Chapter 732 Deterrence

Madam Gao was not afraid at this moment. She felt relaxed, as if a huge weight had finally been lifted from her heart, and she could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Wang Da Dang didn't urge her. After saying that Emperor Wu had released one of the Gao family's children, he just stood there waiting for Madam Gao to choose her own way of dying.

In fact, the cell where Madam Gao was being held at this moment was not quiet, because the cell next to where Madam Gao was being held was occupied by other female members of the Gao family.

Through the connected iron fence, Gao's eldest daughter-in-law cried her heart out. She had truly come to her senses during this time and no longer harbored any illusions.

The eldest daughter-in-law of the Gao family knew perfectly well that the Gao family was finished. Of the male members of the Gao family, only the youngest son of Gao Sanlang's family was spared. All the others were going to die.

According to the law, women like them who knew nothing could still live, but they wouldn't live well and would be sent to the brothel as slaves.

Although not everyone can accept going from a noble person to a servant, survival is a basic human instinct.

Who would want to die if they could live?

Moreover, even so, the families of these women would not stand by and watch their married daughters be defiled and humiliated. They would usually offer some gold and silver to bribe the brothel to make their lives a little better.

but!

This time, the Gao family committed a heinous crime of treason, and they even colluded with foreigners to plot against the Tang Dynasty, using such a filthy and poisonous substance as opium ointment. They have truly angered Emperor Wu.

Furthermore, among the traitors publicly named this time, the highest-ranking official was Gao Hengzhong's family. Emperor Wu directly increased the punishment, and apart from leaving one bloodline for the Gao family, all the rest of the Gao family had to die!

The eldest daughter-in-law of the Gao family watched as Madam Gao tidied her clothes little by little, reached out and took the small porcelain bottle on the tray, uncorked it, poured out the pills inside, and put them into her mouth without any hesitation.

This is a serious attempt to give people a dignified death. The poison in the porcelain bottle was specially developed by the physicians of the Imperial Medical Bureau, which can cause a person to bleed internally and die within a dozen breaths.

Madam Gao is dead.

Sobbing and whimpering echoed in the cell. The eldest daughter-in-law of the Gao family wasn't crying for her mother-in-law's death; she was crying for herself. She knew she wouldn't even get such a dignified death.

Wang Da Dang looked at Madam Gao, who was lying on the ground with her head tilted to the side, squatted down and sighed. He reached out a hand to close Madam Gao's eyes, which were still wide open in death.

Wang Da Dang pulled a handkerchief from his sleeve and wiped the blood from Madam Gao's mouth. After standing up, he casually tossed the bloodstained handkerchief into a corner. "Take her out properly. She was once a lady of rank."

In order to deter potential villains and those with ill intentions, a high platform was erected in the square of Suzaku Avenue in less than half a month.

During this period, the people of Chang'an had already eaten all the melons they could find.

Not to mention officials and nobles, even ordinary people living in Chang'an would chat with each other whenever they met.

Longevity Workshop, Herbal Medicine Hall.

Mr. Li had just finished taking the pulse of a patient and watched as the patient went to the medicine cabinet to get medicine. Only then did Mr. Li stand up and walk around.

After a busy morning, it was good to get up and walk around to stretch his legs. As soon as Li's father stepped out the door, he ran into an old resident on the street. The third house on the west end belonged to Old Liu, who ran a general store.

"Dr. Li, where are we going?"

Father Li cupped his hands in greeting to Old Man Liu and replied warmly, "Where could we go? We've been sitting here all afternoon, so we just came out for a walk as it's getting close to noon."

Is Old Liu heading off?

Old Liu bowed to Li's father and pointed to the steamed bun shop to the east of Bencaotang, saying, "I'm feeling lazy at home, so I've come to buy some steamed buns."

Mr. Li had intended to end the conversation with these pleasantries, so he nodded to Old Man Liu and stepped aside to let him pass.

But Old Liu took a small step closer to Li's father, leaned in and lowered his voice, saying, "Dr. Li, have you heard about what happened on Zhuque Street?"

After a moment of surprise, Li's father nodded. Old Liu continued, "The lady Wang who came to my shop to buy goods just now said that the high platform in the square on Zhuque Street has been set up."

The authorities posted a notice saying that those people would be executed at noon three days from now!

Seeing Li's father's expression, Old Liu knew that Li's father was unaware of this matter. Thus, Old Liu felt a sense of superiority, as he had the information ahead of Li's father. He then pulled Li's father aside and talked for a while, his words implying that all these traitors and rebels should die.

That evening, just before the gates of the neighborhood were about to close, Brother Li finally finished his shift and went home.

After the whole family had dinner together, they sat in the main hall chatting.

When Li's father saw his eldest brother, he remembered what Old Liu had said before, so he asked his eldest brother, "I heard that the high platform on Zhuque Street has been rebuilt?"

"Yes, Father, those who have committed heinous crimes of treason and their families shall be executed."

It seems that place will be difficult to traverse for some time.

Three days have passed in the blink of an eye, and today is a bright and sunny day.

The platform in Suzaku Square looked much larger than the last one, and there were many brave commoners outside the square, which was surrounded by the Golden Guards.

Some of the talkative ones started chatting with strangers around them.

"Why does this platform look so much bigger to me?"

I vaguely remember that last time I was an arm and a half's length away from the stone edge of this road; look, now it's less than an arm's length away.

"Wow, you're pretty impressive."

"What, you came to watch the last beheading too?"

The man patted his chest and said, "With my physique, what am I afraid of?"

My lord, although I am not a scholar, do you know that every time the emperor has executed someone, it was always a bad person?

Not to mention that this time it was that traitor who colluded with the enemy and allowed opium ointment to enter our Great Tang Dynasty.

Not only was I not afraid, but seeing them all die made me feel like I'd absorbed some righteous energy, which might even make me immune to all evil.

While the onlookers chatted amongst themselves, two squads of Imperial Guards escorted a group of male prisoners and a group of female prisoners toward the high platform from a distance.

"Look! They're here!"

The eldest daughter-in-law of the Gao family stood at the very front, her head bowed, walking step by step toward death.

Because there were many prisoners to be executed this time, in order to kill everyone in the shortest possible time, the official in charge of the matter ordered the craftsmen to expand the platform considerably when it was being built, so that four more people could be killed at once.

At noon, the official sitting at the head of the table had been waiting for this moment. His shout of "Execute!" excited the onlookers.

The executioner raised his cleaver high and swiftly slashed at the kneeling prisoner's tender neck.

With a series of "plop" sounds, jets of high-pressure blood splattered onto the executioner's clothes and the floor of the platform, filling the air with a strong stench of blood.