He looked up at the sky again, seeing the sun at its zenith; the ti had co. Forget it, let go...
The officials in front of the execution ground loudly read out the charges, displaying the cris, and declared the sentence.
The executioners simultaneously raised their ghost-head knives, awaiting the order from the execution ground master, ready to swiftly fall and sever the prisoners’ heads.
The kneeling Xue family mbers imdiately wailed like ghosts and wolves, terrified with the stench of urine wafting about, yet trapped by shackles, unable to flee.
Among the commoners, so quickly pulled the children watching the spectacle out of the crowd, while the timid also left in fear. The more fearless ones cheered continuously, "Well done! Kill these scoundrel dogs!"
The next batch of prisoners was escorted to the execution ground by officers. The crowd promptly parted to open a passage, with officers pressing these prisoners by the side, just waiting for this batch to be executed and then the next to be chopped.
Once the execution ground master finished reading the charges, he threw down the execution order and shouted, "Execute!"
In the next batch of prisoners, soone shouted, "Father!"
This shout was particularly striking amidst the ghostly screams and howls. Xue Ping trembled all over, desperately twisting his head to look, seeing the person calling him, greatly shocked, and the words "Linyu" hadn’t finished leaving his mouth before the ghost-head knife, carried on a fierce wind, had arrived.
"Crack!" Blood splattered, like the sound of fruits dropping to the ground, one after another.
Xue Ping’s head rolled to the ground, eyes wide open, staring fiercely in one direction. Subsequently, silence overca him, like his hope, completely extinguished as Xue Linyu was escorted to the execution ground.
Outside the Huaqing Palace gates.
Xue Wanjun collapsed to the ground as if all her strength had been suddenly drained under the cold winter sun, her eyes dull and lifeless, all previous hysteria and madness seeming like Ji Yunlai’s delusion.
Chief Eunuch of the Punishnt Bureau, Ji Yunlai, secretly touched his arm, still aching from the bites, thinking that in this world, madness indeed has its distinctions. A woman who had been a Noble Consort goes mad so ferociously, appearing deranged, displays more frenzy upon seeing blood, unleashing formidable strength. They couldn’t pin her down, and he almost got bitten off a piece of flesh.
At this mont, staring at the dazed person slumped on the ground, he couldn’t help but sigh. Who could have imagined that the once radiant and incomparable Noble Consort Xue, who controlled the Harem, would fall to such a state, imprisoned in the Huaqing Palace, resembling a Cold Palace now?
Yet, the Xue family rebelled, committing countless atrocious cris, and were executed along with all nine clans. Xue Wanjun staying alive is already a great rcy from His Majesty. Still, she fantasized about escaping to plead with the Emperor for the Xue family, utterly mad, seeking her own demise!
Since learning that the Xue family was executed with all nine clans, Xue Wanjun has seed crazed, madly roaring daily inside the Huaqing Palace, often injuring people in fits of rage, desperately demanding to see the Emperor, giving those in the Punishnt Bureau a headache.
Yesterday, Xue Wanjun behaved out of character, seemingly realizing that rescuing the Xue family was beyond reach, cald down suddenly, as tranquil as a normal person.
Ji Yunlai thought she finally understood, relaxing a little. Unexpectedly, this morning, Xue Wanjun pulled a diversionary tactic, found a chance to escape the Huaqing Palace, and nearly disturbed the Emperor.
Eventually, Ji Yunlai and the other mbers of the Punishnt Bureau, through great effort, managed to capture and return her to the Huaqing Palace.
Approaching noon, Xue Wanjun was still unwilling to give up, behaving like a madwoman, eyes filled with blood, biting anyone she t, injuring several guards at Huaqing Palace. Upon breaking free of the palace gates when the sun was high, knowing it was already too late, she collapsed to the ground.
At this mont, Ji Yunlai looked at the sky, realizing ti had passed; by this hour, the Xue family should have been seven-tenths executed. Seeing the person suddenly not struggling, in a defeated state on the ground, he assud she must have given up.
But he remained cautious, signalling to the Punishnt Bureau mbers, vigilantly watching the person on the ground, guarding against any sudden outbreaks of violence.
The others closed in slowly, keeping a defensive posture.
He counseled, "Consort, His Majesty will not et you. Please don’t give trouble. Co back with ."
Addressing her as Consort was a courtesy indeed, as everyone in the palace knew Xue Wanjun had been stripped of the title "Noble" and imprisoned in the Huaqing Palace; she would never be allowed to leave for the rest of her life. Her future, impossible to predict, depended on the Emperor’s will, unclear.
After waiting a while without seeing any response, Ji Yunlai added, "Consort, you see, having entered the palace, you belong to The Royal Family, no longer related to that Scoundrel Xue. As I say, you should have already cut ties with those rebels sooner, co to terms. His Majesty has treated you well, your food, clothing, and allowances still follow the usual norms, and we dare not slight you..."
As he spoke, he moved with the Punishnt Bureau mbers to surround her, preventing her escape.
In the next instant, he signaled again. The Punishnt Bureau mbers rushed forward, just as they grasped the person on the ground, Xue Wanjun seed to hear a joke and finally responded.
She laughed bitterly, "Treat well? Hahaha... If treated well, why not et even once? If treated well, why destroy the nine clans of my Xue family?"
She suddenly turned to stare at Ji Yunlai, her chest heaving, eyes bloodshot, questioning fiercely.
Ji Yunlai paused at first, then hearing her question, could not help but scowl, sneering, "Servants hold lowly positions, dare not interfere in such matters. Yet, I heard one saying before, ’Traitors and rebels, everyone should execute!’ The Xue family disregarded loyalty, plotted rebellion. If your Xue family succeeded, countless innocents would perish, turning the world to ruin. In the Consort’s eyes, could it be that commoners deserve death, but your Xue family does not?"
Ji Yunlai was born into poverty, experienced bandit chaos, leaving only him from his family. Later forced into castration to enter the palace, he also witnessed the chaos during the Late Emperor’s ti in the Harem, albeit tempered by the palace, yet with a fierce hatred for evil in his bones.
Xue Wanjun mocked with a disdainful smile, "You miserable servants, ignorant low-lifes, even a hundred of your lives can’t compare to a single strand of hair from a Xue family mber. How dare you equate yourselves with us?"
Words that don’t align spark conflicts instantly. Ji Yunlai scowled, offering a hypocritical smile, "Consort, you are correct, in your eyes, we are indeed re servants. Hopefully, you’ll never need these servants again. Co, escort the Consort back!"
The Punishnt Bureau mbers imdiately moved to act.
Xue Wanjun thundered, "No need, I’ll walk myself." Her deanor flared strongly.
Even as a prisoner, she remained a towering noble from a noble family!
The Punishnt Bureau mbers paused, looking at Ji Yunlai, hesitating.
Ji Yunlai forced a smile, saying, "If the Consort can walk back herself, that would be best."
Despite his words, he didn’t move, nor did the other eunuchs seeing his stance.
Xue Wanjun’s mouth curled into a contemptuous smile, her eyes like millennium-old cold pools, glaring with chilling intensity.
She slowly steadied herself, as though she hadn’t changed, her noble aura seeming never to fade.
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