At that time, the Queen Dowager held the position of a noble consort in the harem, esteemed in status, and often subjected Xiong Tingshan to corporal punishment.
This was not a form of abuse,
but sometimes when Xiong Tingshan and his Fourth Brother dined in the Queen Dowager's palace, seeing Xiong Tingshan sitting there meekly, the Queen Dowager would order eunuchs to whip him with rattan. How could a prince sit with such cowardice?
For instance, when he heard servants gossiping elsewhere, feeling wronged, he would hide by the artificial rock mountain and cry. Upon seeing him there, the Queen Dowager would ask the reason and then order the nearby eunuchs to throw Xiong Tingshan into the cold winter pond.
"Cry, cry, cry, all you know is crying. You are a prince, with the bloodline of the Fire Phoenix running through you, and yet you allow servants to mistreat you? You like crying, so cry your heart out in this pond!"
