The Emperor did have an unbearable past. His birth mother was a palace maid, who was raised under the care of Jing Pin, but even Jing Pin was not particularly favored.
His life with Jing Pin was challenging, and it only improved slightly after she gave birth to a princess and was consequently promoted to the rank of Jing Fei.
However, not long afterward, the Crown Prince and the Liu family started to target him. He refused to join their camp, and in return, he suffered a terrible blow.
But those blows only led to him being poorly clothed and fed. Nobody would really use a whip to lash at his forehead!
The Old Marquis's whip was much worse than his son's. Firstly, he had greater strength, and secondly, he had more experience. Almost every stroke seemed to cut through his bones.
Therefore, the Emperor was stunned not only from surprise but also because his prestigious dragon scalp was truly numb.