Chapter 10: The Beheading of the Crown Prince
One is Gao Xianzhi, with a cold expression, respectfully awaiting the imperial decree.
The chief judge shuddered and immediately nodded vigorously, saying, "I understand, I understand, they are all my trusted subordinates, rest assured"
... ...
Suddenly, a small door opened in the northern part of the execution platform.
Gao Xianzhi looked coldly and said: "Crown Prince, is there any point in quibbling now? You are now responsible for the morale of the 800,000 troops of the Great Song. You must take responsibility for the mistakes you have made!"
Thud
The common people were in an uproar.
It seems that this is already the best outcome possible
Puff
Gao Xianzhi opened his mouth, and Wang of Song's pupils suddenly constricted. The faces of the two rows of senior officials at the head of the court also changed abruptly.
Wuwuwuwu! A sound of weeping came from the small door
Today's matters have caused your subordinates to keep their mouths shut. Anyone who leaks this information will be charged with treason, " Gu Hai said in a deep voice
"Yes!" a group of constables responded in unison
The group of soldiers immediately pledged their loyalty
... ...
Great leader, we believe in you
Wuwuwuwuwuwu! The crowd was at a loss for words, only able to emit sounds of wuwuwu.
Song Zhengxi paused for a moment, then turned to look at the Emperor
One of the old ministers suddenly spoke up: "Your Majesty, there are national laws for the country and military regulations for the army. If we excuse the Crown Prince today, who will excuse our Great Song tomorrow? I advise that the Crown Prince be executed! Execute him immediately! This is to stabilize the morale of the army and uphold the national laws"
Great Master, it is all Gu Hai's doing, except for matters concerning Lord Lin's household
Bang
To the due south of the execution platform is a sea of people, and in front of the masses stands Gao Xianzhi, accompanied by Lin Chong and a group of soldiers
In a moment, many of the common people coming to Caishikou were filled with joy and excitement, applauding and expressing their delight
It was the chief judge presiding over the execution during the day, standing beside him was a man in a black robe, none other than Gu Hai, who had been a source of trouble for Gao Xianzhi. Next to them was a horse-drawn carriage
Sunzi, there are dozens of them. But the Song Dynasty has only this one.
At this moment, a minister spoke up: "Your Majesty, the Crown Prince is young and ignorant, easily misled by his subordinates. He should be punished for his crimes, and the instigator should be executed, with his subordinates subjected to public punishment. As for the Crown Prince, his title should be revoked, and he should be imprisoned in the celestial dungeon as a warning to others"
Grandfather Emperor, Grandfather Emperor ... ... !
Roar
Thanks to the great leader, this Song Zhengxi has harmed countless virtuous young women, well done, well done
The presiding judge looked up at the sky
Gu Hai smiled slightly and said: "How could Lord Gao dare to kill you? You are the future heir to the throne. This is merely to throw people off the scent. Once the Chen Kingdom is destroyed, everything will be fine!"
The officer kicked the legs of the prisoners, and immediately thirty prisoners knelt down together
At this moment, Gao Xianzhi was filled with confidence, for he was certain that upon returning, the entire army would unite as one to slay the Crown Prince, thereby consolidating the forces and inevitably achieving a decisive victory in the destruction of Hulao Pass.
Blood gushed from the neck, splattering up to three feet high, instantly staining the area with crimson.
Songcheng, the largest vegetable market.
Immediately thereafter, each person donned a black hood that covered their head
Regardless of the frenzied cries of the Crown Prince, what awaited him was only the merciless guards dragging him away
Wuwuwu! Song Zhengxi looked at Gu Hai in shock
A few days later, Song City! In the imperial court!
At this moment, Gu Hai gently tapped the execution platform
However, the execution platform at Caishikou is extremely desolate under the cover of night. During the day, this is the most bustling place, yet at night, it becomes the most deserted.
Look, it's really Song Zhengxi, along with that group of hawks and hounds, hahaha, that's great
Gu Hai looked down and saw that Song Zheng's trousers were dripping with urine, clearly frightened.
Here!
"Xiao Die, you have avenged your great grievance, I am sorry for you!" Lin Chong suddenly collapsed to the ground, weeping uncontrollably
Is this really killing? But that is the Crown Prince of the current dynasty, the Crown Prince!
"Yes, indeed! I did not ask, I did not inquire, but when you showed me that letter, I believed it. After all, the Crown Prince is the apple of the Emperor and the Crown Prince's eye; how could he possibly be executed in just one day?" The chief judge immediately replied with a smile.
On the dragon throne sits the Emperor of the Song Dynasty, wearing a flat crown. His complexion is aged, with several age spots on his face, reflecting the frailty of the Song monarch. However, the Emperor's pair of eyes is particularly spirited, fixated on the court below.
The person lifted the black hood from Song Zhengxi's head
Wuwuwuwuwu! In the black hoods, the group of prisoners could hardly speak, anxiously whimpering.
Call!
You, you are seeking death!" Song Zhengxi was about to strike.
However, there was a person inside who came out with a prisoner from the daytime
Another old minister's expression also changed as he said: "Your Majesty, the death of the Crown Prince is entirely due to his own faults. Not executing him may appease the ministers, but sparing him could undermine the foundation of the state. The calamity that befell the Song state in the past should not be repeated. For the sake of our Great Song, I earnestly request Your Majesty to enforce the law with clarity and righteousness, to uphold the authority of the nation"
With a loud roar, the hand raised the knife and fell, and thirty heads were instantly sent flying into the air
"Prime Minister Liu, you!" exclaimed the Crown Prince.
Shut their mouths!" The chief judge exclaimed coldly
"Yes, the general will avenge me. My life belongs to the general. Even if I die, I must die on the battlefield!" Lin Chong said with red eyes, filled with gratitude.
At a quarter past noon, execute! Judge Zhu threw out a token.
Song Zhengxi looked over, his brows slightly furrowed, but he understood that this was to preserve himself. He did not refuse
"To the gallows!" the presiding judge shouted loudly
"It is!" everyone responded.
Great Commander, my subordinates will surely fight bravely on the front lines, absolutely!
What needs to be done now is to be quick, quick, quick
In a short period, a large number of ministers interceded on behalf of the Crown Prince.
In the evening, Gao Xianzhi led a group of soldiers towards the location of Hulao Pass
... ...
Lin Chong's gaze was fixed intently on Song Zhengxi's figure, his eyes bloodshot, clenching his fists
The crowd was disheveled and filled with immense fear
Song Zhengxi was so enraged that he jumped up: "Gao Xianzhi, you are so bold, how dare you threaten me? On what grounds? They are merely a group of unruly commoners, committing treason and attempting to ambush me; I was only acting in self-defense!"
This time, in order to support Lin Chong, the Emperor's grandson has already been executed. Lin Chong must return to the camp to boost the morale of the entire army. Let the whole army know that military law is as unyielding as a mountain, and no one should think of harming their families.
Gao Xianzhi believed that killing the Crown Prince would be the most persuasive argument. All the soldiers would understand one thing: if even the Crown Prince could be killed, who would dare to bully their relatives? At that time, no matter how many lies there were from Gu Hai, they would be of no use!
At this moment, the crowd has gathered in droves. To behead the current crown prince? In the past, it would have been utterly impossible, but now, the execution is about to take place
Thirty prisoners slowly ascended the steps of the enormous gallows
"Sir, as per your instructions, when the Crown Prince approached, we exchanged him for that condemned prisoner. Only the condemned prisoner was executed; the Crown Prince is unharmed!" the man said with a laugh
Thank you, great leader, thank you, great leader! Lin Chong kept bowing to Gao Xianzhi.
"Alright, let's take a break in the afternoon. In the evening, we will set off immediately back to the camp and clarify to our brothers that everything is a conspiracy by the ancient sea! We must muster our strength and capture the Tiger Pass to repay the Emperor's grace for recognizing us!" Gao Xianzhi affirmed.
As soon as Master Pang and Chancellor Liu spoke, the ministers who had just been trying to protect the Crown Prince immediately fell silent
On the dragon throne, King Song looked at Song Zhengxi, his eyes filled with a hint of affection, unable to bear the thought.
We, the undersigned, concur!
The Song King on the dragon throne looked at the imperial grandson, his fist clenched. The initial kindness gradually faded away. Not everyone was aware of the terror of the ancient sea, but the Song King had precisely experienced that scene from years ago. At that time, the Song State was on the verge of destruction, but it was only through pleading with the Immortal Sect that the war in the secular world was halted. It was an unstoppable force, a national crisis looming.
"Lin Chong, take a break and come back with me!" Gao Xianzhi said in a deep voice
... ...
A group of officials escorted a prisoner wearing a black hood around the execution platform, approaching the northern side of the massive platform. The line was quite long, and everyone was focused on the lengthy procession. When some prisoners were obscured by the platform, a significant number of other prisoners remained visible to all.
... ...
"Enough!" Wang Song exclaimed coldly.
... ...
Bang
Subsequently, Song Zhengxi and a group of his henchmen were swiftly silenced.
"Master Pang, you!" exclaimed the Crown Prince, glaring in anger.
In the great hall, there was a moment of complete silence as everyone turned to look at Gao Xianzhi, with some expressing admiration and others harboring jealousy, their expressions varied.
"Cut!" The King of Song shouted coldly.
Many people have died here, who would come here in the middle of the night for no reason
But at this moment, someone has arrived
The chief judge sat facing north, in front of a massive wooden platform. It was already filled with thirty executioners, awaiting the execution.
Father, father, where are you? Your child is about to be killed, father, father!" In the trembling cries of Song Zhengxi.
"Do not kill me, Your Majesty, Your Majesty, do not kill me!" Song Zhengxi cried out incessantly, but the surrounding noise was too loud, and his voice could hardly be heard.
... ....
The civil and military officials were arranged on both sides of the court, with the two senior ministers at the forefront now gazing intently towards the two individuals in the center
At the execution platform in the east, a group of bailiffs was escorting Song Zhengxi and others.
"You cannot kill me, I am the Crown Prince, my father is the Crown Prince, and I will also be the Crown Prince in the future, wuwuwu!" Song Zhengxi shouted in terror.
General Shuai, Gao Xianzhi! Gu Hai smiled faintly.
... ...
Gao Xianzhi's expression changed, and he spoke again: "Your Majesty, I shall say one last thing. Our opponent is now Guhai. In the past, Chen Taiji swept through the Seven Kingdoms and destroyed two of them, not due to Chen Taiji's own abilities, but because Guhai secretly mobilized troops. I will certainly do my utmost for the Song Dynasty, but the outcome is determined by heaven"
A group of soldiers nodded with red eyes
Tall and handsome! Look, it's tall and handsome!
Another person is none other than the Crown Prince Song Zhengxi, who was recently galloping wildly through the bustling streets. However, at this moment, Song Zhengxi appears to be bristling with anger, glaring fiercely at Gao Xianzhi
Gao Xianzhi nodded
This is ... ... ! '' the presiding judge inquired with a hint of flattery
Remove the rag from my mouth, Song Zhengxi exclaimed in terror: "I am not dead? I am not dead? I actually am not dead?"
Ah? The tall person saved me? Which tall person?" At this moment, Song Zhengxi was in a state of utter confusion
A group of executioners each sprayed a mouthful of white liquor onto their cleavers
"Adults!" A group of soldiers supported Lin Chong.
"Your Majesty, Gao Xianzhi wants to kill me. I know that Your Majesty has imposed severe punishments on the army, but that was after the incident occurred. After Your Majesty's decree was issued, I have remained in the residence and have not gone out, Your Majesty!" Song Zhengxi exclaimed anxiously.
I concur with the proposal
... ...
"What should we do, what should we do? Wuwuwu, I don't want to die!" cried a group of hawks and hounds.
... ...
Gao Xianzhi looked at the soldiers and said: "Have you all seen clearly and understood? Aside from Lin Chong's relatives who were harmed by Song Zhengxi, your relatives have all disappeared. It is all a frame-up, all the work of Gu Hai! Not long ago, we searched the Crown Prince's residence, and there were no signs of your relatives at all. Do you believe it now?"
The Crown Prince immediately knelt down: "Grandfather, please save me, I do not deserve to die, it was not me, it was not me, Gao Xianzhi is not leading the troops in the camp, he is meddling in politics, Grandfather...!"
"Your Majesty, I have already investigated and just reported to Your Majesty and all the ministers that fifteen military families have disappeared. For now, there is no conclusive evidence pointing to the Crown Prince. However, Lin Chong's relatives and the entire village have been slaughtered by the Crown Prince along with his group of henchmen, and the evidence is irrefutable. To reassure the troops, I earnestly request Your Majesty to issue a decree to administer justice and punish the Crown Prince!" Gao Xianzhi exclaimed once again.
Gently, King Song nodded, seeming to agree with the officials' approach. He wanted to first ensure the safety of his grandson, and was willing to bear any other punishment.
I am a person of the Crown Prince, knowing too much is not beneficial for you
... ...