Then someone else shouted.

"I, a humble citizen, have been wronged!"

"I am innocent!"

...

The sounds seemed to come from all directions.

The onlookers quickly made way for them.

A dozen or so men, women, and children walked in from the outer perimeter, their faces filled with a tragic resolve as they faced death, and knelt down with a thud beneath the execution ground.

"We beg Lord Qin to seek justice for us!"

The prisoners pinned to the wooden stakes at the execution ground became agitated, emitting mournful moans.

Qin Minglang slammed his hand on the table.

"Even if you have been wronged, you are not allowed to enter the execution ground. At noon, the execution will begin!"

"Execution is forbidden!"

One of the pregnant women hurriedly knelt down and took two steps.

"Sir, you just vowed to speak up for the people. Are you going to go back on your word in front of all the people?"

She raised her hand high and held up several sheets of yellowed Xuan paper, which were stamped with a large red seal.

"My name is Li Cui, born in Shitou Village, Weihe River, Dazhou, and I am 21 years old. My husband, Zhang Hu, was born in Jiawu Village, Weihe River, Dazhou, and he is 25 years old. This is a household registration document from the county government, which goes back three generations to our ancestors and bears the official seal of Weihe County. This is sufficient proof that my husband, Zhang Hu, is not a remnant of the Sui Dynasty!"

The other person also held the document high, just like her.

“My elder brother Zhao Gao was born in Chunzhi Village, Weihe River, in the Great Zhou Dynasty. He is 31 years old. This is a household registration document from the county government, which traces his ancestry back three generations. It is stamped with the official seal of Weihe County. He is a native of the Great Zhou Dynasty, not a remnant of the Great Sui Dynasty!”

Others followed suit and filed appeals.

For a moment, the onlookers were all dumbfounded.

"How come they're all people from the Great Zhou? Then why are they being treated as remnants of the Great Sui and taken to the execution platform?"

"What exactly is going on?"

The discussion grew increasingly heated.

The situation gradually spiraled out of control.

Qin Minglang knew better than anyone that those he killed today were not all remnants of the Sui Dynasty.

But those people cannot live.

He slammed his fist on the table, stood up, and shouted angrily, "Who told you that the traitors you are beheading today are all people of the Sui Dynasty? His Majesty is kind and benevolent, and has not harmed their families. How dare you cause trouble at the execution ground?"

He raised his finger and pointed at the prisoners on the execution ground.

"Your husbands, brothers, sons, and fathers, greedy for wealth and power, colluded with those remnants of the Sui Dynasty to carry out revenge in the Great Zhou. They were caught red-handed, and the evidence is irrefutable. How dare you try to distort the truth here? The time has come, make your move!"

The wooden plaque announcing the immediate execution was thrown on the ground.

The executioner immediately swung his broadsword.

All those kneeling and pleading for justice never expected him to disregard their grievances and execute them on the spot. They were all anxious and wanted to rush forward, but were firmly stopped by the guards of the Dali Temple.

One by one, blood-soaked heads rolled on the ground.

Some people who couldn't handle the shock have already fainted.

An old man, trembling, held up the document in his hand and shouted angrily.

"Qin Minglang, you treacherous villain! My son was instigated by you to go to Qingfeng Village to help you kill enemies and make meritorious contributions, but you instead beat him to death and beheaded him as a public example. I have the private letters between the two of you. Even if it costs me my old bones, I will make you pay for my son's death."

Qin Minglang's expression changed slightly, but he couldn't recognize whose father the other person was. However, the words "private messages" startled him, and he immediately raised his hand to give the order.

"Bring all those who attempted to rescue the death row inmates under control. I will thoroughly investigate who is spreading rumors and slandering the imperial authority."

The guards of the Dali Temple immediately complied.

Some people tried to fight back, breaking through the guards' encirclement and climbing onto the execution platform, raising their hands and shouting.

“My brother was also deceived by Qin Minglang. I overheard their secret conversation, where he was told to contact the remnants of his old military unit who had served alongside him to help him suppress bandits in Qingfeng Village. They even planned to kill His Highness the Ninth Prince and steal the credit…”

Before he could finish speaking, a long sword pierced straight through his chest.

Blood gushed out, and he instantly collapsed to the ground. With difficulty, he turned around, pointed at Qin Minglang who had thrown the longsword, and fell down without uttering another word.

The onlookers were so shocked that they all stepped back.

These people crying foul were not death row inmates; there were even pregnant women among them.

How could you kill him on the spot?

Could it be that there's more to the story, and that Qin Minglang killed people to silence them because what these people who cried foul was true?

Qin Minglang sheathed his longsword and shouted sharply.

"These traitors are spreading rumors and causing trouble, attempting to kidnap death row inmates. If they dare to resist again, they shall be killed without exception!"

All those who cried out for justice were forced to kneel on the ground.

The old man holding the private message was desperately protecting what he was holding, bending over to prevent anyone from taking it away.

Qin Minglang strode over with an official air.

Looking down at the lowly people who were like ants, his eyes filled with contempt, he slowly bent down, his voice low and full of sarcasm.

"What use do you think these private letters are to you? The words your son wrote back are enough to exterminate his entire family. Besides, he volunteered out of greed, not because I misled him. After being captured, he immediately turned against me and tried to kill me. Everyone looks out for themselves, so why should I let him live?"

The old man was furious.

She stared at him intently with her scarlet eyes.

"If you hadn't promised him something, how could he have followed you? So what if your entire family is wiped out? I'm not afraid of death. I'll drag you down to hell with me. I'm going to file a complaint with the emperor."

He was completely unyielding.

Just as Qin Minglang was about to kill him, Liu Ruzhi suddenly arrived in a hurry with a group of people who were feeling repressed.

"Lord Qin!"

The Dali Temple and the Jingzhao Prefecture are considered to be of the same lineage.

They all had the duty of maintaining order in the capital.

However, the Dali Temple held a higher position, on par with the Ministry of Justice.

The official rank of the Chief Justice of the Court of Judicial Review was the same as that of the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice, both being of the second rank.

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