Punishment

The Royal Palace was in a tizzy.

Last night they got a shocking revelation from Head of Censorate himself. About how the Princess Beiyue was treated all these years.

Living in a shack with the barest knick-knack? Have her money and birthright stolen from her?! Not even allowed to sit in her rightful seat during mealtimes?! Treated worse than a slave?! Moreover, repudiation?!

By end of the report, the Emperor had burned down a room in a fit of rage and have to be physically restrained before he burns the Xiao into ashes. It was a hard task, that even the Crown Prince has to step down and helped in restraining. After he was calm, or as calm as he could be, the Emperor ordered the Xiao and their servants to be thrown into worst jail the Censorate had, and grilled as painful as possible.

Meanwhile, Princess Beiyue was brought to Princess Royal's room for recuperation. The Doctor saying beyond some scars that littered her body, she's fine. However, some scars are quite old and would be difficult to heal, especially the long gash on her arm, from above wrist to shoulder. Granted, it can easily be hidden with long sleeves but... still...

The Emperor visit her the first chance he got... and his heartbreak a little.

Huang Beiyue looks well, yes, but among all dresses, she was given, she choose the plain white and soft blue dress with no embroidery. Her hair, which was only reaching her hips as opposed to noble lady's ankle-length hair, was let loose. Her only accessories were a pair of wing-shaped earrings and nothing else. She may have the height of girls her age should, but her development as a female was clearly lacking. Her face looks like a slightly masculine girl or rather feminine pretty boy. She put term androgynous to a new level! If she's wearing boy's clothes, no one would ever think she was a girl!

Granted, she surprisingly is charming like that, but her pride as a woman clearly would take a severe hit!

Beiyue turned to him and smiled. "Uncle." She greeted.

The Emperor approached her, losing all composure, and pulled her into a hug.

"I'm sorry Beiyue... I'm so sorry. I should have done something."

He should have known nothing is well when Beiyue stopped coming over. She doesn't want to see him? That was a lie. Beiyue adores him. She used to sticking close to him when she visited over and Huiwen has to be somewhere else. She even sends him a gift. The bracelet he never took off.

...if the letter was truly from her and not a forgery...

Beiyue saw this and sighed. It brought back memories... "It's alright Uncle. It's really, really alright." She said, hugging him back. "Uncle is The Emperor, the Monarch of this Country. It was not an easy job... after all, Uncle has your own fair share of idiots to deal with... and problems... and conspirations... and... things haven't been good lately, right?"

She is not dumb.

Once she got back from Beiyao, she got out more in her Yunque persona, with Zhonglei would confirm the rumor whenever he could. She found two news that was quite... shocking.

The Third Princess died a year ago due to an assassination attempt. A poison-laced incense. The Fourth Princess died three months prior, hunting game goes very wrong.

What a tragedy.

The Emperor choked back a teary laugh. "What have I done to deserve such a wonderful and thoughtful niece?" He asked.

He was unaware of the pained smile his niece wore. Thoughtful, yeah. More like she completely understood what a pain in the ass being ruler is! She had been in his position once and it drove her to partial insanity!

After a few more moments, the Emperor let her go, to her relief. Don't get her wrong, she enjoys the hug... but they had more pressing matters to address. Or more specifically, she had someone to spared from heavy punishment. "What about the Xiao?"

The Emperor pursed his lips. He really doesn't want to talk about them now... With great reluctance, he answered, "currently they are in jail. The trial regarding their crime will be held tomorrow. Beiyue... you don't have to attend."

"I don't even want to yet I have to." She had enough of Xiao thanks yet she still has a bone to pick, especially regarding Concubine Xue. "However, I have a selfish request. I wish to be the one who decides their Fate."

"What is it?" The Emperor looked at her in concern.

Beiyue took a deep breath. Right now was her chance. "Uncle, not all of them are evil to me. I only interact with the Main Family, and even then, there are two people I'd like to spare. First, is Concubine Fang. She's kind and humble, and when Mother was alive, Mother and Concubine Fang are good friends. Her only fault is that her daughter, the first Daughter Xiao Ling, is quite... Unruly? Brash? Tempered? Spoiled? E-either way, she is completely blameless... well. Almost."

"The other one is the Second Son, Xiao Zhonglei." Here she goes. "I admit, he did call me some names when we were young... but he had apologized and more than made up for it. He fix the hole in my education and helped slipped me the money, so at least I have some clothes that suit my size and food in my table. And he would send me letters regarding the on-going so I am not too clueless. He is the only Xiao Child I would openly and proud to call my sibling. He is just like me. His potential and sense of worth are overlooked and underappreciated. I... would like it if he was removed from the Xiao Family."

The Emperor was conflicted. He really wants to punish all the Xiao but... perhaps the saying "Just Because One Apple Is Rotten Doesn't Man The Whole Tree Is Bad." Or in this case... just because most of the family is bad... doesn't mean there is not a fruit that fell far from the tree.

"Very well. I shall grant your request. Xiao Zhonglei is no longer member of the Xiao Family. He will become your manservant. Is that acceptable?"

"I prefer if I can adopt him as a brother or something..." Beiyue admitted. "But that would be asking too much... eh?"

"Beiyue. I love you, but you are too kind, you know?" The Emperor smiled. "You may think he deserves it, and perhaps he may do deserve it... but tongues will wagging. Being a Royal, as you said, is not an easy job, much less recently made royalty. People would scrutinize him and tested him day in and day out, especially once his background is known. He would gain too many enemies simply by existing. Being your servant is much safer."

Well... there's that too.

"I doubt people would make connection." She mumbled. "And no matter how you dressed him up, he would ends up like noble-born."

"Huh?"

~X~

There was an unfamiliar face in the Royal Palace Library. Pouring books and notes and comparing several of them, before scribbling something down on a blank book.

Zhangye originally thought the person was a new official or something. Except the person did not wear official clothes. Nope. It was semi-casual clothes. Unusual one at that. It was on gender-neutral term with both masculine and feminine design blended into one. Color has nothing to it. He pretty sure the robe was mean for men... yet the coat is feminine in design? It should not be possible, yet this person manages to make the combination works?

It was hard to determine the gender, but since most girls prefer to wear their hair in elaborate hairstyles with accessories, and this person only wore their hair in a high ponytail with plain orange ribbon, he assumed this person was a man. A rather pretty one at that.

But that doesn't answer what is he doing here.

"Ahem" Zhangye coughed, turning the youth's attention to him. "What are you doing here?"

The young teen (how old was he? Twelve? Thirteen? Clearly not older than Yingye. And his face is quite familiar but where did he see it?) blinked. "Ah." He said. Even his voice is quite androgynous. "I was researching past trial cases and appropriate punishment regarding said cases."

"For the Xiao Trial?"

Nod.

"I thought Father wishes to personally decide the punishment." Zhangye sat across him. "It was unclear what their punishment might be, but it was private affairs and only witnessed by the Royal Family and Censorate. Even then, The Empress, Princess Yingye, and Princess Beiyue won't attend it." His face went gloomy when he mentions his cousin.

"I... see..." The youth across him slowly close the book. "Do you hate Princess Beiyue, your majesty?"

Zhangye flinched. "It's not like that..." He said. "I think she hates me."

"Why?"

"Because."

The Youth frowned. "Your Majesty? If I may be frank? I think you should have apologized to Princess Beiyue, for whatever you did to her." He said. "It may be hard to admit you were in the wrong, and it won't erase the past, but at the least, it was something and you can start to mend your relationship with her."

"Do you think she would forgive me?" Zhangye asked skeptically. "I've thought she was an ignorant fool and weak, I've scares her to tears last time we met. And I never investigate why she refuses to come for four years, or why she was never be seen or replied to her father's letter. If she thought I was as bad as the Xiao, I won't blame her."

The youth twitched. Briefly. But he did.

"Perhaps you could start with not making assumptions before you meet her." He commented. "People changed over time, even if the change is small and non-noticeable. Princess Beiyue today is not the same person she used to be."

"You speak as if you know her."

"I do. I know her very well."

Zhangye perked up.

"Can you tell me about her?" He asks hopefully. "Anything would do."

The youth smiles. "Well, for starters... Princess Beiyue has been raised with unusual upbringing, and thus she has... how to put it... unusual worldview and quirk that may or may not be view as weird in Noble Social Circle. Due to what she had to put up with, she grows quite attached to her maid and her older brother."

Now, Zhangye frowned. "I thought the Xiao hates her. How did she grow attached to one?"

"Because that one is an apple who falls far, far, far away from the tree. Those who don't know his Origin won't know that he's a Xiao unless someone pointed it out, and even then they won't believe he is a Xiao."

Huh? How come?

"I found it quite... unbelievable." Zhangye crossed his arms. "Are you sure there's someone decent from that family of thieves?"

"Believe me or not, your majesty, " the Youth smiled mischievously. "weirder things have happened. So the chance a white sheep born from a family of black sheep is not that impossible."

He gathered back the books and notes and returned them to their original place.

"If you may, I'll take my leave now, Your Majesty. My Uncle would be searching for me." Bowed respectfully, but not quite, the youth turned around and leave. Still smiling like he has an inside joke that Zhangye won't be privy about.

Wait.

Zhangye never got his name.

Oh well. No big deal. That person has quite a noticeable aura and looks. He was sure he would recognize him when they meet again.

~X~

Crime against Monarch is a grave thing to do. It was only fair if they received punishment, decided by very Royal they wronged. A Closed Trial with only witness was Beiyue, who help deciding the punishment, Geng Zhong and a squad of Black Cavalry, , an old man called Principal Cang He,and Dongling. The rest, STAY OUT OF THE ROOM! Includes the Princes and Princess.

People who were doubting Beiyue's ability to be cruel or cunning was quickly revised their opinion that day... because hell hath no fury like wronged lady's scorn.

The Anguo Clan slighted the Princess Beiyue by repudiating her. Not only that, even though Beiyue was not happy with the arranged marriage and happily dumped Xue Che if given chance, being openly snubbed and all lovey-dovey with other girl before the engagement was formally annulled, in front of her eyes, was very insulting. As a result, she was NOT impressed with him, and slapped Restraining Order at him. Basically Xue Che is not allowed to go anywhere closer than sixty meters to Beiyue, leave alone paired together for any and all reason. If she ever held an event, he was not allowed to come in. She also wish to renders any arrangements her mother made with Xue Clan to be rendered null and invalid. If it concerning the fiefs, she will find other benefactor.

Regarding the Xiao... Beiyue only deals with Main Family and their Servants. She doesn't know and frankly she prefers if she never know branch members.

For crime stealing her money, the Xiao are no longer welcomed in the Palace, which means they will not get invited to Royal Banquet, EVER, with their wealth taken away and their asset liquidated, save for few things Beiyue allows them to keep. They are allowed to keep their house, but only the Ancestral Hall, Main house, and three pavilions, as well storage house. The rest, include Princess Royal Mansion, would be taken down and anything worth money will be liquidated to pay Beiyue back. The Xiao have their own fief, given to Xiao Qiyuan who was absent from Beiyue's life, thus they can keep it.. with catch a third of yearly income will be given to Beiyue for ten years. The Servants will have punishment imprisoned for four years, fired from their position, and for women being disfigured.

For the Main Family, the punishment is special. A Karmic Punishment.

Xiao Yuancheng is to be send to No Man Land with other people who pissed off Nobles with barest minimum equipment humanely possible and Beiyue make sure he won't know it until much, much, later. If he ever realizing it, that's it!

Concubine Qin, formerly of Prime Minister Qi House, was a haughty, despotic woman who fancied herself as Lady of the House. Such arrogant and self-centered woman who never knew hardship in life. Beiyue think she need a lesson in how real life work. As in, her punishment was banishment to outer regions of Nanyi Country, with nothing but few cheap clothes. Where to, was a secret, to avoid some sympathizer, mainly her children who might held filial love towards her, to give her helps.

Concubine Xue... Beiyue mentions she gave her funny drink which results in her getting sick... and she wonders what was that. The Enchanters tried to pry her mind open, only to find powerful Enchantments, so their task is to cracked it open, as painful as possible, by the Emperor's decree. Well, they don't mind. They held no prior knowledge of who is Xue so in their mind, she just some idiot who played with fire and now she paid her due.

Concubine Fang is spared... but she will held responsibility of raising the children, which considering their colorful personality, was already a punishment in its own. Beiyue gave her an apologetic smile, which Concubine Fang accept with resigned look.

Xiao Ling has no filer of what she thinks and feels, and hearing her talk was something Beiyue would never miss. As it stood, her punishment is she was not allowed to stepped a foot out of Xiao Estate without a very strict minder who won't take her nonsense. She also subjected to Heavy Harsh Discipline, again with strict minder.

Xiao Zhongqi was already Gold Class warrior, and he will graduated from Lingyang School in two or three years. His punishment was his Cultivation pills will be taken away. He was not allowed to moonlight as Mercenary (because everyone know Mercenaries earn MORE than normal military officer does) and if he want to get a job, he should apply to Military, where due his family reputation, will surely give him hard time to get promotion, no matter how skilled he is.

Xiao Rou, Zhongqi's blood sister, was recently started Cultivating. About Bronze Warrior. Like her brother, her cultivation pills were taken away, as do her vanity pills, so if she want to cultivate, she have to do it the old, hard way! As in, take looooooong time to hit wall, nevermind breakthrough. No one is allowed to give her help in cultivation. Not even her family. She also not allowed to join Warrior Course, or any of Eastern College's courses for any matters. She only allowed to join Imperial College with a certain class is banned from her. That class, being Medicine.

Xiao Yun have her summon taken away from her, the Life Contract broken by expert, which explains Principal Cang He's presence. By this, she was no longer a summoner and thus, kicked out of Summoning Course to Imperial College. Like Rou, her cultivation and vanity pills were taken away, and she had classes that are forbidden for her. Unlike Rou, she had TWO classes, which are Mount Archery and Medicine. She also would be under scrutiny if she enters Library and any book she checks out would be thoroughly searched.

As for Xiao Zhonglei... his name was struck out of Xiao Family Registry, making him a Xiao no longer. And since he was not a part of Xiao, his "trial" and "punishment" will be held separately, and thus the Xiao and Xue clan were dragged out.

Beiyue broke into grin, and tell him her plan.

He was not a Xiao, she don't have a reason to punish him. In fact, his so-called "punishment" was actually a reward in disguise. His name was clean from any of Xiao's misdeed, past, present, and future.

Zhonglei laughed and praised her, before went to the side. For now he will stay with her as an assigned manservant but...

"You know Yue'er? Now I understand why making him a manservant sounds like a bad idea."

Because while Zhonglei, formerly of Xiao family, did not resemble any of his parents greatly, his looks clearly screamed someone of selective breeding and prestige. Even the simple plain clothes look well-off when he wore it. Right now, he has a friendly banter slash teasing match with Beiyue's maid, as if those two were old friends. No wonder no one would mistake him to a Xiao. How does it happen? Did his mother cheated with someone or something?

Her maid, too, was more of an upper merchant family or some noble rather than lowly maid. WHY did they become such beauty while Beiyue remained androgynous? Granted, Beiyue confessed she likes being able to masquerade as a boy—that's what saved her life several times and it was part of her quirk now, and the Emperor had to admit, Beiyue's androgyny has its own charm but still...

The Emperor thought Beiyue afraid she will get a beating if she "dares to outshine" those little bitches, so she slips all her cosmetic pill to her maid and Zhonglei... hey. He knew some vain men who did take a male version of the cosmetic pill.

Except that theory fell flat when he found that they have scars littering their body, at whatever exposed body parts. Their skin also slightly tan, signs of countless hours working (training) under the sun, and their palms are full of callouses (just like Beiyue). Those who own and use Cosmetic pills tend to have white skin, well-manicured and lily-smooth hands. So no. They don't consume Cosmetic Pill. It was their natural good luck.

Beiyue beamed at him. "I know!" She said. "Think we can slip him as a friend? A relative of an official or well-off merchant perhaps? Perhaps sponsoring him to Lingyang College and play the card he feels so grateful he worked here to show his gratitude and learn early how things work here?"

"I think the last part could work. It was not unusual for some lucky commoner to be sponsored to Lingyang College, provide they worth it."

"Then can I sponsor them? Both of them? Dongling and Zhonglei have so many potentials, it was waste to let them untrained."

The Emperor laughed. "You do treasure loyalty, huh?" And he can see why. The only Maid who stood by her, through thick and thin; and the white sheep of the rotten family who sneakily helped her behind others' back. Such loyalty is to be rewarded.

But he knows she already rewards them. He can feel it. Those two are cultivators. Self-taught, clearly. Beiyue just wants to ensure they got the right education so they won't end up killing themselves.

Suddenly there's a knocking sound. Both Uncle and Niece look at each other, wondering who it could be, before replied simultaneously, "Enter!"

Three teenagers enter. Two males and one female. The oldest is a boy with purple-tinted black hair, sharing some resemblance to the youngest, a girl with light purple hair wearing a pink dress. The other boy, younger than the first but clearly older than the girl, has brown hair in a similar style as the Emperor.

Beiyue recognizes them.

And one of them clearly recognizes her, if the wide eyes and shocked expression was anything to go by.

"You?!"

"Zhangye?" Emperor frowned. "Is there anything wrong?"

Zhangye ignored him, too busy staring at Beiyue.

Beiyue smiled at him.

"It's nice to meet you again, Cousin." She said innocently, but anyone who looks into her eyes know she was laughing her ass off.

At that moment, ignoring the confused look thrown by his father, sister, and half-brother, crown prince Huang Zhangye for the first time in his life, wishes the earth would open up and swallows him.

He did not recognize his own cousin and caller her an "HIM". How embarrassing that could be?!

TBC

A/N: If I remember correctly, Yingye is the Fifth Princess. WHO are the other four Princesses and why they didn't appear?