It was rare to see him so angry, yet he was still saying such sweet words, which made Heyue feel incredibly happy.

He always seemed to yearn for his child, but when faced with the choice between Heyue and the child's life or death, he chose Heyue without hesitation.

Looking back now, if she could only choose one, Heyue would have preferred to lose her child in order to live well, even though it was cruel and she felt sorry for her unborn child.

Compared to her unborn child, Heyue cherishes Hongchang, Tongxuan, and Shisan, who are in the capital, even more.

If I die, not only will Thirteen be heartbroken, but the children will also lose their biological mother. This child will be born without a mother, and the father and mother will experience the pain of losing their daughter.

The fact that Thirteen could say this shows that in his heart, Heyue is more important than the royal offspring he keeps hoping for. How could Heyue not be happy?

The following day, Thirteen visited Zhang Ren and told him about Li Shaoqiu.

Upon hearing from Thirteen that Li Shaoqiu had not returned to Zhang's Medical Clinic, Zhang Ren was shocked to learn that his nephew was a member of the Heaven and Earth Society. Not only did he not plead for his nephew, he also apologized to Thirteen.

Thirteen was pleased with Zhang Ren's understanding of righteousness and told him about the government's plan to arrest Li Shaoqiu, hoping that he would be prepared and not offend the government by protecting Li Shaoqiu.

Zhang Ren was heartbroken but helpless, and said he would never protect Li Shaoqiu, and that those who do wrong should be punished.

He Yue sighed, "From this perspective, Li Shaoqiu is good to his family. He didn't tell Zhang Ren the truth, which was also to protect Zhang Ren."

Thirteen nodded: "Indeed, I see that Brother Zhang has become much more dejected. I suppose he loves his nephew very much. I just hope he doesn't do anything wrong."

"You mean he'll protect Li Shaoqiu?" He Yue asked doubtfully.

Thirteen shook his head: "I'm just suspicious. After all, they are family, and Brother Zhang is a very loyal and affectionate person. I'm worried that he won't really watch Li Shaoqiu get into trouble."

This matter is entirely up to Brother Zhang's own choice. If he truly intends to protect and harbor Li Shaoqiu, then I can only apologize to him.

Seeing his gloomy expression, Heyue patted his hand and said, "Alright, we can't change other people's choices. We just need to do what we should do."

The Governor-General of Liangjiang, Gali, indeed arrived in Yangzhou with his entourage, and the Prefect personally greeted them.

Gali led several hundred soldiers, who cleared a path on both sides of the road and escorted him into the prefectural government office. The spectacle shocked the entire city of Yangzhou.

Prefect Qian Youdao followed respectfully beside him, filled with trepidation.

As Heyue ate cherries, she listened to Hailan and Zhizhu chattering about what was happening outside, and exclaimed in amazement, "I never imagined that the Governor-General of Liangjiang would have such a grand procession; all the people of Yangzhou came to see it."

It seems that this Gali has an extremely flamboyant personality, causing such a commotion as soon as he arrived.

Thirteen came in from outside and heard the conversation between the two maids. He laughed and said, "This Gali was a Grand Secretary in the capital. He was diligent and quick-witted, and Father Emperor praised him highly. Last year, he was sent to Jiangnan as the Governor-General of Liangjiang. However, he is very greedy, extravagant and dissolute. He has a bad reputation in official circles and has been impeached many times, but nothing has come of it."

"Then why did you entrust this matter to him?" He Yue asked, puzzled. Could someone like that really catch Li Shaoqiu and the others?

Thirteen sat to one side, stroking Heyue's belly, and explained, "Although Gali is greedy, he is serious about his work. Otherwise, Father Emperor wouldn't have indulged him so much. Sometimes, an official doesn't necessarily have to be honest and upright; what's important is being able to get things done."

He nodded in agreement, indicating that if the water was too clear, there would be no fish.

Thirteen continued: "More importantly, such people are more eager to make merits. The Heaven and Earth Society has always been a worry for Father Emperor. Gali is very clear about this and will definitely do his best in this matter."

Sure enough, Gali heard Pinggu's case that very day.

After a day and a night of interrogation, Pinggu refused to confess or reveal the whereabouts of the others.

Indeed, someone like Pinggu, who could remain hidden in the palace for so long without revealing her true colors, must be quite shrewd.

Finally, Gali sentenced Pinggu to death and ordered her beheading at noon the next day.

Heyue wanted to go and see, but Thirteen wouldn't allow it: "You're pregnant, what are you going there for? What's so interesting about killing people? There are so many people there, what if you fall and get hurt?"

"With you here, how could anything happen to me? I just wanted to go and check on things; I don't want to wait here for the results."

He Yue was determined to go. She knew that today was not just about killing people, but also about someone trying to storm the execution ground.

Since Li Shaoqiu dared to kidnap He Yue, he naturally wouldn't give up easily and would definitely show up on the day of the execution.

This was also what Thirteen suggested to Gali, with the aim of drawing out the others.

Heyue went to see it not just for the spectacle, but also to witness firsthand the pain of Pinggu's dashed hopes.

Thirteen couldn't refuse He Yue's request, so she reluctantly agreed: "But let's make it clear first, you can only take a quick look and then leave, and you're not allowed to get any closer."

He Yue nodded hurriedly.

The next day, Thirteen took Heyue to the execution site.

The execution took place at the city gate, also known as Caishikou.

In the past, the most common thing that He Yue heard about was beheadings at the Meridian Gate. Of course, only members of the imperial family and nobles were beheaded there; ordinary people were not qualified to be executed there.

In ancient times, every region had its own execution ground, specifically for disposing of death row inmates.

Such places attract large crowds, while the Meridian Gate is deserted and no one dares to go there, creating a stark contrast.

He Yue and the others did not stand in the middle of the crowd, but were far away from the execution ground. From here, they could only see half of the outline of the execution ground and the dense crowd of people, as well as the city wall not far away. They could not see the scene on the field at all, let alone Ping Gu's expression.

Thirteen held Heyue in his arms, with snacks and tea on the mahogany table beside them. The two stood by the window of the restaurant, looking at the scene in the distance.

Thirteen ignored the disdainful look He Yue gave him, picked up a piece of square cake, and smiled as he offered it to her lips.

Heyue took a big bite; no matter how dissatisfied she was with his actions, there was nothing she could do.

"Don't be angry. I don't feel comfortable leaving you there like this. What if someone storms the execution ground and you get taken hostage?" Thirteen pinched her cheek, looking at her puffed-up face, his tone quite leisurely.

Heyue understood his worries, so she didn't blame him. She just really wanted to go and see him, but being treated like a porcelain doll and carefully protected made her feel a little uncomfortable.

Since Heyue became pregnant, Thirteen has become increasingly domineering, always forbidding her from doing this or that. After the previous two incidents, he has become even more anxious about Heyue, not letting her get close to him in any danger.

At five quarters past nine, the execution ground remained quiet, with the people pointing and whispering about Pinggu above.

An hour has passed since Pinggu knelt there, but she has kept her head down the whole time, and it is unknown what her expression is now.

Was she confident that someone would come to rescue her, so she was fearless in the face of danger, or was she unwilling to be rescued and faced death with equanimity?