Chapter 132 Now there is Luo Fu, who saves her husband from the execution ground!

Yesterday evening, Emperor Xianping issued a stern warning, forbidding anyone from interfering with his decision to depose the empress, and he especially warned Xiao Yu.

Emperor Xianping knew that Xiao Yu would definitely object, and Xiao Yu knew even better what he would do. Therefore, after returning home that evening, Xiao Yu first went to Wanhe Hall to sit with his parents for about fifteen minutes. After being impatiently chased away by Xiao Rong, Xiao Yu returned to Shensi Hall to spend time with his two children. During this time, he spent another fifteen minutes entertaining his second brother, Xiao Lin, who had come to find him.

It wasn't until late at night, and after watching Cheng'er fall asleep, that Xiao Yu returned to his wife's side and spoke of the dangers he might encounter the next day.

Luo Fu's heart was torn in two by Xiao Yu's words. One half supported him in continuing to firmly persuade the emperor to depose the empress. If there was any minister in the dynasty who could make Emperor Xianping change his mind, Xiao Yu was indeed the most likely one. The other half feared that even Xiao Yu's advice would be useless this time, and that Emperor Xianping, in a fit of anger, might really execute Xiao Yu.

“Madam, there’s no need to be troubled. You know that what I want to do, neither Father nor Mother can stop me.” Xiao Yu held his wife’s cold hands and comforted her in a low voice. His wife could cry for the possible separation of life and death, but she didn’t have to suffer the torment of her conscience for trying to protect him.

Looking into his eyes, which held only longing and no fear, Luo Fu still couldn't accept it: "How did things get to this point?"

It had been sixteen years since she married Xiao Yu. During the reign of the late emperor, Xiao Yu was imprisoned twice, each time causing Luo Fu to worry that he would lose his life. Fortunately, Xiao Yu escaped unharmed both times. When Emperor Xianping ascended the throne, Luo Fu was prepared for Xiao Yu to be punished for his words at any time. Unexpectedly, Emperor Xianping was even more tolerant of Xiao Yu's honest but unpleasant advice than the late emperor. He even listened to Xiao Yu's advice and completed the unprecedented north-south canal with few casualties among the laborers, achieving a great feat shared by the emperor and his minister.

With such political achievements, Emperor Xianping clearly appreciated Xiao Yu, and as he became more and more familiar with the officialdom of the capital and those imperial relatives, Luo Fu's worries about Xiao Yu's life actually lessened. In fact, during Emperor Xianping's eleven years on the throne, he only neglected Xiao Yu for one year after the Northern Expedition, and even then, he still gave Xiao Yu the high-ranking position of Chief Administrator of Jizhou, a third-rank official.

If Luo Fu could somewhat understand Emperor Xianping's impulsive decision to depose Empress Xie out of anger and suspicion of her infidelity, she couldn't comprehend how Emperor Xianping had become like this, given that so many ministers had opposed him and tried to reason with him in detail. Not only did he refuse to listen, but he even threatened to kill anyone who disobeyed him, and might even kill Xiao Yu, whom he had previously valued so much.

Unable to understand, Luo Fu couldn't control the emperor in the palace; she could only try to persuade her husband to avoid taking that fatal path: "Or, could we go along with the emperor for a while, until he calms down and his anger subsides, and then try to persuade him? Many divorced couples reconcile and rekindle their romances; Your Majesty..."

Xiao Yu: "The common people can do this, and the officials can do this, but the emperor cannot treat the divorce and the abolition of the empress as a child's play. Once the emperor issues an edict to abolish the empress, worries in the near and far will follow one after another."

The immediate concern lies in the capital. If Empress Xie is deposed, even if the Emperor does not establish a new Empress, the Crown Prince will be easily attacked because of the imperial decree condemning his birth mother. Once the Emperor establishes a new Empress, the new Empress and her son, along with their supporters, will inevitably covet the position of Crown Prince, thus triggering factional strife in the court.

The long-term concern lies in Jingzhou. Less than twenty years have passed since Xie Lao's death, yet the people of Jingzhou still cherish his benevolence and love for the people, and are proud that Jingzhou produced an empress. If Emperor Xianping were to suddenly depose the empress over a trivial marital dispute, the people of other prefectures would only criticize him for making a mountain out of a molehill, while the people of Jingzhou would feel sorry for Xie Lao and Empress Xie. If, at this juncture, treacherous officials were to seize the opportunity to incite unrest among the people of Jingzhou, internal strife would be inevitable.

Therefore, for the sake of the stability of the court, the well-being of the people of Jingzhou, and also to preserve Emperor Xianping's reputation, Xiao Yu had to dissuade Emperor Xianping.

Luo Fu was both crying and angry, and pinched Xiao Yu: "He has already threatened to kill you, and you are still worried about his reputation?"

Xiao Yu smiled bitterly: "I have the ambition to assist the emperor in creating a peaceful and prosperous era, so I should do my best to help the emperor be a wise ruler. If the emperor's words and deeds are not careful, I have the responsibility to advise him. If I am afraid of death and let the emperor go astray, then how am I any different from those treacherous ministers who flatter the emperor for the sake of wealth and glory?"

Luo Fu: "You are both loyal and virtuous, but those treacherous officials who fawn over the emperor are living well. You may not even live to see tomorrow!"

Xiao Yu pulled the tear-streaked lady into his arms and kissed her forehead and cheeks: "Don't cry, don't be afraid. I'm just preparing for the worst. Perhaps the Emperor has already changed his mind."

Luo Fu bit his shoulder, and he was still trying to coax her, telling her to keep the ghosts who died unjustly like him to fool!

The couple didn't sleep well that night. The next morning at dawn, while it was still dark outside, Xiao Yu got up to change his clothes and prepare to go to the palace for the morning court session. Luo Fu got up with him.

Xiao Yu thought that his wife was just worried that he wouldn't return and wanted to see him off a little longer, but when his wife snatched his reins and climbed onto the horse first, Xiao Yu was stunned. Xiao Lin, who was preparing to enter the palace with his third brother, was also stunned.

Luo Fu didn't look at Xiao Lin, but told Xiao Yu to get on first. The couple rode forward together, and Luo Fu leaned against Xiao Yu's chest and said, "You're not even sure you'll come back, so of course I'll go wait near the Vermilion Bird Gate. If the Emperor really wants to behead you, I can go with you to see you off and collect your body."

She tried to sound joking, but her voice trembled more and more, making Xiao Yu's throat tighten. He hugged his wife tightly and said, "Let's not. That's too bloody. I'm afraid it will frighten you. If something really happens, my second brother will take care of it."

Luo Fu turned around and hit him: "Second brother, do you still love me more or less? Don't you want to look at me a little longer?"

Xiao Lin, who was some distance behind, wanted to scoff, but in the end he just raised his head.

The outer perimeter of the imperial city was guarded by the Imperial Guards. Except for officials on duty, ordinary people were not allowed to wander around. If they approached, they would be driven away by the Imperial Guards, and those who dared not cooperate would be arrested and imprisoned.

Xiao Lin and Xiao Yu were both aware of the distance. When they arrived, Xiao Yu dismounted early and looked back every few steps. However, there was still an hour until sunrise, and the surrounding night was as dark as ink, which soon completely swallowed up the figure of the lady on horseback.

Luo Fu led her horse to the roadside, using it to shield herself from the wind, while listening to the officials whose faces she couldn't see as they passed by.

Soon the sounds of footsteps, horses' hooves, and wheels disappeared, and the surroundings fell silent.

Luo Fu knew that the court assembly would only last for one hour. As long as Xiao Yu was alright during that hour, she could go home without worry. Before she returned, she would definitely be seen by the nearby Imperial Guards and the ministers who came out. Luo Fu wasn't afraid of them seeing her. With a husband like Xiao Yu, Luo Fu wasn't afraid of anything except for the possibility of him being punished.

It was cold and the wind was cold. Luo Fu kept stamping her feet on the spot, thinking about her children who were still sleeping at home, then about Xiao Yu inside, and then about all the little things that had happened over the years. As she stood there in the cold, the sky gradually brightened. Finally, the first ray of golden morning light shone down from the east, bringing a touch of warmth as soon as it touched her face.

Looking up at the rising sun, Luo Fu saw that there were no clouds in the sky; it should be a bright and sunny day.

Just then, the heavy sound of palace gates opening came from behind her, and Luo Fu turned around abruptly.

She ran one hand deep into the warm mane of the horse, while secretly watching the Vermilion Bird Gate from behind half of its head. She waited and waited, until a squad of Imperial Guards escorted a person in white robes out. Luo Fu's heart raced at first, then relaxed. It wasn't Xiao Yu; Xiao Yu was wearing purple robes…

And who is this person?

Luo Fu looked again. To the south of the imperial city flowed the wide, clear Luo River. The imperial guards had been heading south after exiting the Vermilion Bird Gate, clearly intending to cross the river. The person being escorted was always shielded from view by the guards on the left, only a glimpse of his robe visible. As Luo Fu gazed, she realized with a start that the robe looked strangely familiar. That morning, before Xiao Yu donned his official robes, the cotton robe underneath was white!

Is it Xiao Yu?

Luo Fu tried to shout, but she couldn't make a sound. The second daughter of the Luo family, who often called out loudly to her friends in Huangqiao Village, Guangling, seemed to have suddenly become mute.

Luo Fu mounted her horse and rode along the banks of the Luo River. After crossing the bridge, she caught up with the Imperial Guard and finally saw Xiao Yu's face clearly.

Xiao Yu lowered his head, not daring to look at his wife.

The dutiful Imperial Guards saw that the woman on horseback had tears all over her face and guessed that she was probably Xiao Yu's wife. Seeing that the woman was only sobbing and did not come forward to cry, they continued to walk quickly towards the South Market.

Prisoners from various regions who were being escorted to the capital to await execution would be beheaded in one of the three markets—East Market, West Market, or South Market—as a warning to others.

Prisoners were usually beheaded at noon, but officials sentenced by the emperor were not subject to the noon deadline. Whenever the emperor issued an edict ordering a particular official to die, the person would be brought to the execution ground and executed as soon as the executioner arrived.

The South Market had just opened in the early morning, and there weren't many pedestrians. But as soon as they heard that someone was going to be executed, shop owners who were just about to open for business and people who came out to buy grain, rice, meat and vegetables all flocked to the execution grounds set up in each market. Even the timid and blood-fearing would hide behind the crowd, just to hear what had happened to the person.

Luo Fu had already loosened the reins, so whether the horse moved or not, she stood below the execution platform, looking at Xiao Yu's face, which refused to look directly at her.

Even if Xiao Yu were willing to look at her, Luo Fu, whose eyes were always blurred with tears, couldn't see him clearly.

It seemed he had so much to say, but he forgot it all when it came to his lips. Behind him, more and more people were talking amongst themselves. Finally, as the executioner arrived with his broadsword, Xiao Yu closed his eyes and advised the lady below the stage, "Go back, it's really not a good look."

Luo Fu also saw the executioner's blurred face, and the sharp, white-bladed broadsword. Every step the executioner took as he approached felt like it was treading on her heart.

Only now did Luo Fu's mind, which had been deeply occupied by fear, suddenly clear. Xiao Yu was not afraid of death, but she did not want him to die, she did not want him to die in such a suffocating and unjust way!

Before the executioner could act, Luo Fu grabbed the edge of the execution platform with both hands and leaped up. She then quickly hugged Xiao Yu, crying and begging the Imperial Guards who came to take her away: "I only said three sentences to him, just three sentences, and he's going to die. Please, please grant my wish!"

The people pleaded for mercy, and the Imperial Guards finally agreed, allowing the executioner to take the stage and prepare to carry out the execution at any time.

Xiao Yu was already kneeling. Luo Fu held him tightly with her left hand, and suddenly pulled out the jade hairpin that held his hair in place with her right hand, pressing the sharp end of the hairpin against her own throat.

Xiao Yu was shocked, thinking his wife was about to commit suicide. Just as he was about to speak, Luo Fu told him to shut up. Glancing at the executioner with his fierce face, Luo Fu said to the supervising official who had accompanied the executioner, "His Majesty is a wise ruler. He personally said that he wanted Xiao Yu to spare no effort to help him pacify the various states within the country and to subdue the barbarians without, so that the emperor and his minister could work together to create a peaceful and prosperous era! I know that His Majesty was in a fit of anger when he ordered Xiao Yu's execution, and I also know that His Majesty will regret it soon. If you don't believe me, then execute my wife and me at the same time. Otherwise, unless I commit suicide first, none of you will be able to cut off Xiao Yu's head!"

The executioner frowned, raised the imperial edict in his hand, and said: "Xiao Yu has defied the imperial authority. The imperial will is made. Madam, leave immediately, or don't blame me for being heartless."

Luo Fu: "I'm not even afraid of death, why would I need your favor? But I would like to ask you, sir, if my husband and I die and the Emperor does indeed issue an edict to pardon Xiao Yu, you can use the excuse of being ordered to carry out the execution to absolve yourself of responsibility for accidentally killing Xiao Yu, but how do you plan to explain the extra life of me, a lady of high rank, to the Emperor?"

Executioner: "You, you disrupted the execution ground first..."

Luo Fu: "Does Your Excellency know that our eldest son's childhood name was Man'er? After the Emperor learned of this, because he had the ambition to pacify the Xia people within the country and the Bai Man people without, he bestowed the childhood name Xia upon the second prince. The Emperor's kindness to Xiao Yu shows that they are not only ruler and subject but also close friends who cherish each other. Do you really think that such a wise ruler as the Emperor would break the promise he made and personally send Xiao Yu to his death?"

Executioner: "..."

He had no idea what agreement the Emperor had made with Xiao Yu, but since Xiao Yu's wife had said so, the matter had spread to the common people. He continued to insist on executing Xiao Yu. What if the Emperor regretted it and blamed him, a mere executioner, for implicating the Emperor in breaking the agreement?

The executioner dared not gamble with his own life. After a moment's hesitation, he sent a member of the Imperial Guard to request the Emperor's permission.

At this moment, all the civil and military officials in the palace were still kneeling outside the Qian Yuan Hall, pleading with Emperor Xianping to rescind his decree and forgive Xiao Yu.

Liu Baoxiu, Pei Xingshu, Xiao Lin, the old emperor's brother-in-law, and most of the ministers genuinely pleaded for Xiao Yu's life. Chen Ruliang, Yan Zhuang, and their cronies naturally hoped that Xiao Yu's head would fall as soon as possible. Once Xiao Yu was dead, there would be no turning back on Emperor Xianping's decision to depose the empress. In order to prove that he was right to kill Xiao Yu, Emperor Xianping had to persist.

Time passed both slowly and extremely quickly. When a solemn-looking Imperial Guard who had escorted Xiao Yu to the execution ground reappeared before them and passed by them to report to the Qian Yuan Hall, Pei Xingshu and Xiao Lin were the first to close their eyes, some weeping silently, others clenching their teeth and desperately trying to suppress their emotions.

Inside the palace, Emperor Xianping sat alone at his desk, his mind in turmoil. He had been looking at the memorials for a long time but hadn't been able to read a single word. The images of Empress Xie, Xiao Yu, and Wei Heng flashed through his mind, some bringing him joy, others filling him with unbearable hatred.

When Eunuch Xue brought in the Imperial Guards who had returned, Emperor Xianping's eyes suddenly focused only on Xiao Yu, the thirteen or fourteen-year-old Xiao Yu, standing on the moonlit bridge, looking at the handsome Xiao Yu whose words were full of sarcasm.

Is this fearless young man, who had been imprisoned twice and demoted twice but still dared to speak out against his superiors, really dead?

Emperor Xianping turned away, preventing Eunuch Xue and the guards from seeing his face covered in tears.

After a long pause, Emperor Xianping asked indifferently, "Did Xiao Yu leave any words before he died?"

The Imperial Guard, finally allowed to speak, reported: "Your Majesty, because Lady Xiao Yu disrupted the execution ground, the executioner has not yet carried out the execution."

Emperor Xianping swayed slightly, reaching out to brace himself on the table: "...What did his wife do?"

The Imperial Guards learned it from memory.

Upon hearing the eight words "pacify the Chinese within and subdue the barbarians without," Emperor Xianping's shoulders trembled, and as he trembled, he let out two laughs.

After laughing enough, Emperor Xianping looked up and exhaled, saying self-deprecatingly, "Yes, I almost forgot that I had an agreement with Xiao Yu to join forces to pacify the Chinese and foreign tribes. He can anger me as he pleases. If I were to actually cut off his head, I would be seen as a treacherous villain."

Eunuch Xue promptly advised, "Everyone in the court knows that Lord Xiao's words are unpleasant to hear. Your Majesty should take care of your health; it's not worth arguing with him."

Emperor Xianping nodded and said to the Imperial Guard, "He may be spared the death penalty, but he cannot escape punishment. Put Xiao Yu in Dali Temple Prison for now, and I will make a decision later."

The guard acknowledged the order, paused, and then asked, "Your Majesty, Lady Xiao Yu has disrupted the execution ground. What should be done with her?"

Emperor Xianping waved his hand: "Let it go."

Man'er's father is in jail again; we can't let him never see his mother again.

-----------------------

Author's note: Waaah, two chapters mean 8,000 words, three chapters... I'll do my best, but it will probably be very late, so please read it tomorrow morning!

100 small red envelopes. The second generation is annoying, but I love you all!