That's all for Chapter 83. Let's not go any further...

The next day, the sun shone brightly.

Even the chilly autumn wind seemed warm under the scorching sun.

It was still at least an hour or two before noon, but the gate was already crowded with people. The reason was simple: the main character of the day, Princess Shenxiao, was someone everyone knew.

Her identity as the daughter of the deposed crown prince, her feat of pacifying the Japanese pirates, the prophecy of an unstable imperial throne, the precedent of female officials in this dynasty... any one of these events alone could be turned into a popular story by a storyteller.

In a private room on the second floor of a nearby building, Ji Heng looked at the bustling crowd and couldn't help but smile with satisfaction. His annoyance over the past few days, caused by the Prince Xian's menacing presence outside the city, had dissipated considerably.

Once Shenxiao, this thorn in his side, is removed, the Wise King's reckoning will not be far off. Did he think he couldn't deal with him unless he entered the city? Once he has the upper hand, none of those who defy him will escape.

He glanced at the various "disobedient" officials mixed in with the crowd and revealed a meaningful smile.

Yanran took in all his expressions, but simply waited obediently by his side, her gentle and calm face barely able to contain her anticipation for the moment that was about to arrive.

"What a lovely girl she is, how could she do such a thing?" someone said with pity.

"I knew it! How could a woman become an official? She's been blinded by greed and doesn't even know who she is anymore!" someone attacked.

"Why do I feel that this is a bit too hasty?" someone pondered.

"That old emperor is a real scoundrel! He's probably been waiting for this moment all along, and he's probably watching from somewhere right now!" someone said truthfully.

Some waited quietly, some were poised to act, some were anxious and worried, and some... well, some were even enjoying a drink...

"Princess," Ji Baiyun said, unusually flustered, "today really is not a good day for drinking!"

He didn't know why things had suddenly turned out this way. He was just worried about his uncle, so he came to check on his well-behaved younger relative early in the morning...

The adorable young man, unusually vulnerable, cautiously asked if he could have some wine to bolster his courage. Overwhelmed by the pitiful, aggrieved, and clear look in those eyes, out of pity, he immediately ordered his servants to bring over his most treasured wines…

His real intention was simply to give the child more choices and let her get the best. It certainly wasn't to encourage her to accept everything!

Hengbo finished his bowl of wine with a lingering sense of satisfaction, then pointed to the next jar, his meaning clear: he was about to start drinking the next kind.

Ji Baiyun was on the verge of fainting. He no longer cared about gentlemanly etiquette and clung tightly to the wine jar. "Princess! Please spare me!"

This is the only son of the Ji family! If anything happens to the princess because of him today, he won't have a peaceful death!

Seeing that he was really just one step away from fainting, Hengbo had no choice but to regretfully stop. He had to admit that he really enjoyed drinking the final cup of wine today.

Ji Baiyun finally breathed a sigh of relief, but before he could completely relax...

Then they heard a familiar voice.

"It's quite lively here, Princess!" came a voice that lacked any discernible tone.

Ji Baiyun slowly turned around, only to see Shen Guitang looking at him with a half-smile.

Ji Baiyun: My life is over!

Hengbo, however, was completely unfazed. What a joke! She was the renowned Princess Shenxiao! What did a little wine matter…?

Okay, she guiltily looked away.

Shen Guitang wasn't truly blaming her; he knew she wasn't someone who lacked self-control. It was just that he was over there, filled with fear and anxiety, while she was here, drinking heartily as if nothing had happened…

It's all Baiyun's fault for seducing the princess.

Having been inexplicably labeled as "serving wine to others," Ji Baiyun wisely told someone to take the wine jar and leave. He secretly vowed that he would never be deceived by the princess's innocent appearance again!

Shen Guitang looked at the person in front of him who was gazing at the sky and the ground but not at him, sighed, and stepped forward to tighten her clothes.

"I send you."

Hengbo suddenly felt a lump in her throat and wanted to refuse, but she couldn't come up with a good reason for it. She really didn't want today to take up too much of his life for the rest of his days.

That's just too cruel.

She had no choice but to suppress the tears in her eyes, pretending to be carefree, and nodded.

The two walked side by side on the streets of the capital. At the last moment, no one cared about these so-called face-saving formalities anymore. Seemingly infected by the people's emotions, dark clouds suddenly loomed over the city.

When they reached the last intersection, Shen Guitang suddenly stopped, and Wen Jie and the others who were waiting quietly ahead also looked over at the right time.

In an instant, their eyes met, but no more tension arose. Perhaps the weather was simply too harsh; the damp rain choked everyone, preventing even the slightest spark from igniting.

Wen Jie nodded to him, then turned his gaze back to Heng Bo.

Hengbo smiled at him, then took one last deep look at Shen Guitang beside her before walking alone toward the execution ground. This was the extent of their journey.

As they passed by Wen Jie, someone beside him suddenly said, "Princess."

Hengbo turned her head and noticed the man who was openly exposing his one-armed arm. "Princess, you may not remember me."

He laughed heartily, though he no longer had the same high spirits as before, but his laughter was full of the strength that comes with the passage of time. "My name is Zan Ying, and I am still alive."

Hengbo was stunned. How could she not remember him? It was he who sent her out of Yujing with his gaze, away from that man-eating fiery night.

So, she wasn't stupid. She didn't do all this just to support her parents who had only been with her for a few years. What she carried on her shoulders wasn't just the lives of her parents, but also the consuming fire of the Eastern Palace, the omnipresent passion of the Jade Capital back then, the old subordinates who had barely survived for over a decade, and the souls she had personally stripped away and abandoned back then.

She smiled at him, "I remember you. You're still alive. That's good."

But now she was heading to her execution ground.

The way they turned away was so resolute that everyone's heart skipped a beat. Shen Guitang looked down at her trembling hands and couldn't help but want to stop them.

But he still managed to stop himself from going forward, because he understood the look in her eyes at the end.

That's it, let's stop here and not go any further.

"Your Majesty," Yanran suddenly spoke up, "why don't we go down and join in the fun?"

Ji Heng frowned slightly. He only wanted to confirm Shenxiao's death and did not want to cause any more trouble. But Yanran continued, "Such a magnificent scene would be uninteresting if we didn't appreciate it up close. Besides, we should pick the fruit we have painstakingly cultivated ourselves so as not to have any regrets."

After a moment's thought, he realized there was some truth to it, and condescended to say, "Agreed."

At the execution ground, as Ji Heng and his entourage slowly approached, the surrounding crowd immediately fell silent. Hengbo, who was quietly putting on his shackles, cast a glance at him and slowly revealed a provocative smile.

Ji Heng's appearance actually made the subsequent plans much easier.

Ji Heng's face darkened instantly. What, did she think she had something to rely on just because the Prince Xian had returned? Did she really think that the capital region wasn't heavily guarded?

"...The way to govern a country lies in clarifying laws and regulations and upholding the fundamental principles. However, now there is a Shenxiao who colludes with traitors, forms cliques for personal gain, and plots a rebellion. This violates the natural order and goes against ethics. We will now carry out the punishment according to the law to demonstrate the power of Heaven and to serve as a warning to others."

After the imperial edict was read, everyone's eyes turned to the person in the center of the execution ground. But Hengbo remained calm and showed no fear.

Everyone waited for noon to arrive, but as time passed by, and noon was over, nothing happened.

The executioner was naturally Ji Heng's trusted confidant. Seeing Ji Heng's face growing even paler than the sky, and sweat pouring down his forehead, he demanded, "What's going on? Why haven't you carried out the execution yet?!"

The subordinate rushed off to relay the message, "What's going on? It's noon! Execute them immediately!"

The executioner scratched his head. "Oh dear, what a terrible memory! I completely forgot about that!"

As he spoke, he raised his hand and brought the knife down. Those who were less courageous immediately raised their sleeves to cover their eyes, unable to bear to watch any longer.

However, the expected blood and gore did not occur. Instead, a crisp metallic clanging sound rang out. It turned out that what had been severed was not a person's fragile neck, but rather seemingly indestructible shackles.

The executioner chuckled, "That's more like it!"

Ji Heng was furious. "Shenxiao, are you trying to rebel in public?!"

However, the one who answered him was not Hengbo, who was moving her wrist in the distance, but Yanran, who walked gracefully past him from behind.

"What does Your Majesty mean by this? Princess Shenxiao, isn't she here precisely because of the charge of rebellion?"

Ji Heng said coldly, "Yanran, what do you mean by that?"

Yanran said innocently, "Your Majesty, I was afraid you would forget, or perhaps I helped you pin the accusation of rebellion on Princess Shenxiao."

Her voice wasn't loud, but she enunciated clearly, making sure her voice reached the ears of the onlookers.

Amidst gasps of disbelief, Yanran continued, "Let me think carefully, what was the charge against Princess Shenxiao back then?"

She pretended to think for a few moments, then suddenly laughed crisply, "This servant remembers, it's collusion with the remnants of Zhennan! But,"

"This servant is also a remnant of the Zhennan rebellion!"

The gentle voice suddenly turned cold, "So, it's not Your Majesty who colluded with the remnants of Zhennan?"

Ji Heng was furious. He shouldn't have let his guard down against this person, but for some reason, he never expected that Yanran would betray him.

“Ji Heng,” Yanran looked at him mockingly, “Do you really think Zhennan is completely wiped out? In order to curry favor with the late emperor, you colluded with Hirano Kei, causing the deaths of tens of thousands of Zhennan soldiers. Now you even dare to cooperate with me, a remnant of Zhennan.”

She sighed softly, "Should I praise your audacity or say that you'll stop at nothing to get rid of Shenxiao?"

If the previous statement only stirred up a few waves, this new statement has truly caused a huge uproar.

The Zhennan case back then shocked the court and the public so much that people still remember the tragedy and are still engaged in heated discussions.

An old man with a good memory said, "Hey, I remember the young general of Zhennan back then, wasn't he executed here as well?"

“It’s Xiao Huai’an, the young general Xiao.” An old woman answered while wiping away tears: “The young general is a very good person, but back then no one believed what this old woman said.”

Back then, her husband owed money to the gambling den and couldn't pay it back. To avoid having his hand chopped off, he was going to drag her out and sell her. It was General Xiao, who happened to be passing by her house, who helped her.

So when the verdict came down, she just couldn't believe it. How could such a kind person deliberately kill so many people?

Upon hearing Xiao Huai'an's name, Yanran couldn't help but stagger. Suppressing her grief, she pulled a stack of letters from her bosom. "This is the evidence of Ji Heng's collusion with the Japanese pirates! I implore you, my lords, and all the people of the Great Jin, to restore justice to Zhennan!"

At the same time, a simply dressed woman stepped out from the crowd; it was none other than Kazama Noko.

“Ji Heng, perhaps you still remember me?” She stepped forward. “Back then, you sold Zhennan to my master, Ishikawa, and then sold Ishikawa to Hirasawa.

"Did you ever imagine that you would end up like this, sold by me to the people of your Great Jin Dynasty?"