Whoever can strike me hard will be rewarded handsomely.

The punishment board used in the palace to punish palace servants could deliver fifty-three blows with a "crackling" sound, enough to give a person a good beating.

Even though Bean was highly skilled in martial arts and had strong bones, he was still biting his fists and sweating profusely when he was being attacked.

He figured he'd have to spend New Year's Eve recuperating on his bed.

Around the twenty-second or twenty-third of the hour, a young eunuch rushed over and whispered a few words in Sixi's ear.

The little eunuch pricked up his ears and looked at him incredulously.

After finishing his words, the young eunuch didn't linger and turned to leave.

Si Xi squatted down with a big smile. "Lord Bian Dou, by His Majesty's grace, since it's almost the New Year, you can receive the rest after the fifth day of the new year."

Can I pay in installments for a board?

You must know that he has harmed His Majesty and damaged his health. It wouldn't be too much for His Majesty to take his head. Fifty-odd lashes, even if it's a real beating, would be too lenient for him if his skin is torn and his flesh is ripped open.

To prevent sores, a certain number of wooden boards were used in the palace, which were not intended to cause death, and these were applied while the person was naked.

Overjoyed and weeping, Biandou pulled up his trousers, jumped off the bench, and quickly accepted the imperial decree to express his gratitude, saying, "Your Majesty is benevolent; I could never repay Your Majesty's great kindness, even if I gave my life for it."

The two beatings were just for show, and the other time a special favor was shown. Si Xi's mind raced, and she quickly helped him up, smiling obsequiously, "My lord, please hurry back to your residence to apply your medicine. Only if you can have a proper New Year's Eve will you not fail His Majesty's benevolent heart."

Bian Dou bowed to him with clasped hands, then limped back to his residence, lay down on the couch, took off his trousers, and turned to look at his injury.

He was hit with twenty-three lashes, his back burning with pain, the lash marks bruised and swollen, the skin just broken, from which tiny beads of blood seeped out.

It hurts, but with some medicine and lying down for a couple of days, it shouldn't affect my mobility much.

Lentil reached into the bedside cabinet and groped for the wound medicine.

Just as the drawer was pulled out, Yimi's affected voice rang out from outside, "Brother Biandou, I've been ordered by His Majesty to bring you medicine."

Before he could even pull up his pants, several colleagues who had come to "visit" him poured into the small room with a "whoosh".

Yimi placed the imperial medicine on the low cabinet, looking on with envy. "Brother Biandou, even though you were punished, His Majesty specially sent me to the Imperial Hospital to fetch extra, high-quality medicine. We can't even come close to His Majesty's trust and high regard for you!"

As soon as Yimi finished speaking, Biandou immediately felt the envious, jealous, and hateful gazes of his colleagues on him, making him a sitting duck.

That green tea b*tch is trying to stir up trouble for me again.

Just as Biandou was about to take the tea back, his gaze fell on the low cabinet.

Rows of medicine bottles were neatly arranged on the wooden tray brought by Yimi; at a glance, there were more than a dozen.

Hongdou chimed in with a sarcastic remark, "With so much medicine, you could use it all over your body for a month, right? You're quite the favorite of His Majesty, so why don't we switch names? You can be Hongdou."

Lentil: "..."

This is too much... Is this medicine really for him?

He had reason to suspect that His Majesty was using him to launder drugs again.

Lotus Seed picked up a bottle of wound medicine and asked Bean, "I'm always out on business, and I get minor injuries every now and then. You can't possibly use it all, so give me two bottles. I'll share some of my precious hidden weapons with you, how about that?"

Like a miser, he brought the medicine, still in its wooden tray, to his chest and held it close to his chest, saying, "Not very good."

If Your Majesty's share is taken by you, I'm afraid my name will truly reflect my guilt.

"Tsk, stingy." Lianzi shook her head.

Red Bean glanced at Bean's injury and sighed, "His Majesty values ​​you so much, how could you mess up the job again? You're ruining the reputation of our beans."

Upon hearing this, Green Bean, who hadn't uttered a word since entering, stepped forward and exclaimed, "Disgraceful! Bah!"

Soybeans followed closely behind, "Disgraceful, ptooey!"

Red Bean maintained formation, "Disgraceful, ptooey!"

Bian Dou wiped her face, hugged the bottles and jars in her arms, shook her head and sighed, "Yes, I'm not good at this or that, but His Majesty values ​​me so much. He's given me a raise, granted me a pardon, sent Yi Mi to deliver medicine to me, and always asks me to take turns on duty. What have I done to deserve this? I'm truly unworthy!"

"If I could just give you guys some more recognition, I wouldn't be so stressed at night that I can't sleep, afraid of waking up laughing in my dreams."

The sound of teeth grinding echoed throughout the room.

Lianzi raised her arm and shouted, "Beat him up!"

Red beans, barley, mung beans, and soybeans swarmed in.

"Jealousy makes people unrecognizable!" Lentil howled at the top of his lungs, then his face changed drastically after a few breaths. "Ouch—I'm crushed! I'm crushed! You beasts, I'm injured!"

The group left, still wanting more.

Yimi reached out and poked Biandou's swollen bottom. "Brother Biandou, when I was ordered to get you medicine, I heard from Brother Shengjiang that His Majesty appointed you to be on duty on New Year's Eve. Are you going to mess up His Majesty's job again and get punished again? Brother Biandou, you're so pitiful~"

Bian Dou was taken aback. His Majesty had ordered him to be on duty on New Year's Eve?

Perhaps he plans to visit Jiang Daru on New Year's Eve?

No wonder he was allowed to take the 53 lashes in two separate sessions.

He picked up a pillow and swung it at Yimi, saying, "Stop cursing me. Next time, I'll have Ginger report to His Majesty to change your name. Don't call you Yimi anymore."

The others quickly agreed.

"Call it green tea."

"Longjing tea is also good."

"Biluochun tea is more suitable."

Yimi ducked down, dodging the pillow attack, and swiftly snatched a bottle of medicine from the "miser's" hand.

"What are you doing?" Lentil's expression changed slightly, and he reached out to grab it.

Job's tears quickly scooped out a clump and smeared it behind the lentils. "You're not using the medicine His Majesty bestowed upon you? Are you keeping it as a family heirloom?"

"You're on duty on New Year's Eve. Brother Ginger specifically instructed me that there can't be the slightest mistake."

Bean thought about it and agreed.

His Majesty has bestowed so much medicine; surely he won't be denied even a single bottle?

So it went with the Job's tears.

After applying a few lumps of Job's tears, he grinned and asked his colleagues in the room, "There are quite a few lumps, who can help Brother Lentil disperse them?"

As soon as he finished speaking, a chorus of excited anticipation filled the room.

A chill ran down Biandou's spine. He turned his head and met the fierce glares of his colleagues.

Mung Bean: "I'm good at cooking, I'll do it."

Red Bean: "We're both beans, so we're related. I'll do it."

Lotus Seed: "Make way, everyone! I've practiced external martial arts, Iron Sand... oh no, Miraculous Palm of Rejuvenation. Watch me!"

"major!"

"Awesome!"

"It's up to you!"

A small room, brimming with camaraderie, filled with pig-like screams, "Ahhhhhh!"

The lentil wailed until its voice was hoarse, its eyes filled with tears, "Wait until I get better, I'm going to cook you all together into a porridge."

The Job's tears sweetly asked the beans, "Brother Lentil can't make porridge, should we isolate him?"

Lentil reached out and pinched Job's tears' face, spitting out a threatening remark through gritted teeth, "I think you've grown too big for your britches and forgotten what it was like when you were training at the camp."

...

First update delivered, second update before midnight.

I'm still 800 words short of writing today, and I've been on a tight budget these past few days. Keep it up, everyone! Whether I get a double update tomorrow depends on you all.

Xiao Ji: Give Jiang Jibai some face and grant him the honor of spending New Year's Eve with me.