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Zhaing turns to Mei Ling where she hangs. He lowers her and removes her bindings. She is so weak and exhausted from her ordeal she cannot stand..... Zhaing twists his fingers in her hair and drags her across the floor, dropping her between two posts which rise up from the floor about two feet. He spreads her legs and secures them to the posts by short chains, using the iron shackles already around her ankles.
Retrieving the mouth hook he had employed earlier, he places it into her mouth and draws the strap tight. Her mouth again takes on the distorted, previous twisted appearance, lips drawn back over her teeth.
Peony hands him a head cage. Zhaing places it over Mei Ling's head and locks it in place. One band fits snugly around her neck, another across the bridge of her nose , a third across her forehead. The vertical bands fit closely to the sides of her head, curving up to join at the top in a heavy ring. Zhaing pulls down a chain from overhead and hooks it into the ring.
There is a nose hook inside the cage and Zhaing inserts it into her nostrils, pulling it tight and tying it off to the back of the cage. Mei Ling's face is once more wrenched into a hideous mask by the vicious hooks in nose and mouth.
Peony turns a crank by the wall and the chain rises pulling Mei Ling upright. Zhaing twists her arms behind her, strapping her wrists together, elbows touching. Mei Ling wails as her arms are twisted back, surely this time they will be wrenched from their sockets. Peony again turns the crank on the wall.
Mei Ling is lifted by the cage imprisoning her head, the band around her throat bites cruelly into her neck under her chin. She moans and attempts to twist, it feels as if her head is being torn from her body.
When her feet are even with the tops of the posts Peony halts. Zhaing unfastens the short chains on her ankles and links
them directly to the tops of the posts. Peony now lowers Mei Ling. As she drops lower and lower her feet spread further and further her legs pulled sideways. The strain on her hips is tremendous as her feet rise higher and higher till her legs extend outward at 90 degrees to her body.
Zhaing turns to Tsu Ming.
"Unless you tell me the truth about your husband, Zhaing will lower your mother until her legs are wrenched from her hip sockets, muscles and tendons will tear asunder. The pain will be insufferable, she will believe red hot irons have been forced into the sockets. The muscles will be sundered from their moorings, rupturing and shredding. She will be a cripple, unable to even walk.
While this is happening Zhaing will find additional ways to keep me amused as he rends her body in pieces. It will not be pleasant. The screams of excruciating agony will bounce from the walls. She will shriek and beg for release. Only you can stop it. Now Tell me!"
"Please, you must believe me! I do not know where my husband is! "
"So be it foolish girl! Zhaing, please continue!"
Peony has handed Zhaing one of his favorite whips, a one inch wide lather strap 5 ft long. He raises his arm and lashes out with all his might. The leather whistles through the air slashing full across Mei Ling's breasts, cutting just below the nipples, an angry red weal rising where it has cut. Another horrific blow slashes on the under side of those beauteous globes.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!
We leave this unfortunate family to your imagination and travel to an earlier time, the turn of the century and the Boxer rebellion. We may return at some other time.
The Americans, the British and the rest of the international cabal who had defeated the abortive Chinese attempt to expel them dealt very harshly with the defeated Chinese.
Severe and heinous restrictions and penalties had been imposed and while defeated, the Chinese were still quite rebellious against the rules and circumvented them at every turn. The consequence was swift and terrible retribution by the foreigners. They made considerable use of the Chinese own countrymen to accomplish this
The Chinese had always been noted for their ingenious and terrible methods of extracting information and confessions. The Inquisition of the Catholic Church paled in comparison.
Sing Foo and his ancestors had employed for centuries as the finest and cruelest torturers in a land which celebrated refined and barbarous torture. They were particularly admired for some of the ingenious and terrible methods employed on female subjects.
One Lan Tei was the beautiful wife of Jan Wang, one of the most notorious and influential merchants of Peiping. She also was the mother of a son. Fan Wooh! Wang being his father. Fan Wooh was not in Peiping at the time of the incident related here.
Wang was know as a devious and unscrupulous bargainer, using any means at his command to achieve his ends, the amassing of huge sums of money and valuable ancient Chinese treasures. He was a very large thorn in the side of those who now controlled the international comings and goings of everything moving into, out of and within China.
It was the desire of these defacto rulers to bring to heel any and all traffickers of all commodities and aspects of Chinese life. As stated he was a thorn in their side and must be brought to heel. The Chinese had nothing to say in governing their own country. It was in fact run by the cabal of the victorious.
To solve the problem with Wang they could easily arrange to have him suffer an unfortunate "accident", but it was decided it better to deal with him in a more moderate fashion, to turn him to do their bidding. Better to deal so with him and have him doing as they dictated ,a mere puppet, than dealing with the alternative scoundrels, who were even more venal and corrupt if that were possible. They would be dealt with in other ways eventually.
They had found however that Wang had devised very intricate methods of hoodwinking them of much in the way of goods and money. However angry they were with him they did not wish to depose him, just change his "attitude". It was determined the best way to do this was through his lovely wife... They would persuade him to reveal what he was doing and give them the lions share. The plan was, they would force him to observe as the renowned interrogator and persuader Sing Foo displayed his wondrous methods of inflicting the most savage and barbarous methods of persuasion upon his wife.
Lan Tei was indeed a beautiful woman. Tiny by western standards she was the epitome of beauty and grace. Barely 5 ft in height, she weighted a mere 90 pounds. Her elegantly formed legs were of exquisite proportions, her skin the hue of fine ivory and just as smooth. Her face was flawless with coal black eyes and high cheek bones, all framed by her jet black hair which hung in a cascade down her back nearly to her finely formed bubble of a derriere. What many considered her most outstanding attribute however where her fine, voluptuous breasts., unusually large in one of her race.
Plans were laid and Jan Wang and his lovely wife were invited to a grand soiree in celebration of some invented occasion in honor of Wang. As the evening wound down and guests began to depart, Wang and his beautiful wife were simply not allowed to depart. As the rest of the guests made their way out and to their places of residence, Wang and Lan Tei were asked to remain a short time for a special treat for just he and his wife. Wang had no idea what was about to occur....
They were led to a another part of the splendid residency of the "group" as they had become known. They were not however taken to the sumptuous surroundings they expected but were led instead down to the lower levels of the splendid edifice. The lower they traversed the more wary Wang became.
At last they were ushered into a large utilitarian furnished room. They were set down and the conditions laid out to him. He would reveal his machinations of commerce and share the majority of the lucrative profits with them, the "real" rulers of China now.
Wang was infuriated and demanded they let them leave, that he would give them nothing. It was pointed out to him that in actuality he could be eliminated at their whim if they chose, and he was really powerless to prevent it. They merely wanted to know how he operated and who his contacts were.. Wang told them they could go to the Chinese equivalent of Hell. The bargaining went on for some time to no avail. It was pointed out to Wang that there were other means to persuade him to change his mind but he was immoveable.
"Perhaps you will reconsider after we discuss the situation in another fashion."
One of the aides left the room and returned a few moments later accompanied by a Chinese in the elaborate robes of a Mandarin. Wang took one look, paled and sat down. There was no need to introduce SingFoo. nor explain his part in the "negotiations".
Sing Foo bowed and spoke calmly to Wang.
"Most honored friend. I am here to attempt in arranging some sort of settlement of the matter in question. Am I correct in stating you decline to make the requested information available to my friends here?"
Wang had recovered enough to think it was all a bluff and that they had no leverage to force him to accede to the arrangement. Surely they would not resort to torturing him.
He was deeply indebted to a large number of people and the consequences of cutting them out would be disastrous for him.
"I do indeed and there is nothing that will change my mind."
SingFoo looked hungrily at Lan Tei, eyeing her generous bosom and licking his lips.
"Oh I can think of a great many things that might change your thinking."
"You can do nothing! I refuse and demand you let us be on our way."
"I'm afraid that is no longer possible most honored guest."
"That's insane! Let us go or I will make this known to persons higher than you who are my friends."
"Quite the contrary I'm afraid. You see those of whom you speak are in total agreement with my employers. In addition I might remind you that there "are" none higher than we. Acquiesce or prepare to suffer the consequences."
Wang called upon all his ancestors to curse and destroy them.
"I will not under any circumstances give you what it is you want."
"Very well then. Escort our guests to their quarters."
"Release my wife then. She has no knowledge of any of this. She is useless to you."
"Ah! I beg to differ most esteemed friend. I think she is the most important person in this negotiation."
"Where are you taking us? Release my wife."
Sing Foo merely grinned and nodded.
"We are going to my private accommodations. You are to be special guests of mine."
A group of grim, unkempt men entered and forcibly manacled both Wang and Lan Tei. They were hustled from the chambers of the governing clique.
Gagged and with black hoods over their heads Wang and his daughter were thrust into a waiting carriage and it clattered off.
It was but a short trip to the forbidding fortress like pagoda of the fearsome Sing Foo. On arriving they were roughly thrust into the stone edifice and hustled down flights of stone stairs to the bowels of this forbidding place.
Moisture trickled down the rough stone walls of the passageways, dimly lit by torches. They passed numerous small cells set into the stone, the passageway sides of them consisted of heavy iron bars. Some were occupied by poor wretches who had unwisely provoked the displeasure of Sing Foo or one of his friends. All were cruelly chained either to one of the cell walls or hung by chains from the ceiling.
Lan Tei, her eyes huge and darting frantically about, struggled futilely against her captors.
"What are you doing? You cannot do this to me. My husband is a very influential man in Peiping. Release me or he will have his friends punish you..."
Sing Foo bowed to Lan Tei.
"Forgive this unfortunate incident miss. It is your stubborn husband who is to blame. He need merely accede to my employers requests and you will be set free, As long as he refuses to cooperate however I fear you must remain my guest."
Sing Foo opens a cell door and turns to two jailers, directing them to place her in the cell and restrain her suitably.
"And remove her clothing."
Wang curses at them and screams they dare not do such a thing to his wife...
"Here in my domain, I do as I see fit. Strip the wench!"
Lan Tei screamed and fought against them but she was no match for the burly jailers. It took but a few moments of ripping and tearing and Lan Tei's once beautiful robes were in tatters on the floor of the dank cell.
Iron fetters were clamped around her wrists, joined by a short chain.. They forced her to the rear wall of the small cell and raised her hands above her head hooking them to a ring high on the wall. She was able to stand but not sit.
The bared door slammed shut and Wang was shoved along the passage. He too was locked into a dank cell, but it was made sure it was far enough away from Lan Tei's that they could not communicate, but he was quite able to hear her cries and her begging to be released.
Lan Tei must endure alone with no one to communicate with.Her only accompaniment was the distant screaming coming from someplace in this dungeon.
Days passed. Wang cursed and screamed at the guards as they brought what was supposedly food but in reality was no more than slop.
Wang had been stripped of his clothing the same as Lan Tei. He was chained by way of an iron shackle on one ankle.
Lan Tei hung by her wrists from the large ring imbedded high on the rear wall of the cell. Since she could neither sit nor lie down she had been unable to take even the meager nourishment of the inedible food which was left in a shallow bowl each morning. Her only water came from a surly guard twice a day. Her repeated questions of why they were being detained and what they wanted of "her" went unanswered.
Her constant companion were the screams and shrieks coming from she knew not where. The screams of beings in horrific agony someplace nearby
Finally after nearly a week of her ordeal, minions of Sing Foo entered her cell and released her hands. Lan Tei collapsed to the floor in a heap. A bowl overflowing with savory foods was set in front of her, along with a flask of water. "EAT" she was told and they left her. Lan Tei fell upon the food and water devouring it in short order. She was allowed to languish another day in her dank filthy cell, albeit with an abundance of food and water. It took little time for her to regain the strength she had lost while hanging in her cell.
Another day and there was a noisy commotion in the passage. The guards had come for Jan Wang and he was being forcibly propelled down the passage, cursing and threatening. As they came to Lan Tei's cubicle he screamed at them demanding to know what they had done to her. While now reasonably fed, she showed the signs of her bondage and she was filthy with caked on dirt and filth, her hair hanging in scraggly strings. They did not allow him to tarry and he disappeared around a corner in the passage.
He was thrust through a large doorway into a huge room. Many torches flickered from baskets on the walls casting a yellowish glow to the chamber... Wang looked about taking in the numerous devices and implements. His blood ran cold as he eyed them. They obviously were meant for one purpose. To inflict terrible pain upon defenseless individuals.
Sing Foo sat in a very large, ornate chair to one side.
"Ahh my friend Jan Wang. And how are you today? I hope you have been enjoying my fine hospitality."
"You cretin! I have been been kept chained to the wall of a filthy cell, kept naked and fed such garbage unfit for pigs, and my wife treated even harsher. You will release us at once do you hear?"
"Oh I hear you my poor misguided friend but both you and your lovely wife will remain as my guests until you cooperate with my friends."
"Never! You may do as you wish. I will never yield to those demands."
"We shall see. Secure him!"
The guards dragged Wang to a large, crude wooden chair. They forced him to sit and secured him in it by means of stout iron bands. One around each arm to hold it firmly to the arm of the chair, one across each leg just above the knee held each leg to the seat..An iron greave bolted to the crosspiece high on the back of the chair was swung over to surround his neck and fastened like a hasp at the other side of his neck, other iron bands held his lower legs to the legs of the chair. Wang could do little but struggle against them.
"You son of a pig! Let me go!"
Sing Foo ignored him and made a motion with one had to the guards.
"Bring his fair young wife to our little party." |
