Chapter 441 Beheading

Chapter 441 Beheading

Chapter 441 Beheading
Time passed, and in the blink of an eye it was afternoon.

In the central square of Yuezhou City, flags are flying, war drums are beating, and morale is high.

More and more people began to gather towards the square.

There are people coming and going here, it is more lively than ever before.

Even many people at the port and the market have flocked into the city and headed towards the square, their faces filled with excitement.

At this moment in Yuezhou Prefecture, everyone is spreading the same message.

Duke Cao Li Jinglong has captured the traitor and will try the case in the central square!
The person who tried the case was a high-ranking official from the Provincial Administration Commissioner's Office.

Zhao Laoshi squeezed into the crowd and followed the crowd forward.

He was sleepy and in rags.

He doesn't look like a free and easy person, but more like a street beggar.

His face was full of regret. He had a hangover yesterday and slept until noon.
Missed the morning show.

But fortunately, there will be bigger dramas in the afternoon!

He has been in Yuezhou Prefecture for nearly forty years.
Even in the Yuan Dynasty, there was no such thing as interrogating an official in the street.
This is the first time in the history of the world.

Soon, Zhao Laoshi followed the crowd to the central square!
This is where vendors gather on weekdays, and it is very lively both during the day and at night.

Most of the merchants who come into the city sell their goods here.

If war breaks out, this will also be a place where soldiers gather, capable of accommodating tens of thousands of soldiers.

At this moment, the spacious square was packed with people.

Zhao Laoshi looked at the huge crowd and thought that perhaps everyone from the entire Yuezhou city had come.

He pushed and squeezed but couldn't get in.

In desperation, he opened his mouth and breathed everywhere.
Relying on the alcohol from yesterday, he was scolded all the way and squeezed to the front.

A high platform had been set up in the square, with soldiers in armor and sharp weapons standing guard on the four sides.
What blocked the way for many people were circles of wooden fences!
He could also see the unsheathed bloody sword and the straight spear.

In the center, there were already about 20 or 30 people wearing shackles and prison uniforms.
He knelt there with disheveled hair and a thick piece of sackcloth stuffed in his mouth.
Zhao Laoshi was startled. He immediately saw the two most embarrassed people.
It was clearly Lord Liu, the Tongzhi of Yuezhou, and Lord Sun, the Tongpan.
As for the others, some looked familiar, while others were completely unfamiliar to me.

"Wow, it's actually true."

He moved his eyes and was soon surprised again. He also saw a familiar face on the high platform!

Three people stood side by side on the platform with their postures upright.

The one in the golden armor at the head is Duke Cao who appeared here last year.

He would recognize such a big shot even if he turned into ashes.

On the right is a dark-skinned, burly young general.

Zhao Laoshi also recognized him. He was the owner of the Huajianji brothel.

As for the man on the left, Zhao Laoshi was very familiar with him.

He rubbed his eyes and finally confirmed that it was Mr. Lu who was arm in arm with him and drank with him yesterday.

"Oh my goodness."

Zhao Laoshi only felt his lips dry.
He knew that the young man from yesterday was a military commander and a big shot in the army.

But I didn't expect it to be so big.

At this moment, loud cries interrupted Zhao Laoshi's thoughts.

On the one hand, they cried out that it was injustice, and on the other hand, they called for severe punishment of the traitors.

Zhao Laoshi quickly stood on tiptoe and moved closer, still relying on the smell of yesterday's hangover.

Soon, he walked and listened,

We found out that the people crying were the families of the laborers and civilians who were killed in the morning.

Before he saw anyone, he saw a soldier holding a loud speaker, pointing at the platform and shouting.

"See? The leader is Duke Cao, the hereditary Duke of Ming, and the grandson of His Majesty!"

"The man on the left is General Lu, the Crown Prince's guest, a high-ranking official of the third rank.

In this Yunnan battle, his troops killed nearly 200,000 enemies!"

"The one on the right is General Liu, General Lu's deputy general. He is also a third-rank official and has a deep connection with our Yuezhou!"

"Don't worry, General Lu was drunk in the city yesterday, and this morning he happened to see everything the rebels did, and he was furious.

Duke Cao was also furious after hearing this and decided to enforce justice.

The imperial court will not ignore your grievances, so please rest assured, fellow villagers!"

The people who heard the shouting did not stop crying, but cried even louder.
One by one they called him "the Great Lord" and asked him to make the decision.

Zhao Laoshi stood there in a daze, and murmured again:
"Oh my goodness, the ancestral tomb is not just emitting smoke, it looks like it's on fire."

"No, I don't have an ancestral grave."

On the high platform, Li Jinglong's passion and impulse had mostly dissipated.

Although I was able to remain calm, I felt a little uneasy.

"Yun Yi, we are in big trouble this time.
He led troops into the city and arrested people. No matter how you look at it, we are all rebels."

Lu Yunyi sighed. Even though he had comforted her countless times, he still spoke:
"Duke Cao, the people's will is in favor of us. This is acting on behalf of heaven."

Lu Yunyi's drunkenness from yesterday had mostly dissipated, and he was less impulsive.
Now that things have come to this, we can’t turn back.

"Duke Cao, the fighting in the court is no match for the battlefield.

On the battlefield, you can set up false formations to lure the enemy deeper, but in the fight in the court, you cannot retreat even a single step!

If I take a step back, the enemy will take a step forward, and their momentum will grow stronger.

Now that things have come to this, we can only move forward and charge forward, which can be regarded as revenge for the assassination."

Li Jinglong's blood was ignited again and he clenched his fists:

"it is good!!"

But then he became depressed again:

"But, if you kill an official of the imperial court, why don't you send a quick horse to ask His Majesty to report this?
It only takes less than a day to travel 800 miles from here to Beijing by express train."

Lu Yunyi looked calm, knowing that he was worried, and said:

"Duke Cao, there is a saying that has been circulating in Gyeongju, and I think it makes a lot of sense."

"what?"

“When you ask someone for help, you should first be the bad guy and let the other person be the good guy.”

"What do you mean?"

“It means that when you ask for help, you should take the initiative to take responsibility and not push the responsibility onto others.

Leading troops into the city was a mistake.

If I report this matter to Your Majesty, it will be Your Majesty who will be in trouble.

The whole world is watching Your Majesty. How can Your Majesty bend the law for personal gain and protect them?

By then, where will the prestige of His Majesty be?
We can only enforce the law impartially and follow the rules.

It's possible that Chen Zhize may not die, and then we'll be in big trouble.

So, we have to be quick and decisive and cut the Gordian knot.
All the evidence was collected and organized, and the group of people were chopped to death on the spot!

By then, the evidence will be irrefutable and His Majesty will be able to speak for us."

At this point, Lu Yunyi looked at the group of people kneeling below, his eyes gradually becoming colder:

"It's a done deal. Who would put so much effort into a dead person?"

Li Jinglong seemed to be thinking about something. Liu Heiying beside him narrowed his eyes and nodded repeatedly:
"Brother Yun'er is right. If the enemy uses any means necessary, we should also use any means necessary.

His Majesty and the general might even praise us."

Li Jinglong quickly figured out the key to this, and his face showed enlightenment:
"Yes, yes, Yun Yi, you are right, we have to chop them down!"

Lu Yunyi laughed:
“Why can’t a gentleman defeat a villain? Because the villain will do anything to get what he wants.

When this is over, we will take all the relatives of these Lifu with us.
They went to the capital together to file a complaint with the emperor.

Even if Your Majesty wants to punish someone, there must be a reason."

Li Jinglong's eyes suddenly widened as he looked at the crowd that had gathered.
They were people rescued from prison. Originally, I thought they were asked to come just to boost morale, but I didn't expect there was this other meaning.

"Then Yun Yi, what should I say?"

Lu Yunyi smiled:

"Duke Cao regards Your Majesty as a role model.

When the Yuan Dynasty was in chaos, Your Majesty led an army to resist and save the people from disaster.

Duke Cao doesn't have as much ability as Your Majesty, but he can save a few thousand people."

Li Jinglong narrowed his eyes, smiled, and nodded repeatedly.

At this time, an old man in his fifties came over trembling with fear.

His facial features were distorted and he was crying out in pain in his heart.

He is only a seventh-rank official.
How come he has inexplicably become the person in charge of Yuezhou Prefecture?

Moreover, he had to deal with so many ferocious generals.

With extremely complicated emotions,
He stood not far from the three people, and bowed with both hands from a distance, bowing vigorously:
"Duke Cao, all matters have been prepared.

All the serious crimes have been determined. May I ask Duke Cao if we can start?"

The three of them looked back, and Li Jinglong smiled when he saw him like this:

"Your name is Wei Jie, right?"

The old man lowered his body again:
"Reporting to Lord Cao, my name is Wei Jie, and I am promoted to the seventh rank magistrate of Yuezhou Prefecture."

Li Jinglong nodded and said, "Yes, I have looked through all the money transactions of these people.
I found that among all the government offices, only you and your colleagues did not take the money, which is great."

Wei Jie felt sad and tears streamed down his face. He just felt that his persistence over the years was finally understood.

"Reporting to Lord Cao, although I was a successful candidate in the previous dynasty,

But he is also a scholar, knows propriety, righteousness, integrity and shame,
Faced with the many evil things happening in the government office, I was powerless and dared not report them.
I can only live in disgrace, and I feel ashamed."

Li Jinglong waved his hand:
"Hurry up, it's not easy to stick to your original intention in the officialdom.

You and Lord Feng are both good officials of the Ming Dynasty.
When I return to the capital, I will tell His Majesty and the Crown Prince about this matter. Your persistence will not be in vain."

Wei Jie's lips moved and his eyes trembled:
"Thank you, Duke Cao." "Alright, beat the drums and sound the gongs. Today I will restore order to Yuezhou Prefecture!"

"Yes!"

dong dong dong-

The dull sound of drums suddenly rang out from all around the central square, deafening.

As soon as the voice was heard, the people held their breath and stared, looking forward.

In the temporary "court" in front,
The yamen runners and judges have appeared.
There are also some executioners wearing red clothes and holding big knives!

In the "court", the magistrate Wei Jie, who was dressed in official uniform and had a stern face, slowly sat down.

Next to him stood several yamen runners holding pens.

Wei Jie had a complicated expression on his face. The seventh-rank prosecutor was in charge of investigating and handling criminal cases.

But on weekdays, they deal with some common cases in the government.
The cases were only for civilians and businessmen, never for officials.

But he was forced to do something and had no choice but to accept it.

He took a deep breath, cleared his throat, and announced in a loud voice:
"Today, I, Wei Jie, have been ordered by Duke Cao to
The cases of Huguang Right Governor Chen Zhize, Yuezhou Co-magistrate Liu Hong, Yuezhou Tongpan Sun Zheng, as well as Ruixiangfu Commercial Bank Manager Qu Jing'an and Shengde Commercial Bank Manager Qin Hongjun were tried here.

Such traitors, who oppress the people, take bribes and pervert the law, should be put to death!"

Hearing this, the people in the audience were outraged and started cursing.

"This damn official deserves to be cut into pieces!"

"Give me back peace in Yuezhou. Kill him!"

Various angry voices intertwined together, hitting the entire square like surging waves.

Wei Jie slammed the gavel, and the sound of "pa" spread far away.

"quiet!"

The people gradually quieted down.
Seeing them quiet down, Wei Jie took a deep breath, unfolded the file in his hand, and spoke loudly:
"Chen Zhize, the Right Governor of Huguang, is an official appointed by the imperial court.
We should abide by the law and benefit the people.
However, he had evil intentions and deliberately provoked civil unrest in an attempt to disrupt the political situation.

He secretly colluded with local forces, manipulated businesses, and replaced the carts, causing dissatisfaction among the people.

This led to a civil uprising at the port and a brutal riot in front of the Yuezhou government office.

Many innocent people were brutally killed, and the crime should be punished!"

wow——

The people could no longer suppress their emotions and started cursing!

Chen Zhize looked up in disbelief.
It was not until this moment that he gave up all the fantasies in his heart and stared at Li Jinglong!
He began to struggle violently, but the soldiers behind him showed no mercy.

A scabbard of a knife came up and hit his bandaged calf hard!

"Well--"

Chen Zhize was sweating profusely, his eyes were bloodshot, and the intense pain made him tremble on the spot, unable to move.

Wei Jie spoke again in a deep voice:
"Liu Hong, the Tongzhi of Yuezhou, is greedy by nature.
He colluded with Chen Zhize, did not do his job, but instead used his power to amass wealth.

He not only participated in the shares and dividends of many business houses and enriched himself,

He also accepted bribes from all sides and turned a blind eye to the suffering of the people.

Even for their own selfish interests, they are willing to sacrifice the people.

He has caused the people of Yuezhou to suffer, and his crime is unforgivable!"

Liu Hong knelt on the ground, his body trembling constantly.

The originally neat official uniform has now become shabby and worn.

His hair was messy and scattered around his face, and he looked nothing like his usual majestic self.
"Sun Zheng, the magistrate of Yuezhou, aided and abetted the tyrant.
Knowing the evil deeds of Liu Hong and others but not stopping them,
Instead, they participated in it, gave it advice and helped it cover up its crimes.

When the civil unrest occurred, he fanned the flames and caused the situation to deteriorate. His actions disregarded the law of the country and he cannot escape responsibility! "

Sun Zheng's face was as pale as paper.

Beads of sweat rolled down his forehead, and his eyes were filled with fear and despair.

"Qu Jing'an, the manager of Ruixiangfu Commercial Bank, Qin Hongjun, the manager of Shengde Commercial Bank, and fifteen others,
As a businessman, he should have run his business with integrity, but he colluded with officials!

To seek personal gain, to exclude the common people, to defraud the people, this is a violation of the law and should be severely punished! "

These dozen or so shopkeepers had already collapsed on the ground with fear, their crotches were wet, and they kept begging for mercy but could only make whimpering sounds.

After reading the charges, the people's anger and dissatisfaction became even stronger.
They shouted words like "severely punish the traitors" and "give us justice"!
In the "court", Lu Yunyi quietly touched Li Jinglong, pointed his mouth forward, and reminded him:
"Duke Cao, you should say something."

Li Jinglong understood immediately and stood up suddenly.

He glanced at the people below the stage with a dignified look and pressed his hand down!
A magical thing happened. The public anger that was previously uncontrollable was gradually calmed down!

Li Jinglong suddenly felt a surge of pride in his heart, and was so excited that he was trembling.

He shouted:
"My fellow countrymen, the crimes committed by these traitors are too numerous to list.

Today, I am here to uphold justice and bring these evildoers to justice.

"Restore peace and order to Yuezhou! Are you convinced?"

"Clothes!"

The people shouted in unison, their voices resounding through the sky.
As if to vent all the anger and desire for justice in his heart.

"it is good!"

Li Jinglong nodded with satisfaction.

"In that case, then we will punish these criminals one by one according to the laws of the Ming Dynasty!"

After saying that, he waved his hand, and the executioners stepped forward with serious expressions!

Wei Jie spoke again:
"According to my trial, the crimes committed by Chen Zhize and others are beyond doubt.
According to the laws of the Ming Dynasty, they should be severely punished.

The criminals Chen Zhize, Liu Hong, Sun Zheng, Qu Jingan, Qin Hongjun and 35 others are now sentenced to death by beheading, to be executed immediately! "

wow——

The scene was boiling again. Some of Li Fu's relatives wailed and could no longer support their bodies, and fell to the ground.
The executioners came forward and took the criminals one by one to the center of the execution ground.

The executioner stood behind the group, holding a large, gleaming knife.

They stood tall and straight, like soul-catchers, with stern faces, seemingly oblivious to the clamor of the people around them.

Chen Zhize was roughly dragged to the center of the execution ground by two yamen runners.

His legs were weak and he could barely stand.
The former majesty was long gone, and his eyes were filled with fear.

He twisted his body desperately, trying to break free from the restraints of the yamen runners, shouting incoherently:

"I am an official appointed by the imperial court. You cannot kill me! This is treason! Treason!"

However, the only responses he received were the people's angry curses and spitting.

The people around him were so frightened that they were out of their wits, their faces were gloomy.
Wei Jie looked grim, and walked down quickly, standing aside.
The command flag in his hand was held high, fluttering in the wind.

He waved his flag fiercely and shouted, "Execute!"

The executioners roughly pressed Chen Zhize down on a special execution board.
The abdomen is pressed against the board, and the limbs are firmly fixed.

It was then moved in front of all the criminals so that they could all watch.

Chen Zhize struggled desperately, twisting his body violently, trying to break free from the bondage of death.
A "woooo" sound came from his throat, like the cry of a trapped animal.

One of the executioners held the sword high in both hands.
The calm face changed like thunder, full of ferocity and cruelty!
The blade drew a cold arc in the air.

With tremendous force, he chopped down fiercely at Chen Zhize's waist.

A muffled "puff" sound!
The sword cut into the body without any hindrance, and blood spurted out like a fountain.

It splashed onto the surrounding ground, instantly forming a pool of blood.

Chen Zhize's body suddenly stiffened, and then he let out a shrill scream.

The sound penetrated the sky above the square, causing the people present to be shocked.

His upper body struggled desperately, his hands scratching at the ground.
His nails made a series of harsh scratches on the stone slabs, and his lower body twitched weakly.

Warm intestines and internal organs slowly flowed out along with blood.

It exudes a disgusting bloody smell.

The people looked at this tragic scene, some covered their eyes in horror, while others cheered loudly with excitement.

When the remaining criminals saw this scene, they immediately started to shit and piss.

Various sounds intertwined together, forming a strange noise.

Immediately afterwards, Yuezhou Tongzhi Liu Hong was brought up.

He was already frightened out of his wits, his eyes were empty and lifeless, and he allowed himself to be manipulated by the bailiffs.

When he was pressed on the execution board, he didn't even have the strength to struggle.
He just opened his eyes in despair, waiting for death to come.

The big knife was swung down again, and Liu Hong's body was instantly split into two, with blood and internal organs scattered all over the ground.

After a brief twitch, his body became completely motionless.
Only the spreading pool of blood told of his sins.

Subsequently, Sun Zheng, the magistrate of Yuezhou, Qu Jing'an, the manager of Ruixiangfu Commercial Bank, Qin Hongjun, the manager of Shengde Commercial Bank, and others were also beheaded one after another.

Every time the sword fell, it was accompanied by splattering of blood and an outburst of emotions among the people: fear, joy, and sighs!
"Puff puff"

Time passed, and as the last criminal was beheaded,

The entire execution ground was like hell on earth, with various half-bodies scattered around and the smell of blood permeating every inch of the air.

The families of the laborers knelt on the ground and cried bitterly, kowtowed hard, and shouted to the Lord of Heaven,
Li Jinglong pursed his lips, took a step forward, and shouted:

"Your injustice has not yet been washed away,

I can kill these traitors, but your grievances need to be judged by His Majesty himself. Please follow me to the capital.

I believe that His Majesty and the court will definitely give you justice!"

"Anyone who wants to go can board the ship and set off immediately. The Beijing Army will provide food, clothing, shelter and transportation for the journey!"

As soon as these words came out, some people rushed forward.

They all called for the court to redress their grievances.

Some people also wanted to go and shouted to see Master Hongwu.

Lu Yunyi waved his hand and ordered:
"Make a detailed list, including name, age, place of origin, whether or not they are married, whether or not there are any relatives in the family serving in the army, and whether or not they have any illnesses. All of this must be recorded!"

"Yes!"

Liu Heiying straightened his back and left quickly!

(End of this chapter)