang Shouzhu and the housekeeper had gone to the woodshed but didn’t find Ying Wutu there. They searched the residence and finally found him in the kitchen, being beaten again.

The captives from Ying Kingdom hadn’t expected the masters to appear in the kitchen courtyard. They were all grabbed by the shoulders and forced to the ground, terrified.

Jiang Shouzhu, like a god of death, instilled fear in them all.

Jiang Shouzhu walked up to Ying Wutu, looking at the bruised little bunny. She felt both anger and heartache. She scanned the ten captives present and said to the housekeeper, “Dispose of them all.”

The captives quickly cried out, “No, it was he who seduced me…”

Jiang Shouzhu simply waved her hand, signaling for them to be taken away. She didn’t want to hear anything.

At that moment, Ying Wutu suddenly hugged Jiang Shouzhu’s leg, urgently pleading, “Please don’t kill them…”

Jiang Shouzhu looked down at him in disbelief, feeling almost amused, “What? Did you really seduce them?”

“No… I didn’t seduce any other women. It was a misunderstanding; they were just joking with me and didn’t beat me. Please, Master, don’t kill them… cough, cough…” Ying Wutu saw his people being tied up and taken away, and he was extremely anxious.

Jiang Shouzhu shook her head, thinking the little bunny was truly hopeless. She grabbed the collar of his clothes and pulled him up, examining his bruised face more closely in the sunlight. Her anger grew, and she hoisted him onto her shoulder, striding towards the room.

As Ying Wutu was carried away, he tried to struggle, “No, please, Master, don’t kill them… I was the one who started it, so they beat me. If you must punish someone, punish me. They are innocent… It’s not their fault…”

“Shut up!” Jiang Shouzhu smacked the little bunny’s behind hard, finding it convenient to hit him while carrying him on her shoulder.

Ying Wutu whimpered from the smack. The bad woman was strong, and just one hit left half his behind numb.

Jiang Shouzhu kicked open the door and tossed the little bunny onto the bed.

“I’ll give you a chance to complain. No matter who bullied you, I can stand up for you.” Jiang Shouzhu already understood the whole situation and had arranged with the housekeeper to send all ten captives from Ying Kingdom to the mines. So this so-called standing up for him was just to placate the little bunny.

“Anyone?” Ying Wutu lay on the bed, looking at her with wide eyes.

“If you have any grievances, feel free to tell me.” Jiang Shouzhu couldn’t believe that in her own home, someone dared to bully her dog.

“Then I’ll tell you…” Ying Wutu took a deep breath, trying to act coy, “No one else, only Master can bully me, hit me and force me…”

Jiang Shouzhu climbed on top of him, covering the little bunny’s mouth with one hand and swiftly stripping him with a few quick movements. Seeing the additional bruises on his body only fueled her anger.

Her little bunny could only be bullied by her!

“Did I give you too much face? I gave you a chance to complain, and you dare complain about me? I shouldn’t have felt sorry for you last night! You’re despicable! The nicer I treat you, the more insufferable you become. You even dare to protect those who beat you. I think I haven’t punished you enough!” Jiang Shouzhu said, then grabbed the little bunny by the neck.

Ying Wutu struggled to breathe as she gripped his neck, his face turning red. He had just endured a severe beating, and his body was in pain, yet now the bad woman was having her way with him again. He wanted to cry out, but with his neck being choked, he couldn’t make a sound.

Jiang Shouzhu vented all her anger in the rough and forceful act, causing the little bunny’s eyes to roll back.

Of course, Ying Wutu’s eyes rolling back wasn’t just because of the choking.

Just as Ying Wutu was about to be choked to death, his soul returned to his body, and then his soul “departed” again.

It was as if all the pain from his injuries disappeared.

The more ruthless the bad woman was, the more he felt an unprecedented joy.

He even forgot what had happened today: the stolen food, the beatings, the humiliation—everything. All he could think about now was begging her to go faster.

As long as she gave enough, fast enough, he could forget all the pain and be left with the pleasure she bestowed.

It seemed that only when she was harsh could he reach the peak.

Until Jiang Shouzhu finished venting her anger, she saw the little bunny smiling foolishly with drool trickling down.

Jiang Shouzhu: “…”

Could she have broken him?

She scratched her head in annoyance. She had indeed been provoked, which made her actions harsher. Considering how badly the little bunny had been beaten and how he kept angering her with his babble, she had let her beastly nature take over.

Ying Wutu’s eyes gradually lost focus, and he mumbled something.

Jiang Shouzhu leaned in to listen closely.

“So powerful… do it again… going to die…” Ying Wutu murmured before passing out.

Jiang Shouzhu: “…”

Did she really break him?

She quickly dressed and called for a doctor.

When the doctor arrived, he looked a bit embarrassed. Why was the general so rough? But he didn’t dare say much.

“General, most of his injuries are external, so his life is not in danger. However, the injuries in that area are quite severe. I advise against any intimate activities for three days. If this continues, it might be fatal.”

Jiang Shouzhu had called the doctor because she saw the little bunny was swollen from their activities.

Since he wouldn’t die, she could continue to play. But she took the doctor’s words to heart.

Three days without touching him—she could endure that, but she was still angry.

After the housekeeper escorted the doctor out, she asked, “Young Miss, the ten captives from Ying Kingdom have been sent to the farthest mines for hard labor. The Ministry of Household Affairs asks if we need another ten as replacements.”

Jiang Shouzhu shook her head, “Those from Ying Kingdom hate him exceptionally. No need to send more.”

The housekeeper hadn’t selected the people according to the list, yet in less than a day, they had bullied her little bunny to this extent. If they had followed the list, they might have killed him.

Moreover, that Ying Xiaowu was also from Ying Kingdom and had beaten the little bunny before. Now that they were all in the residence, she needed to be cautious.

After the housekeeper left, Jiang Shouzhu returned to the bed and held the unconscious little bunny in her arms.

Even while fainted, Ying Wutu was still trembling.

Jiang Shouzhu could now look at him with a pained expression without any reservations since he was unconscious and wouldn’t see.

The little bunny was still a saint, not willing to complain even when bullied so badly. What good was being a saint?

He was so disobedient.

Jiang Shouzhu traced the little bunny’s beautiful features with her fingertip, but his face was also covered in bruises. Even the slightest touch made him tremble more.

Didn’t saints feel pain too?

When would the little bunny truly understand that being by her side was the safest place to be?

Jiang Shouzhu held him tighter, admitting she indeed felt a bit sorry for the poor little bunny.

Maybe she should treat him a little better.

When Ying Wutu woke up, it was already dark. He thought he had been beaten or tortured to death because only heaven could be so warm and comfortable. When he looked up, he saw the bad woman. How wonderful, to see her as soon as he opened his eyes. On impulse, he leaned forward and kissed her neck.

This woke Jiang Shouzhu up.